"Alright, here is your identification tag." The female receptionist handed Raine an oval-shaped white tag, with a hole at the top threaded with a grey string.
The tag seemed to have undergone some special process—when Raine touched it, it felt smooth and hard like porcelain, but not exactly the same.
On the back, Raine Farrell's name was engraved along with a string of numbers.
Judging by the craftsmanship, it was likely made through some mysterious magical technique. Otherwise, the receptionist couldn't have finished such a delicate job in such a short time.
"Please keep your identification tag safe. You'll need it for taking missions, identity verification, and the like."
"Alright, thank you."
"If you're a new adventurer, I recommend only taking basic tasks. It's best to find companions to complete them with—you'll be much safer."
"Okay."
"I wish you all the best."
"Thank you!"
Raine headed towards the backyard.
He had just looked around several times, distinguishing most adventurers by their gear.
If someone was a caster, chances were they wouldn't carry shields, two-handed great swords, or wear thick hide or chain armor—such heavier protection. Yet this group made up more than sixty percent of the total adventurers present.
At the same time, they probably wouldn't carry strong bows either, which eliminated another twenty percent.
With that filter, not many adventurers in the courtyard fit the criteria. Remove those with dual darts, or those whose temperament didn't match, and the possible casters present were very few indeed.
The few that remained were all in the center of small teams, with others directing their conversation toward them.
"Looks like casters hold an even higher position within adventurer parties than I imagined."
"Becoming an ordinary warrior... seems pretty tough!"
There was no need to ask around; Raine had already more or less figured things out for himself.
Perhaps, before long, he could join a party quickly by becoming a caster.
But no matter what, it was necessary to stay in Mill Town for a while and pick up some common knowledge about adventurers.
Second, if he could use this time to train a bit in combat and weapon handling, it would obviously be a tremendous help for his future adventures.
Although Raine was quite satisfied with the power and special freezing effects of Freezing Ray, the fact that he could only cast it twice at present really didn't give him enough sense of security.
Passing through the corridor, Raine entered a backyard.
Backyard may not be the precise word—maybe "courtyard" was more fitting.
Buildings stood on all sides; in the center was a space open to the deep blue sky. On both sides of the ground stood many straw dummies, wooden targets, and stout triangular wooden stands.
In a corner to the left inside the yard stood a particularly eye-catching warhammer.
The head of the warhammer had two flat, square ends—a pretty rare design—resembling an extra-thick brick. The gray metallic sheen hinted that it was made from some kind of metal.
The handle was about half a meter long; judging by the grip, it was a one-handed hammer.
"That's a huge chunk of metal, it must be insanely heavy..."
Raine glanced over and quickly looked away.
At that moment, quite a few young men and women about Raine's age were practicing with spears, swords, bows, and shields under the guidance of an exceptionally burly, short middle-aged man.
"Wait, that's... a dwarf." Raine's eyes widened a little.
To his surprise, the only combat trainer in Mill Town, Tutor Humbert, was in fact a rare dwarf warrior.
At least here in Mill Town, dwarves were a rarity.
Even if there were any, they were never among the lowest ranks of adventurers—maybe on the second floor?
Humbert Burnbeard stood half a head shorter than Raine's shoulder, but was all sturdy muscle, with arms thicker than Raine's legs.
What drew Raine's attention most was the other's face, dense with red curly beard. Three thick braids hung from his chin like ropes of hair.
Since dwarves lived much longer than humans—averaging over two hundred years—Raine couldn't really guess his age.
Maybe forty, fifty, or even older.
But being taught by an experienced dwarf warrior could only be a good thing.
It's just that....
"Raise your shield higher!"
"Pathetic! Is that how you shield block? You look like a wench clutching pumpkins in a pumpkin patch!"
Humbert struck a young man's raised shield twice with an ordinary wooden stick, scolding sharply.
Seeing the sturdy young man's face flush red from the reprimand, Raine realized that Tutor Humbert probably didn't have the best temper.
"And you! That spear of yours couldn't even stab a goblin!"
"Put your back into it!!"
...
Just then, a young woman nearby came over and said, "Hi! Are you here to learn basic warrior combat skills from Tutor Humbert too?"
"Uh... Yes, I am."
"Hi, my name's Liya. I'm Tutor Humbert's assistant." The blonde, ponytailed girl smiled lightly.
"Hello, I'm Raine."
"Mr. Raine, what would you like to learn?"
"Tutor Humbert has a wealth of experience—he's nearly mastered most warrior weapon techniques: spear, one-handed sword, one-handed hammer, shield, two-handed hammer, two-handed sword, and so on."
"Miss Liya, as a novice adventurer, what would you recommend?"
"A sword and shield combination is a good choice, but if you want extra safety, a spear and shield is even better."
"Spear and shield?"
"Yes. A shield can block ranged attacks, and a spear's reach is longer than a one-handed sword. Of course, it is a bit tougher to master Combat Skills with a spear."
"But for beginners, there's no denying—it's one of the best choices for starting out."
"What about bows or crossbows? Don't they have longer range?" Raine pressed further.
"That's true, but bow training takes ages. If you can become combat-effective in a real fight in less than a year, that's practically genius level."
"As for crossbows, they're alright at close range, but whether it's one or two shots, usually it's hard to get a chance to reload in the heat of battle."
"Got it." After a moment's thought, Raine nodded.
So, if he wanted to boost his fighting ability fast, spear and shield were the best combo.
After he got the hang of adventuring and had more time on his hands, then he could learn bow or crossbow.
Raine glanced at the people practicing in the yard.
Sure enough, those working with spear stabbing and sword and shield made up the majority.
"So what is Tutor Humbert best at?"
Raine looked at Humbert's waist, which was as wide as his own shoulders, and couldn't help but ask, because hanging there was an enormous warhammer.
"Tutor Humbert excels with the warhammer and shield."
Huh?
But then why were most people practicing spear stabbing, shield block, and one-handed sword swings?
A small number were practicing two-handed sword, but none were using a one-handed hammer.
"Huh? Why is no one learning the one-handed hammer?" Raine couldn't help asking.
"When it comes to the one-handed hammer, Tutor Humbert's requirements are especially strict. Most beginner adventurers probably don't meet the standards he demands," Liya said tactfully.
Raine understood her meaning easily enough.
To put it bluntly, Tutor Humbert didn't think much of the adventurers here—he figured they'd be better off practicing spear, sword, or something else more practical than the warhammer.
"I see—is it a matter of power?"
"Uh... As Tutor Humbert puts it, it's not just power—it's about the proper feel for the hammer." Liya seemed a bit puzzled by how many questions this newbie adventurer was asking.
Still, she patiently answered every one of Raine's questions.
Alright, after that answer, Raine wasn't sure what else to say.
"I want to learn spear and shield." After a brief thought, Raine replied.
Spear training because—it was basically impossible to develop combat-ready archery skills within just a month.
But the spear was different. The main action was stabbing, which meant you could achieve results in the short term.
Plus, with his experience using a pitchfork, he figured it should help him progress faster than average.