The books I learned geography from were made a few years before I was born. I was sure no major changes took place, but I was hesitant to trust the information blindly, which is why I needed a more recent map. I decided to visit the Adventurer Guild for a map because they would have more information regarding danger in the traveling routes. The Adventurer guild also wouldn't supply inaccurate maps due to its reputation.
The Adventurer Guild could be considered a subset of the army that is also independent. The country found that constantly forcing soldiers to defend against monsters as well as enemy countries tired the soldiers mentally and physically while costing the country a large amount of capital. To remedy the problem, the country decided to outsource the killing of monsters to civilians through the Adventurer Guild as adventurers. The guild also allowed citizens to post their requests that could be solved. This solution only worked for countries near monsters like Alvaine, other countries don't have the same volume or supply of monsters to sustain an Adventurer Guild. As such, the Adventurer Guild of Alvaine could be considered part of the country itself, and would only sell genuine maps, albeit at a more expensive rate.
The guild took longer to walk to than the prison but unlike the prison, people could be seen entering and exiting at all times. As I stood in line, people stared at me, but when they noticed I ignored them, their attention shifted elsewhere.
The interior of the guild was about what you would expect from a fantasy world. There was a bulletin board to the top far left corner of the first floor and in the bottom left corner, there was a place to create requests. The right entirely consisted of a small store that sold potions and information to the adventurers. To the front of the building was the meat of the adventurer guild, adventurers submitting requesting for completion. There was also a staircase that led to higher floors, which probably led to some adventurer training camps.
The adventurer guild sold both fragments and complete maps in the shop. While the fragments didn't cost too much by themselves, purchasing a complete map was rather expensive, it cost 2 silver. The price was high because of how little demand there was for a complete map of Alvaine and its nearby areas. The clerk looked at me strangely when I asked her for the map, but treated me professionally nonetheless. I asked her about survival training, but she told me I needed to wait till I was of age, so I finished the transaction and left the guild.
I knew it was suspicious buying a map, but I felt buying it before I ran away would be more suspicious. Furthermore, buying it right now would probably be considered curiosity before anything else.
I took a look at the map once I returned to the mansion. Comparing it with the books I had, the maps were relatively similar, there were a few differences in boundary lines in the maps, and the adventurer map also included danger areas relative to adventurer rank. I realized when I read the map, but I forgot to ask about the adventurer ranks, but from what the map showed, a few ranks were copper, silver, and gold.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
After the comparison, I folded the map and hid it inside a book, and thought about what I was doing. I've just realized it, but with the money I have right now, it wouldn't be difficult to bribe someone to take me to a different country. What I'm worried about was the Duke forcing me to come back, but would he spend that much effort on someone like myself. I thought about it for an hour and decided that bribing someone wouldn't be worth the risk, if I failed I'd suffer for the rest of my life. Still, it's not like running away by myself didn't have any risks.
If I met most kinds of monsters, I would instantly be dead, and nothing can change that. It was a risk I decided to take, living here makes me a subject to the Duke's whims. For example, if he one day decided to pawn me off in a political marriage, I'd have no choice but to accept. The thought makes me shudder.
It's now time for me to decide what I should do with my remaining money. I originally thought of visiting shops for entertainment, but I neglected just how little entertainment existed. The only forms of entertainment were acting troupes, reading books, and various forms of gambling. I already read books, and I dislike acting troupes. Regarding gambling... let's just say I would be in debt in a week.
'Looks like my only form of entertainment is going to be talking to the prisoners.' I thought to myself as I was eating my dinner. I didn't dislike the prisoners, I just wanted to add something new to my repertoire. I wanted to visit the other prison, but I didn't know its location, and I bet they wouldn't let me enter that prison anyways, the people in that prison were at a different level altogether.
I finished my meal, and I realized the perfect solution, I could ask the prisoners what to do for fun!
The next day, I went to the prison and asked the prisoners what I should do for fun. They wanted to ask me about the engagement party I attended, but my question ended up sparking a debate amongst them. When I told them I disliked gambling, hated troupes, and got bored of reading, they felt stumped and viewed my statement as a challenge. It took them a while, but they came up with a genuine answer, participate in auctions.
I completely forgot about auctions, they were perfect. I could enter any common auction house I wanted with my status, and I could watch other people bid for entertainment- I didn't need to waste any money. The prisoners went one step further than a common auction, they recommended I attend an underground auction. In their words, 'As long as you hide your face, shut up, and don't buy anything, no one will care about you."
A few of them even told me about an upcoming underground auction. They didn't just tell me about it, they started coaching me about what I should do at the auction.
Honestly, I was going to refuse them, but the more they talk the more interesting it sounds. An auction of questionable items, with questionable people, perhaps I could even encounter the trope of people being attacked outside of an auction. I've always wanted to go to an underground auction, perhaps this is the right time. I know Duke Pendel has someone following me, but I'm simply attending an auction, not doing anything illegal.
The next few days, I brought the prisoners twice the amount of food I usually did, and they instructed me on what to do. I bought a mask, a cloak, and memorized the auction location and password.
On the day of the auction, I brought 2 big silvers with me. I know I said that I wasn't going to bid, but what if I did want to bid? For safekeeping, I hid one coin in my shoe and carried one with me.
As I approached the venue, I had trouble calming my heart down, this was the first time since Torus gave me Tracking that I was this excited.