Chapter 17
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The receptionist girl looked around my age, with a bright, tea-colored long hair tied up in a ponytail.
Although her expression seemed unenthusiastic, she had a clearly beautiful face, and even though I could only see her upper body, her style seemed to be good too.
I thought that if she had a decent attitude, there would be a long line for this reception too, but since I didn’t need to insist on this reception, I was about to go to another line, when she looked at me properly for the first time, observing me intensely.
”Hmm…?”
”…Something?”
She tilted her head.
Do you need something? I was about to ask, when the receptionist girl gestured “come here” with her index finger.
In Japan, this way of calling someone is not very good, but I heard that in some countries, it’s a gesture used by women to invite men.
I’ve never experienced being called like that.
From the atmosphere, I knew it wasn’t an ‘invitation’, but it seemed like she had some business, so I entered the partitioned space.
Then, she pointed at the bag of spoils I was holding and asked,
”Does that contain materials or something?”
”No, it’s just magic stones…”
”I see. Then I’ll handle it for you.”
Hmm… did she not want to handle materials and inferred that my spoils only contained magic stones from the shape of the bag?
My speculation was partially correct, as she took out the magic stones from the bag on the counter and checked them while muttering.
”Well, it’s no use washing them, but you’re doing a good job cleaning them. It’s good if the others are like that too…”
She was using a device that looked like a ruler to measure the size of the magic stones, sliding 2 parallel boards to check their size… but is the value of magic stones determined by their size?
The receptionist, who was checking the sizes, recorded them on paper.
She was doing it in a way that, if you counted the lines, it would be like the Japanese character for “correct (正の字)”――drawing 4 vertical lines and then a fifth one horizontally.
The two categories are probably Goblins and Demon Wolfs.
But…this time, there weren’t any, but I’m sure there are monsters with different amounts of magical power even if they’re similar.
The sizes should be similar, so I wonder how she distinguish them.
Maybe she’s measuring the subtle differences in size too.
Since there’s no one else waiting in line, I’d like to ask, but…her original attitude was already like that, and if I interrupt her work, she’ll probably get upset.
So, I decided to quietly wait for the magic stone check.
Before long, she finished her work and leaned on the counter, talking to me.
”Goblin 21 and Demon Wolf 31, is that correct?”
”…Probably.”
”Didn’t you count them? …Ah, did you do it all by yourself?”
”Yes.”
”I see. If it’s just one person, there shouldn’t be anyone trying to deceive you…”
Ah, that’s what happens when you’re in a team.
If no one’s counting…unless the spoils of war are really small, it’s easy to deceive.
She asked me, looking like she didn’t believe me.
”So, you have Demon Wolf magic stones, which means you went to the 2nd district, right? But this is the first time I’ve seen your face, so how many days’ worth did you stockpile?”
”No, just one day’s worth…”
”Oh, really? Hmm…so you’re saying you can earn this much in one day? Is that true?”
The receptionist looked at me with a half-doubting gaze, but…ah, I’ll just say I’ll earn half as much from now on, and that’s fine.
”Well, it was 2 days’ worth.”
”…I see, I’ll get the registration certificate out. I need to write it on the documents.”
”Yes.”
I managed to bluff my way through the number of magic stones, so I’ll submit the registration certificate to the Adventurer’s Guild as instructed.
It seems that the documents are complete once I write down the results of the check on a paper, along with the names of the guild staff and the adventurer, as well as the registration certificate number.
Then, I’ll take this document and go through the direct route to the guild to submit it, and they’ll handle the monetary transactions and such.
This route can only be used from the dismantling area, and the guild can’t use it due to sanitation reasons.
I don’t want to walk around inside the guild with bloody loot, after all.
There’s no water basin at the reception desk over there, and even if my hands get dirty, I can’t wash them.
The reception desk doesn’t have that kind of equipment either, but there’s a large water wheel at the workshop, and the water drawn from it is stored in a water tank, so I can take some relatively clean water from there.
Speaking of which… I think there’s a river flowing beneath this city, so maybe they’re drawing water from it.
Anyway, the receptionist who was looking at my registration certificate raised an eyebrow and turned to me.
”…”
”What’s up?”
”No… you’re still new to registering, aren’t you? This.”
She pointed to the registration certificate number.
”What’s with that?”
”It means you registered just yesterday, or at the earliest. You’re a new adventurer who just entered the dungeon and made it to the upper 2nd district.”
Oh, I see. So they can tell that much from the number.
Normally, people form teams and it’s rare to enter the dungeon on the first day they arrive in the city, so it seems I’ve been found out that my loot is just from one day.
”I know you’re pretty confident in your abilities, but going straight to the back like that? Maybe you didn’t want to bother with the monster’s territorial fights, but it’s dangerous to advance alone like that.”
Yeah, the 2nd district did have a lot of monsters to deal with at once, though.
”Haah, but I made it through just fine, so.”
I replied, and she stamped a document with a flourish, completing the paperwork and sliding it across the counter.
”…alright then. Yes, this.”
”Yes. Then…”
The document she handed me had her finger still on it, pressed down firmly enough that I was hesitant to take it, worried it might tear.
”…?”
”…huh?”
”You’re from ‘good place’, right?”
Ugh, again with that.
Maybe I should just go all out and dress like a country bumpkin…
Or maybe she’s just ‘humoring’ me?
”No, I’m just a country boy.”
”…okay.”
Her face looked far from convinced, but she finally let go of the document.
I checked the contents and received my registration certificate, but when I took it, she gave my hand a firm handshake.
Since I had taken off my leather glove to retrieve the certificate from around my neck, I felt a soft, gentle touch that sent a shiver down my spine.
”Come visit me again sometime. I’m usually free.”
Honestly, I’d rather avoid it.
Not only was my background being questioned, but being treated like a VIP despite being around the same age, and being able to get special treatment from someone like that would definitely make me stand out.
Right now, it might seem like a one-time fluke, but if it keeps happening…
Because I didn’t want to stand out, I turned her down, but that might be seen as a weakness and I could be taken advantage of.
So…
”I’ll do it if I feel like it.”
I tried to brush her off with a vague response, but it seems I couldn’t get away with it this time.
”Hmm, are you dissatisfied with me? If we get along well, maybe things will work out better for you?”
”That ‘getting along well’ might not be a good thing…”
If “getting along well” means something romantic, that’s one thing, but it looks like she’s trying to use me.
As I thought that, the grip on my hand tightened, and although it wasn’t extremely strong, I was pulled forward, changing my posture and bringing my face close to hers.
At an extremely close distance, where our noses almost touched, she whispered.
”My family has a certain standing in this city. Well, I don’t have any intention of making unreasonable demands on you, a newcomer, right now… so come on?”
Ugh, it seems she’s from a powerful family.
She says she won’t make unreasonable demands, but there’s almost 0 credibility to her words.
”…I’ll just say this, I don’t have any particular attachment to this city.”
That was the extent of my resistance.
It’s true, but if I want to earn magic, going to the dungeon is more efficient.
She seemed pleased that I didn’t flat-out refuse, but I’m not sure if she understands that.
”That’s fine. Ah, my name is written on that document, so… see you later~♪.”
And with that, I finally managed to leave the reception area… but I checked the name of the person in charge written on the evaluation document.
It read “Frederica Vermillion”.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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