Kaito-san runs the Adventurers Guild here, along with Eleanor-san, right?
That's what I thought, so I headed straight to the guild...
But what the heck is this!?
"Aim to be a top-tier adventurer! Follow in the footsteps of the legendary seniors!"
That's what was boldly written, with big portraits of me, Zect, Lida, Maria, and Mel.
And it didn't stop there.
There were also big drawings of Shizuko-san, Haruka-neesan, Sayo-san, and Misaki-san.
Looking closer... it said, "Jimna Village, the birthplace of S-rank adventurers."
"The hero Ceres, who mastered adventuring and became the Divine Dragon."
"Zect, who rose from hero to S-rank adventurer and even became king!"
Especially me and Zect, we were drawn bigger, with flashy catchphrases right next to our portraits.
What is this... Sure, Zect and I are from this village, but we're not even part of this guild.
Well, I wouldn't complain if they're just using us for advertising.
They definitely know their marketing game.
As I stared at the sign, Eleanor-san called out to me.
"You look sharp! How about joining the Jimna Village Adventurers Guild?"
Guess my disguise didn't fool her.
"No, I'm nothing special. I'm not planning to be recruited."
Suddenly, Eleanor-san's eyes sharpened.
"Don't lie! I come from a mercenary background — I can tell strength by looking at someone's physique. A body like yours? Saying 'nothing special'? You can't fool me! You must be at least B-rank, right?"
"Well, yes, I am a B-rank adventurer, but I belong to another guild. I'm not switching."
"I see. But if you're going to be anywhere, our guild's the best. This is the village of Divine Dragon Ceres-sama, and recently, it became the hometown of Zect-sama, the king of Kohane! There's prestige here. And here's a secret: those who raised Hero Zect-sama and Divine Dragon Ceres-sama will guide and support you. This is the only guild like that."
Who are they talking about?
"Who exactly are these people?"
"I'm glad you asked! Hero Zect-sama's father figure, Sector! And Kaito, who helped Divine Dragon Ceres-sama — amazing, right?"
Uncle Sector is actually Zect's real father, and Kaito-san, who helped me so much as a kid, is no lie.
When I was a child without family, I aimed to become an adventurer.
Back then, Kaito-san introduced me to many adventurers who visited this village and asked them to teach me how to be one.
Thanks to that, I built a solid foundation.
That part isn't a lie.
But Uncle Sector and Kaito-san themselves aren't very strong, and they probably have no real adventuring experience.
Yeah... just ignore that. Let's move on.
"It's impressive, for sure. Well, I should get going..."
"Wait! You must be an expert, right? Am I wrong? Can you show me your adventurer's certificate?"
Uh-oh.
I should just leave quickly and ignore them.
But when someone from the guild asks for your adventurer's certificate, you have to show it.
It's the rule.
No matter how strong I am, I don't want to break that rule.
Reluctantly, I showed my adventurer's certificate.
"S-class adventurer... Ceres-sama!?"
"Shh, quietly now."
"Ah, Ceres-sama, long time no see! But why are you in disguise?"
"I'm on a secret mission, so I'm undercover. Please keep my visit a secret."
"Even from my husband?"
"You can tell Kaito-san, but I want him to keep quiet."
"Understood."
"So, how's the guild? Doing well?"
There seemed to be quite a few people, so it looked busy enough.
"Well, the number of guild members is comparable to royal or imperial cities, but most are just 'commemorative adventurers' — basically tourists."
"Commemorative registration?"
"Yes, it means registering as an adventurer from the village where Ceres-sama or Zect-sama were born. That's all. It was a mistake to get carried away and make something like this."
Eleanor-san handed me two cards as she spoke.
One had a golden dragon, the other a black card with a holy sword.
"What is this?"
"These are Jimna Village's original adventurer cards — Ceres version and Zect version. People come here just to register as adventurers and get these!"
"I see. Well, having many registrants can't be bad, right?"
"But everyone's weak, and the capable ones register and quickly leave. So, there's little appeal. Plus, since the world is peaceful now, even the monsters we hunt are weak. Still..."
"Is that so?"
"That's the reality."
Kaito-san was speaking to about twenty people, his face twitching.
"Welcome to the Adventurer Experience Tour in Jimna Village! Here, you'll do simple tasks, like the Divine Dragon Ceres-sama did as a child! Those who complete all tasks will get an F-rank adventurer registration — and, surprisingly, you'll receive either the Jimna Village-exclusive Ceres or Zect adventurer card! The registration fee is one silver coin. These tasks are required for registration, so there's no extra reward — but if you want this card, you better do your best!"
""""""""""Yesssss!""""""""""
So even though the registration fee was a bit high, there was no reward for completing the tasks.
"There's no real adventurer spirit here."
"Well, it's just commemorative registration because everyone wants the adventurer cards from Ceres-sama and Zect-sama! Most are tourists! It does bring good income, though... Anyway, I'm off! If you have time, meet my husband — he'll be happy to see you."
"I'll drop by to see Kaito-san later. Please tell him."
"Understood."
Eleanor-san waved goodbye as she ran off toward Kaito-san.