"Skip ranks?" he finally managed to say.
"Huh?" Reinhard asked, turning to him.
"You are strong. I admit it," the man said, his mind racing. "So how about you skip the low ranks? It would be a hassle for you to take exam after exam. Let's skip them. I will get you a test for A-rank, right now, if you can defeat the next one."
Reinhard thought about it. An A-rank would mean more money, better jobs.
But he prefer to go slower.
"Thank you, but no thanks," he said politely. "I think I will start from the rank I get from defeating the hound dog and the goblin. That way, I can gain experience and all." He added a final, perfect lie. "And I'm not confident that I can defeat the next one."
The man just couldn't believe it. This was the exact opposite of the answer he expected. He thought if he was offered a high rank, the noble kid's pride would make him accept it.
The next monster was a special one, one that physical attacks didn't work on. It was a trap, meant to humiliate him. And if he begged him then he would stop.
But to his surprise, the boy turned him down flat. And he did it by saying he wasn't confident, a lie so humble that the man almost believed it.
"You sure?" he tried one last time. "With being an A-rank adventurer, you can take high-rank contracts and get more money."
"I appreciate the offer," Reinhard said, his expression sincere. "But as I said, I'm not quite confident. You already held back on me while summoning such weak monsters. So I appreciate that."
The examiner's mind just stopped. 'He thinks I was holding back?' He had been trying his hardest to make the kid look bad, and this boy thought he was being kind.
The anger and suspicion he'd felt before just… drained away, replaced by a deep sense of shame.
"Well… that wasn't really the response I was expecting," the man said, his voice much quieter now. "But I can't force you. So, here. You are passed. From here on out, you are a D-rank adventurer. You will get your card from the reception."
"Thank you," Reinhard said with a small, respectful bow. "And thank you for going easy on me. I hope I will get to learn more from you in the future, and maybe get some tips on how to be a good adventurer."
The man's eyes widened. The boy's honesty and humility were like a physical blow. He had been trying to crush this kid's spirit, and the kid was thanking him for his kindness and asking for his advice.
The hardness in the man's eyes softened. "Damn, kid. I think I really misread you," he said. "Yes, you can come to me whenever you want, or when you need help with something." He paused. "Where are you planning to stay today?"
"I don't know," Reinhard answered honestly, not the truth but only answered honestly so it looks and sounds like a truth. "I lost all of my money and belongings in the forest, so I have to figure it out somehow."
The man huffed out a breath. "That won't be a problem anymore. I will help you get a room in an inn until you get something figured out."
"Is that really okay?" Reinhard asked, surprised. "I mean, you don't even know me."
"Name is Jiggs," the man said. "Just call me that. And yeah, it's okay. Think nothing of it. Just get settled in. And again, if you have any questions, just ask me."
Reinhard smiled, a genuine smile this time. "Oh, that is very kind of you, Sir Jiggs. Then I accept."
"No need for 'sir'," Jiggs said gruffly. "Just Jiggs is fine. Now go and get your adventurer card. You can get the inn's address from the reception later today."
"Oh, then… Jiggs. Thanks," Reinhard said. "I will repay you later, as soon as I complete my first mission." He turned and walked back towards the guild hall.
As he left, the spectators began to leave as well, their voices carrying on the quiet air.
"So he was just holding back? What a letdown."
"Yeah, I thought he was going to destroy the kid. Guess he went easy on him 'cause he's a noble. But still he was fast. I didn't even saw him."
"Yeah! With magical item even I could do that."
"Hahaha right! What a loser."
Jiggs listened to their retreating comments and spat on the ground.
"Holding back, my ass," he muttered to the now-empty yard. "I was going all out, trying to humiliate that kid."
….
Reinhard walked back into the main hall of the guild. The noise level was the same as before, but this time, the adventurers who had watched his test gave him a wide berth.
He went back to the same receptionist's window. She looked up, and this time, her smile was genuine.
"Congratulations on passing," she said. "We'll have your card ready in a moment."
Just as Jiggs had said, it took about twenty minutes. During that time, another guild employee came over and explained the core rules to him: it was forbidden to attack other guild members, especially during a mission.
Faking the completion of a contract was a serious offense. And for every quest, you had to bring back proof of completion, whether it was a monster part, a delivered item, or a signature from the client.
"If you are found guilty of any of these," the employee finished, "your guild card will be taken away, and you'll be blacklisted."
Finally, the receptionist slid a thin metal plate across the counter to him. It was his adventurer card. It felt cool and solid in his hand. On it was his name, Reinhard van Astrea, and his newly assigned rank: D.
"You're all set," the receptionist told him. "You're now free to take a contract from the board whenever you're ready."
"So I can take a contract right now?" Reinhard asked.
"Yes, you can," she confirmed. "As a D-rank, you can choose any contract from E-rank up to C-rank, one rank higher than your own. You aren't allowed to take anything higher than that. After you complete a contract, you come back here to collect your reward. And just so you know, you can also take gathering or exploration contracts if you want."
Reinhard was a little confused. "But I thought those were for the other divisions. Is that not right?"
"Think of the divisions as a specialty," she explained patiently. "To even be allowed to take a subjugation contract, you have to prove you can fight, which you did. But since you're in the Subjugation Division, it means you're qualified to do the other jobs as well. Adventurers in the Gathering and Exploration divisions can't take subjugation contracts, because they haven't been tested for combat. It's a safety measure, to make sure our members don't die on their first mission."
"I see," Reinhard said, understanding now. "Thank you for the information. I think I will get a contract, then. I'm in need of some money for food and a place to stay."
He knew Jiggs had already offered to help with a room, but he didn't want to feel like he owed him or like somewhere in the future he would bring up this moment to ask him something. So, he would take the inn, and just give the money back to him.
"No problem, it's my job to explain," the receptionist said with a smile. She pointed to a large corkboard on the far wall, which was covered in pieces of paper. "You can go over there to choose any contract you want."
….
A/N: 4 more chapters to go.