Chapter 90 : Wandering Around Alina City
As I wait in line, I try to get my thoughts in order.
First: a music shop. This is a top priority.
My harp is so out of tune that I don’t even want to play it anymore, and there wasn’t a single person in Raymond City who could fix it.
My flute, thankfully, is a magic one, so it’s still fine. I’ve been using it almost exclusively.
I don’t technically need another harp, but I would like an instrument I can actually carry around.
I remember seeing someone at the Lang Village summer festival playing a lute… it looked a little like a guitar from my past life. Maybe something like that would be nice.
My mind starts to wander.
Second: a shop that sells amazing sweets.
I was thinking of buying Maggie a brooch or something, but standing here, I’m rethinking that. Wouldn’t something that expensive just make her feel awkward?
But the cookies I had at the Marshall Trading Company… those were incredible. I bet she’d love them.
Third, and finally something an adventurer would actually do, is check out the quests in Alina City.
I’m a three-star Copper-rank, but since I have zero intention of ever taking on an escort quest, it doesn’t look like I’ll be making Silver-rank anytime soon.
That’s not going to change here. This city’s shantytown looks a little rough, and with all the rich merchants around, I’m sure there are plenty of escort quests available.
But after turning Chairman Willy into a frog, that kind of job is an absolute no-go. If I accidentally turn a client into a frog, I’ll get kicked right out of the Adventurers’ Guild.
Oh, it’s finally my turn.
I couldn’t see a thing past the enormous back of the guy in front of me, but the receptionist is a lovely woman with silvery-blue hair. It’s the kind of color you see on princesses in the romance novels Selina is always reading.
It’s all very storybook… but anyway. What’s more important is whether or not she’s actually good at her job.
“Is this your first time at the Alina City branch?” she asks with a warm smile. “My name is Louise.”
She seems capable. I’ve lucked out.
I slide my Guild Pass across the counter. “I’m just here in Alina City on business. My name is Zoe, a three-star Copper-rank. I’d like to sell this magic stone.”
I pull the Big Boar’s stone from my robe pocket and set it on the counter.
“Oh my,” she says, her eyes widening. “This stone… could it be from a Big Boar?”
She looks genuinely surprised.
“I just happened to run into one,” I say vaguely. It seems Big Boars aren’t exactly common around Alina City.
This wasn’t the order I’d planned, but I guess I should get the adventurer business out of the way first.
“What kind of quests are most common here? Are there not many monster-hunting jobs?”
Louise explains everything with brisk efficiency. “For Copper-rank adventurers, most of our quests are caravan escorts. We have requests for both land and sea routes, though the sea voyages are long-term and pay quite well.”
It sounds like sea escort quests are the main business of the Alina City Adventurers’ Guild. They say magic users are at high risk of being kidnapped, so I guess guards are a necessity.
“Caravans head for the Royal Capital almost every day. There are many requests for those escorts, too,” she adds with an encouraging smile. “We also get a lot of requests for female adventurers to guard the wives and daughters of merchants traveling to the capital.”
Her sales pitch is a little strong, but I have no intention of doing escort work.
“I don’t accept escort quests,” I say. “Besides the magic stone, is there anything else that sells for a high price here?”
Louise glances at my Guild Pass and notices I came from Raymond City.
“Furs and meat from the monsters of the Great Forest, as well as Treant wood and medicinal herbs, all sell well here. Our only local monster-hunting quests are for sea creatures, but those are incredibly dangerous.”
Meat. I could bring some with my Storage Magic, but that would definitely raise suspicion.
Maybe dried meat would work? Dried furs and herbs would probably be fine, too.
I’ll sell the Treant wood to the Marshall Trading Company. A little something to apologize for the whole turning-Chairman-Willy-into-a-frog incident.
“Are there any shops in the city that sell musical instruments?”
“Instruments?” Louise looks surprised for a second.
It’s normal for adventurers to ask about weapons and armor, but not lutes and harps.
“I believe the Johnson Trading Company on the main street has some… but they’re quite expensive. You’d probably be better off buying one in Modeline. It’s known as the city of music.”
What? The Royal Capital, Modeline, is called the city of music?
I have to go there. Selina, you’re so mean for not telling me that!
“Also, I’d like to buy some cookies that will last a while as a souvenir. Do you know a good place?”
She must buy them herself, because she immediately recommends several places: a cheap shop on a side street, a fancy one on the main thoroughfare, and another that sells things besides cookies.
I’d love to visit them all, but she mentioned they were all pretty expensive. It sounds like I’ll have to see about the instruments first.
“Next time I come, I’ll be sure to ask for you, Louise,” I say.
I’ve had good luck with receptionists in both Carlton and Raymond City. Louise is another great find.
“I’ll be waiting,” she says, looking pleased… though she’s probably just hoping I’ll bring her some materials from the Great Forest.
Okay, first stop is the Johnson Trading Company.
But just as I’m about to leave the guild, someone calls out to me.
“Hey, you in the robes. You a witch?”
Ugh. If you can’t tell by looking, what’s the point of asking?
I try to ignore him and head for the door, but a group of men who seem to be with him move to block my way.
“I’m in a hurry,” I say. “Move.”
These are the kinds of guys I should turn into frogs. But they’d probably just be noisy, croaking all over the place, so I’ll pass.
Besides, I’d dislike them so much I’m not sure I could change them back.
“If you’re a witch, we’ll let you join our party,” the man says.
Why are idiots always so condescending?
“Not interested.”
I refused. Clearly. So now they’ll let me leave, right?
“Don’t be like that. C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink. Why not just hear us out?”
It’s frustrating, but I’m small. Are they seriously planning to get a kid drunk to force me into their party?
“I told you, I’m in a hurry. And I have no intention of joining a party.”
They just keep smirking, blocking my path without actually touching me.
Well, in that case, this kid has her own way of dealing with things.
“Excuse me!” I shout at the top of my lungs. “I’m being trapped here and can’t get out! Is this how the Alina City Adventurers’ Guild does things?”
Every eye in the place—from the adventurers drinking in the tavern to the ones waiting in line—swivels in our direction.
“Hey, stop bullying the kid!” someone yells.
“You’re giving the Alina City Guild a bad name!” another one shouts, and a few men get up from their tables.
“What a noisy brat,” the leader grumbles. “Fine, get out of here.”
He was condescending to the very end, but at least he cleared a path.
I dart out the exit as fast as I can.
Finally, it’s time to explore.