Chapter 13: The Receptionist’s Name Was Aria
As expected, the guild was practically empty. Jin walked straight toward the receptionist’s desk.
"Good afternoon. I’d like to register as an adventurer, please."
As he greeted her, Jin suddenly realized he didn’t actually know the receptionist’s name. Considering how much she’d already helped him, that struck him as rude. He made a note to ask at the first good opportunity.
"Yes, of course. We’ve been expecting you. My apologies again for postponing things until today."
"Not at all, please don’t worry about it. I’ve only just arrived in this town, and I’ve had more than enough on my plate. Honestly, it worked out fine."
And it was true—he still had errands left undone.
"I see. Thank you. Then let’s resume the registration process."
"Yes, please."
The receptionist was, as always, perfectly composed. Once Jin gave his consent, she began by explaining the guild’s structure.
"To put it simply, the Adventurer’s Guild functions as a mutual aid association for adventurers. It is not under the direct control of any nation or political power; rather, branches exist independently across the land. Its relationship with governments is one of cooperation, not subordination. Here, for example, you’ll be registered with the Adventurer’s Guild – Lienz Branch. All requests to adventurers are submitted to and vetted by the guild, ranked accordingly, and then posted. Naturally, the reward displayed is after deducting operational costs, so it will be less than what the client initially offered. Please understand this is a necessary expense to ensure the safety of our members. If you accept requests directly without the guild, you will, of course, receive the full payment. However, the validity and safety of such requests cannot be guaranteed, and disputes with the client over money are more likely. We do not recommend it. But should you choose to do so, it will be entirely at your own risk. Is that clear so far?"
Jin nodded; no issues on his end.
Seeing this, she continued with the guild rank explanation.
"Guild ranks, from lowest to highest, are F, E, D, C, B, A, AA, and AAA. Rank increases are based on both adventurer level and guild contribution. For example, promotion to Rank E requires Level 5 or higher, and at least 10 successful requests completed. For details on other ranks, please consult the guild regulations I’ll give you later. As a rule, you may only accept requests at or below your current rank. If you wish to take a higher-ranked request, we will decide case by case whether to permit it. From Rank C and above, additional requirements beyond level and completed requests apply—again, please review those later."
Jin still had no objections. He had no intention of becoming the strongest like in a game, but he did want enough power to protect the people important to him.
Breaking through to Rank C, which seemed to be the first real hurdle, became his short-term goal.
"Now then, here is your Adventurer’s Card."
Apparently, the card itself had already been prepared yesterday.
With that, the receptionist handed him a dull, silvery card.
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Name: Jin
Age: 18
Occupation: Adventurer (Lienz Branch)
Level: 3
Skill: Swordsmanship
HP: 49/49
MP: 20/20
STR: 23
VIT: 20
INT: 14
DEX: 20
AGI: 20
Merits/Demerits: None
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"Whoa…"
Accepting the card, Jin couldn’t help but let out a voice of awe. The realization struck him: this wasn’t a game. He was now a real adventurer.
The receptionist, watching his wonder, allowed a faint touch of warmth into her gaze before calmly resuming.
"This Adventurer’s Card is not only used for accepting and reporting guild requests, but also serves as proof of identity. When depositing money with the guild, the amount will also be recorded here. Deposits can be withdrawn at any guild branch in any town. Because of its importance, should you ever lose the card, a reissue will cost five small gold coins. Please take care of it. Now, we will synchronize this card with you. Place your hand here, and the card here as well."
She indicated the familiar half-sphere device along with a black plate beside it. Jin obeyed, placing his hand and the card as instructed. This time, unlike before, the sphere glowed pale blue with a low hum, then shifted to a deep azure.
"Good. From now on, only you can use this card. For confirmation, please try concealing one of the displayed fields by tracing it with your finger while willing it hidden."
Following her instructions, Jin focused on hiding his age, and the number "18" vanished. When he willed it back and traced again, the digits reappeared.
"You see? You may conceal any information you don’t wish others to see. For example, displaying your skills openly makes it easier for opponents to devise countermeasures, so most adventurers only show one or two. Many also hide their stats. In practice, as long as your name, occupation, and a single combat skill are visible, that is usually sufficient. Also note: newly learned skills, level-ups, and stat growth can only be confirmed here at the guild or at a temple. For your own safety, we recommend checking regularly. Above all, never reveal or display your information lightly. This is an essential rule for survival as an adventurer."
Information really is vital, Jin thought, grateful that she had explained everything so thoroughly. Thanks to her, he’d likely avoid mistakes in the future.
Meanwhile, Aria—the receptionist—told herself she was only doing her job, as she and Greg had discussed yesterday, to give Jin a bit of special consideration. Yet as she watched this honest, slightly dreamy young man, she couldn’t help but feel he seemed dangerously unguarded. That worry had made her speak more earnestly than usual.
Surprised by her own uncharacteristic intensity, Aria nevertheless realized that the warmth stirring in her heart—so long cold—was not unpleasant in the least.
"Also, Jin-san, you might already know this, but just in case, I’ll confirm it. Skills are generally something you grasp on your own, but Life Magic is the one exception—it can be learned at the temple. This particular skill is granted by the gods. Its effects are simple, but it’s indispensable for daily life. Normally, people go to the temple to learn it once they turn thirteen, but it seems you haven’t yet. I strongly recommend you go as soon as possible."
Jin, of course, had no idea and was taken aback. If it was something usually learned at thirteen, he figured he’d better come up with some kind of excuse as to why he hadn’t done so, even though he was already eighteen.
"Also, any useful information related to skills, plants, monsters, or completing requests can be found in the guild’s archive on the second floor. When you accept a request, I recommend checking it at least once. The materials can’t be borrowed, so if you’d like personal copies, you’ll need to visit a bookstore in town. The prices aren’t cheap, but many of the books are very useful. And…"
Even though Aria was only half-explaining things to confirm them, Jin nodded sincerely each time, as if to say, Wow, I had no idea. Seeing that, Aria began to worry—Could it be he doesn’t know this either?—and ended up explaining one thing after another, even topics that weren’t directly related to adventurer registration.
The scene was like that of a naïve little brother, earnestly listening, while his older sister fussed over him with endless advice out of concern.
"That’s all. Is everything clear?"
"Yes. I understand very well. Thank you."
And so, Jin’s adventurer registration—which took far longer than any ordinary one—finally came to an end without a hitch.
By the time it was over, Aria felt embarrassed about how much she had rambled. Jin, on the other hand, was deeply grateful to have been taught so many bits of common knowledge he lacked.
Aria maintained a deliberately blank expression to hide her embarrassment, while Jin beamed with a cheerful smile, glad for her kindness.
"One last thing, if I may?"
Jin asked, sounding just a little nervous.
"Yes?"
"May I know your name?"
"…Excuse me?"
"Ah, I don’t mean anything strange by it. It’s just… you’ve helped me with so much, and it feels rude not to even know your name."
The fact that his counterpart was a beautiful woman made Jin all the more self-conscious. He stumbled slightly over his words, but managed to ask the receptionist her name.
Aria, meanwhile, felt something stir inside her—but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
"I apologize. My name is Aria."
After a brief pause, Aria told him her name.
"Thank you. Aria-san, I look forward to your continued support."
Jin said with a radiant smile, his gratitude shining through.
"…Yes."
Aria replied flatly, her face expressionless. She still couldn’t sort out the emotions that had welled up inside her.
After greeting Aria, Jin stood up and headed for the request board. He was aiming for one of the "permanent requests” Aria had told him about. These were always open, had relatively easy tasks with long deadlines, and were best tackled nearby while gaining experience along the way. They were, in other words, the perfect warm-up before taking on serious requests.
Of course, this would still be Jin’s first request. His excitement was at its peak.
"I guess I’ll go with this one."
The requests Jin chose were:
-
Collect 5 Chiriru Grass
Required part: Whole plant, including roots
Reward: 2 silver coins
Deadline: 1 month from acceptance -
Collect 10 Mel Grass
Required part: The tuft at the tip
Reward: 1 silver coin
Deadline: 1 month from acceptance
Both were medicinal herbs used in recovery potions, with the reward varying depending on the condition of the herbs.
Starting small with a steady job feels right for a first request, Jin thought happily.
After that, he went up to the second-floor archive, noted down the shape and characteristics of the herbs, then returned to Aria.
"Aria-san, I’d like to accept the Chiriru and Mel Grass collection requests, please."
Both were Rank F, so there was no problem. Jin handed over his adventurer card, and Aria quickly processed the paperwork.
"All right, registration complete. This is your first request—do your best."
"Yes! I’ll be off then."
Receiving Aria’s encouragement, Jin left the guild with a smile. His first destination would be the weapons and tool shops to prepare his gear before beginning his adventure.
With his adventurer life finally underway, Jin walked off in high spirits.
Some time after Jin had left the guild, Aria found herself staring blankly into space, her paperwork forgotten.
"That’s rare. I’ve never seen you zone out like that, Aria."
It was her senior, Samantha, who spoke—a woman with long chestnut hair that left a strong impression.
"And you seemed pretty invested just now. Was he your type?"
Though Aria relied on her senior, Samantha also knew too much about Aria’s past, which made her a difficult person to deal with.
"No… I believe I was acting as usual."
"Hmm."
"……"
"Well, whatever. It’s about time for a break—let’s grab a meal together."
Her answer was clearly forced, but Samantha let it slide. She intended to dig deeper during their break.
After all, this was the first time she’d ever seen Aria pay that much attention to anyone. Jin hadn’t struck her as someone dangerous, so the only explanation had to lie in Aria’s own feelings. If that’s what it is, Samantha thought, maybe I should give her a little push.
"Of course, if he turns out to be no good, I’ll crush him with everything I’ve got."
Samantha murmured with a smile. But no one but herself heard the words.
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