Chapter 3: Adventurer Procedures
ㅤ”I want to go to the Adventurer Town.”
ㅤ”Understood.”
ㅤ
ㅤ‘Seriously!? That easily!!?’
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s a relief that she didn’t ask for a reason. And of course, she didn’t flatly refuse either. As soon as my parents returned to their territory, I decided to take action to achieve my goals.
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ㅤ‘Oh no! Just yesterday, I was complaining so much about this marriage…’
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ㅤIt seems that the servants are well aware that the Duke, the master of the mansion, said I could do as I please. The expectation that I had been harboring, that this was the best environment for me, is becoming a reality, making me feel ashamed of myself for complaining so much.
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ㅤ”This way.”
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ㅤJust as I was about to board the carriage that had been readily prepared at the entrance of the mansion, another luxurious carriage entered from the gate.
ㅤ
ㅤ‘Ah. It’s Danna-sama.’
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ㅤDanna-sama’s face, as we passed each other in our carriages, still looked displeased. It might be more accurate to say he had a stern face.
ㅤ
ㅤ‘Yep, ignoring him~!’
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ㅤAs expected, he didn’t even look this way. It’s mutual disinterest, but it still irritates me to think that he’s not even willing to be minimally polite.
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ㅤ‘I have to change my mood! I finally get to go to the Adventurer Town!’
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ㅤI’m taking the first step towards becoming the adventurer I’ve always dreamed of. There’s no need to think about things that will dampen my spirits.
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ㅤThe carriage briskly heads towards its destination. The road is well-paved and the ride is comfortable.
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ㅤ”The Adventurer Town… is surprisingly clean. I thought it would be a bit more… cluttered… I thought there would be a lot of drunk adventurers lying around in the streets.”
ㅤ”…Lord Duke has been putting a lot of effort into the Adventurer Town. Monster materials are an important source of income. He is always mindful of creating a good environment for adventurers.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe maid Ellis’s gaze seemed to say, “Don’t you even know that much, even though you’ve married into this family?” Her look made me realize once again that I wasn’t welcomed. The servants in the mansion were so distant… It might be unavoidable since I just arrived yesterday. But still, they were cold.
ㅤ
ㅤ‘Well, wouldn’t it be unladylike if I went out all cheerful and happy even though Danna-sama has that kind of attitude?’
ㅤ
ㅤI haven’t complained or whined to her or the other servants. Even if I did, they would be troubled.
ㅤHowever, I wonder if I should have at least asked about the extent of my authority as the Duchess. How far will they obey me? That being said, breakfast was warm and delicious, and since I arrived at the Blood household, I’ve been observing the truly splendid and professional movements of the servants, so I don’t have any particular complaints. In other words, it’s comfortable. They seem willing to serve me as their job.
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ㅤ”I had no idea I would suddenly get married and become a Duchess. I’m sorry for being so ignorant! You seem to know more about it! Please tell me all about it.”
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ㅤIf I had said this back at my parents’ home, my tutor would have scolded me, saying, 『No excuses!』 However, the maid was surprised, her mouth agape. Apparently, the circumstances of my marriage haven’t been fully disclosed.
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ㅤ”You see, my parents invited me on a trip, so I came along, and then here in Blood Territory… I never thought I would end up wearing a wedding dress… It was such a surprise! I need to get used to this town as soon as possible to make up for my lack of knowledge.”
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ㅤI spoke brightly with all my might. This could also be used as an excuse to frequently go out into the town. Besides, there’s no need to keep incurring displeasure unilaterally, and I would like to garner a little sympathy. It would be painful for her to serve me while harboring negative feelings.
ㅤ
ㅤ”L-Lord Duke… has established public accommodations, which are rarely seen in other territories. He has also stationed guards there to ensure that public order doesn’t deteriorate. In addition, the monster material purchasing office is also operated by the Ducal House. It buys materials at fair prices, so it seems to be popular among adventurers.”
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ㅤTaking my words at face value, the maid Ellis obediently began to explain about the town. I vaguely knew most of this information, but hearing it explained on-site made it register more vividly in my mind.
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ㅤ”So it’s a town that’s comfortable for adventurers.”
ㅤ”Yes. If skilled adventurers stay for a long time, we can obtain a lot of good materials, and if dangerous monsters appear, we can deal with them immediately.”
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ㅤFufufu. I, your wife, will become one of those skilled adventurers.
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ㅤ”The dungeon in this town is relatively new, but it’s believed that it will develop further in the future due to its scale and the value of the materials that can be obtained from it.”
ㅤ”I see…”
ㅤ
ㅤ‘No wonder the Royal Family wants it.’
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ㅤDungeons are spaces that began to appear suddenly about a thousand years ago in this world, like natural disasters. And within these spaces, all sorts of monsters inhabit. They come in various forms, but here in Blood Territory, it’s an underground space type. It’s also large in scale, and the final point has yet to be reached.
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ㅤWe came out onto a large, bustling street. Large buildings lined the street. This must be the main street of the town.
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ㅤ”That’s the Adventurer’s Guild. And across from it is the Craftsman’s Guild. …The Merchant’s Guild is located in a different place from the Adventurer Town.”
ㅤ”The Adventurer’s Guild is quite large, as expected.”
ㅤ
ㅤThis is the first place I need to go. I can call myself an adventurer anytime, but by registering with the Adventurer’s Guild, I can become an officially recognized adventurer. And above all, I can open an account. Each guild has a system where you can save your rewards. It’s also highly secure. Although they charge a fee for using it instead of giving interest, I need to save my assets elsewhere, just in case I’m told to get a divorce in the future.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll get off here for now.”
ㅤ”Eh!?”
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ㅤOf course she’s surprised. She probably didn’t expect me to ask for something like this. I understand, I understand. But I can’t do anything if I don’t get out of the carriage.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I want to look around this area on my own.”
ㅤ”I-It’s dangerous! Even though public order is better here than in other places, it’s by no means a safe place!”
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ㅤSo it’s not a place where a young woman like me can wander around. I appreciate her concern, but this will be the base of my life from now on. I want to get the procedures done as soon as possible, since today’s the day…
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s alright. I won’t blame you for anything that happens.”
ㅤ”That’s not the issue!”
ㅤ”I have permission from Danna-sama to do as I please… Just for an hour. I’ll come back in an hour.”
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ㅤI’d actually like to wander around here and there, but for today, I’ll appease this maid. She seems to be genuinely worried about me.
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ㅤ”Understood… Then I’ll come with you!”
ㅤ”I’m sorry. I want to look around by myself.”
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ㅤWhen I replied immediately, I could tell that Ellis was holding back something she wanted to say, “Guh…guh…guh…”
ㅤI’m grateful that Danna-sama’s condition of 『do as you please』 is so effective. However, this maid’s sense of responsibility for her job is a bit troublesome for me. In her mind, I’ve instantly become 『the poor noble daughter who was suddenly forced to marry the cold-hearted Duke.』
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ㅤ‘No, is it now the clueless bride of the cold-hearted Duke who doesn’t understand the ways of the world?’
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ㅤI feel like she might have looked at me with a slight hint of disbelief, but I can’t move forward if I keep worrying about that. Of course, I don’t want to be unkind to her, so I’ll buy her a souvenir as a way to improve her impression of me.
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ㅤThe inside of the Adventurer’s Guild is quite spacious. The area near the entrance is a large hall, and a large bulletin board on the wall is covered with requests and recruitment notices. As expected, there are a lot of adventurers. Swords, spears, axes, bows… There are many weapons of types and shapes I don’t recognize. Just observing them is quite entertaining. There are also many ordinary people. I can tell immediately by the difference in their attire. They’ve probably come to submit requests.
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ㅤAs I proceeded further into the large entrance, I saw several counters, like a government office in my previous life. It’s quite systematic.
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ㅤ‘It’s quite different from the guild in the Witwish Territory~’
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ㅤI could see a sign that read 【Adventurer Registration】 in the far left corner, so I slowly headed towards it with a slightly pounding heart.
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ㅤ”I’d like to register as an adventurer.”
ㅤ”Can you read and write?”
ㅤ”Yes, I can.”
ㅤ”Then please fill this out. The registration fee is two large silver coins.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe unfriendly receptionist glanced at my attire and made a sour face. She probably thought I was an Ojou-sama playing around. It’s understandable that she would think that, considering my clothes, but it’s not like I’m wearing this because I want to. In fact, I’m envious of the simple and seemingly easy-to-move-in guild uniform that this unfriendly staff member is wearing.
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ㅤ”…Family names are not required for adventurers.”
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ㅤShe gave me a pointed reminder as I started filling out the form.
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ㅤ‘Yes, yes, I know.’
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ㅤSince there are no identification documents in this world, anyone can register.
ㅤThe receptionist began operating a magic tool that resembled a typewriter. She connected a silver tag and a chain and set it in the center of the magic tool.
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ㅤ”I’ve finished writing.”
ㅤ”Then please put your blood here. I’ll cut you with a knife, is that alright?”
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ㅤShe said it with a smirk, as if mocking me. As if to say, “Is it alright for an Ojou-sama who’s probably never even seen her own blood?” Since I felt looked down upon, I made a small cut with the knife on the first joint of my middle finger without hesitation.
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ㅤ‘Ouch!’
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ㅤI got a bit carried away, but I was satisfied when the receptionist looked startled. I immediately smeared the blood on my thumb and pressed it against the silver tag inside the magic tool, and I could see that part start to glow.
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ㅤ”…Your adventurer registration is complete.”
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ㅤI listened to the receptionist’s bored voice and immediately flicked my finger sideways, healing the wound with Heal.
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ㅤ”You can also have your profession listed on the tag, would you like to do so?”
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ㅤShe probably thought I was a healer after seeing my magic.
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ㅤ”I’ll refrain for now.”
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ㅤThe receptionist no longer looked at me.
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ㅤ”Your rank will start at F. It will increase based on your achievements, but please be aware that the reward for accepting requests will vary depending on your rank.”
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ㅤHer tone was mechanical, as if she was used to saying it.
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ㅤ”I’d also like to use the account service.”
ㅤ”Then please go to that counter. The registration fee is three large silver coins. After that, you’ll need three silver coins every year.”
ㅤ”Yes, thank you~.”
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ㅤSince the Adventurer’s Guild in this town has a lot of users, the work is divided into specialized sections within the guild. In other territories, where there are fewer guild staff members, the procedures can usually be done at one counter.
ㅤUnlike the previous one, the receptionist for account registration was very kind and polite throughout the process.
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ㅤ”Are you aware that there is a fee and a maintenance fee for account registration?”
ㅤ”Yes, I’m aware.”
ㅤ”Do you have any other questions or concerns? Please feel free to ask if you have any.”
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ㅤI can see that there are various types of staff members when there are a lot of people.
ㅤ”Yay! I’m an adventurer now!”
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ㅤI desperately held back the urge to shout that at the entrance of the guild and quickly moved on to my next destination.
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ㅤ”Now! Let’s go buy some adventurer equipment!”