The next morning, Aric left the inn after breakfast and headed toward the busier part of Highglade.
He had spent the previous day walking around the town and gathering what information he could without drawing attention to himself. The academy had been useful for that, but there was only so much he could learn by watching students come and go.
If he wanted information about the surrounding area, monsters, merchants, travelers, and the kind of opportunities available to someone on his own, there was one place that made more sense than anywhere else.
The Adventurer Guild.
Aric followed the main road until the buildings became larger and the streets more crowded. Highglade was considerably busier than Frosthold, and even at this hour there were already merchants setting up stalls and workers moving goods through the streets.
Eventually, he spotted the guild building.
It was difficult to miss.
The large stone structure stood near one of the main roads, with a wooden sign hanging above the entrance. The emblem carved into it showed a sword crossed with a bow.
Aric stopped for a moment before entering.
He had read about adventurers before. The profession existed throughout Valeria, though its importance varied from place to place.
Adventurers took on everything from monster extermination and gathering requests to escort work, exploration, and finding lost items. Some became little more than glorified mercenaries, while others eventually became powerful enough to take on dangerous monsters that ordinary soldiers avoided.
For Aric, however, there was another advantage.
Money.
He had enough for the time being, but he didn't intend to rely on the money his family had given him forever.
He had left Frosthold to experience the world and build himself up. Earning his own money was part of that.
Aric pushed open the guild's doors.
The first thing that struck him was the noise.
People were talking at nearly every table. Somewhere to his left, someone was loudly complaining about the price of healing potions. A group of adventurers near the entrance were arguing over a map while another party was eating breakfast and discussing their next job.
At the far end of the hall was a large wooden board covered with sheets of paper.
Aric glanced at it before approaching the reception counter.
Several receptionists were working behind it.
One of them, a woman with brown hair tied behind her head, looked up as he approached.
"Good morning. How can I help you?"
"I'd like to register as an adventurer."
Her eyes briefly moved over him.
Aric knew what she was thinking.
He looked young.
Very young.
But she didn't question him immediately.
"Of course. Is this your first registration?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll need your name and age."
"Aric Frost. Thirteen."
The receptionist paused.
Only for a moment.
Then she smiled professionally.
"All right. Do you have identification?"
Aric handed over the identification document he had been given before leaving Frosthold.
She examined it carefully before returning it.
"Thank you. Registration itself is simple. You'll need to fill out a form, pay the registration fee, and then undergo a basic assessment."
"What does the assessment involve?"
"Nothing complicated. It's mostly to determine what kind of work you're suitable for and to make sure you're capable of defending yourself."
Aric nodded.
"Does the assessment determine my adventurer rank?"
"Partially. Your initial rank is usually assigned based on the assessment, though exceptional cases can be reviewed by a guild officer."
She handed him a form and a pen.
Aric looked over the document.
Name.
Age.
Place of origin.
Preferred weapons.
Previous experience.
Medical conditions.
Emergency contact.
There were several other questions as well.
He filled them out without hesitation.
For preferred weapons, he listed sword, spear, bow, and saber.
For previous experience, he kept it simple.
"Training and wilderness experience."
There was no reason to write down everything he had actually done.
The receptionist collected the form and looked through it.
"Do you have a preferred type of work?"
"Anything reasonable."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That's broad."
"I'm mostly looking for work that pays while allowing me to travel and learn about the area."
"That's actually fairly common among new adventurers."
She took a small metal box from beneath the counter.
"The registration fee is one silver coin."
Aric reached into his pouch and placed a silver coin on the counter.
The receptionist accepted it and put it away.
"Thank you."
As she prepared the next part of the registration, Aric glanced toward the notice board again.
There were dozens of requests.
Some paid in bronze coins.
Others in silver.
A few were listed in gold.
The higher-paying requests were naturally more dangerous.
The currency system was straightforward.
One hundred bronze coins made one silver coin.
One hundred silver made one gold.
One hundred gold made one white gold.
And one hundred white gold made one platinum.
Even a single gold coin represented a considerable amount of money for ordinary people.
Aric made a mental note of that.
The receptionist returned with a small metal plate.
"Place your hand here."
Aric looked at the plate.
"What does it do?"
"It checks your basic physical condition and magical affinity. Nothing dangerous."
Aric placed his hand against it.
The plate briefly glowed.
The receptionist looked at the result.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Interesting."
Aric raised an eyebrow.
"Something wrong?"
"No. Your results are simply better than I expected."
She looked at him again.
"You've trained quite a bit, haven't you?"
"Some."
She didn't press the matter.
Instead, she took another look at the reading.
"Your physical condition is good, and your magical potential is present. You should be able to handle ordinary low-rank requests."
"What rank will I receive?"
"D rank."
Aric nodded.
That seemed reasonable.
The receptionist continued.
"Adventurer ranks begin at F and go upward. F is generally for complete beginners. E is for people who have gained some experience. D is where adventurers begin taking on more serious work."
"And higher?"
"C, B, A, and eventually S."
"How difficult is it to advance?"
"That depends on the rank. Completing quests isn't enough by itself. The guild also considers your performance, reliability, and whether you've demonstrated the ability to handle the dangers associated with the next rank."
Aric considered that.
"So I can't simply complete a certain number of requests and rank up?"
"You can advance through successful work, but the guild doesn't want people accepting jobs beyond their ability simply to climb the rankings."
That made sense.
The receptionist reached beneath the counter again and brought out a small guild card.
"This will serve as your adventurer identification. Keep it with you. You'll need it when accepting quests, receiving rewards, and entering certain restricted areas."
Aric accepted the card.
The surface was plain, but his name and rank had been engraved into it.
Aric Frost — Rank D
He slipped it into his pouch.
"Is there anything else I should know?"
The receptionist smiled.
"Quite a lot, actually."
Aric waited.
"Don't accept a quest you don't understand. Don't hide injuries from your party. Don't take materials from a monster if the request specifically requires the entire body. And if you find something unusual during a quest, report it."
"What counts as unusual?"
"Strange monster behavior. Unknown ruins. Magical abnormalities. Things like that."
Aric nodded.
That last part interested him.
"Does the guild have information about the areas around Highglade?"
"Yes. We have maps, monster reports, hunting grounds, and records from previous adventurers."
"Can I see them?"
"Some of them. Public information is available to registered adventurers. More sensitive records require a higher rank or permission from the guild."
"Where?"
She pointed toward a side room.
"The archive desk. Ask the clerk there."
"Thank you."
Aric stepped away from the counter.
As he walked toward the archive section, the System finally spoke.
[The guild appears to be a useful source of information.]
Aric glanced around casually.
I figured that out myself.
[I'm aware. I was simply agreeing with you.]
Aric almost smiled.
You could have just said that.
[Then I would have been accused of being unnecessary.]
You are learning.
[I'm trying.]
That actually made him smile.
He reached the archive desk.
An older man sat behind it, reading through a stack of reports.
Aric showed his guild card.
"I'm looking for information about the area around Highglade."
The man looked at the card, then at Aric.
"New adventurer?"
"Yes."
"What are you looking for?"
"Monster activity, dangerous areas, nearby villages, hunting grounds, and anything else that might be useful to someone traveling alone."
The old man studied him for a few seconds.
"That's a surprisingly sensible request."
"I'd rather know where I'm going before I get there."
"Good answer."
He stood and walked toward a series of shelves.
"Highglade itself is fairly safe. The roads are regularly patrolled, especially the main routes. Once you leave the roads, however, things change."
He pulled several thin folders from the shelves.
"There are forests to the east and south. Several hunting grounds are marked on the maps. The deeper forest has stronger monsters, so don't wander into it simply because you're bored."
Aric accepted the first folder.
"Are there any recent incidents?"
"Some."
The man's expression became more serious.
"We've had an increase in monster sightings in a few areas."
Aric looked up.
"An increase?"
"Nothing catastrophic. But enough that the guild has taken notice."
"What kind of monsters?"
"Mostly ordinary ones. Wolves, wild boars, horned rabbits, a few larger predators."
Aric flipped through the report.
"Have their behavior changed?"
The old man gave him a curious look.
"Why do you ask?"
"If the numbers increased but their behavior remained normal, it could simply be a population issue. If they're moving into areas they normally avoid, something else might be happening."
The old man stared at him for a moment.
Then he gave a quiet laugh.
"You're thirteen?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
He pointed to one of the reports.
"You're right to ask. There have been a few reports of monsters appearing closer to settlements than usual."
Aric read the details.
Several sightings.
Nothing definitive.
No major attacks.
But enough unusual activity to be worth remembering.
He closed the folder.
"Can I take these?"
"You can read them here. Copies of the public reports can be purchased from the guild."
"How much?"
"Depends on the report."
Aric nodded.
He looked toward the quest board.
Perhaps he should check the available jobs before spending money on information.
He walked over and began reading through the requests.
The lowest-paying tasks were simple.
Gathering herbs.
Delivering packages.
Finding lost livestock.
Clearing small pests.
Then came more serious work.
Monster extermination.
Caravan escorts.
Gathering monster materials.
Some of the rewards were several silver coins.
Others reached into gold.
Aric carefully studied the requirements.
The System appeared again.
[The monster extermination requests would provide more useful combat experience.]
And money.
[That too.]
Aric continued looking.
One request caught his attention.
Subjugation Request — Forest Road
Target: Wild Boars
Required: Five
Reward: 3 Silver Coins
Aric frowned slightly.
Three silver for five ordinary boars wasn't particularly impressive.
But another request beside it caught his attention.
Subjugation Request — Forest Road
Target: Fang Wolves
Required: Three
Reward: 5 Silver Coins
Aric read the details.
The wolves had been appearing along one of the roads outside Highglade.
The guild wanted them dealt with before they became a danger to travelers.
That sounded more useful.
He took the request from the board.
Before leaving, he looked back toward the archive.
Highglade had more going on than he had initially expected.
The academy.
The noble families.
Travelers.
The guild.
Monster activity outside the town.
And now these unusual reports.
Aric tucked the quest paper into his pouch and returned to the reception counter.
The same receptionist looked up.
"Found something?"
"Yes. I'd like to accept this request."
She read it.
"Fang Wolves. Three confirmed targets."
"Correct."
"Are you planning to go alone?"
"Yes."
She frowned slightly.
"You're allowed to, but don't underestimate them. They're more dangerous than ordinary wolves."
Aric gave her a calm smile.
"I understand."
She stamped the request.
"Then the quest is officially assigned to you. Report back when it's completed. Bring proof of the kills."
Aric nodded.
"I will."
He left the guild a few minutes later.
The noise of the building faded behind him as he stepped back onto the street.
He looked at the guild card in his hand.
His first official step as an adventurer.
It wasn't much.
A D-rank registration.
A simple quest.
A few silver coins waiting at the end of it.
But that was fine.
He hadn't come to Highglade expecting everything to happen at once.
He had time.
Aric put the guild card away and started walking toward the town gate.
Behind him, Highglade continued with its usual morning bustle.
Ahead lay the forest road.
And somewhere beyond it were three Fang Wolves waiting to become his first real earnings as an adventurer.