"This place isn't as bad as I would have imagined. Sure, the buildings are unmaintained, but it looks like the people here are somewhat happy."

  After leaving the inn that we consider our main base, Claire led me around the various back alleyways. Many of the people here were somewhat healthy in appearance, and many of their clothing was tattered. Bright eyes met mine in passing, lively despite the faded fabric they were made of. I wouldn't say that this section was completely out of line, but there was a clear indicator that these residents were on the poverty line. The residents that I managed to catch glimpses of were following their everyday routines.

  The sound of children playing and carriages clanking down the road filled our ears. When we returned to a more well-maintained road, Claire led me to an area with more open space. The sun blanketed the region with its sizzling heat. It almost made me miss the shadows that we were crawling in up to this point.

  "We are in the silver district now. Unlike the buffer that the inn resides in, members of the Silver district are rather well off financially. They are likely members of the working class and possess the education necessary to achieve a fair start in life. At least for right now, they are swimming above the buffer zone," Claire explains.

  It was subtle, but I could tell even while staring at the back of her head that Claire was being vigilant. Without a word, Claire’s posture stiffened as she scanned the crowd, alert to every movement. She and Mark both stressed that we were likely going to face some form of surveillance. Unlike my two comrades, I don't possess any super senses. So it fell onto Claire to detect any unwelcome individuals following us. The more we traveled through this section of Astana, the more extravagant and unique the attire of the people around us became.

  "So what about this section? There are some that are colorful, but there are other people who are dressed similarly to how we were when we first met. Is it a status thing?" I asked her.

  The woman would nod first before gesturing subtly to the people who were pooling around us. People of all shapes and sizes were in this area. Women with big hats, men with big armor, and everything in between were there. I even spotted beastkin around the area as well. Many were wearing worn-down leather armor, but there were one or two with more heavily plated metal armor. It didn't take a genius to know what building these individuals were circulating.

  The building before us was half the size of the Parthenon in the Silver district. Just like its contemporary, a majority of its design is carved out of extravagantly shaped white stones. Many of the rocks looked weathered the closer we were to them. It resembles some of the courthouses that I have seen on the internet.

  "This is one of those Guild Halls, right? It looks like the building from last night. Do all of them have a similar appearance?" I asked the woman as soon as we entered.

  In comparison to the outside, the inside was lacking in extravagance. A lot of the indoor tables and sections appeared to be excessively worn down. The people here might have been well-tailored in certain areas, but in others, their attire was weathered out. There was such an obvious contrast between the two.

  "Somewhat. This one serves as the headquarters for the other two halls that exist within the city. Many of the more high-ranking adventurers utilize this one," Claire responds.

  I would continue to follow the woman as we toured the inside of the building. A small crowd of people stood in front of three boards set up side by side. They had sheets of paper stuck onto them, which I assumed were jobs listed as their contents.

  Right after that, Claire led me to a desk where a receptionist was seated. The man was on the younger side, his hair short and light blonde. He wore larger, circular glasses with a metal frame, and he pushed them up when he spotted us approaching.

  "Oh! Hello, Miss Clarice. Is there something that I could help you with today?" the man asks.

  He had a book open atop his desk, and papers were scattered everywhere in sight. He had recognized Claire as Clarice, so knew then and there that they had previously done business with one another. Claire had waved to the male; it was a simple gesture, but the man before us took it more personally. His face was reminiscent of an apple, and the man further scattered his papers out of embarrassment.

  "It is great to see you as well, Phin. I want to take the time to register this man into the Guild and register him as a member of my Clan."

  I could spot the gaze of the man as it traveled from the length of my body. Once his eyes landed on my own, he jumped as if I had startled him in some way. I merely looked at the male just like any other person. His hands scrambled around the cluttered desk until he found a sheet of paper and slid it towards us.

  "He looks rather dependable, Miss Clarice—a good selection, in my opinion. Just fill out this paper, Mister," Phin says in a winded tone.

  The paper was picked up, and on it were scribbles. You might as well have presented me with a paper of chicken scratch, and I would have been none the wiser. It was just like the sign before, but after looking at it for a few seconds, the characters on the page suddenly warped into English. I was pleased that it did so for my consumption.

  It requested some basic information from me, including my name, age, preferred weapon, experience, and any magic spells I was familiar with. It was almost like filling out a job application. Once I finished breading over it, Phin would slide over a quill and an ink jar for my usage. They have indoor plumbing, but no pens yet. I tried to use it much like any other writing tool, but I found it a little tricky to fit my fingers around the item.

  "Phin, have any high-ranking guild members been passing through here recently?" Claire asks the man.

  "Yes- well… Sir Dante and Catalan passed through here just earlier. Currently, they have been the only B tiers that have arrived thus far. They wanted to cash in their guild points to restore their potion reserves. They kept saying that they would be participating in a duel between the Angea and the Blois. It was news to me to learn that Commander Mordred issued a challenge to you last night," Phin responds.

  "It was rather shocking, but I do find some amusement in the whole ordeal. It is rare for our families to go against each other, but it is inevitable."

  Upon completing the form, I handed the paper back to Phin. His eyes scanned the information before confusion washed over his face. His head tilted, Phin would ask,

  "Mister…Drago. You do not know any spells, nor do you possess a weapon?"

  "You can call me, Q.- I have my fists. That will be enough for the time being," I answered his question.

  My response only served to throw the bashful male into a state of bafflement. I suppose that would be weird, but I do not have a weapon. At this moment, I don't think that I desire one. I want to test out the strength I got when I crossed over to this new world without a crutch. Naturally, I can not tell this random receptionist my reasons, so I prepared a better excuse.

  "A man who can not kill a beast with his bare hands is nothing short of a coward and/or incompetent. That is what the man who trained me said."

  Phin flinched at my words, but his eyes seemed to be fixated on Clarice. He seemed quite worried for Claire.

  "That is setting up for disaster. Fortunately, you will be starting in F rank, where the threats will remain somewhat manageable," Phin says frankly.

  I didn't like what he was insinuating with his words. I don't know just how powerful the average adventurer is, but I'm no weakling like he seemed to assume.

  "F tier? Why that one in particular?" I questioned the man.

  "Since you have no experience, you will have to start there and then move your way up. Fortunately for you, you have aligned yourself with Miss Clarice, who is currently a D-tier. You can accept D-tier jobs once the guild fully recognizes your Clan."

  "So you mentioned that Dante… and Cadillac both are B-tiers. Does that mean that they are strong?"

  Phin seemed to do a double-take when I purposely misspoke Catalan's name. Those two bastards dared to cross me at that Banquet, and then dared to lay their hands on me. I had a score to settle with them, so hearing that their rank exceeded mine that drastically bothered me.

  Having passed Claire another form for her to fill out, Phin once again shifted his attention towards my question.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Haven't you heard of their recent exploits at Theoscyran? Sir Catalan and Dante are both quite formidable fighters. Previously, they were renowned as mighty adventurers. They slew a horde of Goblins and brought back the heads of three Hobgoblins and an Orc," Phin responds. His tone showcased his fondness for the two men.

  Claire didn't seem to be surprised by his words, so she likely knew this information as well. Once she completed her form, she handed it over to Phin. He would review the file for a few moments.

  "That is quite a big deal. Orcs are incredibly powerful creatures. It takes an entire brigade of guardsmen to defeat one normally," Claire elaborates as Phin stamps both papers with an insignia.

  "Most lower tiers flee at the very sight of a Hobgoblin, but upper tiers such as Catalan and Dante are on another level. That is why Lord Percival personally recruited those men to join his ranks," Phin says, lining the papers together in a stack.

  "If those two are going to be facing your side in this duel, then I wish you the best of luck."

  The receptionist turned around to get a view of the wall behind him. He hesitated before separating the two sheets into different slots. Upon turning around, Phin offered us another sheet of paper, which Claire took instantly.

  "Just a bit south is the village of Ava. They do not have much money, so the offer is among the lowest payouts in the guild at the moment. It is an extermination mission. There are reports of a murder of Fiend Fishes inhabiting the area around the river. Those people practically lived off of the wildlife in that zone, so they requested assistance from the guild," Phin explains as Claire passes me the paper.

  I did a double-take when he said a "murder of Fiend Fishes", but I soon inferred his meaning. I assume now that a murder of Fiend Fishes is labeled in the same fashion as Crows were back on Earth. Reviewing the paper, it had a decently drawn image of what the creature looked like. It reminded me of a catfish with two muscular arms and saber-tooth-like fangs peeking from its lips.

  "These things tough?" I asked him.

  "Yes. Although their numerical advantage is their true strength, it should not be too dangerous for D-rank adventurers within the guild," Phin said.

  The petite male reminded me of Mark in a way, with how often he pushed his glasses up on his nose. He seemed to be eagerly awaiting our response as his focus shifted from the two of us in front of him.

  "We'll accept it. This will be good practice for you, Q. Fiend Fishes are rather resilient creatures, and their numbers make it challenging for a group of people. With the two of us, then your enjoyment will undoubtedly rise," Claire said.

  I could tell that she was attempting to sell me on the job despite its poor pay, but it was unnecessary. My fist met my palm in a display of my utmost confidence. A wry smile appeared on my face when I faced the woman.

  "Ever since last night, I've been itching for conflict. I woke up ready to kick some ass, pay or no pay. Just get that chump change prepared for us for when we return," I declared proudly.

  Pleased with our answer, Phin clapped his hands in a singular motion. His eyes lit up like a child in a candy store, but he soon perked up as if I had forgotten something.

  "Great to hear it. People have been rejecting this job all day, so I am glad to know that the two of you will deal with it. Just be careful. There might be a Monarch within their nest. It is unlikely, but still possible."

  Although he was nonchalant in his mentioning of this Monarch, it still captured my interest. It must be a creature more powerful than its other members. Therefore, I was hoping for one to be present there. Bashing the skull of an even more powerful creature will bring dopamine throughout my body. With Phin now sinking more attention into cleaning up his desk, I took that as my cue to leave.

  Turning to face the way we entered, I saw no reason to continue standing around.

  "Well, that's enough standing around, Clarice. Let's get this party started."

  "First things first, here-" Claire's words seemed to beckon for my attention, and when I turned her way, something barreled through the air. I caught the item, and the woman finished speaking. "I agree. The people of Ava require our assistance, so I bet that they are waiting for the arrival of someone from the guild. "

  Taking a quick examination of the item, I could tell that it was a small, plate-like piece of metal. Its sleek, bronze base had both my name and standing within the guild on it. It also housed the name of the guild on its front: "Q Drago. F-rank adventurer from the Astana Guild Association." There was also a rose insignia burned into the back of the metal.

  "What's this?" I asked the two of them.

  Seeing that this was more of his purview, Phin spoke up immediately. His hand brushed aside the bangs in his hair. "That would be your Guild Token. It is used to prove that your association with the guild is legitimate. Guild Tokens are created from the material left over from the quill that you signed the form with."

  'The material left over from the quill? Is he talking about my DNA or fingerprint?'

  Without the idea even crossing my mind initially, I now thought that the quill was somehow magic. I wasn't too keen on just learning that. Considering how I wasn't given a heads-up, I suspect that information is common knowledge here. With that in mind, I merely placed the token in my pocket.

  "So I show this to the people at the village to verify my involvement with the guild, correct?" I asked him.

  "Yes. It is a simple measure to ensure that those receiving help know you can be trusted. There have been times when counterfeit Guild Tokens were created to get the better of those in need of assistance."

  "Right. Then I am safe to assume that I am entitled to crack the skulls of those waving around counterfeit tokens as well? Perhaps there is a reward for their capture?"

  Phin perked up from his position after I asked the question. Considering how much of a mess he had before we had entered, his desk was now nearly organized. His finger would arc through the air and guide my eyes in his desired direction. There was a board at the end of his fingertips.

  "Yes. There are known counterfeiters and counterfeiting groups, but they have managed to elude even C and some B-rank organizations, so exercise caution. If they were to be beaten and captured, then a handsome reward could be expected," he explains.

  Although her eyes ended in the exact location, Claire didn't particularly share my interest in the matter. I suppose that would make sense for her. She has greater things to do than do the Adventurer's Guild a favor. Her hand would reach towards me, and as such, she received the sheet with the job that I had been carrying up to that point.

  "What's with that look? I assure you that finding those people will be as difficult as defeating them, and we will likely be hard pressed to even search for them," Claire says, folding the sheet and placing it into the pouch on her waist. "Thank you for your assistance, Phin. We shall return as soon as we complete the job."

  The man didn't offer the woman an audible response. Instead, Phin waved us off as we made our departure. I couldn't help but feel an excitement rush over my body. Although this was merely my second day in this world, this was the first quest that I was undertaking. Although I would have preferred that the other two were present, Claire made for some decent company. Her knowledge of Astana made her reliable, so I wasn't surprised when she got us on a ride in a carriage to the village of Ava. We started in the Silver district and traversed through the Southern wall before the green treeline came into view.

  Much like the Eastern wall that me and da boyz first entered the city, the shrubbery outside of the Southern wall was practically the same. Thick trees and high bushes had their leaves tested against the occasional breeze. Sitting inside one of these carriages was far inferior to riding in any kind of vehicle back on Earth. Not only were there more people than just Claire and me, but the smoldering summer heat plagued the shadows of the covering as well. You could have told me that I was sitting in a sauna, and my black ass would have believed you.

  "How are you holding up, C?" I ask the woman.

  She sat across from me in the carriage, and next to her was a woman and her two children. I had noticed that Claire had lent the woman a handkerchief for her children despite sweating herself. When I shortened both of her aliases to their initial letter, she was confused for a moment, but she quickly understood.

  "I am fine. It is just a little heat, so nothing I couldn't handle. Ava Village is merely an hour away from the city, so we should be able to arrive before the sun rises higher in the sky," She responds.

  "That's good. Bear with it, and soon we'll be able to enjoy ourselves. A good fight should be coming our way," I said.

  A chuckle came from the woman, followed by a swipe of the sweat off her brow.

  "I didn't take you as a man who enjoyed fighting at first. Your hair is well-maintained, and your fingernails are kept. Such things seem incomparable to the type of environment built for combat. Not to mention that you choose to carry no weapon. Had I not seen your exploits from last night, then I would not have imagined any of you three being the type that enjoys it."

  "My body is the greatest weapon that I have at my disposal," I would clench my right fist to illustrate my point better. Therefore, I keep it at its optimal level. Not only do I enjoy cracking skulls, but I also enjoy the finer things. I am just as much of a lover as I am a fighter."

  "A lover, huh? I suppose you share more than one passion, then."

  Her words did strike me as odd, but I chose not to address them at that moment. Instead, I watched as the woman fiddled with her sword's handle. Her expression is melancholy rather than the mischievous side that seems to find its way to Mark. It was a strange thing to witness yesterday. Despite just meeting yesterday, Claire and Mark seemed to have gotten along just fine. I could tell that at first, she was hesitant to trust us, but eventually, she seemed to have aligned herself more closely with us. I mean, she at least trusts enough to share the same building to sleep in. Although we are more like the hired help, Claire seemed to be an alright person from the looks of it.

  The ever-growing clanking of the wooden wheels of the carriage rang out on every rock that it ran over. It had a rhythm to it. The air was dry, and the wind pushed through the leaves, creating a lulling sound. This was the song of the summer. The listless nature of Mother Nature as we enjoyed a calming moment. The tranquil clopping of horseshoes led the way to our destination. It was almost the perfect moment.

  Kabloom!

  The sudden snapping of a tree broke our silence like a sour note on a piano. Claire, as well as everyone else, was completely surprised. The horses kicked and bucked as a tree fell in our way, and the smell of scorched bark filled our noses. The coachman yelped in surprise as well before the man suddenly disappeared out of view.

  'The hell is going on here?!'

  I stood up instantly, preparing myself for conflict. My eyes shifted from the coachman's location to the place where we entered the carriage. The elderly man who sat next to me, as well as the teenager who was next to him, were thrown into complete disarray.

  The mother beckoned her children behind her as they sought her for protection. Everyone did something. Everyone, except Claire. She remained still as a statue, petrified even. Her face was wrapped in a stiffness reserved for those who were gripped with indecision. Her hand lay on her hilt, but her wrist dared not draw it.

  "Shlelelele- I'm afraid I've got some bad news!"

  The wicked 'laugh' of an individual pierced the hot air of the innards in the carriage. A group of strange-looking men filled the once spacious opening with their blades drawn.

  "Everyone, hop out of there and don't try any funny stuff!"