Chapter 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Adventurer License and Troop Recruitment Application (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Strolling along and admiring the city's street trees, I reached the recruitment office in no time.
Monster Wave Defense Troop Recruitment Office
A floating panel with elegant lettering still hovered beside the building.
I passed the panel and entered the building.
- Minimum Requirements: E-Class Adventurer or higher, or Grade 2 Mercenary or above
The conditions were posted next to the counter.
I hadn't met them, so I'd registered as an adventurer and rushed to get promoted to E-Class.
Now with no reason to hesitate, I strode confidently toward the counter. A woman who looked like a receptionist smiled and approached me.
"Hello~. Here to apply for troop recruitment?"
"Yes."
"In that case, please come this way and fill out the forms first~."
The counter area still had quite a few people, but fewer than at the adventurer's guild.
Following the staff's guidance, I filled out the forms and was able to sit at the counter without even drawing a number ticket.
"Hello. May I have the forms, please?"
"Here you go."
Name, age, occupation, and so on.
Filling out the forms wasn't difficult. It was similar to the adventurer application.
The staff member took the paper and checked each item I'd filled in one by one.
"You're an adventurer! Could you also submit your adventurer card?"
"Sure, here it is."
"Thank you~."
The counter staff took my adventurer card and placed it on a wooden surface etched with a magic circle. When the circle glowed blue, she beamed.
"Verified! You're Adventurer Yujin, right?"
"Yes."
"Please wait just a moment~."
Neat trick.
They must engrave specific mana and spells on the card for verification. I had no idea how it worked, but it sure felt modern.
Anyway, once they confirmed I was an E-Class Adventurer, things proceeded smoothly. No extra checks—it went right through.
The female staff asked the usual questions, and I mostly just said "yes."
"Oh, you missed one thing. You need to specify your enlistment rank. Since you're E-Class, general soldier rank is fine, right?"
Right before approval, the staff looked at me and asked.
I tilted my head.
"General soldier rank?"
Enlistment rank?
What was that?
Noticing my confusion, she explained right away.
"Oh, we divide recruits by their combat prowess. The ranks are general soldier, knight, and captain. Three levels."
She continued.
"General soldier is for E-Class Adventurers or higher, or Grade 2 Mercenaries or above. Knight rank is for C-Class Adventurers or higher, or Grade 1 Mercenaries or above. Just put down the rank matching your strength, Yujin."
Got it.
I think I understood.
"If you have strength matching your class, go with general soldier. If you're stronger than your class—like C-Class or above, or Grade 1 Mercenary level—then knight rank."
She handed the paper back to me.
"Of course, applying for a higher rank than your occupation triggers a verification process to confirm your strength. It's for proper troop placement, so please understand."
I nodded.
'General soldier or knight...'
After some thought, I asked the staff.
"What about captain rank?"
"Pardon?"
"Can I apply for captain rank?"
General soldier or knight? I could crush either easily. What I wanted to know was the top rank.
Captain rank.
That had to be the key.
The staff hesitated, then answered.
"Uh... well, captain rank is for top-tier A-Class or S-Class Adventurer-level strength. Basically, someone who could flawlessly handle a knight order captain's duties..."
Her expression said, 'It's not for regular folks, so I didn't mention it...'
Yeah, makes sense.
Then it's captain rank, no question.
I checked captain rank and handed the paper back.
"Ah..."
The staff took the paper, looking a bit flustered. Her face mixed confusion and concern.
They divided applications this way to assign roles by strength.
She'd said it was for accurate placement, so captain rank was my only shot at working with Lady Knight Rei.
The staff hemmed and hawed before asking me.
"Um, are you sure we should process it like this?"
"Yes."
"Pardon my rudeness, but... if this is a joke, it'll be trouble. Not for us, but for you, Yujin."
Her tone had grown serious. I replied firmly.
"It's fine. Process it as is."
"Hmm..."
She trailed off, then spoke again.
"As I mentioned, applying higher than your occupation means verification. It'll happen soon, and... you might have a bad experience."
Worry laced her voice. She really thought I was joking.
Fair enough—an early-20s E-Class Adventurer claiming top A- or S-Class strength? Natural reaction.
"Not a joke. Do it as is."
I showed no sign of backing down.
"Uh... alright. Understood."
She fidgeted, then nodded in resignation. She stood, fetched a card from somewhere, and handed it to me.
"This is."
"A card issued only to captain-rank applicants. It allows one entry to 'Cristia Earl's Castle' for the exam. Knight-rank exams are handled jointly with the adventurer's guild, but captain rank is beyond our judgment, so you must take it at the castle yourself."
Aha.
Makes sense—they couldn't evaluate top A- or S-Class at a recruitment office.
Even becoming A-Class required a strength test before guild executives.
I nodded vigorously.
"So I just go now?"
"Yes. Please take the exam within a week. The Monster Wave is approaching..."
"Got it."
"Oh, and here's a paper with precautions and notes. Please read it."
"Okay."
I took the card and paper, stood, thanked the staff, and left the recruitment office.
From her reaction, she clearly didn't think I had S-Class strength.
Just some overconfident fool challenging captain rank. Probably not the first.
But it didn't matter.
'An exam.'
Whatever it was, I'd pass easily.
Better yet, an opportunity. This card granted one official entry into the heavily guarded earl's castle.
'Time to plant root tentacles inside.'
No telling when I'd get another chance—better corrupt the grounds now.
Cristia was a thriving metropolis, but fantasy-style: civilian 'city' separate from the noble 'earl's castle.'
A huge wall in the city center, castle beyond. Only staff or special business allowed entry.
'A week, she said. Head there tomorrow or the day after for the exam.'
Wonder if I'd run into Rei inside.
I skimmed the paper from the staff, stowed the card in my storage tentacle, and checked the time.
5 PM.
I could head back to Luna's Yawn Shelter for dinner with Sera and Seri, but I wanted to see my wives more.
'I told Sera and Seri I might be late anyway.'
They'd manage dinner fine.
I headed back to Eldora's General Store.
I'd gifted Bianca clothes, so I needed new ones for Eve.
While buying Eve's outfit, I stocked up on magic stones too.
'This should do.'
Hina, the dungeon guardian spirit, had no form and wasn't my wife yet, so no gift for her.
The magic stones would upgrade the dungeon—gift enough for her.
"Thank you! Come again! Safe travels!"
Big spender again—they saw me off royally.
I stored my purchases in the storage tentacle and slipped into an empty alley.
'Perfect.'
I focused, preparing to teleport via the root tentacles planted in the dungeon.
Woooong—
Closing my eyes and willing the teleport, a map unfolded in my mind. The continent map, with root tentacle locations marked.
Pick a spot, and I could teleport there.
'Wait, what if only my body teleports?'
The thought hit me.
I was wearing clothes.
What if they stayed behind, and I arrived naked?
'Gotta test it.'
I stripped, stored the clothes, and tried teleporting in just my underwear.
Woooong—
'Oh, it brings clothes too.'
Flexible system—teleported me with what I wore.
I arrived in the dungeon in my underwear.
"Whoa."
Looking around, nostalgia hit.
This eerie, chilling air.
The dungeon vibe dwarfed Cristia's bustle.
Still the residential area—not as oppressive as the assault zones, but spooky all the same.
As the dungeon's master, though, the chill came with surging power from within.
Dungeon stat boosts in effect.
'Wonder how the wives are.'
Energy overflowing, I trudged through the residential forest.
Root tentacles at the far edge—quite a walk to the central mansion.
Pondering how to reveal my human form, something pinged my detection range.
'Hm? Oh.'
It was my wives, Eve Seraphia and Piona.
Thought they'd be at the mansion, but they were chatting in the forest like me.
"Sis, what do you think? Wouldn't Rumang trees look great here?"
"Yeah, I think so too. We could line the whole path with them."
"Oh, that'd be so neat and cool."
Odd pair, but they were planting tree saplings together.
Getting along so well...
As their husband, it warmed my heart.
Thrilled, I hurried over to them.