Silver Class Aspirations
The newlywed house in Sargadis (10)
“If it’s a Silver promotion, does that mean we have to take another test?” I asked the receptionist after collecting the reward from the designated request Dana had given me. It felt strange to see my wife’s money get split four ways after fees and deposited into my account. Almost like I was just paying fees to rack up achievements. Well, whatever. Last time I promoted to Bronze, the guild just handed me some random request they’d already taken and called it a test. But according to Professor Brammaton’s book, Silver class and above have official examinations.
My question made the receptionist look uncomfortable, as if she’d just received a complaint. “I’m sorry it seems like we’re making people take tests repeatedly in a short period. I understand it might be frustrating, but it’s guild alliance policy. Please bear with us.”
“I’m not complaining. I was just curious.”
Maybe word had spread from Carlyle? Once she realized I wasn’t overreacting, the receptionist relaxed. Or maybe it was just that tier-obsessed brats tend to get touchy before promotions.
“I’m glad to hear that. As for the test itself, the basics are the same as the Bronze promotion. The difference is that instead of completing a regular request, you’ll have to clear one specifically assigned by the guild.”
“The guild is giving out the request?” Larilura asked, curious. Franc didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was interested too. The receptionist glanced at me for permission to explain. I just shrugged.
“I only know the rough outline myself. Would you mind telling us?”
“Of course. This is the Silver class promotion request scheduled for the near future.”
Orc Subjugation
“It’s not just people who stock up on food before winter. This test is to eliminate orcs before any damage occurs,” the receptionist explained.
Of course, I didn’t buy it. She could’ve just said, “We’re too lazy to make new tests every time, so we’re making you do volunteer work.” Plenty of ordinary citizens looked down on adventurers, calling them the type who wouldn’t lift a finger until someone died, even when they were getting paid. Not entirely wrong, either. The guild probably cooked up these requests because if monsters wrecked a village, their high-paying clients would dry up. Win-win.
“Do the applicants form parties among themselves?”
“For this test, the guild will assign parties based on balance.”
“I see.”
For once, I actually had to think hard. The twenty-first-century Kang Bukho who used to chug cup ramen in five minutes and charge into promotion exams was long dead. “The promotion offer came at the right time, but it’s still a bit early.”
More precisely, it was early for my party members, not me. Our basic party was me, Franc, Tirsi, and Larilura—four people. The problem was that Larilura had only registered for the celebration party and was still Iron class. If I promoted, our party would become a mess of Silver, Bronze, and Iron—the deep-sea quartet.
“Having more than two rank gaps in the same party isn’t good.” If the party leader was Silver class but an Iron was tagging along? That Iron would never get credit for their achievements. I thought it was impressive enough that they were just carrying supplies through dangerous fights, but the Adventurer Guild Alliance rules said otherwise.
“Is this to prevent bus-riding?” Professor Brammaton’s book mentioned it too. In the past, people who piggybacked on higher-level requests used to get credit, but that stopped about ten years ago. Why? Because too many people were riding buses—otherwise known as “power-leveling”—and getting adventurer ranks way above their actual skill. Adventurer ranks were more like medals than company positions. A department head at a small company might treat a subcontractor’s assistant to coffee, but an Olympic medalist gets real respect from other athletes. That’s why the guild is always cautious about promotions. They can’t have some scrawny twig who looks like he’d snap in a fight strutting around with a medal he got carried for.
“Everyone’s skill is close to Silver level, but…” Franc, whose Pressure Stone had been high Bronze, had awakened her mana. Larilura with her Ring Ring 3.5 was terrifying even for me to fight—getting hit by that laser beam (physical) would hurt like hell even for me—and Tirsi was way past Bronze too.
“But regardless of actual skill, they’re all still Iron and Bronze on paper because of achievements.” I knew why the guild didn’t promote skilled adventurers easily. They were afraid people would get their license and run off to better-paying places, and if a high-ranking adventurer caused trouble, it would tarnish the guild and the alliance’s reputation.
After thinking that far, I asked the receptionist, “We can’t withdraw after applying, right?”
“Well… canceling is difficult because of the party assignment issue.”
“Figures. Ah, could you give us a moment to discuss?”
After telling the receptionist, we gathered together. Franc and Larilura immediately sat down in the familiar corner of the guild hall.
“Senior~. What was the problem with what you were just talking about~?” Larilura asked, swinging her legs on the chair.
I organized my thoughts and explained. “If I become Silver class, there won’t be any point in us operating as a party anymore.”
Taking Bronze class requests after getting Silver would look bad too. What kind of asshole reaches level 100 and then goes to low-level hunting grounds to sweep up quests?! No one likes a freeloader in any world. Doing too many requests below your rank tanks your evaluation. The only exception was Bronze-class adventurers helping out on Iron-class subjugation requests. If I kept snatching easy Bronze requests that didn’t match my skill, I’d end up on the promotion blacklist. Just like some staff sergeant who gets caught embezzling and never makes first sergeant, stuck at the glass ceiling for the rest of his career.
After I explained, Franc spoke up. “It’ll be hard to promote at the same time like last time, right? There’s a huge gap in our achievements compared to Nord.”
“It’s true, but it doesn’t make me happy to say it. That’s how it turned out.” The Black Mage Countermeasure Alliance incident. Accidentally blowing up Ada Unicorn’s golem and taking his head. Those two probably counted for a lot. If there was a special promotion system, they might’ve offered me Gold class from the start. The feeling that once I got Silver, Gold wouldn’t be far behind.
Larilura nodded and gave a cheeky smile. “Senior? Don’t hold back~? If I’m getting in the way, I can work alone until I get Bronze♡?”
“It’s not really that. The achievements from the tower exploration request should be in, so if you just clear a few more requests, you’ll hit Bronze.”
We had split the success credit from the designated request that came from the archaeological research institute (=Dana) among the party members. Larilura would only need a few more achievements to take the promotion test.
“Even so, she still can’t take Silver class requests.” It was a Silver 1 and Bronze 3 combination, so the belly button would be bigger than the stomach. Since there were more Bronzes than Silvers, the guild wouldn’t approve it.
While I was trying to figure out a solution, Franc raised her hand. “Nord? I was thinking—if I just build up enough achievements to promote with you, that would solve it, right?”
“Huh? Ah, yeah. That’s the immediate problem. Larilura will hit Bronze pretty fast anyway.”
“That’s a relief. Then, what if Larilura takes Iron-class subjugation requests and I join as a helper?”
“Helper?”
The moment I asked, I understood. It was the same thing Tirsi had done during the sewer reconnaissance request.
“Oh, that’s a good idea.”
With that method, Franc and Larilura could move together. It meant they wouldn’t have to go on dangerous requests with people whose skills or personalities they didn’t trust. These two could handle Iron-class requests in their sleep. Considering Franc’s detection ability, they could probably manage Bronze-class requests too, unless there was some crazy wall-piercing bug leader. Even before Franc could use mana, she and I had taken down hop goblins as a duo.
Seeing my positive reaction, Franc continued. “And maybe the guild’s implicit evaluation of me is still ‘the kid who got achievements thanks to Nord’?”
“Haha. I doubt it. Still, it’s a solid plan.”
While we were roughly hashing out the plan, Larilura looked like she couldn’t follow the conversation. She had that look of an insider who’d been left out, glancing around for a chance to ask, so I explained.
“When Iron class takes subjugation requests, a Bronze has to be attached. If Franc volunteers as a helper on the requests you take, you two can keep partying together and building achievements until you promote to Bronze.”
“Ah, so that’s what you meant! But wouldn’t that mean Sister Franc is taking a loss by helping me?”
“No. Volunteering as a helper improves the guild’s evaluation of you, so it’s beneficial for me in the long run too.”
“Iron-class requests don’t pay well, so there aren’t many volunteers. If you succeed in about three, they’ll offer you a promotion, so just hang in there until then.”
I said that, then whispered to Franc.
—But Franc, are you okay physically?
—Because of your period? Hehe, don’t worry. I don’t get condition fluctuations easily. It’s a bit unpleasant, though.
—R-really? That’s good.
I was an otherworld macho who couldn’t think of a comeback to a smiling face. What did otherworld sanitary products look like? The expensive ones might be better than Earth’s thanks to magic. This was a world where magic surpassed twenty-first-century Earth’s science in some fields.
Then Larilura spoke. “Let’s say I promote quickly. What about you in the meantime, Senior?”
“Me? I’ll practice spear techniques and help Tirsi build achievements on days she doesn’t have work.”
And earn some money on the side. I swallowed the rest. To be honest, money was getting really tight. After buying the house, the ten silvers that used to come in at the end of the month now felt like pocket change. Nord inflation was no joke. I still needed to buy furniture for the house, make a mithril ring for Dana with what I had left, and prepare food for the housewarming party.
“Now I understand why twenty-first-century guys save up for marriage.”
Good thing there was no custom of handing out rice cakes in this world. Between buying the house and preparing for married life, the money that had seemed plentiful melted away like sunscreen in summer. “Ah, shit. Now that I think about it, if we have a housewarming, we’ll have to send letters to the guild masters too.”
Connections were incredibly important in this world. They had been in reality too, but after coming to this world, my goal had gone from neighborhood veterinarian Mr. Kang to Nord, the dimensional travel research authority. Sending invitations to people like Tirsi was obvious, but I also had to check with the leaders of the city’s three major adventurer guilds. It would be nice if they sent back replies saying they were too busy and just included gifts.
Thinking that, I said, “I can delay my promotion request as much as possible, so let’s go with that plan for now. I’ll send a letter to Tirsi.”
“Okay. Larilura and I will take some requests too.”
While the two of them worked out their request plans, I borrowed the guild’s mail counter and wrote a letter to Tirsi first, asking if she wanted to come to the housewarming. I couldn’t exactly go ask her in person. If I asked her straight to her face, how could she refuse? That’s what letters were for.
If Tirsi and Franc both got Silver, we’d have three Silvers and one Bronze, so we could take Silver class requests with just our party. We couldn’t just laze around until Dana finished deciphering the map and finding the ruins anyway, especially when we were short on money.