Chapter 17: Promotion to Rank E

Chapter 17: Promotion to Rank E

In the morning, the three of them quickly finished breakfast and set out on the road. Despite gaining three levels the previous evening, Alisar still found it hard to keep up with the girls. It was just walking—no running or obstacles. Yet Rem and Sherial moved so lightly and confidently, as if fatigue didn’t exist for them.

Alisar did his best to stay close but occasionally fell behind. His legs gradually grew heavy, his breathing uneven. Gritting his teeth, he used another health potion. Instantly, strength returned to his body, allowing him to continue without delay.

By late afternoon, their path merged with a wider road. The area became noticeably livelier—more people, more carts, carriages, and even mounted riders. The road buzzed like a river fed by dozens of streams.

Soon, tall gray walls appeared on the horizon—mighty and impenetrable, casting long shadows across the plain under the setting sun.

"Looks like we’ve arrived..." Alisar said quietly, gazing ahead.

As they drew closer, the city walls seemed even taller and more massive. A dense stream of people moved through the main gates—most heading inside. Only a few were leaving the city, alone or in pairs. The flow was steady and unhurried but never stopped.

It made sense—starting a journey early in the morning was more practical. In the evening, most aimed to reach their destination or return home. No one set off at sunset.

Guards were stationed at the gates. Alisar noticed soldiers on the walls and one guard on each side of the entrance. He tensed involuntarily, expecting inspections—documents, bags, weapons... His heart beat faster as they approached. But nothing of the sort happened.

The guards didn’t even glance at them. Carts of goods, armed adventurers, families with children—all passed through freely, without checks or questions.

Alisar cast a puzzled glance at the gatekeepers.

"What are you looking at?" Rem asked, noticing his expression.

"I thought... they'd check us," he replied.

"Check us? For what?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, before entering the city..."

"This isn’t wartime, and there’s no emergency," Rem explained calmly. "On regular days, no one gets checked. That would be ridiculous. Imagine how long it would take to search everyone. The line would be endless. Merchants wouldn’t even be able to enter. And there’d be no real point to it."

"Yeah… you’re right," Alisar nodded.

He asked no more and silently followed the girls, stepping past the gates into a new, bustling, vibrant city.

Inside, the city felt like an entirely different world. It was unlike any village Alisar had seen. There were no squat cottages with straw roofs or wooden roadside stalls.

Almost every building they passed was two or three stories tall. Alisar didn’t see a single one-story house. Occasionally, four-story buildings loomed over the streets like watchtowers observing the hustle below.

And almost every ground floor, as far as he could tell from the streets they walked, was occupied by a shop. All kinds of stores lined the road one after another: textiles, weapons, and even street food stalls emitting tantalizing aromas from every corner.

The crowd was dense, the streets noisy. People hurried about, merchants shouted, children dashed around, carts creaked. The sounds merged into a single, living hum. The city felt like a living creature—breathing, moving on its own.

"Why do you look like a kid seeing a city for the first time?" Rem smirked, glancing back. "Ah, right. You are seeing a city for the first time. Got it."

Alisar didn’t respond. He kept turning his head, taking in the buildings, the streets, the shopfronts, the people—everything was new, unfamiliar, and exhilarating.

"Stop gawking. Keep up," Rem said. "We need to reach the guild. There’s probably already a big line."

"Yeah," Alisar nodded and quickened his pace.

Before long, they stopped in front of a massive building that stood out from the surrounding structures. This was the Adventurers’ Guild.

The building had five floors, though it could rival six or even seven in height. The first floor alone was enormous—tall and spacious, almost twice the height of the neighboring buildings. It felt like two floors merged into one, its grand scale instantly noticeable.

The other floors—second, third, fourth, and fifth—were also taller than standard. The guild’s third floor rose above the fourth floor of nearby four-story buildings, and the whole structure loomed over the street like a watchful guardian.

Above the entrance was the familiar guild emblem. Alisar recognized it instantly and couldn’t help but recall the village branch where he first registered. Comparing that simple house to this monumental structure was laughable.

In front of the guild stood massive, heavy doors, wide open. Adventurers came and went nonstop—most armed, with backpacks, pouches, weapons on their backs. The flow was lively but orderly.

Rem and Sherial were already heading inside, and Alisar hurried after them.

Inside, he was struck by the sense of space. The first floor was indeed as tall and wide as he imagined. The hall felt enormous, like a castle courtyard. Sunlight streamed through high windows, filling the space with a vibrant noise.

To the right was a dining area. Dozens of people sat at round and rectangular tables—eating, chatting, and animatedly discussing something. There were over a hundred tables, all occupied.

Straight ahead were eight lines. At the far end stood eight long tables—registration desks. Each had its own stream of people.

The first two lines were mostly people traveling light—with weapons but no large bags or crates. Some held scrolls, others small pouches or belt satchels.

The other six lines, however, were filled with people carrying goods—big bags, crates, backpacks—either at their feet or on their shoulders. Alisar didn’t know exactly what was going on, but the difference between the lines was obvious even from afar.

He was still observing when Rem’s voice sounded beside him:

"You need to get in one of those lines—the ones with people carrying things," she said, nodding at the last six. "That’s where they accept dungeon loot. You can sell your potions directly to the guild there."

She paused for a second, then added:

"And Sherial and I will head to the second floor. Mission reports are submitted separately. Without witnesses."

Without waiting for a reply, Rem and Sherial turned left, heading toward a wide staircase.

Alisar watched them go, then looked at the lines. Which one was shorter? But no—they were all about the same. Each had around fifteen to twenty people.

He approached the nearest of the six lines and joined the end with a quiet sigh. No one looked at him—everyone was busy with their own thoughts, items, and waiting.

How long will I have to wait? Alisar wondered.

He expected the process to take forever: loot submission, appraisal, paperwork, calculations—it all sounded time-consuming. But he soon realized he was wrong. Some people were done in under a minute; others took at most four or five. Everything moved quickly and efficiently.

Yes, he still had to wait over half an hour. But to his surprise, the line moved faster than expected. And behind him, at least ten more people had joined.

When his turn came, Alisar quickly removed his backpack and stepped up to the counter.

"Hello. What would you like to sell?" the man behind the counter asked.

He looked around forty, with a sturdy build and strong arms. Short black beard, same-colored hair, and a stern look—he looked ready to march into battle at any moment.

"I’d like to sell health potions," Alisar said, placing his backpack on the wide registration table.

He opened it and showed the contents.

"All the potions are in this bag?" the man clarified.

"Yes," Alisar nodded.

The registrar quickly glanced inside. At the bottom was a separate, tightly drawn pouch.

"Are there potions in that bag too?" he asked, pointing at it.

"Yes. Those are second-rank potions," Alisar replied.

"I see. Very well," the registrar said curtly.

A soft, barely visible flash of light ran across the surface of the table—a gentle glow that faded as quickly as it appeared.

Did I imagine that? Alisar wondered. But then came the registrar’s firm voice:

"Alright... That’s twenty-six second-rank health potions and three hundred and fifty-one first-rank ones."

So I didn’t imagine it, he thought. Definitely a magical tool. Probably the table itself. It just scans the contents.

He looked at the smooth stone surface with newfound respect. If they counted everything manually, it would take forever. The guild works far more efficiently than I expected.

At that moment, a door behind the registrar opened, and a young man—around twenty—emerged. Without a word, he took the potion bag and carried it into the same room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"You will receive four gold, eighty-eight silver, and eighty copper coins," the registrar said.

He did something under the table—Alisar couldn’t see what.

"Please hand me your guild badge," the man added.

Alisar removed the iron chain from his neck and carefully passed it over.

The registrar took the badge, glanced over it, and nodded.

"Rank F. So, a beginner," he muttered, then asked:

"Were these potions obtained as part of a group? Or is this your personal loot?"

"It’s mine," Alisar replied, slightly unsure.

"Good. Here’s your payment," the registrar nodded.

He placed a small pouch on the table and slid it toward Alisar.

"You may count it."

Then the man took out a sheet of paper, quickly wrote something down, stamped it, and handed it to Alisar.

"Take this and stand in that line," he added, pointing to the table where people without cargo stood.

Alisar nodded, a bit confused, and took the paper. At that moment, the same young man returned and handed the backpack back.

They really work fast. Much more efficient than I thought, Alisar mused, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

He wanted to thank the registrar, but the man was already assisting the next client. Not wanting to interfere, Alisar quietly stepped aside and joined the adjacent line.

There were only about five people in this queue. Alisar waited patiently and glanced at the paper he’d been given.

It listed the number of potions sold, a name—“Dirk”—and a seal he couldn’t decipher. What does it mean? he wondered. Just the registrar’s signature?

The line moved quickly, and soon it was his turn. No one stood behind him anymore, while the other queue with cargo still bustled.

"Hello. How can I help you?" asked a blonde girl, around twenty-five, smiling behind the desk.

"They told me to give this to you," Alisar said, placing the paper on the table.

She glanced over it and nodded.

"Alright. Please come with me."

She left her desk and gestured toward the wide staircase.

They passed the staircase, though, turning toward a row of doors along the wall. She confidently approached the first one. The lock clicked, and the door opened softly.

"Please, go in," she said, glancing back.

Alisar stepped inside.

The room was quite small. Clean, windowless, with smooth light-colored walls and a polished wooden floor. At the center stood a strange device—a round blue orb, about thirty centimeters in diameter, pulsing gently with soft light.

Alisar froze for a moment, staring curiously at the device. He didn’t understand why they were here. His eyes darted to the girl.

Noticing his confusion, she smiled faintly.

"Don’t worry," she said calmly. "This is a routine procedure. With your latest potion sale, you’ve accumulated enough points to advance to Rank E.

Now you’ll receive your official adventurer’s badge."

What does that mean…? Was my old badge fake? Alisar thought, staring at the blue orb.

As if reading his mind, the girl added:

"No, the badge you had was also real. But… starting at Rank E, you become a full-fledged adventurer.

Your new badge will contain a personal code and be made of a different material. Such a badge can’t be forged."

She paused, letting that sink in, then continued:

"It’s not just a badge with your name and rank. You could call it... a small magical tool.

It verifies your identity, lets you open a guild account, store funds, and withdraw money from any branch—anywhere in the world.

From Rank E onward, your info is entered into a unified adventurer registry. All guilds are connected through a special network of magical devices.

This means you can take a quest in one guild and get paid in another—even in a different country."

She shrugged slightly:

"That’s why we can’t issue these badges to beginners. It would be too costly for the guild."

Alisar nodded silently, agreeing. Yeah… this makes much more sense than I thought.

"Now, just touch the orb," she said, nodding at him.

Alisar reached out and placed his hand on the surface. The orb lit up with a steady blue glow. A moment later, the same light enveloped a badge blank. Symbols and lines slowly appeared on it as if engraved by invisible hands.

When the glow faded, the girl carefully picked up the badge. It was attached to a sturdy metal chain—just like his old one.

"Here. Check the information," she said, handing it over.

Alisar took the badge.

It looked almost the same as the previous one. One side bore the guild emblem. The other:

Name: Alisar
Rank: E
Level: 64

He frowned at the level line.

"Don’t worry," the girl said, noticing his reaction. "That information will disappear soon."

Indeed, a few seconds later, the “Level: 64” line faded, leaving only his name and rank.

"You can now use your badge as official identification," she continued. "It also tracks your guild points. With enough, you can raise your rank. Especially at your level.

And don’t worry—your level won’t be revealed."

Receiving his new badge, Alisar politely thanked the girl and exited the room. He headed for the guild’s main exit but slowed at the doors.

Did Rem and Sherial already leave? Or are they still here…? he wondered.

Should I wait for them?

He hesitated.

But why? What would I say?

I’d like to thank them… say goodbye. But maybe they’ve already gone.

He took a deep breath, straightened up, and stepped out of the guild.