Chapter 10: The Voice of the System

Alaric stood in the Guildmaster's office, his mind reeling. He had just been promoted to Rank C—something he hadn't expected for years, let alone on his first day as an adventurer. The weight of the promotion pressed on him, filling him with equal parts pride and disbelief.

"Rank C already?" Alaric muttered to himself.

Gareth Stormblade, the Guildmaster, chuckled at his reaction. "I understand your surprise, but this promotion is well-earned. You defeated a Fenrir, a Rank A monster, no less. Many seasoned adventurers wouldn't dare face one."

Alaric nodded, still trying to process everything.

A Shocking Proposal

Gareth leaned back in his chair, studying Alaric with a calculating gaze. "Now, about the Fenrir core. Would you be willing to sell it to the guild? It's an extremely rare material, and we'd be willing to pay you handsomely for it."

"How much are you offering?" Alaric asked, curious but cautious.

"One hundred gold coins," Gareth said without hesitation.

Alaric's eyes widened. One hundred gold coins?! In his old world, one gold coin was said to be equivalent to about 1,000 euros. That meant this offer was roughly 100,000 euros.

Suddenly, a soft, melodic voice echoed in his mind.

"Correction, Alaric. In this world, one gold coin is worth far more due to its scarcity and purchasing power. A hundred gold coins here are equivalent to 100,000 euros in your previous world."

Alaric froze. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the voice was coming from the system.

The System Speaks

"You can talk?" Alaric asked aloud, startled.

Gareth raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Ah, nothing!" Alaric quickly replied, trying to cover his slip-up. Internally, he addressed the voice. You can talk? Since when?

The voice chuckled warmly. "Yes, Master Alaric. I've always been able to speak. However, I refrained until I felt it was necessary. I am the System, your guide and companion. It's a pleasure to finally introduce myself."

The voice sounded feminine, calm, and oddly comforting.

"Well… nice to meet you, I guess?" Alaric replied in his mind, feeling a bit awkward.

"Likewise. I am here to aid you in your journey and to provide information, should you need it," the System explained.

The Deal

"Alaric, are you all right?" Gareth asked, breaking Alaric's internal dialogue.

"Yes, sorry," Alaric said, shaking his head to refocus. "I'll sell you the core."

"Excellent choice," Gareth said with a satisfied grin. He reached into his desk and pulled out a heavy pouch of gold coins, sliding it across the desk toward Alaric.

Alaric picked up the pouch, its weight solid and reassuring in his hands.

"You've made a wise decision, boy," Gareth said. "This core will help fund research and equipment for the guild. And for you, this gold is more than enough to set yourself up for further success."

A New Partner

As Alaric left the Guildmaster's office, he couldn't shake the surreal feeling of everything that had happened. He now had a small fortune, was officially Rank C, and, most unexpectedly, had a talking system companion.

"System," he asked internally, "do you have a name?"

"Not yet," the voice replied. "But if you wish, you may give me one."

"I'll think about it," Alaric said, a small smile forming on his face as he descended the stairs to the main hall.

For the first time since his reincarnation, Alaric felt like he wasn't alone in his journey.