Edited by: KenChi死

As I walked into the training room, the first thing I noticed was a fact, that whole wall was decorated with dozens and dozens of wooden weapons. As I recall, there were few already when I came in here for the first time. FEW!!!

“You know what, lad?” Jericho said with forcefully sad tone “When you told me, you want to train under me, I was overjoyed… I had another student you know, Gisele, the little star of our Guild… you and her are completely different, she was is full of energy, so youthful, such a getter, always confident… the kind of person that if they would meet an obstacle, would keep hitting it till it would crumble… I thought, that I would never take another student… And then you came. Calm, a bit cold, composed… the kind of men that after finding obstacle, would walk past it, found someone to move it for you… or backstab it… Sooo, I made myself a promise, that I would raise you as my student, just because it would be a funny thing to have such a different, bah, drastically different personality as my little champions… and for those two sparrings you did great. Bah, even better! You were able to train day after day… Gisele could not do such a feat… But now… how long were you out?” “…You know that I am responsible for our little facility in the slums, and I needed to…” “Silence! Exactly what I was talking about. Gisele would bow her head, apologize and prepared for training… you are looking for an excuse… What I want to know, is if you are treating those trainings seriously… do you?”

Ya want no excuse, do you?

I walk to the wall, took off it two wooden swords stylized to look like katanas, and throw one to him. He wasn’t looking at me right at the moment of the throw, but that didn’t stop him from catching it mid-air.

“That’s the answer I was looking for.”

The old man smiled, and took a stance.

Crap. He used to fight me casually, without a stance, just slashing the sword from right to left or from left to right. And it was a pain back then, now if he wishes to perform some actual moves…

I took a step back.

“You will not beat your opponent by running away…” he mocked me “…You are such a wonderful counterpart to Gisele… she would rush at me while yelling…” “I am running away, if I notice that my opponent is much stronger than me… I would come back stronger and then beat him.” “There are far too many powerful enemies all around… you will not be able to run away from all of them… like for example now…”

His body dropped, I was sure, that he was about to fall, but as soon as his whole body was lowered, he jumped in my direction, and with insane speed shorten the distance that I was desperately trying to make.

How can he hold his body so low without falling!? Oy! The laws of physic would not allow that! Even with generating such momentu… Crap!

I blocked the attack from the side, yet it was powerful enough to shake my stance. Did I already forgot, that blocking his attacks means that my arm will be broken? I dodged clumsily another slash, just to be kicked in the liver.

I dropped on my knees, as this attack made me lose my breath. My “sensei” allowed me a few seconds of rest, just to gather myself.

“A knee?” I asked bit angry bit in awe “In a swordfight?” “Tsh, your whole body is a weapon! A sword is but an extension of your arm! And trust me, you are free to use whatever you want to… as long as you are not “dueling” with nobles…” he spited on the floor after saying dueling “… I mean… you know… they call it fighting… oh, I prefer naming it a comedy… are you on your feet yet?”

No point in responding, While clenching my teeth I got up, and prepared for yet another attack.

I didn’t have to wait long.

Your skill [Sword Usage - Apprentice] has leveled up[Sword Usage - Apprentice] is now level 6

Aaaaand my whole body is in pain one more time. Yet still, I think that I was treated lightly today…. I mean, getting up from the floor took me only ten minutes or so… that’s progress! I still remember what he told me while leaving me desperately catching breath on the floor…

“Oy, I talked with Mike, you were just ranked up. You are rank F! Congratulation! Now, instead of being a completely useless piece of shit, you will be just a slightly useless piece of shit. But! You did it in three days, or so, while normally it takes… a week? Maybe a week and a half? Anyway, keep doing those requests, that no one even wants to touch, and who knows, maybe in a month you will rank up to C, and be allowed to do task that bring you something more than shame… MWAHAHA!”

End of retrospection. As I was walking back to the bar, I met Loki on my way, the rogue type that I spoken with once or twice.

“He, Zari?” “Something wrong with me? You seemed to be surprised…” “Yes… you are alive… after training with angry Master. Are you immortal, or what?” “He went easy on me. I was just promoted… but I doubt it’s anything to celebrate considering that I am still on the bottom of list…” “Yet still, do not say about it to Anatoly… For him everything is a reason to have a drink… Hey, actually, we may cheat a little… but only if you are strong… In the end I don’t want to get killed because of you…” “What do you mean?” “There are two ways to get an A ranked team, first to create it from very beginning, and rank in up alongside with the adventurers, and the other is when to already existing party a new member is added. If you have a team made of A rank adventurer and a G rank adventurer, the average rank of the party is D… and the party would get access to D rank quests…” “So you are telling me that…’ “If you would find a team with either strong adventurers, or lot’s of middle class adventurers you could easily get access to harder quests, and rank up faster too. As you are F now, you would need to do at least 10 quests of F rank to get promotion… But only two or three of C rank… Well, even if you are not strong in the front line, we could really use the help of a healer, just in case… Should I let you know if we would…” “Let me know if ANYONE would need my help. I am not really into carrying stuff from place A to place B… so if you would drag me anywhere, where something actually happens…” “Will remember. And as you would form your reputation, many more people would ask you to temporarily join them. Ah, but you are probably hungry and I am keeping you busy in the middle of the hall. See you later.”

…

…

…

FINALLY SOMETHING WILL EXPLODE!

I almost lost my hope for getting my hands on better quests anytime soon, such a wonderful law they have here!

… wait, old man Jericho should know, that I am capable of doing such quests… why didn’t HE tell me about this…

No, wait, I know the answer – it would be either “Gathering information is the job that every adventurer should do by himself” or “Raising from the bottom would toughen your humility and respect towards blah blah blah…”

Whatever. What matters to me, is that I can finally start living a more enjoyable life, I would visit some new places, try new kind of dishes, meet new people, probably murder a few of them… so many reasons to keep breathing…

I was walking with a plate and cup toward table shared by a fairy, orc and few other folks, mostly because I was getting along with them. They were loud, they were joking all the time (by joking I mean offending each other), and what’s the most important, they did not ask me any inconvenient questions… or I would say it differently, they asked them, but if I would not answered, or answered with obvious lie, they would simply change the subject.

“May I join you?” I asked as soon as I approached them “No need to ask. Just sit.” One of men answered me without paying me much attention, for Mrogul was stealing all there attention by sharing one of his battle-story. He did it… frequently, actually every supper was made out of bread, goulash soup, Mrogul’s story of defeating a cave bear with his bare hands, some tea, occasionally beer and yet another story as Mrogul forced his way out of an ambush.

… and without offending anyone… I think he was a bit exaggerating things a little… mostly because I have already listened to three versions of same story, but hey! It is more interesting this way… which one is it now? Cave beer? Ambush?

“And as I locked his head with my bare hands, I twisted my body to the side and ended the life of this mighty beast!” So, a cave bear story “Or you can simply say, that this creature couldn’t BEAR your smell, and it died because of it.” Marika needed to add her part “Are you making fun out of me?” “It is impossible! The new era is here! Mrogul used his head! What would I do with this fact? To know, that this filthy pig is so intelligent! UnBEARable! “Marika! BEAR in mind, that you can really hurt his feelings!” “Oy!” “And I can BEAR out, that the whole story is true!” “Stop that right now!”

See? I told you that they are a funny bunch of people.

“Zaaariiii.” Marika tilted her head “You never tell a story from your adventurers… mind sharing?” “Marika… many people may not wish to have some strangers molding in their businesses… If he would wish to speak, he would. Do not force him to do anything against his will…”

Now, I really need to say something, mostly because I would either show myself as some grump, or bring shame on Marika.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it is simply that I have nothing spectacular to share. I have just started working for the guild, what do you want to hear – how I bravely cut off the head of an orchid, or how I avoided an ambush from a bunch of daisies?” “… it would be better than listening to the same story a thousand time…” “HEY!” “And those would be at least real…” “I REALLY KILLED THAT BEAR!” “Those tattoos!” Marika finally shouted “How did you get those? I heard that you are required special extract from some rare plants to make one, and it cost a fortune to make one! Nobles are killing each other to get one of those!”

Ha, I forgot about this small, unwanted, gift from goblins.

“One: You will not believe in it, two: there is nothing to be proud of in the way I got these.”

Nothing much to be said, I started by mentioning that I was born within a forest (didn’t say which one), I said that I am not exactly human (Neither I told what I actually am), told how while chasing bunnies, I was taken captive by goblins, I continued with a duel I was forced into, how I fainted after blood loss, and woke up with those.

“… Goblins… those bastard can be annoying… especially their dishonorable hit-and-run tactic…” Mrogul said as if he did it only for purpose of disturbing silence. “That reminded me as me and my squad once were ambushed by…”

Taking unwanted attention off me? Thank bro, I will remember that.

The evening was going on cheerfully. Food was good, someone from other corner of the hall grabbed a lute from god only knows where and begin to play a lively, enjoyable tune. Such a nice air. With cheers and laughs and peace and… what? The feeling I lost so much time ago returned to me. The feeling lost so long ago, that I no longer could name it. This blissful feeling of having the place I belong…

I woke up about an hour before sunrise – a habit from living within a forest. I got dressed, and left, heading into the lobby.

Mike was sitting behind the counter, sleeping on the armchair covered in a blanket. Night duty? It means that within a few hours he will go home, and his place behind the counter would be taken, but that who… Language, Zari, language. No need to be more vulgar than necessary… kids may e reading this story…

… who am I trying to convince? Where did I stopp? Ah, it means that soon his place will be taken by this filthy, annoying cat-whore. Sorry Mike, I do it with a bleeding heart, but I have to.

“Mike?” tried t wake him. First attempt is always gently. “Oy, Mike!” I said lauder while looking for some kind of stick to poke him.

No stick nearby. Ehh.

I used my ring to get one copper coin from my hidden-astral-magical-amazing-op-stash, and threw it at his head. Why I didn’t walk in there and hit him or something? Because of the note “Only staff member allowed behind the counter” Dure lex sed lex.

“I DIDN’T TOUCH IT! Wait, what?” Look who is awake. “I am sorry Mike, but I needed to wake you up and…” “No, no, no, no, no! I shouldn’t have fallen asleep In the first place… how can I be of assist… wait, I have a letter for you.”

He?

“Really?” “Yes, from some noble. He appeared in the middle of the night and demanded to talk with you right now, but I allowed myself to remind him, that the adventure guild is the place, where not even a king holds power… and I told him to fuck off.” He smiled shyly after saying that “Hoo… Mike! I do not recognize you! Such a well-mannered man! Good job, good job.”

I opened the envelope.

“Is it good or bad news, Mr. Zari?” “Depends for who… for me? Perfect. If someone would ask about me… I am on private business in one of noble houses. Depending on who would ask, either tell them where exactly I am… or tell them to fuck off. You decide.”

I walked out from the guild. Looks like the condition of Lady Blackwood has become bad. How bad? Bad enough for some messenger to demand meeting in the middle of the night from someone, who you actually do not trust.

How much can we bargain here?

I have a small favor to all of you guyz, if you would find some spelling errors feel free to point em’ out, autocorrect is strong here, and sometime words are shifted into something ridiculous… (like “Chile walking” instead of “While walking”) hehe.