Missing Heirloom

Airi and I sat on the edge of our beds, exhausted after a long day of planning our upcoming trip.

I turned to Airi and asked, "Have you ever wondered what rank we are?"

"I don't know, maybe C or D?" Airi replied with a yawn.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," I said, nodding in agreement.

Just then, we heard a knock at the door.

I got up to answer it, and there stood the innkeeper, holding a small envelope.

"Excuse me, adventurers. I have a message for Mika and Airi from the adventurers' guild," the innkeeper said.

I took the envelope and opened it, revealing a message paper and two adventurer ID cards.

"Esteemed adventurers Mika and Airi,

It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Adventurers' Guild of Marcellia has recognized your extraordinary skills and expertise in the field of adventuring. After a thorough assessment of your talents, you have both been granted Adventurer IDs, which will allow you to embark on even more challenging missions and access previously restricted areas.

Please find your IDs enclosed with this message, and rest assured that they have been prepared with the utmost care and attention to detail. We hope that these IDs will serve as a symbol of your commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, strength, and adventure in our great land.

On behalf of the Adventurers' Guild, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on this remarkable achievement. We look forward to witnessing your continued growth and success in the days to come.

Best regards,

Guild Master Wolfsbane," the message read.

I retrieved the IDs from the envelope and handed one to Airi.

[+1000 Exp]

[Leveled up]

As she took the card from me, a look of pure joy spread across her face, and she held it in her hands as if it were a priceless treasure.

"Whaaa! We're official adventurers now!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. She closed her eyes and jumped up and down with glee, clutching the card tightly in her hand.

I couldn't help but grin at her exuberance, but as I examined the card in my hand, I furrowed my brow with confusion.

"I mean, it's definitely cool and all, but what exactly are these IDs for?" I asked, feeling a bit puzzled.

"And what's the benefit of having a higher rank?"

[System: Here are the benefits of having a higher adventurer rank.

-

Rank S:

Pay rate: 5000 gold per month

XP bonus: 150%

Tax exemption: Yes

Quest privilege: Can take any quest without restrictions

Respect: Highly respected and admired by other adventurers.

Monthly quest requirement: None

-

Rank A:

Pay rate: 500 gold per month

XP bonus: 125%

Tax exemption: Yes

Quest privilege: Can take any quest except for S-rank quests

Respect: Respected by other adventurers

Monthly quest requirement: Complete at least 2 quests per month

-

Rank B:

Pay rate: 300 gold per month

XP bonus: 100%

Tax exemption: Yes

Quest privilege: Can take any quest except for S-rank and A-rank quests

Respect: Generally respected by other adventurers

Monthly quest requirement: Complete at least 3 quests per month

-

Rank C:

Pay rate: 150 gold per month

XP bonus: 75%

Tax exemption: Yes

Quest privilege: Can take any quest except for S-rank, A-rank, and B-rank quests

Respect: Not as highly respected as higher ranks, but still considered a legitimate adventurer

Monthly quest requirement: Complete at least 4 quests per month

-

Rank D:

Pay rate: 50 gold per month

XP bonus: 50%

Tax exemption: No

Quest privilege: Limited to lower-ranked quests, may not be trusted with more challenging tasks

Respect: Generally looked down upon by other adventurers

Monthly quest requirement: Complete at least 5 quests per month

-

Rank E:

Pay rate: 20 gold per month

XP bonus: 25%

Tax exemption: No

Quest privilege: Limited to the most basic and menial tasks

Respect: Often ridiculed and dismissed by other adventurers

Monthly quest requirement: Complete at least 6 quests per month

-

Rank F:

Pay rate: No payment, must work odd jobs to survive

XP bonus: None

Tax exemption: No

Quest privilege: No quests available, may only perform basic tasks

Respect: Considered an outcast and not recognized as a legitimate adventurer]

I see, we have passive income as long as we do our monthly quest requirement, I think that's pretty good.

"Alright, let's start by doing an easy quest and then pray to the statue at Marcellia during the nighttime," I said.

---

Midsummer 11th, Marcellia, Adventurers' Guild, 1:30 PM.

---

"Hmm, I think finding a missing item sounds fun," I said.

"Eh? That's so boring... let's just slay some goblins," Airi said.

"Oh, right. There's this party system thing. We should probably enable it before starting our journey," I suggested.

[System: Party request sent]

"Accept!" Airi cheerfully shouted.

"Okay, let's go ahead and accept those quests now," I said.

+Quest Name: The Missing Heirloom

+Quest Description: A wealthy merchant has lost a precious family heirloom and suspects foul play. He hires the adventurers to investigate and recover the lost item.

+Quest Objectives:

- Investigate the merchant's home and question the staff.

- Search for clues and follow leads to potential suspects.

- Recover the missing heirloom and return it to the merchant.

+Quest Rewards:

- 2000 Exp points and 1000 gold coins for completing the quest.

- A potential future business partner in the wealthy merchant.

[System: Accept quest?]

< Yes / No >

Yes.

[System: Quest has been accepted, good luck adventurer]

And for the goblin quest...

+Quest Name: The Goblins' Raid

+Quest Description: The nearby village has been under attack by goblins, causing widespread destruction and fear among the villagers. The adventurers are hired to put an end to the goblin raids and bring peace to the village.

+Quest Objectives:

- Track down the goblin raiding party to their hideout.

- Eliminate the goblin threat and bring justice to the victims.

- Report back to the village chief with news of the success.

+Quest Rewards:

- 3000 Exp points and 200 gold coins for completing the quest.

- A rare enchanted sword found in the goblin leader's possession.

- The gratitude and support of the village, including discounts on goods and services in the future.

[System: Accept quest?]

< Yes / No >

Yes.

[System: Quest has been accepted, good luck adventurer]

Alright, let's just go to the merchant's house first.

---

Midsummer 11th, Marcellia, 1:50 PM.

---

As I arrived at the merchant's house, I couldn't help but admire the beautiful building.

It was a two-story stone structure with a lovely garden in front.

I approached the front door and noticed the brass knocker in the shape of a lion's head. I lifted it and knocked on the door.

After a few moments, a servant opened the door.

"Good day, how may I assist you?" the servant asked politely.

"We're here to investigate the missing heirloom," I explained.

"We would like to speak with the merchant if he's available."

The servant nodded and led us to a spacious study on the ground floor.

The room was elegantly furnished with a large desk, bookshelves, and several comfortable chairs.

The merchant, a portly man in his fifties, greeted us with a friendly smile.

"Greetings, adventurers. I'm glad you're here to help me find my family's heirloom. Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chairs.

Airi and I took a seat, and the merchant explained the situation to us.

He told us that the heirloom was a golden locket that had been passed down through his family for generations. It was last seen in his wife's jewelry box, but when they looked for it a few days ago, it was gone. The merchant suspected that one of his servants may have stolen it, but he had no evidence to prove it.

"I will leave you to investigate the matter, and I hope you find the locket soon. I'm willing to offer a handsome reward for its safe return," the merchant said as he handed us a purse of gold coins.

"I see. Can I ask where your wife's jewelry box is currently located?" I asked.

"Oh, it's in her bedroom. I'll get it for you," the merchant responded.

"No, don't move it. I will go there," I stated.

As I entered the bedroom, I immediately noticed the thumbprint left on the jewelry box.

"Based on the size and shape of the fingerprint, I can tell that the thief is most likely a male, aged between 25 and 35 years old, approximately 182-213 cm tall, and weighing around 82-91 kg," I reported to the merchant.

"But that's not all," I continued. "By examining the footprints left in the dirt outside the window, I can tell that the thief wore size 44 boots and was most likely wearing a dark-colored cloak or robe."

"Such details from just a fingerprint, thank you for your help adventu-" The merchant was about to interrupt, but I motioned for him to let me continue.

"Wait, let him finish," Airi interrupted, extending her arms to the sides and slightly raising them upwards with open hands and fingers spread wide.

"Furthermore, I observed that the thief stumbled once while escaping through the window, based on the direction of the footprints. After landing on the ground, the cunning thief tried to replant the grass in the garden to avoid suspicion. However, I noticed that some of the grass blades were still slightly bent at around 30 degrees, while the one he replanted was off by 2 degrees, indicating a recent disturbance. The thief then glanced back to ensure there were no noticeable differences, but my exceptional eye for detail noticed a cluster of grass blades that were a shade darker than the surrounding area. From this information, I can confidently conclude that the thief fled towards the North," I explained.

The merchant was left speechless, "Huh?" he exclaimed.

After a half-hour investigation, we successfully caught the thief.

[+2000 Exp]

[Leveled up]