Resuming his journey towards the Adventurer's Guild, Sigurd felt a sense of determination settle within him. It was time to forge his path as an adventurer, to seek out challenges and victories in the face of adversity, and to help all those in need and peril.
Once he stood before the massive double doors of the largest building in the square, Sigurd froze. He gulped nervously at their imposing figure.
‘What am I chickening out for? This is no different from enlisting in active service!’ Sigurd mused to himself, snapping out of the cold sweat he felt.
He pushed open the imposing doors and entered the guild hall, where he was greeted by a vista of adventurers. Similar to what he had seen earlier in the day across the plaza, the Guild was rife with adventurers of all backgrounds; whether laughing at each other's embarrassing tales, making carefully calculated bets, or working out party strategies, Sigurd’s eyes caught a glimpse of them wherever he looked. Of note, the scent of old parchments and leather filled his nostrils as well.
‘What is this, an adventure’s safe-house, or a library?!’ Joyce questioned in silence.
Though the building was built with polished stone on the outside, the inside was furnished in the most elegant of wood. Like so many other places he had seen thus far, there was an air of maintained antiquity to them. That said, unlike the inn, the guild was in a much better state; even by medieval standards, it looked pristine.
He strode across the large hall and approached the registration desk. The clerk – who was busy with paperwork – noticed him approaching and spoke up before he could introduce himself, “Oh, a new face!” She greeted him with a smile and adjusted her glasses. “I’m guessing you’re here to register as an adventurer?”
“Good guess!” Sigurd replied, enchanted by her instant charisma. “I’m amazed you could tell by my face.”
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The clerk chuckled silently to herself, “I get that a lot. I’ve got a really good memory!” She smugly added, tapping at her temple. “And well, you’re in good hands here. Can I get your first and last name?”
“Yeah, it’s Sigurd Svobodna.”
“And have you taken on any quests before?” she followed up.
For a moment, Sigurd pondered on the meaning of a “quest” before answering, “Not officially, no. I’ve helped out some people, though, and was a soldier before this.”
“As so many tend to be,” she jotted down his name on an official document and became engrossed in filling out a few other fields. The clerk looked at a few other documents on her desk and suddenly paused. There was a hesitance in her face before she looked directly into Sigurd’s eyes, and, with a smile said, “I’ll be right back. Please wait here a moment.”
The clerk took the documents and rushed to the door at the far back behind all the other clerks’ desks and filing furniture. Not a stranger to bureaucratic processes, Sigurd waited patiently at the front desk. The other adventurers’ clamor seemed to intensify the longer she was away, but after a few minutes, the clerk returned with the documents and a stamp in hand.
“Thanks for waiting,” she said, looking over all the papers in her hand, before stamping three of them and handing Sigurd a laminated ID card.
“Now, customarily new adventurers start out at rank E, the lowest possible,” she added. Sigurd briefly glanced at his badge: it displayed a C-rank. “However, you’ve been vouched for.”
‘Vouched for?’ Joyce pondered for a second before realizing, ‘Oh, she must mean by Cuntz!’
“That said, the Guildmaster would personally like to meet you. Please follow me,” the clerk warmly said before leaving the front desk to join Sigurd.
She led him up the staircase at the far right of the building and to the second floor, where they entered a closed hallway. At the end of the hallway were two double doors. They stopped shortly before them, and the clerk knocked twice.
“Sir, I have Master Sigurd here for you,” she spoke concisely.
“Thank you, Bella,” the Guildmaster voiced from beyond the doors. “Let him in.”
The clerk smiled at Sigurd once more, opening the doors for him before returning to her post once more. He watched her leave and waited until the door closed behind her, wondering what the Guildmaster could want with him.