Damian left the Magic Shop with the blackwood staff in one hand and his new Spellbook secured firmly against his hip.
Even several minutes later, the unfamiliar weight of proper equipment continued drawing his attention.
The two enchanted rings were light enough to forget, while the Amulet of Cleansing rested beneath his new robes without discomfort. His dagger sat securely at his waist, its presence both reassuring and slightly ridiculous considering Damian had never seriously fought another person with a knife in his life.
Still, compared to the torn warehouse clothing he had arrived in, he finally looked like someone who belonged in Valoria.
...At least until someone inspected his Attributes.
Roland led them away from the eastern wing and back toward the Adventurer’s Guild main hall, where the familiar noise of adventurers, receptionists and merchants gradually swallowed the quieter atmosphere of the upper corridors.
Agnes was still stationed behind her counter.
The older receptionist looked up as the group approached, and her eyes briefly widened when she saw Damian.
"Hoh? So there really was a decent-looking young man hiding beneath that cloak, but that only makes you more dangerous," Agnes remarked before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Damian sighed.
Somehow, proper clothing had worsened his standing with her.
Roland laughed and slapped one heavy hand against the counter.
"Enough bullying the lad, Little Agnes. We need to complete his Adventurer registration," the Guildmaster instructed cheerfully.
Agnes adjusted her square glasses. "His Character Sheet was awakened successfully?"
"Successfully awakened, Class selected and fully outfitted," Roland confirmed.
Agnes gave Damian another long examination before pulling several forms from beneath the counter. "Then we begin with the most important document."
She pushed a thick sheet toward him.
Damian glanced down with confusion. "What is this?"
"A death waiver," Agnes answered plainly.
Damian looked up slowly, his eyes twitching.
Janet immediately grinned. "Welcome to adventuring!"
The waiver was surprisingly comprehensive.
The Guild accepted responsibility for fraudulent quest information, deliberate negligence and several other administrative failures, but death caused by monsters, criminals, environmental hazards, stupidity, overconfidence, treasure-related curses and ignoring Guild warnings was entirely the adventurer’s problem.
There was even a subsection regarding accidental consumption by giant creatures, and Damian read that one twice.
"Anyone can register as an adventurer?" Damian asked as he continued through the document.
"Anyone capable of understanding and signing that waiver. You do not even need a Standard Class to become Unranked," Agnes replied.
That caught Damian’s attention.
Roland leaned against the counter while Agnes processed the paperwork.
"The Adventurer’s Guild uses several ranks. At the bottom are the Unranked, and there is very little prestige in the name because there is very little prestige in the position," Roland explained with amusement.
Anyone could become an Unranked adventurer.
Farmers seeking occasional work, travelling craftsmen, Commoners hoping to earn additional money and young people preparing for a Standard Class could all register.
The Guild offered them no meaningful incentives, discounted equipment or priority support.
They were simply registered individuals permitted to accept basic work like gathering herbs, delivering messages, helping merchants load cargo, or searching for missing livestock.
Simple jobs with danger levels only slightly higher than ordinary employment, all performed in non-monster areas.
"Then comes Copper," Roland continued.
"A Copper Adventurer must possess a Standard Class. Someone registering for the first time must also complete one F-rank Copper mission as their introductory assignment."
"Like a tutorial quest?" Damian asked.
Roland chuckled. "Exactly like one."
Of course it was.
If someone advanced from Unranked instead, they needed to possess a Standard Class and have completed at least ten Unranked quests.
Silver came next.
A Silver Adventurer needed to be above Level 5. A new registrant who already met the level requirement would complete an F-rank Silver mission to prove they understood the risks appropriate to that tier, while someone advancing naturally from Copper required ten completed Copper quests.
Gold required Level 10.
Platinum required Level 15.
Diamond required Level 20.
The same basic pattern remained throughout the system: qualify through personal power, then either demonstrate competence through an introductory mission or build a sufficient record at the previous rank.
"What happens after Diamond?" Damian questioned.
"The Legend tiers, but once someone enters the Legend levels, the ordinary Adventurer’s Guild is no longer the correct establishment for them," Roland replied, his expression growing somewhat more serious.
Level 21 changed too much.
A Grandmaster was not simply a particularly strong adventurer.
Such beings could influence wars, destroy major monsters and control resources valuable to entire nations.
Their assignments, legal responsibilities and political privileges existed within a separate system.
Damian nodded slowly, feeling that the structure made sense.
Actually...
It made a little too much sense.
The longer Roland explained, the stranger Damian’s expression became.
Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Tutorial missions, Quest records, standardized shops, maps, and even communication functions.
Heck, there were even mental health and recovery services for returning adventurers.
It all carried the unmistakable smell of someone who had played far too many games.
Roland noticed Damian staring. "What is it?"
Damian hesitated. "This Guild wasn’t always organized like this, was it?"
Roland’s grin immediately widened. "Hahaha! Sharp fellow."
The lionman folded his arms. "The Adventurer’s Guild has existed for several millennia, but adventurers existed long before the Guild. In those days they were little more than wandering mercenaries, treasure hunters and monster killers. Most gathered around taverns, noble estates or mercenary halls and formed temporary groups whenever work appeared."
That sounded far more historically believable to Damian.
"Then came the man who created the modern Guild system, Alexander Smith," Roland continued.
Damian’s eyelid twitched.
Smith?
...Of course.
"Don’t tell me..."
"Indeed, he was an Otherworlder like you!" Roland confirmed happily.
Damian slowly rubbed his forehead, feeling once again that everything suddenly made sense.
Alexander Smith had established the Guild’s ranking structure, organized quests into standardized classifications, created regulations for party formation and expanded the Guild’s internal commercial services.
Later generations modified the system, obviously, but the fundamental structure remained his.
Damian glanced toward the crowded hall.
The Guild had spent thousands of years refining what was essentially an Otherworlder’s attempt to turn fantasy mercenary work into an organized profession.
Even the Services Shop offered therapy and recovery treatments.
The only shocking part was the age, a few millennia ago.
How many Otherworlders had come before him?
How deeply had they influenced Valoria?
And... had that influence always been positive?
Damian filed the questions away for later.
Agnes finished processing his paperwork and placed a rectangular object upon the counter.
"Your identification."
Damian picked it up, noting that it resembled a modern laminated identity card, though slightly thicker and made from some flexible magical material rather than plastic.
His name appeared across the front.
[Damian Baines]
[Copper Adventurer]
[Mage — Level 1]
[Rosewood Adventurer’s Guild]
The moment Damian touched a small rune near the edge, the card expanded a translucent blue projection above his palm.
His own three-dimensional image rotated slowly within the display.
Damian stared. "That is far more advanced than I expected."
Janet leaned over his shoulder. "Press the second symbol!"
He did and the interface changed.
[Adventurer Statistics]
[Completed Quests: 0]
[Failed Quests: 0]
[Abandoned Quests: 0]
[Current Quest: Mandatory Copper Introduction Mission — Not Selected]
Further sections displayed his registered Class information, basic identification details and quest history.
A communication function allowed nearby Adventurers to send text messages, emergency requests and simple alerts to one another.
Damian’s interest immediately rose.
"So if a party gets attacked, they can call nearby Adventurers?"
"Provided the cards are within transmission range. The distance depends upon local mana conditions, guild relays and terrain," Agnes confirmed.
Another function opened a map.
Rosewood Town and the immediate region surrounding the Guild were clearly visible, but most of the wider territory remained covered by grey mist.
[Fog of War]
Damian’s lips twitched again.
Heh... even the terminology survived, huh?
"You clear the map by traversing through the area yourself or acquiring verified map information from the Guild. Once recorded, the card remembers it," Eunice explained.
That was indeed absurdly useful as an adventurer could track explored routes without relying entirely on paper maps, while the Guild could remotely update dangerous locations and known landmarks.
Alexander Smith had done excellent work, typical of a loser NEET Earthling in a magical world.
Divine Lord Kazuma would be proud of him, Damian thought to himself with amusement.
Roland led Damian toward the quest boards, where large wooden displays covered one wall of the main hall, each divided by color and Adventurer Tier.
Within every section, individual quests carried another letter, from F through S.
"The Tier tells you the general power bracket, while the letter tells you where that quest sits within the Tier," Roland explained.
An F-rank Copper Quest sat near the bottom of what the Guild expected a Copper Adventurer to handle.
An S-rank Copper Quest represented the upper extreme of the same bracket, approaching the danger of an F-rank Silver mission.
The pattern repeated upward, and this prevented a single Adventurer Tier from covering wildly inconsistent levels of danger.
A newly advanced Level 1 Copper adventurer and an experienced Level 5 Copper adventurer might technically share a rank, but the Guild certainly did not expect them to undertake identical work.
Damian examined several notices.
[Request: Gather Ten Moonshade Mushrooms.
Description: Moonshade Mushrooms grow in damp, low-light environments such as shaded forest floors, cave entrances, and beneath dense root systems. They are most commonly found in the Moonveil Woods during early morning or late evening when ambient mana is stable. Adventurers are advised to avoid disturbing nearby nocturnal fauna, as the mushrooms often grow in territories marked by territorial beasts. The mushrooms are fragile and must be harvested without damaging the cap or stem, as bruising reduces their usability.
Rank: Copper (F)
Reward: 20 Copper Coins per stalk.]
[Request: Eliminate Forest Slimes near the Western Irrigation Canal.
Description: A recent mana seepage has caused a proliferation of Forest Slimes along the canal’s western irrigation channels. These low-tier magical creatures are typically harmless individually but can become hazardous in groups, especially near water sources where they multiply rapidly. They are weak to physical attacks and fire-based magic, but caution is advised as their acidic cores can corrode equipment if left unchecked. Adventurers should ensure full clearance of the affected stretch to prevent regrowth.
Rank: Copper (E)
Reward: 1 Silver Coin per Amateur Slime, 5 Silver per Elite Slime, 10 Silver per Captain Slime.]
[Request: Investigate Missing Hunters near Blackroot Trail.
Description: Several licensed hunters have failed to return from routine expeditions along Blackroot Trail over the past week. The area is known for dense vegetation, limited visibility, and unstable mana pockets that can distort perception. Initial reports suggest possible monster activity beyond the usual wildlife presence, though bandit interference or environmental hazards have not been ruled out. Adventurers are instructed to proceed with caution, gather evidence of the hunters’ last known movements, and prioritize survival over engagement if the situation escalates.
Rank: Copper (B).
Reward: 50 Silver Coin Guild reward, 4 Silver Coins extra reward (pooled from family and friends of the missing).]
The reward difference between them was enormous, so Damian immediately understood why the letter rankings mattered.
"You are officially Copper, but because you registered directly after awakening your Standard Class, you must complete one F-rank Copper quest before your introductory requirement is considered satisfied," Agnes explained from behind the counter.
Essentially, his rank was active, but probationary, but that suited Damian perfectly as he needed practical experience anyway.
Roland allowed him to inspect the board for another minute before asking the question that changed the atmosphere.
"So, young man, how do you intend to adventure?"
Damian turned around as Roland pointed toward the four Valkyries.
"You have three reasonable options. Operate alone, establish your own group or ask to join an existing party. Considering the people who brought you here, I imagine the third option has crossed your mind."
Silence followed as something subtle changed between the four ladies and Damian.
Janet looked away and suddenly became very interested in examining one of the Silver quest boards.
Paulina folded her arms, her ears lowering slightly as a complicated expression crossed her face.
Julia opened her mouth... then closed it.
Eunice watched the other three and released a quiet sigh.
Damian understood immediately.
They liked him enough that refusing him outright would feel unpleasant.
But their Valkyrie Adventure Group was made entirely of women who had clearly spent years developing their own rhythm, trust and identity.
Damian had known them for only a few hours.
Adding a man they had found unconscious in the forest simply because he was friendly would fundamentally alter that dynamic.
Eunice seemed to reach the same conclusion.
The priestess stepped forward, evidently prepared to shoulder the uncomfortable responsibility of explaining it.
Damian smiled before she could speak.
"Frankly speaking, I have to thank you four for rescuing me and nursing me back to health. Without your kind hearts and saving grace, I would have become an Otherworlder corpse rather than a new adventurer," Damian joked.
The tension immediately shattered.
Janet blinked, Paulina’s ears rose, Julia looked surprised, and Eunice’s prepared expression disappeared.
Then, all four women began looking slightly embarrassed.
"Hmph. We weren’t going to leave someone dying on the road," Julia muttered, glancing aside.
Damian’s smile widened.
"I may only have known you all for a few hours, but I’ve come to like you all and see you as my friends. More than that, I like the chemistry and genuine connection between you four as the Valkyries of Grayfen, so I would be remiss to ruin it," Damian continued sincerely.
That struck them considerably harder.
Janet’s freckled cheeks reddened, Paulina scratched one grey ear awkwardly, Julia pretended to examine the quest board, though the pointed tips of her ears had turned pink.
Eunice simply smiled at him, an extremely warm one this time.
Damian then turned toward Roland.
"I will be adventuring solo for the most part, but I might establish a force under me later on," Damian declared.
Roland’s golden eyes flashed.
Interesting, very interesting!
The young man had identified the awkward situation without forcing the women to reject him, then resolved it in a way that preserved everyone’s dignity.
He had even praised their relationship rather than framing himself as an outsider being excluded from it.
Simple, clean, and effective.
More importantly, the relief visible within the four Valkyries’ expressions was mixed with something else.
Appreciation, and perhaps even admiration.
Roland gave Damian a deeper look.
Heh.
With emotional intelligence like this, the lad could probably navigate an enormous harem without the women murdering either him or each other.
The lionman almost laughed aloud at the ridiculous thought.
Of course, Damian did not seem like that sort of fellow.
This well-mannered young man appeared simple, responsible, and honest.
He seemed to be the type of young man who only wanted to work hard, protect his family and live peacefully.
Surely there was no chance he would one day surround himself with troublesome beauties from multiple worlds.
Absolutely none.
Right?