Chapter 13: Avoiding Unnecessary Trouble Before Meeting Nfirea

The brunette girl seemed to notice Lyle's hesitation. With a slight curve of her lips, she hinted:

"If you register as an adventurer, these questions are free."

She gazed at him expectantly.

Lyle raised an eyebrow. "Can only individuals register as adventurers?"

"Adventuring is a dangerous profession, and anyone can register. While there isn't a strict limit on the number of members, it's generally safer to have at least two people."

She lowered her voice and added softly, "Of course, there's no hard rule about it."

"How much does it cost to register as an adventurer?" Lyle asked, his face devoid of emotion.

"One silver coin!" The brunette raised a single finger and shook it slightly.

Lyle reached into his pocket, pretending to search, and discreetly retrieved a silver coin from his toolbox. He placed it on the counter.

"I'll process it right away," the brunette said quickly, her eyes lighting up.

"No," Lyle interrupted, pressing his hand on the silver coin. "I want to know about the matter regarding the five copper coins."

Still expressionless, he looked at her firmly.

Currently, he only had 2 gold coins, 6 silver coins, and 3 copper coins. Traveling to the border city of E-Rantel would require money, and he had no intention of wasting funds on adventurer registration. Moreover, he didn't have time to complete guild quests.

"The escort mission to E-Rantel over there? It's so far, yet the reward is only the bare minimum for a 'gold-rank' commission. It's miserly," the brunette muttered, pointing to a wall displaying various requests, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

"It's probably taken by a 'silver-rank' adventurer team," she added, her voice hinting at frustration.

"If you want to join them, you'll need not only the client's consent but also the agreement of the adventurer team taking on the mission," she explained, leaning closer as if revealing a secret.

Hearing this, Lyle glanced in the direction she indicated. A team of four adventurers stood there, their discussions matching snippets he had overheard earlier about attacking the "gold-rank" team handling the commission.

Lyle released the coin, pushing it toward the brunette.

She picked up the silver coin, rubbed it gently between her fingers, and placed it into a box beneath the counter. Then, she retrieved eight copper coins and set them on the desk.

"Thank you," Lyle said with a slight nod, pocketing the copper coins before turning away.

"Thank you...?"

The brunette froze, staring at Lyle's retreating figure, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

Since starting her job at the adventurer's guild, she couldn't recall anyone thanking her. Most adventurers were crude and impolite, let alone respectful toward lowly receptionists like her.

"Clearly broke… but surprisingly polite," she muttered to herself, sitting back in her seat.

Now that she thought about it, he was quite handsome—especially with that rare black hair and deep brown eyes. Was he a foreigner? Perhaps from another kingdom?

Her cheeks flushed slightly as her thoughts lingered on him.

Meanwhile, Lyle leaned against the wall in a corner of the guild hall, sighing softly.

Things were more troublesome than he had anticipated—or perhaps he had been too optimistic to begin with.

Gaining the necessary approvals to join an escort mission seemed nearly impossible. Clients who hired adventurer teams for protection wouldn't want additional strangers joining, and the adventurers themselves were unlikely to invite unnecessary trouble.

Yet reaching the border city of E-Rantel was essential.

The northern Great Forest of Tob and the southern Katze Plains were prime areas for leveling up. This world wasn't like a game where monsters respawned endlessly. To grow stronger, Lyle had to venture into monster-rich areas.

Additionally, E-Rantel's location on the border of the Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire made it convenient for various activities.

But more than anything, Lyle lacked a comprehensive understanding of the Kingdom's inner workings. Traveling with an adventurer team could help him avoid unnecessary trouble.

He pondered the situation. While he had considerable knowledge about this world, much of it was too advanced. His understanding of basic, practical information was insufficient.

"If only I were stronger," he thought, frowning. His current strength was too low, and he couldn't afford to be reckless.

Based on the brunette's explanation, the journey to E-Rantel was classified as a "gold-rank" mission.

Hiring adventurers was out of the question with his limited funds. However, a compromise might work.

E-Rantel was at the Kingdom's easternmost border, but there was a large city called Re-Lebellon along the way. It was under the jurisdiction of Marquis Raeven, one of the Kingdom's six great nobles.

If Lyle traveled to Re-Lebellon first and then to E-Rantel, the cost of hiring adventurers might drop significantly.

However, this plan would waste precious time—and time was the one thing Lyle couldn't afford to squander.

Suddenly, a familiar, slightly nervous voice reached his ears from the reception desk.

"Miss Daya, has anyone accepted yesterday's commission?"

"Oh, it's you," came the brunette's calm reply. "You're just in time. Your commission has been accepted by a 'silver-rank' team. Are you satisfied with them, or would you prefer we find another?"

"No, no. We have no special requirements," the nervous voice replied hastily.

Lyle's eyes widened in surprise. He turned toward the source of the voice and saw a familiar figure.

"Nfirea?"

Lyle blinked in astonishment, recognizing the young man. Was the commission for E-Rantel posted by him?

Nfirea's grandmother was a third-tier magic caster. Did they truly need to hire adventurers?

While Lyle was still processing his shock, Nfirea had already begun discussing the mission with the adventurer team, who appeared to have formally accepted the job.

After a moment of thought, Lyle stood and approached Nfirea.

As he neared, he overheard Nfirea speaking softly to the adventurers.

"Thank you for your help. The journey may be a bit difficult," Nfirea said.

The apparent leader of the four adventurers, clad in dark armor, patted his chest confidently. "Don't worry. We've completed similar commissions several times. Your safety is guaranteed."

Nfirea, naturally shy, flushed slightly at the words and hesitated to respond.

Just then, a voice sounded from behind him.

"Hello."