Chapter 0039 Wyvern
-x-X-x-
On the afternoon of the day they encountered the Griffon, they were once again in trouble.
Both of them hid behind a large boulder, popped their heads out slightly, and looked ahead.
They saw two Wyverns pecking at what seemed to be a boar.
"Wyvern came over because Abel wished for it."
"I did not wish for it!"
The two whispered to each other.
"There is no path to detour so we'll have to wait here until their meal is over?"
"They'll likely notice us before then. And there's no guarantee that a third one won't come."
"Ryo … Are you planning to fight?"
Abel looked at Ryo with a face that questioned what this guy was saying.
It would be natural to have such a face.
Normally, 20 adventurers of C-rank or higher were required to subdue a Wyvern.
Moreover, it requires many Fire-Attribute Magicians who have strong offensive power. The more there were, the better.
Now … they had just two people, a Swordsman and a Water-Attribute Magician … and against two Wyverns?
That was just suicide.
"I believe there will be quite a few Wyverns ahead. I think fighting is inevitable. In that case, don't you think it's not a bad idea to experience when there's just two of them?"
"Not just two, there's actually two …"
That said, he could understand Ryo's point.
Six Wyverns attacked the Behemoth.
Compared to that, two was…
He shook his head violently when he came to that thought.
"Even one is a difficult opponent."
He spoke to correct his thought process that was being influenced strangely.
"But …"
Yes, there was a "but".
As long as he decided to cross this mountain range and return to the city, he will eventually have to fight Wyverns.
He saw them fighting against the Behemoth and there were two right in front of him.
There seemed to be no doubt that quite a few Wyverns were inhabiting this mountain range.
"I guess it is unavoidable …"
Abel's gut was tied in a knot.
"Even if we plan to kill those two, how are we doing to it?"
"Are Wyverns still troublesome if they are brought to the ground?"
"No, if they are on land, they still can fire Air Slashes but not Sonic Blades. Of course, those claws are dangerous too and their bodies have wind magic protection so swords can't penetrate through them. However, their eyes have no wind magic protection, so when they are on the ground it is possible to aim for that. Compared to being in the air where my sword can't reach, grounded Wyverns can be said to be considerably easier opponents."
Upon hearing that, Ryo thought for a moment. And nodded once.
"Water-Attribute Magic has something perfect for this situation."
Abel pulled out his sword and was ready to jump out at any time.
"All right, here I go, Abel."
Abel nodded and watched the two Wyverns.
The Wyverns were still eating without noticing anything was wrong.
"
Four Icicle Lances formed silently in the sky.
Of course, it wasn't necessary but Ryo chanted something suitable because he felt it was cool.
As soon as they formed, the Icicle Lances fell, pierced each of the Wyverns' wings, and sewed them to the ground.
"Guiishiiiiiii."
The screams of the Wyverns echoed.
Abel jumped out from the boulder at the same time Ryo chanted "Icicle Lance 4".
Thick ice spears fell from the sky and pierced the wings of the Wyverns in front of his eyes.
Moreover, they pierced through and did not disappear.
As a result, the Wyverns were sewn to the ground with their wings, unable to shoot air slashes, and unable to use their claws to attack the approaching Abel.
Moreover, they were stuck to the ground with ice spears so the target 『eyes』 were within reach if he jumped.
"I'll end it with a single strike. Combat Arts: Perfect Pierce."
The shining red magic sword was thrust into the left eye of the Wyvern in front.
The sword pierced the eyeball and reached the Wyvern's brain.
It collapsed without a sound.
Abel, however, didn't care about the collapsing Wyvern and thrust his red magic sword into the right eye of the other Wyvern.
"Guguiii"
It squeezed out the last of its air and died.
It was a complete victory.
"Icicle Lance followed by Abel's rush. Yeah, this collaboration seems to work."
"Yeah, it was over surprisingly quickly."
"I see, Abel is dissatisfied. After all, Abel wants a blood-boiling, flesh-scraping, soul-shaving, close battle. I'll take note of that."
Ryo pretended to take notes on his hand.
"No, wait, I don't need such fights. It was perfect today. Splendid. Let's go with this plan the next time too."
In a hurry, Abel grabbed Ryo's shoulders and nodded strongly as he praised him.
"Well, if Abel is okay with it, we'll go with this."
"Phew. Oh yeah, the monsters so far weren't a big deal so we ignored doing so, but I think it's better to extract the magic stones from Wyverns. You can sell them at a surprisingly high price."
With that said, Abel immediately plunged a knife near the heart of one of the Wyverns.
"I see. Then, I'll collect the other one."
Ryo said and headed for the other Wyvern.
Michael's quality knife will get to see action for the first time in a long time! Ryo thought to himself in secret.
(Now that I think about it, Wyverns were not listed in the 『Monster Encyclopedia: Beginner's Edition』 prepared by Michael (pseudonym)… It goes without saying that Behi-chan and Griffon were not listed, but I guess Wyverns do not fall into the category of being listed in the 『Beginner's Edition』 too.)
Ryo harvested the Wyvern magic stone while thinking about that.
"It's pretty big."
It was not as big as the golem's magic stone, but it was a fist-sized, beautiful green magic stone.
(If this was an emerald, it would cost tens of millions of yen)
Of course, that was Ryo's arbitrary estimated price.
"Oh, this is a pretty amazing stone. Its color and shade are both excellent so it'll carry a hefty price."
"Assuming we reach a town."
"Ugh."
Ryo's comment pierced Abel's heart.
"For now, we'll carry one each. I also have a bag now."
In that manner, they acquired a way to hunt Wyverns 『safely』 and 『quickly』.
Even though the mountains were 7,000 meters high, it did not mean that it was impossible to cross the mountains unless they climbed to the peak of 7,000 meters.
Some spots where the water from thawed ice flowed would naturally shave down the mountain and such places were connected to the foot of the mountain.
But still, Ryo imagined that they would have to climb to an altitude of at least 4,000 meters.
If it was 4,000 meters … he felt that it was still an altitude that won't cause altitude sickness … maybe.
And as Ryo and Abel climbed, some beings attacked them one after another.
Yes, Wyverns.
The mountain range could even be called a Wyvern's nest as it seemed that a large number of them inhabited it.
After hunting the two at the foot of the mountain, Abel had lost his tension when facing Wyverns and was relaxed.
It could be said that he was defeating all the Wyverns that appear in front of his eyes in battle.
"I knew Abel was a battle junkie …"
"Shut up! Since they are bound to get in the way, it's the same if I kill them now or later. And if we annihilate all of the Wyverns that come attacking, we'll likely face fewer attacks as we cross this wide mountain range. So let's proceed while hunting with gusto!"
Ryo would sew the attacking Wyverns to the ground with Icicle Lances and Abel would pierce their brain through the eyes with a sword.
With this cooperation, they exterminated numerous Wyverns.
Needless to say, it took longer to collect magic stones than to defeat them.
Each of their bags was being filled with Wyvern magic stones at about the same rate as they were consuming dried meat.
-x-X-x-
The Wyvern attacks stopped at an altitude of around 3,000 meters.
Instead, it was the cold that assaulted them.
However, thanks to Abel's cloak and Ryo's robe, they reached the ridge without taking much damage and could finally see the land north of the mountains.
It was the fifth day since they hunted the first two Wyverns that they crossed the lowest ridge within the mountain range and could catch a glimpse of the northern land.
"We've somehow made it to the mountain ridge."
"Yeah, maybe because it's sunny, the view is good."
As Abel said, the view was kind of spectacular.
A clear blue sky just by looking up a little.
If you lowered your gaze, a horizon where lush green earth and the clear blue sky intersected.
Within that view, he could see something moving to the right.
When Ryo looked over, a shirtless woman … was flying.
But her arms were wings.
And her legs appeared to be like an eagle or a hawk…
"Abel … a strange woman is approaching."
"What?"
Ryo pointed to the right and Abel turned to it.
"That's a harpy …"
Yes, it wasn't a woman who was heading towards them, but a monster called a harpy.
That harpy was approaching with a flock…
"Ryo, let's hurry down the northern slope."
"Okay!"
The two began to descend in a hurry.
However, there was too much speed difference between a human going down a slope and a harpy flying in the sky.
They caught up quickly.
"
Ryo created Ice Walls above their heads to prevent the harpies from catching them with their clawed feet.
"Abel, do harpies drop good magic stones?"
"Oh. They have ridiculous strength, fly in the air, and are terribly annoying, but they only drop garbage magic stones."
"I see, I understand why Abel avoided fighting them."
As a result of throwing fatigue and pacing out the window as they went down the slope, by the evening they were able to reach an altitude that the harpies could not follow.
"For the time being, do you want to rest around that tree?"
Even for the two with inexhaustible stamina, running without a break compounded with a continuous downward slope was considerably tiring.
"Well, we should be able to descend the mountain tomorrow … but which direction …"
"That's right. Anyway, unless we go to a nearby town or village and check, we won't know where we are."
"Yeah, it will be great if we are in the Kingdom of Knightley but it could also be somewhere else entirely."
"Not the Debuhi Empire!"
Ryo exclaimed with a very disgusted face.
"No, the Empire is further north of the Kingdom so that won't be the case."
When Abel replied with that, Ryo was relieved and drank a glass of water.
"I'm glad."
"Why do you hate the Empire so much…?"
"Don't get me wrong, Abel. I do not hate the Empire. What I hate is the 『Name of the Empire』!"
"O-oh, that's right…"
The look Abel gave Ryo was the eyes of looking at a disappointing person.
"In any case, let's head north once we descend the mountain tomorrow. Even if there are no towns or villages, there will be roads and we would arrive at either a town or village no matter which direction we take on the road."
After deciding on a rough course of action the next day, the two took turns resting.
The next day.
Early in the morning, they went down the mountain.
They observed the horizon on the way down but there were no cities in the visible range.
Therefore, as they had decided, they would continue north until they reach a road. During that time, they didn't meet any monsters at all.
"Abel, you look bored."
"Well, that's because I don't see any monsters at all. It's completely different from the other side of the mountain."
"That's normal. This is abnormal."
"No, I think you got it reversed…"
Abel denied while shaking his head a little.
"Wyverns would attack at every step, it was possible to see Behi-chan in the distance, and if you are not careful, the Griffon will swoop down in front of you."
"Sheesh, the other side of the mountain is truly not a land for human beings … I'm glad I survived and returned."
"Abel, it's an expedition until you get home. Don't let your guard down yet."
"O-oh … yes, an expedition … you consider that an expedition?"
Abel looked at the distant scenery.
Originally, it started when he infiltrated a smuggling ship.
It felt like it had been a long time since then … but actually, only about one month passed.
"Abel, is that a road?"
Abel was pulled back by Ryo's voice.
Looking at it, there was certainly something that looked like a road.
During that time period, even the main roads of the central nations were not paved.
At best, the soil was hardened so that even a carriage could pass through.
Still, the existence of a road was proof that they were back in the realm of civilization.
"Yeah, without a doubt. That's a road."
There was an involuntary tremble in Abel's voice.
It was the feeling that he had finally returned to human habitat.
"Now then, this road … right or left?"
"Left, let's go west."
By going down the mountain and touching the road running from east to west, Abel was able to guess what the mountain was called.
(That was probably the 『Devil's Mountain』. In some locations, orcs and ogres live at the foot of the mountain. Even adventurers would not get close to it unless they had something significant to do. In other words, we scaled the Devil's Mountain and returned … I'm really glad I survived.)
The people in the central nations called the series of mountains towering to the south, the 『Devil's Mountain』.
It was said that no one had ever crossed it and ordinary residents would never approach it.
Even adventurers would not get close to it apart from when they had a request, and requests to the Devil's Mountain tend to be left unpicked for a long time.
There were harpies or wyverns at the top of the mountain … it would be foolish to approach.
"By the way, Abel is a B-class adventurer, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Is there any merit in registering with the Adventurers Guild?"
Ryo decided to ask what he was pondering about.
If he was enjoying a slow life alone, he wouldn't need any information about the Adventurers Guild, but now that he's going to be in town, he needed to ask a little.
Adventurer Guilds were a classic for other world reincarnation after all.
Regardless of whether or not he would register, there was no loss in knowing more information.
"Well, if you belong to the Adventurers Guild, you are exempt from the entrance tax to the cities in the country. It's a free pass to every city. Because the guild card acts as an identification card. Also, they buy magic stones and monster materials at relatively high prices. At least it is definitely more expensive than selling them in the city."
"Hoho, that's good."
"In addition, the guild will keep any surplus gold you have."
"Surplus gold?"
"Yeah. Money that you usually won't spend. Well, when I just started as an adventurer, I felt that I took everything, but when I reached a certain rank, I started earning more as the reward money was greater. At that point, I had money that I couldn't finish using. The guild can safe keep that. Isn't it a hassle to go out with all your assets when you go out for requests?"
(It sounds like a bank? I'm a little surprised …)
"Can the deposited money be withdrawn in other cities?"
"You can withdraw from anywhere as long as it is a guild within the country."
"That's amazing."
Ryo was honestly surprised.
The person who came up with that mechanism was probably a considerable genius.
Naturally, the money received from the adventurer would be invested by the guild in various fields.
There would not be a world where it ends with just depositing.
Whether it's a bank or an insurance company, the number one reason to pool money is to act as an 『Investment Fund』.
Given that the Bank of Saint George, the oldest bank in Europe, was founded in 1148, it wasn't strange that this 『Phi』 had something like a bank but…
"Abel said earlier that you can withdraw from any guild in the country, but is the Adventurers Guild an organization that belongs to the country in the first place? Isn't it an independent organization that exists across many countries and is not controlled by the country?"
In many other world stories, guilds have branches all over the world and were often not under state control.
"Although it is an organization independent of the country, that is just a public stance, and in reality, every guild coexists with the country. This only pertains to what I know about, which is knowledge of the central nations so I don't know if it is the same in other regions, but the guild card identity can be used anywhere in the central nations. Oh, and it seems that adventurers may be hired by the country as mercenaries during war. Especially in the Kingdom because there are many adventurers. I believe such a request was made by the country to the guild."
"War … well, it's cheaper than having knights fight."
Ryo said, shrugging.
"Don't make it sound so bad. It is a proper request so some adventurers choose not to participate. That aspect is up to the adventurer's free will. However, there is no telling what would happen to the money deposited in the guild if the country is occupied … given that the occupying nation could forcibly take it … they would have no choice but to fight."
"Tch, taking money as hostage … the guild, the country, and Abel are terrible!"
"Why am I lumped in too!?"
Abel was lumped in for no reason.
-x-X-x-
After walking for an entire day, they could see the city in the distance by evening.
"Abel, I can see the city."
"Yeah, finally. That's probably the City of Kyradea."
Ryo was surprised and inadvertently looked at Abel.
"How do you know that?"
It was no wonder that he was surprised.
There were no signs or markings on the road they walked on and they didn't pass by anyone.
The location that they came down the mountain must have been quite remote so Ryo couldn't think of any reason how he could identify the city.
"As an adventurer, I've been to various cities. Especially the cities in the Kingdom, I recognize most of them."
Abel said a little bashfully.
"That means that is a city in the Kingdom of Knightley…"
"Yeah, you're right."
"I'm glad it wasn't the Debuhi Empire."
"Like I said, the Empire is further north … The City of Kyradea is the southeasternmost city of the Kingdom. It's not that big, but if we walk northwest from there for about a day, we'll be in the City of Rune."
Abel looked a little further ahead and looked beyond Kyradea.
"Rune … that's the city Abel is aiming for, right?"
"Yes. Ryo, if you want to register as an adventurer, you should register with Rune instead of Kyradea."
"Eh? Is that so?"
"Rune is the largest city at the frontier, so a lot of people and supplies gather there. As I said before, having the only dungeon in the central nations is one of the reasons why people and materials gather too. If you register Rune as your home city, you'll get quite some flexibility in the city. Even if it is officially claimed to be equal, local adventurers are still given preferential treatment."
Upon hearing that, Ryo nodded.
"I see. But when I enter the City of Kyradea, I have to prove my identity …"
"That's okay as I can act as your guarantor. I'm a B-class adventurer after all. You would still need to pay a silver coin for entry tax but I'll pay for you."
"Oh, Abel, you're such a good person. Of course, I've always thought so. It's the truth, you know?"
Abel looked at Ryo with a look of doubt.
However, he quickly pushed it out of his mind and said.
"Right, Ryo. We'll be staying one night in the City of Kyradea, but I have a dish I recommend. I definitely want Ryo to try it."
They arrived at the eastern gate of the City of Kyradea right before the sun had completely set.
Ryo, following Abel's advice, hung his bag over his shoulder and wore his robe over it.
It made it difficult to see the inside of the bag.
Abel himself carried his bag inside his cloak too.
There were a lot of Wyvern magic stones in their bags.
They made it less noticeable so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.
They were able to enter the city without any trouble.
Abel, a B-class adventurer, guaranteed Ryo's identity and paid the entry tax of one silver coin.
That's all that was needed and they entered the city without any issue.
Ryo, who had a slight expectation of a development like a guard taking an arrogant attitude, causing trouble, and the guard's boss had to come over, was disappointed.
The inn was a place that Abel regularly used when he comes to the City of Kyradea for requests.
"There is a dining room on the first floor here where you can eat the usual meals."
After completing the inn procedures, the two took their seats in the dining room on the first floor.
"Welcome. What would you like today?"
A plain but pleasant girl came to take their orders.
"I and this fellow here will have curry."
Abel said 『Curry』 with a really cool pronunciation.
"Okay, right away."
The girl took the order and went back to the kitchen.
"If it is not enough, just order another serving. The meal here is on me."
"Abel! What a good person Abel is!"
A person who treats you is a good person.
At least, someone who treats is better than someone who doesn't, right?
They waited for about two minutes?
A somehow nostalgic, but fragrant, appetizing, and seductive scent drifted from the kitchen.
(No way, this scent is …)
With that thought in his mind, the girl earlier carried a large platter over with both hands.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, here's your curry."
What appeared was … yellow on white rice … that looked like it had plenty of spices … with a thick and gooey consistency…
"No way, curry …" (TLN: Abel pronounced 'curry' while Ryo knows it as 'kare' in Japanese)
Yes, in front of Ryo was a plate of curry rice, one of the Japanese national dishes.
(Speaking of curry rice, it is also a classic in reincarnation stories … but it is a standard in the sense that the main character has to struggle, spend a lot of time, and only finally succeed in reproducing it after traveling the world. But it already exists in 『Phi』 …)
"I was reminded of curry when Ryo served rice in the Rondo Forest. Let's eat."
"Ye-yeah…"
Ryo carried the curry scooped with a spoon to his mouth, trembling so minutely that no one could tell.
One bite.
Yes, it was unmistakably 『curry rice』.
Moreover, it was a curry rice with a terrifyingly high level of familiarity.
Nobody would notice even if it was served on Earth.
To Ryo, it was his first curry rice in 20 years (Ryo's body clock).
He ate it slowly but his spoon never stopped.
"Ryo, if you like it, you can ask for seconds."
"!"
That sentence from Abel was gospel for Ryo.
"Seconds please!"
"I-I'm glad you like it."
Abel was slightly taken aback by Ryo's intensity.
After that, Abel had seconds too and both of them had a very satisfying supper.
"Abel, is there curry in the City of Rune too?"
Yes, confirming that was very important.
If curry could only be had in the City of Kyradea, his home base would not be in the City of Rune but this city…
"Oh, you can eat it in Rune too. The spices used for the yellow soup on top can only be found around Kyradea so you might only find them in shops that are a little expensive. Well, Rune is the largest city on the frontier so many shops compete for business and as a result, the food quality is high. You can usually find curry in the southern cities of the Kingdom."
"Oh, that's great!"
"Ryo seems to like it a lot."
Ryo nodded strongly.
"Yes, it was delicious."
One day, when I return to the Rondo Forest, I definitely want to reproduce it there … Ryo swore firmly in his heart.
-x-X-x-
The next day, early in the morning they left the City of Kyradea.
They were both good walkers.
It would normally take an entire day but by noon, they were on a small hill overlooking the City of Rune.
"This is..."
The scenery seen from there was unimaginable.
The field of vision from the bottom of the hill to the corners of the eye was dyed golden.
Wheatfields that were about to be harvested.
And a huge city that sat in the center.
The scale was definitely a city rather than a town.
The walls surrounding the city were also tall and imposing.
Perhaps hundreds of thousands of people lived inside the walls alone.
In addition, outside the walls, he could see many houses, likely farmhouses.
"Some people live outside the city, right?"
"Yeah, because the farmlands are outside the city. Originally the farmers lived inside the walls but traveling to the farmland took a significant amount of time that they are now building houses outside the city. That's why the City of Rune doesn't close the gates even at night."
That surprised Ryo as expected.
That was because it was common sense that the city gates would be closed at night in the Middle Ages, not to mention in many other worlds stories.
"What about crime prevention?"
"Well … there are more people on patrol compared to the other cities. That's why I think public safety is not bad for a city of this size."
After looking at the City of Rune for a while, they went down the hill to the south gate of the city.
Partly because it was afternoon, which was a rather awkward time to get in and out of the city, there was no one other than the guards at the south gate.
"Eh? Abel?"
The guard who seemed to know Abel was surprised.
"Oh, Nimuru. It's been a long time."
"Not just a long time … you were declared missing…"
"Yeah, well, I managed to come back alive."
Abel said and laughed.
"And, who is your companion?"
Nimuru, the guard, turned to Ryo and asked.
"My lifesaver."
"Is that so! Thank you for saving Abel."
Nimuru exclaimed and grabbed Ryo's hand before swinging it up and down.
"Nevertheless, you still have to pay the entrance tax…"
"Yeah, I'll pay for that."
Abel gave Nimuru his guild card and a silver coin for Ryo's entry tax.
"Yes, certainly."
Nimuru received it and said to Abel with a clear joyful smile.
"Welcome back, Abel."
Ryo watched without saying a word but he was a little jealous of Abel.
He had a place to return to.
And there were people who would welcome him back.
That was something Ryo couldn't identify with, as he had lived alone for a long time in the Rondo Forest.
He didn't think much about it in particular until now but when he saw Nimuru welcoming Abel back, he did feel a little lonely.
(I'm happy for you, Abel.)
Yes, that was a good sight to mark the end of the journey.
Abel's request for Ryo was to 『Escort him to the City of Rune』.
And they were at the City of Rune.
The moment they passed through the gate, the request was fulfilled.
"Ryo, let's head to the guild now. You wish to register as an adventurer, right?"
"Yeah, it's probably better to get it done quickly right?"
"Yes, since I'm here with you. You can register for a rank up."
Ryo tilted his head.
"Rank up registration?"
"Oh, I didn't talk about that? Adventurer guilds usually register you in F-rank at first, but if there is a recommendation from an adventurer of B-rank or higher, they can be registered in E-rank or D-rank. And I will be recommending Ryo so you should be able to register in D-rank."
"Are there any benefits in registering at D-rank?"
"You can get higher-ranked requests. The higher the rank, the more rewards you can get, so I recommend it. That said, I don't think Ryo will be lacking money."
Abel said, looking at Ryo's bag.
"Oh, the Wyvern magic stones? Are they that valuable?"
To be clear, Ryo had no clue at all.
In the first place, it only took two shots of Icicle Lances to hunt one.
There was no difficulty.
So even if he was told that the magic stone was a fairly expensive item, it was unavoidable that he couldn't comprehend it.
But Abel nodded.
"You know, twenty people are needed to defeat one of them. It is a magic stone from such a troublesome monster … First of all, it usually can't be found on the market, in other words, it's priceless."
"I see … but since we have quite a few, if they appear on the market, won't they cause the price to collapse?"
Rarity was a very important value.
"Leave it to me. The guild is great in that area."
As they talked, they arrived at their destination.
It was the Adventurers Guild in the City of Rune.
Rune was the largest city on the frontier.
It had the only dungeon in the central nations and even adventurers from other countries gather to dive into the dungeon.
The adventurers guild in such a city was also the largest in the frontier.
A three-story stone building with an extremely splendid appearance.
After passing through the huge entrance, they entered.
As it was an awkward timing, the inside was quiet.
In the morning when requests were taken and in the evening when requests were completed and when reports and cash were exchanged made those two timings crowded as if it were a battlefield but now it was just past noon.
However, an exclamation that echoed broke the silence of the place.
"Abel-san!"
It was a woman at the reception who called out.
She was about 20 years old, had brown hair in a ponytail, and was one head shorter than Ryo.
She had a slender figure and had good taste in clothes.
"Heys, Nina."
In response to Nina's voice, adventurers appeared from the adjacent dining room.
"Wow, it really is Abel?"
"Welcome back~ Abel~"
"You weren't dead?"
There was a voice with some complicated emotions but more than a dozen adventurers came to Abel to celebrate his safe return.
All Rune adventurers knew that Abel had gone missing and were quite worried.
Even in a city as big as Rune, B-rank adventurers were extremely rare.
Among them, 『Crimson Sword』 with Abel as the party leader was a popular party.
Abel, a genius swordsman, was said to already be an A-rank.
Rihya, the priest of the Goddess of Light, was rumored to be capable of using Absolute Defense.
Warren, who was said to be the pinnacle of shield users in the Kingdom.
Rin, who was comparatively younger than the other three, but her ability was a match for court magicians.
It could be said that many adventurers admired them.
The leader of that party was back.
Adventurers crowded around him.
Ryo found the scene a little dazzling, just as he did at the castle gate.
(Abel is really popular. There may be some benefits if I get along well with him.)
Ryo was sometimes calculative.
Abel was surrounded by adventurers for a while, but at the right moment, he approached Ryo.
Then he stood beside Ryo and spoke.
"This is Ryo. My lifesaver. Without Ryo, I wouldn't be able to return to the City of Rune. And Ryo will now be an adventurer of this city. Our companion. So everyone please get along with him."
Ryo was surprised.
They didn't agree on that in advance! After looking at Abel at his side with such eyes, he surveyed the front.
The other adventurers seemed to be waiting for Ryo to say something.
"Ah, I'm Ryo. I'll be in your care."
Ryo said so and bowed.
"Ooo, nice to meet you Ryo."
"Thank you for helping Abel."
Along with such replies, Ryo's shoulder was struck violently.
Both were proof of their welcome to Ryo and their gratitude for helping Abel return.
"And so, Nina, please help with Ryo's adventurer registration."
Abel accompanied Ryo to stand in front of the reception.
Around that time, the adventurers who celebrated Abel's return had also returned to the food they had left in the dining room.
And around the reception, there were only three people, the receptionist, Nina, along with Abel and Ryo.
"So, Nina. For Ryo's registration, I wish to recommend him for D-rank."
Nina was surprised to hear that.
Of course, there was a system in place for rank-up registration by recommendation.
Even in the City of Rune, it happened about once a year.
However, the members of 『Crimson Sword』 including Abel had never been recommended anyone.
"Of course, that's fine, but if you wish to use this system, we must ask that you provide proof that he deserves to be recommended. What will it be?"
"Yeah, I know. Regarding that and another matter, I'd like to talk to the Guild Master for a moment … can I see him now?"
"I think it should be fine. It is noon so he's probably groaning while wrestling with documents in his room."
Nina smiled when she said that.
"I will call the Guild Master so please follow me to the reception room in the back."
Nina first brought them to the reception room in the back before immediately heading for the Guild Master's room.
Immediately after that, they heard a hoarse voice that reached the reception room.
"What did you say!?"
And the sound of rapid footsteps. The door was opened vigorously and a fierce-looking giant man came in.
"Abel … I'm glad …"
The giant exclaimed and collapsed to his knees.
"Guilmas, Sorry for worrying you. I somewhat managed to return home." (TLN: Abel calls him Guild Master in a shortened form)
"Good grief … I didn't feel like living when I heard that Abel went missing."
The giant stood up and sat in a fairly large, sturdy chair that seemed to be solely meant for him.
"Oops, before that, who's this … Magician?"
The giant turned to Ryo and asked.
"This is Ryo. My lifesaver."
"I see, I'm Hugh McGrath, the Guild Master of the City of Rune. Thank you for helping Abel."
Hugh commented before standing up and bowing to Ryo.
"Ah, no, I just happened to come across him. Don't mention it."
Ryo also stood up and bowed his head.
"Well, Guilmas, Ryo is registering as an adventurer in this city but I'm hoping to recommend him for a rank up."
Hearing that, Hugh looked toward Nina standing near the door.
Nina nodded.
"Abel mentioned he had something to talk to Guild Master regarding that."
Hugh started running before she was able to inform him properly so he didn't know why Abel wanted to meet him.
"Oh, is that so? Well, it was probably conveyed to Ryo, but we need proof that he is worthy to register for a rank-up…"
After speaking until there, Hugh looked at Nina who was still near the door.
Nina understood that it was a gaze to clear people away.
"Then, I shall excuse myself. I will be at the reception so please call me if you need anything."
After saying that, Nina left.
It was Abel who first started.
"First, Ryo is stronger than me."
That claim surprised both Hugh and Ryo.
"Hey hey…"
"Abel … Did you hurt your stomach with the dried meat you ate during lunch?"
Abel sighed.
"Well, he's a joker like this, but his strength is the real deal. Also, during my journey to return to Rune, we gathered these from the monsters that Ryo and I defeated."
Abel took out the Wyvern magic stones from his bag and placed them on the desk.
It numbered 25.
"What are these magic stones … I know they are wind-attribute because of the green coloration but … they are staggeringly large and dark in color. Such magic stones … no way, are these from Wyverns?"
"Yes, they are Wyvern magic stones. And Ryo is carrying about as much as this too."
When Abel said so, Ryo also put his bag on the desk.
"That's impossible … where on earth did you meet these many Wyverns … no, this is a scale that would destroy the country if the country does not use everything in its power to face it …"
Hugh squeezed those words out. With a voice that was almost a whisper.
"Don't worry about that. We hunted these Wyverns on the Devil's Mountain to the south."
"Devil's Mountain? That Devil's Mountain? Why were you in such a place?"
"The ship drifted … and shipwrecked in a land that extends further south of the Devil's Mountain. So I came back by crossing the Devil's Mountain but there were a huge number of Wyverns on the southern side of the Devil's Mountain. Well, that's the short story of it."
Abel shrugged and explained. He had cut it short by quite a bit.
For the time being, it was important to explain that those Wyverns weren't likely to attack humanity right now and that it would not be so simple to get that many Wyvern magic stones in the future.
"I see. We'll never get these many Wyvern magic stones on this scale again and they will not attack us. So I can assume that you wish to use the guild network to sell these so that the market value wouldn't plummet."
"As expected, Guilmas, it's a great help that you're quick to understand."
If they sold everything in the City of Rune, the market value would plummet.
Furthermore, it would be possible to find out where they came from.
But if they used the guild's network to sell it as a trade item to another city, the royal capital, or even another country, they wouldn't raise suspicion.
That was the gist of it.
"I understand. It will take some time, but I will sell it responsibly. Let's have the royal family buy it too."
For a brief moment, Abel frowned a little.
"I believe the feudal lord would quickly buy one so I'll be able to deposit the proceeds in a few days. So should I split the profits?"
"No, four to six. Four for me, six for Ryo."
"Abel, that's no good. Five to five."
Upon hearing that, Abel shook his head.
"Ryo, I have not even shown my gratitude to Ryo for your help. And this also counts as the reward for the request to escort me until here. Take it so that I can hold my head up."
Abel said and bowed while sitting.
"Abel …"
"Ryo, Abel has insisted that much. Give in to him and take it."
Hugh also supported Abel.
"I understand then. I'll gratefully accept it."
-x-X-x-
After recording the size and number of magic stones, Hugh stored them in the safe in the office. Then, they heard the sound of running from the hallway.
Along with that…
"Wait, everyone. They are still talking inside."
He heard Nina's voice.
After hearing running footsteps that were much lighter than Hugh's footsteps previously, the door was opened vigorously.
Standing there was a short female magician in a black robe and with a large staff in her left hand.
"Abel… I'm glad…"
The magician mumbled and collapsed to her knees.
(That's a scene I saw somewhere else.)
Ryo thought of something rude.
"Rin, sorry for worrying you."
It was Rin, the Wind-Attribute Magician of Abel's party 『Crimson Sword』.
After that, a woman in white priesthood clothes and a giant man carrying a huge shield came into the room.
"Abel…"
Ryo heard a beautiful voice like the chiming of a bell come from the priestess.
"Rihya, Warren, I'm back."
"Yeah… welcome back, Abel."
A tearful Rihya, a totally crying Rin, and Warren, silent but with a relieved expression.
Abel smiled bitterly at the three varied appearances of the three people.
Ryo wasn't the only one who was wondering what kind of expression he should have while looking at that scene.
"Abel, well, you guys probably have a mountain of stories piled up so use this room. Ryo and Nina, let's finish the procedures over there."
Hugh commented and left the reception room with Ryo and Nina.
In the Guild Master Office.
Hugh sat down in a chair that seemingly came in a set with the one in the reception room.
"Phew, I'm not good with that kind of atmosphere. Ryo should take a seat too. Nina, I will be registering Ryo as D-rank, so sorry but please bring the necessary over."
"I understand."
Nina replied and left the room to prepare.
Ryo was left alone in the room with the fierce-looking guild master.
"Are you sure I can register for D-rank?"
"Oh, I don't mind. After showing such a large amount of Wyvern magic stones, I have no choice but to be convinced."
Hugh said and laughed loudly.
"Well, Abel was the one who dealt the final blow."
"I know Abel's abilities. He's definitely a genius. But even so, he's a swordsman. Knowing his abilities, I am aware that he can't beat Wyverns on his own. In that case, you are a Magician with considerable ability capable of assisting and raising Abel to a level sufficient to defeat Wyverns. That's undoubtedly ability sufficient to register as a D-rank."
Hugh explained and slammed Ryo's shoulder excitedly.
His bones creaked under the force…
"Oh? Ryo, you seem to be a Magician but aren't your body quite well trained too?"
Hugh noticed when he slapped his shoulder.
"I have been hunting alone so I would be in trouble if I run out of stamina and can't fight."
Hugh nodded many times when he heard that.
"That's right, that's so true. No matter how great a person is with skill and magic, it's over when you're exhausted. But lately, those brats don't understand."
For a while after that, he complained about the young people these days.
That said, even Hugh was still in his mid-thirties.
After complaining for a while, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
"Excuse me. Guild Master, I have the registration tool."
Nina, the receptionist who went out earlier, came in holding a tray with a large crystal.
"Oh, then please settle Ryo's procedure. Ryo, you'll be fine if you follow Nina's instructions. I'll wrestle with the documents."
With that said, Hugh returned his desk.
"Once again, Ryo-san, I'm Nina, a Rune Adventurer Guild employee. I'll be in your care."
"That's polite. I'm Ryo. Thank you for taking care of me."
The two exchanged greetings.
A proper greeting, that was important.
"Then, I'll gather some information. I'll ask the questions so please assist to answer them."
"Understood."
(I feel like usually there are many patterns where you are handed a piece of paper and asked to write your name, etc …. then, when asked "Do you need a ghostwriter?", there will be an exchange like "No, it's okay."… I wonder if the guild staff will fill in the data from the beginning because there are many such cases.)
It seemed that the development of the event was different from the other world stories that Ryo knew…
"Name is Ryo. For your job, is it okay to list it as Magician?"
"Yes, Magician."
"What are your magic attributes?"
"Water Attribute."
"Address… I guess you have not decided where yet."
"Yes, I just arrived."
"For 300 days from your registration, you may live in the guild's dormitory. Take it as something to put you on track. Also, it is meant to allow you to make acquaintances with fellow young newly-registered adventurers."
Nina presented a paper explaining the dormitory to Ryo.
"Within these 300 days, you can move in and out at any time so please consider it as one of the candidates for a living place."
"I'll think about it."
(This paper… I didn't think there would be letterpress printing… but it feels like they prepared a lot of guides with the same content. The mystery increases by one yet again.)
The mysteries had been increasing for Ryo ever since he came to 『Phi』.
"And Ryo-san has never been in a dungeon, right?"
"Yes, I have not."
"The guild holds a monthly dungeon beginner's course. It is meant for inexperienced dungeon divers and has pointers on what to watch out for in the dungeon, what you can collect, or how much you can redeem them for. And the guild also has beginner's courses for adventuring outside dungeons. You can learn such things for free. If you plan to enter the dungeon, I highly recommend that you attend it."
"I wish to attend by all means!"
Ryo was sold.
"This month's course will start the day after tomorrow. It's a course with different content every day for five days, so it would be nice if you could attend all five days."
Nina explained and smiled sweetly.
Her smile was very attractive and it could be said to be expected from the receptionist of the largest guild in the frontier.
It was a secret that Hugh nodded approvingly while watching from his seat.
"Then, I'll apply for Ryo-san's attendance in the course. Please come to the lecture room on the third floor of this guild by 9 am the day after tomorrow."
"Nine o'clock?"
Same as on Earth, 9 o'clock?
"Yes. There is a clock tower in the square, so look at the time there. In the City of Rune, the clock tower bell rings at 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 15 o'clock and 18 o'clock."
Apparently, it was 9 o'clock, the same as on Earth.
"That's all for the information gathering. After that, Ryo-san has to register yourself."
"Register myself?"
"Yes. Could you place your hand on this crystal?"
Ryo placed his right hand on the crystal Nina had brought as he was told.
"Register."
The crystal began to glow after Nina muttered that.
Then, Ryo felt a small amount of magical power, just a tiny bit, was taken from him.
The crystal light focused, entered the card in Nina's hand, burst and disappeared.
"Ryo-san, it's okay to let go now. Thank you very much."
Ryo let go of the crystal as he was told.
No change happened to Ryo himself.
Nina verified the card that had a burst of light.
And it seemed that all the checks were complete. She presented the card to Ryo.
"Here you go. This will function as Ryo's guild card. It will also act as your identification card, so please report to the guild immediately if you lose it. Recreating it will cost 10,000 Florin, or one gold coin, so please be careful not to lose it."
When Ryo received the card, he confirmed what was written.
Name, adventurer rank D, and affiliation 『Kingdom of Knightley Rune』.
That was it.
"Do you have any questions?"
"I'm sorry, just one question. I heard from Abel that the guild offers to safe keep money which can be withdrawn from any guild in the country…"
"Yes, that's right. If you tell us at the counter, you can complete the procedure in a separate room. You will need to verify your identity with this crystal that you used for registration earlier."
"In other words, that crystal is connected all over the country…?"
What a construct.
Such a fantasy setting, completely magical.
The online system on Earth that was realized in modern times had already been realized on 『Phi』!
"Yes. You may take it as such."
Nina nodded once.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Nina looked at Hugh, the guild master and the owner of the room.
"Enter."
Hugh said without raising his head from the paperwork.
The people who came in were Abel and others from the 『Crimson Sword』.
"Guilmas, thanks for the reception room. Our discussion is done so we'll be heading home."
Abel reported to Hugh.
"Oh, don't mention it."
"Guild Master, Nina, we will be having a 『Abel's Return Celebration Party』 at 『Golden Wave Pavilion』 at 18 o'clock today, so please come by."
Said the Magician Rin.
"Of course, Ryo is the guest of honor so your participation is compulsory."
Abel grinned and added on.
"Eh..."
Ryo hardened.
"Golden Wave Pavilion is our regular inn. We have Ryo's room prepared so it's okay even if you get drunk."
"I wouldn't consider that as okay…"
"In any case, Ryo is participating. Also, before that, there is a place I'd like to take Ryo to for a little while."
Abel said and looked towards Nina.
"The Adventurer registration is complete. If there are no further questions from Ryo, this concludes it."
"Oh, if you have any questions, I'll answer them. Okay, then let's go, Ryo."
Abel replied and made Ryo stand.
"Then we'll return to the Golden Wave Pavilion first and get ready."
The priest Rihya said, and Rihya, Rin, and Warren left the room.
"Then, Guilmas, I'll be taking Ryo."
"Ah, Guild Master, Nina-san, thank you for everything."
Ryo bowed and thanked them.
"Sure. Now that Ryo is an adventurer in the City of Rune, I look forward to working with you."
Hugh said and raised one hand.
Nina also bowed to Ryo.
Then, Abel brought Ryo out.
"Then, Guild Master, I'll be returning to the counter."
"Sure, thank you."
Nina also went back to her counter.
Hugh McGrath, the guild master, remained alone in the office.
"Ahhhh, I'm so glad~~~"
The voice was so quiet that it couldn't be heard outside but it was full of emotions.
"The atmosphere when Abel was reported missing… I don't want to experience that ever again. I'm really glad he came back… Sheesh… he actually drifted to the other side of the Devil's Mountain… No matter how you look at it, that was a desperate situation… for Abel and me."
Grumbling to that point, he collapsed onto his office desk.
"Seriously, I shouldn't have asked him to investigate the smuggling incident. Yes, at least stay on the ground. As long as it could be solved with a sword, that guy would not lag behind… Even if it is in the dungeon, he'll somehow survive. But because he was on the sea that it was so dangerous. Yeah, seriously. Yeah, I truly have to thank Ryo for bringing him back. He really saved us… If he didn't return, I would definitely lose my life… Ah, I have to report that he's back."
Hugh said to himself as he activated the communication alchemy crystal installed in his cupboard.
-x-X-x-
"Abel, where are you bringing me?"
Upon leaving the guild, Abel led Ryo north on the main street.
"Well, actually, as the reward for the escort request …"
"Hmm? That was settled with the magic stones, wasn't it?"
"Nah, that's different. When I first asked Ryo to escort me to Rune … I wanted to buy Ryo clothes and a staff as a reward when we reach the city …"
Abel trailed off while glancing to see Ryo's reaction.
"Oh, well, Ryo may like tanned leather clothes and sandals so I'm not denying your dressing sense or anything …"
"You don't have to be so mindful. I'm well aware that the look I have under my robe is not acceptable in the city."
Ryo said with a bitter smile.
It was true that he had lived alone for a long time since coming to 『Phi』 but he lived normally for 19 years on Earth.
"I'm not actually fond of this leather. I just couldn't make clothes because I couldn't get thread in Rondo Forest … I'll be happy to follow if you're planning to buy clothes for me."
"I see! Oh, then let's get a couple of casual clothes and you can choose 2 or 3 sets that you fancy."
Abel was relieved.
He thought it would be troublesome if he was perceived as making a fool of Ryo's dressing so he was relieved when it went more smoothly than he expected.
"But Abel, I can understand clothes, but why a staff too?"
"Well, Ryo doesn't have a staff even though you are a Magician, right?"
"Yes, I'm a Magician without a staff. But I can still use magic without a staff?"
Ryo replied to Abel, tilting his head.
"Well, the strength of magic increases with a staff … or so I heard…"
As he said that, Abel recalled Ryo's magic.
(Increasing the strength of that? But I feel that it already has above average strength…?)
"Is that so? … But I won't use a staff. I prefer a sword, especially when close combat is required."
Abel was surprised to hear that.
"Sword? Ryo can use a sword? Not the knife on your waist?"
"Eh? Didn't I mention it? If I were a wind-type wizard, I could split my body into three, fire off Sonic Blades and rush forward. If I can't handle close combat with a sword, I can't perform a rush, right?"
"Ye-yeah. I thought you were joking."
"Ouch, that hurts …"
While conversing, they arrived at the clothing store.
It wasn't luxurious, but it was a store with nice clothes lined up.
"This isn't a very expensive clothing store, but it's a pretty popular store with good tailoring and style. My clothes were also tailored here."
"Abel's clothes have high endurance, right? After all, it survived from Rondo Forest to Rune."
"En-endurance … well, it is clothes for everyday activities so it's certainly resistant to tears."
In the end, it took about two hours to purchase clothes he would wear today and another three sets tailored.
"Hey Ryo, do you really not need a staff?"
"Yes, I don't need it. I'm not used to it and as I said earlier, I would rather use a sword if I had a choice."
"I see, well, if you're okay with that …"
Reaching that point, Abel suddenly stopped.
"Abel, why did you stop? I'll leave you behind."
"No, you don't even know the location of the Golden Wave Pavilion. Not that, Ryo, you don't have a sword … right?"
Abel said, touching the sword he always had on his waist.
"Oh, this is it."
Ryo said and showed Abel Murasame, without generating its blade, which was given to him by the Dullahan.
"Eh. Well, that's … uh … a sword? … isn't it … the knife that's always on your waist …?"
It was a knife no matter how he looked at it.
Although the handle was very long and was a balance that he had never seen before, it was still a knife.
At the very least, the weapon that Ryo held up was closer to a knife and nobody but Ryo would claim that it was a sword.
"More importantly, I have a question for Abel. You told Nina-san that you would answer my questions instead, right?"
"Yeah … I did say that. Do you have anything to ask?"
"Actually, I realized that I don't know much about the fundamentals."
"Fundamentals?"
"Yes. Like how long is a day, what are the other units, and so on."
Abel's expression solidified.
"Abel probably thinks of me as a very common-sense guy. I'm sorry if I disappointed that expectation."
"No, it's okay because I think of you as a person with no common sense, but you have even less common sense than I imagined …"
It was basically the same as on Earth.
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and a monthly unit of around thirty days … It was unexpected that February had 28 days too and there was even a leap year system.
The unit of length was the same as on Earth, though it was non-American, such as meters, kilometers, and grams.
On the contrary, if the unit of weight was a gallon, Ryo would have been surprised.
However, now that it came to this point, taking into consideration the curry rice, it seemed that the only explanation was that there have been modifications made by reincarnated or transmigrated people in the past.
The hunch turned into conviction.
"Well, it would be difficult to understand all at once, so shouldn't you gradually learn the various units?"
Abel commented.
"No, I remember everything perfectly."
"Are you a genius…"
It was natural that he remembered it perfectly. After all, it was exactly the same as the units on Earth.
"Also, I was told that I could use the guild's dormitory for up to 300 days after registering with the guild."
"Yeah, that arrangement is pretty convenient. We used it in the beginning too."
Abel looked up at the sky as if he remembered something nostalgic.
"I see. Then, I will use it from tomorrow. Since I have applied for the dungeon beginner's course the day after tomorrow."
"That's a course that was only established three years ago. I heard that the mortality rate of beginners decreased considerably so it has practical content. Ryo has no knowledge or common sense aside from magical ability so that's a good choice."
"Abel… I don't want you to think that just because you lack common sense that I'm the same as you too."
Ryo shrugged and sighed.
"Wait, I clearly have more common sense than Ryo, you know?"
"It's the same principle as those who are drunk who say that they are not drunk. That's a troubling issue."
"Somehow I get really irritated when talking with Ryo…"
"Oh yeah, there was something else I wanted to ask. Is there a library in this city?"
Abel was slightly taken aback by the sudden change in topic but Abel answered after thinking a little.
After all, Abel was a nice guy.
"There are two large libraries. The library in the south has many easy-to-understand books in a wide range of fields, catered for the general public. If you want to gain basic knowledge, the south library is the place. It is located one block south of the guild. The library in the north only has specialized books so it is not for the general public… but if you are looking for information regarding some specialized knowledge, that library may be better."
"Do the libraries require money or qualifications to use?"
"Anyone can use the south library. When you enter, you deposit 2,000 Florin, that is, two large silver coins at the reception desk as a deposit. When you leave, if there is no problem, half of that, 1,000 Florin, will be returned to you. If you damage a book, the deposit will be confiscated and additional money may be charged."
While talking about that, they arrived at the Golden Wave Pavilion.
The 9 o'clock bell caused Ryo to wake up.
In the Golden Wave Pavilion room that Abel and his friends from 『Crimson Sword』 borrowed.
He somewhat remembered being drunk many times and being brought to this room while leaning on Abel.
"Hangover … my head hurts …"
A hangover … he had never experienced it when he was on Earth … in the first place, he was still a minor so he had never drunk alcohol before either.
Nevertheless, he knew about it.
The first alcohol he had since coming to 『Phi』.
He remembered the first thing he drank was a "beer-like" thing called 『ale』.
However, after that, he seemed to have drunk various kinds of alcohol … but he couldn't remember what he drank.
Nearly 100 people participated in 『Abel's Return Celebration Party』 to celebrate the safe return of the popular Abel.
And Ryo was welcomed by many as a guest of honor because he saved the life of the main guest, Abel. He was immensely popular as well … up to the point that the other 『Crimson Sword』 members, Rihya, Rin, and Warren, who came to thank him for saving Abel, were pushed away by the crowd without being able to talk to Ryo much.
Ryo drank the water he created, got dressed, and left the room with all his luggage.
According to what he asked Abel yesterday, he planned to move to the guild dormitory.
When he reached the first floor, he expected a heap of corpses … but he was wrong.
The Golden Wave Pavilion had to serve breakfast for guests or dining customers early in the morning so they had forcibly cleared those adventurers who were unconscious on the floor last night.
However, they weren't thrown out but were seated in the corner of the dining room. Actually, they were all sleeping face down the tables.
"Truly a difference of night and day …"
Looking sideways at the scene, Ryo headed for the receptionist landlady.
"Good morning, Ryo-san. I'll prepare breakfast immediately. Please take a seat wherever you like."
"Oh, thank you. Also, I will be moving to the guild's dormitory after this, so for the payment …"
"There's no need because Abel-san has paid for it."
The landlady said with a smile and went into the kitchen.
(Abel … is a good person.)
A person who gives a favor is a good person.
At least, they're a better person than someone who doesn't give favors.
After having a simple but very tasty and satisfying breakfast of white bread, stew, and cheese with free refills, Ryo immediately headed to the guild.
Inside the guild he arrived at, there was a complicated atmosphere … that was a mixture of devastation but also feelings of relief such as when after a storm had passed.
It was because the morning battle for requests had ended and the people who came in to receive the rewards for the requests they received had been processed.
Of course, since there was a dungeon in the City of Rune, many adventurers enter the dungeon directly without picking up requests from the guild.
However, Ryo, who had never seen the condition of the guild that turns into a scene of carnage in the morning, could only describe the atmosphere as a 『complex air』 that he didn't understand well.
Naturally, the receptionists were also tired.
Nevertheless, they were professionals.
As Ryo approached, they smiled.
Ryo approached the window where Nina was seated at.
"Good morning, Ryo-san. How may I help you today?"
Ryo could have chosen any reception window but he thought that Nina, who did his registration procedure yesterday, would be a better choice than the receptionists who he didn't know at all, so he chose her.
"Good morning. I wish to move into the guild dormitory that Nina explained to me yesterday."
"Okay. Right now, about thirty people are using the dormitory. Some of them have entered the dungeon but … normally people do not challenge the dungeon every day, so I believe some of them are still in the dormitory. Six people share one bedroom and you may use the lounge freely. Nobody is waiting now so I can guide you."
Nina-san said and came out from the reception desk.
She exited from the guild entrance and circled to the back. Ryo followed behind her.
"By the way, Ryo-san, thank you very much for Abel-san's Celebration Party yesterday. You were caught by Ra-san to drink all the time."
Nina giggled.
"Ra-san looks up to Abel as a real brother … so he was very grateful to Ryo."
Ra was a Swordsman who led the C-rank party 『Switchback』.
Yes, Ra, who idolized Abel, expressed his fervent gratitude to Ryo for saving Abel … throughout the drinking party.
Of course, as the guest of honor, many others poured alcohol and brought food to Ryo because he saved Abel, but Ra still managed to thank Ryo the entire time.
"I'm happy to be thanked but … honestly I drank too much."
Ryo answered with a bitter smile.
"The guild's store has potions for detoxification so if you have a bad hangover, you should buy it later."
"Treating a hangover with a detoxifying potion …"
Ryo's knowledge was increasing day by day.
"Yes, I haven't tried it, but it seems to be well known among adventurers."
The guild dormitory was behind the guild main building.
Like the main building of the guild, it was also a magnificent stone building with two floors.
"Are there any rules for lodging? Such as closing times?"
"No, you can come and go any time of the day, every day. As such, you are responsible for managing your personal belongings. The facilities are bedrooms for six people, shared toilets, and a common room with a kitchen. There are no building managers so everything is managed by the residents."
"That's quite … bold."
"There used to be a caretaker, but due to various reasons, we don't have one now. Only the cleaning is managed by an external party. It is by a company run by a former adventurer and they are contracted to clean the city, including the guild."
(I see. After retiring as an adventurer, there is such an option to continue to make money. It would be easier to get work too when you make connections with various people in the city while still active as an adventurer.)
"Ryo-san's room will be Room 10. Currently, there are two others in the room, Niels and Etho. They have formed a party to venture into the dungeon. This room here."
Nina said and gestured at a door. Next to the door, there were two wooden tags, 『Niels』 and 『Etho』.
"Residents hang their name tags here. Ryo-san's tag has also been prepared here, so I'll hang it up."
Then Nina hung a wooden tag with the words 『Ryo』 on it.
Then, she knocked on the door.
"Yes, please enter."
A voice came from inside the room.
"Oh, you're in today."
She opened the door and went inside.
"Excuse me. I'm Nina, a guild employee. Niels-san and Etho-san are here, right?"
There was a man about 20 years old with brown hair and a burly body doing push-ups and a delicate man whose job was clear from his white priesthood clothes.
"Ni-Nina-san. Goo-goo-good morning."
The burly man replied.
"Perfect timing. This is Ryo-san, who will be moving into this Room 10 from today. Thank you for your cooperation."
"I'm Ryo, nice to meet you."
Ryo bowed.
"Ah, I'm Niels. This is Etho. Nice to meet you, Ryo."
Niels stood up and asked Ryo for a handshake.
Etho was still seated, but turned to Ryo, raised one hand and bowed his head.
Upon confirming the introduction, Nina nodded.
"Then, I'll return to the reception desk. Ryo-san, I've applied for you for tomorrow's course, so please don't be late … well, it's unlikely you can be late if you stay here."
With a smile on her face, Nina went back to the guild main building.
"Yup, Nina-san is beautiful as usual."
Niels muttered after Nina left.
"Again, Niels? Nina-san included, the receptionists are highly sought after, so Niels has no chance at all."
Etho chuckled.
"I-I know! But it's a man's dream to want to become famous and marry a good woman someday!"
It was a saying that would garner negative comments on modern Earth where gender equality had advanced, but it seemed that it was not yet a problem on 『Phi』.
"More importantly, Ryo, right? We're roommates and fellow adventurers so you're okay if we do away with the honorifics? You can do the same for us too."
"Yeah, I'm okay with that."
"Alright, that's great. I was pretty worried about what kind of people would be assigned to this room. After all, there were only the two of us in this six-person room? There was no doubt that newcomers would be assigned … I'm glad that it's a decent person like Ryo."
"Yeah, it would have been hard if it was someone like Dan in Room 1."
Etho and Niels nodded many times.
"Ah … I guess that's a common issue …"
It was present in every era, everywhere in the world …
It seemed that it existed not only on Earth but also in another world.
"Right. I'm a Swordsman and Etho is a priest, but is Ryo a Magician?"
"Yes, I'm a Magician."
"Just like how you are dressed."
Niels laughed loudly.
"Nina-san said that the course will start tomorrow, so Ryo will be taking the dungeon course, right?"
"Yes, I will be attending the five-day beginner's course."
"Oh, I'm thankful for that. Thanks to that, we are still alive."
Then Niels laughed loudly again.
After that, Ryo heard about the city from them.
Thirty minutes after they started talking, the door was knocked once again.
"Please enter."
Niels said and Nina came in again.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Actually, a newly registered adventurer in the Adventurer's Guild wants to move into the dormitory."
Then, from behind Nina, a boy who looked to be in his mid-teens came in.
"I'm Amon. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Niels. That's Etho and this is Ryo."
"Amon-san will also participate in the dungeon beginner class from tomorrow. Please join us with Ryo-san."
Nina said before returning to the guild main building.
"Yup~, Nina-san is beautiful as usual …"
See? Like I mentioned? Etho sent a look to Ryo.
Yeah. Ryo nodded.
Looking at their eye contact, Niels sulked.
"There's nothing wrong with it. Oh yeah, Amon, you look pretty young. I'm sure you've not reached adulthood?"
An 『adult』 in the central nations was eighteen years old.
"Yes, I just turned sixteen years old. But my family passed away so I came to the City of Rune to become an adventurer to survive."
"Well, everyone has similar backgrounds."
Etho said.
(A priest would have issues putting food on the table too? I don't know the details about that.)
Ryo wondered but thought that it was too early to ask about it so he kept quiet.
"Ryo has just moved in and seems to be taking the course from tomorrow too."
"Yes, I will be attending it for five days, so I'll be in your care, Amon."
"Likewise, thank you very much."
-x-X-x-
"Well then, we'll be venturing into the dungeon. Ryo and Amon, good luck with the lecture."
Niels and Etho left to venture into the dungeon.
They all ate breakfast at the cafeteria linked to the guild.
The taste was a little inferior to that of the Golden Wave Pavilion, but he was grateful that it was delicious enough and cheap.
Moreover, refills were free.
Ryo was thankful for the free refill of breakfast, regardless if it was at Golden Wave Pavilion or the guild's dining room.
It was something similar to the breakfast buffet at business hotels on Earth.
Breakfast was very important after all.
Ryo and Amon ate their fill and headed to the lecture room on the third floor of the guild main building.
The lecture room was a staircase-shaped room that rose toward the back, similar to a university lecture room.
It was about five minutes before the 9 o'clock bell rang, but there were about ten people inside.
The two sat in the second row from the front.
(There's less than I expected.)
However, just five minutes before the start, nearly twenty people came in, and in the end, about thirty attendees took their seats.
In that way, the five-day 『Dungeon Beginner Course』 began.
"That's not possible."
While Ryo was taking the beginner's course with his roommate Amon, the members of 『Crimson Sword』 were in the dining room linked to the guild.
Originally, it was a discussion about the schedule after tomorrow, but it became a story about Abel's return, and from there it became a story of Ryo's Water-Attribute Magic.
"Well, even if you say it isn't possible … it actually happened."
When Abel explained Ryo's magic, the Wind-Attribute Magician Rin promptly denied it.
"Sure, there is a magic called Ice Wall among Water-Attribute Magic. But it is thin enough to be torn by the wind Air Slash. Well, that's not that big a deal, creating an Ice Wall in the air and then dropping it … that's definitely impossible."
Rin emphasized with a fork in one hand.
"Listen? Magic can only be generated around the caster. It doesn't matter whether it's Water-Attribute Magic, Wind-Attribute Magic, or Fire-Attribute Magic. It is not possible to generate magic or cause magical phenomena in a place away from the caster."
"Ah, yes..."
Abel couldn't say anything in face of Rin's assertion.
"Well, calm down a little, at least that was how it looked like to Abel."
Rihya soothed the excited Rin with a bitter smile.
"You should know too, Rihya. That magic can only be generated near the caster. It is common sense among common sense. But Abel …"
"Yeah. Light Magic can only be generated near the caster, and during treatment, it can only be used on targets that are close to you. It would be extremely convenient if it was possible to treat people who are far away … but I think it's impossible."
Rihya also pondered with her head tilted.
"I see … well, that's what happened. This yellow magic stone was the one I got from the Golem at that time."
Abel explained about the yellow palm-sized magic stone taken from the Rock Golem.
"Nevertheless, it's a really big magic stone. What do you plan to do with it?"
"Ryo told me that I could do whatever I wanted with it because I was the one who defeated it …"
Abel certainly did defeat the Rock Golem that he kicked, from which they extracted the magic stone.
"Abel feels sorry for Ryo, right? But if it's that big, won't the royal family want it? But you can't sell it and split the profit."
"You're right."
Abel agreed with Rihya's point.
"Hmm? You can get money if you offer it to the royal family. Can't you just give half of it to Ryo?"
Rin chimed in without understanding what the problem was.
"I can get the money, but I'll have to report to whom I give it. At that point, I'll end up giving Ryo's name and he would be in a difficult situation … Sure, Ryo has registered with the Adventurer's Guild in the City of Rune, but he is not a citizen of the Kingdom of Knightley. An outstanding talent like him, not only His Majesty the King, the people around him will also try to pull him into the Kingdom."
"That's if they believe half of what Abel was saying. But even then, is that a bad thing?"
Rin nodded and asked.
"Half … is there no trust in me … No, well, if Ryo doesn't agree to it … an outstanding talent like that would leave the City of Rune and flow to other countries …"
"Oh, I see, that will be a big loss for the City of Rune. It would also be a loss for the Kingdom of Knightley, which controls the City of Rune. It would be the worst if his destination was the Empire."
"Well, he won't choose the Empire."
He was confident in only that. Abel thought to himself.
"Why not the Empire?"
"Yeah, isn't the Empire the best choice?"
Rihya and Rin raised questions.
"The official name of the Empire is the Debuhi Empire."
Rihya and Rin nodded to Abel's explanation.
"Ryo said that the country's name 『Debuhi』 is not cool. So he said he hates the Empire. He won't migrate to the Empire."
"...What?"
Yes, neither Rihya nor Rin could understand.
The country's name was not cool so he won't migrate.
(I don't understand either, but I think that was a part that Ryo would never give up.)
It was Abel who somehow thought so.
"While Abel wasn't around, we didn't venture into the dungeon and completed some requests on the surface. Well, we also did the requests that we couldn't refuse."
"Ah, I'm sorry, everyone."
Abel bowed while sitting.
"I'm just glad you came back safely. So the reward from that time will be divided into four equal parts and put in each account. Remember to check it later."
"No, I wasn't there and it inconvenienced everyone, so I wish to split my share to the three of you."
"What are you talking about? You can't do that."
"Yeah, yeah."
Rin nodded too.
Warren, who listened without opening his mouth the entire time, remained silent but nodded.
"I see. By the way, I also gained some income. We couldn't collect the magic stones and materials from the monsters that we defeated on the way back, but we at least collected the Wyvern magic stones. I have requested Guilmas to sell them. I'll split it to everyone when the money enters my account."
"… What?"
"… Wyvern?"
"…"
All three of them couldn't grasp their head around it.
That was natural.
It was a monster that could only be subdued with more than 20 adventurers.
Defeating such a monster …
"Abel, did you help with a Wyvern subjugation request on the way?"
Rihya asked the natural question.
"No. As I said, I came back over the Devil's Mountain, but that Devil's Mountain had a Wyvern's nest on the south side, so we had to defeat them to return. As expected, it was too wasteful to defeat Wyvern and not collect magic stones, so we only collected the Wyvern magic stones."
"In other words … Abel and Ryo defeated Wyverns, with just two people?"
Imagining the scene, both Rihya's face and Rin's face turned pale.
"Yeah. Ryo pierced their wings with ice spears, and when they fell to the ground, I pierced their eyes."
"Pierce their wings … Wyverns have a 『Wind Defense Film』 that covers the whole body, so magic will usually be repelled …"
Rin said quietly, with a look that said she couldn't believe it.
It was as if she was asking herself.
"Hmm? That's right now that you mention it. Hmm, but he pierced it."
Abel also tilted his head.
"Such powerful magic … is impossible even for Master Ilarion."
Rin shook her head and denied it.
"Yeah. A person capable of that … perhaps the Explosive Blaze Magician I've heard rumors of."
"Yes, the Empire's … Explosive Blaze Magician."
Both Rihya and Rin had only heard rumors.
It was said, a single strike from him burned down 1,000 kingdom troops.
It was said, a single strike from him blew apart a Wyvern.
It was said, a single strike from him extinguished a city where there was an uprising.
Honestly, Rihya and Rin's impressions were as if such a Magician existed, but … as long as it was a grim fact that 1,000 kingdom troops were burned to death; it was true that such a terrifying Magician existed.
"Explosive Blaze Magician … I definitely don't want to face him on the battlefield."
After traveling with Ryo, Abel was keenly aware.
Such Magicians must not be made into an enemy.
To be honest, he never thought so before.
Rin, his party member, could be said to be a high-level Magician in the Kingdom.
However, even if Rin was the enemy, Abel was confident that he could defeat her without much effort.
He would have a hard time against Ilarion, his 『gramps』 and one of the Kingdom's greatest Magicians, but he believed that he would be the last one standing in the end.
However, Ryo was trouble.
First, he could cast magic without chanting.
He didn't know why, but even Abel realized that Ryo was just saying some suitable chant whenever he cast magic.
(I'm sure it's because he finds it cool.)
Abel's reasoning was on the point.
Leaving that aside, he produced magic without chanting and the generation speed was extraordinary.
Honestly, Abel didn't know if he could even destroy that Ice Wall with his Perfect Pierce.
What's more, he could attack with ice spears while standing on the other side of the Ice Wall.
There was nothing more cheat than that.
First of all, at this stage, Abel had no idea how to defeat him.
Moreover, Ryo said after arriving in the city.
"I can also fight in close quarters."
(No, He's probably kidding. Even though I can't see myself winning when facing just the 『Magician』 part, if he can handle close combat too … Yeah, he's definitely out of the standard. The conclusion is that the existence of Ryo itself is extraordinary.)
And another extraordinary Magician who was said to be in the Empire.
The Explosive Blaze Magician.
Yup … In the end, Magicians should not be made into an enemy.