The adventurer's guild, as ancient as the merchant's guild, holds perhaps the highest esteem, owing to its illustrious history and its archives filled with the deeds of legendary heroes. Legend has it that among all major settlements and towns, the adventurer's guild building always stands as the oldest building out of it all.
The interior design throughout the branches of the guild remains consistent to provide adventurers with a sense of familiarity. The left wing houses the cafeteria, while the right wing spans two floors of the inn, doubling as a sick bay for the injured. One of the rooms is designated for the resident healer, Pam. In the center, the entrance leads to a display of the guild's trophies, serving as the hub for taking quests and interacting with the receptionist. Adjacent to the quest board, a large map of the world adorns one wall. Upstairs in the left wing are the staff's quarters and the guild master's office.
In some of the largest kingdoms and towns, the guild houses may be much larger, but this layout serves as the standard for the adventurer's guild interior.
Percival was no stranger to the guild; he had once been an adventurer, traversing the world and delving into dungeons. Checking the quest boards had become an ingrained habit from his adventuring days.
Most of the quests seemed to involve slaying monsters, delivering goods, or escorting. However, two stood out as particularly challenging: one involved slaying Mad Bulls for their meat, while the other required delivering supplies to the dungeon. Both were classified as rank A, indicating their difficulty level.
Percival's mind refocused on his task. Having failed to secure the kingdom's official support, he knew he must rally more people to aid in defending the northern wall. He entered the reception area, finding no queuing lines since it was already lat in the morning.
"How may I assist you?" the receptionist greeted with a practiced smile.
"I would like to post a job," Percival began, detailing the urgent situation unfolding in the north.
"Wait... is that real?" the receptionist asked, seeking confirmation from Percival. He nodded solemnly.
"Can you wait here for a moment?" the receptionist requested before swiftly leaving her post and ascending to the second floor of the building.
<--->
"We will post it... at all adventurer's guilds in the world," the guild master declared. Percival was summoned to the guild master's room.
"But even with such widespread distribution, the limited time may not suffice. You understand the precarious nature of adventurers' lives," the guild master elaborated. Adventurers often lived from paycheck to paycheck, struggling to manage their finances, with travel expenses always a concern.
"I can contribute some of my own funds, but my influence extends only as far as the eastern frontiers... I'm sorry. With a larger sum, we could achieve more," the guild master conceded, bowing his head.
The guild master understood Percival's purpose; it perfectly aligned with the adventurer's guild's core mission—to slay monsters.
"I understand…" Percival sighed, aware of his financial limitations and the thin spread of available adventurers. The timing of the siege up north couldn't be worse.
"Then I would like to ask for one more favor," Percival added, his tone determined. "Anything," the guild master nodded in agreement.
"Can you point me in the direction of the hero of the era? I've heard he's somewhere around the eastern frontier," Percival inquired.
"Of course," the guild master affirmed. The adventurer's guild prided itself on its comprehensive knowledge of the world.
<--->
Percival exited the guild, he understood even from long ago, that nobles and the guilds acted separately. Nobles acted for their gains, and the guilds acted for their purpose in the first place. It would be funny if humanity were destroyed because of their lack of unity.
An idea that made Percival smirk. They are going to the town near a dungeon south of the castle. If he can't recruit people, better try talking to the elites then. He sighed, and then he breathed in deeply, the air in the main level of the castle wasn't to his liking, he ought to drink a bit tonight.
He does miss the ale of the adventurer's guild but he wanted to try some different beverages at the inn.
<--->
Simon entered the inn, arriving rather late. He made a beeline for the reception, inquiring about Percival's room.
"Oh, you're his companion? We actually have a bit of a problem," the inn's receptionist explained, leading Simon to the cafeteria where he found Percival slumbering at a table. It seemed he had imbibed a bit too much.
"We've already prepared a room, but as you can see, he's too big to be carried," the receptionist remarked, gesturing to Percival who already had a blanket draped over him. It appeared they had given up trying to move him; after all, the northerner was quite heavy.
"I understand. Can you show me the room? I'll take care of him," Simon replied, ready to assist.
The receptionist was taken aback as Simon effortlessly carried Percival onto his shoulders. "Huh?!" she exclaimed, surprised by Simon's strength.
"Oh, okay... let me show you the room!" she quickly responded, leading the way. The weight of the hefty northerner must have been considerable, yet Simon showed no signs of fatigue.
As they made their way down the hallway, the heavy thuds of Simon's steps reverberated loudly. Despite the noise, they reached their room on the upper floor without incident. Simon deftly ascended the ladder, carrying Percival with ease.
"Here is the room! Let me open it!" the receptionist announced, unlocking the door with the key from her belt. As the door swung open, a musty smell filled the air. The receptionist quickly opened the windows to let in fresh air.
Inside, Percival's belongings were neatly arranged, indicating that the inn was indeed trustworthy. Simon gently lowered Percival onto one of the beds in the room, which boasted two beds.
"I'll just remove his boots. Give me a moment!" the receptionist offered, displaying her expertise in hospitality. She carefully took off Percival's large boots and placed them neatly near the door, while Simon helped him onto the bed.
"Thank you, ma'am," Simon expressed his gratitude with a bow.
"If you need anything, just ring the bell," the receptionist pointed out the bell by the door, to which Simon nodded in acknowledgment. With a bow, the receptionist left the room.
It had been a while since Simon had slept in a proper room, and he felt a bit uneasy. Nevertheless, he began to prepare himself for sleep.
<--->
Early in the morning, the queen awoke from her slumber. With a sigh, she braced herself for yet another day of managing the affairs of the kingdom, marveling at how her husband handled the ceaseless workload day after day. As she sat up, a maid awaited her, swiftly drawing back the curtains to flood the room with morning light.
Stretching her arms, the queen yearned for a glimpse of the Sky Garden. Though her husband's absence left a tinge of loneliness, her spirits lifted at the sight of her daughter below, practicing swordsmanship with a radiant smile.
"How much time do I have until the work of the day starts?" the queen asked away.
"My queen… you still have 2 hours and a half" the maid answered, she also acted as the secretary of the queen, usually there were 4 of them shifting the hours.
"I see… prepare me my training clothes, I want to work out some sweat," the queen said.
Usually, she would read some documents during those 2 hours of free time but she wanted a change of pace.
…
In moments, the queen found herself outside, reassured by the absence of nobles. She habitually rose before everyone else. Her daughter noticed her presence.
"Hmm… you seem cheery today," the queen remarked. Diana appeared more refreshed than when she returned from her expedition up north, where the Marcians had requested an early dungeon culling.
"Do you want to spar?" Diana suddenly proposed, having already observed her mother's attire and understanding her desire to exercise.
"I'm up for it. Let's go," so the queen said, Diana immediately used her sword to tap another wooden sword on the direction of her mother whom caught it effortless.
The two engaged in a one-hour spar.
Their activity was abruptly interrupted when a maid approached the queen. "My queen, an artifact has been stolen," the maid reported, halting the mother-daughter bonding time.
"... Zach... What the hell?!" the queen exclaimed, her mood swiftly soured.
<--->
Simon and Percival were preparing to depart. Despite the events of yesterday, Percival couldn't recall how he ended up on the bed. As he searched for his boots, he found them tucked behind Simon's backpack. He reached for them, attempting to move the backpack out of the way, but was surprised by its weight.
"Simon, your backpack is too heavy!" he complained, though he could still carry it in one hand.
"Well, I've got dried meat and plenty of salt," Simon replied. Percival recalled Simon's fighting style—fast and agile, even with his heavy bag.
'Just how much explosive power does this boy have?' Percival wondered as he put on his boots. "We're heading south, to a town near a dungeon," Percival briefed Simon on their destination.
"Okay," Simon nodded in response.
"Where did you go last night?" Percival inquired as he noticed that the boy was exuding a good positive aura.
"Sightseeing... It's beautiful here," Simon answered without looking back, the big man new it was a girl, probably?
In a few minutes, the two were ready to depart.
…
After settling the bill, the two stepped outside and made their way to the southern gate for their exit. An Ox Carriage, often stationed there for passengers, awaited them. They boarded it and set off southward. However, since the carriage only traveled along main roads, they still needed to walk a bit to reach their final destination. The journey was escorted by two parties of adventurers, adding an extra layer of safety.