I Hate Paperwork

The Adventurer's Guild was not at all what Pete had expected. It looked like a medieval corporate building or mall with high ceilings, organized concourses, staircases, and lobbies. There were reception counters, equipment shops, guild halls, lounges, mess halls, training rooms, and so on. Adventurers and sellers bustled about in queues, small crowds, and circles.

It was as if Pete had entered a different world.

They had to pay five gold each for entering the main lobby.

"Do you see why I don't belong here, master?" Bree said sorrowfully. "Adventurers are the richest folks in every town. They earn bags of gold through monster hunting and fulfilling civil quests. There was no way I could ever be one."

"Don't worry, kiddo," Pete replied, patting her head. Now you have been rescued from a life of crime. Everything will fall into place if we keep moving forward."

[ Virtue +1 ]

'Damn it!' the boy cursed in his mind. 'I should not gather virtue, or I will never activate the Dark Robinhood System. Why do I keep saying and doing good things?'

He approached the main reception counter of the lobby. Behind it sat a buxom lady sporting a smile. "Welcome to the Nottingham Branch of the Adventurer's Guild," she chirped. "I am Julie. How may I be of service this fine morning?"

Pete was taken aback by the staff's professionalism. Was he really in a medieval era? One would think this kind of training belonged to modern times.

He composed himself and cleared his throat. "I am meeting Adventurer Marian here for some business. Could you tell me where to find her?"

The receptionist smiled more broadly. "Of course. Could you tell me your name?"

"Rob Huntington."

"Rob…" She dragged her finger down a list.

"Ah, yes! Marian Fitzwalter. She's waiting for you in mess hall number two," she said, pointing to her right. "Please go through the entrance marked MH 2."

"Thank you." Pete gestured to Bree, and they headed down the passage.

The mess hall had lower ceilings but had grand architecture and ventilation. The smell of freshly cooked food wafted into their noses. Bree's mouth began to water.

Over a hundred adventurers stood at tall tables having their breakfasts. Strangely, there were no chairs in sight. Pete spotted Marian, who also noticed him. She waved him over.

"Good morning, Champion of Nottingham. You are late," she quipped.

"Morning, Marian. I had a long night."

The female warrior eyed the short girl walking close to Pete. "Who is this little squirt?"

Bree cringed and clung tighter to the boy. "She is Bree. I recruited her to be my supporter."

"Interesting. Does she have experience?"

"A little bit."

"Great! Let us have some food, and then we will head to the registration desk."

Marian left her table and returned with two full platters. Each had a medium-sized steak with garlic mushrooms.

Bree, who had been glaring a hole in Marian, lit up on seeing the piping hot food. She dug into her food as if it would run away otherwise.

"The taste is much better than what they serve in inns and alehouses," Pete observed after taking a bite.

Marian nodded. She had a much larger platter than the two. "True. Most of the town is middle-class and serfs. The adventurer guild is a worldwide organization with branches in all towns and cities. King Richard the Lionheart, who runs the government from Oxford, is a patron. He legitimized it decades back. And why wouldn't he? The Guild brings millions in gold as taxes. All establishments belonging to it are well rationed."

Pete realized again how ignorant he was about the world. Wasn't King Richard supposed to live in London? Perhaps they were in a different version of England where London did not exist.

Which were the other countries? Did Richard rule over all of them? And where do the elves live?

The boy desperately needed to see a map. He remembered he had to see Idrisi after registration.

"Why are there no chairs here?" Bree asked innocently. After her stomach was full, she decided to be on talking terms with Marian. The question was relevant for her because the table went over her chest even while standing.

Marian took a swig of wine before answering. "Adventurers don't have time to sit down unless they are on holiday. It is self-serve here. Eat, pick a quest, and run. On holidays, they frequent the alehouses. Here, food and accommodation are ten times more expensive than the regular establishments of Nottingham."

Pete looked a little worried. He had just about fifty gold coins left as wealth.

"Don't worry," Marian said with a smile. "I have already paid for the food. You can pay me back with interest once you have completed a few quests."

The boy relaxed. "I am grateful." It would be idiotic to go bankrupt in a new world.

Once their meals were over, they headed to the main lobby.

The registration desk was run by a bespectacled, middle-aged woman with white hair. Marian shoved Pete to approach the desk.

As the boy came up to the counter, the old woman looked up.

"Yes?"

"Umm. I wish to become an adventurer," he said with a charming smile.

The woman rifled through the piles on her desk, picked up a parchment, and handed it to him.

It said:

ADVENTURER REGISTRATION FORM

"Do I have to fill up a form?" Pete posed. Was the Guild like a government office? There was too much detail for a game!

The old woman furrowed her brows. "Why else would I hand you one?" She pushed a bottle of ink and a quill towards him.

"Come," Marian said. "We'll fill it up at a table."

Once they were seated, Pete read the printed text aloud.

Prerequisites for Adventurer Registration:

- Must be trained in at least one weapon.

- Must get a recommendation from a Level 3 or above Adventurer.

- Must be a bona fide citizen of a listed town or city.

- Must be capable of wielding magic.

- Must be level 2 or above.

Pete tapped the paper with his quill. I think I am well trained in bow and arrow. The second criterion, a recommendation from a Level 3 or above? Are you-"

Marian nodded. "I recently became a level 4. You're all set."

The boy continued. "I am a bona fide citizen of Nottingham now. So that's okay. What else? Magic? I don't know about that."

"You haven't ever practiced magic?" Marian asked, surprised. "Not even a smidge? That could be a problem."