章 39: Silver Rank Guild
The group trudged back into town. Bral collected the reward from the Adventures association and stopped in front of them for them to gather.
"Alright," he said, holding up the bag of coins they had earned from the quest. "Time to divvy this up. Everyone gets an equal share."
He began handing out coins, counting them carefully into each person's palm. When he reached Amukelo, he hesitated, his hand halfway extended. "Wait," Amukelo said, pulling back. "I don't deserve this. I only made things harder for you guys. I should be paying you, honestly. It was more like a lesson for me than actual work."
Bral's grin widened, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Come on, don't be like that, rookie. I don't think anyone here agrees with you."
Amukelo glanced around uncertainly. Pao smiled warmly, shaking her head, while Idin gave him an approving nod. Even Bao, who rarely offered encouragement, crossed her arms and gave a small shrug, as if to say, Of course you deserve it.
"See?" Bral said, clapping Amukelo on the back. "Now take your money."
Reluctantly, Amukelo extended his hand, accepting the coins. He stared at them for a moment, a mixture of awe and gratitude on his face. "This is amazing, guys," he said, his voice soft with disbelief. "Back in my village, this would be a fortune."
The group smiled, sensing his sincerity, but Amukelo's thoughts quickly shifted. He looked up, his eyes alight with curiosity. "By the way," he began, "is there a place I could practice a little? You know, for my swordsmanship. I want to try imagining fighting slimes. Maybe it'll help somehow."
Idin raised an eyebrow. "Practice slime fighting? Didn't you just get your fill of that?"
Amukelo shook his head vigorously. "I mean, I get it now, but I feel like I could get better. I want to make it second nature."
Bral laughed, folding his arms. "You're serious, huh? Alright, there's a training facility in town. They organize sparring and practice sessions there, but…" He paused, his grin turning sheepish. "You can't join yet."
"Why not?" Amukelo asked, frowning.
"Because there's an entry fee," Bral said. "And, uh, it's probably too high for you right now. You'll need to earn more coins first."
"How much is it?" Amukelo pressed.
Bral scratched his head, pretending to think. "Uhh… I don't remember exactly. But don't worry, I'll let you know when you have enough."
Amukelo groaned, clearly dissatisfied. "Come on…"
"Hey, if you're that eager, the inn has a backyard," Bral offered. "It's empty most of the time. You could practice there for free."
Amukelo's face brightened instantly. "That's perfect! I'll use it."
Before anyone could respond, he turned on his heel and sprinted toward the inn. The rest of the group watched him go, their expressions ranging from amused to slightly confused.
"What's gotten into him?" Idin asked, shaking his head.
Bral shrugged, grinning. "The kid's got energy, I'll give him that. So, what are you guys planning to do?"
Idin glanced down at his hands, rubbing his fingers together thoughtfully. "I've got some personal matters to handle," he said. "I'm working on a ring. It's a gift for my sister when I meet her again, she gave me a similar one."
Bral's grin softened into a genuine smile. "That's nice, man. Hope it turns out well."
Bao, meanwhile, had stepped closer to Pao, placing a hand gently on her sister's shoulder. "You don't need to know," she said bluntly, addressing Bral without looking at him. Then, with a brief glance at Pao, she added, "Come on."
The two sisters walked off together, leaving Bral staring after them with a mix of disbelief and exasperation. He sighed loudly, shaking his head. "Every time," he muttered, turning back to Idin. "Well, see you later, then."
Idin nodded, giving a small wave as he headed off in the opposite direction. Bral lingered for a moment before heading into the inn.
As the evening wore on, the town grew quieter, and the sun was almost under the horizon. Inside their shared room at the inn, Pao sat at the small desk by the window, writing in her diary. Her handwriting was neat and deliberate, each word carefully chosen as she reflected on the day.
Her focus was broken by Bao's voice. "He's still out there."
Pao looked up, puzzled. "Who?"
Bao nodded toward the window, her expression neutral but her tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Amukelo. He's been training for hours."
Curious, Pao stood and walked to the window. Pulling the curtain aside, she saw Amukelo in the backyard below. His shirt was damp with sweat, clinging to his back as he practiced. In his left hand, he held a stick, jabbing and swinging it in motions reminiscent of their earlier fight with the slimes. He paused only to adjust his grip or wipe his brow, then resumed with renewed focus.
Pao's eyes softened as she watched him. There was something inspiring about his determination, the way he kept pushing himself despite the long day they'd already had.
She lingered by the window, her gaze fixed on him. For a moment, her hand hovered near the curtain, as if she might call out to him or step outside. But she hesitated, lowering her hand instead.
Bao, noticing her sister's silence, smirked faintly. "You really like him like that?" she teased.
Pao blushed, pulling the curtain closed and returning to her diary. "It's... no, I mean... yes... " she said quietly, though her voice lacked conviction.
Bao chuckled softly, lying back on her bed. "I have no idea whether your answer is yes or no, but I think I know."
Pao didn't respond, her pen pausing above the page as her thoughts drifted. Outside, the faint sound of Amukelo's practice continued.
The next morning, refreshed from a night's rest, the group prepared for their new quest. As they made their to the adventurer's association, Amukelo broached a question that had been on his mind, "I've been wondering. Our yesterday's quest was a silver rank quest, right? Why can we take on silver-rank quests when most of us have bronze rank?"
Pao explained to him, "It's because our guild has a silver rank."
Amukelo, intrigued, followed up, "Does that mean that anyone from our guild can take on a silver rank quest?"
"Well," Pao elaborated, "adventurer badges and guild badges work slightly differently. When an adventurer has a silver rank, they can take on any silver quest they want. They can also take someone with a bronze badge as support, but that's optional. However, when using a guild badge, all guild members must participate in the quest. For instance, all guild members might be of gold rank or lower, but due to their number, their guild badge can be upgraded to diamond rank, even if no single member has reached diamond rank themselves."
Amukelo paused, digesting the information, then voiced another concern, "Now that makes sense. But wouldn't that approach be irresponsible? Taking someone with bronze rank on a diamond quest could mean certain casualties."
Pao smiled slightly, "It is irresponsible, yes. That's why guilds that consider this approach have to be very cautious with their decisions."
Amukelo, still puzzled, asked, "But if they decided to take the risk, wouldn't that also risk the association's reputation?"
"In the case of diamond quests, casualties are almost inevitable," Pao replied. "Even taking many diamond-ranked adventurers is risky. Casualties in these quests won't decrease anyone's reputation due to their difficulty."
Amukelo nodded thoughtfully, appreciating the complexity of the adventurers' guild system. The group's conversation shifted naturally as they walked toward the quest board.
"Alright," Bral said, clapping his hands together as he eyed the board. "Let's find something that won't get us all killed, yeah?"
Idin smiled. "Something manageable. Yesterday's slime hunt was straightforward enough, but let's not push our luck."
Amukelo, standing slightly to the side, examined the board with wide eyes. The variety of quests fascinated him: some promised coins for hunting monsters, others sought adventurers to escort caravans or deliver important messages. One in particular caught his eye—a parchment with bold writing that read, 'Explore Potential Golem's Lair.'
"This one," Amukelo said, pointing to the paper. "What about this one?"
The group turned toward him, and Pao leaned in to read the details. "Explore a golem's lair, huh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "That's… ambitious."
"Ambitious?" Amukelo asked, looking confused. "We're silver rank, right? Isn't this what we're supposed to be doing?"
Idin sighed, stepping closer to get a better look. "Amukelo, I know you're eager, but think about it. Golems are bad enough on their own. Remember how much we struggled with just one in the wilderness when we met?"
Amukelo nodded slowly, but his brow furrowed. "Yeah, but—"
"In their lair," Idin cut him off, his tone patient but firm, "they'd have every advantage. Terrain, numbers… And even if it is just one golem, not all golems are the same. If it is his nest he might be much stronger than the one we defeated."
Amukelo glanced around the group, hoping for someone to agree with him, but he was met with nods of agreement. Even Pao gave him a small, apologetic smile.
"Idin's right," Bao chimed in. "This isn't the kind of quest you pick as an inexperienced silver-rank guild."
Amukelo sighed, stepping back slightly, feeling the sting of his inexperience. "Alright," he muttered. "So what's the better option?"
Bao scanned the board. She pointed at it with a decisive motion. "This one. 'Collect Escaped Livestock.' Straightforward, safe, and we won't end up fighting stone giants."
Amukelo peered at the quest paper. "Livestock? Isn't that, like… not really an adventurer's job?"
Pao chuckled softly, her green eyes glinting with amusement. Bral, meanwhile, let out a hearty laugh and clapped Amukelo on the back with enough force to make him stumble forward.
"Ah, Amukelo," Bral said, grinning. "You've got a lot to learn. Being an adventurer isn't all glorious battles and deadly quests. Sometimes it's jobs like this that pay the bills. Besides," he added with a wink, "you'll be surprised how tricky livestock can be."
Amukelo rubbed his shoulder, still unconvinced. "It just feels… boring." then he sighed clearly not thrilled but willing to go along with the group. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "Let's do it."
They pulled the quest paper from the board and approached the counter where a middle-aged woman greeted them with a professional smile. Bral handed her the paper, and she quickly scanned it.
"Good choice," she said. "This quest shouldn't take you too far from town. The farmer's house is about an hour's walk south of here. His livestock escaped last night, and he's been having trouble rounding them up. You'll be helping with that."
"Any specifics we should know?" Idin asked.
"Not much," the woman replied. "The animals aren't aggressive, and they usually don't wander far. Just make sure they're all accounted for. He'll explain more when you get there."
The group walked in easy silence at first, their breaths visible in the cool air. Amukelo took in the surroundings, his initial disappointment at the quest slowly fading as he appreciated the quiet beauty of the countryside.
"Hey," Bral said after a while, glancing over his shoulder at Amukelo. "Still sulking about the quest?"
Amukelo shook his head, managing a small smile. "Not really. It's just… not what I expected when I became an adventurer."
"Stick around long enough," Bral said with a grin, "and you'll see that even the small jobs have their challenges. Trust me, chasing animals isn't as easy as it sounds."
Bao smirked but didn't look back. "He's right, for once. Try catching a pig that doesn't want to be caught. You'll learn fast."
Amukelo frowned slightly, unsure if they were joking or serious. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."
The conversation continued in a light, easy tone as they walked, and before long, the farmer's house came into view. It was a modest dwelling, surrounded by a patchy wooden fence and a small field. A few pigs and chickens roamed near the house, and the faint smell of hay filled the air.
Bral knocked on the door. After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing a weathered man with gray streaks in his hair and a tired look in his eyes.
"What's your matter?" the farmer asked, his tone cautious but polite.
Bral held up the quest paper. "We're here about the livestock. Figured we'd get started as soon as possible."
The farmer's face brightened slightly. "Oh, good. Come in, come in," he said, stepping aside to let them enter. "I'll explain everything."
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