Chapter 8: Adventurer’s Guild

A week had passed since the battle with the dragon, and we had finally arrived in a country called Rozy.

Perhaps having exhausted Liluria’s streak of bad luck when the dragon attacked, we enjoyed an extremely peaceful carriage ride afterward, encountering no more monsters.

“Come on, you two, let’s go. The Adventurer’s Guild is over there.”

Leading us by the hand, trying to take us to a place known as the Adventurer’s Guild, was the gal adventurer… or rather, Sylha-san. Apparently, we were required to report how we repelled the dragon to the Adventurer’s Guild, and they wanted us—those present at the scene—to come along.

At first, I considered refusing since it all seemed like a hassle, but according to Sylha-san, just giving the report would net us a pretty handsome reward. Being strapped for cash, we immediately decided to head to the Adventurer’s Guild.

“While you’re at it, why don’t you two register as adventurers as well? You’re both strong enough to become top-notch adventurers in no time and make a living, right?”

I appreciated those words. But I absolutely have no desire to engage in any dangerous adventures—I just want to live a safe, self-indulgent NEET life.

“I’m gonna pass, but Ao, you register, okay? You’ve got to earn some money.”

“Huh? Me? If money’s the issue, let Liluria, the maid, earn it.”

Why is it that I have to work? After all, I have a maid who does everything for me. I intend to put her to good use.

“Too bad—a maid only does her own maid work. And besides, I agreed to be a maid, not a slave! You’d better pay me properly!”

“Wha—wages? Me? Paying you?”

“Stop making that shocked face like you’ve just uncovered some earth-shattering secret! It’s only natural, you know? And by the way, don’t forget that you still owe me a week’s worth of wages!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Is she seriously saying that? This woman! You’ve just been riding in the carriage the whole time, doing nothing remotely maid-like—and yet, you expect to get paid? Ugh, my head’s starting to spin. And I’m still completely broke…

“Wait, are you two really that close? Could it be that Ao is a rich boy?”

Having a personal maid at my age is pretty unusual, and Sylha-san must have mistaken me for a child from a wealthy family.

“No… I don’t have any money. In fact, I just got myself into debt.”

All because of Liluria!

“Oh, really? That’s tough…”

As we chatted, we finally caught sight of the Adventurer’s Guild we’d been after.

“Over there! That building where those annoying men are hanging around—that’s the Adventurer’s Guild, huh?”

~~~~~~

When we entered the Adventurer’s Guild, the place was packed with burly men.

Some were chatting, some were polishing their weapons, and some were chugging booze.

Everyone had their own way of killing time, but the energy in the air was undeniable.

However, as we walked further in, the atmosphere started to shift—little by little.

“Hey, no way… Is that Rank 9?”

“What’s she doing here?”

“Rank 9, with a kid? What’s the deal?”

“Damn, she’s just as hot as the rumors say.”

“Nah, I prefer the little one next to her.”

“Ugh, dude, that’s a crime.”

The lively commotion died down in an instant. Everyone’s eyes were locked onto us… no, onto Sylha.

“Wait, Rank 9?! Sylha, you’re a single-digit?!”

“Yup~ Just got promoted recently, though.”

Liluria was freaking out, but honestly, a single-digit rank was no joke.

Back in the carriage, I learned that the Adventurer’s Guild had branches all over the world and was the most famous organization out there.

Naturally, its members—adventurers—were everywhere, and apparently, about 30% of the world’s population was registered with the guild.

This world didn’t have many official IDs like driver’s licenses or My Number cards like Japan, so most people signed up as adventurers just to have an identification card. Even so, that number was insane.

And then there’s Rank 9.

Even I could tell how crazy that was.

In other words, this gal adventurer, Sylha, was the ninth strongest in the entire world.

Never in a million years would I have guessed she was that ridiculous…

Even with everyone staring at her, Sylha didn’t care in the slightest. She marched straight to the reception desk.

“Hey, the branch chief around? Tell him Sylha’s got an important report~”

~~~~~~

“I see… a dragon, huh? That must’ve been rough. But as expected of Rank 9—you actually drove a dragon away on your own?”

“Nah, nah, wasn’t just me! The three of us did it. Especially this guy, Ao—he swatted a dragon away with one hand and even talked to it!”

“…Even if you say so, that’s hard to believe. And you expect me to believe this kid is that strong?”

As soon as Sylha asked for the branch chief, we were immediately led to his office.

I explained our encounter with the dragon to the bald, muscle-bound chief, but he just looked skeptical.

Yeah, makes sense.

If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t believe it either.

But too bad, it’s the truth.

I really did slap a dragon away. I really did talk to it.

And I really, really want to be a NEET.

Ah, wait, that last part wasn’t relevant.

“Well, whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter to me. I gave my report, so pay up?”

“Hmm… There’s no doubt you actually encountered a dragon, and it’s clear you did drive it off. The dragon eye that Rank 9 submitted is a rare find. You can expect a solid reward.”

Oh, right. Sylha did crush the dragon’s right eye.

So she’s been carrying it around this whole time?

Judging by their reactions, dragon materials must be super valuable.

Well, makes sense. Dragons are insanely powerful, and even finding one is probably a massive pain.

…Maybe I should sell that dragon scale I got, too?

I pulled the dragon scale from my pocket and plopped it onto the desk.

“Can I sell this? Will you buy it?”

“Wh—?! No way… This is a dragon scale?!”

The branch chief grabbed the scale, turning it over and inspecting it from different angles.

“…No doubt about it. And it’s huge.”

“Huh? Didn’t the dragon give that to you so you could use it to get to the village? You sure you’re okay selling it here?”

Liluria chimed in, but I ignored her.

Like hell I was keeping that promise.

Didn’t I say I’m not becoming an adventurer?

Going to a dragon village? That’s definitely an adventure. And definitely life-threatening.

I don’t want unexpected, life-or-death situations.

No mountains, no valleys.

I just want to stay in this lukewarm, easy life forever.

“No way… Do you seriously have the power to fight a dragon?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying from the start! Oh, right—register this guy as an adventurer. He’s super strong, so let him take the qualification test under my recommendation!”

Hold on—I never agreed to become an adventurer?!

Thanks to Liluria and Sylha, my fate was being decided without my input, and it was honestly terrifying.

Wait, what’s a qualification test?

Do adventurers have a ranking system?

I have zero attack power, so if I actually have to fight, there’s no way I’ll win!

Even as I was internally panicking, the conversation kept moving forward at lightning speed.

“Hmm… A recommendation from Rank 9 is solid. In that case, we’ll conduct a B-rank qualification test immediately.”

“Eh~? He literally knocked back a dragon with one hand! Shouldn’t he take the A-rank test instead?”

“Impossible. There’s no one here at A-rank except me. And I’ve been retired from the front lines for years. The best I can do is a B-rank test.”

“Ohh, right! The recommender can’t be the opponent, huh? Ugh, what a pain!”

The branch chief gave a wry smile at Sylha’s grumbling, shrugged off his jacket, and then looked at me.

“Boy. I’ll personally test your strength.”

…No, I don’t want to be an adventurer!!!