2-2
The Strange Book Says to Head to the
Adventurer's Guild
Translator : PolterGlast
I wanted to say that haste makes waste, but by the time I
returned to the surface from the dragon's altar, it was already dusk. The only
harvest was the Strange Tome filled with nothing but unreasonable
demands, the Tome of the Evil Dragon.
When I casually looked up at the western sky, the vast Imperial
Capital was burning red against the sunset. That made me a bit curious, so
I opened the tome again.
— Exploration —
- 【Lap the Imperial Capital 5 times】
- Completion
Reward: VIT +50
- “Walk,
do not run.”
Evil Dragon Zirant,
does he not know the stride of a human? Walking five laps around that gigantic Imperial
Capital? Zirant, no matter how you look at it, I cannot go along
with such an absurdity.
Incidentally, VIT is a concept from another world.
Roughly speaking, it means total stamina; the higher it is, the tougher a
warrior you are. Well, I’m a man, after all. It’s not like I don't have a
strong yearning for the reward of becoming 'tough'.
Of course, there is also the possibility that Zirant
and this book are lying to me. If that happens, there is only one option to
choose from this book. I looked down at the first page once more.
— Adventure —
- 【Head to the Adventurer's Guild】
- Completion
Reward: EXP 100 / Premonition
of an Encounter
- “Do
not be picky.”
“First, the Adventurer's Guild, huh? It's just like a
story from another world...”
To be honest, I had a strong interest in the Adventurer’s business from the start. It depends on the quest, but their business is essentially that of a gambler.
The stake is one's own life, which is why they are called Adventurers.
From the perspective of an excavator like me, I felt a
certain kinship with their way of living by gambling in pursuit of romance. If
you hit a rare find, you make a fortune at a stroke; if you draw a blank or get
beaten to the punch by others, you don't make a cent.
I don't know if an oddball with talent only for a Shovel
can do the job, but I felt it resembled my hobby.
The next day, having woken up early, I decided to sneak out
of the palace again.
“Ashley-sama! You must not! Going down to the Imperial
Capital incognito again! What do you intend to do if an assassin is sent
after you!?”
“When that happens, it happens. Either way, I am not born to
live long. Sorry, Jii (Gramps), but if Sister Atomina comes
to visit, please handle her for me.”
I do have someone like a guardian, at least. An elderly
page. Despite knowing my cursed appearance, he has looked after me warmly since
I was young.
“How selfish! No, Your Highness! Georg-sama will be
angry again! Please consider this old man's position!”
“Sorry. Apologize to Brother Georg for me too.”
“Please wait, Prince Ashley! He is cruel to the elderly!
I beg you, while Georg-sama is staying here...! P-Please wait, Ashley-samaaa!!”
“My bad. Also, I might not return today. See you, Jii.”
I feel bad for Jii, but after sleeping on it, the
refreshingly unreasonable demands of the book turned into my curiosity. Thus,
taking advantage of the fact that he officially does not exist, the Emperor's
Seventh Son seems to have decided to become defiant starting today.
I arrived in front of the Imperial Capital Central Branch
of the Adventurer's Guild. From what I hear, money should be flowing
well, but this organization skimps on investment in its building.
Therefore, at a glance, it looks like nothing more than a
large tavern. No, once you actually pass through the entrance, the interior was
a structure for roughnecks that looked like a tavern, reception, and office
combined.
“Oi... that guy, he's glowing...”
“Oh, what's that, he's glowing...”
“No, more importantly, why is that man holding a Shovel...?”
I am aware that I have entered a place where I don't belong.
But to make matters worse, a pale light overflowed from inside my bag, and it
spread to my whole body.
“Oh, he ran.”
“Hahaha, what a weird guy~!”
“I wonder what business that guy had here...”
That's right, I ran away. I was looked at with curious eyes
by the drunkards at the counter; I had no choice but to withdraw first...
Oi Zirant, I didn't hear anything about this
happening... Next to the guild is a tavern. I slipped into the narrow gap
between the buildings and opened the accursed Tome of the Evil Dragon
inside my bag.
— Adventure —
- 【Head to the Adventurer's Guild】 (Completed)
- Completion
Reward: EXP 100 / Premonition
of an Encounter (EXP Received)
- “Look
at the next page.”
— Adventure —
- 【Complete 1 Job at the
Adventurer's Guild】
- Completion
Reward: EXP 150 / Premonition
of an Encounter (For real this time)
- “Do
not be picky.”
— Table of Contents —
- 【Name】 Ashley
- 【Lv】 3 → 4
- 【Exp】 215 → 315
- 【STR】 11 → 13
- 【VIT】 25 → 28
- 【DEX】 20 → 22
- 【AGI】 14 → 15
- “Rejoice,
you have grown by about 10%.”
“So I grew by meeting the quota... But having my lack of
strength thrust in my face with numerical values like this is quite hurtful...”
I tried rolling up my sleeve and making a bicep. Naturally,
it falls far short of Brother Georg. I thought I was training through
excavation, though...
However, re-entering the guild has become tedious. I'm sure
I'll be teased with things like, 'The glowing Shovel man appeared
again!' or 'Brother, not glowing anymore?'...
“Zirant...”
I looked at the guild-related page once more. Then, new
letters floated up there.
『Do not be picky. Just get in there
quickly.』
This is what it means to doubt one's eyes. That girl with Dragon
Eyes who disappeared inside me seems to be watching my actions from within.
“It's your fault for not explaining... Fine. Right now at
the palace, Brother must be drilling new recruits with a demonic expression in
place of me who ran away; I can no longer retreat.”
Steeling my resolve, I danced back into the Adventurer's
Guild and stood straight in front of the reception. I want to become strong
and win against Brother Georg. As a motivation to follow the book, it
was more than enough.
“Oi, the glowing Shovel bastard is back.”
“Hahaha, he ain't glowing anymore!”
“Hey Buddy, not gonna glow today? Dahahahaha!!”
It's all your fault, Zirant... Ignoring the teasing
of the drunken patrons—no, if I look closely, the Adventurers—I turned
my eyes toward the reception.
He was also a considerably rough man, not much different
from those drinking over there.
“A request?”
“No, give me a job.”
“Hmmm... Then how about attracting customers? If you
have that glowing trick from earlier, well, at least people will gather.”
The receptionist's words made the crowd at the counter burst
into laughter again. Just because I started glowing the moment I passed through
the entrance, being treated like this is too much. ...Though I understand the
feelings of those laughing.
“Is that a guild job?”
“As if.”
“Then I'm in trouble. Give me a job, please. I won't be
picky.”
“I see. Then let me ask one thing. You don't intend to fight
with that Shovel, do you?”
“Yeah, that's right. I have no talent other than this.
So I fight with a Shovel.”
“Are you seriously serious...? So, your name?”
The receptionist seemed to take an interest in me. If he was
just going to drive me away, he wouldn't ask for my name; that's what I wanted
to believe.
“—Shinza.”
“A fake name, huh? Your real name is Ash, huh?”
“Yeah, it's a fake name. If I'm doing a side job, I want to
change my name; it interferes with my main job.”
“...I see. You're in luck, Shinza. Luckily, we're
short on hands today. It's true that you won't be picky, right?”
The receptionist man grinned. This doesn't look like a
decent request... But well, it's probably easier work than dealing with Brother
Georg. I have no choice but to think so.
“It's true. I'll do anything, so give me a job.”
“OK! It's my first time seeing such an interesting guy. As
thanks for making me laugh, I'll give you a good job!”
You never know how things will turn out in the world. What
was just trouble from my perspective seems to have pleased the receptionist
man.
Though I'm not deft enough to level up just because I'm told
to do it.
“Here, this is it. From now on, you will head to the Great
Forest of Ilmia and collect the herbs listed here. But remember this well:
even if you bring back weird grass by mistake, I won't give you money. This,
this, and this—don't mistake them, got it?”
“You... your face is scary, but you're surprisingly kind.”
When I replied to the reception like that, the crowd at the
counter seats burst into great laughter again. It's my first job. To become a
tougher man, I accepted the guild's herb gathering request.
The Great Forest of Ilmia. Even I know of it. It is a
danger zone where strong Magical Beasts inhabit.
“Yeah, be careful, Shinza. There's a reason we're
short on hands; a large Magical Beast has been sighted there. Well,
since you accepted, do it properly. Be as careful as you can.”
“I believe I said I wouldn't be picky. Understood, I will be
as careful as I can.”
“Hahaha, you've got guts...”
“Wrong. This is neither guts nor resolve. It is simply
that—my life is lighter than you think.”
“Pfft, what's that? Dahahahaha! Buddy, you're interesting! You're totally crazy!”
I left the guild and departed for the great forest beyond
the reach of the Empire's order using a shared carriage. Even in stories from
another world, the first job is always fixed as slime or goblin extermination,
or herb gathering.
My life is one where I don't know when I might be
assassinated. The danger of death was no risk to me at all. I profited from my
life being light...
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