Navigating the Guild
Warm sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the thin curtains.
"Ugh..."
A woman with a messy pink bob tossed and turned beneath her blanket. Her sleep-laden eyelids fluttered before finally, slowly, opening.
"...Morning again."
Staring blankly at the ceiling, she sighed and pulled the blanket back over her head.
This was the female staff dormitory on the fifth floor of the Guild. Though the room was quite spacious, it crammed in over ten beds. With everyone's belongings strewn about, there was barely any floor space to step on.
Creak.
The old bunk bed shook slightly as a voice drifted up from below.
"Tomika. Aren't you getting up?"
"...Five more minutes."
"You said that five minutes ago."
"Uggghhh..."
At the nagging of the older girl, Tomika finally kicked off her blanket and sat up. The other staff members in the room were already bustling about. Some were washing their faces, others were brushing their hair, and a few were applying makeup in front of the mirrors.
Working at the Guild didn't mean just sitting at the reception desk. Serving, cleaning, counter management, processing mana stones and monster carcasses, kitchen assistance—the various duties rotated constantly.
Tomika quickly splashed some water on her face and headed over to the duty roster hanging on the wall.
"Today is..."
She traced the list with her finger.
Finding her name, her eyes lit up.
"Serving?"
A smile spread across her face.
"Nice."
Serving was surprisingly popular. It was practically the only duty where one could earn tips. On days when wealthy mercenaries frequented the hall, the extra coin could be quite substantial.
"Tomika."
"...Ah."
A low, husky voice from behind made her shoulders flinch. Turning around cautiously, she saw a woman in a neat black suit looking down at her with crossed arms.
Short black hair tied back, a cold impression, and a long scar running across her left eye. Her gaze was sharper than that of most male mercenaries. It was the Guild's Vice Branch Manager, Edna.
"...Good morning?"
"Who are you planning to fleece today?"
"...That's a bit harsh."
Tomika pouted, looking deeply offended.
"I just work hard to provide excellent customer service."
"By giggling and rubbing your tits against them while pouring drinks?"
"Well... hospitality?"
Edna's brow twitched.
"Tomika."
"...Yes?"
"No approaching rich-looking mercenaries today."
"...What?"
"It's a pain in the ass when fights break out because you're squeezing them for tips."
"Hey, they're the ones who wanted to tip me! They just threw a tantrum afterward on their own!"
"Enough. Don't cherry-pick your customers."
"...Hmph."
Tomika hung her head in a sulk. Edna stared down at her for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. In truth, Tomika hadn't started out as a Guild employee. She had grown up on the battlefield, living the impoverished life of a child mercenary from a young age.
Edna had taken notice of the young girl and ultimately brought her in, giving her a job at the Guild. She had wanted to teach her how to live as a normal human being, not a mercenary. The problem, however, was...
"Your nose for money has only gotten sharper."
"It's a talent!"
Tomika's eyes sparkled as she curled her hands into circles and held them to her eyes like goggles, acting cute to win her over.
"Use that talent elsewhere."
Flick!
Unfortunately, it didn't work on Edna. Unmoved, she flicked Tomika right on the forehead.
"Ow!"
"It's almost shift change. Get downstairs."
Edna turned and walked away.
"Yes, ma'am..."
Tomika rubbed her forehead, grumbling her reply with a pout.
A short while later.
Having taken over from the night shift, Tomika was navigating the Guild's first floor, balancing dozens of cups on a tray. Though she looked like she might drop them at any moment, she was a veteran in her own right, carrying the heavy load with practiced ease.
"Two more over here!" "Where's our food? When's it coming out?!" "Who stole my coin purse?! Was it you?!"
The Guild was loud even in the morning. Actually, it was always loud. Combined with the various foul odors, this was simply what the Mercenary Guild was.
"Sigh..."
She sighed as she cleared a nearby table, completely unfazed by the chaos. Normally, she would have pocketed at least two tips by now. But with Edna watching her like a hawk, she hadn't seen a single copper.
Forced to work honestly, she went about her duties until—
Creak.
The sound of the entrance door opening caught her attention.
"...Hm?"
Out of habit, Tomika turned her head and scanned the newcomer.
Shabby, cheap cloth armor. A cloak that looked like it smelled of sweat, an awkward stride, and eyes darting nervously around the hall. He was a novice, plain and simple.
Is he a beggar?
That was her honest first impression. His unkempt appearance suggested he slept on the streets. He didn't look strong, his gear was trash, and he seemed completely broke.
Snorting, she was about to turn away, having lost all interest. But then, she felt a cold gaze piercing her back.
"..."
She knew instinctively whose gaze it was, but she slowly turned her head just to be sure. Sure enough, her eyes met Edna's, who was standing near the counter with her arms crossed. The moment their eyes locked, Edna's lips slowly formed words.
Don't. Cherry. Pick. Customers.
"...Ah."
She was trapped. With a heavy sigh, Tomika gave up.
"...What a pain."
Grumbling under her breath, she picked up an empty tray and reluctantly walked toward the man.
Step, step.
As she drew closer, she realized he was larger than she had thought. Fortunately, he didn't smell as bad as she feared—at least, he smelled better than the rest of the Guild.
Tomika put on her practiced, customer-service smile, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
"Hello there."
Keeping her smile wide, she tilted her head slightly, letting her pink bob sway naturally.
"Is this your first time at the Guild?"
Since she couldn't go near the wealthy mercenaries anyway, she poured her soul into this technique, determined to squeeze whatever coppers she could from this novice's wallet.
"...Yes. I'm here to register as a mercenary."
The woman with the pink bob nodded, her eyes smiling.
"Ah~ I knew it! A newcomer."
She naturally stepped closer to my side. Up close, I caught a faint scent of perfume—or rather, something closer to soap. I was briefly surprised that such a clean scent existed in this world, but my attention was quickly captured by the blue window floating before my eyes.
"..."
It looks pretty similar to the game.
Although detailed stats like in the game weren't visible, it showed her level and danger rating, which was enough to gauge the gap between us.
"...Sir?"
"Ah—"
Tomika raised an eyebrow, leaning her face in close with a puzzled expression. As she suddenly drew near, something soft unintentionally pressed against my arm. Startled by the sensation, I snapped out of it and hurriedly took a step back.
"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment..."
"...It's fine. You must be really nervous~"
Tomika gave a slightly awkward chuckle, then turned around to put some distance between us.
"Follow me. Registration is on the second floor."
"Alright."
Thud, thud.
Following her lead, I walked up the stairs inside the Guild. Just as the exterior suggested, the building was well-maintained, and the wooden stairs were sturdy—incomparable to the creaky steps of Vanderson's inn. Only now did I truly understand what the old man meant when he said I wouldn't make any money under Vanderson.
"I'm telling you, this quest is a trap!" "Why the hell does that goblin have four ears, you lunatic?!" "Another drink here!"
Even as we climbed, the din from the first floor echoed loudly. I could even hear the sound of fists flying somewhere.
"...Is the Guild always this noisy?"
"Actually, today is on the quieter side."
"...Excuse me?"
"Yesterday, people were drawing swords over quest reward splits. Well, that's just a daily occurrence here."
"..."
I was temporarily left speechless. Seeing my reaction, Tomika let out a small sigh. Reaching the second floor, she pointed toward the room at the end of the hallway.
"Over there."
"...Oh."
The atmosphere on the second floor was completely different. If the first floor was a tavern, this place felt like a proper office. Through the open doors of various rooms, I could see documents piled high and bulletin boards lining the walls. Staff members bustled about, diligently processing paperwork. When we reached the end room, Tomika pulled out a few sheets of paper and a quill pen from a desk.
"Name."
"Ginyu."
"Age."
"...Twenty-five."
At my answer, she stopped writing and looked up at my face.
"...Really?"
"...Yes."
Honestly, I didn't know my actual age in this world. It wasn't written on my Status Window, so how could I? I had no choice but to give my age from the real world. She hummed in thought for a moment, then resumed writing with her quill.
"Experience?"
"...None."
Tomika looked up again.
"A complete novice? You haven't even done odd jobs?"
"...That's correct."
"Hmm."
It was the truth. Even in reality, I had only worked a few short-term part-time jobs. And since those were by modern standards, not medieval ones, I was indeed a complete beginner here.
"Then why do you want to be a mercenary?"
"...To make money."
"Honest, at least."
Tomika chuckled and began writing on the document.
Scratch, scratch.
For a moment, only the sound of the quill echoed in the quiet room. Then, Tomika spoke again.
"So you've never used a sword either?"
"...No."
"Hmm... Any other weapons you know how to handle?"
"No."
Her eyes darted to the dagger at my waist, but I shook my head.
"...Since you don't have proper equipment or any experience, a test is out of the question. You'll have to start from F-rank. Is that alright?"
"A test?"
"Yes. It's simple, but you can think of it as a mock duel."
"...Then I'll pass. I'll start at F-rank."
My current stats were pathetic at a glance. There was no need to waste time taking a test. I had no intention of hunting monsters right away anyway; I planned to start with odd jobs and work my way up. It was better to just get the registration over with.
"Understood."
She immediately stamped the document and filed it away in a drawer. Then, she turned around, opened a small wooden box, and handed me a worn notebook along with a necklace that looked like military dog tags, engraved with a unique identification number and rank.
Looks like dog tags.
I hung the necklace around my neck and, shielding it beneath the desk, opened my inventory to store the notebook inside.
"With this, your registration is official~ You can show the notebook along with your quest slip at the town gates."
So it's like an ID card.
"There's an F-rank bulletin board in the corner of the first floor, so you can find quests to do there~"
"Yes, thank you."
I turned to leave and find a quest, but stopped in my tracks when I spotted a woman standing in the hallway just outside the door.
A neat black suit that felt entirely out of place here. Short black hair tied back tidily. A long scar cutting across her eye. A gaze sharper than that of most male mercenaries. An aura that instinctively made one shrink back. Anyone could tell she was incredibly strong.
She glared at Tomika and spoke slowly.
"...Tomika. Who said a server could handle registrations?"
"Ugh..."
Tomika's smile vanished instantly, her pupils trembling. Her shoulders slumped noticeably.
"U-Uh, big sister—I mean, Vice Branch Manager Edna. There's a reason for—"
Grab.
"What reason? You're just slacking off the moment I look away. I step out for a second and you abandon your post? Do you not know how busy the floor always is?"
Edna, the Vice Branch Manager, approached soundlessly and placed a hand on Tomika's head. Tomika's face flushed instantly with fear.
"..."
In her panic, her wide, rabbit-like eyes darted toward me. It was a silent plea. Anyone could see she was screaming for help.
"...I see you've registered as a mercenary."
Edna's gaze shifted to my chest, likely noticing the necklace around my neck.
"Ah... yes."
"Then please head downstairs and go about your business. This girl and I have some things to discuss."
"Hieee!"
Tomika trembled violently, letting out a small whimper. She looked exactly like a terrified child. I hesitated.
Is it right for me to help her when I don't even know the full story?
I looked from Tomika to Edna, then back to Tomika. Her eyes were welling with tears, on the verge of crying. Suddenly, the memory of her approaching me with that bright smile flashed through my mind—a stark contrast to her current expression.
"..."
Deciding to worry about the consequences later, I resolved to help her just this once.
"...Actually, Miss Tomika agreed to show me around."
"...What?"
Edna's brow furrowed slightly as she stared straight into my eyes. For a second, my entire body felt paralyzed under her gaze, but I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak.
"...I don't really know the layout of the Guild yet."
"...I'll assign someone else to you."
"No, thank you. I prefer Miss Tomika."
"..."
At my reflexive, blunt response, Edna looked utterly dumbfounded, while Tomika simply stared at me in sheer shock.