Zack followed the columns of smoke that could be seen in the distance.

Blacksmith shops, kitchens, inns, and other establishments that required fire allowed him to see a light curtain of smoke that signaled the presence of the town in the distance. Soon, he saw the town.

The stone walls were eight feet tall, extremely small compared to the capital or any city in the kingdom. The dirt road led to a wide gate, guarded by two soldiers whose only function was to collect entrance fees.

The soldiers had already been informed of his new position yesterday when the mayor's secretary accompanied him, so the guards greeted him when they saw him. Of course, as the new doctor in town, he didn't need to pay anything to enter.

When he passed through the gate, the town appeared before his eyes.

It was around noon, and most of the city's residents were working, so there weren't too many people on the street. As Zack walked along the main road, apart from the workers in the shops on both sides of the street, a limited number of people were in the exterior.

Even so, the people he saw began to whisper as they pointed at him. Most likely, they realized who he was. One must not underestimate how quickly news travels in towns.

“Excuse me, mister.”

Zack turned around when he heard a voice next to him. A small boy, around eleven years old, approached him without fear. His clothes were a little big for him, but you could tell they were well cared for.

"Yes?"

“Are you the new doctor?”

“Yes, it's me. Do you need something?” Asked Zack with the most amicable tone possible. A smile graced the boy's face upon hearing this.

“Do you need a guide? No one knows the city better than me” the boy said confidently, although there was an insecure tone in his voice.

Hearing that the boy was searching for a job, he was a bit shocked, but thinking about it, it was normal.

In his world, this may be preposterous, but there was a small detail he overlooked. This was not his world. He can´t measure it with his own standards, he has to adapt to this world. He is sure there are lots of things he may not understand, but if he uses his former world´s perspective something will go wrong.

While he was pondering, Zack noticed that the kid was still waiting for an answer.

(It would indeed be better with a guide) Zack thought. At first, he wasn't sure whether to hire a boy, but looking at his clothes, it was obvious that the money would come in handy. Although Zack didn't have many coins on him, it should be enough to pay the boy.

After a few moments of contemplation, Zack accepted his offer, and the boy began to guide him. His first stop was the market.

The place was near.

Despite being a small town, the market flourished around it.

Food, clothing, weapons, artifacts. A row of shops appeared before Zack's eyes. New and unknown things were shown in the stores.

Some fruits were similar to those in his world, while others were strange, of all colors and shapes. The same thing happened with meat and fish.

One of the vendors had a store with all kinds of exotic pets. Most of them were local animals, but some beasts in cages had a hint of mana from their body.

Some items on display piqued Zack's curiosity. Like, for example, an armory that had enchanted weapons, overflowing with magical power. Or potions of all kinds that claimed to be able to heal any wound.

The experience was refreshing. Zack felt like he was in a flea market, where there were ancient relics, waiting for someone to discover their value.

They left soon. Sadly, he did not have enough money to buy anything, otherwise, he would stay until they closed.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

After leaving the market, they headed to the industrial zone. Contrary to the commercial area, the place was much messier. It was like seeing an office full of pending papers to fill out.

Craftsmen gathered here to make their products. Blacksmiths, distilleries, and other buildings full of professionals worked tirelessly to meet the town´s needs.

There wasn´t much to do there. After some time passed, Zack and his guide left. Once they were quite far away, the boy asked where he wanted to go next. The town was not too big. Apart from the places they had already seen, only the residential area, the slums, and the dungeon area remained.

"Dungeon?" Zack stopped the explanation. He didn't know there was a dungeon in the town. That would explain the size of the town. Although the place has all the necessary things to be considered a suitable place to live, it is too secluded. The difficult access prevents the arrival of merchants with products from abroad and makes trade difficult.

A dungeon would explain the size of the town, and how so many businesses can be open for a not-so-large local population.

“Take me to the dungeon area” Zack said without much thought. The other two areas don't seem to be very important for him. If the need arises, he can visit them later. The only dungeon he has gone to is the one near the capital. Zack wants to see what kind of dungeon it is.

Based on where they are created, the dungeons are different inside, and the monsters inside are also unique.

A dungeon created near the sea will have creatures found near that area, while a dungeon near a mountain will have completely opposite beings.

As they advanced through the streets, the number of people they saw increased.

Men and women wearing armor, and weapons at their sides, walked in small groups while talking and laughing. Zack didn't have to be a genius to know who they were.

Mercenaries.

In this world, there is no profession of adventurer. In its place, there are mercenaries. Combat classes that offer their services in exchange for money. It doesn't matter what class you are, if you can complete the assignment, you will get paid for it.

Of course, there are limits. The mercenary guild will not accept assignments related to killing, robbing, or looting other people. If this were not the case, mercenaries would be no different from murderers and thieves.

Evidently, these people were not locals. Most of them had come here to explore the dungeon and gain experience.

Defeating monsters is much faster and more efficient than trying to learn and get the most out of the characteristics of your class.

A warrior not only needs to know how to wield a weapon. Learning to repair your equipment, fight in groups, improve your combat arts, train, or plan strategies are confirmed ways to raise your level. Most of these actions take time. It is much easier to enter the dungeon and kill monsters.

Unfortunately, his little guide didn't know much about the dungeon, most people find out that information once they are inside the dungeon. The only thing he knew was that it was a C-class dungeon.

Zack was not surprised that this was the case.

Class D dungeons are too weak. There are other ways to level up. No one would bother coming here for a dungeon for newbies. On the other hand, if it were a B or A-rank dungeon, this town would not be a town. Professionals from all over the kingdom would come here, looking to climb the dungeon, and the nobles would have turned this remote point of the kingdom into a place into a money-making machine that would appear on most maps.

A C-rank dungeon was within his expectations, neither too weak that it would not encourage people to come here to clean the dungeon, nor too strong that the kingdom would personally intervene in its control.

The boy guide stopped in the middle of the road and said “We have arrived, Mr. Doctor”

"Hmm?" Seeing what was in front of him, Zack had a question “Where is the dungeon? Is it in that building?”

In front was a street full of shops aimed at the needs of mercenaries. Armories, bars, magical artifact stores, etc.

At the end of the street, there was a three-story building. The only building of that height in this town was the town hall. A building like this must be very special.

Hearing the question, his little guide shook her head. “That's the mercenary guild. They control the dungeon. If you want to enter the dungeon, you need to sign up for the guild”

“Why does the mercenary guild control the dungeon? Shouldn’t the kingdom control it?” Zack asked, surprised. Logically speaking, there is no way for the kingdom to give up control of a dungeon, no matter how weak it is.

The kid looked at him strangely, as if he were seeing a two-headed rabbit. “The kingdom controls the mercenary guild. Everyone knows that. Manny said that, because of the dungeon, the guild master is an annoying nobleman sent here by the king”

(The kingdom controls the mercenary guild)

Hearing his guide's words, Zack could see how the plans he had created were falling apart by the moment.

Zack's original plan was to join the adventurer's guild and earn money by doing odd jobs and leveling up little by little. Now, that plan is not viable.

He used to think that the kingdom controlled the dungeon and the adventurer's guild was a semi-independent organization. Thinking about it now, Zack can understand how stupid his idea was.

Zack was in no mood to continue the tour. After paying his guide some coins for his services, he decided to visit the mercenary guild. If he could have, Zack would have asked where the doctors' guild was, but he already knew the answer.

A medicine guild can't exist in a place with only one doctor. It would be the same as if there were a kingdom with only the king living in it.

Zack sighed.

(No matter the plan, it can´t stand the actual battle) though sadly.

This was no place to stand. With slow steps, he advanced to the guild to see what to expect. and not make castles in the air the next time.