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During the short wait, I managed to get a glimpse of many passing humans and non-humans, and I also saw... Neko! A girl with ears that was smiling cheerfully and fulfilling the role of a guild employee. Alas, I did not manage to notice the ponytail, because the small queue quickly disappeared, and we stood in front of the administrator's desk, behind which sat a young girl with brown hair braided into a pigtail, she smiled sweetly at us.
- Welcome to the adventurer's guild! You're not from around here, are you? I haven't seen you before,' she said, giving my sister and me a curious look.
- Yes, we just came out into the world, and we'd like to be Adventurers! - I nodded, crossing my arms.
- That's right! I see, can you read and write? - And smiled again...
I wondered. Writing... I'm not sure, but I could understand the local scripts, as if I had known the language since my birth... and even spoke and thought in it, which was a bit strange. I hadn't paid attention to it before, but now....
'Can you write, Arine?'
'Yes, brother, I can!'
'Good!'
- Mmm, I can read, but writing... I haven't practised it yet! But my companion can,' I said doubtfully, and the helmet gave a slightly muffled growl.
The registrar tilted her head thoughtfully, and her hands disappeared under the table for a second, after which she took out two sheets of paper and handed them to us. Then she pointed to the inkwell and quill on the table.
- Then everything is in order! In that case, please fill out this document,' she smiled... sparkle, sparkle, sparkle....
It was the Adventurer's Table. Golden letters flaunted on a light brown sheet of parchment.
It was amusing to hold the sheet in my hands. Distracted for a second, I looked behind me and saw no one behind us. Only people and non-humans were chatting as usual, leaving and coming, and not far from the Registrar was another girl who was already receiving other adventurers.
So, on the sheet was written... in a language I could understand from scribbles: name, sex, age, class, hair colour, eye colour, build, skills, spells, miracles... Quite superficial information. So superficial that something about it seemed wrong and strange to me.
I looked up at the Registrar, noticing from the sidelines that my sister had already started writing something on the parchment.
'Sis, if anything, we're half elves and we're no more than twenty! You can fill in the rest however you like.'
'Ah? Okay, little brother!' - She nodded.
- 'Oh,' the Registrar smiled as I tilted my head questioningly, 'you can leave the "Skills" and "Adventure History" columns blank. The Guild will fill them in themselves after a while.
- Ah, that's it, good then,' I ducked the sheet, while my sister, on the other hand, had already finished filling out the form and handed the parchment into the hands of the Registrar.
'Here you go, little brother!' - With a little tug on my shoulder, she passed the quill into my hands.
The Registraress looked down at her little sister's parchment and nodded, occasionally casting studying glances at me.
I clutched the quill and began to write, and I was slightly surprised to see my hand take on a life of its own and quickly fill in all the items on the parchment in smooth, beautiful handwriting. In a few seconds I had written everything I needed and handed the parchment to the Registrar.
- Let's see. You're both eighteen years old. A swordsman and a swordsman. Is that correct? - She gave me a quick glance at the parchment and smiled. - For the sake of authenticity, please take off your helmets! - Not expecting any refusal, she said it with the same smile.
'Bro?'
'Hehe, take them off with your hands. We'll have to reveal our faces.'
I nodded, at the same time my sister and I slowly removed our helmets. A sigh of surprise and a whistling sound came from somewhere behind us.
- Oh! - The receptionist was surprised, but that was all. - So you are brother and sister? - She nodded approvingly, then took a silver quill and carved a series of ornate letters on a white porcelain tile, and then on a second one. Afterwards, she handed the tiles to us.
- Just like that? - I wondered, looking at the porcelain token with the words 'Adventurer's Guild' written on it, which was attached to a rope, and on which was also written what I had recently written down on parchment, but in a more concise manner.
- Yes. It shows your status in the Adventurer's Guild. We call them 'Status'. Though,' she added in a teasing tone, 'there's nothing on there that we can't find out just by looking at you. It will be used to identify you if something happens to you, so try not to lose it,' she smiled emphatically. - As for your question, yes, it is easy to become an Adventurer,' she said with an unreadable expression.
Then she continued as if nothing had happened.
- It's harder to rise in rank. Your rank is based on monster kills, the quality of your quests, and a personality test.
- Personality test? - my little sister repeated after her, putting her helmet back on.
- 'Sometimes you can turn into an "I-am-too-strong-I-can-do-anything-by-myself" person,' she mockingly bulged her eyes, raising her hands at her shoulder level and slapping herself on the chest.
Such an amusing gesture was... funny, and I smiled.
Then, sighing slightly and lowering her arms, she added:
- And this place is full of all sorts of weirdos.
When she said this, her demeanour changed for just a moment, and a soft, warm and wistful smile appeared on her face.
It was as if she were remembering something... or rather someone... considering that she had a soft spot for Gobs, she looked like a girl in love now, if memory serves, of course....
- Ahem,' she coughed, 'The quest list is over there.
She pointed to the cork board I'd seen before.
- Pick any one that suits your level, of course. If I were you, I'd suggest you start by cleaning the sewers or hunting giant rats. Later, you can join a group of experienced adventurers,' she finished mundanely. Apparently a little worried about us....
And that's even despite our high-end equipment. Although... if you look at it that way, almost all adventurers wore the same flashy armour. Even if you think back to that spearman and his armour, everything was flashy... And our dark armour didn't stand out in any way....
- Ahem, that's... not what we need, and yes... sorry, but would you please tell us your name? It's just, it's awkward to address you as 'Registrar',' I smiled.
The receptionist sighed and smiled, as if she was being hit on by another guy and suggesting that we go out tonight.
- You can call me Registrar!
And her face took on the look of an inexpressive mask again.
- Since you are new, I will explain the ranking system of the Adventurer's Guild. Right now, you are rookies of the china rank, it's the tenth rank. Adventurers can have one of ten ranks. However, only a few have the highest rank, platinum rank. And they are considered a legend! Gold rank adventurers mainly help with national level problems. So to be honest, only adventurers of silver rank and below roam outside. Fighters with silver rank are considered hardened veterans, ruby, emerald, and sapphire ranks are considered intermediate, and those below - steel and obsidian - are newbies, after them comes porcelain, which is your current rank! Well, that's all the registration. Have a good hunt!
- Okay, all right. But I have questions. I recently heard that there are three ranks above platinum. Adamantium, orichalcum, mithril....
She was surprised and shook her head.
- Those ranks are off-level. I can't say more than that,' she finished with a slightly crooked smile.
- Thanks for that,' I shrugged and turned my back to her, waving my hand, 'see you next time, Miss Registrar! Oh yeah, where's the forge around here? - I turned round over my shoulder, shooting her a cold glance.
- Inside the guild, over there,' she pointed with an outstretched hand in the direction, somewhere in the depths of the guild.
And before we left, I checked it out.
'Evaluation!'
Alicia Viunes is the receptionist
Threat level: low to medium.
Attitude towards you: Curiosity
Attitude towards Arine: Curiosity.
Attitude towards Gobs: Caring, Sympathy.
Registrar-5, Fencing-2, [?], [?], [?], [?].
Destiny - Kind.
Strength - C
Dexterity - C+
Stamina - C+
Intelligence - A+
Heh, at least this way... Alicia means. Too bad she didn't name it herself, but she would in the future. Definitely. She's a nice girl and I'll get to know her. It'll be great to have friends in an organisation like this, and maybe not just friends....
Thanking the Registrar with a sincere smile, I put my helmet back on and we moved towards the cork wall through the crowd of people and non-humans. I'll take a look at the quests first, and then I'll take care of some things I should have done a long time ago....
When I got to the wall, I went round the crowded people and looked at the huge number of parchments: some of them were overlapping and all of them were quests for goblins or rats. The rare ones were monsters, like a troll, but they were quickly disposed of.
At the side, someone was talking to each other - it was a warrior and a mage girl.
- Ah, goblins again.
- Tell me about it.
- Shall we take one?
- Pah! Let's just wait!
Looking round the board, I shook my head. There wasn't much to choose from, but there was one quest for the goblins that had settled a day's journey from this town. The parchment itself said that the goblins had been spotted near the village. The reward was ridiculous - 10 silver for exterminating them and 30 if you destroyed the nest itself, if there was one, of course.
Nearly one gold, though I still don't know the local rates. Might be enough for a cheap sword....
In addition, near the quests, on the most prominent spot of the board was another parchment with... illustrations of four goblins, with descriptions of their lifestyles and characteristics... Comments to it about failed attempts to destroy the nest... were also attached.
'Come on, sis, there's nothing for us to do here.'
I cast a last glance around the foyer and at the first floor of the guild. Gobs and Asti were nowhere to be seen, and neither was a kopjack or a witch. But the Registrar, who had been glaring at my back before, quickly turned back to the group and smiled... She smiles a lot...
Definitely, she suspects me of something. The only question is what exactly? And won't that get me in trouble...?