Chapter 77: Guild Registration
Beyond the doors of the building that served as the Adventurers' Guild branch in Tirelia, a large open hall awaited them. Part of it was occupied by the long tables of the guild's tavern section, the kind commonly found in the guilds of Eryndea and in many other worlds Nerez had visited.
There were also boards packed with quests for adventurers, along with the reception counters where those same quests were handled.
Nerez and Ily walked through the hall toward those counters without drawing much attention, since there were plenty of adventurers present, each more eye-catching than the last.
But apparently, the idea that they were blending in was more wishful thinking on Nerez's part than anything else, because the receptionist stared at them for quite some time before finally reacting.
"Please excuse me! I did not mean to stare!" the receptionist hurried to apologize, lowering her head. "This is the first time we have had the honor of receiving you at this branch. Have you come to turn in something related to a distant quest? Or perhaps to report a change of residence to this city?"
"No... We came to register," Nerez replied.
"To register?!" the receptionist exclaimed, looking the two of them up and down again.
It was no surprise. While Nerez was hiding most of his aura, his clothes, made of some mysterious black material and embroidered in gold, were far from looking like those of a beginner.
Ily, for her part, wore a white skirt and matching silk-like clothes. Over them, she wore pieces of light armor with engraved decorations that seemed to be made of silver, the most prominent being a gleaming chest guard.
On her back, Ily also carried an enormous silver bow decorated with blue jewels, which already looked more expensive than the guild building itself.
"To register...?" the receptionist asked again, incredulous. "Are you novice adventurers...?"
"That's right," Nerez answered with a confident nod. "As I understand it, adventurers are not required to reveal their past?"
"That is... correct. Please forgive me for overstepping once again. Please wait here for a few moments, and I will bring the assessment orb to measure your levels."
The receptionist gave a small nod, as if she had convinced herself that the new adventurers were nobles trying to escape their past or something of the sort, then headed toward one of the doors behind the counter.
"Levels? Mortals have levels?" Nerez whispered into Ily's ear.
"Only some institutions use them, like the Adventurers' Guild," she replied, rising onto her toes so she could whisper into his ear as well. "The assessment orb is basically a magic item that analyzes your various stats and other factors, then assigns you a numerical value representing your overall abilities."
"In other words, that numerical value is your level..."
"That's right. But adventurers are the ones who decide whether to choose quests based on their level, since the quests themselves have no restrictions. Every adventurer has to look after themselves, after all."
"That's all well and good, but Ily..."
"Yes?"
"Why are you blowing into my ear?"
"Mm... Because I felt like it?" she replied with a mischievous smile.
"Sorry for the wait," came a voice from the door.
The receptionist had returned carrying something that looked like an old-fashioned camera.
"That doesn't look much like an orb..." Nerez remarked, one hand on his chin.
"See that part in the lens? That's the orb," Ily pointed out, indicating the small transparent sphere embedded in the object.
"Could you both fill out these forms first, please?"
The receptionist handed each of them a sheet with a series of fairly simple questions. They asked for things like age, weight, and height.
But what drew Nerez's attention most was the section asking for "class."
Of course I can't write god of death...
Nerez glanced sideways at Ily, who was filling in that section with the word "Archer" with absolute confidence.
Noticing his gaze, she leaned over her sheet and covered it with her arms.
"No copying, Nerez!" she said before sticking her tongue out at him.
"It's not like this is a test..."
"It doesn't matter! No copying!" she insisted, then looked away and murmured, "And don't look at my weight..."
"..."
Nerez decided to focus on his own sheet.
After all, there isn't really another option, is there?
With that settled, Nerez filled in the blank with the word "Necromancer."
"A necromancer here in Phatar? How curious..." the receptionist observed, taking his sheet. "The Adventurers' Guild is neutral, so that is not a major problem, but I should warn you that necromancers are not very well regarded among the kingdom's nobles."
"I imagine they are only popular in the empire," Nerez replied with a shrug.
"Not only there, but it is true that in the empire they enjoy a prestige few can match," the receptionist pointed out as she inserted both forms into the camera-shaped magic item. "Now then, who would like to go first?"
"I can go first," Ily offered, stepping in front of the assessment orb. "You have to save the interesting part for last."
The receptionist and Nerez exchanged a look, neither of them understanding what Ily meant.
"Very well... please hold still for a second," the receptionist instructed at last, placing her finger on some kind of crystal behind the magic item.
After a few seconds, the orb in the camera lens began to glow in different colors, and its light washed over Ily for a moment.
Finally, a small metal plate slid out from an opening in the magic item. It showed a photo of Ily, and next to it appeared her basic information, including, among other things, her archer class and her level.
"Level ninety-nine?!" the receptionist cried out, causing more than a few heads to turn her way. "This has to be a mistake..."
"Is ninety-nine a very high level?" Nerez asked from behind Ily, who was smiling.
"In theory, we do not know the exact level. The assessment orb can only display two digits for level readings... But throughout history, only the legendary hero of the elves had ever reached the cap..."
Nerez took hold of Ily's long, drooping white ears and began playing with them.
"Ah...! Nerez...! I'm...! I'm sensitive there..."
"As you can see, my companion is a visiare. The visiare are a race as long-lived as elves, if not more so," Nerez explained while he continued playing with an embarrassed Ily's ears to show them. "The assessment orb must have had trouble calculating her true level. I imagine there are not many visiare adventurers."
"That... that is possible." The receptionist nodded slowly. "As a test, we should continue with your turn, adventurer Nerez. Please stand in front of the magic item."
"Mm... Is that strictly necessary? Doesn't each person decide for themselves whether they want to use their level as a guide when choosing a quest?"
"That is correct, but the plate identifying someone as an adventurer is a requirement," the receptionist clarified, gesturing for him to stand in front of the assessment orb.
"Come on, Nerez, don't make me wait!" Ily urged before approaching him and once again whispering into his ear. "Lord Nereziel, I want to see what happens!"
"..."