It had been a day since Reinhard arrived in Blumund. He had spent it efficiently, completing a few simple E-rank contracts, gathering herbs, delivering a package, to earn enough coin for his immediate needs.
He now had a small pouch of money, a room at a decent inn, and most importantly, an official identity card. The guards at the gate had simply nodded when he showed it to them on his way back into the city.
One problem remained, however. The Dragon Sword Reid was a magnificent weapon, but it wasn't a tool. The sword chose its own opponents by determining if they are worthy.
So, it couldn't be drawn for simple monsters.
He couldn't go around killing goblins with a casual hand chop, either. It worked, but it was messy and drew far too much attention. He needed a normal, reliable sword for everyday work.
Lying on the simple bed in his inn room, he stared up at the wooden ceiling. His white uniform and the face he wore in the mirror were magnets for unwanted attention. He let out a soft sigh and sat up.
He could stay here all day, but he wasn't tired, nervous, or anything else, really. He was just… bored. Better to get back to work than to sit around doing nothing.
The guild was only a few minutes' walk from the inn Jiggs had set him up in. He entered the familiar, noisy hall and went straight to the large board where quests were posted.
He scanned the papers, looking for a C-rank subjugation mission, something that would pay better than herb gathering.
But just like yesterday, the only subjugation requests were for B-rank or higher, far above what he was allowed to take.
He could have avoided this if he'd accepted Jiggs's offer to skip ranks. But that would have put him on everyone's radar. He needed to advance slowly, quietly.
Just as he was thinking this, the guild doors burst open and three adventurers stumbled in, already in the middle of a loud argument. Two were men, and one was a blonde girl holding a magic staff.
"That was all your fault, Kaval!" the man with the large shield shouted. "You should have known there was a trap there! And then we fell in that hole because of Ellen!"
"Where in the world is it the party leader's job to check for traps?!" Kaval shot back. "That was your job, Gido! You should have been watching!"
"And it wasn't my fault!" the girl, Ellen, shouted back, her voice the loudest of the three. "There was a beautiful flower, and I just went to check on it! How was I supposed to know someone dug a hole there? When I find the person who dug that hole, I'm going to push them into it!"
Kaval sighed dramatically. "Just shut up, both of you. We're in the guild now. Let's just take a contract so we can eat something tonight. I don't want to go to sleep hungry."
"Maybe you should go on a diet," Ellen muttered. "Your stomach is getting bigger."
"What did you say?!" Kaval roared. "Is that how you talk to your leader?"
Reinhard watched them, a small, amused chuckle escaping him. He recognized them from his Tensura knowledge. To meet the infamous trio just one day after arriving… it wasn't that surprising, really.
Then, an idea clicked into place. He couldn't take the higher-rank contracts because his own rank was too low.
But if he joined a higher-ranking party, he could go with them. It was a perfect idea. His rank would increase faster, and no one would look for him for that.
They'd just see a rookie noble kid being carried by a more experienced team. It was the perfect cover.
He walked over to the bickering group. "Hello," he said, his voice polite.
They didn't hear him.
"Hello," he said again, a little louder this time.
They stopped shouting and turned to look at him. Ellen was the first to respond. "Ahh, oh, hello. Do you need something?"
Before she could continue, Kaval and Gido moved to flank her, puffing out their chests like protective guard dogs. "Hey, kid," Kaval said, his voice low and suspicious. "What do you want with Ellen?"
"Yeah," Gido added unhelpfully.
Ellen, her face turning red with anger, punched both of them squarely on the top of their heads. "What are you two doing, trying to act tough with him?" she hissed.
"Ow! We were just protecting you!" Gido whined, rubbing his head.
"Yeah, he was clearly hitting on you, Ellen," Kaval said.
Reinhard held up his hands. "Excuse me," he said calmly. "I was not hitting on her. I was just hoping I could ask to join your party. I just registered with the guild yesterday."
Kaval looked him up and down. "Why would some noble kid join the adventurer's guild? Don't tell me you got kicked out of your family or something."
Before Ellen could scold him again, Reinhard gave a small, sad-looking smile. "No, it's nothing like that. Well… you know what? You could actually say it was something like that."
"And you want to join us?" Kaval asked, still suspicious. "Why?"
"No big reason, to be honest," Reinhard said. "I just thought it would be safer to do quests with a party so I don't get injured."
"So you want us to carry you?" Gido said bluntly.
"Yeah, we're not here to babysit some rookie," Kaval added, crossing his arms.
Ellen punched them both again. "What the hell is wrong with you two? Why are you being so rude to him?"
"It's okay, I don't mind," Reinhard said quickly.
"No, it's not okay!" Ellen insisted. "You're being so polite and they're acting like this!"
"It's really no problem," Reinhard said, cutting her off gently before turning back to the two men. "And you wouldn't have to carry me. I heard you guys are pros here. So, if you want, I could be your porter. I can do the manual work, carry the bags, anything like that. In return, maybe I could learn a few things from you."
Something clicked in the eyes of both Kaval and Gido. They stood up straighter, looking proud.
"Well," Kaval said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "We do need someone to carry our extra gear."
"Yeah," Gido agreed, nodding seriously. "And as your seniors in this line of work, we shouldn't really turn down a request from a new kid. It's a good chance to teach someone."
"Gido is right," Kaval declared, puffing his chest out even further. "Kid, you're in! I'll teach you all my techniques on how to defeat monsters and become a pro!"
Ellen smacked them both on the back of the head, one after the other. "Seriously, what is wrong with you two?" She sighed and turned to Reinhard. "And what was your name…?"
Reinhard gave a polite bow. "Oh, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Reinhard van Astrea. I arrived in Blumund yesterday and registered to become an adventurer. I hope to learn a lot from you all from now on."
….
A/N: 3 more chapters to go!