Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Adventurer's Guild
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On the way back to the dorm from the library.
She had long, two-toned hair—sky blue fading to black at the tips—and stood at a modest height of about 168cm.
She was Liche Winchester, the top student of Jeomineol Academy's first-year class.
On her way back from the library after gathering some information, she noticed a crowd of students.
Normally, she wasn't interested in anything that didn't concern her.
But the sight of so many students gathered together, an unusually large crowd even to her, was enough to pique her curiosity.
Wondering what was going on, she slipped through the gaps between the students.
Usually, the male students would stare or start whispering among themselves, but this time, no one paid her any mind.
From her perspective, this was a welcome change.
Squeezing her way to the front, she saw two boys standing in the center of the circle.
*...A fight?*
She didn't recognize the one getting hit, but the one doing the hitting was so infamous that even Liche, who paid little attention to such things, knew of him.
She couldn't recall his name, but she knew he was ranked dead last in the entire academy.
And that he possessed no magic.
It was surprising enough that someone like him was in a fight, but even more shocking was that he was winning.
No, "winning" wasn't the right word. It was a one-sided beatdown.
*How...?*
Of course, it wasn't impossible for someone without magic to defeat someone with it, but the academy's rankings were based on relative evaluation.
The reason the magicless boy was ranked last was because, compared to every other first-year student, he was the weakest.
The sight of him dominating a fight was surprising enough, but the most shocking part was...
*...He's smiling?*
The boy with black hair and blood-red eyes was mercilessly beating the one pinned beneath him, all while wearing a smile.
***
"Hoo."
Fatty's face looked like it was in a lot of pain, so I decided to give him some physical therapy.
Thanks to me, his face was now so swollen you could barely see it, which was a definite improvement.
Right after the plastic surgery was complete, I stood up.
Seeing that the operation was a success, the lackeys scurried over and began checking on Fatty's condition.
Then, they suddenly started screaming at me.
"You... you! You think you'll get away with this!?"
"We'll tell the professors, and you'll be expelled! Serves you right, you crippled commoner bastard!"
They started the fight, and now that they got their asses kicked, they're threatening me with expulsion.
But I already dropped out, so what's the big deal?
"Whatever, fridge."
-Thwack!
"Ugh!"
I kicked the lackey on the right, sending him tumbling backward.
Watching this, the lackey on the left, realizing I wasn't scared, had a look of terror spread across his face.
"H-Hey, I won't say anything, so..."
He seemed to be trying to negotiate.
*Who the hell are you to negotiate? You're the loser here. You wanna die?*
If you wanted to negotiate, you should have done it before you got your ass handed to you.
"Whatever, induction stove."
-Thwack!
"Gack!"
I kicked him, and he fell over with a sound unbecoming of a lackey.
But then, something caught my eye.
A sword was hanging from the waist of the lackey I had just knocked down.
With an insignia carved into the pommel, it looked quite valuable.
I walked over to the prone lackey and took the sword from his belt.
"This is mine now."
"Huh? Wh-what?"
"You said 'huh'?"
The lackey, still not grasping the situation, just kept blinking his eyes.
Just as I was about to leave the academy.
*Oh, right.*
There was still one thing left to do.
"Victory twerk."
I could hear sounds of contempt and jeering from the crowd, but...
*Can't resist a good teabag.*
***
Leaving the academy made it feel even more real that I'd been transported to another world.
The academy itself was a fantasy-style building, very different from anything in Korea.
But the buildings outside the academy, in the Empire, were all of a style you'd never see back home.
A large castle in the distance, which obviously housed royalty, was surrounded by buildings made primarily of brick and wood.
"Swooop— Hah—."
Even the air in this other world is top-notch.
I headed for the Adventurer's Guild, taking in the scenery.
Of course, I didn't know the way, so I ended up wandering around most of the imperial capital before I finally found it.
*In the novel, moving from one place to another only took a few words.*
He arrived at the Adventurer's Guild.
He moved from the academy to the Adventurer's Guild.
Stuff like that. There was only the result, no process, almost like teleportation.
So for me, who had gone from living in a novel to reality, getting lost was only natural.
In any case, I managed to reach the Adventurer's Guild before my legs gave out.
The Adventurer's Guild wasn't as large as the academy, but it was big compared to the surrounding buildings.
The door was open, so I went inside, and for some reason, all eyes turned to me.
A burly man with a two-handed axe on his back.
A skinny guy with a bow slung over his shoulder.
A person with daggers on both hips.
Every last one of them was staring at me.
*What's their problem? Never seen a person before?*
I hadn't looked in a mirror since I got here, but was it possible that this Luke character was actually super handsome?
I'd been drawing aggro ever since I was at the academy, so that had to be it.
*I thought he was a loser, but turns out he's a hottie?*
It wasn't my body, but my shoulders straightened with pride.
Suddenly filled with confidence, I puffed out my chest and strode toward the reception desk.
A beautiful receptionist was standing at the desk.
I've always felt this, but they must hire receptionists based on their looks.
Just because she's an extra doesn't mean she has to lose out to the heroines, right?
The receptionist before me was a case in point.
"What can I do for you, academy student?"
"How did you know I was an academy student?"
"Because you're wearing the academy uniform."
Ah.
So that's why everyone was staring?
From an adventurer's perspective, academy students weren't looked upon kindly.
I think that was part of the setting.
What did the author say? It was an analogy, right? Academy students are nobles and adventurers are commoners.
It wasn't even much of an analogy, since most academy students actually were nobles.
And I myself had just been called a commoner a little while ago.
From their point of view, it must have looked like some well-to-do elite had come to mock them, so of course they'd be pissed.
"I'm here to register as an adventurer."
"...Excuse me?"
"I said I'm here to register as an adventurer."
"Oh, no, it's not that I didn't hear you."
-SLAM!
Just then, a man slammed his hand on a table behind me and started walking over.
"Hey, kid. You should know when to stop joking around."
"What, you moron?"
"W-What? Moron?!"
"What else do you call someone who comes over and starts a fight for no reason? Got nothing better to do? Then go home and be a good son to your parents, you loser."
At my words, I heard other adventurers snickering behind me.
The man with the two-handed axe—his head was shiny, but his face was turning red and purple, probably embarrassed after trying to act tough only to be shamed for it.
*A bald guy whose face changes color... he's like a disco ball.*
"...Looks like our little elite here needs to be taught some manners."
Do these bastards even know the meaning of the word "manners"?
He's the one who started it, and now he's talking about teaching me manners.
Having said his piece, the man placed his hand on the handle of the two-handed axe on his back.
Just as it seemed a fight was about to break out.
"Enough."
A voice from above made both me and the man look up.
Slow footsteps were descending the stairs.
A man with a straight scar over his right eye. He looked to be in his fifties, but his beard was neatly trimmed and his muscles seemed almost superhuman. The term "dashing older man" fit him perfectly.
"Ah, Guild Master!"
Hearing the receptionist, I figured this must be the Guild Master.
"Baldwin, if you're that eager for a fight, I could always be your opponent."
"W-Wait, listen, Argo! That kid started it!"
I didn't know how strong the Guild Master was, but the man with the axe... Baldwin, was it? The guy who was talking about teaching me manners was now tucking his tail between his legs and trying to shift the blame.
"Is that so? Then let's ask a witness. Adela."
"Sir Baldwin started it."
"Wait! Give me a chance to explain—"
"Silence, Baldwin. Who gave you permission to speak?"
"Ugh...!"
The Guild Master must have done something to Baldwin, because he faltered and dropped to one knee.
"Oh."
In the context of this world, he probably suppressed him with magic or killing intent, right?
I wonder if I can release killing intent if I try hard enough.
I glared at Baldwin and tensed my body.
"Hnnngh—!"
-Poot.
My fart was the only sound that echoed through the otherwise silent guild hall.
"......?"
"...Pfft."
"*Tsk.*"
Shucks. Guess I can't do it yet.
***
As if my fart were a signal, Baldwin fled the scene.
As the center of the incident, I was summoned by the Guild Master and was now facing him alone in his office.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Argo, the Guild Master of the Empire's branch. And... you are...?"
"Luke."
"Right. Luke. One of our adventurers was rude to you. I apologize on his behalf."
Yeah. He was pretty damn rude.
"So, Luke. What brings you to the Adventurer's Guild?"
"I want to register as an adventurer."
"Judging by your clothes, you're an academy student. You want to be an adventurer as well? You're quite ambitious."
"I just dropped out."
"Hmm... Something must have happened."
Nothing special.
They said they were going to expel me, so I dropped out. On my way here, I gave a student some plastic surgery. That's all.
"Well, that's your personal business, so it's not my place to pry. You said you came to join the guild? Then you'll have to pass a test."
"What kind of test?"
"Normally, you'd start at F-rank, but since you were an academy student, your skills are somewhat guaranteed. Let's start you at E-rank. The E-rank test is to hunt three goblins and bring back their ears as proof."
Goblins! I finally get to see a monster!
"The look in your eyes is a bit strange... but you can go downstairs and get the details from Adela."
Adela? Is that the receptionist from before?
"Understood."
With that, my meeting with the Guild Master ended, and I left his office.
"Hehehe... Goblins, you just wait."
You're so dead.