I Got Fired as a Hero Today - Vol.1 Chapter 6: Arata, Goes to Gather Herbs

He would like to explain about the guild card.

In this world, the easiest thing to apply for and obtain is the guild card.

If they have it, their status is guaranteed for the time being. That said, this is only true within the Alfsnada Country; it doesn’t apply in other countries.

In other countries, they must obtain the guild card recognized by that country.

Since levels and guild ranks seem to be universal, it would be nice if the cards were universal too.

It can also be used as a cash card.

The rewards for guild requests are charged to the card. The payment method involves passing the card through a card reader, and further verifying the identity by channeling one’s magical power into the magic stone attached to the card reader.

In this world, whether humans can use magic or not, they possess magical power.

Since magical power varies from person to person, it can be used for identity verification.

It is not a fingerprint, but a magic mark.

Of course, they can also cash it out.

Do you wonder if it’s also popular on the internet?

However, that kind of technical information was classified by the Adventurers’ Guild.

By the way, the adventurer guild’s job won’t be effective as an ID unless they complete it at least once.

Regardless of the difficulty of the requests, he has the strength to take on guild jobs. This serves as a minimum guarantee of his status.

So, he ended up taking on the simple request that Chloe chose.

It is a quest to collect wild herbs.

He mainly gathers items that are familiar in RPGs, such as medicinal herbs and antidote herbs.

The country lent out leather armor and broadswords. The woman had a slender sword called a rapier. The men were getting excited as they repeatedly drew and sheathed their swords.

Arata was wearing well-worn leather armor as he asked Chloe.

“Did the previous hero use this too?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What happened to them?”

“According to the documents, it seems they were completely wiped out.”

Suddenly, everyone’s mood dropped.

◆◆◆

It’s lunchtime.

Arata returned to the lodge once.

Everyone went out to eat in town. Arata was also invited but declined.

The cafeteria was crowded with knights.

He asked the cook lady to lend him the kitchen, but she seems busy right now, so it’s not possible.

Instead, he was told that he could use the kitchen that the live-in staff use anytime.

It was a modest kitchen, small and cramped, but it was thoroughly cleaned.

There was a previous customer.

The lady and the girl were sitting on the dining table chairs and drinking.

He heard that the child and mother of the cook lady from earlier were here.

“Young lady, what is your name?”

Arata looked the girl in the eye and asked.

“…Lucia…”

The girl is speaking softly, maybe because she’s embarrassed.

“How old is Lucia?”

“Mm, five years old…”

“I see, that’s impressive.”

After saying that, he stroked her head. She reminded him of the time he spent in the orphanage.

Arata has no parents. In the orphanage, there are also children without parents like Arata, and Arata often takes care of them.

After graduating from high school and getting a job at a local factory, he rented an apartment once he had saved a certain amount of money.

On the day he left the orphanage, the children cried, and it was quite difficult for him.

“Have you two had your meal?”

“No, not yet. Martha is still working. This old lady is not good at cooking. I’m waiting for my daughter to come back.”

The old woman answered. Martha must be the name of the cook’s aunt.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to join me? I was planning to prepare a meal here. Martha-san has given me permission to use the kitchen.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

He wanted to improve his skills, but the loneliness within Arata was seeking conversation with others.

He made pancakes.

Lucia is munching away.

It seems like she liked it.

“So, is Arata-san a hero or something?”

“Yeah, apparently. I don’t really feel it, though.”

It seems that the old woman, named Isabella, used to be an adventurer and met a hero during her active days.

“How were they?”

“Hmm, how should I put it… he seemed like an ordinary person. Just like the current Arata-san, he didn’t look very strong at all.”

Arata could only manage a wry smile.

◆◆◆

After finishing lunch and returning to the Adventurers’ Guild, everyone was already waiting outside.

And there were also strangers.

They are truly the very embodiment of adventurers.

A middle-aged man who called himself Gyle, a heavy warrior.

He was equipped with a double-edged great axe and full plate mail armor.

The magician Rina is a woman who wears glasses.

This one is young but not very friendly. She is wearing a robe. Her weapon is a dagger, but it seems she doesn’t have many opportunities to use it. She carries a magic wand, which apparently helps with concentration and provides a bit of magical power when casting spells.

The thief Rusdo. He looks like a man who fits the image of a thief, appearing quite cunning.

It looks like comfortable clothes for moving around.

He was wearing leather armor and carrying a pouch around the waist containing tools used by thieves.

The healer Comoran is holding a mace.

When he thinks of a healer, he pictures a church pastor, but they look like a warrior.

They say they will act as guards during the Demon King’s subjugation.

Today, they were summoned to meet and also for a briefing.

When they passed through the magnificent gate and stepped outside, nature spread out before them.

It seems like monsters might appear, but there are magical stones called barrier stones set up around the royal capital, so they don’t appear very often.

That said, it’s not infallible, and sometimes monsters manage to slip through this barrier.

Since there is an effective range, the farther they are from the royal capital, the higher the rate of monster appearances.

Collecting wild plants is not necessarily safe either.

The heavy warrior Gyle and the thief Rusdo lead the way. Behind them is the hero team.

The magician Rina and the healer Comoran are behind them.

Arata was walking at the very back with Chloe.

Arata is also part of the hero team, but he has no sense of cooperation at all.

He wanted to stay as far away from Kotoko and Atsushi as possible.

Even so, their figures caught his eye.

He had no choice but to be aware.

Kotoko and Atsushi are standing side by side, talking.

Kotoko was looking at Atsushi and smiling.

Once, that smile was directed at him.

It was a sight he really didn’t want to see, but he just couldn’t look away.