There was it. The same giant three-stored building. The same ’Adventurer’s Guild’.
’But why were so many people here?’
The people were practically flooding the place. Not just adventurer-like people, but normal-looking ones as well. Looking at the training ground, strangely, the situation wasn't that different from the last time we came here.
Considering how crowded the place was, I expected the training ground to be the same but that wasn't the case. It seemed that the whole surge of people was the consequence of the emergency quest witch was just completed.
” Lizza? ”
With a sigh of relief, I grabbed Fiona’s hand as to not lose her in the flood and we literally dived through the crowd. Just imagining a young girl with a large summer-hat on her head dragging after her another young beastkin girl through that mess made me giggle. It was an odd sight.
The problem was that the interior was as crowded as the flood of people from outside suggested. All the tables were full of people to the point that some of them were sitting on the floor just to cheat with the others.
’What the hell are they doing here... If you want to sit and chat, do it outside.’
” Do you see her, Fio? ”
” No... Too many people. ” she said while looking around the place. Unfortunately, she wasn't lucky either.
” Hey, brat... ”
’Hmm!?’
Looking on my right, there was a bulky-looking guy in his mid-twenties gazing at us. He was also shirtless for some reason. Even after I looked around the place for quite some time, he was the only one like that so I had a bad premonition regardless of whether he actually wanted from us.
” Yeah... Ya brat, get the hell out of here. Now's not the time for ya to fool around. ” he said and came closer to us.
The other two who seemed to be his companions tried to say something to him but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. I couldn't understand what they said due to the noises around us but it seemed that they wanted to stop him.
’He can't be, can he? Don't tell me... this guy...’
I was aware that appearance-wise we looked quite out of place but still... No, no. For him to mess with us just for that, I didn't want to belive someone like that existed in reality. This was reality after all. There must be another reason.
” Do you need anything? ”
” Don't ya see how crowded the place is, ya brats... This is not the time for ya to fool around... ”
” Ugh... ”
I turned my head on the side and take out my tag from the inside of my shirt for him to see. I didn't even want to speak with him face to face since he was reeking alcohol from his whole being. Turned out that I was wrong. Well, half-wrong but that wasn't the point.
" We are adventurers too. "
” Tsk... So what... I bet ya just wanna sell some herbs or—
” You damn drunkard, stop messing with them and come back. ”
" Hey... What the fuck... Let go of me. "
Fortunately for us, he couldn't even finish whatever he wanted to say before to be dragged back by one of his companions.
” Sorry, missy... He's got money this morning and is dead-drunk right now... ”
” Y-Yeah... ” I said unsure as to how to react to just what happened. Turned out that the alcohol could bring to life even guys like 'that'.
’Wait... Fio?’
Turning my head around again, Fiona was glaring dangerously at the drunk man being dragged by his colleague... I was so surprised by him that I completely forgot about Fiona. I was fortunate that his friend stopped him before Fiona was able to say or do something. Messing with drunk people was never a good idea so I was happy never actually happened.
Well... At least, after this, I could mark as checked another cliche on my list of things to experiment in another world.
’Heck... What else can happen anymore? Surprise me worl—
” Catch you! ”
” Kyaa! ”
” Ohh, my... What a cute scream. Though, you'll bother the others around if you do it here... ”
” Wha... S-Silvia? ”
” Yep, it's me. ”
”...”
" Umm... Lizza... Fiona is glaring at me again. And we just met... ”
” Don't call her like that. ”
” Lizza, help me... She's glaring even more now. ”
” Mmmmm... Lizza... ”
”...”
I was left speechless looking at the mischievous intruder who for some reason liked to tease me and my fluff... On the other hand, Fiona was shacking, looking at me with teary eyes as if she was pleading me to do something about her. She was adorable but that wasn't the point here...
” Silvia... ”
” Yes. What is it, Lizza? ”
” Are you perhaps... a kid? ”
” Hmmm, how rude of you... And I wanted to tell you the good news... I'm hurt. ”
*sigh*
” Fio, just bear with her a little bit more... We still need her for a while. We’ll ditch her somehow after we finish here. ”
” Mm. ”
” Wha... wha... wha... That's really cruel of you, you know? I'm right here. ”
I sighed and shook my head in defeat. Drunkards and now Silvia... She had a talent for making me lose my rational thinking. I actually made a joke there as if we were close friends without realizing it. And the worst thing was that I could not read this person one bit. The first time I met her, she didn't strike me as an easygoing person and ever now, I was sure that she was not. But i could not guess why she was acting like that with us...
” You are a meanie, Lizza! ”
” Yeah, yeah, I know... But Silvia, you started this. Anyway, where you have been? ”
” Outside. Here's too crowded after all. I waved at you two but you didn't saw me. ”
” Oh... I see. And the good news? ”
” In the morning wasn't as crowded as now. I asked about your situation and it's alright. Hector included you two in our group so your pay should be quite good as well. ”
” Oh, that's good. I was a little worried about it. ”
After that, we made our way to one of the three long lines of people waiting for our turn to speak with the receptionists. We chatted a little while waiting but while doing so, I caught another thing that made me to not submit the claws we had in the ruckus this time.
I was feeling a little bad since I made Fiona carry them here but it was better that way. All the people in front of us who came with claws got around 5-10 each. There was a group of four taking out around 40 of them but that was all... It wasn't a good idea to look even more suspicious than we were looking already.
I thought that it was odd for us to take out over a hundred of them when there were so many people around. Since we could always come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, there was no problem.
On the other hand, the rest went smoothly. The receptionist and Silvia turned out to be acquaintances so there wasn't any problem.
I got 6 gold coins and 6 silver ones since I was treated as the main force who took care of one of the entrances. Fiona got just 2 gold and 6 silver since she was considered as a support for us. Outside of that, we both got a bonus of another 2 gold coins since we stopped the Queen.
In total, we managed to earn a solid 13 gold coins. It was not bad but considered as to how much we spend on a single bow, arrows, and casual stuff last time, It was barely enough for us to pay for some decent sets of armor for us. For the rest, we would have to bring back the claws or finish the deal with Albert.
’This is gold, freaking gold goddamit... How can it be so cheap?’
Well, theoretically it wasn't. With just one gold coin we could stay at Sara’s place for 12 days. Both of us at that. It was not bad, but it wasn't at the level I remembered the gold to be.
’Whatever... These guys were digging a lot of gold. I got it. If gold is so cheap, I'll make a statue for myself out of it in the future.’
After we stepped out of the guild, Silvia took us to a place to eat something. She wanted us all to go and stroll the shops but something came up and her plans were destroyed.
I didn't mind much. We too had a tin schedule due to the deal with Albert so in the end we promised so see each other again another time.
.
.
.
[*Ding: You have gained the skill {Crude Dagger Technique 1}!]
”...”
” Fio, I can't. I give up. ”
” No, Lizza. It's not that bad. You’ll learn how to do it in the end. ”
” But I can't. I destroyed another one. I got the skill for daggers, by the way. ”
” Look at how I do it one more time. You'll get better at it as the skill go up. ”
*sigh*
Letting down my new dagger, I got up and sit down next to Fiona, watching her as she skillfully butchered the poor wasp. I was a total mess by the way. I wasn't able to do anything right. Somehow, I even managed to stab one of the venom sacs, let alone to dismember the carapace correctly... I started to think that I was lucky to not stab myself yet.
After we parted with Silvia, we decided to not waste the rest of the day and get started with the materials work. We stopped to buy two new daggers, one for me and another one for Fiona since she said that hers started to get duller.
I also discovered a smith not too far from us but we couldn't bother him for a single dagger. In the end, we took two daggers at 7 silver coins each. I wanted something better if we bothered to purchase it.
I used another 3 silver coins to enchant both of them, which to be honest, ended quite well.
[Superior Iron Dagger]
[Superior Iron Dagger]
I was a little disappointed after I finished the second one. In the beginning, everything went so well I thought it might be able to make it to the next grade but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Maybe my skill wasn't high enough for it but I had a feeling that if I were to get several of them at that stage again, I might be able to make at least one work.
*tap* *tap*
’Maybe I should buy a lot of crap weapons and stuff and experiment with copper on them to get my skill higher?’
*tap* * tap* *tap*
” Lizza... ”
” Hmm!? ”
”...”
” Oh... Did I spaced-out again? ”
” Mm. You did. You should look here at how I dismember the wasp, Lizza... ”
” Yeah, sorry... I got some ideas for a new enchan—
” No, Lizza. Pay attention here... You said that you want to help me with it. I'll help you but you need to pay attention to it. ”
” Okay... ”
’I... I got scolded by Fiona!?’
” Mm. Now... Give me another body and put this one back. ”
” Got it. ”
” And make sure to look carefully this... No, we'll do it together this time. ”
” I understand. We'll do it together... wait, what? ”
” Mm. Take your dagger back. Let's continue with the one you worked on. ”
Taking into account how horrible I was at dismembering, what I did to that wasp could have been called in many ways except ’work’. I didn't say that out loud though. She was genuinely trying to teach me how to do it so I should at least put a little bit more effort into it.