“Is that all there is to it, Miss Yas?” Midir looked at the sparse information, which consisted of only a few dozen words, feeling somewhat speechless.
“That’s right. Now you just need to go to the Magic Intelligence Book near the commission wall at the other end of the hall to search for the mission information you want. Mr. Starflame the adventurer... that’s a very nice name,” Yas said with a smile.
“So, if I want to raise my adventurer rank, do I have to accept commissions one by one? Is there a faster way?”
“Of course. If you can go to the Magic Guild or the Swordsman Guild to obtain a corresponding professional rank assessment, you can skip the restrictions of the first few levels. However, the highest you can reach this way is Grade 4. Certain specialized professions like apothecary or ranger can also get you directly to Grade 3 after an assessment.”
Just as Midir was about to ask for more details, their conversation was interrupted by a timid, weak voice.
“Excuse me, Sister Yas! Can... can you help me with something? It will only take a moment of your time.”
Midir turned toward the voice. A petite girl with gray hair was standing behind him. She was filthy from head to toe, her clothes torn in several places by something unknown, and even her face and hair were covered in mud.
“Ah, little Rosal! How did you end up like this? Are you hurt? What do you need?”
Yas was startled to see the mud-covered girl and asked with concern.
“I completed several commissions at once. I was just a bit too rushed, so I got a few scratches. I’m fine.”
The girl quickly waved her hands to show she was okay, then took several items from the pack on her back and handed them over.
“Giant Rat teeth, Goblin ears, Bitter-Poison Flower vines... Little Rosal, why did you suddenly take on so many commissions by yourself?”
Yas looked at the commission materials scattered on the table with a look of disbelief.
“Because I need money urgently! Someone told me yesterday that if I spend a few gold coins, I can pass today’s swordsman proficiency assessment! Please... please help me tally them up! Otherwise, I won’t make it in time for the afternoon assessment!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Midir, may I tally these for her first? She seems to be in a hurry.”
Yas asked for Midir’s permission, and after receiving his consent, she immediately began helping Rosal calculate the settlement for the commissions.
Midir looked at the dust-covered girl before him and pulled a clean cotton cloth from his backpack. With a thought, the surrounding water elements slowly gathered in his hand, soaking the cloth.
“If you don’t mind, use this to wipe your face and hair. You should pay attention to your appearance if you’re going to an assessment, right?”
He gently reached out and handed over the damp cotton cloth.
However, Rosal seemed startled by his action. She flinched, bumping into the corner of the counter with a loud thud.
“Am I that scary?”
Midir said, feeling a bit speechless. Looking at the girl’s wide, red eyes, he suddenly thought of a rabbit.
“N-no! Thank you very much, sir!”
Rosal said frantically, shaking her head while taking the wet cloth from Midir’s hand.
Just then, Yas finished counting at the counter and said to Rosal.
“Little Rosal, you completed five commissions in total. That’s two gold coins and seventy silver coins.”
“Alright, thank you, Sister Yas! And thank you, silver-haired sir! I won’t bother you any longer. I... I’ll be going now!”
After carefully tucking the coins Yas handed her into a small pouch, Rosal bowed to the two of them and then rushed out of the Adventurers Guild hall.
“You seem to know her well, Miss Yas?” Midir turned back to Yas, who was putting the documents away.
Yas let out a long sigh, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and sympathy.
“You could say we’re quite familiar. This child is a poor soul. A few years ago, her family was killed by magical beasts. She came to the Royal Capital all alone and became an adventurer.”
“Because she’s so young, everyone in the guild looks out for her. I heard she’s been teaching herself swordsmanship, hoping to pass the swordsman professional rating, but she doesn’t have the money to find a good teacher, so she’s failed several times in a row.”
“Didn’t she just say someone told her she could pass the professional rating by paying? If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be hard, right?”
Midir suddenly thought that if one could pass by spending a little money, it might be more convenient for him to spend a few gold coins to buy a qualification directly.
“It’s not that easy. I’ve never heard of such a thing. You have to realize that the examiners for those ratings rotate every few days. Ah! Oh no! Could she have been scammed?!”
Yas suddenly realized something. Her mood dropped, and she began to mutter under her breath.
“This might just be the fate of an ordinary adventurer... I’ll ask her the next time I see her and see if I can help her with anything.”
Although she was whispering, Midir heard her clearly.
Seeing Yas in a bad mood, Midir could only offer a polite laugh and decided to leave the hall. Before departing, he didn't forget to say to Yas.
“I’ll be going then. If I run into her again, I’ll help her out too.”
“Don’t forget you’re still a Grade 1 Adventurer, Mr. Starflame. Little Rosal is already Grade 2! See you later~”
Yas rolled her eyes slightly, regaining her composure and teasing Midir.
“True, so she’s actually my senior as an adventurer?” Without staying any longer, Midir left the Adventurers Guild hall.
“Where should I go next?” Walking on the broad streets of Lionheart City, the constant flow of people made Midir feel a bit out of place.
He remembered the Scenic Street Yas had mentioned earlier and finally decided to go to that shopping area to look for the Magic Intelligence Book he was interested in.
After all, his knowledge of this continent was almost zero. It would be nice to see if there was a suitable intelligence book he could buy and have it read to him when he was idle.
After some asking around and wandering, Midir finally arrived at the economic center of the Royal Capital—Scenic Street.
This was a stone-paved boulevard several times wider than ordinary roads. The buildings on both sides were dozens of meters high and packed closely together.
The various transparent display windows and flashing signs along the road gave Midir a truly dazzling sensation.
Midir walked past one bustling shop after another, eventually stopping in front of a storefront with a very different style.
A high sign featured several massive gears. As they turned, they powered several jumping Dwarven characters (translated as Ironheart). Every now and then, puffs of white smoke would vent from nearby pipes.
An eye-catching sign at the shop entrance displayed a large slogan: <Magic Intelligence Books, Leading Technology. A Dwarven Invention, Worthy of Your Trust.>
But once Midir pushed the door open and entered, he realized the shop wasn't the bookstore he had imagined. Instead, it was more like a general store, filled everywhere with various apparatuses he couldn't understand at all, making it difficult even to walk normally.
Some of those strange items were slowly rotating, while others were gently trembling and making odd noises. The Magic Intelligence Books he wanted to see were stacked on shelves at the furthest end of the shop.
As Midir was carefully examining a strange glove embedded with various crystals and tubes, a gruff voice called out from behind a pile of goods inside the room.
Rate on N.U.
