In the town’s centerーーthe adventurer’s guild.

It is a three-floor facility of old wood.

On the first floor, there are white boards where paper request tags are pasted, different counters, and office in between them.

And in the first floor of that building, Junpei shouted with a very loud voice.

「Haa?!! Isn’t that too much?!」

The receptionist wearing gla.s.ses rolled her eyes to Junpei’s loud voice.

「……it is the rules, so」

After being silent for a moment, Junpei lashed out to the receptionist.

「I had never heard that there’s a d.a.m.n need of a proof of ident.i.ty in registering to the guild?」

“Fufun”, she raised the corner of her lips, and the receptionistーーthe woman with a long blonde hair with elf ears answers.

「It is not being said after all…… well, it is a matter that should be known by common sense so, shouldn’t you be the one who’s wrong not knowing about it?」

Being said like that, he could not say anything back. Junpei softens his att.i.tude a little, then asked.

「……what should I do then?」

Tilting her head, the elf-eared blonde wearing gla.s.ses answered happily.

「There is nothing we can do」

As if to show, “ahh, this is the worst”, Junpei shrugged his shoulders.

「……I got it that there’s nothing that can be done. Well, that’s probably the rules after all…… but, can you at least explain to me the reason?」

*Kokuri*, the elf-eared blonde nodded.

「In the first place, a person who does not have a proof of ident.i.ty……will be treated as an individual who does not have any guarantor. Normally, people who would come from villages, their village head would become their guarantor, or, for individuals who have come from a city that has exceeded a certain scale, with the request of the family or relatives, after completing a certain requirement, the city head or affiliated organizations will guarantee their ident.i.ty. Other than that, some would use the school that they are from or other public facilities as their guarantor. And so, the ones who does not have that will be……criminals, fugitives from somewhere, or exiled people……well, there are a lot of people who are like that」

「……and then?」

Smiling pleasantly, the elf tilted her head and nodded.

「It means, there are already so many rough people within adventurers……and so……the adventurer’s guild is not tolerant enough to accept, troublesome people lie that」

“I see now”, Junpei nodded, and thought in his place for a while.

And finally, he bowed his head deeply, and begged to the receptionist.

「Please, can’t anything be done? I……I really need to register in the guild, and have an advanced job」

To Junpei’s serious tone, “KusuKusu”, the receptionist started to laugh in her place.

Junpei raised his head to see what was the matter. She was desperately holding her laughter, but her good looking face had already disappeared miserably.

「Kusukusu……oh my……sorry……! Fu……u……please……please wait for a moment……………fu……fu!………yosh. Well, then……ad……advanced job, means……A……A-Rank and above……you know?……So……kusukusu!……so, sor……sorry, but……it is something unrelated……to a person filthy asーー」

「The job, is a sacred thing made by the G.o.ds in this world in the first place……was it?」

The receptionist who seem to have finally gained her composure, nodded like “exactly”.

「In the case where people were born without jobs……they would finally be able to have one once they are certified as a C-Rank adventurer, and one would need to become an A-Rank adventurer to have an advanced job. Normal jobs can be taken in the sanctuary of guild branches; however, you would need to go to the sanctuary of the guild’s headquarters to acquire an advanced job」

After saying that, the receptionist made a laughing expression once again after seeing how Junpei looked.

「Well, it is even called a sanctuary, so that is a graceful place for high-cla.s.s people……I cannot think that it would have something to do with a filthy person like you」

「Filthy, filthy, you’re too noisy……. if it’s money, I have a lot of it. Can’t something be done with that?」

The elf receptionist’s long ears flicked after hearing that.

「What a lowly person, making things done using money……well, nothing can be done with small changes you know?」

「If it’s cash……I can do something if it’s 10 gold coins」

The elf receptionist placed her pointing finger in the middle of her brows, and after fixing the position of her gla.s.ses, she scolded Junpei with a high tone.

「Are you not……looking down at the adventurer’s guild too much?」

Since it was quite a loud voice, looks were gathered.

She continued then while glaring at Junpei.

「You’re talking quite big to say 10 gold coins, but it is impossible to approve exceptions to the time bent rules for just that amount of moneyーーit would be setting a bad example for everyone?」

Towards the receptionist who had said it bluntly, Junpei took out a cloth bag.

「Then, if it can’t be done with the adventurer’s guild, Onee-san’s personal view on things or stories are good enough, so……I want to hear a lot」

Junpei said that, took one large copper coin from the cloth bag, then placed it on top of the counter.

The receptionist got stunned for an instant, but made a wry smile after understanding what Junpei wanted to do.

And then, she reached out her hand to the coin then placed it inside her pocket, and after thinking for a few seconds, she made a very blatant sullen face.

「Well, there are……other ways」

「……ways?」

「Yes, ways to create proof of ident.i.ties, and a path to become an A-Rank adventurer……that is quite different from norm」

“Hmm”, Junpei placed his hand in his jaw, moved his body forward.

「……tell me in details?」

To Junpei who was staring intently, the receptionist answered with a blank face. Without answering the question, “KonKon”, she tapped the counter with her finger, and made a pleasant smile.

Junpei took another large copper coin from the cloth bag while clicking his tongue, then placed it on the counter.

「……making the underground guild guarantee your ident.i.ty, and then, the guild in the surfaceーーmeaning, in here, accepting the B-Rank adventurer selection test might be a way?」

「Underground guild……? Selection……test……?」

To Junpei who was having an absent-minded face, the receptionist shrugged her shoulders like, “well, this is worthless……”.  

「To think that you don’t know the underground guild……you’re very much a country b.u.mpkin huh…… you want me to explain in order?」

「I would if possible」

「The underground guildーーofficially named as Thousand Hands Society. In short, an outlaw convenience agency. Most of their clients are criminal syndicates or individual criminals, junkies, or maybe……people who are completely perverts whose aim are kidnapping」

「The heck, isn’t all of that criminals……」

「Well, even though it is called as “underground”, it is still a legal organization. Even the requests that can be taken under the sun……they are nothing good, for example, collecting mandragora or kidnapping demi-humans……anyways, each of them is barely legal, However, as long as the money were enough……it is negotiable between the client and the one who would accept the request. Well, it is an organization where those kinds of rumors are being whispered」

「Mandragora……kidnapping demi-humans……huh. Honestly, I’ve had enough of things like that that makes me puke, but……well whatever, please continue」

「Things like kidnapping demi-humans, it would really seem like a job that has too much stimulation for a virgin-looking person like you though……」

After pausing the conversation there, the receptionist, once again, started to tap on the counter.

Junpei rolled his eyes, and pouted his lips.

「Hey……isn’t this, too much」

Once again, he placed a large copper coin on the counter.

「Well, you should just think of it as a lecture fee for a country b.u.mpkin who does not even know about that……and so, in fact, illegal requests are also being mediated in the underground. Things like……errands for the a.s.sa.s.sin’s guild, delivering drugs to the mafia, or maybe, mediation of illegal slaves」

「And then……?」

「However, well, as I have explained earlier, although it is called as the underground guild……it is publicly a legal organization. Well, at least, it is also an organization whose existence is approved by the union of countries」

「……publicly, doing dirty jobs that are in the gray zone……but behind all of that, they would mediate illegal requests…… in short, it is a good for nothing, s.h.i.+tty organization huh?」

「Correct」

「And……people who would work in that kind of place, are idiots who don’t care about their lives. If not so, it would be full of guys that are criminal fugitives, or ones who have some complicated circ.u.mstances, am I wrong?」

「Well, even so……if you register there and complete some requirement, the underground guild would guarantee your ident.i.ty. This is something that is needed not to say, but it the quality of its guarantee is of the lowest cla.s.s, and it would be something that would only show as a proof of residence and proof of income」

「……you’re saying that I need to take that proof of guarantee, to register as an adventurer here? But, would the guild have trust on me having that kind of proof of ident.i.ty?」

The receptionist made a pleasant smile.

「Yes, we would not trust you? However, you can register. You can but, being in the worst situation being a low-cla.s.s adventurer from the underground guild, you cannot accept a proper job in this guild. After all, there are so many newbie E-Rank and D-rank adventurers」

「……you’re saying that, instead, if there are so many out there, there’s no need to leave a request for a suspicious person?」

「That is right. There are no merits for using troublesome adventurers. And……inevitably, since there are no requests, with or without skills, it would be very difficult to raise ranks as an adventurer」

「I’d be troubled, if it’s like that……」

“Ahh”, Junpei nodded, then hit a fist on his palm

「That’s what you mean huh. That is whyーーthe B-Rank adventurer selection test」

After Junpei said that, she nodded like “that’s right”.

「Well, originally……it is a test made for rookies that has a different level of strength who are winners of martial arts compet.i.tions or ones who had recommendations of S-Rank adventurers」

Junpei who heard the explanation of the receptionist thought for a while, then finally, asked his final question.

「And then……where is that underground guild?」

*KonKon*, the receptionist tapped the counter again.

「You’re good at business huh?」

To Junpei who was rolling his eyes, the receptionist answered with showing her tongue.

「……I am told of that a lot」

After letting out a sigh, Junpei placed a large copper coin on the counter.

「When you go to the left street after leaving here, you would reach a plaza circle. And from thereーー」