As someone who had recently been living in reclusion, he wasn't particularly comfortable with such lively places. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath and steeled his resolve to head inside.

After a few moments of hesitation, Arlo finally pushed open the doors and stepped into the guild.

The interior of the Adventurer's Guild was even more impressive than its exterior. The vast space was filled with tables and chairs, where people gathered to eat, drink, and socialize. Workers navigated the crowded room, carrying trays laden with food and beverages, while adventurers of all kinds—humans, demi-humans, and other beings—sat together in groups or alone.

Clutching his book tightly as if it were a lifeline, Arlo made his way inside, his eyes darting anxiously from left to right as he took in the lively scene. 'They must all be adventurers,' he concluded, observing the diverse array of people seated throughout the guild.

Some adventurers sat in groups, their armor gleaming and weapons close at hand, while others sat alone, their figures shrouded beneath mysterious robes.

At the west end of the room, a large board dominated the wall, its surface covered in old, worn-out papers, each bearing a quest or mission.

A sizable crowd had gathered around the board, eagerly reading the details of the available tasks. Above the board, a sign proudly proclaimed "Quests" in bold letters.

On the east end of the room, the receptionist's desk stood, ready to assist adventurers with their needs. Before approaching the reception area, Arlo made his way to the "Quests" board, curious to see what challenges the guild had to offer.

As he walked, Arlo noticed an increasing number of gazes falling upon him. The attention only heightened his anxiety, already heightened by the lively atmosphere of the guild.

'Is an average looking guy in an orange tracksuit that interesting to see?' he wondered, gripping his book even tighter.

Upon reaching the quest board, Arlo studied the various requests on display. Each quest had a rank assigned to it, ranging from F, the lowest, to A, the highest and most dangerous. Just as Miro had mentioned, the lower-ranking quests involved simple tasks like finding missing items or collecting herbs.

However, the higher-ranked quests revolved around subjugating different types of monsters. The mere descriptions of these fearsome creatures sent a chill down Arlo's spine.

'Some of these quests even have drawings of the monsters they want us to exterminate,' Arlo thought to himself as he examined one of the illustrations. 'This reminds me of the first time I entered a "Labyrinth" through a "Gate" back in my old world. The monsters there were terrifying, even in the lowest grade gate.'

In Arlo's world, gates were classified by grade, ranging from Grade F to Grade S, with special grade gates existing above those. However, Arlo had never encountered the latter. Regardless, even the monsters from the Grade F gates, the weakest of the weak, were enough to strike fear into the hearts of most hunters.

'The reward for exterminating some of these monsters is only a few silver coins at most. This seems like a pretty underpaid job, if you ask me. Although, I can't really say anything since I don't know how valuable a silver coin is in the market,' Arlo mused.

After studying the quests for a while longer, Arlo let out a sigh and made his way to the receptionist's area. Fortunately, during the time he had spent examining the quest board, the line had dissipated, allowing him to approach the desk without delay.

"Hello, young man. My name is Lira. How may I assist you today?" the receptionist greeted him with a warm smile.

Lira had light brown hair pulled back into a messy bun and wore the same black uniform as the other receptionists. She peered at Arlo through her glasses while holding a quill, which she had been using to write on a worn-out piece of paper before her.

Just as Arlo opened his mouth to speak, a sudden realization struck him, causing his eyes to widen.

'Ah, right! Paper! The quality of paper in my world is far better than the paper here. I could potentially trade it to the trading company as a valuable commodity,'

"Young man...?" Lira called out to him, her expression confused by his momentary silence.

"Oh, sorry," Arlo apologized, snapping back to the present. "I came here to register as an adventurer."

Lira nodded, her smile returning as she prepared to guide Arlo through the procedure.

"Of course! Just fill in this form," Lira said, pulling out a piece of paper from a stack on the desk before her. She handed the form to Arlo along with a quill. "If you don't know how to read or write, I can fill it in for you."

Arlo examined the paper, which requested basic information such as his name, age, reason for joining, and a drop of his blood in a designated box.

'I can read what's written here, but will it translate what I write down?' he wondered.

"Um... I'm not sure if I can write properly. Can you tell me if you can understand what's written here?" Arlo asked after jotting down his name.

He showed the paper to Lira, who furrowed her brows and adjusted her glasses as she studied the writing.

"What language is this?" she inquired, inspecting the piece of paper more closely. "I've never seen anything like it."

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Arlo let out a sigh upon hearing this. He had written in English, the language into which the text had been translated, but it seemed that the spell didn't translate his own writing.

"I apologize for the confusion. I'm a traveler who's come from a distant place. It appears that I don't know how to write in your language. I'd appreciate it if you could write down the details for me," Arlo explained.

"A distant place... but you seem to speak the language here very well," Lira muttered, glancing at his unusual attire.

"Oh, that's just because of a spell that I cast," Arlo responded, seeing no point in hiding his magical abilities.

"Ah, so you can use magic! That explains it," Lira said, her smile returning. "Please tell me what you'd like me to write down in each section."

Relieved that Lira had accepted his explanation without further questioning, Arlo quickly guided her through the form. With his assistance, they filled out the required information, and after collecting a drop of Arlo's blood, the registration was finally complete.

"Alright, Mr. Arlo, before I process your registration, I need to collect the registration fee," Lira informed him.

"R-Registration fee?" Arlo stammered, caught off guard.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it? I apologize, I assumed you knew since you're a traveler. When registering for the guild, you have to pay a registration fee of 10 coppers," she explained.

Upon hearing this, Arlo froze, his heart sinking. Not only did he not have a single coin to his name, but he also had no means of acquiring the necessary funds.

"S-Sorry, I don't have any money on me right now," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

"I-It's fine, it's my fault for not mentioning it earlier. If you'd like, I can keep your form stored until you're able to afford the fee," Lira offered.

"Yeah, that would be good... Thank you for your help," Arlo muttered, lowering his dejectedly.

With no other choice, he was about to turn and leave when suddenly-

Clatter!

A hand reached out from beside him, dropping exactly ten copper coins onto the reception desk.

"Will this be enough to cover it?" the person asked.

Arlo turned to see who had come to his aid and found himself face-to-face with a short, petite girl dressed in a long black robe and a pointed hat. Beneath the hat, long silver hair cascaded down her back, framing her crimson red eyes. She held a long wooden staff in her right hand.

As their eyes met, time seemed to stand still, the moment stretching between them. The receptionist's voice broke the spell.

"Yes, this should cover it. I'm going to process your adventurer's card now. Please excuse me, I'll be right back," Lira said, gathering the completed form and coins before heading off.

Arlo nervously averted his gaze as he thanked the mysterious girl. "Thank you for the help."

At first, she remained silent, her stare intense, causing Arlo's nerves to fray further. After a few seconds, she finally spoke.

"It's fine, you don't have to thank me. I only helped you because I want something in return. There’s something I’d like to ask.”

Arlo raised a brow. "Something you want to ask?"

The girl nodded, pointing at his chest. "I've been curious. You don't have a shred of mana within you, nor does it look like you have a mana core. So, how is it that you're able to use magic? Is it because of that book you're holding?"

A chill rushed down Arlo's spine as he took a step back, clutching the book tightly. He nervously glanced left and right, checking if anyone had overheard their conversation. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention.

"Don't worry, I set up a sound-proof barrier. No one can hear us... and besides, they're all too drunk to care," the girl muttered, lightly waving her staff.

"Who... are you?" Arlo asked.

The girl removed her hat, revealing her unique appearance. Long, pointed ears peeked out from beneath her silver hair. "I'm Vielle. A Pureblood Vampire."

'D-Did she say Vampire?' Arlo's mind raced, recalling the stories he'd heard about these mythical creatures.

According to the tales from his old world, Vampires were an immortal race that resembled humans and drank human blood to survive. He'd also read that they would burn in sunlight, but that was all from fiction novels.

What were the Vampires of this new world like? Were they the same as the ones he'd heard about? As he studied Vielle, it didn't seem to be the case. She didn't appear to have any intention of harming him, leading Arlo to believe that the definition of Vampire must be different in this world.

"Vielle... I'm Arlo. U-Um, Vielle, before I answer your question, do you mind telling me how you figured that out, for future reference?" Arlo asked, his curiosity outweighing his fear.

Vielle nodded, pointing at her eyes. "My eyes are a little special, you see. I'm able to see the flow of mana with them. Even if you're able to completely suppress your flow, I can still see it. However, I can't see any mana flowing out of you."

Vielle's gaze shifted to the book. "The book, on the other hand... When you activated your spell in the city, I caught a glimpse of it. That thing stores an abyssal amount of magic."

Arlo looked down at the book clutched tightly in his arms. He then glanced up at Vielle, taking another step back, with a worried look on his face.

‘If she wants to take it for herself, I’ll have to fight her… but can I win?’ He wondered as he was about to raise his guard.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in taking it from you. I just wanted to know if my intuition was correct," Vielle assured him, her eyes lingering on the book. "Besides, I doubt I'd be able to use it even if I got my hands on it."

'This girl... don’t scare me like that.' Arlo thought to himself, letting out a sigh of relief. ‘N-Not like I was scared in the first place.’

"Well, since you've answered my question, consider the debt paid. I'll be going now," Vielle said, turning to leave.

"But I still haven't answered your question," Arlo pointed out.

"Your reaction said it all," she smiled, placing her hat back on her head.

With those final words, Vielle made her way out of the guild, leaving Arlo standing in the same spot, staring after her. She had left quite the impression on him.

"She seems knowledgeable... She also mentioned casting a sound-proof barrier... But when? I never heard her chant... But it didn't seem like she was lying either-"

Arlo's musings were suddenly interrupted by Lira's voice calling out to him from behind. She had returned to the receptionist's desk.

"Mr. Arlo?"

Startled, Arlo's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. "Y-Yes?"

"Your card is ready. Here you go," Lira said, holding out the newly minted adventurer's card.