Aryan sat in the adventurer's guild office, looking at the crowd expressionless. The hall was busy and bustling with noises. Everyone occupied their job; some lined up to collect rewards while some searched for new quests.
"Ding-ding!"
A sudden notification broke him out of his thoughts. He looked below at the source of the sound, a copper metallic wristband he was wearing. Without hesitation, he tapped on the wristband twice. Out of nowhere, a small blue holographic screen floated in the air.
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[Notice]
Adventurer Name: Eone (ID: 42SA-02)
Violation: involvement in reported violence against fellow adventurers. Banned from entering the central dungeon for 7 days. Further infractions may result in a permanent ban and legal action.
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"Good job, genius!" He sarcastically nodded his head. It was barely one week since he got transmigrated into this world. And as an unsaid rule of every Isekai novel he read, he had to hide his identity.
He took a deep breath, his back slowly leaning against the seat. 'I should buy recording crystals next time, ' he thought, adjusting his mask.
He stood up, and walked towards a board with multiple screens floating in it, his eyes particularly locked on one quest.
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Quest: Eliminate the Slimes in Half Moon Village
Rank: E
Description: Wild slimes have recently appeared in Half Moon Village, attacking merchants and farmers. Exterminate the slimes and help restore weapon production.
Reward: 240 silver coins
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"Hmm", Aryan hummed with a plain expression. This world was home to many races, often resulting in mixed-blooded offspring. Dwarves, dragons, and elves, in particular, held themselves in high regard, shunning those of mixed heritage.
Half Moon Village was home to half-dwarves—a unique race with an exceptional sensitivity to mana. Despite their lack of talent in weaponry compared to full-blooded dwarves, their skill in crafting magical equipment was unmatched.
"If slimes spawn there then possibly..." he whispered to himself, "...I may find that thing as well."
At Aryan's level, he could only accept E-rank quests at most. Particularly this quest brings him two interests with one being money.
Quickly, he headed to the receptionist's office and accepted the quest. He stepped out of the guild reading about slimes, only to be distracted by a sudden voice.
"Ah! Mister, please wait for me!"
Aryan turned to look at the girl heading towards him. He quickly reorganized, 'It's that cheek who was getting beaten in the dungeon.'
"What is it?" He asked, with the same plane expression. The girl stood before him, not expecting a cold response.
"Um, I just wanted to apologize," she stammered, nervously glancing back at her teammates who were cheering her from afar. "I just wanted to apologize for the morning incident. You had to face troubles due to me. So...I was saying...that...if you are free, let me thank you with a coffee."
"Oh, an apology." Aryan interrupted before she could complete, "That would be 10,000 gold coins."
For a moment, the girl stayed still, unable to understand anything. "Sorry?" she asked.
"An apology!" Aryan clarified, "If you genuinely want to apologize, then 10,000 gold coins should cover it."
The girl's mouth dropped open. Her romantic image of a 'knight in silver armor' just crumbled before her eyes.
"10,000 gold coins." She repeated in amusement, "But I don't... even have that kind of money."
"Oh? Is that too much?" Aryan scoffed. "How much do you have then?"
"Well, I have... 12 silver coins with me...only." Her face turned red from embarrassment. She looked around, avoiding direct eye contact.
"That will do. Give me 12 silver coins." Aryan demanded as if it were the most normal thing in the world, a devilish move executed with ease.
"But if I..." She hesitated. But Aryan was not one to listen. "Why? You don't want to apologize anymore?"
"No. I mean..yes, sorry." She nodded her head, tears welling up, before handing him over all she had in her wallet. "Here, please. Take this as an apology."
Aryan's eyes glittered; he grabbed the pouch without any hesitation. "That's more like it!" He counted the coins before he picked up one silver and returned it to her. "Take this, and treat yourself to a coffee."
"You are a kind young lady. Hope you have a nice day." He walked off, waving his hand back. Leaving the innocent girl with a broken heart and an empty pocket.
...
A world with both magic and science made the social structure more complex and unpredictable. Aryan carefully picked up a few equipments meant for killing slimes. Without any delay, he headed straight for the village.
The direct train dropped him at the nearest station, about 8 km from the main village. For the remaining distance, he was walking it on foot.
The road was oddly familiar, with crystal-leafed trees, various colors of insects, and small floras walking around. Not that he'd seen this type of landscape before, but walking through the countryside was nostalgic.
A week ago, he had just woken up in a place that wasn't his home, with nothing but the clothes in his body and flashing memories that gave him a headache. His memories already made him familiar with lots of things, such as language and writing. But he couldn't find anything about himself in this world or the past world.
Even the name 'Aryan' was something he picked up from an identity card he had. But even after the transmigration, he was neither shocked nor surprised. As for what he wanted to do right now? It was to adapt to this world...and learn more magic.
The sun fell down the horizon, and two beautiful red and blue moons dazzled in the sky. Aryan could finally see light from afar. As he approached nearer, the source of light became clear. It was a decent-sized village, about fifty houses, with a midlevel-style two-story wooden building in the center.
The village was surrounded by sturdy wooden walls, while shadows of people were visible in the wooden watchtower. It was a surprise, just a few hours ago, he was in a city so advanced it looked like a science fiction world, and now he was in a village so underdeveloped it resembled an ancient feudal country.
"Stop right there!" A loud voice sounded. Aryan stopped walking as said.
"Are you here for the slime quest?" The voice asked. Aryan looked atop a wooden tower, in the direction of the watchtower. "Was it that obvious?"
"Hahaha," The guard laughed. "There aren't many people who come by. Just wait there for a minute; I will open the gates."
Aryan did as said. In a minute, the wooden gates opened. The guard escorted him inside. The inside was modest—a collection of wooden buildings, clean dirt roads, small farms, and a lot of smithies. Aryan was taken directly inside the two-story building in the center, which was also supposed to be the chief's building.
Being an adventurer had its benefits; one of them was respect. To the extent that some strong adventurers even held posts rivaling those of noble families. In a moment, the village chief and two elders entered the guest room to greet him.
"It's a pleasure to host you as a guest, O adventurer." The chief said as soon as he entered. He was a short man with fair skin and muscular buildup. While the other two were slightly darker complex and shorter in height.
"The pleasure is all mine." Aryan followed the basic courtesy. He was too tired to engage in long conversations.
The chief sat before him; his smile looked genuine and simple. "You should uncover your mask and get comfortable."
"No, I am comfortable this way." He bluntly declined, "Also, if possible, only tell me about things that weren't mentioned in the quest; it saves time."
It was not that Aryan wanted to constantly wear the black mask on his face. But with his identity in this world, he didn't want to attract more attention.
"Of course, then I will cut short." The chief laughed embarrassingly, "The half-moon village is home to half-dwarves, whose only source of income is to sell magic weapons. But recently, a horde of acid slimes spawned near the village; they are constantly attacking the merchants and traders who buy our product."
Aryan's expression remained plain. The chief continued, "Due to the losses, our village is constantly facing an economic crisis. We had no other option but to post an official quest.
"Hmm," Aryan tilted his head. "That's weird honestly. Slimes are supposed to be weak creatures, and with the economic strains you explained you have..."
Aryan leaned in towards the chief, his tone growing cold and sharp, "If I were in your position, I would send some village guards or local mercenaries to deal with it."
The village chief hesitated; beads of sweat formed on his head. Even with the intelligence in weapons, Dwarfs or dwarfs weren't exactly the cleverest creatures out there.
The chief looked around, glancing at one of the elders, communicating through gestures. He kept silent for a few seconds before he admitted, "You are right."
"We did send a few village guards, but they couldn't deal with the slimes. In desperation, I hired a group of local mercenaries and..." He stopped in between.
"And ?" Aryan asked.
"And they didn't return." The chief said it hesitantly.
Aryan changed his posture and leaned back against the chair again. "I see. Is that all the information?"
The chief looked at him in surprise; he expected Aryan to be angry or suspicious but his reaction was completely different, rather chilling.
"You can leave if you have nothing to say. I will head out for the quest tomorrow." Aryan said, standing up. The chief and two elders left without saying a word, while he closed the doors behind.