CH 271

The next day, I went into town in the morning.

The sky outside was overcast, and it looked as if it would rain if the sky turned a little worse than it did.

Even though I started to feel a little gloomy, I took a few notes on the location of stores and characteristic buildings to get a general idea of the town’s structure and atmosphere.

Along the way, I buy a few ceramic plates and replenish my supplies.

Then I stopped at a store that caught my attention.

“Hmm… Furniture, huh…” (Rook)

The first floor of the two-story store had a large opening, like a grocery store, so that one could see the store from the outside.

Inside the store, craftsmen were processing and assembling lumber.

It was more like a woodworking shop than a store.

I entered the store and observed a chair placed near the entrance.

The material looks good, but it is too big to buy a piece of furniture of this size. I think it would be better to give up the idea of buying furniture and installing it in the [Holy Dimension]. If possible, I would like to have something small enough to serve as a table, such as a box of oranges or a beer case…

But even if I can’t get a piece of furniture, I think a cushion or something would be just fine.

“Excuse me.” (Rook)

“Yes.” (Clerk)

I call the clerk working in the back.

“Do you have any cushions like the ones we use for these chairs?” (Rook)

“Cushion? Are you an adventurer? What are you using it for?” (Clerk)

“Well, you see, like using it in a carriage… And I want a pillow that’s comfortable to sleep on…” (Rook)

“Oh, I see…” (Clerk)

The clerk looked a little confused.

Of course, I know that the average adventurer doesn’t needlessly add to his or her luggage for such a reason! But I also want a lot of things for a comfortable life inside the [Holy Dimension]. …I can’t explain it.

“Well, you can’t get that kind of stuff around here. You’ll have to look for it in other towns.” (Clerk)

“You don’t have the stuff?” (Rook)

“If you look at it, you’ll understand. You can see that no trees are growing here. There’s not even enough wood around here. Even this store mainly repairs furniture, not makes it.” (Clerk)

Upon closer inspection, I found that the craftsmen working here were only repairing broken legs of desks, and the products on display were all old and worn out. The products on display were probably second-hand items that had been repaired.

In this town, lumber–especially lumber that is strong enough to make furniture–is precious, so they probably bring finished products made in other areas. It is the same for cushions as well as furniture, which cannot be made without plants and monsters in the surrounding areas.

Well… I guess I still hadn’t gotten over the idea that I could get the same thing almost anywhere in Japan.

“Well, maybe a high-end tailor would make it.” (Clerk)

“But it’s a store that’s hard to enter, right?” (Rook)

“If you say you are an illegitimate son of a nobleman, then it’s an easy place to get in.” (Clerk)

The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders, and I waved my hand to deny it.

Naturally, I am not a child of some noble family, so it is difficult for me to enter. It would end up like the armorer who refused to let me in before.

I thanked the clerk and left the store.

I then visited a number of stores, ate a delicate lunch at a random restaurant, and arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild around mid-afternoon.

From my research, I feel that the Adventurers’ Guild here has a good reputation.

Well, I don’t think a third party would be able to tell mewhat is going on in the guild if they were to ask a stranger, I don’t know how much sense it makes, At least there were no bad rumors, in fact, I heard some good ones.

First, I checked the guild’s bulletin board as soon as I entered, and noticed that among the miscellaneous requests, there were many requests for “Horned Rabbit Meat”.

“Is this a monster I haven’t seen before?” (Rook)

I took a bunch of notes out of my magic bag and flipped through them to check, but it seemed to be a monster I had never seen before.

“I’ll have to check it out in the archives.” (Rook)

I decided to wait for the Horned Rabbit until later, so I went to the reception desk first and submitted my guild card.

“Excuse me. I heard that it is possible to be promoted to B-rank in this guild.” (Rook)

The receptionist looked a little surprised when I said so, and after checking my guild card in detail, she turned to me.

“Certainly, we have accepted applications for promotion to B-rank. But you are new to this guild, aren’t you, Mr. Rook?” (Receptionist)

“I just arrived here yesterday.” (Rook)

“Then, do you have any letters of recommendation?” (Receptionist)

“A letter of recommendation…” (Rook)

A letter of recommendation ……Naturally, I don’t have such a thing. No, I have a feeling that if I go back to Arnorn and ask for it, someone will prepare it for me, as someone with connections to the Golden Dragon Claw.

“The first thing you need to do if you don’t have a letter of recommendation is to contribute to the guild here in Solmar.” (Receptionist)

“Well, first of all, what exactly do you mean by ‘letters of recommendation’?” (Rook)

“I see… Guildmasters from other regions may recommend adventurers who are capable. Also, letters of recommendation issued by aristocratic families are sometimes eligible.” (Receptionist)

“What is a letter of recommendation?” (Rook)

“It starts with…”

She continued speaking with a troubled look on her face.

“It’s an official document sent by aristocrats and other influential people to praise and prove one’s achievements. In the Adventurers Guild, we sometimes refer to the letters of commendation sent to warriors who have distinguished themselves in battles.” (Receptionist)

I feel like I’ve participated in various battles until now, but I haven’t received anything like that… Well, I hastily escaped from Arnorn before the post-war process started, and I did not take credit for my achievements at Aluppo, so I had no chance of receiving such a thing…

“So, what exactly do I have to do to contribute to the guild?” (Rook)

“First of all, I think it would be a good idea to accumulate achievements by defeating monsters around the town.” (Receptionist)

“So, you want me to kill B-rank monsters around the town?” (Rook)

“No way! There are no B-rank monsters around the town!” (Receptionist)

Hmmm… No, well, if monsters like the Great Boar were popping up near the town, the town would have disappeared.

But if that happens…

“Then how are you going to prove your ability to be equivalent to a B-rank?” (Rook)

“You don’t have to prove your ability right away. If you accumulate a track record, you will probably have the opportunity to be called upon sooner or later.” (Receptionist)

Hmmm, this may be trickier than I imagined.

As long as the Adventurers Guild is an independent organization for each town, and there is no mysterious convenient feature like a guild card that lists past achievements, it is necessary to accumulate achievements for each town.

…Ah, so it’s a letter of recommendation or a letter of recognition. That’s about the only way to prove a track record in another area.

But then, to move up to B-rank, I would have to accumulate achievements in this town, steadily contribute to the guild, be recognized by the guild, and finally be noticed by the guild’s higher-ups. …How long does that take?

No, but I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to work. Usually, it takes a long period of time to build up a track record like that and win their trust.

“Um, I have some B-rank monster magic stones that I can sell…” (Rook)

When I said this, I felt the receptionist’s face twitch.

“If you can give it to me, I will buy it, and that will also add to your evaluation, but that alone won’t allow us to raise your rank.” (Receptionist)

“…Isn’t it more difficult to rank up to B than to C-rank?” (Rook)

Moving up to C-rank, I had a feeling that if I cleared a reasonable quota, I would eventually be able to go up, but I feel that the criteria for B-rank are a bit vague and too strict.

“It is only natural because what is required is different from B rank. You may have to fight strong monsters that may threaten the existence of the town, you may be asked to accept requests that you really can’t fail, and you will have more opportunities to interact with the nobility. It is not as simple as just being strong.” (Receptionist)

“I see……” (Rook)

What should I do? Somehow, I started to feel that B-rank isn’t something that can be taken by force.

Well, I’m not particularly in a hurry at the moment, and I’m in a situation where I have to stay in this town during the winter.

“…By the way, is there any other way to improve my evaluation?” (Rook)

“Yes… If you have any special skills, we may be able to introduce you to requests that match your skills, and there are adventurers who can greatly increase their reputation by accomplishing such requests that others cannot. There are many specialties that are sought after, such as gathering medicinal herbs, obtaining special materials, and transporting supplies.” (Receptionist)

I see what you mean. …So, it’s like you raise your reputation by accomplishing special requests that only that particular adventurer can do. It’s true that this would get the attention of the guild and would be a great contribution to the guild.

I see… I see…

“…I’m not sure if it is a special skill, but I can actually use recovery magic?” (Rook)

When I said that, the receptionist’s eyebrows twitched, she turned to me with a jerk of her head, and she exclaimed as if bursting with energy.

“That’s already a real skill! It’s a very special skill!” (Receptionist)

“I-I see.” (Rook)