A New Day and a New Quest

Chapter 11

A New Day and a New Quest

Next day

I woke up feeling stiff from sleeping on the ground all night.

I was a little put out by waking up in an unfamiliar place. It took a little while to remember the previous night. And when I remembered, I shook my head and exited my new home.

I found the sun was already up for more than some hours meaning that I slept quite late. Though, I wasn't that surprised. Magical exhaustion is nothing to scoff at. Even now, my magical reserves were not full. They were only a little more than halfway there. It usually takes 12 hours to fill my reserves. It used to take a day when I started but its time has lessened by half in the last half-decade despite having more magical reserves to fill.

Seeing as I wasn't disturbed the whole night and no one was near my new house, gawking at it, I could say that my experiment was 100% successful, though I have to see if this remains the same in the future.

While I have theorized the making of wards with runes, this was the first time that I have used the runes for protecting home. Only time will tell if I am successful or not. Still, I have a feeling that it would remain hidden for the foreseeable future.

I went to the side building to check on my horse. I found him sitting on the ground. Seeing me, he stood up and trotted in my direction.

"Hey, big guy! Did you sleep well?" I asked while scratching his neck just as he like it.

I paused as something occurred to me "I haven't given you a name. Have I?" I asked which resulted in an annoying neighing.

I suggested a few names but apparently, they were not to his standards.

"How about Blast...?" I asked in the end, which resulted in approval sound. Thank god, we decided on the name otherwise I would have left it for another day.

"Blast it is" I named him while giving him his food and water portions for today.

"Yeah! This is going to be our new home for the foreseeable future" I answered him "Eat your fill, Blast, we will be going on a quest today, okay. You will need the energy"

Once he was all settled for the next few hours, I completed my morning rituals before powering more runes. It was good that I already filled the runes with my blood yesterday. Even then, it took 25% of my magical reserves to get it right.

The new wards were for strengthening the stone walls so that they could withstand some attacks. Seeing as there were 12 walls (including floor and roof in both buildings), I had to carve and power the runes 12 times.

While many might think that if runes were so good and versatile, why no one uses them?

It is a perfectly good question.

Truthfully, many don't know that runes could be used for warding a place. They might have in the past but due to so many wars, quite a few branches of magic were lost. I found this branch by chance when I was experimenting with the runes about a year ago. I admit I got this idea from the Harry Potter series. I was very surprised when it worked on the small scale structures.

Nowadays, only a few use runes and only for enchanting weapons and armors. Warding is totally an alien concept for them. I haven't told anyone of this because I know I won't be credited.

My tutors of magic would have tried to give it as their own if I had shown them this if they have believed me in the first place. Those old coots were not different than the nobles very much. And I definitely didn't want their standing to increase in my father's eyes. That would have disturbed the power balance in their favor. Even if they had promoted me as the creator, my father would have ignored that part.

He really was a bastard. I still can't believe he exiled me on the new year even at the peak of winter. People actually die during this time due to the cold. It was why I decided to come here as it was relatively warm compared to the capital.

Moreover, as I said previously, I am a selfish person. With many people knowing this, the value of my work would be diminished.

That's why no one knows about it. Moreover, it is still not perfect. The runes are needed to be carved on each wall and this can't be done to a whole castle without some serious work. And not everyone can carve a rune correctly. If even a single rune is incorrect, the whole thing comes down.

I have many plans for this branch of magic. Unfortunately, it will be a decade before I could implement them and get the results.

Anyway, seeing as I completely secured my new base/home, I started preparing my breakfast.

Once I had eaten my breakfast, I started walking towards the city with a bag that contained my skintight leather suit. I left Blast at home as I didn't want anyone to suspect Kaito with my identity. I would just come back and take him with me before leaving for the quest.

It didn't take much time to reach the Town's entry gate.

First, I went to the blacksmith shop near the Adventurer guild as I left my armor to be modified the day before yesterday just after completing my quests.

The shop was near the Adventurer Guild as the adventurers were the majority of the clients. The shop not much but it conveyed the seriousness, nonetheless. Weapons and Armors of all types were lined in front of the shop to attract customers.

In a single look, I easily identified that those weapons and armors were just for show. They were not practical at all. I mean what's the use of the female armor if they are only covering crotch and boobs. On one hand, I liked the armors as they showed quite a lot of skin. But, on the other hand, it was liable to get them killed.

I wanted to ban these items while I was in the capital and thus requested my father. But my father refused, saying people needed to be motivated to become adventurers.

I shook my head of these thoughts and wore my black cloth around my face as I entered the shop. After all, I don't want anyone to see my face. I found the shop empty with the owner doing nothing and just sitting there. He jumped up seeing me.

"Blacksmith-san, Did you complete my work?" I asked walking towards him.

"Yeah! I modified it yesterday" He said taking out my armor "It is quite good, your armor"

I took my armor from his hands and started changing. I took off my civilian clothes and changed into my skintight leather clothes. After that, I donned my armor and checked it by stretching and doing some katas.

Once, I was satisfied, I gave him a gold coin for his work while putting my civilian attire in the bag.

'I would leave the bag at home when I would go to take Blast' I decided.

"Do you need any weapon? We have a wide range of collections from elvish swords to dwarfish hammers" The Blacksmith asked taking me away from my thoughts.

I just gave him my swords with an amused smile.

While he inspected it, I browsed around to see if something would catch my eye. The last time, I was here, I didn't get much time to look around as it was getting already nighttime.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that caught my eye. There were some good enchanted weapons but nothing that I couldn't make myself.

"You have got some good enchanted weapons. Where did you get them, my friend" He asked.

For a second, I was silent.

"I know a guy who can enchant the weapons," I said.

I was not lying. I knew a guy (myself) who could actually know enchanting.

"If he passes through here, be sure to let him know that this shop would be honored to buy his services" He let me know.

I nodded and walked out in my adventurer getup.

I then walked to the adventurer guild in some thoughts. While I have no need for money for now. I could use some extra cash. Extra money never hurt anyone.

Buying the horse actually dented my savings somewhat. I was lucky that my father didn't know about 100 gold coins that I hid in my trunk's secret compartment. My trunk was quite properly checked on my father's orders. That bastard even took 500 gold coins that I saved from my allowance I got in the last decade since I arrived here. (I would have saved more but I started to spend the money on girls after puberty hit me)

From his perspective, I was to be exiled in only my clothes with a set of armor and weapons in my trunk.

I shook my head clear of my father's memories as I walked to the adventurer guild. After all, I didn't want to make my mood bad by thinking of him in the morning.

My saving decreased to 85 Gold coins when I bought the horse. But since then, I have been able to save 10 Gold coins since then as I only spent on the rent, girls, and food. I would probably get it to 100 in the coming week.

When I reached the guild, I found the guild filled with adventurers.

Usually, I come in the afternoons so that I don't have to wait for a receptionist to get free. But after I got Blast, I have started coming here early so that I can complete more than 1 quest in a day.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait for much time seeing as I was running a little late due to my magical exhaustion induced sleep. So, the crowd was not much large.

"Good morning Receptionist-san" I greeted her.

Names have powers. People only give their names to their friends, family, lovers, or the people that they trust. It was why most people call them, by their work positions.

"Ah! Good Morning Mysterious Warrior. Just wait a minute. I have something for you" She said before I could say anything and started going through the stacks of papers.

I rolled my eyes at my nickname.

With my face always hidden, Mithril armor, enchanted weapons, I was nicknamed "The Mysterious Warrior" a few days after my debut.

Sometimes, I was even followed by a group of people who wanted to discover my identity but I always managed to lose them with the help of an invisibility spell that I created some months ago.

I could see where they were coming from though that doesn't mean I had to like it.

'Didn't they know, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?' I mused

Then there were some idiots who thought they could take my armor and weapons for themselves from the newbie (me). Seeing as I am here, they obviously failed though they did come close due to the surprise ambush and they were only steel-ranked adventurers too.

I was quite disgusted at myself for getting almost defeated by a bunch of thugs. Even if they surprised me with an ambush, it was no excuse. After all, they were not trained in the ways of a warrior from a young age. They didn't have a tenth of the magical potential as me. And they didn't spend most of their childhood preparing for battles and wars, working tirelessly on their skills.

I gave them an extra beating for scaring me like that and making me angry. I didn't kill them as that would have been a waste. I was not some reckless idiot who doesn't think about the consequences. They were the lesser evil compared to the monsters. They definitely helped to cull them in the coming weeks seeing as they were still there.

Thankfully, they were the first and the last ones to do that. While they didn't tell anyone how they got beat up by a porcelain ranked adventurer, the smart ones realized that I did it. They had no proof but they still suspected me. Soon the rumor went around that I beat them for ambushing me. For once the rumor was correct.

After that episode, no one was stupid enough to attack me directly. Still, I decided to be on my guard.

Unfortunately, they still didn't leave me alone.

When the threat didn't work, they started bribing and flattering me.

Due to my quest completion rate, other adventurers started thinking that I was quite good (which I was). The next thing I know is I am getting dozens and dozens of invitations to join their Adventurer Party.

Two parties even fought for it. I was quite surprised by that incident. They seemed to think that winning in a fight would automatically give them the right to make my choice. I disabused them of their notions easily enough by knocking out the winning party.

Even then, some didn't stop. I usually get at least one idiot who wanted me to join their party, every week.

Unluckily for them, I had no intention of joining anyone's party. I was the lone wolf. I liked to be alone during the quest. That way I didn't have any baggage of saving others. I could go all out without worrying for anybody.

So, I politely but firmly rejected every invitation.

Some adventurers didn't like my refusal and cussed me which I ignored with practiced ease. Some were even stupid enough to attack me though they had enough presence of mind to do it outside the town while I was going for a quest or coming after a quest.

Till now, no one has been successful. The people are even getting the idea of leaving me alone.

"Aha, here it is" The voice of the receptionist took me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head and decided to focus on the present.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"This is your promotion form. Seeing as you have completed the minimum number of quests which are 25 porcelain ranked quests, to get promoted to the obsidian rank. Please come to the hall on the first floor in the evening, day after tomorrow"

For a second, I was quite surprised before a smile came on my face.

Now, this is some good news. I wanted that promotion. The 10th rank quests have become quite stale. With the promotion, I could easily take 9th rank quests without any fanfare. Hell! I could even take some 8th rank quests after my promotion.

"Very well!" I said in a neutral tone not showing how excited I was.

"This doesn't mean that you will be promoted for sure. There will be an interview which will decide that" She clarified

I wasn't worried even a little bit about not getting promoted. I was damn sure I will be promoted. From my memories and what I uncovered in the capital, they just check if one is lying about his quests or not.

I was not and thus I was not worried even the slightest.

"I understand" I nodded before continuing "I have a question not related to the promotion"

At her urging, I asked, "What will happen if someone encounters and complete a different quest while doing his quest?"

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion but answered nonetheless "Hmm! If you have the proof of completing the different quest, the reward would be given accordingly"

Truthfully, I was getting bored. I couldn't take on a higher-ranked quest (higher than 8th rank and that was after getting promoted) as that would have required me to be in a party of at least 4 adventurers. And only if at least a member of the party is higher, would I have been able to take on higher-level quests like 6th and 5th.

The problem is:

One: I don't want to join a party

Two: The higher ranked adventurer would be the leader of the party and would require me to follow his commands which I definitely didn't want to do.

I couldn't wait for the promotions. That would take too much time. Even if we go by the pattern, it would take me at least 2-3 months before I am able to do 5th or 6th level quests.

So, I devised a plan. The idea was this: I would take porcelain or obsidian ranked quest in an area that would have a higher level quest too. I just needed to ask if I would be eligible for getting paid for the higher-ranked quest that I 'accidentally' came across. And now that I have confirmed the details, I can easily take higher level quests.

At first, I thought to ask the receptionist about some rules regarding the quests as I didn't want her to realize my intentions. My main question would have been hidden in a dozen questions so she wouldn't have suspected a thing.

But I realized that getting her cooperation would be valuable. It's not like she can do anything about it. Her job is to give quests to the adventurers with as much information as she can. And if she agreed, she could already pick up the quests which would save me a lot of time.

Obviously, I won't' be a naive idiot and tell her all of this now. But, I knew she would start suspecting it once I start doing it every time. Only after that, I would come clear.

I quickly went to the bulletin board and started going through the quests.

It took some time but I found one quest where I needed to guard a trader to a nearby village. There was also a quest to kill bandits who were situated somewhere around the village. While the bodyguard quest was only 9th rank level, the extermination of bandits was 8th rank level quest. With my horse, I could easily go and come back just in time for my interview.

Moreover, I could also go to the village where I completed my first quest to check on my experiment. It was only some distance away from my destination. I haven't been able to check it out in the last month as I have been quite busy.

The only problem I could find was that the trader would want a party of adventurers to guard him instead of just one.

Sighing, I decided to check it out as I couldn't see any other quest where I could complete 2 quests simultaneously. If he expects more adventurer, I can just take another quest.

I gave the quest paper to the receptionist who arched an eyebrow after seeing the quest.

At my questioning look she explained "Usually, you don't do bodyguard quest"

I just shrugged "I wanted to do something different"

She nodded as if it cleared everything "Of course. Here is the address of your employer"

Once, she gave me the slip of paper which had the address of my employer, I quickly exited the guild.

...

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