Brick wall, dimly lit touches, and cold floor. I'm in jail again.
How? You asked? Obviously, someone who came up to the gate with the corpse of an Order-affiliated person would be apprehended. The inquiry lasted for hours, with verifications and other details being reviewed. Now I was sent back here to wait for their decision, and I've been here for a few days already. Guess Angela was a big deal, huh?
At least I wouldn't starve to death, and aside from the incredible boredom, this place is not that bad. But the hygiene here was quite bad. The bedding was rugged, too. And the humid air was awful.
Okay, maybe this place was indeed bad; however, there was nothing I could do, getting kicked out of the city would be the worst scenario. I could only wait ever so patiently.
Doing nothing made me think of past events, and none of them were pleasant. I started having nightmares about hollows, undead, and Angela, still having a hard time getting over being mauled by her.
-Tap—tap—tap
Disciplined footsteps could be heard. Must be an officer coming over here, so I'm free now, right? Please don't get my hope up for nothing.
"Let's see, Cain, right? You're free to go now. After reviewing everything, we found no foul play here. Additionally, a representative from the Order would like to meet with you. Just take it easy, alright?"
While saying all of that, he opened the cell door swiftly. Freedom, at last. Following the officer, I passed by the halls of this building, which I didn't pay attention to at first. Now that I looked around closely, it was almost like I was in a police station, except for the fact that it was way messier and feudal. The officer advised me.
"The representative is outside. Be respectful with her, alright?"
Stepping outside, the cool breeze brushed against me. Was it autumn now? Now that I thought about it, how does time even work here? Do we have the same twelve months? What even is the year now? Oh well, whatever, not particularly interested in that.
Someone approached me.
"Greetings, Chosen One. I'm bishop Martha, and Angela's foster mother. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh! Uh, nice to meet you, too. I'm Cain, and I owed Angela a lot. She saved my life, so uh..."
I trailed off, not knowing what to say. It was too sudden. I never imagined I'd meet her parents this soon. Words failed me.
"I know this is sudden, but I want to personally thank you for returning Angela home, so we can lay her to rest. As her parent, I'm deeply grateful."
"...It's nothing, really. I'm merely trying to repay her favour."
Martha expressed profound sorrow. She must be very heartbroken by the sudden news of Angela's passing.
I was flustered, but I need to get myself together. Many things came to my mind, but one of them has to be said.
"Angela was the bravest and most selfless person I have ever met. It must be fate that I could meet someone as great as her."
"!"
Martha looked surprised. Was there anything wrong with my words? I really do mean it, though.
"...I see. That's true. Angela is a hardworking and lovely child. She always wakes up the earliest and sleeps the latest, pushing herself for everyone else. She is also such a kind girl, and—ehem, sorry, I got a bit too emotional there.
"Oh, don't worry. That's understandable. I do get it."
So Angela was very diligent, too, huh? She must really be loved by everyone around her, yet she died for someone like me...
That was not it. Keeping thinking like this, and I would never be able to move on. I must focus on the present.
Still, it feels like there is an empty hole in my chest.
"But I didn't come here just to thank you. You must be unfamiliar with this city and the world, right? Our Order offers help to all of the Chosen Ones, so let me lend you a hand, as a personal thanks, too."
Things were going surprisingly well.
***
I think I have a general idea of this city. Before, the voice gave me common knowledge of this world, but it didn't give me direction. Bishop Martha kindly gave me a detailed guide about this city and advised me on a lot of things.
First things first, I needed to register at the Pathfinder Guild so that I could have a trackable record and an easily verifiable identity. Most importantly, that was the most straightforward way to gain both fame and power.
As far as I know, people in the Empire, especially adventurers and mercenaries, are called Pathfinders, popularised by the Order. Pathstrider is what people will normally call the Chosen Ones, except for the Order. For religious reasons, I suppose?
Chosen Ones all have a special sigil, inscribed with their unique special ability. In addition, we grow when we contribute to the salvation of Terra, no matter how small. I'm not quite sure how that works, but I think I will figure it out eventually.
Walking through the winding streets, I arrived at the Pathfinder Guild, which really stood out from nearby buildings. A lot of people gathered around here, too, going in and out. All of them are well-equipped and distinctive. The fantasy vibe is unmatched here.
Steadying myself, I calmly went inside. People glanced at me, then quickly lost interest. Looking around, I saw the reception desk with a line of people. If I was correct, then that must be the place to register.
After waiting for a bit, I swiftly completed the registration. It was quite simple, and I got an explanation of how the system works.
In short, the member ranking from lowest to highest is as follows: Porcelain, Obsidian, Steel, Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Too hard to remember? I think so too. Maybe just keep in mind the lowest and the highest three. There is also a name tag which serves as an identity card made with your rank's material.
Commissions. All of them have a designated rank, so the usual stuff. As rank rises, fame, money, and power naturally come with it. So choosing appropriate commissions and completing them nicely is important.
Keeping all of that in mind, I viewed multiple large boards on one side of the wall. Whoa, there are so many commissions scattered around.
As I wondered about how to find a suitable commission, someone walked up to me.
"Hello there! You must be unsure about what to do, right? Let me help you! So that board over there is for the porcelain, and the boards next to it require a higher rank the further away they are. Ah! You know the ranking system, right? I can teach it if you don't know."
An orange-haired boy with sparkling eyes spoke with enthusiasm. He looked about the same age as me.
"Oh, uh, thanks for telling me that, but shouldn't we introduce ourselves first? My name is Cain, and yours?"
"Oh! Right, my name is Evan, also a newbie. I noticed your trouble with commissions, so I decided to come to you. Honestly, I was just like you when I arrived here, being confused and overwhelmed by all of the new things here. That's why I believe I should help others so that they won't be like me."
"...You really gonna help every newbie you see?"
"Yes! Some people might be a bit uncomfortable with that. I understand, but I think this is a necessary thing to do. I mean, someone needs to do this, right?"
This guy was unreal. Do people like this really exist? This was the first time I met someone this upstanding. I was speechless.
Afterwards, I exchanged with Evan for a while. He shared everything I needed to know, too much even. He came from a nearby village, coming here in pursuit of his heroic dreams. How romantic.
I was honest with him. Telling him my part of the story, of course, except for the regression thing. It was awkward when he tried to express his condolences when he heard about Angela. I should probably refrain from sharing my R-rated story in the future.
"It is great getting to know more about you, Cain. What do you think about joining my party? Our party is all newbies. Sounds nice, doesn't it? A bunch of nobodies aiming for the top together. What do you think?"
"...Hm."
It was a good offer. Evan was a reliable and honest guy, and not a total idiot, too. There was no problem with aiming high. Didn't everyone have at least once in their life been like this? This was what youth was all about, after all.
"...I appreciate the offer. However, I think I have to pass it. You see, I have other goals. It really is unfortunate."
"I understand. Then, at least, let's look out for each other. If you ever change your mind, we'll always welcome you."
"Yeah, it was nice talking to you, Evan. See you another time."
"You too. Take care."
With that, our conversation ended, albeit a bit awkwardly. It was not that I didn't want to achieve something great or particularly want to play solo. It was just that...
'I just want to take it slow and leisurely, but Evan is too ambitious. Someone like me will just slow him down.'
I will admit it. Angela's deaths had taken a large toll on my mental state. I want to live my salvaged life to the fullest, too. The offer was simply untimely. Maybe I was just procrastinating. Maybe I will never truly recover from this. Even then, I didn't want to rush things. I want to do this at my own pace.
Oh well, whatever, standing here doing nothing wouldn't change anything. Let's just get an easy commission and get it done.
'Delivering important goods to someone, huh? Pathfinder Guild even has commissions like this?'
I picked up a commission like that and got it approved. Starting my first commission, I felt like I had just taken a small step forward. Huh, I was probably the most stagnant Chosen One of all.
I hoped I could return this commission safely.