Chapter 3

# Chapter 3: Bern – The Red-Headed Adventurer

The strength of public authority and the flourishing of the adventurer industry are in inverse proportion.

If the country is functioning smoothly and soldiers maintain stable public order, the occupation of adventurer has no room to make a significant contribution.

Dangerous monsters are regularly hunted by the army, and criminals who disrupt order are beaten by the guards, so adventurers aren’t necessary.

In fact, adventurers are rather a hindrance.

It’s a difficult-to-control armed group that follows their own rules within the borders.

In this sense, the Kingdom of Virka was a great place for adventurers to operate.

In short, it was a country where the royal family and the government were complete messes.

The king and court nobles were indulgent in pleasure, selfish, and neglected their duties to the nation, with most regional lords, save for a few exceptions, not faring much better.

Development rather than stability. Reform rather than conservatism.

It’s easier to collude and stick together than to struggle in competition and ambition with others.

Naturally, public order gaps formed and the adventure guild system developed to fill these voids.

Balladeers sing, “The land of adventurers.”

Dreamers who seek instant wealth and high renown from overseas flock into the country and knock on the doors of adventure guilds, and unfortunately for the guild, a significant portion of them are rookies.

“Wait, sewer rat extermination? Are you saying I came all this way just to catch some rats? Show me a proper request!”

A whiny person who wants high-reward requests despite no track record.

“Hey, the compensation was supposed to be two silver pieces! Why are you giving me five copper coins?! Because I broke the leg of a village youth while drunk?! No, that was because he was showing off!”

A hooligan who gets angry after receiving a penalty for their own trouble.

“This body here is on friendly terms with Lord Zens. Got it?”

A braggart claiming a close relationship with someone of high status.

“Fft! So you think you can walk all over us because we’re being nice? How dare you act so arrogantly in front of me?! What? Let it go! No? Aaaaaaah! Aaaargh!”

A fraud who spits on the guild floor unaware of their own strength, making baseless threats and ends up getting beaten by guild guards.

Every day brings a new parade of terrible people, and the stress levels of the guild clerks rise each day. Some even go so far as to view adventurers as criminals.

It’s not entirely wrong given that a significant number of adventurers are former or potential criminals.

The face of adventure guilds. In a harsh and tough industry, these are the flowers that bloom with their own trials.

“…So, you’re telling me I should take on the role of a clerk now?”

But, even so, isn’t this going a bit too far?

Blankah, a mid-level adventurer nearing her third year, stared at the woman in front of her with an expression of disbelief.

It was enough to show how much dissatisfaction and rejection she felt, but the secretary managing all the guild’s receptionists spoke without a single blink.

“Yes. Not too much, not too little, just a month should do. Velona will recover and return in that time.”

“No, if that’s the case, why not hire a new receptionist? Why me, an adventurer?”

“Five.”

“What?”

“The number of kids who’ve quit being receptionists because they couldn’t handle the reckless adventurers.”

The secretary sighed while smoking a pipe.

“Adventurers look down on receptionists who merely sit at desks and do paperwork. You need someone who can read and write, communicate without issues, maintain the guild’s reputation, and not be afraid to properly handle the adventurer’s outrageous demands. Do you know how rare those talents are?”

“I’m one of those adventurers, too.”

“That’s why it’s even better. You won’t end up like the other quitters who cry and can’t handle it anymore. Plus, you can write, speak with dignity, and you look pretty. You’re the perfect candidate for a receptionist.”

The secretary tapped the pipe on an ashtray.

“Anyway, I figure your situation isn’t great these days. Your favorite staff is broken, you need a new one, and you owe the guild money. You’ve got some credit thanks to your past performance, but there’s a limit to that too, you know.”

“Huh.”

Blankah swallowed.

The secretary’s words could have sounded like ‘This is our way of being considerate to you,’ but the timing of mentioning it was very clear.

If she refused, there would be no more consideration. In other words, they’d start collecting the principal from her like they would from everyone else.

At that moment, she realized she didn’t have much choice, and sighed deeply.

“…Alright. A month will do, right?”

“Right, right. The pay isn’t bad.”

-At least better than what you’re currently earning.

The unspoken words of the secretary resonated in Blankah’s ears as she found herself involuntarily frowning.

***

It was a frustrating situation for Blankah, but just as the secretary had said, she had a talent for being a receptionist.

“Yes, you need to return this item. We can’t accept these because they’re broken or damaged, please collect the remaining items.”

“What?! I’ve already collected the ten roots of the Qingming grass!”

“Of this, one is broken in half, another has too many branches torn off, and this one is thoroughly withered. Didn’t we explain that you need to uproot the roots carefully with the surrounding soil?”

“No, I never heard that!”

“Then that’s probably what you think. Anyway, five out of ten are defective, so we can’t accept them. Go back out and bring us the rest.”

“But I spent a whole day collecting these, and you expect me to waste another half-day on the same thing? At least give me half the payment!”

“We’re not a store, and we don’t bargain here. Leave quickly before we call the guild guards. Besides, you didn’t just collect roots; your other harvests will still give you some profit, right?”

“Tsk.”

Adventurer ranks range from the lowest 1 to the highest 7. Blankah was a veteran who had climbed to rank 3 from the bottom.

Considering over half of those who join the guild disappear before reaching rank 2, her standing was impressive.

She had tangible experience of how adventurers act, which tricks they use to exploit requests, what they dislike, and what they can endure. This experience was unmatched by any typical receptionist who only studies adventurers through theoretical knowledge.

She had sufficient courage to handle even mild threats and insults without flinching, and if necessary, she could subdue someone alone without calling in the guild guards.

The secretary was highly satisfied with her handling of tasks, and her fellow receptionists subtly showed they wanted her to stay on as a clerk.

As the coins filled her pocket at the end of each week, Blankah felt a very complicated mixture of emotions.

It wasn’t more than what she used to earn as a rank 3 adventurer.

However, unlike adventurers with irregular incomes, being a receptionist offered stability. Given that her main equipment had been broken during an incident and she was in debt, making her incapable of undertaking requests, the difference between the two roles struck her to the bone.

Maybe continuing as a receptionist isn’t bad at all.

No, it’s actually the wiser choice.

Adventurers gain little as they grow older; they just get older without real gains. But if you become a guild employee, you can aim for higher positions within the organization in the future.

Didn’t the secretary who hired her fall into that category?

Knowing that, Blankah couldn’t easily make a decision.

While her rationality urged her to face the reality, the goal lingering deep in her heart wouldn’t let her go.

“Hm…”

Then, one day…

A young man appeared in Blankah’s sights. This was precisely when her temporary contract had 10 days left.

He was seemingly in his late teens.

With his striking red hair and bright, curious gaze as he looked around the guild, he stood out.

Clearly a prospective adventurer. And at various points, amused smirks rippled through the crowd.

Whether these were looks of fondness or mockery, the young man seemed oblivious. With determination, he approached the reception desk where Blankah sat and asked,

“How do I become an adventurer?”

“Hmm…”

Blankah surveyed him once more.

A simple and agile leather armor, and a rudimentary iron sword—no elaborate decorations.

Compared to the cheapest equipment one could buy at a shop—layered cloth armor and a well-polished wooden staff—the young man’s gear was somewhat decent.

In other words, he wasn’t someone who had come as a last-ditch effort with nothing. Instead, he had arrived after some preparation.

Considering his pleasant appearance…

“…Hm. Maybe from a noble family or the third son of a wealthy merchant household?”

With a quick assessment, Blankah asked the young man,

“To register as an adventurer, you need five coppers. Do you have them?”

Silently, the young man produced the coins, and Blankah picked up her pen and paper.

Since many adventurers cannot read or write, the system was designed for the receptionists to handle the paperwork on their behalf.

“Name?”

“Bern”

“Place of origin?”

“A village in the southern frontier of the Iceern Empire.”

“Do you know the village’s official name?”

“They didn’t use a specific name within the village, and I don’t know what the locals called it.”

Not uncommon, though also not rare.

From the start, many fib about their places of origin, so the guild doesn’t delve into such details.

“Skills?”

“I’m decent with the sword.”

“Hunting experience?”

“I caught some rabbits along the way here. Does that count?”

Amused laughter erupted from some prankster adventurers hiding around the edges of the guild.

“Ah, rabbits! Terrible enemies indeed—when turned into stew, they’ll make any brave adventurer fall asleep with a full belly!”

“Maybe not as bad as the guy who boasted about slaying huge wolves but piddled himself and ran when actually hunting!”

“At least it’s honest. That’s a virtue!”

The young man didn’t get annoyed by the mockery.

Instead, his gaze remained curious, almost like he was observing something fascinating.

Blankah sighed.

“Never mind them. If you respond to everything they say, you’ll never survive as an adventurer.”

“Oh, understood. Actually, I find it kind of amusing.”

“……?”

A strange and puzzling answer, but Blankah proceeded asking,

“You’re now a rank 1 adventurer. Starting from now, you can officially accept requests, and when judged to have achieved sufficient results, you’ll receive a rank 2 promotion, along with an adventurer badge. Any other questions?”

“Are there any requests I can take on right now?”

“Drain cleaning, weeding, and cargo arrangement in the warehouse. Choose one.”

As she said this, Blankah inwardly anticipated the tedious feelings she always experienced.

Most rookie adventurers resisted at this very moment.

Dirty, hard, and menial tasks, with pitifully meager rewards.

The rookies who had been lured by the grand, embellished tales of adventurers from traveling bards couldn’t accept their own reality when asked to handle such trivial tasks.

Particularly those who prided themselves on their abilities reacted even worse.

Therefore, Blankah was mentally preparing to persuade the young man, but—

“I’ll do the warehouse arrangement.”

“…Eh?”

“The warehouse arrangement.”

“Oh, uh, ah, right. Go outside from the guild building and keep going west until you see a gray wall building. Find the man with a burn mark on his arm there and do exactly what he asks. Just remember to bring back your completion mark.”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, the young man casually left towards the warehouse.

The onlookers, expecting a quarrel between the naive adventurer and the receptionist, complained that this newcomer lacked spirit but quickly lost interest and moved onto other gossip. They’d probably keep chatting until an interesting request came in.

Blankah, feeling slightly perplexed, shrugged her shoulders.

Anyway, it was a good thing that the newcomer followed the instructions.

And about thirty minutes later…

“Hello there.”

“Eh? What is it? Did you quit already?”

“No, I’ve finished. Here’s the mark.”

“?????”

Bern proudly showed his completion mark after finishing what usually took no less than two hours, sometimes extending to half a day.

Blankah’s mind was filled with question marks.

And as the young man named Bern disappeared out the guild doors, the chatter of the guild faded, and Blankah found herself, at least this time, satisfied with a smooth and efficient day at work.