D-Ranked Adventurer

Nine Months After Being Isekai’d

Keisuke stepped out of the mansion. The sun was just gently cresting over the horizon as he took his first steps forward. Kei walked along the cobbled streets of Telwin until he reached a small store called The Weathered Traveler. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The man at the front counter nodded in acknowledgement. Kei walked through the store slowly, his eyes scanning each item meticulously. He grabbed a pair of black boots off the shelf that reached his ankles. Next, he approached a black cape and tried it on his back to ensure it fit.

After collecting the following items:

A sleeping roll.
A tent.
Two pots.
One frying pan.
Tinder.
A compass.
A small shovel.
A small axe.
And one massive backpack.

He placed them on the counter. The man chuckled and calculated the price.

“That’ll be 67 silver and 23 copper.”

Kei handed over the silver. He carefully packed each item, except for the cape and boots, into the backpack. Those he put on and exited the store with the pack on his back.

Next, he travelled across town to a store called Arcane Inquiries. He stepped into the store. The shopkeeper observed him carefully but said nothing. Kei walked over to the staves and carefully chose a massive black staff with a red jewel adorned at the top.

“I’ll take this.”

The man carefully examined the staff.
“That’ll be 81 silver.”

Kei carefully forked over the money, his pockets much lighter now. He gripped the staff and left the store.

After some more travel, a massive three-floor building appeared ahead. People with swords, bows, staves—people of many different backgrounds—were coming and going. Above, it said Adventurers Guild.

Kei gulped and stepped through the front door. He approached the front where Hanako and another woman were working. Hanako observed him as he approached.

“Satori’s friend, right? What’s your name again?”

“Keisuke,” he said plainly.

She and the other woman, older but with blonde hair, took an appraising look at him. The blonde whispered in Hanako’s ear.

“He’s kinda cute.”

Hanako rolled her eyes.

“Shut up.”

She looked at Keisuke.

“All right, Keisuke. It seems you intend to register for real now?”

Kei cleared his throat. “That’s right, I do. I’ve been studying magic for nearly three months now. I think I can handle D-Rank monsters.”

“Uh huh, right. If you think you’re prepared for this, I won’t stop you. Just be aware that the Adventurer’s Guild isn’t responsible for your untimely death, no matter how brutal it may be. It will be hard for a newbie like you to find people to group with, but I suggest you find a group fast. It’s easy to get overwhelmed out there by yourself.”

“I… I understand.”

Hanako pulled out some parchment, ink, and a pen.

“Just sign here.”

Kei grabbed the pen and carefully signed on the dotted line.

“All right, Keisuke, welcome to the Adventurers Guild. Good luck. I recommend you start with simple missions at first if you end up going it alone.”

She pointed toward a job board. There was a slab of metal at the top that said D–C Rank.

“The easiest ones are on the far left. I’d definitely recommend sticking with those.”

Keisuke took a deep breath.

“Thank you.”

He turned toward the job board and walked toward it. The blonde co-worker poked Hanako in the ribs.

“You think he’s cute too, don’t you?”

A slight bit of heat flushed on Hanako’s face.

“Shut up.”

She poked her back, but harder.

“Oww.”

Meanwhile, Keisuke approached the job board. His eyes carefully glanced over the quests. He picked one job off the board.

“There are three slimes that have made their home in my garden. Please eliminate them.”

The other details noted that the job paid five silver.

“Gotta start somewhere,” he said, flipping it over to reveal a crudely drawn map. A circle marked Telwin here, a line connected to a few other lines, one marked Destination here.

Keisuke turned and walked out of the guild. He traversed the streets of Telwin until he reached the same gates he’d last seen three months ago. The guards observed him.

“You look like some new adventurer. Heading out?” asked one guard with a smug grin.

“Uh, yes, I am.”

The men laughed.
“All right, tough guy, go get ’em,” said another as they let him through the gate.

Kei followed the crudely made map. After fifteen minutes of walking down the main road, he turned off onto a lesser-traveled path. After a few minutes, he could see a small cluster of houses ahead. He approached the address in question and knocked on the front door.

An old woman opened the door. Her wrinkles were further pronounced as she carefully observed Keisuke.

“Are you here to get rid of those pesky slimes?”

Kei cleared his throat.

“Uh, yes ma’am. I am.”

The old woman clicked her tongue.

“It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for a week for someone to come and deal with it. The guards are too busy, and apparently you adventurers are too busy too. Those slimes are ruining my herb garden. Honestly, kids these days—no one wants to work...”

She chewed Keisuke out for another five minutes. When she finally said:

“What are you standing around for? Go kill them already.”

She slammed the door in his face. Kei let out a sigh. He opened the side gate and walked around to the back. There was a small herb garden. Bouncing around inside it were three blue slimes the size of a basketball.

“All right, here goes nothing.”

Kei focused his mind. He channeled mana through his arms, into his hands, and then into his staff. He pointed it at the first slime. A small ball of fire slowly formed at the end of the staff.

“Fireball!”

He shot it at the first slime. It collided with it head-on. The slime let out a high-pitched screech. Then he heard a squelching sound. The other two slimes turned their attention toward Keisuke. They started slowly hopping toward him, leaving a trail of blue goo behind them.

“Uh, oh shit.”

Kei backed up. He fired again—“Fireball!”—and the slime burst in a wave of goo. The impact made by the spell was far greater. The slime exploded on the spot. Blue slime now painted the fence and Keisuke’s new boots.

The other slime slowly approached. He channeled his mana for a fireball and shot it. However, the slime was much closer than the last. It exploded upon impact, soaking him in slime.

“Eww... gross,” he said, trying to brush it off. It slowly dripped off him. He let out a sigh.

“Well, I lived through my first quest. Though I don’t think these guys were very dangerous.”

Suddenly, he could hear one more bouncing around. Something collided with his back, knocking him over close towards the fence and into more slime. He dropped his staff when he fell.

A slime, slightly bigger than the others, bounced toward him. In a panic, he extended his right hand. He channeled mana through it and into a fireball. He shot it at the slime. It exploded six feet away from him, completely dousing him from head to toe in slime.

Kei coughed and slowly got to his feet. He grabbed his slime-drenched staff and carefully looked around for more slimes. He could hear nothing. He let out a sigh of relief.

Kei quickly returned to the city. As he walked through the city streets toward the guild, people gave him a wide berth. Finally, he opened the door to the guild and approached the front counter.

Uproarious laughter exploded from all over.

“Newbie got soaked.”
“You gotta stay out of the splash zone.”
“God, you smell.”

The laughter continued.

Kei’s cheeks flushed as he approached the front. Hanako and her co-worker held their noses. He put the job slip onto the desk.

“Well, no need to double-check if you did it,” said Hanako, teasing.

She slipped five silver onto the counter.

“I’d go get those clothes of yours washed. I wouldn’t let that stuff stay on them for long, else they’ll be dyed blue. Same with your hair. Go get a bath, pronto.”

Kei nodded. He grabbed the five silver off the table, turned around, and trudged home. He let out a weary breath, he was still dripping.

So much for a triumphant debut.