The Ant Nest (1)
"Hey, young master! You really from Ariel Academy?"
A massive man with sun-bronzed skin stomped across the wooden floor, each heavy step making the boards groan. I wondered what he wanted. Was he looking for a fight? If he started mocking me for coming from a fancy school, things could get awkward. I'd hoped to keep a low profile while using the Adventurers' Guild. Getting a bad reputation on day one would make future visits uncomfortable.
But my worries were pointless. The giant of a man burst into a hearty laugh and clapped me on the shoulder with surprising friendliness.
"My little brother goes to Ariel Academy too! You know a guy named Varian? He's famous for taking first place in the combat practice exams—"
He was here to brag about his sibling. If his brother was in combat practice, that put him in his third year... which meant he had nothing to do with a first-year like me, who was still stuck in basic swordsmanship. I put on my best social smile and answered politely.
"Haha... I only just enrolled as a freshman, so I haven't heard of him yet."
"Huh? He's famous even among the first-years! Don't you have any friends, young master?"
"Afraid so. I don't have many friends, so I don't hear much gossip... Still, first in combat practice? He must be incredibly talented."
"Kahaha! Of course he is! He's got my blood in him, after all! You know your stuff, kid."
Wow. He folds like wet paper. What a simple man. Might as well butter him up a little more.
"Just looking at your impressive build tells me everything I need to know. Someone who's survived countless life-or-death battles? Of course his brother would be exceptional."
"Kahaha! Damn right! I'm a top C-rank adventurer, after all. If you don't know my name in these parts, you're basically a spy. I bring in pretty much every C-rank dangerous monster that gets posted!"
The big man dropped a heavy hand on my shoulder and continued.
"Young master—nah, little brother! I like you. I figured you'd be stuck-up like most nobles, but you're actually pretty decent. Real friendly type!"
"Haha, you're too kind. Our family hates those arrogant noble types as well."
"Man, if only the rest of those noble brats were half as good as you. Anyway! What's your name? I'm Victor."
"It's Sian."
"Sian, huh? If you ever need anything, just say the word! Welcome to the adventurer life, brother!"
After that final declaration, Victor gave my back a solid smack and returned to his table. The blow stung more than I expected—probably because of the sheer size difference. Still, it seemed I'd made a good first impression. That was a relief.
Yeah. You really do need to handle the social side of things. Just being good at your job isn't enough to earn people's affection. You have to balance work with relationships. That's how people who reach the top actually survive.
Right as that thought finished, the female clerk who'd been processing documents at the counter called out to me. It sounded like my adventurer registration was complete.
The card she handed me had my name—Sian—along with my starting rank of E, plus various personal details and an official seal. So I was officially an adventurer now. The E-rank stung a bit, but ranks could always be raised. Thanks to my knowledge from my previous life as a veteran player, I knew exactly how to grow strong quickly and climb the ladder fast.
Did I waste too much time?
I headed toward the request board on the wall. I couldn't forget why I'd come here. My goal was to earn enough money to eat well in the academy cafeteria. I scanned the numerous posted requests, looking for anything worthwhile.
...Nothing good.
No matter how I searched, decent E-rank jobs were hard to find. They were all things like searching for lost dogs or gathering herbs. If I took these low-paying, low-effort requests, I'd have to complete at least two per day just to afford decent meals. But I didn't have that kind of time to spare.
I looked higher up at the D-rank requests.
Even as an E-rank adventurer, taking higher-ranked requests wasn't forbidden. The ranks existed to help people gauge danger properly, not to strictly limit what you could accept. If you had the ability, you could clear higher requests and raise your rank faster. Of course, biting off more than you could chew could easily get you killed.
So I examined the postings carefully. One request soon caught my eye.
Great Tortoise Subjugation Request.
Among D-rank monsters, the Great Tortoise had relatively low combat ability. Its only real threat was its incredibly tough shell, which made subjugation difficult. That was why it was ranked D instead of E, from what I remembered.
The Great Tortoise's tendons are tough and flexible—perfect for bowstrings. Its meat is also high in protein and very popular.
The reward was substantial because of the high demand—one full month of academy cafeteria meals. This is the only decent one... I looked for other low-risk D-rank jobs, but there weren't any.
Should I take it? In the game, a single sword strike would have been enough to drop a Great Tortoise, but...
Hmm.
Since I'd already faced higher-ranking ogres, this should be manageable. There weren't any better D-rank requests, and the E-rank ones were all terrible. ...Let's do it.
I tore the request sheet from the board and brought it to the counter.
"I'd like to take this request."
"Huh?" The clerk gave me a puzzled look. "Are you sure? You just became an adventurer and you're already going after a D-rank request..."
I didn't know what to say. If any variables came up, I'd abandon the quest without hesitation and run.
"It's fine. This one, please."
"Understood. Have you finished forming your party?"
"No. I'll be going alone."
That was when it happened.
"Sian! You're going after a Great Tortoise?!"
Victor, who'd been drinking with his companions, stood up from his table again and walked over with heavy steps.
"Yes. I was planning to head out tomorrow."
"Haha, you sure about that? Even if it's the weakest D-rank monster, it's still D-rank. I don't know how confident you are in your skills, but going solo sounds rough."
"If it gets too dangerous, I'll just run away midway."
"Tsk! Running away? That's no way for a man to talk—!"
Victor then shouted toward his companion, who appeared to be a mage.
"Hey, Andrei! Any spots left in the Giant Ant party?!"
His companion answered immediately.
"We could use one more escort!"
"What kind—? Frontline escort?!"
"No! We need a rear guard to support the mage's casting!"
"Kahaha! Perfect! Rear support is exactly what we need!"
Victor turned back to me.
"Sian! How about joining our party for a bit? We're heading into the Ant Nest Labyrinth to hunt Giant Ants in two days. Since you'd just be guarding the mage, you shouldn't face much danger! We're splitting the profits four ways right now, but if you join it'll be five. What do you say?!"
A sudden offer. Giant Ants were easily three times more dangerous than a Great Tortoise. But... it was a C-rank adventurer party with four members. That would be much safer than hunting a Great Tortoise alone. The profit split sounded small at first, but taking down upper C-rank Giant Ants meant there would be plenty to go around. I'd probably earn twice as much as I would soloing the tortoise.
There was no need to think twice. I should accept. Like I thought—good social skills really pay off. Look at this great opportunity falling into my lap.
"I'd be incredibly grateful. If you'll have me, I'll definitely pull my weight!"
"Alright! Then it's settled. We'll meet at the entrance to the Lianna Empire two days from now, right before sunrise! We'll be waiting!"
The next day was my last free weekend.
I went to the academy administrative office and submitted a field training application to extend my break and skip classes. I'd written a carefully balanced mix of truth and lies as my reason.
"Here it is."
I handed the document to the administrator in charge. I was currently fifteen years old and only a first-year student. If the academy found out I was going after upper C-rank Giant Ants, they'd lose their minds. Ariel Academy was famous for prioritizing student safety. If too many deaths occurred, the school would take a major hit, so they obviously wouldn't approve something this dangerous.
That's why I'd written that I was going to do adventurer work, but listed it as a D-rank request.
"Yes, confirmed."
The administrative staff accepted my form and completed the approval. I bowed politely and headed straight back to the dormitory. I needed to polish my armor and sharpen my sword blade for tomorrow's subjugation request. I'd also need to buy plenty of healing potions on the way. Even a veteran five-person party could run into unexpected trouble.
This was the world of Ariel, after all. The high degree of freedom and detailed adventure elements also meant a high character death rate. I had to keep every possibility in mind. This world was reality for me now. I had no idea what would happen if I lost my life here carelessly.
With those thoughts in mind, I continued developing contingency plans even after returning to the dormitory, never letting my guard down until the moment I fell asleep.
And then the decisive day arrived in what felt like the blink of an eye.
It was the exact moment just before sunrise, when night and morning met. I arrived at the entrance to the Lianna Empire, heavily armed and far more cautious than usual. Waiting there were the mage I'd seen at the guild yesterday, Victor standing with his arms crossed in a relaxed pose, and two others I hadn't met before—a swordsman and an archer. They stood beside a carriage, clearly waiting for someone.