"yawn".
Yawning I walked along the road in front of me. As the sun rose in the morning, I came in front of Marinthalis's main gate, carrying a bag and a spear. After a rough night, I was obliged to spend time in the forest, keeping an eye out for any dangerous monsters that came out to hunt. As a result, I was feeling worn out and wanted some relaxation.
When I arrived in front of the guard, I gave him my adventure card, and with its assistance, I was able to cross the gate without incident. I was greeted with individuals roaming and moving towards their work as I entered the city.
After a bit of traveling, I come to a massive building with a prominent sign that reads "ADVENTURE GUILD." The hectic morning rush is evident upon entering. People walk around, looking for quests, reporting their progress, or receiving rewards for their hard work. My gaze scans the room until it lands on the person I've been looking for, the one in charge of validating mission completions for E-rank adventures.
"Good morning, Miss Hena." As I reached the counter, I greeted her.
"Good morning, Neil," she replied, smiling professionally. She looks lovely, but she doesn't stand out as the most gorgeous among the women working at the counter.
"I've completed my quest," I informed her as I set my backpack on the counter.
"That was quite fast," she points out, her amazement visible on her face. It's just been a day since I accepted the quest, and finding the bandits' hideout and dispatching them in such a short period of time is quite an accomplishment.
"I got lucky," with a casual shrug, I replied to her.
"How would you like to confirm the quest?" Hena queried as she took a notebook from her desk.
"This should be enough," Opening the bag that I had brought along, I replied to her.
"Kya..." As her gaze dropped into the bag, Hena let out a cute scream. In her surprise, she tried to get up but ended up tripping over her chair.
"Are you okay?" As she gathered herself and tried to cover her embarrassment, I inquired, concerned.
"Why did you bring this?" Her tone was puzzled as she asked the question, and the commotion she created had captured the attention of the majority of those in the hall. While I didn't hate the attention, being the center of it all felt a little odd.
"This should be enough, right?" I inquired, eager to complete this certification process as soon as possible.
"Seriously, Neil, you brought the whole head of a lizardman; why are you so calm about it?" As she began to explore the contents of the bag, Hena asked suspiciously. Two lizardman heads popped out as she turned the bag upside down.
""It's the most convenient way to verify," I said matter-of-factly. A small crowd had already formed around us, making our interaction an unintentional spectacle.
"Arghh..., Just don't do anything like this. You can now simply bring their personal weapon or any of their personal stuff; that should be enough."
She stated this as she entered the mission completion into the account book.
"Fine".
I offer her a brief response, relieved that this is over and I can get some rest.
"Here are your 10 slivers, and you can now apply for a rank increase for rank D." .
She handed me money while explaining the ranking system.
"Already?".
I questioned in a surprised tone, even though I had anticipated ranking up quickly in at least a month.
"You already have completed the requirements, and the guild master has told me to inform you of this" .
She replied while looking at me.
"Ahh, then I would like to apply right now for a rank increase" .
I responded to her right away while collecting the money I needed to raise my ranking in order to take on more difficult tasks; the higher my rank, the more freedom I would have later on when I needed it.
"Wait here; I will inform the guild master." .
She responded as she exited her desk and entered the building's second floor.
"What a pain" .
As I gazed at the mob in front of me, I complained in a barely audible manner.
The growing curiosity of the surrounding audience grew tangible as I waited for Hena's return. Their murmurs and quiet chats were difficult to ignore, but it became clear after a while that they were not talking about me but about the individuals who had arrived at the hall, and people were clearing the way for them to move freely.
I looked in the direction they were all heading, and I soon noticed a group of four people approaching me.
There were two females and two males. One of the men clutched a powerful-looking magic staff, while the other had a sword strapped to his side. One of the females wore a bow and quiver of arrows on her back, while the other wore a reaper around her waist.
They approached me with aware movements, and once there, they formed a tight-knit group a short distance in front of me. The man with the sword took a step forward, establishing himself as the group's spokesperson. As we met eyes, tension remained in the air, and I waited for him to begin, curious about the reason for their visit.
"Are you the super rookie people are talking about?" .
The man's question hung in the air for a moment while he tried to assist me with his gaze.
"No, you got the wrong person" .
I responded by denying the recognition he craved. It had become a prevalent misperception in the past few weeks, as my expanding reputation had made me an appealing candidate for many adventure groups. They assumed that recruiting me would boost their rank and fame inside the guild.
"Oh, I am sorry." .
He replied with a dissatisfied expression, turning back towards his group.
"Pfff...."
"Pfff haha.."
As I nonchalantly denied being the renowned "super rookie," people around me whispered amused murmurs and suppressed laughs.
It seemed that most people in the guild were already aware of who I am.
My focus returned to Hena as she descended from the second floor; my interest in the nearby group was temporarily lost. With a sigh of relief, I awaited her return to finish the process of ranking up so I could rest.
While I waited for Hena, a hand dropped on my shoulder, and a feminine voice spoke from behind me.
"Hey, kid, you're the super rookie, aren't you?"