Chương 2: Adventurer' License?

The next morning, Alaric returned to the guild with a light step and high spirits. He had rested well after the long journey and was ready to start a new adventure. With a confident smile, he walked straight to the mission board, his eyes quickly scanning the various tasks posted there.

"Clearing a goblin nest... too easy," he muttered as he passed by one mission notice. "Escorting a merchant to the next town... boring." However, his eyes stopped when they landed on a mission that made his eyebrows rise. "Defeat the Dragon Lord in the Ice Mountains, reward 100 gold?!"

Alaric could barely contain his excitement. "This is what I'm looking for! One hundred gold! I can live comfortably for a while." Without a second thought, he ripped the mission paper from the board and confidently walked towards the receptionist's desk.

Behind the desk, a young female receptionist with neatly tied light brown hair smiled politely as Alaric approached. "Good morning, is there something I can help you with, Sir?"

"Yes, I want to take this mission," Alaric said, placing the mission paper in front of the receptionist. "Defeating the Dragon Lord? No problem, give it to me."

The receptionist examined the mission paper and then looked at Alaric with slight hesitation. "I'm sorry, Sir... but this is an A-rank mission. To take this mission, you need a team of at least four adventurers. This is a new rule to minimize casualties."

Alaric was shocked and could hardly believe what he was hearing. "What?! Four people? I used to defeat Dragon Lords alone! Why do I need four people now?!"

"This new rule was implemented after the Demon King's death, Sir. For A-rank missions and above, we can't allow adventurers to go alone. It's for everyone's safety."

Alaric started grumbling, "What kind of ridiculous rule is this? There was no such thing before! I've lived longer than these rules have existed!" He stomped his magic staff on the floor in frustration. "I've fought creatures far more terrifying than a Dragon Lord on my own!"

However, the receptionist remained calm and smiled kindly. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't break the rules. If you don't have a team, I have to deny your request."

Alaric sighed deeply, trying to contain his anger. "Alright then, give me another mission I can take on my own."

The receptionist quickly retrieved another mission from the pile and handed it to Alaric. "This is a simple mission, finding a lost cat in the next village. You can do this one alone."

Alaric looked over the mission paper and seemed slightly relieved. "This seems easy enough. Alright, I'll take this mission."

But before the receptionist could give her approval, she held out her hand and gently said, "Sorry, Sir, but you can't take this mission."

Alaric stared at her with a confused look, beginning to show signs of frustration. "Why not?! It's just finding a lost cat!"

The receptionist smiled gently, but with a hint of awkwardness. "You need an adventurer's license to take on missions, even for something as simple as this."

Alaric's eyes widened, and he almost fell off his chair. "An adventurer's license?! Since when do you need a license to be an adventurer?!"

"After the Demon King's death, all adventurers were required to have a license appropriate to their rank. All new adventurers must start at rank E and then progress through experience and accomplishments."

Alaric held back his anger, his expression turning into a comical pout with puffed cheeks and a reddened face. "I... need... a license... to find a cat?!"

The receptionist politely nodded. "Yes, Sir. To obtain an adventurer's license, you must first register. The registration fee is 20 silver."

Alaric froze for a moment, then began rummaging through his pockets, searching for coins. His face turned pale when he only found a few copper coins. "Twenty silver?! I don't even have that much money!"

With a sympathetic smile, the receptionist tried to help. "Maybe you could find another job outside the guild first to earn some money, or if you like, I can provide some information on how to make money around here."

Alaric glared at the receptionist, but he knew that getting angry wouldn't help. Finally, he sighed heavily and walked away with his head down, muttering. "Adventurer's license... ridiculous rules... there was no need for any of this back in the day... I just wanted to find a lost cat..."

He sat down on a chair in the corner of the guild with a scowl, folding his arms across his chest. "Times have changed... and apparently not for the better."

Muttering quietly, Alaric watched the bustling activity in the guild, feeling disappointed with the current state of affairs. But deep down, he knew that this was the beginning of a new adventure—though in a way he had never expected.

Alaric sat in the corner of the guild with a deep sense of disappointment. He stared at the floor, sighing heavily, contemplating how different the world was from the one he had left 700 years ago. In moments like this, he wished there was magic to quickly change his fate—but he knew, even the most powerful magic couldn't bring back lost money.

"What good is knowing all these magic spells if I can't even use them to register as an adventurer?" he muttered softly, staring blankly ahead.

Suddenly, a young man with brown hair and a cheerful smile approached him. "Hey, you look a bit down," he greeted. Alaric looked up, his eyes meeting the man's. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the chair next to Alaric.

Alaric nodded weakly, having no reason to refuse. "Go ahead, this chair doesn't require a license to sit on, right?" he replied sarcastically.

The man chuckled at Alaric's response. "My name's Rudy, D-rank adventurer. I overheard your conversation with the receptionist earlier. It sounds like you need money to register, right?"

Alaric frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable being noticed by a stranger. "Maybe," he replied shortly, trying not to show his vulnerability.

Rudy grinned widely, unbothered by Alaric's cold attitude. "What a coincidence, my team is looking for a wizard to help with a mission. The reward is 200 silver, enough to register and then some! How about it? Interested in joining?"

Alaric looked at Rudy cautiously, trying to determine whether this man was serious or just joking. "200 silver?" he asked skeptically. "For what mission?"

"Defeating the Orc Prime in the Dark Forest. We've already got three members, but we don't have a wizard. With you, our team will be complete!" Rudy explained enthusiastically. "We can meet them at the city gate if you agree."

Alaric thought for a moment. He needed the money, and this was an opportunity that might not come again. However, he didn't want Rudy or the other team members to know just how powerful he really was. "Alright," he finally said with a small nod. "I'll join. But don't rely on me too much. I... I'm not as strong as you might think."

Rudy grinned widely, seeming not to notice Alaric's disclaimer. "No problem! As long as you can help us out a bit, that's good enough."

Alaric stood up from his chair and followed Rudy out of the guild. "So, who are your teammates?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from himself.

"Oh, you'll meet them soon enough!" Rudy answered cheerfully. "They're all great adventurers, even though we're all still D-rank. But with you on the team, I'm sure we'll rank up to C in no time!"

"We'll see about that," Alaric replied with a faint smile, half-hiding the humor that began to stir within him. Although he was far more experienced, he didn't want to appear arrogant. After all, who needed to know that Alaric had defeated more than one creature far stronger than the Orc Prime?

They arrived at the city gate, where three people were already waiting. Rudy introduced them one by one. "This is Klaus, our sturdy warrior." A large man in heavy armor with a giant sword nodded politely toward Alaric.

"Then there's Fiona, our expert in exploration and traps," Rudy continued, pointing to a slender woman with black hair tied back. Fiona gave a small smile and a light greeting.

"And finally, Max, our sharpshooter." Max, a young man with a large bow on his back, waved cheerfully.

"I'm Alaric," he said, introducing himself with a slightly awkward smile. "I hope we can work well together."

"Nice to meet you, Alaric!" Fiona said warmly. "We need all the help we can get for this mission. But don't worry, Rudy said you're quite experienced."

Alaric just smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best," he replied simply, though inside, he found it amusing that they considered him a novice adventurer. However, he knew this was an opportunity to learn more about the world that had changed, and perhaps also a chance to find a new purpose in his life.

With a new team ready for action, Alaric stepped forward toward the next adventure, his heart beginning to fill with a sense of resolve and determination, along with a bit of humor that never quite faded.

***

Here's the continuation of the translation:

---

Rudy's new team stepped forward with enthusiasm, heading towards the Dark Forest. Under the shade of lush trees, sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a comfortable and warm atmosphere. Alaric, who was at the back of the group, felt his chest filled with a rare feeling he hadn't experienced in hundreds of years: companionship. The jokes and laughter of his comrades filled the air, making what should have been a grim journey feel lighter.

"You know," Rudy suddenly said, glancing back at Alaric, "I once tried archery too, but I hit trees more often than the target!" His words were met with laughter from Max and Fiona.

"I can't imagine you trying to shoot a bow, Rudy," Max teased with a laugh. "The bow is probably taller than you!"

"Hey, no need to mock! At least I didn't get lost in the same forest three times in a row!" Rudy shot back, barely holding back his laughter.

Fiona just snorted with a mischievous smile. "If I got lost, it was because I was checking traps we could use. You all need me to stay alive, remember?"

Alaric smiled slightly, listening to their conversation. The warmth of it brought his memories back to hundreds of years ago, when he also had a team. They always laughed and joked like this, even though the tasks they carried out were very challenging. But that warm feeling slowly faded as he remembered how they were all killed by the Demon King. The pain and deep desire for revenge he once felt led him to isolate himself, devoting his entire life to learning magic in order to take revenge. But ironically, the Demon King had already been defeated without his involvement.

"Alaric, are you alright?" Rudy's voice broke through his thoughts.

Alaric quickly nodded, brushing away the shadows of his past. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just daydreaming a bit," he said, trying to smile. He didn't want his new comrades to know he carried a heavy burden from the past.

"You need to laugh more often, Alaric!" said Klaus in his deep voice. "Laughter is the best medicine, stronger than any potion."

"I'll remember that," Alaric replied, trying to adjust to the cheerful atmosphere that continued to flow.

****

After some time, they finally reached the edge of the Dark Forest. The mood began to change, the trees that had looked friendly now appeared more ominous, with thicker shadows and a chillier air. However, the team's spirit did not waver.

"We're going to face the Orc Prime," Fiona said seriously, "and don't forget, even though he's not as strong as the Demon King, he's still dangerous. So, don't let your guard down."

"Don't worry, we have a wizard now," Rudy said, patting Alaric on the shoulder, although Alaric felt a bit strange receiving the compliment.

"Yeah, yeah," Alaric replied, half-jokingly, "but don't expect me to turn all the orcs into frogs with just one spell." He tried to hide the fact that maybe, he actually could do that if he wanted to.

They all laughed, even Klaus, who was usually serious, smiled slightly. "In that case, I hope they don't have any surprise attacks," Max said casually, checking his bow. "But even if they do, we're ready."

Alaric felt comfortable with them, even though he knew that his past was something he would always hide. His desire for revenge was no longer relevant, but this new adventure might give him the chance to find a new purpose in life. Without realizing it, he began to warm his heart with the companionship that had been lost for so long.

With renewed enthusiasm and hope for a brighter future, they continued their journey, laughing and joking along the way toward the danger-filled forest. Alaric knew that although he was a wizard who had lived for hundreds of years, he was now just a part of a team—a team that might just help him find what he had been searching for all along.

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