9 The Boy and the Guild Master
The guild master's office was a simple wooden room adorned with posters advertising various quests, wanted lists, and a central bulletin board covered in job postings and notices.
Only a small window on one side provided natural light, casting a gentle glow during the day.
Upon entering, the room smelled intense tobacco smoke, indicating the guild master's heavy smoking habit.
The guild master was seated at a simple wooden desk. The office was sparsely decorated, per the occupant's practical style.
The room held basic furniture, including weapons, a map, wooden chairs, and a table.
"I'm Robert, the guild master of this town," he said in a low voice. "Now, who might you be, stranger? Your recent actions may certainly attract a lot of attention."
Wil reclined casually in his chair, extending his legs comfortably as if he were quite at home.
"Robert, you say? I'm Wil, and this here's my young companion, Mik," he answered nonchalantly.
On the other hand, Mik couldn't shake his nervousness, fearing he might say the wrong thing in front of this influential man.
Having dealt with a wide range of personalities as an experienced guild master, Robert didn't mind Wil's relaxed posture. "Wil and Mik, I understand," he muttered, rubbing his temples wearily.
He took a deep drag from his pipe, filling the room with the smell of tobacco. "Do you realize the trouble you've gotten into? You've angered the most powerful clan in this region. Heavy-Fist is big and strong, led by Berg, who leads the clan as a Silver-Ranked. I wouldn't even think about challenging him directly," Robert explained, blowing out another puff of smoke from his pipe.
Upon hearing about the clan's formidable reputation, Mik visibly tensed, sweat forming on his forehead, as he felt outmatched and overwhelmed.
Wil, in contrast, maintained his composure, seemingly unfazed by the guild master's words.
"We didn't mean to.," Wil explained, casually shrugging. "You witnessed it. They were bullying my young companion here, and we had to defend ourselves."
Robert sighed deeply and reclined in his chair, studying Wil sternly. "Your intentions may have been different, but the trouble remains. The Heavy Fist, especially Berg, doesn't take insults lightly. If they decide to retaliate, you and your friend could be in deep trouble," he warned, emphasizing the potential danger.
"Don't worry. A silver-ranked is not a problem. We'll be just fine," Wil replied casually, as if the recent events were no big deal.
With a grumble, Robert motioned for them to leave his office. "I don't care what you plan to do; just don't stir up any trouble for the guild. I have enough on my plate as it is," he scolded sternly.
Wil grinned and exited the office, followed by a bow from Mik.
As they left, Robert took another puff of his pipe and sighed heavily, thinking about the troublesome situation.
Robert tugged on a rope, causing a small bell to chime. A man entered the room, bowing courteously.
Robert instructed him, "Send a message to the clans that connect with the guild. We must be prepared for unexpected developments if things take a turn for the worse. That stranger may be mysterious. If he believes he can handle Berg, we should seize this opportunity to benefit ourselves."
With a confirming nod, the guy bowed again and departed from Robert's office to carry out his assigned task.
...
"Hello again, Miss. We're back," Wil greeted Mina, the guild clerk, with a friendly smile. "You're Mina, right? I apologize for the earlier incident. I hope it hasn't soured your opinion of us."
Mina, still flustered by Wil's charm, waved it off. "Oh, not at all, Sir Wil!"
"Great, that's a relief," Wil grinned. "As I mentioned, we'd like to register as a party, but first, we need to register this kid as an adventurer."
"Ah, Mik, isn't it? If I recall correctly, you were registered as a courier on your last visit, not as an adventurer," She noted, placing a metal card with peculiar symbols and text in front of Mik.
"Mik, I'll need your blood on this card. It will record your name, level, and profession. Have you awakened your class?" She inquired.
Mik, a bit embarrassed, replied in a shy voice.
"Yes. I... I am a warrior and an illustrator.," he said softly.
"Ah, a warrior and an illustrator at that? Are you sure about this?" Mina asked, with a hint of surprise, turning to Wil for confirmation. He smiled, signifying his approval.
She then pricked Mik's ring finger, causing a drop of blood to fall onto the card. It immediately displayed Mik's information:
Name: Mik
Age: 9 years old
Class: Warrior
Level: One Ring
Profession: Illustrator
Adventurer Rank: Pig Iron
Mina explained, "This card will be your identification in the guild. Right now, your rank will be Pig Iron. Every new adventure starts there. You'll earn points by completing quests, which can help you rank up and move to a higher position."
As Mina explained, all new adventurers begin at the Pig Iron rank. As you complete quests, your achievements are tracked.
When you achieve a certain number of them, your rank can go up. The ranks are Pig Iron, Black Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Mythril, and the legendary Orichalcum.
In the kingdom's history, only a handful have reached Gold rank, and only one achieved Mythril.
Encountering an Orichalcum-ranked adventurer is a very rare occurrence, and provoking them can even ruin entire kingdoms. These legendary adventurers enjoy immense wealth, fame, and power.
As for quest difficulty, it's divided into seven categories: SS, S, A, B, C, D, and E.
Category E is the easiest, while Categories S and SS quests are only for the most skilled.
At Mik's current Pig Iron rank, he can only take Category E quests. He'll be eligible for Category D once he reaches Black Iron rank.
He nodded, grasping the system preventing newcomers from tackling challenging quests immediately.
"Do you have any more questions, Mik?" Mina asked, noticing how tightly he clung to his card like a treasure.
Mik looked up, curious, "Umm. You mentioned the Orichalcum Rank earlier, but who are they?"
According to her, the Orichalcum rank is an elite and highly sought-after title awarded to only twelve adventurers, designating them as the continent's most powerful and renowned individuals.
To achieve this rank, adventurers must accomplish extraordinary feats, such as successfully completing multiple Category SS quests or defeating a current Orichalcum-ranked adventurer in combat to claim their position.
Mina chuckled and continued, "Mik, don't worry about that now. Even in our kingdom, the highest rank is Gold Rank. Despite numerous adventurers existing, there are currently only five Gold ranks. There's only one Mythril Rank, and he's thought to be one of the strongest in the kingdom."
"Okay, I understand," Mik replied, a bit embarrassed but fascinated by this new knowledge.
Mina continued, "So, no more questions? I'm impressed that you've already reached one ring. It's rare to see someone your age reach that level. I don't know anyone achieving one ring at your age, even noble children in the capital. Are you some kind of a super genius?"
Now, it was Mina's turn to be curious. Mik proudly credited Wil for his guidance and training.
Wil's rank piqued Mik's and Mina's interest, and they both looked at him, wondering.
Wil interrupted their thoughts, "Miss Mina, I'd also like to register Mik and myself as a party. Here's my card."
Mina was taken aback by Wil's card's pitch-black color, utterly different from the typical Black Iron.
"What's the rank on that card? I've never seen one like it," Mina inquired, not hiding her curiosity.
Wil brilliantly deflected her question, "Oh, you needn't worry about that. My card wasn't issued in this kingdom, so it looks different."
Mina accepted his explanation but noted that the card's color was different and that she couldn't read all the information.
It displayed only an image of Wil and concealed the rest of the details.
Mik knew Wil had traveled many places before meeting each other, but hearing that he wasn't from their kingdom was new to him.
"Congratulations, Wil and Mik, your party registration is complete. As you are new, you can only accept Category E quests. As you accomplish quests and earn achievements, you'll be eligible for more challenging ones," Mina explained, gesturing towards the quest board.
