LXXVIII

I wake to the sounds of a bird chirping, coming through the little open window that I have built into my shelter. Perhaps it doesn't do much to help my shelter be good at being a shelter, but it certainly makes me appear more civilized!

I hop off my bed of raised dirt - while no different from just sleeping on the ground, it, again serves the very important purpose of making me appear civilized - and exit my little house through the window. A door would have been dangerous, after all - who knows what could have crept in! I planned for this, too, therefore, the window is easy to step right out of!

I tear down the building with the same ease with which I set it up - leaving it feels as though it would be littering.

I race back to the city, where I find the gate on the western side to be fully opened, a steady stream of people flowing in. From my angle, I can now see some of what is to the east side of the city, countless farms. Every side of the city has a large gate, further adding to the symmetrical design of the clearly well-planned city.

I join the line of people on the western side, and with them enter into the city without any hassle. [Hmm… this city is owned by the same king who rules that village, it's interesting that a village would be spared more protection than this city, what with all visitors being forced to interact with that guard. Well, the guards did say that it was in response to an increase in banditry, I guess if that was that case it would make sense that bandits wouldn't attack a fortified city such as this. I had honestly thought that protection from banditry was just an excuse to strip people of their arms, I suppose that this king was being truthful.]

The gate opens to a long, wide street that stretches all the way to the keep in the city center in a design choice that reminds me of the walled portion of the military city in Eroen. Lining the street are many tall buildings constructed of white stone, so bright as to be nearly radiant. The main roadway is bustling with people, moving between it and the spacious alleys that cut between buildings sto reach the other, presumably less opulent, portions of the city.

Unlike in Eroen, where the city was split between soldiers, nobles, and some members of the lower classes, with weaponry only being carried by the soldiers, here there are many armed individuals dressed in greatly varying clothing, including armor. This fits in better with my understanding of this country, as opposed to that silly village where bearing weaponry was disallowed.

As for the weaponry itself, I see a greater variety than was present even in the Eroen military. The standard bow, sword, and spear are of course represented. However, there are many, many other weapons as well. Maces, flails, slings, axes, even javelins; and a great variety of others.

I walk the cobbled streets for some time, looking for any sign of an adventurers guild, and coming up empty handed. Deciding the city to be simply too large to search myself, I look for an individual who appears safe to talk to.

I eventually settle on a burly man with a massive cleaver-like blade slung across his back and a dozen javelins dangling from his waist. A green robe with plates of metal upon its surface provides him with some manner of protection. He stands a good foot taller than myself, and unlike many other adventurer-looking individuals, he is alone. His tanned face is contorted in a grimace, his thick blach eyebrows furrowed in irritation. The perfect individual to talk to, in other words!

"Ahem… excuse me, sir, but do you know the way to the adventurers' guild?"

He stares down at me, both literally and figuratively, as if trying to determine whether I could possibly be trying to talk to him.

After a moment of an idiotic expression adorning his face, he asks the question best fitting his foolish appearance "Are you talking to [me]?"

"Yes, I am. And I would be greatly appreciative if you could provide me with directions to the adventurers' guild."

"He he. Like a little shrimp like you could ever be an adventurer. Get lost."

[Oho! Success! His personality matches his appearance, just as I desired! Now, this should be quite fun!]

"Ah, you must have failed in the past to become an adventurer, you are giving me such a warning to try to prevent me from suffering the same humiliation as yourself. I thank you for being so thoughtful, however, I am far more powerful than you, I should have no issue becoming an adventurer myself."

"What?! I'll have you know, twerp, that I am an adventurer myself, and of C-rank, too! To assume you are more powerful than I, and to insult me, you have quite a lot of nerve!"

[See? Some may question the validity of my methods of riling people up from my benefits, wondering whether it is actually effective. However, it clearly is. I have determined that he is an adventurer, and from his rank I can already make some basic estimates as to the power of different rankings. Had I not relied on instigation, he may have just ignored me, I would have had to find another person to question.]

"Oh really? I was unaware that the widely renowned Imperial Adventurers' Guild was in the business of allowing brainless meatbags into their ranks. You know, perhaps I wouldn't want to join such an organization anyway…"

"You…!? If you think you are so powerful that you have the right to malign the adventurers' guild, perhaps you should see the power of a mighty rank C!"

"No. Why should I lower myself to fight anybody if I don't at least get a recommendation letter and directions to the adventurers' guild?" [Now, shall my prodding bear any fruit?]

"You may think me a fool, I know what you want here! And you shall get it! If you can defeat me in a one on one duel, I shall personally escort you to the adventurer's guild and vouch for you. However, if I win…"

"You get to have had the honor of beating me in a duel on a lucky fluke!"

"Hmph. No, I take your ring. That's a dimensional storage ring, it should certainly be enough of a bid."

Dropping all my facade for a moment, I reply "That is hardly fair. My ring is worth at least fifty gold, assuming I can beat you, I will certainly make it into the guild with no issue, I would be wagering fifty gold for the location of a nearby building, and the recommendation letter of a mere rank C."

"Mere rank C… you clearly don't know of which you speak. However, I will enjoy crushing you nonetheless, my victory is guaranteed anyway, I will wager thirty gold on this duel."

"Very well. I'm all for having this duel here and now, but there seems to be people around…"

"Hmph. Follow me. And feel glad that I have some open time at the moment, otherwise I would never deign to flatten your ego. Perhaps you will learn to mind your manners after suffering a crushing defeat."

"Heh heh, such pride, such confidence. How can you be so certain of your victory?"

"Considering that you don't even know the location of the guild hall, and that I am a C-rank adventurer, I think that they outcome is fairly obvious," he answers, leading the way down streets with ease, leading me to believe that he must spend a great deal of time within this city."

"Is C-rank really so magnificent?"

"No wonder you have such foolish confidence, if you lack even such a basic degree of understanding… Yes, C-rank puts me in the upper third of all adventurers. The bottom third is composed of E-rank, the next is composed of D-rank. The lower half of the uppermost third is C-rank, with B, A, S, and even higher ranks occupying the top sixth of all adventurers."

[You know, this guy is surprisingly reasonable, I would have expected him to have torn off my head already. It's just a shame that he showed such an abrasive attitude towards me, he's going to be out 30 gold and some time after this.

[At least, that's what I assume. Perhaps I have thus far seriously underestimated him and have set myself up for a crushing defeat. However, considering my proficiency with elemental manipulation, my sword, and my overpowered wrath skill, I think victory is very likely. Though, again, I guess we shall see.]