kscans

Chapter 6 - Explanations and Entanglements

Having passed the adventurer exam, I returned to the reception area.

I took a seat and waited. Soon, the spectators from the test began to trickle back in. At first, I braced myself, thinking they might approach me with questions, but no one came close. I just felt several pairs of eyes on me from a distance.

(...What's this all about? Is it some kind of taboo to ask about other people?)

As I pondered this, the receptionist approached.

"You're Shinsuke-san, correct?"

I nodded in response. The receptionist continued.

"Congratulations on passing the exam. I will now explain what it means to be an adventurer. First, your primary jobs will be gathering materials from monsters and collecting medicinal herbs."

"From time to time, clients will come to the guild with a wide variety of requests, such as escorting goods or subjugating specific monsters. The available quests are posted on the board, so please choose one that matches your rank. As for ranks, you'll advance after completing a certain number of quests and passing a simple interview."

"Also, on rare occasions, there are 'open subjugation' notices. Unlike normal quests, you don't need to accept these at the counter. Anyone can hunt the specified monster at any time. These are typically for incredibly strong monsters, and most come as official proclamations from the state. The rewards are, of course, substantial. Do you have any other questions?"

I asked about something that had caused me no end of grief at my old company on Earth.

"If other adventurers start bad-mouthing me or trying to pick a fight, am I free to handle it myself?"

To this, the receptionist replied.

"That sort of thing happens quite often, but the basic rule is that the parties involved resolve it themselves. If someone starts a fight, it must be done with bare hands—no weapons. Using a weapon will result in a hefty fine as punishment. Any other questions?"

I asked my next question.

"I've been feeling people staring at me for a while now. Why is no one coming any closer?"

The receptionist smiled faintly.

"Because they're afraid it would be mistaken for a party invitation. At the guild, if you want to join a party, you look at the recruitment notices on the board, go to that party, and have an interview. Whether you get in or not is up to them."

"However, recruiting members outside of official postings is forbidden. This is to prevent distrust and trouble within parties. A party is a group of trusted companions; you must not betray that trust. If a member were to recruit someone without consulting their comrades, the others would feel they weren't trusted, leading to the party's collapse."

"Long ago, there's a record of an adventurer who tried to recruit someone without telling his party members. It led to a series of betrayals during a subjugation mission, and the entire party was wiped out. In response, the Guild made it a rule that party recruitment must be done only through official postings."

"That's why the other adventurers are keeping their distance. They look like they want to ask you something, but since they haven't consulted their party members, they can't. Anything else?"

I asked my final question.

"This might sound strange, but is it okay to be an adventurer as a sort of side job?"

The receptionist looked a bit troubled by this.

"Well... that's the first time I've been asked that, but I don't believe it's a problem. Whatever your reasons, as long as you fulfill your duties as an adventurer, you won't be reprimanded for having other work. Any more questions?"

I had nothing left to ask.

"No, that's everything. Thank you for the explanation."

The receptionist broke into a wide smile.

"Very well, that concludes the explanation. Thank you for your time. And here is your D-rank proof."

What she handed me was a steel necklace with a button badge-like pendant engraved with the letter 'D'.

...So this was the proof. It was simpler than I'd expected. I put it on and was about to head over to the quest board when a voice called out.

"Hey, you the rookie with the weird moves?"

The one who spoke had the unmistakable air of a thug.

...It was a trio, all of them wearing D-rank tags.

Each of them carried a single weapon—a sword, a spear, and a bow, respectively. Their clothing was unremarkable, just light armor.

I responded to the trio's question.

"Are you referring to my swordsmanship from earlier? It's just a self-taught style I polished through practical experience. Nothing special."

I made sure to speak politely, as they seemed to have more experience than me.

In response, one of the men sneered.

"Huh? What's with that look and attitude? That's a hell of a way to talk to your seniors here."

Another one chimed in.

"Don't get cocky just 'cause you started at D-rank. You're gonna get hurt."

He spoke aggressively, and the third man nodded in agreement.

Though the phrasing was different, it was just like when I first joined my company—the seniors giving the new guy a hard time with backhanded harassment and bullying. It was a familiar feeling.

Back at my company on Earth, I would have had to obey my superiors no matter what they said, unless it involved violence or an unreasonable order.

But this was another world. And as the receptionist had just explained, fights between adventurers were to be resolved by the individuals themselves.

Faced with their hostility, I replied.

"How I act and toward whom is for me to decide, not you. And if you're my seniors, why don't you try acting like it? You sound like children."

My slightly sarcastic reply seemed to set them off.

"You bastard... you trying to pick a fight?"

To the thug's irritated voice, I responded with a tone of utter exasperation.

"If that was your intention, I wish you'd used better words. With a tone like that, I might just mistake it for you trying to pick a fight with me."

That did it. The thug snapped and threw a punch.

"You son of a...!"

The fist came straight for my face, but I dodged it with ease.

It felt like I was watching a slow-motion video.

I grabbed the thug's outstretched arm with both hands and, using his momentum, executed a shoulder throw. His body felt as light as a feather, and I tossed him to the ground effortlessly. The fallen thug twitched, convulsed, and then lay still. He was still breathing, at least.

The other two saw this.

"You bastard!"

"We'll make you cry!"

Shouting lines straight out of a B-movie, they charged at me simultaneously.

I ducked under their two punches and, like a counterattack, drove my fists deep into both of their stomachs. They clutched their bellies and crumpled to the ground.

The fight was over in an instant.

What was with this weakness? I thought. For them to be D-rank—probably mid or high D-rank at that—and to go down this easily...

The gazes of the onlookers were filled with admiration. I heard voices.

"Not bad, that rookie."

"Who is he, really?"

The reactions were unexpected.

Just then.

"What is the meaning of this? You lot..."

I turned toward the voice and saw a muscular old man, over sixty, standing about 190 centimeters tall.

A whisper went through the crowd.

"The Guild Master..."

Hearing those words, I tensed up.

Guild Master. So he was the one in charge here. This wasn't good. Even if fights were supposed to be resolved between the parties involved, things changed when the boss showed up. Whose side would he take? I'd experienced that scenario more times than I could count in the other world.

They only ever listen to the ones who've been around longer. That's just how it is. As I was thinking this, the thug I'd thrown regained consciousness and protested.

"This rookie started a fight with us, and when we took him up on it, he ambushed us! Please give him the punishment he deserves!"

The thug was already lying through his teeth.

I figured there was no point in arguing, that they wouldn't listen to me anyway, so I just watched with an exasperated expression.

But the Guild Master said.

"Hmph. I received a report that a capable rookie had joined, so I came to have a look. And what I saw was you lot harassing him. I decided to watch and see what would happen."

The thug's face went pale.

The Guild Master continued.

"Besides, you know the Guild doesn't get involved in every little squabble between adventurers, don't you? Now, if it were a fight to the death, that would be a different story, but that wasn't the case here, was it? Therefore, this fight is your loss. If you don't want to embarrass yourselves further, get lost. You pack of fools."

Hearing this, the trio of thugs held their sore spots and scurried away.

After the room quieted down, the Guild Master spoke.

"Now then, you must be the rookie, Shinsuke. I'd like a word with you. Is that all right?"

I tensed up again at his words.

But the Guild Master must have sensed it.

"Relax. I'm not going to reprimand you. As I just said, a fight is your own responsibility. I just want to talk to you about something else. I do this with most of the new recruits."

His words were a weight off my shoulders.

This really was another world. I was reminded once again that it was different from the world of unreasonable people who used their social status, age, or position as a superior to get their way.

I replied to his question.

"I understand."

One word was enough. I said no more.

To that, the Guild Master said.

"Good. Then, there are some stairs in the back. Let's talk in the reception room on the second floor."

It just occurred to me now, but this place had a second floor?

Well, no matter. I followed the Guild Master towards the room upstairs.

We entered the room, and the Guild Master took a seat. I sat down opposite him.

The Guild Master began.

"Alright, I hate beating around the bush, so I'll be direct. You're Dornet's apprentice, aren't you?"

At his words, I asked.

"You know my master?"

My voice was filled with surprise as I questioned the Guild Master. He replied.

"I do. He and I are old friends. He told me to look after his apprentice if one ever showed up."