"Oh, this is pretty expensive...!"
I was climbing the Clock Tower, a recommended spot by Shelly.
I wonder if it’s about a hundred meters tall? I’m currently right below the clock face, and the area around me is made of glass so I can see everything around.
The Clock Tower, built during the time of the first Grand Duke, was renovated about a hundred years ago and took its current form. It seems to be taller than it originally was.
The observatory has a diorama of the city, and it’s detailed down to the smallest parts. It’s said to be based on a version made by the second Grand Duke, which gets improved every year. It’s kind of odd for a king to make something like this.
"Over here is the 'Academy,' and over there is the 'School,' huh..."
The 'Academy' and the 'School' were located on opposite sides of the city, east and west.
'Brunhild Machinist Academy' is to the east, and our 'Babylon Machinist Girls' Academy' is to the west. The locations almost seem like they’re competing against each other.
The 'Academy' is much older, so they probably chose this spot for our 'School' to challenge it.
The reason for founding 'Academy-uchi' seems like a royal whim, so maybe they chose this location thinking, 'We won’t lose!' Well, I understand the sentiment.
After thoroughly enjoying the view from the Clock Tower, I decided to stroll along the main street.
There was a Clock Tower ornament on sale as a souvenir, and I was a little tempted, but money is tight, so I resisted.
Ah, right, I should visit the Adventurers’ Guild.
Even if I can’t take on any requests today, it wouldn’t hurt to at least check out what they have. I should see how much I could earn. And while I’m at it, I should withdraw some money too.
Thinking that, I opened my smartphone map, confirmed the location of the Adventurers’ Guild, and turned onto a street that crosses the main road.
As soon as I turned the corner, I saw the Adventurers’ Guild sign from a distance. The emblem with a shield, crossed by a sword and staff.
Inside the guild, there was a large reception area in front, a bulletin board to the left, and a tavern to the right.
Though it’s called a tavern, they don’t serve alcohol until the evening, and it functions as a dining area during the day. It’s the usual type. There weren’t any drunks around.
The Brunhild branch of the Adventurers' Guild was less crowded than I expected. It was probably because it was just past noon, but it seemed like most of the adventurers had already gone out.
"Let’s see, what kind of requests do they have..."
I went over to the bulletin board and checked the requests posted there.
Blood Liger fur, Fire Lizard fangs... These are all subjugation requests. They must be the monsters on the dungeon island accessible via the transfer gate.
Hmm, the ones posted seem to be high-difficulty tasks... Well, that’s probably why they’re still up.
How about the regular requests? These should be ones that are always available and have remained posted.
"Herb gathering, fruit picking, rabbit meat delivery, iron ore delivery, one-horned wolf, goblin subjugation..."
There are a few requests here that could bring in some decent money. Subjugation or herb gathering would pay well...
Wolf and goblin subjugation requests could be doable, but if they come in groups, it might be difficult to handle alone. Herb gathering, though, I’m not familiar with the locations around here, so I would have to start from scratch. I probably won’t find much on my first day. If I keep looking, though, I might find a good spot by chance...
"Oh, here’s a work request."
Work requests are mostly part-time jobs within town.
Painting walls, fixing leaks, weeding gardens, cleaning houses, hauling goods, helping with moving...
They don’t really seem like adventurer work, but if I want to earn money safely, this would be a more reliable choice. Though, the pay is low.
"I guess I could do weeding or cleaning... A daily wage of five copper coins... It’s not much, but maybe I should start with this."
Well, I’m not doing it today. I’ll probably start once school begins and things settle down.
"Hey, hey, what’s a kid like you doing here?"
I turned around at the rude voice, and four men entered the guild through the entrance.
They were wearing obvious adventurer gear, but all of them had red faces and smelled strongly of alcohol. Even from a distance, I could smell it. They must have been drinking somewhere before this.
"If you wanna play, go somewhere else! You’re just bothering us, kid!"
"We’re not here to play! Don’t get in our way!"
"Huh?"
I got a little irritated at the rude adventurers.
Work? What part of getting drunk in broad daylight is considered work?
"I’m looking for work too. Unlike some drunks, I’m actually trying to do something productive."
I pulled out my adventurer card from my wallet and deliberately showed it to the drunks.
"Huh!? Green rank!?"
"This kid’s the same rank as us!?"
"Where’d you steal that from!?"
"Is it fake!? Faking a guild card gets you sent to the slave trade!"
They all shouted whatever came to their minds.
I ignored the drunks, walked over to the counter, and showed my adventurer card to the cat-girl receptionist.
"I’d like to withdraw five silver coins, please."
"Uh... Yes. Nero Silhueska, welcome to Brynhild."
The receptionist held up my card to the magic device on the counter.
The display showed my face and personal information, confirming my identity. Without any issues, five silver coins were withdrawn from my account and laid out in front of me.
I took the silver coins and turned to give the drunks a smug look.
"You shouldn’t judge adventurers by appearances. I’ve heard it’s the ones with thinking like yours that die first."
"You little brat! Keep talking like that, and I’ll make you regret it!"
One of the drunks swung his right fist at me.
I had provoked them, but seriously, going after a kid like this... This guy’s finished.
I stepped into the man’s reach and delivered a swift body blow to his solar plexus.
"Ugh...! Ugh, ahhh...!"
"Gross!?"
I narrowly avoided the man as he collapsed forward, vomiting. That was close!
That was bad! That was really bad! The body blow was the worst! It stinks! Ugh, this is the worst!
"You bastard! What the hell did you do!?"
"I just hit back because you came at me. Did I do something wrong?"
If someone’s going to hit me, they have to make the first move. That’s what my master taught me. Yeah, I’m not in the wrong.
"You're messing around!"
"I'll kill you, damn it!"
"Die, you little brat!"
The three of them drew their weapons and attacked all at once. This is a hassle. Let’s finish this quickly.
"[Boost]"
A non-elemental magic [Boost]. It’s one of my personal enhancement spells.
I dodge one of the thug adventurers rushing at me, strike him in the jaw, and then deliver a spinning back kick to the one behind him.
The last one receives a hand strike to the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Thud, thud, thud—the three of them collapse. Hmph, that’s that.
Suddenly, I notice the few people still in the guild staring at me in shock. Huh? Did I go too far...?
"Uh, um... this was self-defense, right?"
Feeling uneasy, I timidly ask the receptionist. At least at the Elfrau Adventurers’ Guild, this would be fine, but would it be different here in Brunhild?
"Huh? Ah, yes, that’s right. The four of them attacked first, so this is definitely self-defense. Additionally, any use of weapons in the guild for harmful actions is heavily penalized, no matter if they were drunk or not. Unfortunately, they’ll definitely have their rank reduced."
I let out a relieved sigh at the receptionist's explanation. Thank goodness, it seems I won’t face any penalties.
As I’m relaxing, a group of strong-looking men come from the back of the guild and drag the four drunks away somewhere.
The receptionist, making a disgusted face, uses a cleaning magic tool to clean the floor.
"Uh... I’m sorry about all this..."
"No, no, it’s those men’s fault. Drawing weapons against a kid... It’s clearly their fault."
Well, that’s true, but I did provoke them...
"Still, you’re really strong for someone your age. Do you have any knowledge of martial arts?"
"Huh? Oh, well. There’s someone in my neighborhood who’s good at that, so I learned a little from them."
I give a casual response to the cat-girl receptionist. My master told me not to talk too much about him. He probably did something, like breaking out of jail or dining and dashing...
I don’t want people looking at me like I’m involved, so I’ll keep quiet...
I apologize again to the receptionist, then leave the Adventurers’ Guild.
Phew. Drunks are everywhere, huh... I just don’t get what’s so great about alcohol.
I start walking quickly, trying to shake off the smell of alcohol.
When I arrive at the Genbu Dormitory, the atmosphere is much livelier than in the morning. The lobby on the first floor is crowded with students, and it’s almost too noisy.
The upperclassmen must have come back. There are even students who look more mature than Shelly. Compared to yesterday, the number of students has increased fivefold, so it’s no surprise that it’s gotten noisy.
There are over two hundred students living in the Genbu Dormitory. I wonder if I’ll be able to get along with everyone...
I see a few new students holding large bags lined up in front of the dorm manager, Liora.
They must be new arrivals. They’re barely making it in time for the dorm check-in.
According to Carol, some students always miss the opening ceremony.
There’s no penalty for that, but it’s still a shame to miss out on the special occasion.
Tomorrow’s the opening ceremony. School is finally starting. I’m looking forward to it.
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