Conflict in The Adventurer Guild

Livi said that she couldn't accompany me to the guild today. She mentioned that she couldn't come because she wanted to take care of her sick mother. I had hoped she could accompany me to register at the guild, even though I could go on my own. But it still didn't feel right for her to constantly be by my side, guiding me. After all, I'm not a child who needs guidance all the time.

It's around nine o'clock now, and as usual, I wake up later than others in this inn. I don't stay up late or work during the night. I simply feel more comfortable being in this world. I'm not burdened by work schedules and routines like in my previous life. I'm not tied to the constraints of time and schedules imposed by institutions or companies. I no longer hear the blaring sound of the morning alarm, allowing me to sleep more comfortably and longer as I desire. Here, I determine my own time.

"Thank you, God," I said, clasping my hands together.

Although I'm not a person with a high spiritual inclination, I still express gratitude to the gods or a higher power for granting me this precious time in the world. Now, I understand Benjamin Franklin's words that time is money. It doesn't mean you have to value time with money, but rather you should value time from your own perspective. I will also appreciate all the time I have in this world better than I did in my previous life. Perhaps I'll become a philanthropist like Benjamin Franklin.

"Okay... it's time to leave," I murmured to myself in front of the mirror.

Now I have a fresher appearance than before. I'm wearing blue shoes, black pants, a short gothic-style blue jacket with an open front, and a white t-shirt underneath, making me stand out even more with my contrasting white hair. I also have two crossed swords on my back, making my current appearance resemble that of an anime character cosplayer.

I've also started using the sword sheath I obtained from Mr. Hector's shop yesterday. It feels very comfortable and lightweight when both swords hang on my back. They seem to be equipped with additional magic to reduce weight and automatic cleaning.

I leave my inn and head towards the adventurer guild in the central district of the city. I don't need to worry about getting lost because I have a complete topographic map of Castalla City. I acquired two maps from Mr. Hector's shop yesterday. The first map is of the continent I currently reside in, while the second map is a detailed map of the structure of Castalla City.

I finally arrive in front of a two-story, white-painted building with a curved wooden entrance door. Above the door, there's a symbol depicting a sword, shield, and magic staff, with the words "Adventurer Guild" written above the three images.

The atmosphere is bustling around the guild, with many adventurers coming and going. I walk directly towards the guild entrance because several people were looking in my direction when I was standing at the door.

I push open the small arched wooden door and slowly step inside the guild. The atmosphere is even livelier inside, with various types of adventurers such as sword users, archers, mages, and spear-wielders.

I looked around the interior of the guild. The floor seemed to be made of yellow limestone. At the far end of the room, there were three counter booths, each guarded by a woman. After the counter area, the remaining space was divided into two sections. On the right side was where adventurers would wait, with neatly arranged round tables about a meter apart. On the left side, it appeared to be a mission information board for adventurers. Many adventurers stood there, and there were six information boards lined up on the wall.

I only observed the guild room briefly, but many eyes were curious about me, and people started talking about me behind my back. Some spoke quietly, but I could still hear all of them thanks to my heightened perception of hearing.

"Who is she?" someone's voice said. "A new adventurer?" another voice asked. "A high-level adventurer," someone remarked. "What a cool appearance," someone commented. "White hair?" someone questioned.

I ignored all the voices I heard and went straight to the counter.

"Welcome to the Castalla Guild," a young woman with short hair and a slightly round face greeted me in a friendly tone. Perhaps this was the professionalism required of a guild receptionist, to welcome everyone with a smile.

"Would you like to request a mission, report mission achievements, or provide specific results?" the receptionist asked me.

"Can I register as an adventurer in this guild?" I asked the receptionist formally.

"You're not registered as an adventurer yet?" the receptionist asked, slightly surprised. It seemed she assumed I was already an adventurer, which was understandable based on my appearance. I wore expensive-looking clothes and carried a visibly powerful weapon. Beginner adventurers wouldn't have such an appearance.

"No, I'm completely new to being an adventurer. Today is my first day to register as one," I replied.

"Alright, I'll guide you through the adventurer registration process," the receptionist said, taking a piece of paper and a quill pen.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Feline. Although I'm not part of the registration department, I'll assist you with the registration," she said.

"Not part of the registration department?" I asked to understand what she meant.

"Yes, there are three counters in this Castalla Guild. The first is for information and registration, the second is for mission submissions and reporting, and the last is for materials and mission rewards or request rewards." She explained each counter one by one.

"This is the registration form. Please fill it out completely," the receptionist said, handing me the registration form.

"Alright," I replied, accepting the form.

"Turns out, just a beginner," someone's voice said. "An amateur," another voice commented. "He looks like a rich kid," someone remarked. "Maybe he's a noble's child," someone speculated.

Several voices reached my ears. Some people were disappointed, some were belittling me, and some assumed I was a wealthy child based on my appearance. Well, I could hear all their conversations, but I focused on the adventurer registration form in front of me.

"Name... Race... Age... Specialization or occupation."

Only four things had to be filled in, which was easier than I expected. I didn't have to provide my identification number or tax number.

"Do I have to fill out everything?" I asked to confirm.

"Yes, everything must be filled out. It's basic information for an adventurer," the receptionist replied.

First was the Name. I was a bit confused about which name to use in my guild identification. The first name from my previous life was Revans, my second name here was Edvans, but it would be risky for me to use the name Edvans. Just like before, I decided to stick with my nickname, Vans. I didn't think it would be a problem.

Next was Race, which was obvious—I was human. I didn't recall having any mixed-blood heritage in Edvans' memories.

Then came Occupation and Specialization. According to my status, I excelled in magic, but I still didn't fully understand the mechanics of magic in this world. I hadn't even studied the magic book I bought yesterday. For the occupation and specialization, I decided to list myself as a swordsman and keep magic as my secret weapon.

"Is this correct?" I asked, handing the completed registration form to the receptionist.

"Alright, let me verify. Your name is Vans, Race is Human, Age seventeen, and Occupation is a swordsman. Is this correct?"

"Yes... it's correct," I replied confidently.

"I'm double-checking because it will incur additional fees to change the data later. I hope you haven't made any mistakes in filling out the form."

After that, the receptionist placed my form on a transparent plate, and the plate briefly emitted a glow when my registration paper was on it, like a mini photocopy.

"Please place your hand on this plate," the receptionist instructed, pointing the transparent plate towards me. On top of it was a small copper-colored card the size of an ATM card.

I placed my hand on the transparent plate, which glowed briefly as it did before.

"Let me explain a little about the mechanism of this square-shaped transparent plate. It is a magical essence evaluator plate. First, it matches and inserts your magic circuit data into this card, along with the data you provided on the form. This is your guild card, which will be your identity from now on. It cannot be recognized by others because it's registered with your magical essence data and your complete profile. Here you go, this is your card."

The receptionist handed me the copper-colored card. In the top corner of the card, there was a large "Rank F" written. It seemed that it started from Rank F. In the middle section, there were the four pieces of information I had filled out on the registration form. Above the middle section, it read "Adventurer Guild" with the adventurer guild logo. Below the "Adventurer Guild" text, there was a number that I didn't understand.

"44342... What does this number mean?" I asked the receptionist about the number on my guild card.

"It's just your guild identification number. Your guild card will also store your mission data and serve as a means of receiving payments from the adventurer guild. Please keep your card safe and don't lose it, as there is a fee for card reissuance if it gets lost. Is there anything else you would like to ask?" the receptionist explained quickly and professionally, as if it had become a routine for her.

"I understand everything," I replied to the guild receptionist.

"And here are three books from the guild. The first is the guild regulations book, the second is the monster encyclopedia book, and the third is the plant encyclopedia book. Every new adventurer is required to have these three books. It's fifty cryptos for all of them, and that includes the registration fee," she spoke like a well-programmed AI robot.

I took fifty cryptos from my storage and handed them to the guild receptionist. Now, I used my Storage skill to conceal it, making it appear as if I was taking something out of my jacket.

Now, I was officially registered as a member of the adventurer guild and had received my guild card. I also received the three guild books. At least that was enough for today, and I wasn't planning to take on any missions yet. Today, my plan was to study magic.

After finishing my business, I walked away from the counter. Just like before, I could still feel a few pairs of eyes staring at me.

"Hey there... are you a new adventurer?" one of the adventurers greeted me. He was a muscular man with a large sword hanging on his back, seemingly a warrior specialized in using big swords. He was also one of the people who had mocked me earlier.

"Yes, I just registered as an adventurer," I answered, forcing a smile.

"Let this senior help you out. I'll assist you on your first day as an adventurer," he said, trying to convince me.

Although he claimed to want to help, it was clear from his gaze that he just wanted to deceive me. He couldn't take his eyes off my sword.

There were always hypocrites in every story and every world, people who pretended to be kind to deceive others, and naive individuals who became their victims. Perhaps I could improvise a little. When there's someone pretending to be good, there should be someone pretending to be naive in return.

"Thank you, senior. That would be very helpful," I replied, pretending to be grateful.

"It seems like you have a really nice sword. Can I take a look?" the senior asked, a faint smile on his lips.

Without asking for my permission, he reached out his hand towards the sword behind me.

"Aaaah..." In an instant, a scream echoed throughout the guild hall. He didn't know that my sword would give an electric shock to anyone who touched it, except for me as the owner.

"You bastard... damn it... what did you do to me?" he shouted, his body rigid.

"Hey, senior, didn't your parents teach you not to touch other people's belongings without permission?" I said provocatively, using my provocation skill for the first time.

Some people, presumably his friends, drew their swords and raised their weapons. They all rushed towards me with their weapons raised.

Meanwhile, I prepared myself by unsheathing my own sword, Althea.

On my first day at the guild, I had already encountered misfortune. And there wasn't even a luck statistic in my status. If there were, it would surely be in the negative by now.

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