The final day of our 3-day break had begun. While I had occupied myself with making more things with my power, I had found myself bored with it. Yes, Imagination Manifestation is a power with limitless potential, and what I'm capable of is explained in its name. However, being able to make any blueprint in your mind on demand loses its charm after a few detailed ideas or plenty of simple ideas. Simply put, I was bored.
Funnily enough, indulging in my power would be something I'd do to stave off boredom, but using my power is the source of my boredom, so I needed something else to occupy my time. Normally, reading a book or playing a game would be an option, but I'm currently illiterate, and video game consoles aren't a thing here. Even if I could make one, I'm not sure I'd be able to make a playable disc or video game cartridge, as they're both mediums of information, something that requires a lot more attention to detail and a proper mental image. I could easily produce a sheet of paper, but putting meaningful information on it takes a lot more time than a split-second decision. At best, I could produce words at a rate equal to my highest reading speed, but I'd need to think about the words.
I'll have to experiment with the idea some other time.
"You should just make this place your dorm room."
A familiar voice announced their presence in the Kemzo Square Arena. It was Richter.
He scanned the arena full of scattered objects across the ground. Complete and incomplete ideas made manifest, left messily arranged around me as I sat in a monobloc chair. The only reason I didn't make them vanish immediately was in case I found inspiration from the discarded objects.
That chance would never come for them, as I made all of the items vanish in an instant. Probably for the best, as it was starting to look like a junkyard.
"Don't you have anything better to do than to spend your time here? No one's at school wanting to spar. They're all enjoying their break with their families or fulfilling their vacation plans with their friends."
Learning to navigate this world is the only thing I've got going for me.
From his reaction, he didn't hear it.
"I'm trying to adjust to life here as quickly as possible, so vacation wasn't on my mind," I answered him, getting up and dissipating the chair I had sat on. "If you have any ideas for enjoying oneself, please, tell me. I'm open to just about anything."
He looked to the ceiling, as if contemplating. I was trying my best not to be sarcastic, as the way I did felt like it came off that way. Perhaps I was growing frustrated with my own boredom and how alien this world felt to me, even though I had already become one of its students.
"Wanna go adventuring with me?"
Hearing that word immediately reminded me of the adventurer's guild in various manga, games, and anime. It was an integral part of the worldbuilding of most fantasy settings. Go to the guild, prove you're overpowered, make money, repeat.
"Sure," I spoke in monotone, trying to hide my excitement at the idea of adventuring like an anime character.
…
I unlocked and opened the door.
Kiori was reading that giant book related to that summoning altar.
"Hey, Nolval."
"Hey. Richter's gonna take me adventuring. Just thought I'd let you know."
"You're gonna go adventuring?"
There was a sour look on his face.
"Well, I'm not sure what you think, but it's something I want to try out. You can't criticize food without trying it first."
"Alright then, have fun."
I let the room, closing the door behind me, before returning to Richter, who was waiting outside the building.
…
"We were here 2 days ago, right?"
"Yeah, when that wind mage attacked the town, and Mr. Draco brought us to help the townsfolk."
I was excited to show off my power when doing whatever commission was thrown at me, but once again, I was reminded by the biggest obstacle I had to conquer—my inability to read.
There was a man at the clerk's desk, with a paper in front of him, shouting some things at the clerk. From the sounds of things, it was an escalating argument where the man had decreasing control over his temper and volume while the clerk was doing her best to maintain her professionalism.
"Sir, I understand our services may be inadequate now, but please understand we're short-staffed because of the recent attack on Tirja. If you could please be patient-"
"How the hell am I supposed to wait after a crisis! Because of that crazy mage, all of my goods have been destroyed! And since the bastard's in prison, the responsible party for compensation is his affiliated group, the adventurer's guild!"
"You'll have to take this up with the Guild Master. If you'd like, I can write a letter and then-"
"You think I have the patience for that! If the guild's gonna be inefficient in attending to my needs, then you should be the one to pay up!"
"I understand your frustration, sir, but taking it out on a guild worker only makes you look more pathetic."
A calm voice echoed loudly throughout the room. For a moment, I thought Richter was about to do something to the complaining man, but whatever intentions he had seemed to de-escalate the moment the third voice spoke.
We both turned to see a man with an impressive stature a few paces behind us. Without a word from either of us, both parted ways so that this impressive giant of a man could make his way unimpeded to the complainer.
Now, the complainer was face-to-face with the giant.
"The adventurer's guild is collaborating with the Knights of Givilrin in a disaster relief effort to search for missing survivors and help salvage whatever had been lost during the attack. As Ms. Loiyen politely explained to you, we're short on manpower because of that incident. If the point of your visit is to simply make it harder to do our jobs, I'll have to ask you to leave."
The complainer seemed intimidated by the giant's words, but didn't back down.
"A-and who are you to tell me that?"
"Apologies, let me introduce myself. I'm the Adventurer's Guild Master, Hicky Sangoff. If you've got issues that the clerks or adventurers can't handle, you can talk to me."
For a moment, the complainer and the Guild Master had an intense staredown. The complainer put on a brave face while contemplating his next move, and the smiling Guild Master had a smile on his face, as if inviting whatever choice the complainer made.
"I'd… like to talk to you about compensation for the damages caused by that crazy wind mage."
There was a second long pause.
"Sure, come meet me in my office, I'm sure we can arrange a reasonable agreement." The hulking tower of a man gently patted the complainer's shoulder. A gesture that, while friendly in appearance, almost toppled the complainer. Hicky then gracefully escorted the complainer away from the clerk's desk.
"Well, that was something."
"Guild Master Sangoff is used to these kinds of interactions with agitating clients," Richter explained to me.
"One of the prerequisites to becoming a Guild Clerk is passing a mandatory class that deals with these kinds of situations. While it may seem satisfying to resort to violence over attempts at peaceful resolution, it often leads to the aggressor getting severely punished, instead of the participating instigator." The clerk woman explained eloquently, before sending a glare to Richter. "Don't think I didn't see you about to do something, Mr. Bjedier. Had you acted, he would've used your aggressive behavior as leverage to put us in a difficult position, and we'd have to ban you from adventurer's work for life."
Richter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Looks like that Guild Master came in at a perfect time.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
My focus shifted from Richter's turmoil to the clerk's eyes on me.
"Oh, I was just wondering what the Adventurer's Guild is like, and what I'd need to do to become a registered adventurer myself."
"Ah, you just need to sign an admission form. Then, after you sign, you'll need to submit proof of completing at least 3 commissions from different commissioners each tenth division cycle. If you don't, your membership is automatically demoted until the next cycle. Or, in the case of a new member, you'll automatically be ejected from the Guild and will have to pay a re-admission fee of 150 Qiliq, or 3 marked reds, and 5 marked yellows, or the equivalent unmarked coins."
I opened my mouth to ask, but Richter walked up next to me and interjected.
"Wait, why are you asking for an admission form? Didn't you already sign one after we evacuated?"
"You mean that paper everyone was given? I wasn't able to sign it."
"But… everyone signed one." Richter looked at me, confused.
"Mine was stolen when I wasn't looking."
I distinctly remembered seeing a lone rock sitting atop a table, and whoever stole that paper was the least of my worries at that moment.
"Well, if you haven't signed one, I can give you a sheet. Just fill in the required information, and after that, I'll see whatever commissions you can do at the Black Ear level."
"Black Ear?" I asked the clerk.
"Commission difficulties and availability are rated, from highest rated to lowest rated, Golden Scale, White Talon, Yellow Claw, Blue Snout, Red Tail, Green Hoof, Purple Hide, and Black Ear. Adventurer ranks follow the same rating and determine what level of commissions you're allowed to take, with your current ranking being the highest option. After you finish signing, you'll be a Black Ear adventurer."
"Nolval, can I talk to you for a moment?" Richter asked me before dragging me to a spot away from the clerk. He knelt down and forcibly made me kneel with him.
"Why didn't you sign it?" He whispered loudly. I felt a bit of spit land on my hand.
Might as well tell him.
"I couldn't read."
"You couldn't read?" He whispered, higher-pitched.
"I wasn't able to read the paper. So I didn't sign it, because I didn't know what was on the paper."
He sighed.
"Well, I can read. I'll just walk you through it so that you know what you're signing up for."
He got up, and I did the same, seeing that we're no longer huddling.
"That would help, Richter."
After being handed a quill and inkwell, I sat down, ready to sign the paper. This time, there'd be nothing to suddenly steal the paper.
"Why aren't you signing anything?"
"I… also don't know how to write."
Richter let out a frustrated groan before taking the quill and barking orders for relevant information while I struggled to keep up with his frustrated signing.
The clerk, who saw everything, accepted the questionably signed sheet before I was given my first adventurer's guild commission.