Murmurs of the Lone Samurai

"Hey there, samurai, the guild office is right over there. Where are you staring off to, huh?" The guard reprimanded Soran with a stern voice, trying to assert his authority.

"Ay, ay, no need to be so uptight, soldier," Soran replied in a somewhat nonchalant manner, as if brushing off the guard's seriousness.

Even the slightest shift of Soran's gaze away from the designated building earned him a scolding. It seemed like there were more guards behind the gate keeping an eye on him than there were outside. It shouldn't have been seen as something suspicious, although this samurai did have his own secretive motives.

From the main gate, a straight road stretched out ahead, leading to a set of grand stairs ascending a hill towards the royal palace. However, that wasn't his intended destination at the moment. Soran needed to report his completed quest at the guild office, which lay along the main road.

Spotting the guild office amidst the other surrounding buildings wouldn't be too difficult. Its distinguished color and prominent sign made it stand out, not to mention the constant flow of adventurers entering and exiting the place.

Soran's steps were deliberate, neither too hurried nor too leisurely. He maintained a faint smile on his face that never seemed to fade. Coming across as too confident or arrogant would only attract unnecessary attention, so he needed to exercise self-restraint—especially since his natural demeanor didn't quite align with this roleplay he was playing.

Many eyes were on him, not only from the guards but also from the common folk and, notably, the fellow adventurers. As a newcomer, Soran couldn't distinguish one face from another. The crowd was vast, and they all appeared rather ordinary. However, getting to know a few faces wouldn't hurt. In fact, it might provide valuable information that the puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes would find useful.

The scene felt all too familiar to him, reminiscent of his early days in Lemuria where he garnered attention as the only samurai in the server. Back then, players were curious about his presence and backstory, prompting him to concoct a convincing character profile that would further his goals within the Lemurian guild. Now, in Eldoria, Soran was weaving elements of his fabricated background with new details, becoming known as a renowned samurai capable of completing the most challenging of quests.

But one thing immediately stood out upon arriving in Eldoria – if anyone managed to make it here – was how insular this town was from the rest of the game world. The vast plantations that surrounded the outer fortress were entirely tended to by commoners who operated under the rule of the royal nobles. Stranger still was the fact that only a handful of these nobles lived within Eldoria itself.

The interactions between the commoners and the guards had become a common sight in every corner of the town, as well as its outskirts. Adventurers had to adjust their behavior, whether they liked it or not. Offering limited assistance to commoners, such as giving advice, was allowed, but getting involved beyond that was strictly prohibited.

If adventurers get overly involved in conflicts, they risk penalties or even expulsion from Eldoria, their initial town. Finding themselves in such a predicament would complicate matters when traveling to other starting towns, as the further they explored the open-world map, the higher-leveled and more challenging the monsters became.

That is, if they were willing to give up some of the advantages provided by Eldoria's Guild.

The door, perfectly aligned like a window, stood at chest height for an adult. With a deep breath, Soran pushed open the door to the guild office. The noise and chatter of the room hit him, the occupants' gazes settled by his entrance. But with a calm and steady demeanor, Soran stepped forward, ignoring the prickling glances.

"Hey, isn't that the guy... is he already completing this morning's quest? Uuw man, that's what we call fast take and fast earn!" An adventurer slapped his companion's shoulder in amazement.

"Ae, why don't we invite him to join our party? He must be very experienced," his friend suggested eagerly.

A casual glance to Soran, the other calmly replied, "Nah, the guild's regulations make it difficult for us to frequently change party members. Even a minor mistake could diminish the benefits we've accumulated so far."

Soran overheard many other comments as he made his way to the appropriate counter, but he kept a calm exterior and tried not to let them bother him. To his surprise, the queue before him parted as if the crowd had instinctively recognized his importance. Grateful for the shortcut, Soran approached the counter with confidence, just to take care of his business.

"Here are the two B-Rank Quests I've taken this morning," Soran stated firmly, placing the documents on the table and locking eyes with the receptionist.

The receptionist responded with a sweet smile, a practiced gesture meant to please the visitors. But to Soran, it felt artificial, devoid of genuine warmth. Despite the facade, she greeted him warmly and began inspecting the papers he had provided.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order," the receptionist confirmed, stamping the reports and making a few annotations. "As usual... or would you like to earn an extra bonus by reporting the equipment you used during the quests?"

Soran had heard this question every time since he joined the Eldorian guild. The room fell silent, all ears attuned to his response. They should have known that his answer remained consistent. "No, that won't be necessary," Soran replied nonchalantly.

The receptionist's smile lingered as she handed him back the reports. "Alright, you can collect your reward at the back of the building. Thank you for your hard work."

Even as Soran exited the room, he couldn't help but feel the curious gazes burning into his back. It was understandable. The situation was peculiar. What was the correlation between the guild and the requirement for detailed reports on items and equipment obtained during quests? Naturally, everyone assumed it was merely an element of the game's storytelling design, as in most games. However, perhaps there was something unknown to the players, lurking beneath the surface.