11 Lamigione

"Sigh…"

Standing on the street which brimmed with a foreign flavor and taking in the scenery, Xi En could not hold back from sighing.

What greeted his eyes deserved as much.

He was already in the town now, standing on the street before the town arch surrounded by medieval-styled structures built from either stone or wood.

People were either on horse carriages or carrying their luggage on the street, dressed in ancient corsets and Hellenistic outfits.

The roads were paved in cobbles and extended in all directions. The vendors and stores sold all kinds of goods. At the same time, the people were hollering and chattering, making the market a busy bustling place. 

Xi En felt like he was back in ancient times, not reborn in an alternate universe, except for a peculiar scene.

Apart from the civilians and traders on the streets, there were people with weapons and armors who looked belligerent and exuded a murderous ambience. A few of the patrolling soldiers who were the guards appeared rather stern. The majority were either coming to town carrying heavy rucksacks and varied weapons which were heavily scented with blood or leaving town in preparation for a battle.

These people reminded Xi En that this was no ancient times. This was the real alternate universe. After all, some of them were moving ginormous carcasses of monsters around – who knew if they were selling or burying them.

Nevertheless, it was thanks to these people that Xi En entered the town without a hiccup. Otherwise, he would most likely be stopped by the guards at the gate due to his current appearance.

After ten long days of surviving in the wild and battling the griffin at a high altitude, Xi En was almost in the nude in his tattered clothes. If it were not for the people coming into town who appeared to be in a similar situation, Xi En would most likely be held up by the guards.

Also, it seemed that one needed to pay to enter the town.

Xi En noticed that the vendors and the ordinary folks had to hand over money pouches and coins to the guards before they were granted entry. Initially, he thought that he would not be able to make it into town as he was penniless, but the guard took a glance at him and let him through without any hassle.

"Adventurers do not need to pay for town dues. Go ahead."

Such was the guard's response. He probably surmised that Xi En was an Adventurer. An Adventurer was someone who was heading to a specific place with a murderous aura.

"Adventurer?"

Xi En was quite elated. It was a popular profession in the alternate universe!

Most likely, he had heard of the renowned profession of fantasy, especially among those who dreamed of an alternate universe. In the profession, one received commissions from others for completing quests and missions.

"There's probably an Adventurers Guild or something similar over here too?"

Xi En picked up his pace and followed the stream of Adventurers who were moving forward.

Xi En carried a long parcel made of beast hide on his back. It was his Sacred Sword. He had it wrapped earlier before he entered town. Truth be told, the Sacred Sword was too flamboyant at any rate. If Xi En had brought it in unwrapped, he would have been in the limelight instantly and perhaps even roused the covetous feelings of greed in others.

Hence, the beast hide which he had used to keep him warm in the forest at night was used to wrap the sword and hide its presence from greedy eyes.

Xi En moved among the crowd, arriving at a building after following a group of Adventurers who obviously had the same destination in mind.

It was a building which contrasted strikingly against the other structures.

It was located in a spacious square with no housing around the building. It had four or five floors, and it occupied a substantially wide area. It was unique as its design and architecture stood out among the other buildings.

A plate hung on the door of the building. On the left of the plate was a sword while on the right was a ball of flames, reflecting the phrase 'sword and magic'. At the center was a line of characters written in the alternate universe's language –"Adventurers Guild".

"This is an Adventurers Guild!"

Xi En grinned to himself. In the next instant, he appeared stunned.

"No, wait. Why can I read the text?"

Yes, Xi En could read the script of the alternate universe. Actually, it was not just the script. Xi En understood the language of this world, such as the guard's speech at the gate just now.

Xi En just realized that he comprehended the language back then, just like how he understood what everyone around him was currently saying.

"I heard that someone saw a griffin appear at the outskirts of town."

"No way."

"A griffin? There's a griffin?"

"It's such a high-level monster. Doesn't it only appear in the dangerous Teliya Forest?"

"Hopefully a monster of that level won't fly here."

"Yeah, I don't want to be summoned to fight such a monster as the griffin."

The Adventurers around him conversed, as they strolled in and out of the Adventurers Guild.

They were using a language that Xi En did not recognize, but for some reason he understood it. He could identify the script. Before he knew it, he was already using the language himself.

"Is this the bonus for a reborn Warrior?!"

Xi En scratched his head.

He did not think too much about it, although he felt it saved him a lot of trouble.

"It's best that I don't have to worry about not being able to communicate in the alternate universe."

With that thought in mind, Xi En entered the Adventurers Guild in front of him.

…

The lobby of the Adventurers Guild was a spacious foyer without rooms.

Adventurers with an assortment of weapons and gears filled the place. Some sat in groups at the tables available, chattering noisily. A few gathered in front of an announcement board to read the parchments on it, while there were others who surrounded the counters conversing with the guild's employees. The guild was just as lively as the marketplace outside.

Xi En's presence did not attract any attention. Only a small number of people shifted their gaze to catch a glimpse of him before returning to their tasks.

Apparently, the haggard Xi En was not worthy of attention to the Adventurers.

Nonetheless, some mindful people noticed his oddity. It could not be helped. Since, it was Xi En's first time here, he appeared conspicuous when he looked around the place, essentially revealing himself as a newbie.

"Hey, noob! You! The counter's over there. Go over there for the procedures you want. Don't stand in the way!"

A brusque guy who was drinking bellowed impatiently at Xi En as he walked past. His attitude was none the better, but at least he showed him the way. It seemed that the guy was helpful despite his rugged looks and rude manners.

"Thank you."

Xi En gathered as much from the interaction. He smiled at the guy before heading over to the counter.

The guild's staff received him at the counter.

"Welcome to Lamigione's Adventurers Guild. What can I do for you?"

A pretty young girl sat at the counter, flashing a smile at Xi En.

At least, Xi En knew one thing which was that this town was named Lamigione.