The First Outing

Hemal's wound was healing slowly. It was now at a point where it didn't hinder his daily activities, though the pain still lingered in his back. He had learned that receiving healing from a priest would have made him recover faster, a logic he didn't comprehend but found intriguing.

He remembered his last conversation with his father. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, but what else could he do but try? He sighed.

Today, he decided to go out of the mansion. The case against him was over with the abolishing of his marriage, and thus, his house arrest was over. He realized he hadn't been outside since he'd arrived in this world. He wondered if the people here would be different from those on Earth. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, so he disguised himself. He didn't know if white hair was common, so he hid it. He changed into ragged clothes he found around the palace and pulled a hood up to hide his hair color. 

He slipped past the maids and exited the palace with ease. The real struggle, he knew, would be getting past the main gate, where a few soldiers were stationed. He could have passed by as the son of the family, but Hiroto didn't want to do that; he wanted to exit quietly. Hiroto already knew the soldiers' shift end times and wanted to use that opportunity to escape. Everything was going according to his plan.

Soon, it was time for the shift change. The soldiers were leaving their post. Hiroto quickly tried to slip past the main gate. He was successful in doing so. But as soon as he was out, one soldier who had just left suddenly came back.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

Hiroto's heart sank. Without looking back, he made a run for it. The soldier kept shouting, but before he could fully react, Hemal was out of sight. The soldier considered reporting it, but he was afraid he would be punished for his negligence, so he acted as if he hadn't seen anything.

Hiroto ran as fast as he could, stopping only when utterly out of breath. He sat down, taking desperate, ragged breaths. People around him looked on suspiciously. After catching his breath, he looked around, amazed by the spectacle before him. The road was bustling with people, everyone busy with their work. There were numerous shops, all packed full. The road was made of stone, and carriages pulled by horses moved steadily along it.

Hiroto looked around, truly taking in the scene, like someone from the countryside visiting Tokyo for the first time. He had only seen buildings like these in movies, and witnessing them firsthand filled him with a different kind of amazement.

It looked like he was in some marketplace. People called out, advertising their goods. Hiroto observed the lively commotion, stopping in front of what he could barely call a shop—it was just a person sitting on the ground, having spread a blanket with various items on it. Hiroto wondered how prices were determined. He watched a man pick up an item and then offer a price.

"How about 10 for this?" the man suggested.

"Are you crazy? Do you even know what that is?" the vendor retorted.

"I know this is Shroot."

"So you should know the normal market rate is 50."

"Yes, but this is all dried up and very small. No one else would buy it. You should sell it."

"I wouldn't take anything less than 30."

"Oh, come on, how about 20?"

"No."

"25?"

And just like that, the deal was struck. Hiroto was amazed by the way the market worked. People had to bargain for prices. They would probably be ripped off if someone didn't know the market trends. Hiroto didn't want to be scammed, so he made a mental note not to buy anything unless he knew what he was buying. Not that he had any money to buy something anyway. He had just come out to look around and had forgotten to bring any.

Although Hiroto had access to his family's money, he didn't want to use it. He preferred to find a way to earn and spend his own, hoping that would help him stay out of everyone's radar. He didn't know how much money he'd need in the future, but he was sure it wouldn't be a small sum.

He continued moving, observing the lifestyle of the people around him. It was then that he stumbled upon a signboard: "Adventurer's Guild." He knew what it was—a place for groups of people who took on tasks for money, known as Adventurers.

Hiroto thought for a moment, then went inside the building. The first thing Hiroto saw upon entering the Adventurer's Guild was a long queue of people at a counter, then a larger crowd gathered around a bulletin board. It was a grand hall, with various flags hung from the corners. Hiroto instantly surmised that the Adventurer's Guild was a large multinational business, with ties to many countries, and these flags were likely symbols of its global reach.

Hiroto, still standing near the main door, didn't know who to consult to become an Adventurer. People around him seemed oblivious to his presence. As he looked around, he spotted someone who looked like a guard. He watched everyone, and soon their eyes met. Hiroto immediately averted his gaze, but the guard began walking towards him. 

Did I do something wrong? Hiroto wondered, ready to apologize or even run for it if needed. But his worry was needless.

"Are you lost, kid?" the guard asked.

Hiroto looked at the guard. He was well-built, with piercing eyes, and the spear in his hand made him look even more menacing.

"I-I wanted to join the Adventurer's Guild," Hiroto stammered, "but I don't know how."

The guard scanned Hiroto with a clear thought in his eyes to chase the kid away. The Adventurer's Guild wasn't a place for a small child. 

"Where are your parents?" he inquired.

"Parents?... They're not in town. I ran away from home."

"Tell me your town's name. I'll send you back."

"I don't know," Hiroto mumbled.

"What?"

"I don't know the name of the village I used to live in."

The guard was lost for words, genuinely wanting to help this confused kid. 

"Then how did you get here?"

"I was brought here."

"By who?"

"Some people I don't know."

"Do you know how they looked?"

Hiroto remembered the chase scene from Hemal's memory—how he had been running for his life. A sudden idea clicked in his mind. 

"Their faces were covered, and they all had weapons."

"Is that so?..." The guard furrowed his brow, thinking they were probably slave traders who'd tried to sell the boy. 

"Did they do anything to you?"

"They did stab me."

"They did?" The guard's eyes widened in astonishment. Hiroto showed him the wound he had sustained; the stitches were still visible. You wouldn't need to be a professional to see that the wound was fresh. The guard looked at the wound carefully.

"Who treated it?"

"...When I escaped from them," Hiroto improvised, making a sad expression, "a kind doctor helped me. He also gave me money, but now all the money is used up..."

The guard let out a sigh. 

"Look, kid, I understand you're in desperate need of money. But being an adventurer is more life-threatening than you think."

"I know that..."

"No, you don't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with that feeble-looking body. How old are you?"

"I am 16."

"...To me, you don't look 16, but let's say you are. The minimum age to apply to be an adventurer is also 16."

"So what's the problem?" Hiroto pressed.

"Well, people die in this profession, you know," the guard reiterated.

Hiroto hesitated slightly. But he needed to earn money for his future. 

"I won't be doing any difficult tasks," he declared.

The guard closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. 

"Okay, follow me," he said, turning. Hiroto followed him after a beat.

The guard took him to a counter that wasn't too busy. He patiently waited for their turn. After a few minutes, it was their turn.

"Oh, Mr. Gram. What brings you here?" a voice asked.

"Hello, Miss Ameda. You see, we've got a problem here."

Although Hiroto was short, he could see her face properly. She had green hair tied into a giant bun, and Hiroto wondered how long her hair would be if she untied it. She looked in her early twenties, her skin smooth as cream, with a small mole under her right eye.

While Hiroto was observing her, Gram explained the situation. Ameda looked saddened by it. She then turned her gaze towards Hiroto. 

"So, you want to join the Adventurer's Guild?" she said in a cheerful tone, as if her previous expression had never been there.

"...Yes."

"Well, we take children your age as adventurers, but they are more like trainees."

"Trainees?" Hiroto echoed.

"Yes, we train them to be adventurers and try not to send them on dangerous tasks."

"Still, some stubborn kids don't listen to us and take on tasks they couldn't handle," Gram said.

"Yes. We don't take just anyone. You understand what I mean, right?"

Hiroto understood everything. He even thought he might be one of those stubborn kids, but he couldn't say that. 

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"You don't need to do anything," Ameda replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said before, we train children your age. After the completion of your training, you can be an adventurer."

"How long will the training take?"

Ameda thought momentarily and replied, "You just need to pass a test. So it depends on you."

"Does everyone take this test?"

"Yes, that's how their rank is decided."

Hiroto already knew what a ranking system was. The ranks started from F to A. The higher the rank, the higher the pay and the more tasks you can take. Above A, there was the S rank, for the elite of the elite.

"So, what do you think? Do you want to enroll?" Ameda asked.

"Yes, I do. Do I need to pay an enrollment fee for that?"

"You don't need to worry about that," Gram smiled reassuringly.

"Can I start right away?"

Ameda pulled a paper from below the counter and handed it to him. 

"You can start tomorrow. For now, fill this form..." She paused and asked, "You know how to read and write, right?"

Hiroto nodded.

The form was simple: Name, Age, Gender, Address, and other things. Hiroto couldn't use Hemal's name, so he decided to use his real name—Hiroto Amakawa. He left the address column empty and handed the form to Ameda.

She read the form and was stunned. 

"Amakawa... Are you a noble?"

Hiroto realized he had messed up. Commoners didn't have family names here. Gram was also surprised, but composed himself as he understood what was happening. 

"It's best if you don't use your family name," he advised.

Hiroto didn't know what he was getting at.

"I mean, I know you ran away from your home. You must have your own reasons, but a noble being an adventurer would stand out like a sore thumb."

Hiroto didn't know what story Gram had conjured in his mind to say that, but he decided to go with the flow. His family name was removed, and now he was a Hiroto trainee. He was excited to be an adventurer.