The following day, I skipped visiting the Bigina Forest and went straight to Gardia. Due to practicing magic until dawn and oversleeping, I arrived in the afternoon.
I joined the line for newcomers and looked almost straight up. Gardia was covered with massive walls, taller than any castle walls I had seen on the internet, reaching about 50 meters high.
It would be nearly impossible for even goblins, not to mention ogres or trolls, to breach these walls. Even flying creatures would have trouble bypassing them, as the walls had small window-like openings with cannon-like protrusions. Most creatures would be minced before they could scale these walls.
"A-amazing..."
Impressed, those were the only words that came out. I couldn't help but wonder how much effort had gone into building these walls.
The awe I felt was similar to seeing pyramids or the Great Wall of China on TV, but seeing it in person had an even bigger impact.
"Hey, newbie. Is this your first time in Gardia?"
While I was lost in amazement, a young man who seemed like a guard approached and spoke to me. Worried he might find me suspicious, I panicked a bit, but when I glanced at him, he had a proud expression.
"Yes, it's my first time. I've heard about it, but seeing it in person... it's amazing."
Though I could only say "amazing," he seemed satisfied with my words and smiled. It seemed he just wanted to brag about his city.
"I know, right! My grandpa actually participated in building these walls. Back then, carts carrying stones from the quarry used to form a line like an ant procession."
"Hooh."
Offering simple acknowledgments, he proceeded to tell me various things. He covered everything from the city's history to recommended taverns and even some dubious rumors.
Since I had the chance, I decided to ask about the location of the Adventurer's Guild and recommended inns. He appeared experienced in guiding newcomers like me and effortlessly provided information about armor shops I might have missed and dangerous areas.
"By the way, I never asked for your name. I'm Chris, and you?"
"I'm Haruki."
After I had learned what I wanted to know, he finally asked about me. It seemed his job was to question suspicious individuals. He inquired about where I came from and my purpose.
Regarding my purpose, I honestly answered that I came to make a name for myself as an adventurer.
As for where I came from, I mentioned a distant western country in Rostakia. I explained that I was the son of a merchant who had left the country for work reasons, and that my parents had recently died due to an epidemic. I planned to play dumb if he pressed for more details, but he didn't seem to probe further.
After inspecting my belongings and questioning me, the process was over. Since I only had a change of clothes, a small amount of food, and my wallet, the inspection was brief. By the way, my wallet contained 320,000 gold. After buying a sword and leather armor, my funds were down to nearly half.
While access to the noble and affluent commoner districts and key city facilities was restricted, entering and leaving the city was generally free.
Checking for any warrants and inspecting baggage seemed to be the extent of my questioning. It appeared that my interrogation was simply an extension of casual conversation.
"Alright, you're good to go. Welcome to Gardia."
As I crossed the city gate, a bustling commotion reached my ears. The scale and liveliness were vastly different from my hometown. Carriages loaded with goods passed by in succession, and I could sense the presence of substantial wealth all around.
This was a place where I could rise, and that hope surged within me.
While various buildings caught my interest, I decided to head to the Adventurer's Guild as originally planned. It was the grandest building in this area, so I easily found my way.
Although it had an antiquated feel that exuded history, it wasn't the original Adventurer's Guild building. The guild had relocated five times since its inception.
The Adventurer's Guild was founded over a thousand years ago with the initial purpose of field research. However, as the importance of field research grew over time, the guild expanded in scope. It began collecting useful materials from the field and taking on tasks like monster hunting.
Talented individuals flocked to join, and the guild's responsibilities grew even more, covering everything from dealing with monsters to protecting caravans. It had grown into a vast organization that could handle anything, from rumors to assisting farmers during busy seasons. I learned that even Eric registered as an adventurer to earn some extra money during the off-season.
I entered the building and looked for the reception. About twenty staff members were there, but I was unsure where to register as an adventurer.
Lost in my thoughts, I met eyes with a girl working behind the counter. She seemed to have a welcoming smile, as if beckoning me over.
"Excuse me. Is this where I register as an adventurer?"
"Yes, that's right. Please provide your name, and the registration fee is 10,000 gold."
The receptionist seemed to instantly recognize me as a newcomer. She was likely in her mid-20s but already carried an air of seasoned experience.
Since commoners didn't have surnames, I provided only my name and paid the fee.
"Alright, I've received the 10,000 gold. I will issue your adventurer card. Please wait for about 30 minutes."
The procedure was complete, and starting today, I am an adventurer. My rank is the lowest F-rank, which is a rank that simply indicates being a member of the guild and can be achieved by anyone, even a baby, as long as they pay the registration fee.
I had heard in advance, but it was surprisingly easy to register. It's astonishing that there isn't even identity verification.
Residency is managed separately for each city, making it difficult to verify for non-residents of the city. Conversely, the adventurer's license from the nationally operated Adventurer's Guild can serve as an identification card in any city if it's C-rank or higher.
Since I have some free time until the adventurer's license is issued, I started walking around the guild. It was a three-story building, but only the first floor is accessible for everyone since the second and third floors are for staff only.
In addition to the reception, there's a material purchasing area, a storage room for those materials, a section with what seems to be numerous quest forms posted, and a documentation room. Perhaps due to the odd timing in the early afternoon, none of these areas are crowded. I headed towards the section with posted quest forms and review several quest details.
Quest Details: Cleaning of Anova Aqueduct
Quest Period: XX to XX (Starts 2 days from now, duration is 3 days)
Reward: 30,000 gold
Target: F-rank and above
Requester: City of Gardia
Quest Details: Transporting Goods to Graha Fortress
Quest Period: XX to XX (Starts 3 days from now, duration is 1 month)
Reward: 450,000 gold
Target: E-rank and above
Requester: City of Gardia
Quest Details: Participation in Large-scale Conquest Expedition at Bigina's Forest Shallow Area
Quest Period: XX to XX (Starts 7 days from now, duration is 5 days)
Reward: 500,000 gold
Target: D-rank and above
Requester: C-rank Party Ford Seeker
Quest Details: Patrol near Kum Village
Quest Period: XX to XX (Starts 4 days from now, duration is 5 days)
Reward: 3,000,000 gold
Target: C-rank and above, scouting experience required
Requester: Adventurer's Guild
Quest Details: Escort for Casebell Great Marsh Survey Team
Quest Period: XX to XX (Starts 7 days from now, duration is 10 days)
Reward: 40,000,000 gold
Target: B-rank and above
Requester: Adventurer's Guild
There were no quests targeting ranks A and above. There were only 12 A-rank parties in the country, and appointments for special quests were already full.
Upon averaging the lower ranks, the daily rates seemed to be around 10,000 gold for F-rank, 15,000 gold for E-rank, 80,000 gold for D-rank, 500,000 gold for C-rank, and about 3.5 million gold for B-rank when converted. The increase in reward due to ranking up was quite substantial. However, the difficulty of the quests and the impact of failure had also increased. Quests involving others' lives were reserved for those of C-rank and above.
Being called a professional adventurer started from C-rank, which was also my immediate goal.
Upon reaching C-rank, I would receive priority access to medical services and partial coverage for equipment and healing items. This support was available for various situations.
Reaching C-rank was a prerequisite for my dream of creating a harem.
As my gaze shifted beside the quest documents, there were listings for purchasing materials from monsters and herbs found in the field. It seemed that there weren't any parts of the monsters I encountered yesterday useful as materials, as there were no listings for them.
Instead, next to that section, there were listings for monster subjugation quests. The rewards for subjugation quests were given as compensation for reducing the field's danger level. For instance, goblins fetched 5,000 gold, while rats and rabbits were valued at 4,000 gold.
To prove the subjugation, I would need to submit the specified parts of the monsters to the guild. Therefore, I couldn't claim the rewards for the ones I defeated yesterday. If I had properly collected them, I could have earned 52,000 gold, what a pity.
Having finished scanning the quests, 30 minutes had passed, so I returned to the reception. The receptionist had also just returned from the back room.
"I apologize for the wait. Here is your adventurer card. Please make sure not to lose it."
I received a metal dog tag with my name, rank, and identification number engraved on it. This was my F-rank adventurer card. To be honest, it looked quite cheaply made. As I put it around my neck, just like how the other adventurers did, the realization of becoming an adventurer finally settled in.
