Vol. 2 Ch. 29 Adventurer's Guild

Author's Note:

Recurring Characters:

Peter: The protagonist of this novel.

Mariah: Peter's mother. You can find her picture in Art collection.

Lidia: One of Mariah's friend, whom Matteo (Mariah's younger brother) used to have a crush on. She had been explored in the chapter "Dream and the past" in you're interested in her appearance when she was young.

Tessa: Lidia and Matteo's second child.

Mira: Lidia and Matteo's first child.

Elena: Mariah and Matteo's mother. She first appeared in the chapter "Dream and the Past".

Gregor: Mariah and Matteo's father. He first appeared in the chapter "Dream and the past". He's a former adventurer.

Recap:

Mariah nodded. “You’re right. Solace is just nine days away. Things could have been far worse.”

…End of Author Note...

...

The day passed normally after that as everyone busied themselves with work of some kind. Mariah and Peter went out to restock the supplies. Gregor moved to the back to cut some firewood. Mira joined Lidia to help with the accounting, leaving Tess to join her grandmother to help peel the vegetables.

Just like that, night settled slowly over the inn. The diner sat empty; Gregor hadn’t opened the bar tonight. Outside, the streets were quiet, and inside, only the soft clatter of workers cleaning in the kitchen could be heard.

When Peter descended from the stairs, he found Gregor sitting near the hearth, a blanket draped over his shoulders, eyes locked on the flames.

“Still awake?” the old man asked without turning around.

Peter walked over to his grandfather and lowered himself into the chair opposite him, nodding his head.

Gregor turned his head to regard him fully. The firelight danced across his weathered face. He turned a heavy coin between his fingers, the kind worn by time.

“What kind of coin is that?” Peter asked, feeling curious.

“That’s my first guild medallion,” Gregor said, his eyes flickering with old memories. “Got it at your age, when I struggled to earn a single meal. I had a pretty rough childhood.” He chuckled dryly.

“I want to become an adventurer too,” Peter said, his tone full of conviction.

Gregor gave a tired chuckle. “Adventuring isn’t an easy job, Peter. There’s a reason why your parents and I decided to retire from it. It’s exhausting.”

“I still want to give it a try at least,” Peter smiled innocently. “Travelling around the world, meeting new people, enjoying various kinds of food, reading lots of books, earning lots of coins and buying plenty of gifts for mom.”

“That’s a nice dream to have,” Gregor said, voice even. “But you’re still too young. Didn’t you only just awaken your class? The guild won’t give you anything serious—not yet. Sewer slimes, courier runs… that’s what they hand to new blood. I did the same back in my day. Wasn’t fun, but it paid. I needed the coin to eat. You don’t.”

“Do you even have a class suitable for adventuring?” Gregor asked. He was right. While one didn’t necessarily need a combat class, it was much more preferable.

“I do,” Peter said. “Suitable skills as well.”

“Oh? Tell me more then.” Gregor leaned forward, eyes filled with curiosity.

“It’s an unusual class called prodigy,” Peter stated proudly. He had thought about it a lot during the travel and concluded that he needed to let some of his capabilities be known to the public at the very least. It was a calculated move. If he didn’t reveal anything, then a lot of avenues for experience gaining would be closed without raising suspicion.

“…an unusual class—and that general?” Gregor’s eyes widened, almost disbelieving. “When Mariah wrote those glowing things about you, I thought she was just being a doting mother. But this… this is even more than she let on. She understated it?” He shook his head. “Oh Avaris…”

He grew silent, a pondering expression on his face.

“When did you unlock it?” he asked once he was done pondering.

“Just after the attack,” Peter said, mixing some of the details. While he didn’t know Gregor’s complete status screen, he was sure about one fact—he didn’t have a skill to catch lies.

Gregor sighed. “Surviving such an event would classify as a feat by the system…but can it really be called a blessing?” he wondered aloud. His mind didn’t forget the fact that Peter lost almost everything in the event.

“Tell me about your level and skills,” Gregor asked. He didn’t want to stifle his grandson’s growth. Having an unusual class was no ordinary feat, as most often even noble-born children had a hard time unlocking it at their first advancement.

Most commoners had a common class at their first advancement, with only a few exceptions unlocking higher grade classes. Uncommon classes were the norm among noble children, creating a gulf between them from the start that gets harder to bridge for most people.

He had the opportunity to stand equal to nobles in the future… and even surpass them, Gregor thought. How many people can say that? Less than my fingers in the whole of Rosefall.

“Mana Sense, Swordsmanship {Short- Sword}, Recovery {Physical}, Inspect and Cooking,” Peter said.

Gregor Blinked. “That’s…That’s not a bad lineup. Especially Mana Sense—you don’t often see that in kids your age. And Recovery? That’s a great skill as well.” He rubbed his jaw, thoughtful. “Now it makes sense why you want to be an adventurer. All of them are very suitable for life in the wild or a dungeon.”

Peter nodded. “Dad said the same. I had mana sense at birth. Cooking and Inspect were learned very recently after I gained my class.”

“Your class must have played a part in unlocking Inspect,” Gregor said, leaning back as he let out a slow breath. “The system must be smiling on you to grant something like that.”

“It’s flexible,” Peter offered. “No stat bias. I don’t get assigned stats directly—just free distribution points.”

Gregor grunted. “That’s rare. Dangerous too, if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like someone giving in to a stubborn storm. “Alright. I’ll take you to the guild tomorrow. But I hope you understand that your greatest strength right now is that you’re young. Nothing’s set in stone yet. Especially with a class like yours. It’ll have good compatibility with more than just combat skills.”

Peter lowered his gaze, brows furrowed in thought. “I’ll think about it,” he said, then smiled faintly. “Actually… I’ve been kind of curious about enchanting. Tess mentioned this Toy Maker guy, and it sounded really cool.”

Gregor raised an eyebrow. “Enchanting? That’s not a bad choice. You’ve mana sense already, it shouldn’t take too long for you to get other essential skills like Mana Manipulation.”

“I do have it unlocked,” Peter quickly added. “I just need to get it.”

Gregor’s expression softened. “See? That’s what I mean. Don’t lock yourself into a path too early. A class like yours? It can open any door that you want to get opened.”

Peter nodded, his smile lingering.

“Enough talking for today,” Gregor said. “Now, back to your room and sleep.”

Peter headed his words and got up from his seat and went to the room that he shared with Mariah. He worked for a few hours on his IDE before falling asleep.

…

The next morning passed in a blur of chores and quiet anticipation. He helped Mariah with collecting bedsheets from the empty rooms and clothes that needed washing, so she could use her skill to clean them all at once. After that, it was a constant back and forth serving morning meals to the customers alongside Tessa and a few hired helpers.

By the time the hour approached eleven, Gregor returned from the cathedral alongside Mira, dressed in worn, but well-maintained leathers. His long coat swayed slightly as he adjusted the blade at his side. He gave Peter a once-over, then nodded.

“Ready?”

Peter gave a quick nod. “More than ready.”

“Ready for what? Where are you taking him, Gramps?” Tess asked, sitting on a chair, a book in her hand.

“The guild,” Gregor answered.

Before Tessa could say anything, Lidia gave her a glare from the reception. “You aren’t going.”

Tessa pouted, causing Gregor to chuckle as he motioned for Peter to follow him.

They stepped out of the inn and into the bustling midday streets of Rosefall and started moving toward the Adventurer’s Guild under Gregor’s guidance. It was close enough that Peter could already spot the large building after a few minutes of walking.

As they approached, the chatter of voices and clink of armour became more pronounced. Adventurers came and went—some in teams, others alone—many with weapons at their hips and expressions marked by either boredom, business, or bruises.

Gregor paused a few steps from the door and turned to Peter. “Alright. You walk in there like you belong. Confidence matters more than you think. Don’t gawk. Don’t stammer. And let me do the talking if anyone gives you trouble.”

Peter exhaled. “Got it.”

Gregor gave a faint smile before pushing open the door, and they stepped inside the Adventurer’s Guild.

The air inside was filled with mingled scents of sweat, leather, and ink. Wooden beams crisscrossed the high ceiling, and sunlight filtered through tall windows set into the stone walls, keeping the inside mostly illuminated. A wide bulletin board dominated the eastern wall, plastered with faded parchments and newer notices—requests, contracts, bounties, and warnings. The murmur of voices echoed beneath it, occasionally broken by the thump of boots or the bark of laughter.

To the left sat the reception counter, manned by five clerks of various ages. Three women and two men, each busy dealing with lines of adventurers and request givers. The woman in the middle looked the least harried and the most organised, flipping through forms and stamping documents with flawless grace. She had a sharp look in her eyes, dark hair tied in a bun, and a green insignia pinned on her chest—a sign of rank, perhaps.

Gregor gave Peter a slight nudge and asked him to join the line in front of her.

As he waited, Peter scanned the room. Gregor had moved toward a table on the side, filled with some decent-looking armour-wearing adventurers. Looking around, Peter noticed a few adventurers eyeing him with mild curiosity, but nothing more despite his age. He saw a few kids of a similar age, but much worse wear, standing in other lines.

Peter tried to emulate some of their behaviour while listening in on the conversations happening around him. One group spoke in low tones about a failed escort mission; another laughed loudly over something involving a runaway sheep and a broken cart axle.

“…three coppers for the slime core,” a boy in the nearby line was saying. “That’s not even enough for bandages. My hand still stings.”

“Should’ve taken the rats quest. You don’t need to touch anything gross with those,” his friend replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Peter shifted his focus, turning it toward the back where a group was talking.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” the woman said, fingers pointing toward her eyes as she leaned over the table. “An entire caravan and none of them can tell who saved them. And the tied bandits—fully cooperative as the guards led them toward the garrison.”

“No one resisted?” a younger man asked, disbelief thick in his tone. “That doesn’t happen. Bandits don’t just sit tight and wait for a hanging.”

“That’s the thing,” she replied, shaking her head slowly. “Whoever was behind the rescue was quite skilled at mind magic. What else can explain this?”

The line shifted forward, and Peter took a step, keeping his movements deliberate. He wanted to hear more, but the group moved to a different topic. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Gregor approach, finally done talking at the table.

Peter stepped a bit to the side, and Gregor joined him in the line. Peter expected the man standing behind him to complain, but he only gave a small, respectable nod to his grandfather.

Eventually, they reached the end of the line, and the clerk looked up. “Next.”

Gregor stepped forward, and her eyes immediately widened in delightful recognition.

“Ahh, Gregor. Fancy seeing you in the hall,” she said before her gaze fell upon the child beside him. “And who’s this young man?”

“This is Peter, my grandson. Mariah’s child,” Gregor remarked, and Peter gave a polite bow toward the lady.

“I see. So, she’s back, huh? I should give your place a visit soon,” She nodded, smiling gently at Peter. Her gaze drifted back to Gregor. “What brings you here? Some herb quest you want to commission to the guild, like last time?”

…End of Chapter…