The Adventurers’ guild [Part 1/2]

The Adventurers’ guild [Part 1/2]

The Adventurers’ guild.

An organisation you could find in almost any area where people live.
It was founded by Lord Emeldia, who worshipped the creation god Anastasia, to prevent the neighbouring countries from intervening thus it was founded as a mercenary guild.
After Lord Emeldia established the Temple Knight Order, it was relieved of its duties but the  demand for mercenaries continued along with the never-ending wars between humans.
Before long the guild was divided between those that only lived as mercenaries, those that fulfilled the request from the people, and those without an employer who instead entered the ruins of the ancient civilisation making a living as treasure hunters.

The latter group split themselves from the guild and founded a new one.

It was the birth of the Adventurers’ Guild.

As the damage from monsters were increasing, the organisation was getting larger in the blink of an eye. Not only were they fighting alongside the mercenaries but they also fulfilled miscellaneous jobs which made them an important asset for the war exhausted nations and the people.

For the people this meant having a single place to look for to find people suitable for their requests.
For the nations, this meant not needing to dispatch their knights to prevent damage from the monsters.

Depending on the situation, the nations would also forward the people’s complaints to the Adventurers’ guild.

A place where groups of people with different abilities gathered - The Adventurers’ Guild.

Simorgh, the capital of the Empire of Lemurcil.
The Adventurers’ guild had branches in all cardinal directions of this gigantic city. And in front of one of them, the eastern branch which was a building with three floors, stood two tiny silhouettes.
A boy and a girl.
The boy was probably a bit older since he as a bit taller than the girl.
That being said, he was most likely under ten years old.
The boy pushed the doors and entered.

«So this is the Adventurers’ Guild…»

A large hall could be seen from the entrance.
In front was the reception desk where three staff members would support the guild members and the client.
To the right was ten round tables, each with six chairs. Further inside was a larger table with ten chairs. It was probably the dining area. The bulletin board could be found on the wall and the notes with the request details, plastered on it.
To the left was the stairs and a little door leading out of the guild.

The boy urged the girl clinging to his left arm to follow and lined up at queue for the reception disk in the center. The adventurers surrounding the desk further inside and the people who stood in the same line looked at the two children with in interest.

The Adventurers’ guild sometimes also employed children.
Those were either children of the adventurers or children from slums outside the capital.
Compared to pickpocketing or larceny, it provided a better occupation environment. Those from the slums could enter the Adventure guild, do odd jobs while saving up money.

There were sadly also many cases of lives being lost, limbs lost or injured however. However, a few lucky and rich ones could also be found.

I will make a name for myself as an adventurer—.

It may be a road in which few succeed, but there were countless of children with such a dream.
That’s why having children at the Adventure guild wasn’t something unusual. However—

The two children were especially young compared to the others.
The boy could still only be seen as a child dreaming of becoming an adventurer. His clothes were covered with patches, both shirt and trousers.
An appearance found common for children from the slums. The problem was the girl trying her very best to hide in his shadow.
As if she had jumped out from an illustrated fairy tale, she donned clothing which bystanders certainly will deem as being of upper class.
Right now she was showing a frightened and anxious to the onlookers gazing at her.
A lovely girl which made people think of how beautiful she could become in the future.

They gathered the interest from their surroundings while slowly moving up the line. Before long, they stood in front of the counter.

«Good day. Welcome to the Adventurers’ guild»

The young lady sitting behind the reception desk smiled at the two children who looked somewhat nervous.

(Must be a request from some noble’s or some company’s child I presume?)

The receptionist, Lilia, thought as she watched them.
From the way looks, she must be the daughter of a nobleman and the boy could then be one of her  servants, she deduced.

«Er, well, Onee-san. We want to become adventurers!»

«Eh? You came to register as an adventurer!?»

She unintentionally let out her voice in disarray.
She then stared at the faces of the two.
Leaving aside the boy, the girl was just high enough for her head barely visible behind the desk.
Even though the guild had a few of adventurers’ children joining, these two were too young.

«Well, how old are you two?»

«I am nine years old and she is 7 years old»

Lilia was at her wits’ end.
They were still too young.
Even for the children of the slums, the age when one could think of registering for the guild and earn income was at least 10 years.
For Lilia, this was the first time she have encountered a pair of children as young as them in her three years of service at the guild.

«What can I say… Just so you know, being an adventurer is a very dangerous job. Setting aside yourself, don’t you think it’s too early for the girl over there?»

Naturally, not all jobs were dangerous. However children could easily be distracted, especially the younger ones, and may very well not be able to finish their requests.
For the guild, trust was number one.
If they failed to do a request, they would lose some trust.
Furthermore—

(No matter how I think about it, this girl must be from some good family somewhere. Are they okay with her becoming an adventurer?)

She wouldn’t get abducted while tottering around in town right?
The girl put her hands behind his back, clinging even more to him, only her face was visible.

«It’s alright. We may look like this, but we are trained»

(No no, that’s not the problem)

She furiously shook her head in her mind.

«As I though, I’d better make them give up…)

At that time.

«What are you doing, Lilia-san?»

A voice could be heard from a young adventurer just entering the guild.

«Ow, aren’t those kids are from Mistletoe Inn?

«Paulatto-san, you know who they are?»

Paulatto was 18 years old and had recently moved up from being a beginner to a full seasoned adventurer.

«Yeah, I don’t think there are any adventurers using that inn as their base that doesn’t know about them»

A glad looking expression was visible on Paulatto’s face due to Lilia, who he admired, calling out to him.

(Even though that are still kids, are really strong you know?)

Waking up early in the morning due to his job, Paulatto would commute from an inn near his base and pass through the back lane of the Migratory Mistletoe Inn.
Due to that, he had seen the figures of two children swinging their wooden swords at each other in the back yard of the inn several times.
Early birds like those kids sure are great, he thought to himself the first time he saw them. However, when looking closer he was surprised by the sharp slashes and the control of their bodies.

(They may be even better that I am… no no, there’s no way!)

Lilia was looking puzzled at Paulatto shaking his head.

He suggested to Lilia.

«Ah, but just registering them shouldn’t be that much trouble right? Leaving aside the girl, this one here looks like he could do some jobs don’t you think?»

«Hmm, very well, can you write your names?»

«That’s fine»

There were many children from the slums who couldn’t write.
However, the boy received the form and smoothly filled his name on it.
It may be called filling in a form, but only the name and age was necessary.
Many adventurers didn’t have a base and filling any more wouldn’t mean much.

«Wynn Byrd, so it’s Wynn-kun then»

Scanning the received paper, she then pulled on her cuff.

«Leti will write too!»

Tip-toeing with all her might, the girl insisted.

«Eh well… Isn’t it a bit too early for you young lass?»

«I’ll write!»

Despite how she was hiding behind the boy, Wynn, up until now, she suddenly started to pull his sleeve even harder, her face turning bright red.

«Onee-san, Leti and I have trained together so it’s okay»

Lilia thought it couldn’t be helped and went to get another form and handed it out to the girl who called herself Leti.

«Can you write?»

«I learned from Onii-san»

She clumsily wrote «Leti» on the form.

«Okay, please wait a moment please?»

Lilia breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.
Then she took out a card made from metal from the locker and handed one to each of them.

«That’s the registration card. It also has the Simurgh Adventurers’ Guild Eastern Branch Member and your registration number written on it. It also works as an ID so make sure to not lose it»

After that, Lilia explained about the guild’s jobs to the children in an easy way for them to understand.

Starting out as a beginner, one couldn’t take requests from the billboard, instead they had to do requests for the guild instead.
When one is recognised later on, taking requests from the billboard becomes possible, but they still need the approval from the guild.
The registration card could also be used as an ID.
For adventurers of uncertain residence, the registration card would function as a proof of one’s identity, but in the rare cases of crime or by discrediting the guild, compensation will be demanded. Depending on the severity, assassins may be sent out too.

(I wonder, do these children really understand it?)

Beside Wynn who was making a difficult face while nodding, Leti was making clueless face, mimicking Wynn and nodded from time to time.

(These children don’t understand at all indeed)

She was convinced.

 «Let’s make you do some easy work for the time being»

After the explanation ended, she took out the account book with job details and spread it in front of the two.