The [Receptionist] had already been turning back to her papers, but Fayette’s words managed to rouse her back. The woman blinked her eyes and took a proper look at Fayette for the first time. She took in the very proper [Maid] uniform, Fayette’s bearing, and at last fully registered her words. She instantly shifted to business mode, her next words curt and precise. “You wish to sign up as a hunter? May I see your class license?”

Fayette took the license from her pockets and quickly looked it over to make sure things were fine.

Class License

The Dual Monarchy of Gallia and Albia

Name: Fayette

License Type: Worker Class

Parents: Unknown

Base Class: Maid

Date of Birth: 6.5.1767

Issued: 6.5.1781 Parish of Castella

Blood Signature: Fayette

Valid until level 30

Yep, everything should be in order.

Satisfied, she handed the slip over to the [Receptionist]. The woman took a quick glance at it then turned to examine Fayette. The [Maid] felt a shudder as the distinctive feeling of an appraisal skill went through her. It had been a while since she had gone through one of those. Seemingly satisfied, the [Receptionist] handed the license back.

“Your information seems to be in order. Which party are you joining? I will need to ensure your vouching is in order. Do you have the recommendation written down somewhere?”

Fayette felt confused. Oh no, this is going to become bothersome, isn’t it? “Umm, I’m not joining any party, at least yet. I don’t have any vouching either. Is that necessary? Can’t I go at things alone?”

The [Receptionist’s] face blanked for a moment, going through that distinctive despair one goes through when realizing they have a difficult customer at hand. It was only a moment, and she soon continued as if no pause had come, voice curt and professional.

“Miss, non-combat classes are only allowed to become hunters in a support capacity; we don’t manage cleaning services or anything of the sort. This is the hunter’s guild, and we handle hunter requests.”

Fayette frowned, then pointed at a slime cleaning request on the nearby quest board. "You don't do cleaning jobs? Then what do you call that? Cleaning sludge from a river seems cleaningy-enough to me."

"Umm, I see your point," the [Receptionist] admitted, then smiled awkwardly. "Still, sorry, but I have to follow regulations with these things, we only serve hunting requests."

Fayette felt irritation bubbling within her, and almost slammed her fist on the table, but she held it in. She had recognized the look on the woman’s face, it was a very common one for [Maids] too: The "I have to deal with a difficult customer"-face. Fayette knew she needed to be cooperative to have any chance here.

She slowly took a few breaths to make sure the anger was out of her and made her case. There was zero hesitation in her voice as it rang out. “Sorry, but I’m not trying to join in a support capacity. I want to become a proper hunter and I want to hunt proper monsters.”

Her calm voice seemed to pierce the noise in the room, making the place fall silent. Many strange gazes began falling on Fayette from the hunter mess hall. The receptionist’s face in turn held confusion, and just a tinge of despair. “But... you are a [Maid]. You need to have a combat class to become a hunter. That’s how the rules go.”

Fayette smiled smugly—she had actually thought on this argument beforehand and prepared an answer. She started making her point, voice filled with confidence. “Who says a [Maid] isn’t a combat class? Do you have proof? I’m a [Maid], and I’ve fought plenty. [Maid] skills are great for fighting. It’s not like there’s a big book of all classes that says a [Maid] isn’t a combat class, right?”

The [Receptionist’s] face slowly turned from confusion to sympathy. She measured her words, laying out a slow judgement. “Actually... we do indeed have a big book on class classifications which says just that. The [Big Class Classification Text]. It’s very explicit: A [Maid] is a [Worker] class.”

Fayette stumbled as her arguments melted away into nothing, and she looked at the [Receptionist] with shock. “You do? There’s a book like that?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, we do. Would you like me to fetch it? I can double check the classification for the [Maid] class if you want.”

Fayette closed her eyes and sighed deeply. It was a worst-case scenario. And I was so confident I could get them with that! Why is there such a book anyway? Who wrote it? Can’t be anyone sensible, they just didn’t meet the right [Maid].

She turned to look at the [Receptionist]. Fayette had been patient and amiable, and she could see from the woman’s sympathetic look that she was no longer being classified as an “annoying customer”—just a difficult one. I guess I’ll see if we can work something here...

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“...No, I don’t think bringing that book out is necessary—I’ll take your word on it. It’s just... is there no way for me to become a hunter?” She took out her bag of monster cores and upended it on the table. “I wasn’t lying about being able to hunt, all these, I too—”

The [Receptionist] looked at the cores rolling around on the table and interrupted Fayette with a wave of her hand. “Miss, rules are rules. Please don’t go dumping your stuff on the tables, we can't change the rules on a bounty basis.”

“Ah, sorry.” Fayette said and quickly tucked the cores back into her pouch. How terrible, I've made a mess! In a last ditch effort, she even threw in a [Disarming Smile], though her expression was plenty disarming enough on its own. “Still, is there no way?”

The receptionist took a long look at Fayette’s earnest expression, then thought, finger on her lip. She turned to look at the papers around her and began to dig under them, fishing out a thick book of rules. She shuffled through it, until she eventually stopped on a page.

The [Receptionist] carefully examined the page, going over it several times, then smiled. She turned back to Fayette. “Well, it would be a bit irregular, but there is technically a way.”

Fayette instantly brightened up. She stood straighter and leaned over the table, full of enthusiasm. “Really? There’s a way?”

“Please calm down. Yes, there is a way, but it is a bit...” The woman gave Fayette another appraising look, then drew out some papers from a cupboard. “This is a technicality, as there is no rule forbidding it. You are technically able to join on a junior hunter license—it’s something intended for children who haven’t unlocked their class yet. A relatively safe introduction to hunter work until they come of age and get their class.”

Fayette frowned. “What exactly does ‘relatively safe’ mean here?”

The receptionist dug through the pile of papers she had taken out and selected one which she placed in front of Fayette. “You would only be able to take on missions of the safest danger rating, and only ones inside the city. Are you still interested?”

Fayette turned to look at the paper, which seemed to be a list of rules and regulations for junior hunters. It was a big list of things they were not allowed to do, and Fayette felt a tad angry that she was being reduced to this. I’m being put on the same levels as children under 14 years, just because a [Maid] isn’t a combat class according to their stupid book?

Still, it was something. Was it better than nothing though? Fayette was not sure. She turned to the [Receptionist]. “If I find the junior hunter thing doesn’t suit me, is there anything stopping me from just giving it up?”

The [Receptionist] pointed to a line on the paper. “Junior hunters are not held to any obligations. You would be free to go as you will.”

Fayette still wanted to be a hunter, and though this was far from what she had wished for, it was still a step. Not a big step, but a step nonetheless. At least I have some sort of license with this; it shouldn't stop me from doing any cleaning requests. Those are what I really wanted here anyways.

She took the paper.

“Alright, thanks for being patient with me. I’m in. Where do I sign?”

“Those are the rules, not the joining form. Please don’t sign anything.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Fayette handed the paper back, and the receptionist handed her a new form. It took a bit more fiddling with the papers to get Fayette’s forms in order. Ordinarily, permission from a guardian would be required—luckily, Fayette was of age. She marked herself in as her own guardian.

Another mix-up came as the [Receptionist] found out that Fayette didn’t actually live in the city and was only staying at an inn. The junior licence was intended for locals mainly, but on closer inspection of the rules, the [Receptionist] found that the segments on travel and such were relatively loose, allowing just enough wiggle-room for Fayette’s form to go through.

Eventually the paper was signed, and the woman headed upstairs to verify it with the [Guildmaster]. Fayette paced around in a circle anxiously as she waited, fearing that even with all her effort, the form wouldn’t go through.

The [Maid] working in the guild gave her a look of solidarity, and they shared another silent conversation, mainly mocking the dirty habits of stereotypical hunters. Fayette was just getting into it, miming the drunken steps of a fool who had drunk more than they could take, when the [Receptionist] returned.

Fayette instantly fell into [Maid’s Poise], and approached the desk, hope in her heart. The [Receptionist] smiled at her, and handed Fayette a slip of paper, and a copper emblem.

“Congratulations, you are now officially a junior hunter.”

Fayette nodded her thanks at the diligent [Receptionist] and took her now proof of guild membership in hand. This [Receptionist] was a bit of a stickler for rules, but she handled things in the end—I hope she gets plenty of experience from this.

With a license in hand, Fayette needed to choose what to do with it. One of her options would be to join up with some other party, but she wasn’t feeling too keen on that. She had considered it briefly, but one look, one whiff, at the hunters arrayed at the other side of the room dissuaded her of the notion. They were simply too... unclean.

They were a grimy sort, and Fayette didn’t think she would have much luck trying to whip the lot into cleaner shape. There was no way she would be joining a party of people who failed to meet her basic cleanliness standards. There was of course another issue—Fayette wasn’t naive. Not completely at least.

She doubted she would get to fight much if she joined one of the parties. If some party were to accept a [Maid] as part of their group, they would probably have certain expectations on what a [Maid] would do for the group. Fayette had no objection to handling cooking and cleaning, it was part of her duties after all, but she still wanted to primarily be a fighter.

However, such musings could be left for later. Fayette now had her very own junior hunter’s license, and she was keen to put it into use. She walked over to the mission board and began perusing her options.

There were many different types of requests posted: requests for caravan escort, notices about dangerous monster spottings, all sorts of interesting jobs. None of which Fayette was allowed to accept, of course. She turned her gaze downwards, to the bottom of the board.

Now, how can I most efficiently start cleaning up this dumspter of a city?

The first notice that took her attention was a rat-removal mission. Apparently some neighbourhood in the city was having issues with a rat infestation, and a mission had been put forth. There was a bounty for every rat corpse verified, and though not large, it wasn’t an insignificant sum either. Pest control eh? That sounds right up my alley!

However, as she read further on, she noticed that even this mission was marked with a danger level beyond what she was allowed. Seriously? Rats are too dangerous for me? Give me a break! I’ve handled plenty of rats back at the mansion! I’m sure I could handle this! Hmph. Maybe I could take it anyway somehow?

Grumbling internally, Fayette turned to the next mission down. This time she first checked the danger rating and noted to her satisfaction that this one was within her means. A persistent mission for slime removal, huh? I think I should be able to manage that. Still, why is there a persistent mission for something like this? A city shouldn’t have slimes just popping out of nowhere, there’s monster wards to keep them out, right?

Apparently, the river on the northern side of town had a bit of a slime infestation problem. The creatures were constantly washing up onshore, and people were needed to clear the pests away. Fayette felt a bit unnerved that monsters could just... pop up like that inside a city. Still, it seemed to be the best mission so far. Can't get much thorough cleaning done with dirty water, this should be a good start. Fayette decided to give it a go.

It was time to start cleaning the city.