I arrived at the first counter without caring for who the person was, as long as I wasn't looking in the general direction of Ms. Brat.
"Hello! My name is Quincy, how may I help you?" [Quincy]
A cheery female receptionist greeted me, but this wasn't unordinary because all of the other receptionists were also girls. The woman who greeted me was also, in my opinion, well endowed. Although, I chose to keep such thoughts to myself and refrained from ogling.
"I'm here to register with the guild if that is possible." [Dmitriy]
"Sure thing, first fill out this sheet of paper." [Quincy]
Quincy handed me a sheet of paper that asked for various things such as name, age, and race. I quickly filled out the information: name, Dmitriy Vellin; age, 16; race, human. I also pointedly ignored the stories and laughter that were circulating through the guild from the annoying girl in the room.
After returning the completed form back to the receptionist, I was asked to prick my finger and smear some blood onto a small card. With the provided needle, I pricked my finger and waited until a small drop of blood fell from my hand. The card glowed a hazy red as the blood was absorbed into it. I thought this was very interesting. However, I already knew of magic thanks to Ronda, so my expression remained stoic. When the light faded, information was imprinted onto the card along with a section that read as "Rank : I."
"Here is your guild card sir. As you can see, you are an I ranked adventurer or the 10th rank. Your ranking can be improved through completing requests posted from the board over to the left. Along with personal information, the card also has sections for your party and deposited currency. The guild card can also be used to make transactions if you do decide to entrust money to the guild." [Quincy]
What I understood from the receptionists' spiel was that guild cards were useful, magical debit cards. Other than that, the information was fairly self evident and would have taken an idiot not to figure out quickly.
"Thank you." [Dmitriy]
Quincy proffered my guild card to me and I took it while uttering a brief thanks. With this, I left the counter and approached the bulletin board.
'Fuck. Ms. Annoying is still in my way.' [Dmitriy]
Unfortunately, I made eye contact with Sylphie and she broke into a broad grin, opening her mouth wide.
"Hey! I still haven't gotten your name, naked hero! Come over here and talk with me a bit." [Sylphie]
Still chiding myself for ever drawing attention, I pointedly ignored her and brazenly walked towards the bulletin board that lay past Sylphie's table. My endeavor was successful as she refrained from nabbing my coat, but instead, she enticed half of the guild to laugh along with her, which was just as bad if not worse.
'What a miserable time. Even bars aren't this cruel to newcomers, at least not in my old world nor at my inn.' [Dmitriy]
My thoughts were interrupted when I was near enough to read the board and soon the paper wall seized my interest. Studying it, I could see dozens of papers that ranged from simple collection requests to challenging extermination requests. One that I noticed, demanded an earth magician to construct a wall. At this point, I understood exactly why the barkeeper said that the guild was a versatile place. I even thought that versatile was an understatement now that I saw what they offered. After my astonishment towards the request variety subsided, I noticed that the board was organized into sections based on rank, I through S. This was to be expected as well. After all, a logical organizational method to prevent rookies from accepting expert jobs had to be implemented creating an orderly hierarchy within the guild. I personally approved of how obvious and predictable the system was. With this, I was unlikely to break many obscure, nonsensical rules of the guild and I didn't have to conduct research about distinguishing monsters for extermination requests. For all I new, some animal that I believe to be a goat could be much more dangerous than the hobgoblin I chanced upon.
Finding the board for I rank requests, I allowed my gaze to skim across each posted request until something passively caught my interest. My eyes wandered until they stopped. Unfortunately for me, they didn't stop on a request but at the end of the board. I inwardly sighed.
"I rank is going to be rough for me." [Dmitriy]
At that moment, a pesky voice sounded behind me and made me hate myself for being able to recognize it by sound alone.
"If the low ranks are going to be too much of a burden on you why don't you…" [Sylphie]
"No." [Dmitriy]
I felt that Sylphie was going to ask me to join her party so I took the initiative to refuse before her delusional mind could influence her further.
"Oh come on! You didn't even let me finish. In fact, I bet you didn't even know that I would give you the honor to be invited into a party with the lord's daughter." [Sylphie]
"So what you're saying is that you were born privileged, decided that you wanted to do some adventuring, and then have your dad protect you while you have fun, sound about right princess?" [Dmitriy]
Syphie stood stock still as the guild grew quiet, an complex expression bordering on rage and disbelief plastered to her once smug face. My words held power here and that was made satisfyingly obvious based on people's reactions to them. With this atmosphere, I decided to ask a question that had been nagging at me for some time.
"So Sylphie, you're telling me that it is okay for me to join your party because I saved your life right?" [Dmitriy]
Now stammering, the girl managed to force out a few words.
"You dare… You dare talk… talk to me… like...like that?" [Sylphie]
"So, in repayment, why don't you tell me something. As I said before, I rescued you for information." [Dmitriy]
My voice was approaching an even whisper now. Inversely, Sylphie's voice was cracking from her bottled wrath.
"I'll… I'll tell Father and then…" [Sylphie]
"Okay. Tell your father, but before that. Tell me how I can acquire magic." [Dmitriy]
Due to the unexpected question, Sylphie was taken aback for a second. The guild was deathly silent. Then, chuckles began to pop up here and there throughout the guild. Eventually, the entire building was once again roaring with laughter. At this point, Ronda stepped up beside Sylphie and motioned for her to sit down. She then turned towards me.
"You did well to defuse that situation with such an idiotic question, although I suspect that that question was entirely serious. Things could have gone south quite quickly for you." [Ronda]
"Idiotic?" [Dmitriy]
"Yes idiotic, magic is common sense, even for people living out in the sticks like you were. You're parents must have been the most stubborn people to not teach you. Follow me." [Ronda]
Ronda winks at me and leaves for a corner table situated towards the back of the guild. With nothing better to do, I decide to follow. After all, the requests for adventurers at my rank are apparently quite boring if my discerning eye is to be believed so it won't necessarily be detrimental to ignore them for a while.
Ronda sits us down at the table furthest from the commotion.
"Nice and quiet, doncha think?" [Ronda]
I nod.
"Not much of a talker, eh? Well that's fine. Let's get down to discussing a trade." [Ronda]
"A trade? I thought that you were going to offer me the information since I saved you." [Dmitriy]
Ronda grins and her eyes begin to gleam. I realized then that Ronda was the cunning type of person who had a knack for haggling and swindling.
"I'll get you out of trouble with the local lord for saving his daughter. The information about how to awaken will have to be purchased." [Ronda]
She was trying to swindle me already. Unfortunately, Ronda's logic was sound and I couldn't think of a way to get out of either situation without offering payment of some sort.
"Fine, what do you want from me?" [Dmitriy]
"Join my party." [Ronda]
It was my turn to be taken aback. I did not expect Ronda to ask me to join her party and apparently my thoughts were briefly shown on my face judging by Ronda's cheeky grin. I took a second to compose myself before speaking again.
"Why would you want a low rank like myself to join you." [Dmitriy]
"It's simple. You defeated those bandits in under 15 seconds. They couldn't even prepare spells or recover before they died. So, I want you to join Sylphie and I in an E ranked exploration request that has a high reward, although it is supposedly quite dangerous. However, since you are part of our party you get an equal stake in the payout along with the information." [Ronda]
With this in mind, I began to think.
'This is an E ranked request so that puts it at the 6th rank, 4 tiers above me. I should be able to avoid danger if I rely on my abilities. It wouldn't hurt to gain some experience either. However… I shouldn't do it.' [Dmitriy]
I opened my mouth to refuse, but then... I stopped.
'Wait a minute. Why am I refusing? Doesn't this deal benefit me the most? I get money and information, avoid the I ranked requests, and even gain experience. So what stopped me?' [Dmitriy]
At that moment, realization dawned upon me. I was simply against working with others because of my past life. I remembered that people commonly left to never return. I knew that assassin's work alone.
"But I'm not an assassin anymore." [Dmitriy]
"What did you say? You were a little quiet there." [Ronda]
"Oh. I said I'll join your party." [Dmitriy]
"Great!" [Ronda]
After collecting my answer, Ronda pulled out her guild card and touched it on top of mine.
"Guild, Broken Wings." [Ronda]
She then pulled her card away from mine, leaving a new line labeled guild behind. After confirming that the new line was correct, Ronda stood up and smiled.
"Look forward to working with you, rookie. Be here early tomorrow morning and we'll leave immediately."
With this, Ronda left me alone in my quiet corner of the large guild hall. It was then I realized that she hadn't told me how to awaken magic.
"That cheeky bitch. Keeping me on the hook until the end. Fine, I'll play your game." [Dmitriy]
I stood up and left.