Chapter 121 115: Dog House

"Why! Why is she here? Wasn't she still a gold-ranked?"

We had received a priority on the first promotion when we registered, so in a way, Dawn had not raked up any achievements at all. I had heard from others at the guild house that she would come in now and then and take up the longest quests where she had to travel a lot.

We missed each other every time, and I would have left a message or something for her.

But I was advised sincerely not to. Most adventurers are crackheads and I wouldn't have heard them out, but it wasn't just anyone but Iffy who advised me against it.

'Call it a woman's intuition. If you see her, you're dead. I don't care how strong you are, I think she might make gods themselves punish you. Just what did you do?'

Those words and the expression of sheer terror on the face of the person who could smile after fighting against me during the tests were enough to convince me to avoid Dawn the best I could.

It was still running away, of course, it didn't suit me. But I had learned my lesson. Until I become strong enough, running away is more than acceptable. In fact, pride is stupid.

Right.

"Seriously, what happened while I was gone?" Titania asked again

"Don't mind it much~"

I diverted the topic like a master and started making my way out of the sewers. The sewers didn't have any patrols, but for safety, they still had a great magic spell engraved all over them prepared at least by a dozen Monarch-Grade Wizards, so, of course, I made it recognize me as a safe person. It was easy for someone with knowledge of magic from two worlds.

Soon, I found myself below the manhole that led out to the fourth district. Since I couldn't play around anymore, I thought it would be a good idea to go and report to the Adventurer guild now.

I climbed up the walls and pushed away the manhole cover. There wasn't much of a crowd on this street near the edges of the district. Discreetly, I got out of the sewers and headed toward the Adventurer's Guild.

Unlike the other adventurer guilds I had seen, there wasn't a presence of rowdy dolts in full gear making their way around town, but instead, a lot of people dressed rather normally made their way in and out of the adventurer guild.

"Am I at the right place?" I mumbled as I stood in front of the closed gates of the four-story building that served as the guild house in the capital. The guild house was a perfect testament to the guild's standing being a small yet the most glamorous structure in the fourth district.

But, why weren't people wrecking it yet?

"It's the right place, the insignia is unmistakable," Titania said, pointing at the mark of the Adventurers guild on top of the building.

"But, it doesn't feel like a dog house at all. It's as if... people are in there."

"I know right?" Titania said. She found it odd too.

I opened the door with my brows knit together and stepped inside the guild. A lot of 'people' were talking and chatting around the guild house at the meeting space and the pub which was a common factor in all adventurer guilds. They talked with each other civilly.

"Oh, my god," Titania exclaimed. "That group is talking about the magazine while laughing!"

Words that seemed like a crazy dream. I ignored them and walked up to the receptionist while trying to stand out as little as I could. Was this the power of the Empire's adventurer guild? Were they possibly conducting genetic experiments on adventurers?

At the reception, a lady with pointed ears greeted me.

"Hi!" she said. "Are you here to register as an adventurer, sir? The next exam is a little far away--"

It was an elf. I had heard that elves were common in the Forest Confederacy and the Central Empire, so I wasn't that surprised. Elves were said to be extremely beautiful as well, so it made sense for them to be hired by the guild that had an image to maintain. It wasn't something out of the norm, so I couldn't relax well. I was expecting at least the receptionists to be wild to make it feel more like the guild.

"Um," I spoke. I snapped my fingers and the quest card that I had brought along popped up in my hands. A series of gasps rang out from the receptionist and the people watching at the sight of Spatial Magic. "I am here for this quest..."

"Oh no, you're one of them..."

"Pardon?"

"No, I meant, can I please see your guild card."

I handed her my card as a few people started gossiping from behind.

"Platinum ranked?"

"He doesn't look that old."

"Oh dear, Deep Down Town Branch!?"

I couldn't enjoy the reaction of the people as the receptionist let out another yelp.

"Yes, that's me."

"P-please follow me! And please don't hit anything here."

Oh?

The receptionist stepped out of the counter and started leading me out the back door of the guild house. We left behind the different facilities of the building and stepped outside onto the street again as she turned into a slightly deserted corner.

We stopped in front of a rather inconspicuous building. With trembling hands, she pointed at the door.

I nodded at the receptionist and placed my hands on the door.

As soon as it opened up.

"MAHJONG!"

"AHHH!"

"FLIP THE FUCKING BOARD! I CAN'T STAND THIS GAME, WHO MADE DUOPOLY!?"

Adventurers gathered in different groups were screaming at each other like a group of dogs at night fighting for their turf.

All of their heads turned toward me as I opened the door.

"NEWCOMER!"

"BRING THE SHOTS!"

With tears glistening around my eyes, I left behind the elf and jumped into the room. A table appeared in front of me out of thin air and seven glasses of different tequila shots were laid out on it.

"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"

I picked up all seven glasses and gulped them down in one go.

"YEAAAH!"

This. This was home.

***

I don't remember much of what happened afterward.

It was the day before the quest officially began, after all, and quite a lot of people were still yet to come including all the Orichalcum and Mythril Ranked adventurers.

The next day, I had woken up with an extreme hangover and was sitting in the pub of the normal branch when Titania suddenly raised floated up in the sky.

"Eugy!" she screamed.

At the same time, the door of the guild opened.

"I smell my niece!"

The Mythril Ranked Adventurers had stepped inside.