For a player, the most important thing is killing monsters and leveling up!
But that's just a ga!
In this real-world parallel fantasy, especially when one is low-leveled and weak, "safety" is the most critical concern for Lyle!
The "Empire's Trial" had concluded, and the crowd—comprised of citizens, adventurers, and others drawn to the duel—began dispersing.
Lyle had no significant standing in the royal capital. Given that the focus of the trial had been on the battle between Gazef and his opponent, no one paid much attention to him.
Once the capital returned to normalcy, outsiders like Lyle would stand out more, especially since there weren't any suitable places in the capital for grinding or leveling up.
Lyle planned to head toward the border city of E-Rantel in the Re-Estize Kingdom. However, his understanding of this otherworld's intricacies was far too limited.
Traveling posed significant risks.
Thus, Lyle decided to visit the Adventurers' Guild, hoping to find a team of adventurers planning to journey to E-Rantel.
Apart from the luxurious mansions of the nobles in the city's central district, the largest buildings in the capital were located in the commoners' area: the Adventurers' Guild and the Magicians' Guild.
As such, locating the Adventurers' Guild wasn't difficult.
The placent of these guilds reflected their lack of importance in the eyes of the kingdom's elite.
The Re-Estize Kingdom had a vastly different stance compared to the Baharuth Empire.
While the Baharuth Empire highly valued the use of magic, the Re-Estize Kingdom favored brave warriors instead.
This stark contrast had a clear root cause.
In the Baharuth Empire, Fluder Paradyne, the so-called "Imperial Court Mage" and "National Treasure," had surpassed the realm of heroes. He was one of the four great elder humans and had lived for over 260 years, serving as an advisor from the empire's first emperor to its current Bloody Emperor.
Such an influential figure naturally led to the empire prioritizing magic.
Lyle rembered that Fluder held the advanced class of [Forbidden Arts User], which he used to perform magical rituals and gain eternal life.
"I'll need to plan for an advanced class like that if I ever visit the Baharuth Empire," Lyle thought to himself.
The Adventurers' Guild was located in the commoners' district and stood out as a conspicuous four-story, tower-like structure.
When Lyle arrived, he saw a steady stream of people coming and going at the entrance.
He paused briefly, then stepped inside.
Imdiately, a lively and chaotic atmosphere greeted him.
The guild's interior was unexpectedly spacious.
Although crowded, the lack of excessive decorations and furniture prevented the space from feeling cramped.
The guild's wooden floors glead under the warm light of a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Directly opposite the entrance was a sizable reception counter, where staff mbers were busy interacting with several adventurer teams.
As Lyle entered, he noticed a few adventurers glance at him. After a brief mont, they lost interest and looked away.
"I guess it's to be expected," Lyle thought.
His shabby attire didn't project the image of a powerful adventurer or a wealthy client. If anyone had paid too much attention to him, it would have been more surprising.
This was precisely why Lyle had intentionally dressed this way to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
"Is this commission worth it?"
"The reward is too low. After the guild takes their 20%, we each only get 1 point of credit. There's barely any money left."
"Why not take this request instead?"
"Ugh, that's a mission for 'Gold-ranked' adventurer teams. We're not qualified."
"No, this escort mission isn't actually that dangerous—it's just a bit far."
"Heh, even so, the reward is pretty low for its rank. But if we can finish it..."
"We might finally earn enough credit to beco a 'Gold-ranked' adventurer team!"
Amid the clamor, lively discussions echoed beneath the commission boards lining the guild walls.
Lyle silently observed, soaking in the guild's dynamic environnt and contemplating his next move.
Lyle walked up to the reception desk. Since there were other adventurer teams waiting in line, he had no choice but to wait his turn.
As he waited, Lyle took the opportunity to observe his surroundings and recall so information about adventurers in his mind.
The Adventurers' Guild categorized adventurer teams into eight ranks: Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mithril, Adamantite, and Orichalcum.
These ranks, however, did not have strict distinctions between them. Regardless of one's strength, all teams began at the "Bronze" rank upon joining the guild.
Of course, as long as a team didn't deliberately hide its strength or avoid ranking up, the rank of an adventurer team could often reflect its general capabilities.
It didn't take long for Lyle's turn to arrive. The receptionist in front of him was a short girl with slightly wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She appeared to be around Lyle's age, about sixteen or seventeen years old.
"Hello. May I know the na of your adventurer team?" the brown-haired girl asked politely. She didn't show any sign of surprise at Lyle's foreign appearance or attire.
"I don't have an adventurer team. I'm just here to ask about sothing," Lyle replied softly.
"Oh, are you here to register an adventurer team?" The receptionist seed to misunderstand Lyle's intention. She quickly bent down and retrieved a rough, yellowed paper form from beneath the counter.
"I'm not here to register a team," Lyle clarified, waving his hand. "I just want to ask if there's a caravan or adventurer group heading to E-Rantel."
"Ah?"
The receptionist froze for a mont with the form in hand. Then her eyes flicked back to Lyle, particularly noting the daggers and leather water pouches hanging from his waist. A hint of surprise crossed her face.
"Are you here to watch the Capital Trials? Did you co all the way from a border town?" she asked. "Traveling so far alone is truly impressive."
"Five copper coins," she said after a mont of thought, raising her slightly calloused hand toward Lyle.
"Five copper coins?" Lyle asked, puzzled.
If he hadn't been unfamiliar with the language of this world, he wouldn't have had to ask the receptionist about sothing so basic.
He couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Despite years of education in his previous life, he was effectively illiterate here.
"Of course," the girl said with a serious expression. "This is the Adventurers' Guild. For non-mbers, all consultations co with a fee. There's no such thing as 'free' here."
The Adventurers' Guild was a powerful, transnational organization independent of any single nation. Its influence extended far beyond rely catering to strong adventurers.
It operated as a vast, hidden intelligence network built by countless adventurers. Outsiders who sought to access its information were naturally required to pay for it, and many of its most valuable pieces of information were considered priceless.
This system was one of the reasons why the guild, while not fully trusted by the upper echelons of various nations, maintained covert collaborations with them.
Lyle vaguely recalled that the Adventurers' Guild had so connection to Slane Theocracy, a nation devoted to an influential religion.
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