Chapter 4
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Stella POV
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“Good afternoon, sir.” Parker greeted him. Hart ran passed me, trying to get the instructor’s attention.
“Hello.” The girls greet him with a more carefree attitude. We are alone in this field again. I kinda want to watch others’ training. I know we are getting special treatment, but if 70% of our lessons are private, why do they bother to send us here anyway? The instructor just kept silent during our greeting. That’s weird. I can somehow feel a malicious aura around him. Wait, his movements are strange!!
“Watch out!!” Parker screamed
“Hello, Si... URGH!!!!” Hart screamed as the instructor suddenly punched him flying. The instructor attacked us! Is he not an instructor? An assassin? Flee or counterattack? Flee is a no. He is too fast. That means I have to counter.
“Ice spear!” I condensed my imagination into my hands. After trial and error last night, I understood that there are powers besides me that I can manipulate. It takes form from my imagination. So, I must imagine a spear then prolonged the tip until it reached him.
“Hmmph!” the instructor ran towards my direction at a blinding speed while dodging my spear without even a glance. Dangerous, manipulate more to make a shield.
TRANG!!
He destroyed it with a light kick and chained a second kick at me. This time I can’t do anything. His kick will reach me, and I will be sent flying just like Hart.
“Aaargh!!” Parker stood before me, blocking his kick with his two arms. But it was useless. His body was sent flying just like Hart’s. If he can kick Hart, who is over 180cm with a muscular body, it would probably be easy to kick Paker, that only has a slim build. Since I was right behind him, I was blown off too, and our bodies slammed into the ground.
“urgh!!” Parker moaned as he held his hands. Maybe it has some fracture in it.
The instructor then ran toward the rest of the team and put them in the same beaten-up state. The whole event took less than 10 seconds from the beginning, so they just stood there frozen. Hart managed to wake up and tried to counterattack, but it was futile. He was kicked by him again.
“Is this the power of heroes? I didn’t even use 10% of my strength, and you are already beaten up. This is a joke! Are we supposed to place our hope in this brat? Their strength barely reaches D minus! They aren’t even stronger than ordinary soldiers.”
“Bane! What are you doing?” Richard came and shouted at him
“Hey, captain. Is this the hero we are supposed to place our hopes into?”
“You already heard the king’s message, didn’t you? He said that while their compatibility with faith crystal can make them rank S, currently, they are just commoners. That’s why we should teach them.”
“Then we should teach them AFTER they receive the crystal. I don’t want to babysit some useless brat. I would rather go to some key villages to defend against demons there.”
“As an imperial guard, will you defy the king’s orders?”
“tch!!” he said with a mocking tone. “Get up, brats. We will begin the lessons now. For those who have compatibility less than B plus on warrior class, don’t bother coming here! Ask some other free teachers. I do not want to waste my time on some talent-less man!”
With a groan, everybody started to raise themselves. I staggered on my steps when walking outside. Since I am kicked out, this time will become free time. Where should I go now? I barely knew anyone. I want to voice a complaint, but my mouth isn’t moving. Oh well, let’s leave this area quickly.
“Hey, Stella. Where will you be going?” Will asked me with a pained sound. He has been kicked in the face, and it has poorly inflamed.
“I’m... not sure,” I replied. “And you?”
“Infirmary, of course. With this bump on my face, even talking is painful.”
“I see. See you later then.” I walked on towards the school building. I haven’t decided where I will go, but I am sure my destination will not be this place.
“Miss Stella.” An instructor came to me from the school building. I recognize her from 1 of the instructor that teaches us.
“Yes?”
“I am fay, one of your instructors. I see your battle with Bane. Well, first of all, I apologize for his behavior towards all of you. His only sister and his mother were killed in a frontier village while he was studying here. So please understand a little bit of his attitude.”
Well, I do not care about it anymore. The fact is I flunked out of the class. It was the first for me. Huh? The first? I shouldn’t be so sure that this time is the first I am flunked or shouted at by a teacher. After all, I have amnesia.
Urgh! Noo good. When I try to remember, I only get a headache. Let’s not care about it again from now on.
“Miss Stella?”
“Yes?”
“So, about Bane. Once again, I am sorry.”
“No need. Everyone has their teaching method.”
“By the way, I see your battle from the window. Your magic was still unpolished, but it has potential. I would be glad to teach you personally. So, shall we have a practice now? “
“Umm, no. Thank you for the offer. But may I take it another time? I feel a bit under the weather. And my body is aching too.”
“Ahh, sorry. Then anytime you have free time, please meet me at the cafeteria or teachers’ lounge. I will be waiting for you, miss hero.”
“Thanks,” I replied while walking away. My body didn’t ache that much since I was only slammed by Parker’s body. I didn’t receive that much damage compared to the others. But somehow, I still refused the offer. There is a particular place I am very interested in. Now that I have free time, I can finally go there to that place. This city’s only library is also located inside the academy.
I walked with a light step towards this city’s academy. After reaching the place, I was stunned. I forgot a crucial matter. I can’t read this world’s character. The translation’s earrings let me speak and hear this world’s language, but they didn’t let me read. I was shocked when I saw the books here were filled with scribbles. Wait for a second. That’s weird.
Parker has a map and this school guidebook filled with the general rules of this school. How can he read it? No, I also looked at least into this school’s map. That’s how I managed to find this library, and the language written there is the language I knew. So, does Parker get a copy of the school map and guidebook with our language in it? Or has he translated it himself?
If he is indeed from our world, he can’t possibly know this world’s language. Then is his translation crystal better than mine? Wait, that’s also weird. The kingdom should not give favoritism to the heroes in first eye contact. Then, someone must have helped him. But who helped him? Miss Sera? Richard? That’s weird. Both of them didn’t meet us except this morning. And miss sera ditched us after sending us to that grand house.
“May I help you miss? If you want to read, please bring your book to the reading section. It is forbidden to read while standing here.” A librarian scolded me while I was still stunned, looking through the weird writing from the opened book in front of me.
“Sorry.” I put the book in its place and ran away.
Now what. My mood suddenly plummeted to the bottom when I found out I couldn’t read. Is there any quick way to learn this world’s language? No, the first thing I should do is find myself a teacher. I should ask Parker later if there are any language courses.
I was walking with no specific direction in mind. But, the school exits entered my view. Can I go outside? As far as I remember, we didn’t need a pass or anything to come in, right?
“excuse me, I want to go out. But if I return, do I need some kind of a pass to come in?” let’s ask the gate guard. It’s better that way.
“Ahh, you need to provide your name and your residence. Then we will check if the description fits. But Miss Second Hero, you are famous, so you didn’t need such a thing. A face pass is okay. Please go on.” The polite guard answered with a big smile.
“Thank you very much, sir,” I answered back while bowing a little.
“No problem.” The guard returned the bow. After that, I leave. I should be able to return, right? Anyone in this city should know the location of this academy, right? I mean, it is the center of the town, so I should not worry about getting lost. Alright, let’s have an adventure.
“Miss, would you like some appel? Here, we have an excellent one.” An old merchant lady tried to sell her wares to me. Her wares are colorful with all the fruits in them. “We also dealt in gross if you want, I will throw in a discount.”
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“Ahh, I am sorry, but I am just looking this time.” I apologized while bowing my head. This is the third time someone has shouted at me. Somehow I feel awkward. I get a feeling that in the other world, I never get called like this. Is the system different?
“Welcome to the inn, miss. We have a room cleaned up. And there is a bath too in this inn. Please stay here.” Another one called me. “One night is just 2 grams of silver.”
“Umm. Do I look like a traveler? Or traveling merchant? Why did you offer me lodging?” I asked the inn poster girl who has maid attire with short hair. I can say that her job suits her, but I get this awkward feeling. Something felt wrong. Is it my behavior, or is it my appearance? The way they offered me goods, and sometimes in bulk, is bizarre. I made sure to walk just like the people around me, but I still got called out.
“Ahh, aren’t you a freelancer?”
“What is a freelancer?”
“Huh? You didn’t know? A freelancer is a person that is registered in the freelancer guild. They handle requests such as slaying certain demons or doing odd jobs for the low-rank one. You can ask them to do anything as long as it isn’t a crime. You look young and beautiful, but most female freelancers are healers and mages. So they are usually rich. Wait a second? How come you didn’t know about freelancers? Everyone in town should... Ahh!! Sorry! I apologize, dear miss. You must be a noble. I sincerely apologize for my ignorance and stupidity in not knowing. May I know from which house you are in? I will be sure not to forget it in the future. For my ignorance, we will give you a discount in our inn. The best room in this inn costs 3 grams of gold. But just for you, miss, we will provide it to you for 1 and a half gold. “The poster girl bowed her head while apologizing any times. Despite apologizing in a fluster, she didn’t forget to market her inn, how devoted. She is trained to sell this whenever possible.
“Ahh, sorry, I am not a noble. It is just that I went to the academy.” Am I a noble, or am I not? Considering my position as a hero, it should be fine to call myself a noble, but since I do not have a title from the king itself, I should not be noble.
“Ahh, I see. In this inn, we also have a small restaurant. Please drop by to get some lunch if you have time. We can proudly declare that our chef cooking here is comparable to this town academy.” Whoa, she gives everything she got for this inn’s prosperity, huh? I admired her
“You said that a freelancer is a person that registers to the guild. May I know where this certain guild is?”
“Well, you go straight to this path. In a T junction, turn left. It is the largest building to the right. It’s quite near, which is also one of the advantages of our inn.” She said while putting on another advertisement for the inn. She loves this inn, isn’t she?
“Okay. Thanks,” I bowed while leaving. Why do I want to go to this place anyway? But hearing that this guild will do anything makes me curious. Since I can’t read, I might ask one of the guild staff for information.
“Good dusk, miss.” Huh? Dusk? Translation error? We can’t call this time afternoon anymore. Maybe they have a different word for greeting in the dusk, and thus good dusk. They should call it evening instead. It is kind of funny but let’s move on. I am currently at the reception desk of the freelancer guild. The building was big but not luxurious. It is efficient. There is a bar on the right side of the hall with many people crowding it. They seemed to chatter happily.
“Miss?” the beautiful receptionist called me again. I completely ignored her. I wonder if I just made the wrong first impression.
“Ahh, sorry. I just want to ask a little.”
“May I see your guild member card? Or do you want to request a job?”
“Umm, I don’t have a card. “I answered honestly. If they can’t help anyone without a card, I can’t do anything about it. Let’s just return to the academy.
“I see. Will you register? It is free to register.” Free? That’s some service you got there. Is there any catch in it?
“Umm, is it really free?”
“Yes. But you will need to pay 1 gram of silver each year or at least take out at least 20 quests each year. If these conditions are not met, your membership will be erased, and you will have to register again.”
“When I register again...”
“It is free. But takes around 3 days to complete. It is a hassle, so you would better pay the fine. “
“I see. Why is it free?”
“We take a commission from quests. Around 10% of the total sum of the quest reward. That’s our profit. You see, our freelancer is our employee, so we do not do such a thing as put a tax on them.” she said with a smile. “May I take it that you are new to our system? If then, will you move to the leftmost reception? She will handle all the beginner’s detail for you.”
Following her words, I move towards the leftmost reception area. “Welcome to the freelancer guild hall. Are you new to adventuring and the freelance jobs we provide?”
“Umm, yes. I am completely new. So please give me a complete tutorial.” I asked shamelessly. They provide a satisfying service here. Even though I am completely new and didn’t pay them anything, they are willing to tutor me thoroughly.
“Of course. Let me start, then. Let me tell you what a freelancer guild is. Freelancer guild does any jobs that people can’t do themselves temporarily. It can be any job, from doing simple jobs such as laundry to the extent of becoming a kingdom’s temporary war force. Ahh, but we refused crime-related jobs such as murdering, stealing, and robbing. Since we do not want to make any unnecessary enemies. Is there any question so far?”
“No.”
“Then, let me tell you how we work. We put a job request the employer requested to us on that board. If you want to receive a job, you just need to take the paper on that board and register them with one of our receptionists. That job is commissioned to you.” she smiled while pointing towards the boards littering on the guild hall’s left side. So, all the paper on those boards is a job request. I can’t read, so this is going to be a problem.
“After the job has been commissioned and completed by you, you should get to the receptionist here at the guild to receive your reward. The employer will sign the request completion paper. In case of monster subjugation or getting a certain loot, you should bring proof of subjugation or loot to our receptionist. They will reward you. is there any question about how we work? Please note that failing a quest might lead you to a fine.”
“What if the job failed?”
“That will be explained in punishments. Now, are there any other questions?”
“No.” The explanations are easy to understand so far. It was quite an excellent service they got here.
“Now, we will move on to general rules. The first one is Adventurers should not disturb or trouble others as much as possible when doing their job. This is the most crucial. Following this rule will get you out of punishment most of the time. And.. That’s all.”
“?? Only one? Why is there a first..” I asked with a confused look
“Well, basically, you should not trouble others. The formal rule is something like do not obstruct other freelancers. Do not disturb civilians when doing their job. Do not destroy or damage public facilities, do not anger nobles, and so on. In short, it means you should not disturb others.”
“I see.”
“Now let’s talk about punishments. A punishment may include a fine, ranking down, expulsion, or, at worst, a bounty.”
“I thought we are forbidden from killing?”
“Killing wanted criminals. Killing for personal defense is also fine, except for killing nobles. As we stated before, we do not want any unnecessary enemies. And for bounty, though some may request you to kill, most bounty requests you to capture the specific person. It is also one of the types of requests we get.”
“I see.”
“That’s for punishments. We will pick a suitable punishment depending on what trouble you cause. Next is for ranking. Freelancers will get a rank when they register. Started from rank E to rank SS. This rank is only an indication of your skill. You may take any quest as long as the quest doesn’t specify the required ranking. By our judgment, when we see the completion of the quest, we might promote you to a better ranking. But, when successfully done many quests, you should get a rank up.”
“I see.” Well, this one is vague. Ranking up is promotion, and what criteria for promotion is hidden, huh?
“And that’s all for the tutorial about the freelancer guild. Will you register?” she asked.
“Umm, I will think about it. Thanks.”
“We will look into cooperating with you in the future.” She smiled
The sky has darkened. Should I go back now? Or should I explore this city some more? Perhaps I should return. I should ask Parker how he translated this world’s text into his language anyway. Ahh, there is one other place I have to go before going back to the dorm