Chapter 14: Welcome to the Guild
The adventurers' guild wasn't much to look at from the outside — just another timber-walled building among many — but inside, the air buzzed with activity. Rough warriors leaned on counters, tired mercenaries laughed around long tables, and the scent of ink, steel, and sweat mingled in the warm noon light pouring through the open windows.
They approached the front counter where the exchange was handled.
"Three hobgoblins, nine goblins, and some crystals," Brad said to the receptionist behind the counter, a sharp-eyed woman who jotted the numbers down without missing a beat.
Ethan watched curiously as pouches were weighed and sorted, and dirty goblin ears were counted with gloved hands.
"For the goblin ears, that's 9 times 20 copper... 1 silver, 80 copper. Hobgoblins are 1 silver each — 3 silver. Crystals… hmm." She inspected them one by one under a glowing lens. "Quality's decent. You'll get 2 silver, 10 copper for the lot."
Brad gave a nod. "Split it."
In total, the haul earned 6 silver and 90 copper coins, neatly divided among the party. Ethan's share? 2 silver coins, a modest but respectable cut for someone who barely knew which end of the blade to hold.
It was only when Brad handed him the pouch that Ethan realized—he had earned this.
"Next," Brad said, "let's get you registered."
They were led to a side counter, manned by a different receptionist — a beautiful young woman in her twenties, with chestnut hair tied up and sharp green eyes that softened when they landed on Ethan.
She gave him a fleeting smile. Then… a faint look of pity.
'Huh? Did I just get pitied?' Ethan blinked, confused. 'What part of me screams tragic backstory?' Oh, right. Amnesia. Lost identity. Wandering survivor.
…Okay, maybe it made sense.
Brad helped smooth over the process with a few whispered words — apparently, he and the receptionist were familiar.
Turned out Brad was a B-rank adventurer, and his party was officially ranked C. That carried weight around here, and it certainly made the registration fly by faster than expected.
When Ethan sat down to fill out the form, though, something strange happened.
He could read the letters — not fluently, but enough to understand.
He could write them — his hand moved automatically, like muscle memory doing the work.
And yet… he didn't really know the language.
The sensation was surreal. Like watching someone else write through his own hands.
Eventually, the form was completed, and the verdict was simple:
[Registered: Rank E Adventurer]
(Lowest was Rank F… so he was already a step up?)
"Consider it a small gift," Brad smirked. "Don't say I never helped you."
Apparently, even the 1 silver registration fee had been waived, thanks to Brad pulling a few strings — or maybe it was because of Ethan's conveniently tragic memory loss.
"Well, that's where we part," Brad said, slapping Ethan lightly on the back. "You've got enough silver to last a few days in a place like this. Don't blow it all at once."
With a few waves and some casual farewells, the party headed off — likely toward a warm inn and some well-earned rest.
Ethan, however, remained behind in the guild hall.
He stood in the middle of the noisy building, clutching his new adventurer's plaque and the small coin pouch tied to his belt.
'Two silver coins… That's food, maybe a night or two in a cheap inn. But that's it.'
His stomach growled softly. It was nearly noon.
With a sigh, he wandered over to the wooden quest board nailed to the far wall. Paper slips were tacked to it in uneven rows — some torn, some curling at the edges.
"Let's see if there's anything I can do…"
He skimmed through them, eyes flicking across words he shouldn't have been able to understand — and yet, did.
[Request: Herb Collection – Nettleblossoms]
[Request: Wild Rat Extermination]
[Request: Escort for Local Merchant – to Outskirts]
Hmm… extra silver in the pocket doesn't hurt.
And besides, sitting around doing nothing? That wasn't going to work for him.
Not anymore.
Ethan's stomach grumbled — louder this time.
Right. Food.
He glanced around and spotted an open table near the wall, just far enough from the louder adventurer groups. The wooden bench creaked as he sat down, resting his arms on the scarred tabletop.
A young waitress approached with a practiced smile. "What'll it be?"
"Uh… just the cheapest set," Ethan muttered. "Bread and soup, please."
She gave a polite nod and left without question.
He leaned back, watching the people around him — rough mercenaries, tired-looking mages, brawlers nursing bandaged arms and bruised egos. It was a strange thing, sitting among them. Just days ago — or years, maybe, depending on how he looked at it — he was in a study, doing paperwork. Now?
Soup.
The bowl arrived steaming, accompanied by a rough chunk of dark bread. The taste wasn't amazing, but it was warm. Filling enough.
[-30 copper]
Ouch.
After the meal, Ethan took a short stroll through the village.
The streets were dusty, the buildings simple. Livestock wandered through open yards. Children darted between carts. There was a rhythm to it — rough, lived-in, and honest. He paused at the signboard of a nearby inn and blinked.
[Room + Meal = 50 copper / night]
"…Damn. I might not last two days here."
He sighed and turned back toward the guild.
If he wanted to stay fed — and sheltered — he needed money. Fast.
Inside the guild hall, the quest board stood as it did before, filled with fluttering parchment slips. He scanned quickly for something doable. Nothing crazy. Preferably something that didn't try to eat him back.
There it was:
---
[Quest: Farm Pest Extermination]
Rank: E
Description: Local farms near the southern fence are overrun with oversized rats. Eliminate the threat. Estimated count: 6. Bring tails as proof.
Reward: 80 copper
---
"I'll take this one," Ethan said, walking up to the counter and handing over the slip.
The receptionist nodded, stamping it and making a note in the ledger. "Good luck, Adventurer."
Just as he turned to leave—
Ding!
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
> [System Quest Registered: "Pest Control"]
Objective: Eliminate 6 Giant Rats
Reward: +2 Stat Points
"…Huh?" Ethan blinked. "Taking guild quests… triggers system quests too?"
A slow grin crept across his face.
"Well then," he muttered, slipping the quest slip into his pouch. "Let's go kill some rats."
Just as Ethan stepped out of the guild, another soft ding chimed in his head.
> [New System Function Unlocked: Mini Map]
Location Tracking Activated. Target Zone: Southern Farm Fields.
Current Distance: 0.8 kilometers.
A translucent panel appeared in the corner of his vision — a simplified layout of the village with a blinking red marker indicating his destination.
"…Well, that's convenient." He tilted his head. "Not quite GPS, but close enough."
Following the marker, Ethan made his way along a dirt road until the fields opened up before him — wide, slightly overgrown patches of farmland lined with creaky fences and hay bales. He was greeted by an old couple near a small barn, both weathered and hunched but friendly.
"You the rat-killer?" the old man asked, squinting.
"That's me," Ethan replied.
They pointed toward the far side of the field, near a dilapidated grain shed.
"Seen the beasts crawling in and out from there," the woman added. "Mean buggers. Big as dogs, some of 'em."
Ethan nodded and made his way in.
The shed stank of rot and fur. He didn't need to wait long.
A pair of glowing red eyes peeked through a broken crate — then another — then four more. The rats came skittering out, hissing and baring yellowed teeth.
Ethan exhaled, cracking his knuckles. "Alright. Let's try not to break anything expensive."
The first rat lunged, and he sidestepped swiftly, driving his foot into its side. Bones crunched, and the rat tumbled motionless into a stack of hay.
The others followed — quick, erratic, but predictable. He grabbed the rusted pitchfork leaning against a post and swung it in an arc, impaling the next two in one sweep.
The fourth tried to circle behind, but a quick elbow sent it flying into the wall with a wet thud.
He ducked under a bite from the fifth and grabbed it by the tail, slamming it twice against the ground until it stopped twitching.
The last one hesitated — a little smarter, maybe — but it was too late. Ethan flung the broken pitchfork like a spear.
Direct hit.
[Giant Rat defeated. +3 XP]×6
Six tails collected. No serious injuries. Minimal damage to property.
Efficient.
The old couple was clearly impressed as he walked back with the bundle in hand. The woman handed him a cloth to wipe the blood off his hands, and the man patted his back with a grateful grunt.
"Good work, lad. Mighty clean job."
"Thanks," Ethan said simply.
He returned to the guild before sunset. The receptionist processed the proof quickly, tallying up his reward.
[Mission Complete: Farm Pest Extermination]
[Reward Received: 80 copper coins]
[System Reward: +2 Stat Points]
[XP: 45 / 230]
Now sitting at a total of 6 unspent stat points, Ethan leaned against a wall and opened his system panel. He stared at the glimmering [+] buttons next to each stat, pondering.
"…Strength? Agility? Maybe some Constitution?"
Then he looked down at himself — torn collar, bloodstains on the sleeve, and a strange patch where goblin guts had definitely soaked in.
He looked like a beggar.
"…Right. Clothes."
He sighed deeply.
"I just earned some money… and the expenses are already starting."
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Author's Note:
Hey there, if you're new here — welcome! The novel got featured in the New Story panel today (hell yeah ), so I went a little crazy and dropped multiple chapters.
If you're enjoying the story so far, please add it to your library and leave a comment. It helps me more than you know
More chapters coming soon. Stick around!