----------------------------------------

Opening the door to the reception, I found the same girls as the last time I visited. Same with the ones at the mercenary guild, they were all above average in appearance.

Maybe it's a requirement for receptionists? I thought as I entered.

I didn't know, but it was possible.

"Morning ladies!" I said when I was closer. Freya too gave a greeting from behind me.

They greeted me back with a polite "Good morning," before going back to their work as I approached one of them.

Somehow, the first time I met them I felt almost the same attitude towards me as the ones I met at the mercenary guild, though since they didn't shoot any rude comments I let it slide. I was starting to wonder if there was a problem with receptionists in general, or if I was the problem.

Also, looking at the face of the receptionist now, it didn't seem like she was as scornful as the last time.

Baffling.

I wasn't in a hurry to find out, though, so I just asked for information on the training area.

Turns out the yearly fee was thirty silvers.

Still a lot, but almost a fifth of what I'd have to fork out if I paid daily, and still less than if I came trice a week, I thought after a quick mental calculation. I was getting better at mental math lately.

"And we give no refunds," she stressed.

"Why would I ask for a refund?" I didn't think that there was any need to unless there was a problem.

"It's just a warning since some people... couldn't come as much as they expected to," she said, pausing slightly in the middle of the sentence.

Did she want to say something else? I wasn't sure.

"Very well. I'll pay the fee for the day for now and check out the place. I'll think about the annual later," I told her, taking out ten coppers.

Before I decided what to do, I had to wait until I met Markus' friends, since I didn't know how much time I'd have after that.

"Very well. Normally we'll give you this token that you'll have to hand to the supervisor of the training ground, but today I'll lead you there," said the blonde receptionist.

We were then led out of one of the doors to a hallway.

There were a few other rooms, among which a changing room and a bath, while at the end stood the door for the training hall.

When we entered we found a wide and brightly illuminated space, with a high ceiling, about ten to fifteen meters high and a few hundred meters of width and length.

The air felt surprisingly fresh.

I could see many training instruments and even a few areas enclosed by metal grids.

On the side of the door, we just entered, there were a few steps leading to a raised platform with a desk where a buff man that looked in his late forties was sitting, staring at us.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"John, they are new people, Silvester and Freya. They're not members of the guild, so they'll give you the token when coming in. I'll leave you to explain the rest," said the receptionist after we went up to him.

He nodded.

"Yes, I'll take it from here, you can go back," he responded.

The receptionist gave us a quick goodbye and went back to her work. I then looked back at John, who looked back at us for a moment.

"Well, welcome. Nice to meet you both. I'm John," he said, extending a hand.

We had a handshake, introducing ourselves, before he said, "I'll give you a quick rundown."

He turned around, pointing to the left side of the platform. "That side has all the stuff for the people under level thirty."

Then he pointed to the right side.

"There is for those up to level fifty. If you have low stats in strength and dexterity you can keep using the left side even if you're above level thirty, but if you break them you have to pay, so be careful," he said, looking back at us.

I nodded.

"What are those?" I asked, pointing at the grids.

"Those are the cages," he said after looking at where I pointed, "They're there for people who want to fight, but you'll have to pay extra and book them before you can use one. If you don't use long-range or dangerous Skills, and won't cause damage, you can use the sparring area next to them, which is free."

Oh, nice! I finally found a place to fight, I thought as I nodded.

"There's also a service to find you an opponent based on your specifications. Paid, of course. You'll have to ask for it in the reception, then you'll come here and have a talk with me so we can find the right opponent for you. You'll also have to give your details in that case, like the Level, Class, and type of Skills," he added.

I didn't have those, but I didn't think that would be a problem if I gave an equivalent.

"That sounds nice. It would be a hassle to go around searching for someone," I said, pleased.

I'll have to ask about the price later. I wonder why they didn't tell me in the reception, I thought, perplexed.

"We also offer to guide you in your training. Both for building your body and for fighting. We only teach the basics of hand-to-hand and a few weapons for combat, though. Advanced training is only for guild members," he said.

I nodded again, though I didn't care much about it.

It may be useful in an emergency if I can't follow Freya's training, though. Only to supervise in case she injured herself, but it would be a last resort — I took a commitment and I intended to follow through.

"You should also stop here when you enter and when you go out, so I can register you," he continued. "There's nothing else. Do you have any more questions?"

I thought for a few seconds as I looked around the place.

"Yes. Can you explain the function of those machines?" I asked, pointing at the objects in question.

"Sure," he said, before standing up and leading us through a brief tour where he explained to us how to use the equipment.

John wasn't the type to go into lengthy explanations, but he answered all my questions patiently before leaving us to our own devices, telling us to call him if we needed something.

We then tried a few of them by ourselves. I didn't like them too much, though, since they were too specialized — I'd probably just use a few of them and the weights.

After we left, I talked with the receptionist to find out the prices of the services John mentioned and why she didn't mention it.

"I'm sorry sir, I presumed you were just here for the weight training. I didn't expect an unblessed to, um... be interested," said the receptionist I talked with before, a bit flustered.

I also found out that the annual fee for those above level thirty was more than three times the one they told me before, one gold coin, and I needed that if I wanted to use the equipment I needed.

It annoyed me a bit, but seeing how she apologized a few times, I let it go; it probably wasn't a common occurrence for an unblessed to need that equipment. I was likely the only one in fact.

I then went to Markus to ask if he knew a decent inn with good prices and went to book a room for a few weeks.

It's starting to get worrying with all the costs, I thought that evening before going to bed.

I had 59 gold coins in my purse, plus a few dozen silvers. It was a small fortune and if I lived frugally it could even last me a lifetime, but with the expenses for training equipment and other things I didn't know how much I had to spend. I also had Freya with me.

I'll have to plan how to use my money better. First I'll write down the expenses I know right now, and then I will see how much I'll have to spend on training, and for how long. After that... I'll have to see how much I have left for when I start business as a merchant in the future, if I get to that point.

It was a bit stressful to not have a source of income.

Tomorrow I'll need to buy paper and a pen, I thought as I drifted off.

It would have been so much better if I had a job.

----------------------------------------