Kenneth happened to just be outside after coming to check up on Yamamoto. When he saw Yamamoto emerge with his badge, he grinned.
"Congratulations! Iron rank, huh?" He said, moving closer.
"Yeah, I was kind of expecting better at first, but apparently, I'm not that skilled yet." Yamamoto said with a smile.
"Doesn't matter much, though. Iron rank's standard for new registrations. You'll climb fast with your skills. How about we visit the market now?"
"Sounds good."
They made their way to the market area where they'd find the buyer. Unlike the general markets scattered throughout Mashlow, the Adventurer's Market was specifically designed for buying and selling monster parts, dungeon loot, rare materials, and specialized equipment. The stalls were manned by alchemists, enchanters, craftsmen, and merchants who knew exactly what they were looking at and what it was worth.
Kenneth led him to a reputable trader—a middle-aged woman who apparently gave fair prices and didn't try to cheat even the clueless newcomers.
They managed to sell everything for around 21 silver and a few copper. Kenneth was quite happy with the sale, counting Yamamoto's part of it to hand over.
"Wait," Yamamoto said, pushing some of the coins back toward Kenneth's pile. "You take 15. I'll take the rest."
Kenneth stared at him. "That's not even close to equal. We agreed to split everything fifty-fifty."
"You organized the run. You knew where to go, handled negotiations for the caravan, taught me about harvesting. That's worth more than just showing up and fighting." Yamamoto was firm. "Take it."
Kenneth looked like he wanted to argue further, but something in Yamamoto's expression made him stop. Finally, he sighed and accepted the uneven split. "You're stubborn, you know that?"
"I don't, actually."
Looking at Yamamoto, Kenneth felt even quite moved. As for Yamamoto, Kenneth just looked rather pitiful and since he had enough gold with him and had no shortage for the time being, there was no need to be greedy.
"Alright, I have to go somewhere, catch you later." Yamamoto said before leaving.
Kenneth had gone to return to the lodge, while Yamamoto had plans to visit a dungeon around, towards the east part of the city.
Yamamoto was halfway to the eastern gate when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Odinson! Wait up!"
He turned to see Kenneth jogging toward him, slightly out of breath. The young warrior had apparently run to catch up.
"Kenneth? I thought you were heading back to the lodge."
"I was." Kenneth fell into step beside him. "Where are you off to? There's some decent hunting grounds out that way, but also some pretty dangerous territory if you go too far."
"Just exploring," Yamamoto said vaguely. "I just plan on getting a feel for the area."
"Solo?" Kenneth said, looking a bit concerned. "You sure that's wise? I know you're skilled, but this isn't Salt Fish Town. The monsters around Mashlow average level 12-15 in most areas. Some spots go even higher."
"I'll be careful." He said, sighing a bit. The young man was just too concerned about things, how would he fare later?
They walked in silence for a moment, then Kenneth cleared his throat. "So... the registration went well and all, and you're now an Iron rank adventurer."
Yamamoto could smell everything from a distance. "Just get to the point already." He sighed.
"Listen, I know you value your independence—you've made that clear, but have you considered joining a guild? Not just any guild, and not to be biased, but specifically the Iron Vanguard?"
Yamamoto who had been expecting this just sighed, yet again.
In the game, Yamamoto had always been a solo player. No guild, no clan, no permanent party. He'd preferred the freedom, the ability to pursue his own goals without answering to anyone or coordinating schedules with dozens of other people.
The mysterious lone wolf. That was part of the lure of YAMAMOTO… But this wasn't the game anymore.
"I appreciate the offer," Yamamoto said carefully, "but I've always worked alone. Guilds mean obligations, hierarchies, rules."
"I get that, I really do, but hear me out." Kenneth's enthusiasm was genuine, not just a sales pitch. "The Iron Vanguard isn't like the big militant guilds—we're not the Crimson Legion or the Steel Brotherhood with their rigid command structures and mandatory quotas. We're more... flexible. Professional, but not oppressive."
"Still sounds like obligations."
"Sure, but smart obligations. Think about it—you're new to Mashlow, new to serious adventuring. A guild gives you connections, resources, information, access to better quests, legal protection, backup when things go wrong." Kenneth counted off on his fingers. "Plus, we have guild lodging, which means you'd stop paying inn fees, training facilities, a shared armory, even an information network that covers half the southern region."
Yamamoto slowed his pace finally, after listening to the long list of positives being slammed on his face.
"What would joining actually entail?" he asked.
Kenneth's face lit up. "Come with me to the guild building. Let me introduce you to our branch head. No commitment—just hear him out. If you still want to go solo after that, no hard feelings."
Yamamoto looked toward the eastern gate, then back at Kenneth's earnest expression. The hidden dungeon would still be there tomorrow. And honestly, getting more information about how guilds operated in this world wouldn't hurt.
"Alright," he said. "Show me."
Kenneth couldn't hide his excitement as he pointed towards a direction. "You won't regret this. Come on, the guild building is in the northern district."