"This place isn't as bad as I would have imagined. Sure, the buildings are unmaintained, but it looks like the people here are somewhat happy."
After leaving the inn that we consider our main base, Claire had led me around the various back alleyways. Many of the people here were somewhat healthy in appearance, and many of their clothing was tethering. I wouldn't say that this section was completely out, but there was a clear indicator that these residents were on the poverty line. The residents that I managed to catch glimpses of were following their normal routines.
The sound of children playing and carriages clanking down the road filled our ears. When we returned to a more maintained road, Claire led me to more open space. The sun blanketed the area with its sizzling heat. It almost made me miss the shadows that we were crawling in up to this point.
"We are in the silver district now. Unlike the buffer that the inn resides in, members of the Silver district are rather well off financially. They are likely members of the working class and have the education needed to get a fair shape in life. At least for right now, they are swimming above the buffer zone.", Claire explains.
It was subtle, but I could tell even while staring at the back of her head that Claire was being vigilant. She and Mark both stressed that we were likely going to face some form of surveillance. Unlike my two comrades, I don't possess any forms of super senses. So it fell onto Claire to detect any unwelcome individuals from following us. The more we traveled through this section of Astana, the more extravagant and unique the attires of the people around us became.
"So what about this section? There are some that are colorful, but there are other people who are dressed similar to how we were when we first met. Is it a status thing?", I asked her.
The woman would nod first before gesturing subtly to the people who were pooling around us. People of all shapes and sizes were in this area. Women with big hats, men with big armor and everything in between were there. I even spotted demi-humans around the area as well. Many were wearing worn down, leather armor, but there were one or two with more metal plated armor. It didn't take a genius to know what building these individuals were circulating around.
The building before us was half the size of the Parthenon in the Silver district. Just like it's contemporary, a majority of its design is carved out of extravagantly shaped white stones. Many of the stones looked weathered out the closer that we were to it. It actually resembles some of the courthouses that I have seen on the internet.
"This is one of those Guild Halls, right? It looks like that building from last night. Do all of them have a similar appearance?", I asked the woman once we entered.
In comparison to the outside, the inside was actually lacking in extravagance. A lot of the indoor tables and sections appeared to be extremely worn down. The people here might have been well tailored in certain areas, but in others their attires were weathered out
There was such an obvious contrast between the two.
"Somewhat. This one serves as the headquarters for the other two halls that exist within the city. Many of the more high ranking adventures utilize this one.", Claire responds.
I would continue to follow the woman as we toured the inside of the building. There was a small crowd of individuals standing in front of three boards set up right next to one another. They had sheets of papers stuck onto them, which I assumed were jobs listed as its contents.
Right after that, Claire ended up leading me to this desk that housed a receptionist behind it. The man was on the younger side, his hair short and light blonde. He had this larger, circular glasses on his face with a metal frame, and he pushed them up when he spotted us approach.
"Oh! Hello, Miss Clarice. Is there something that I could help you with today?", the man asks.
He had a book opened atop of his desk, and papers were scattered everywhere in sight. He clearly had recognized Claire as Clarice, so knew then and there that they had previously done business with one another. Claire had waved to the male, it was a simple gesture, but the man before us took it more personally. His face was reminiscent of an apple, and the male further scattered his papers out of embarrassment.
"It is great to see you as well, Phin. I would like to take the time to register this man into the Guild, and register him as a member of my Clan."
Phin would look towards me and look at me from head to toe. Once his eyes landed on my own, he jumped as if I had startled him in some way. I merely looked at the male just like any other person. His hands scrambled around the cluttered desk until he found a sheet of paper and slid it towards us.
"He looks rather dependable, Miss Clarice. A-A good selection if you were to ask me. Just fill out this paper, Mister.", Phin says in a winded tone.
The paper was picked up and on it was scribbles. You might as well have presented me with a paper of chicken scratch and I would have been none the wiser. It was just like the sign before, but after looking at it for a few seconds the characters on the page suddenly warped into English. I was actually pleased that it did so for my consumption.
It requested some basic information from me such as: my name, age, weapon choice, experience and magic spells. It was almost like filling out a job application. Once I finished breading over it, Phin would slide over a quill and ink jar for my usage. They have indoor plumbing, but no pens yet. I tried to use it much like any other writing tool, but I found a little difficulty fitting the item within my fingers.
"Phin, have there been any high ranking guild members passing through here, recently?", Claire asks the man.
"Yes- well… Sir Dante and Catalan passed through here just earlier. Currently, they have been the only B tiers that arrived thus far. They wanted to cash in their guild points in order to restore their potion reserves. They kept saying that they will be participating in a duel between the Angea and the Blois. It was news to me to learn that Commander Mordred issued a challenge to you last night.", Phin responds.
"It was rather shocking, but I do find some amusement out of the whole ordeal. It is rare for our families to go against each other, but it is inevitable."
Upon completing the form, I handed the paper back to Phin. His eyes scanned the information before confusion washed over his face. His head tilted, Phin would ask,
"Mister…Drago. You do not know any spells nor do you possess a weapon?"
"You can call me, Q.- I have my fists. That will be enough for the time being.", I answered his question.
My response only served to throw the bashful male into a baffled state. I suppose that would be weird, but I actually do not have a weapon. At this moment, I don't think that I desire one. I want to test out the strength I got when I crossed over to this new world without a crutch. Naturally, I can not tell this random receptionist my reasons, so I prepared a better excuse.
"A man that can not kill a beast with his bare hands is nothing short of a coward and/or incompetent. That is what the man that trained me said."
Phin flinched at my words, but his eyes seemed to be fixated on Clarice. He seemed quite worried for Claire.
"That is setting up for disaster. It's fortunate that you will be starting off in F tier where the threats will remain somewhat manageable.", Phin says frankly.
I didn't like what he was insinuating with his words. I don't know just how powerful the average adventurer is, but I'm no weakling like he seemed to assume.
"F tier? Why that one in particular?", I questioned the man.
"Since you have no experience, then you will have to start there, and then move your way up. Fortunately for you, you have aligned yourself with Miss Clarice, who is currently a D tier. You can accept D tier jobs once your Clan is fully recognized by the guild."
"So you mentioned that Dante… and Cadillac both are B tiers. Does that mean that they are strong?"
Phin seemed to do a double take when I purposely misspoke Catalan's name. Those two bastards dared to cross me at that Banquet, and then dared to lay their hands on me. I got a score to settle with them, so hearing that their rank exceeded my own that drastically bugged me.
Having passed Claire another form for her to fill out, Phin once again shifted his attention towards my question.
"Haven't you heard of their recent exploits at Theoscyran? Sir Catalan and Dante both are quite formidable fighters. Before then they were known as incredibly powerful adventurers. They slew a horde of Goblins, and brought back the heads of three Hobgoblins and an Orc.", Phin responds. His tone showcased his fondness of the two men.
Claire didn't seem to be surprised by his words, so she likely knew this information as well. Once she completed her form, she handed it over to Phin. He would review the file for a few moments.
"That is quite the big deal. Orcs are incredibly powerful creatures. It takes an entire brigade of guardsmen to defeat one normally.", Claire elaborates as Phin stamps both papers with an insignia.
"Most lower tiers flee at the very sight of a Hobgoblin, but upper tiers such as Catalan and Dante are on another level. That is why Lord Percival personally recruited those men to join his ranks.", Phin says, lining the papers together in a stack.
"If those two are going to be facing your side in this duel, then I wish you the best of luck."
The receptionist turned around in order to take sight of the wall behind him. He hesitated before separating the two sheets into different slots
Upon turning around, Phin offered us another sheet of paper, which Claire took instantly.
"Just a bit south is the village of Ava. They do not have much money, so the offer is amongst the lowest payouts in the guild at the moment. It is an extermination mission. There are reported to be a murder of Fiend Fishes inhabiting the area around the river. Those people practically lived off of the wildlife in that zone, so they requested assistance from the guild. ", Phin explains as Claire passes me the paper.
I did a double take when he said a "murder of fiend fishes", but I soon inferred his meaning. I assume now that a murder of Fiend Fishes are labeled in the same fashion as Crows were back on Earth. Reviewing the paper it had a decently drawn image of what the creature looked like. It reminded me of a catfish with two muscular arms, and saber-tooth-like fangs peeking from its lips.
"These things tough?", I asked him.
"Yes. Although their numerical advantage is their true strength, it should not be too dangerous for D tier adventurers within the guild.", Phin said.
The petite male reminded me of Mark in a way with how often he pushed his glasses up on his nose. He seemed to be eagerly awaiting our response as his focus shifted from the two of us in front of him.
"We'll accept it. This will be good practice for you, Q. Fiend Fishes are rather resilient creatures, and their numbers make it challenging for a group of people. With the two of us, then your enjoyment will undoubtedly rise.", Claire said.
I could tell that she was attempting to sell me on the job despite it's poor pay, but it was unnecessary. My fist met my palm in a display of my utmost confidence. A wry smile appeared on my face when I faced the woman.
"Ever since last night, I've been itching for conflict. I woke up ready to kick some ass, pay or no pay. Just get that chump change prepared for us for when we return.", I declared, proudly.
Pleased with our answer, Phin clapped his hand in a singular motion. His eyes lit up like a child in a candy store, but he soon perked up as if I had forgotten something.
"Great to hear it. People have been rejecting this job all day, so I am glad to know that the two of you are going to deal with it. Just be careful. There might be a Monarch within their nest. It is unlikely, but still possible."
Although he was nonchalant in his mentioning of this Monarch, it still captured my interest. It must be a creature more powerful than its other members. Therefore, I was just hoping for one to be present there. Bashing the skull of an even more powerful creature will bring dopamine throughout my body. With Phin now sinking more attention into cleaning up his desk, I took that as my cue to leave
Turning to face the way we entered, I saw no reason to continue standing around.
"Well, that's enough standing around, Clarice. Let's get this party started."
"First things first, here-", Claire's words seemed to beckon for my attention, and when I turned her way something barreled through the air. I caught the item and the woman finished speaking. "I agree. The people of Ava require our assistance, so I bet that they are waiting for the arrival of someone from the guild. "
Taking a quick examination of the item, I could tell that it was a small, plate-like piece of metal. Its sleek, bronze base had both my name and standing within the guild on it. It also housed the name of the guild on its front; "Q Drago. F tier adventurer from the Astana Guild Association." There was also a rose insignia burned into the back of the metal.
"What's this?", I asked the two of them.
Seeing that this was more of his purview, Phin spoke up immediately. His hand brushed aside the bangs in his hair. "That would be your Guild Token. It is used to prove that your association with the guild is legitimate. Guild Tokens are created from the material left over from the quill that you signed the form with."
'The material left over from the quill? Is he talking about my DNA or fingerprint?'
Without the idea even crossing my mind initially, I now thought that the quill was somehow magic. I wasn't too keen on just learning that. Considering how I wasn't given a heads up, I suspect that information is common knowledge here. With that in mind, I merely placed the token in my pocket.
"So I show this to the people at the village to verify my involvement with the guild, correct?", I asked him.
"Yes. It is a simple measure to ensure the people that are receiving help know that you can be trusted. There have been times where counterfeit Guild Tokens were created in order to get the better of those in need of assistance."
"Right. Then I am safe to assume that I am entitled to crack the skulls of those waving around counterfeit tokens as well? Perhaps there is a reward for their capture?"
Phin perked up from his position after my question. Considering how much of a mess he had before we had entered, his desk was now nearly organized. His finger would arc through the air and guide my eyes into his desired direction. There was a board at the end of his fingertip.
"Yes. There are some known counterfeiters and counterfeiting groups, but they managed to elude even C and some B tiers, so exercise caution. If they were to be beaten and captured, then a handsome reward could be expected.", he explains.
Although her eyes ended in the same location, Claire didn't particularly share my same interest in the matter. I suppose that would make sense for her. She has greater things to do other than doing the Adventurer's Guild a favor. Her hand would reach towards me, and as such she received the sheet with the job that I had been carrying up to that point.
"What's with that look? I assure you that finding those people will be as difficult as defeating them, and we will likely be hard pressed to even search for them.", Claire says, folding the sheet and placing it into the pouch on her waist. "Thank you for your assistance for now, Phin. We shall return as soon as we complete the job."
The man didn't offer the woman an audible response. Instead, Phin waved us off as we made our departure. I couldn't help, but to feel some form of excitement rushing over my body. Although this was merely my second day in this world, this was the first quest that I was undertaking. Although I would have preferred that the other two were present, Claire made for some decent company. Her knowledge of Astana made her reliable, so I wasn't surprised when she got us on a ride on a carriage to the village of Ava. We started in the Silver district, and traversed through the Southern wall before the green treeline came into view.
Much like the Eastern wall that me and da boyz first entered the city, the shrubbery outside of the Southern wall was practically the same. Thick trees, and high bushes had their leaves tested against the occasional breeze. Sitting in the inside of one of these carriages was far inferior to riding in any kind of vehicle back on earth. Not only were there more people that just Claire and I, but the smoldering summer heat plagued the shadows of the covering as well. You could have told me that I was sitting in a sauna and my black ass would have believed you.
"How are you holding up, C?", I ask the woman.
She sat across from me in the carriage, and next to her was a woman and her two children. I had noticed that Claire had lent the woman a handkerchief for her children despite sweating herself. When I shortened both of her aliases to their initial letter. She was confused about it for a moment, but she was quick to understand.
"I am fine. It is just a little heat, so nothing that I could not handle. Ava Village is merely an hour away from the city, so we should be able to arrive before the sun rises higher in the sky.", She responds.
"That's good. Bear with it, and soon we'll be able to enjoy ourselves. A good fight should be coming our way.", I said.
A chuckle came from the woman followed by a swipe of the sweat off of her brow.
"I didn't take you as a man that enjoyed fighting at first. Your hair is well maintained, and fingernails are kept. Such things seem incomparable to the type of environment built for combat. Not to mention that you choose to carry no weapon. Had I not seen your exploits from last night, then I would not have imagined any of you three being the type that enjoys it."
"My body is the greatest weapon that I have at my disposal.", I would clench my right fist in order to better illustrate my point, "Therefore, I keep it at its optimal level. Not only do I enjoy cracking skulls, but I also enjoy the finer things. I am just as much of a lover as I am a fighter."
"A lover, huh? I suppose you share more than one passion then."
Her words did strike me as odd, but I chose not to address it at that moment. Instead, I watched as the woman fiddled with her sword's handle. Her expression is melancholy rather than the mischievous side that seems to throw Mark's way. It was a strange thing to witness yesterday. Despite just meeting yesterday, Claire and Mark seemed to have gotten along just fine. I could tell that at first she was hesitant to trust us, but eventually she seemed to have more aligned herself with us. I mean, she at least trusts enough to share the same building to sleep in. Although we are more like the hired help, Claire seemed to be an alright person from the looks of it.
The ever growing clanking of the wooden wheels of the carriage rang out on every rock that it ran over. It had a rhythm to it. The air was dry and the wind pushed through the leaves, creating a lulled sound. This was the song of the summer time. The listless nature of mother nature as we enjoyed a calming moment.The tranquil clopping of horseshoes led the way to our destination. It was almost the perfect moment.
Kabloom!
The sudden snapping of a tree broke our silence like a bad note on a piano. Claire as well as everyone else was completely surprised. The horses kicked and bucked as a tree fell in our way, and the smell of scorched bark filled our noses. The coachman yelped in surprise as well before the man suddenly disappeared out of view.
'The hell is going on here?!'
I stood up instantly, preparing myself for conflict. My eyes shifted from the coachman's location to the place where we entered the carriage. The elderly man that sat next to me as well as the teenager that was next to him was thrown into complete disarray.
The mother beckoned her children behind her as they sought her for protection. Everyone did something. Everyone excluding Claire. She remained still as a statue, petrified even. Her face wrapped in a stiffness reserved for those that were gripped with indecision. Her hand laid on her hilt, but her wrist dared not to draw it.
"Shlelelele- I'm afraid I've got some bad news!"
The wicked…'laugh' of an individual pierced the hot air of the innards in the carriage. A group of strange looking men filled the once spacious opening with their blades drawn.
"Everyone hop out of there and don't try any funny stuff!"