E-Rantel I

"Well, first, I need to sell this horse," Raizel muttered as he rode through the streets of E-Rantel. Gazef had given him the horse before leaving. Still, since Raizel lacked experience in riding efficiently, he decided to sell it.

Half an hour had passed since Gazef departed, and Raizel had asked a guard for directions to the stable where he could sell the horse. According to the information given, he should be approaching it soon.

'After selling this horse, I should buy a room in a good inn, then head toward the Adventurer's Guild to register myself as an adventurer,' Raizel thought as he slowly made his way toward the stables.

Raizel was passing through the outer district of E-Rantel, an area occasionally used to billet the soldiers of the royal army. It was furnished with barracks and other military facilities.

In addition to the barracks, houses were scattered throughout the area. However, at this early hour of the day, none of their occupants could be seen outside.

'Nigun did say that typically, adventurers form parties and rank up together. If I register myself as a lone adventurer and rank up too quickly and reach Adamantite rank, that would surely draw too much-unwanted attention.'

Raizel sighed, contemplating his next immediate course of action.

'I already know that Yggdrasil items exist in this world. And there is no telling if there are Divine Class items or World Items in this world.'

Nigun had already told Raizel about the Theocracy's different scripture and the rest of the nations of this continent. Among all of the nations, Raizel found the Slane Theocracy to be the most dangerous.

His reasoning was simple: their secrecy. Even Nigun, the leader of one of their scriptures, knew little about other scriptures, like the Black Scripture or the Holocaust Scripture. Nigun also didn't know about the items left behind by the Six Great Gods, who Raizel was 100% sure were Players.

Although he understood that the power of this world's residents was pitiful compared to his own, he still didn't want to draw unwanted attention.

'Maybe I should summon one of the Vampiric Knights to form a party. Although it is risky, I don't think there should be anyone capable of discerning his true identity if I use one of my rings of concealment.'

Raizel scratched his chin while contemplating. And after some time, he nodded and made up his mind.

Raizel guided his horse through the winding streets until he reached the stable. After a brief negotiation, he sold the horse for a fair price.

'Well, now that I have acquired some funds, I should find a good inn. Maybe I should ask the stable's owner; he ought to know some good inns,' Raizel thought and turned toward the owner of the stable, who was busy tending to one of the horses.

"Hey, mister, can you tell me about anything good in the town"? Raizel asked the stable owner calmly. The stable owner looked up, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Ah, so you are looking for a good inn, eh? Well, if you head down that road and take a left at the next intersection, you should come across the Golden Griffon Inn. I can vouch for them."

The owner replied while pointing toward one of the roads leading into the inner city. Raizel nodded and started walking down the road.

The streets of E-Rantel were bustling with activity, merchants hawking their wares, children playing, and townsfolk going about their daily business.

'This looks lively, unlike my old world,' Raizel mussed, watching little kids playing with each other without a care in the world. Raizel kept observing the streets as he moved toward his destination.

Along the way, he gathered many glances from the passing populace. He had already unequipped his helmet but was still wearing his armour. The sight of a heavily armoured figure walking through the market was unusual and drew curiosity from the townspeople.

'Maybe I should get some normal clothes. Their gazes are making me uncomfortable,' Raizel mused as he reached the intersection and turned left.

After a few minutes, he stood before a grand wooden building. A gold sign featuring a griffin was placed on the building, indicating that it was indeed the Golden Griffin Inn.

Raizel approached the entrance, but before stepping inside, two guards standing by the door blocked his path. They were both heavily armoured and had stern expressions.

"State your business," one of the guards spoke sternly. Which displeased Raizel greatly.

'Who does he think he is! A measly human trying to question me! Wait, what the hell is happening to me? Why do I feel like ripping his head off,' Raizel shook his head to let go of these thoughts and impulses.

'I need to calm down; I can't make a scene here as that will draw too much unwanted attention,' Raizel thought as he took a deep breath to calm himself; all the while, the guard was looking at him, trying to intimidate him.

"Oi! I asked you a question," the guard repeated, his tone even more demanding.

This irked Raizel even more, but he remained calm.

"I am here to rent a room for a few days. Is there a problem?"

The second guard stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "And why is someone like you, dressed in armour, needing a room at an inn like this? You planning on causing trouble?"

Although Raizel had ditched the helmet, he was still wearing his armour and had a sword strapped to a side.

Raizel forced a smile. "No trouble. Just a traveller in need of rest."

The first guard snorted. "Traveler, huh? You look more like a vagrant knight. We don't need your type here."

'That's it! I am killing you both tonight!' Raizel screamed in his mind, yet still kept the forced smile.

Resisting the urge to retort, Raizel took another deep breath. "I'm just passing through. I sold my horse and need a place to stay for the night."

The guards exchanged sceptical glances before finally stepping aside.

"Fine, but we'll be keeping an eye on you. Any funny business, and you're out."

"Understood," Raizel said, keeping his tone neutral.

He pushed open the door and stepped into the inn's warm, inviting atmosphere. The common room was filled with chatter and clinking glasses.

After paying for the room for a few days, Raizel moved toward his room, which was on the first floor. It took him only a few moments to reach his room.

The interior was heaps better than the cave his real body was living in. The room featured a large bed with crisp linens, a sturdy cupboard for storing belongings, a bedside table, and a small dining table surrounded by a few chairs. A window on one side, covered in expensive-looking blinds.

Raizel lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. 'I should go outside and shop for some daily necessities, like clothes and the sort. Then I should head to the adventurers' guild to register myself as an adventurer.'

~Scene Change~

When Raizel reached the adventurer's guild, it was noon. The building is entirely made of wood, with a door and some windows along the walls.

Raizel was standing before the stairs leading toward the door. Although the guild was near the central plaza, there wasn't much crowd near it.

Occasionally, some adventurers would leave or enter the building, all clad in a variety of fantasy armour and robes, their gear gleaming in the midday sun.

Raizel moved along the stairs and entered the guild. Inside, the scene was lively, but the space was vast enough to accommodate everyone comfortably. The high ceilings and large windows allowed sunlight to flood the room, casting a warm glow over the scene.

To his right, there was a large board with numerous papers attached to it.

'Hmm, maybe that's where the requests are posted,' Raizel mussed and continued his observation.

On the opposite side of the board, there were many benches where many adventurers were sitting with their comrades. Some were lazing around, some were serious, and some were sad and dejected.

However, as soon as Raizel entered, the whole guild was focused on him because he was a new face. Although it wasn't strange for new adventurers to show up in E-Rantel, the reason everyone was focused on Raizel was because of the armour.

"Hey, who is that? I've never seen him here before."

"Is he a high-ranking adventurer? I know all the famous ones here, and he isn't one of them."

"Is he from the Empire?"

"Just look at that armour!"

However, Raizel ignored them all and moved toward the board to look at the posted requests. Raizel had already found out that he was unable to understand the written language of this world.

Fortunately, he had a magic item to solve this hurdle. The item was called Polyglot Glasses, which allowed him to read any foreign language.

Raizel quietly took them out of his Item Box, subtly moving his hand toward a pouch hanging to the side. This gave the illusion that he had taken the glasses from it rather than his Item Box. They had delicate gold frames with faintly glowing runes etched along the temples and iridescent lenses that exuded a subtle magical aura.

He carefully placed the Polyglot Glasses on his nose and started reading the posted requests.

"Collect 100 units of Verdant Quill. Reward: 2 Gold Coins. Recommended Rank: Copper."

...

...

...

"Handle Goblin infestation on the outskirts of the Great Forest of Tob. Reward: 15 Gold Coins. Recommended Rank: Gold."

'Hmm, so goblin extermination is ranked for Gold Ranked adventurers. And there isn't any request for Mithril Ranked adventurers. This means it would be difficult for me to become an Adamantite-ranked adventurer if there isn't even a request for Mithril Rank,' Raizel mussed while inspecting the request board.

After some time, he moved toward the counter, which was located on the opposite side of the entrance door. A woman wearing modest clothes was standing at the counter.

Along the way, Raizel removed the glasses and put them back in his Item Box the same way he had taken them out.

"Hi, I would like to register myself as an adventurer. Could you tell me the procedure?" Raizel spoke in an easy-going manner when he reached the counter.

In response, the receptionist looked at Raizel tiredly before deeply sighing and replying with a weary voice, as if she was done with her life as a receptionist.

"Of course," she said, her voice lacking enthusiasm. "It will cost you 5 silver coins," Raizel nodded and paid the due amount.

After receiving the money, the receptionist took out a stack of papers. "Tell me your name and what is your profession?" she asked Raizel in the same tired tone.

Raizel hesitated for a moment, pondering his response. 'Hmm, what profession should I choose? According to the information I have, mages are famous and respected in this world, and a well-accomplished mage is considered to be able to cast 3rd-tier or 4th-tier spells. But, it would be strange if I said I was a mage wearing such armour. That means becoming a warrior is a safer bet. However, what if...?'

To be continued...