The Guild

The sun had already reached its zenith. It was likely around noon.

Cackle!

"No, so back then I—"

"Ah! Does that even make sense?!"

"If you don't like it, pick better next time!"

The first-floor lobby of the inn was already packed with drunken mercenaries. Boisterous boasting echoed from all corners, and in a corner table, a group was busy gambling with cards.

Thud.

"Drink up," Vanderson grunted.

"...Thank you," I replied.

Vanderson spoke gruffly as he set down a mug of alcohol in front of me at the bar. The old man sitting beside me let out a hearty chuckle.

"Vanderson, I am truly fine. When else would I get to drink alcohol poured by your own hands?"

"Poured by my hands, my foot. I just scooped it out of the barrel."

"Same difference."

"..."

I quietly toyed with my mug. On the way back to the inn, I had explained the situation to the old man. He had patted my back with his trademark laugh, saying it was fine, but from Vanderson's perspective, it wasn't a pleasant situation.

When we arrived at the inn, Vanderson was waiting outside, having grown worried because we took much longer than expected. That was when he spotted me pulling the cart, with the old man walking beside me, casually sharing life advice.

Vanderson had asked what happened, and I ended up confessing everything. In truth, the distance from the inn to the village entrance wasn't that far. However, because I got lost, the delivery was delayed, and the old man—unaware of the circumstances—had ended up hauling the cart himself. In a way, I had made Vanderson look bad.

So that's why Vanderson is glaring at me like that.

I lifted the mug, which reeked of sour beer, and took a gulp.

Gulp.

"Kaaah..."

As the bitter, sour liquid burned down my throat, my brow furrowed involuntarily, and I let out a rough breath. The old man beside me smiled faintly at my reaction and asked,

"How is it? The taste of free alcohol after a hard day's work."

"...It's bitter."

"Is it? It doesn't taste sweet to you?"

"Not at all."

"You haven't suffered enough yet, then."

Gulp.

The old man's smile faded as he threw back his own drink in one shot.

"Old man, make this brat pull the cart from now on," Vanderson said. "He owes me anyway, so you can just think of him as an inn employee."

"Hmm, well, works for me."

"..."

He wasn't wrong. It was an undeniable fact that I owed him money, and on top of that, he was currently providing me with a room, which only added to my debt.

"Up we go. Well, I should get going."

"You're leaving already? You should rest a bit longer."

"I'm already late as it is, where would I find the time to rest? Just don't be late two days from now."

"You heard him, right? Don't be late in two days. I know you were slacking off on purpose."

"...Yes, sir."

I nodded as Vanderson glared at me.

Honestly, even if I claimed I got lost, it made no sense from Vanderson's perspective. The original owner of this body must have lived in this village for quite some time. Getting lost? It was absurd.

But for me, it had been years since I played this game. I hadn't even played ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it for very long, so it was only natural that I would get confused. And unlike in the game, there was no mini-map to guide me in this reality.

Of course, I had no intention of revealing the truth. If I did, they would just treat me like a madman.

Tring.

As I stood up to follow the old man, a familiar notification chimed in my head. A semi-transparent blue window materialized before my eyes.

"..."

What should have been a one-time chore had turned into a repeat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quest. In a way, it might seem like a good thing, but considering my growth potential, it wasn't efficient. It meant my feet would be tied down once every two days. Besides, "affinity recovery"? My affinity with him must have dropped because of today's blunder.

"Get going."

"Yes."

I wanted to use my Investigation skill on him to check his affinity and other information, but the activation conditions for Investigation were rather strict.

And to think, this was with the effects of my Genius of Investigation trait applied. Now I understood why it only cost 1 Point.

The old man gave a light wave as he stepped out of the inn. I closed the window and followed him.

Rumble...

I pulled the cart, walking through the village alongside the old man. We walked in silence for a while until the village entrance came into view in the distance. The old man finally spoke.

"Did you say your name was Ginyu?"

"Yes."

"I have a grandson about your age. But that brat is obsessed with gambling, booze, and women. His father risks his life working in the dungeons, and he's squandering all that blood money."

The old man furrowed his brow.

"So when I see kids like you, it reminds me of my grandson. It's not too late, so get your act together and find some proper work."

"...Yes, sir."

I nodded cautiously at his solemn tone and expression.

"...Good."

The old man's brow smoothed out, and a warm smile spread across his face. He let out his signature chuckle and continued.

"That fellow Vanderson is too soft-hearted for his own good. He's always nice to the good-for-nothings. He's been stabbed in the back more than a few times because of it. Frankly, you can't make any money working under him. There's nothing to be gained from a man with no ambition."

Though his voice was playful, he seemed to hold genuine affection for Vanderson.

Rattle... Clack.

Arriving near the entrance, we returned the rented cart and walked over to his carriage. It looked rather shabby, but it seemed sturdy enough. It had no door, covered instead by a thick canvas tarp. The old man brought over his horse, which had been tied nearby, and hitched it to the carriage. The horse looked old, but its leg muscles were robust; it looked like it could easily go another ten years.

"I suppose we'll be seeing each other often. Stay out of trouble and keep yourself healthy. Your body is your greatest asset!"

The old man flexed his thin arm, showing off a tiny, barely visible bicep. I let out a small chuckle at the sight.

"I'll keep that in mind. See you next time."

Hearty laughter.

He waved lightly, his laughter trailing behind him as he drove the carriage out of the village.

"..."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

NPCs in a game. Normally, they would be entities that repeated the same lines at the click of a button. Even if this game was a bit different, the overarching framework was still just a game. They were nothing more than tools required to progress the story. But now, they weren't.

They all breathed. They laughed, joked, and lived their lives in their own ways. To them, this place was reality. The weight of that truth hit me once again.

"..."

And the same went for me. In the end, this was no longer a game to me. I had to accept that this was my reality now.

To someone else, this might have been an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exciting adventure, but for me, anxiety came first. That was probably why I had been trying to escape it. But not anymore.

I watched the old man's receding figure before turning around.

"...I need to start making some real money first."

My entire fortune was 4 Copper Coins. My debt was 30 Silver and 10 Copper Coins. On top of that, there were the daily living expenses. In a medieval world like this, there was only one way for a penniless nobody to make money.

"Let's head to the Guild first."

Becoming a mercenary. Anyone could do it, and you earned as much as the effort you put in. Besides, being a mercenary didn't mean constantly fighting monsters or demons. In reality, there were plenty of menial chores. If I had to compare it to the real world, it felt like a day-labor agency.

I slowly made my way forward, retracing the layout of the Beginner Village from my memory.

The Outer Alley.

A starkly different landscape unfolded here compared to the bustling center of the village. The air was thick with the stench of alcohol, blood, and rotting monster carcasses. Drunks and actual corpses littered the streets. Most of the shops were taverns, inns, or brothels. Furthermore, the majority of the people walking the streets were mercenaries armed from head to toe, most of them carrying the carcasses of various monsters on their backs.

"...What are you looking at?"

"..."

Street vendors here consisted solely of mercenaries selling mana stones or monster carcasses. Perhaps that was why, from the moment I stepped into the alley, I couldn't help but feel instinctively intimidated.

If not for this skill, Calm Mind, which I had obtained through the Genius of Enlightenment trait, I probably would have bolted out of the alley right then and there.

"..."

No, actually, without it, I might still be cowering in my inn room, starving to death.

As I continued walking through the alley in search of the Guild, I ended up following a group of mercenaries carrying monster carcasses. Eventually, I stopped in front of the building they were entering.

"This is it."

At the end of the Outer Alley, a massive building that seemed entirely out of place loomed before me. It was wide enough to easily equal three or four normal buildings combined, and it boasted a height of over five stories. Hanging precariously in the center of the facade was a worn iron sign bearing a sword-and-shield insignia.

Seeing the building in person brought back memories of the game. After the tutorial, registering as a mercenary at the Guild was the very first thing to do. It was a nostalgic memory. Back then, I had just been scratching my belly while clicking away with a mouse.

"..."

Leaving my nostalgia behind, I pushed open the wooden door.

Creak...

The moment I stepped inside, a barrage of noise assaulted my ears.

"Hey! Give me back my money!"

"I told you, there were five goblins!"

"I'm telling you, this commission is too dangerous!"

The stench of alcohol, sweat, and sickening blood hung thick in the air.

...I miss the days when I couldn't smell things in games.

When playing games, I used to wish I could experience the game world for real. Swinging a sword, smelling the battlefield, gathering at a guild to eat roasted meat and drink from wooden mugs... Why on earth did I ever think that would be romantic? A place packed with unwashed mercenaries carrying rotting monster carcasses could never be pleasant.

True to its exterior, the inside was incredibly spacious. There were easily thirty to forty tables scattered around, with a massive bulletin board taking up one wall. On another side was a bar counter, and in a far corner, a reception window for selling carcasses and mana stones.

Just then, a woman carrying empty plates approached me.

"Hello. Is this your first time at the Guild?"

She smiled warmly, her pink bob swaying slightly. She had fair skin with a light blush, and a nose that was neither too flat nor too sharp. Her eyes curved gently when she smiled, giving her a very approachable and friendly impression. Overall, she was quite a charming woman.

Since I was just standing there looking around, she had likely realized at a glance that I was a newcomer.

"...Yes. I'd like to register as a mercenary."

I stared at her blankly for a moment before managing to speak.

Just then—

Tring.