Vantias walked through the streets of the city.
The sun had now risen, and although it was still early morning, the streets were already filled with people.
Mothers who had come out with their children to buy bread, kids running joyfully after one another, and shopkeepers enthusiastically trying to attract customers.
As he walked past the bakery, the smell of fresh bread filled the air. As he passed through the market, the scent of flowers and perfumes surrounded him. As he walked past the blacksmith, the smell of hot iron struck his senses.
And when he took a deep breath... it smelled like life—as if a new beginning had just started.
Vantias arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.
Before entering, he paused. The tall building stood with marble pillars, and even this early in the morning, adventurers were already coming and going.
Vantias thought:
"In my previous world, I thought adventurers were just people who traveled with a team, learned along the way, and progressed in a straightforward path... but now…"
He looked at a group of adventurers happily entering the guild.
"Now I understand the true nature of being an adventurer… Every mission carries the risk of death. Every time, there's the possibility of heavy casualties. There's never enough money. No time to truly grow... Sometimes, you have to grow much faster than you'd think—because you simply don't have time."
"Humans begin to experience life and learn through pain—to avoid making the same mistakes. That's what leads to wisdom…"
Then, he looked up at the sky. It was blue, with soft white clouds drifting by, and a cold breeze brushed against his face.
"I showed Sylphy the path. If she accepts it, maybe she can be saved… but if she doesn't, she'll walk the same road I did. Right now, she may just be afraid of getting hurt, but if she continues, that fear will turn into self-hatred."
He then entered the guild building. It was filled with adventurers of all ages.
Some groups were sitting around tables, discussing missions with large cloth maps spread out before them. Some muscular men were arm wrestling, others were trading potions and antidotes, and some were staring at the request board.
Everything was in place—filled with danger and responsibility.
Just thinking about what had happened to Vantias and his team made him tremble.
Vantias stood in line at the front desk until it was his turn.
Behind the counter stood a young elf with golden hair and green eyes. A warm smile graced her face—a smile that never seemed to fade. That smile alone brought a sense of calm to the surroundings.
As Vantias approached, the elf spoke kindly:
"Oh… Sir Vantias, welcome."
Vantias smiled, trying to recall the woman's name. Then he said:
"Hello, Miss Lisa… I hope you're having a good day."
He then softened his voice and said gently:
"I'd like to retire…"
Lisa looked surprised for a moment but quickly understood. She gave a faint smile and said:
"I understand… What happened to your team was a hard blow. But I think you should take some more time to think it over… You know that if you retire and change your mind later, you'll have to start from the beginning again."
Vantias thought:
"Choosing the adventurer's path is basically signing my own death sentence... I don't have real combat skills or true battle experience… and who knows how many losses I'll suffer before I can adapt. Besides, I don't want to experience that dungeon feeling again..."
With a calm yet serious tone, Vantias said:
"Actually, I found a job. I'm going to start working there… and I came here to talk about the adventurers' insurance."
Lisa gave a light smile and said:
"Of course. Please give me your adventurer card."
Vantias pulled his card from his pocket. It had his name, age, and rank: B. Below that, in fine print, it showed that he had over five years of experience.
Lisa began calculating. After several minutes, she returned with a medium-sized pouch of coins and placed it on the counter.
"You've been an adventurer for about 5 years and 7 months. Some of the mission rewards were automatically paid into your insurance. Also, since you're a Rank B adventurer, you'll receive about 78 silver coins per month for the next 20 years."
Vantias took the pouch but asked with a bit of disappointment:
"Only 78 silver coins a month? I thought I'd get at least 100… Are you sure there's no mistake?"
Lisa didn't smile this time. She calmly replied:
"Yes, that's correct. But you retired before the full retirement period. The contract stated that you needed at least 7 years of experience. You have about 5, so that definitely affects the amount."
Vantias realized and replied with disappointment:
"Ah… that makes sense. Thank you for your help."
He took the coin pouch and sat at one of the tables, starting to count the coins.
"So… if both Anna and I retire… I'll get 78 silver coins a month, and Anna has double my experience, so she can probably get around 200 silver coins. Hannibal is a knight, so he was given some land, and he can help out with some of his money too... Wait a second…"
Then he suddenly smiled and whispered to himself:
"This way… we can pay off the debts and move to a better house…"
Joy and excitement surged inside him—until he overheard a conversation at the next table between two adventurers.
"Hey! Did you hear the news?"
"Which one?"
"They say a hero named « Neville » has been chosen by the « Voice of the World ». He's from the kingdom of Teremis and is going to attack the Demon Lord ruling over the kingdom of Golmarosh."
" He is not a hero, he is just a kid "
Vantias thought to himself:
"Wait… there are heroes and demon lords in this world?! Also, which region are those kingdoms in? I only know I'm in the capital of the Tarolinia Kingdom…"
He stood up from his seat and walked toward the large map pinned to the wall.
The Kingdom of Tarolinia, where Vantias lived, was in the western part of the world.
To the northwest was the Kingdom of Teremis.
To the north was the Kingdom of Golmarosh.
To the east of Tarolinia was the Kingdom of Rusgardin…
Vantias quietly muttered to himself while carefully examining the map:
"There are around eleven kingdoms, two empires… and one massive forest. This world is huge... Maybe someday, I'll decide to travel the entire world..."