Chapter 4 – The Adventure Guild
Henry and Alger led the carriage down the street further into town. Alger was excited that the beets he spent so much time and care to grow were able to be sold properly. He was humming to himself when his father gave his back a slap.
“That’s what I’m talking about Alger, I am proud of your hard work. Because of that I decided to give you a surprise. We will be stopping by the market before we go home but I want to take you somewhere first.” Henry said.
“Where is that father?” Alger cocked his head slightly in confusion.
“HAHAHA, well my son…” Henry pointed to a building as they pulled up to it. “The Adventure guild!” he exclaimed.
Alger looked at the building in wonder. The building was a big building compared to the others around it. It was three stories tall in addition to the roof and was the same in width. The entrance was a wide double door which was propped open to welcome everyone to walk in. with a porch covering the entire front of it with tables and chairs which were covered by a wooden roof above the porch. People were sitting and chatting while drinking and eating. Above the porch area was an insignia which had the image of a compass in the shape of a shield with a sword pointing to the north mark on it.
“What are we going to do here? It almost looks like a restaurant.” Alger commented.
“That’s only the outside and the first floor. It functions as a restaurant and the Adventure guild. It’s important for groups under guild assignments be able to meet up in one spot before setting out. The restaurant helps with hat aspect as well as a place to unwind after a hard or long assignment. We can go up to the second floor to speak to the administration to get you registered as an underage guild member.” Henry explained.
Alger was feeling even more excited compared to before as he really wanted to register as an adventurer when he could. But something his father said confused him. “What do you mean an underage member?”
Henry Laughed. “Do you think the guild wants to be liable for sending kids out to get hurt? Underaged members can only perform tasks within the town. They can advance ranks before they turn fifteen and become an adult, but they won’t be able to go passed Rank E. Basically you will be able to do stuff and earn money in town without doing dangerous stuff. Let’s go inside, they will explain more to you.”
Henry put his arm around Alger’s shoulder and dragged him inside the guild hall while smiling. While inside it could almost be described as a pub in how the atmosphere was. People were sitting at tables, some talked, some laughed, others ate, while the rest were just relaxing. It was a new experience for Alger who didn’t come this far into town before. He was almost distracted by everything going on when Henry dragged him up the stairs and to a counter at the top of the stairs. A woman with raven hair, white skin, and bright eyes greeted them as they approached the empty counter.
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“Hello, welcome to the Administration Counter, how may we assist you?” She asked.
“We are looking to register this young man as an underage adventurer. Here is my tag, I want to be listed as the mentor since I am his father.” Henry said as he handed the woman a bronze-plated tag which was hanging around his neck.
“Oh my, you are rank C. Although it is not rare here in the capital you still qualify for a mentor status for underage adventurers. Please fill out this form and return it here please.” She said while handing them a small form on a piece of paper.
Henry filled it out while Alger watched intently. He knew how to read and write but his penmanship left something to be desired as their family didn’t regularly have blank paper around unless it was needed for selling of crops. Henry, however, was quick as he wrote on the paper and his words neat and legible which was shocking to Alger as he never seen his father write before. After a few more seconds Henry handed the paper to the receptionist, and she looked the paper over before she spoke.
“Mentor Henry and Applicant Alger. No family name with farmer as the family occupation, your physical appearance will be placed in our records. Everything else written down won’t apply until he becomes an adult and qualifies for combat. Is everything listed on the application correct to the best of your knowledge? If there is anything wrong or false listed here it can cause a problem in the future.” She warned.
“As true as it can be.” Henry replied.
“If everything is in order, we can get you a wooden tag to identify you as a guild member. Let me warn you ahead of time that duplicating these, or letting other people use them is forbidden. The guild has ways to determine these things. If that is understood, then I will be right back with your tag.” After saying this she took the paper to a back room. A few minutes later she came back in with a wooden tag on a leather necklace and handed it to Alger.
“This wooden tag will allow you to take Rank E and F assignments. Rank F assignments are usually related to sanitation work, cleaning work, and work for temporary hire assignments. Rank E assignments usually deal tasks that require a bit more specialty, like restaurant cooking, or temporary help with administration, or even gardening for nobles. People who make requests can specify individuals if they like their work. If you are requested, you will have priority in receiving the assignment unless it is time sensitive.” She gave a thumbs up and winked at Alger as he accepted the tag. “Work hard young man.”
“Thank you for the explanation, mam.” Alger said as he wore the tag around his neck.
“It’s no problem for me, it is all part of my job.” She said with a smile. She pointed over at another desk on the opposite side of the room. “That desk over there is the desk we use to assign tasks. If you qualify for multiple tasks, you can choose which one you want to take. You can refuse tasks, but if you fail tasks, you will be penalized. Too many failures will result in an audit of your work and possible termination of membership. So don’t overextend yourself. If you need a reminder of anything I talked about or have more questions, come to see me in the future.” She said as she bowed her head to them.
Henry and Alger both bowed back to the receptionist and said their farewells as they walked back downstairs. After they made it back to their carriage, Henry turned to Alger. “Are you ready to head to the market street?”