004: Saint Ann Adventurers' Guild

The morning in Saint-Anne City was crisp and refreshing following a night of rain. The sun shone brightly in the sky, with clouds like tufts of cotton candy drifting across the vast expanse of blue.

Stepping out of the Old Shock Tavern, Li Cha stretched his limbs. There was nothing quite like the feeling of a full stomach. To be honest, he wouldn’t have acted so decisively if the system hadn't informed him after the "Time Trade" appeared that both parties in the transaction were on equal footing; as long as the trade was made in good faith, the other party would acknowledge its terms. Regardless, the end result was that Li Cha had slept soundly through the night. The tavern bed was a bit hard, but it was certainly better than spending two hours the previous afternoon slumped against a wall, catching rainwater with his face.

Watching the passersby—some happy, others weary—Li Cha remarked to himself, "It’s true, no matter where you are, using your brain is always more profitable than selling your labor." If he were to sell his physical strength to the system indefinitely, he wouldn't even be able to save up one silver coin in a month.

With that single "genuine" transaction, Li Cha had taken a gamble. Could betting on luck be considered using one's brain? Perhaps. He hadn't been idle before the proprietress, Madame Marie, had come upstairs; he had spent the time considering what to do if the system turned out to be unreliable. Of course, the proprietress had been quite satisfied with the night’s transaction, saving Li Cha from needing any further maneuvers.

"Straight ahead is the commercial district."

A patrol of soldiers clad in iron armor brushed past him. This otherworldly city was much like what he had imagined: mostly ordinary people going about their daily business, buying food and household supplies. Beyond the mundane, there were herb shops, equipment stores, and magic shops—Li Cha even spotted stores for magical pets and slave markets, places that could never exist in his reality.

Saint-Anne City was divided into inner and outer districts, separating commoners from nobles, and the low-ranking from the elite. In the outer district, one found a motley collection of small-time vendors, while in the inner city, anyone who emerged was either dressed in finery or possessed formidable strength.

Suddenly, Li Cha stopped. Across the street, he spotted a building resembling a medieval Western cathedral. Outside, a priest and several nuns were distributing food to a long line of the impoverished. Li Cha checked his map and muttered, "This must be the Goddess Church of Saint-Anne City."

The Goddess Church... The "Goddess’s Contract"... If not for the unexpected turn of events, Li Cha would currently be controlling his created character, mowing down enemies with the help of the Goddess. Alas, there were no "ifs." Li Cha didn't know any goddess, and the goddess of the Loren Continent seemed to be little more than a symbol.

"The Emperor of the Empire uses the Goddess Church to unify thought; heh, the same old tricks our ancestors played."

Not lingering, Li Cha continued forward. After walking for another ten minutes, he finally saw the large sign for the "Adventurers' Guild." The massive estate, covering several thousand square meters, was bustling with activity, even more lively than the commercial district.

A sturdy man strode in, carrying a red-furred wild boar over his shoulders.

"Look, that’s Ya Tao. I heard he’s almost at Tier 2. Look at the tusks on that crimson magic boar—they’re nearly a meter long. That’s a sign that it’s about to evolve into a Tier 2 magical beast."

Someone rushed over. "Ya Tao, that’s impressive! You’ve made a fortune on this trip!"

"Brother, want to join our Johnson Squad? When we all reach Tier 2, we can head to the inner city and live the high life!"

In a world filled with magical beasts, strength was undoubtedly the most important indicator of a man’s appeal. The adventurer Ya Tao had single-handedly killed a level eighteen or nineteen beast, and judging by the wounds on the boar, the battle hadn't been difficult. Consequently, he was met with endless gazes of envy, jealousy, and admiration.

However, Ya Tao politely declined the recruitment offers. He was young, and Tier 2 was his goal, not his destination. He wanted to go to the inner city and join a truly powerful squad. Only then could he convert his talent into strength as quickly as possible.

Li Cha watched for a moment, then silently walked through the gates of the Adventurers' Guild.

The guild hall retained the same architectural style: one half was a working area, while the other was a space for adventurers to drink and chat. As Wendy, the girl from the Old Shock Tavern, had said, adventurers constantly faced life-and-death situations and lived under immense psychological pressure, so they needed to relax; drowning their sorrows in drink was the norm.

Li Cha found the front desk, manned by twin sisters, one with a left ponytail and the other with a right.

"Good day, sir. I am Lucy."
"And I am Luna."
"Are you here at the Adventurers' Guild to post a commission?"

Adventurers accepting commissions, completing tasks, and receiving payment was the standard procedure. Theoretically, anyone could post a commission. As long as the reward was reasonable, one could even hire the guild to find a lost cat.

Li Cha smiled and said, "Ladies, I am here to register with the Saint-Anne City Adventurers' Guild. I am an adventurer as well."

The twins exchanged a glance and nodded. "Very well, please fill out this form."

Registration was much like posting a commission—it wasn't...

Li Cha took the registration form and signed it with a flourish, his movements sharp and confident. However, he didn't get far before encountering a hurdle. Name, age, level, hometown, address—Li Cha could handle all of these, whether he wrote the truth or made them up. But below, there was a bolded, heavy-print regulation: Adventurers at Tier 1, meaning those below level 10, required two guarantors for registration.

These guarantors also had strict eligibility requirements: they had to be either registered adventurers in Saint-Anne City or local residents who had previously posted a commission at the guild.

The only adventurer Li Cha knew was Ya Tao. A powerful adventurer like him would suffice as a single guarantor, but while Li Cha knew of Ya Tao, Ya Tao didn't know him. As for local residents, Li Cha knew two: Wendy, the dancer at the Old Shock Tavern, and the proprietress, Madame Marie. He wasn't sure about Madame Marie, but Wendy, who preferred to speak her mind, likely hadn't ever posted a commission at the guild.

Li Cha asked, "Do the guarantors need to be present in person?"

One of the twins shook her head. "They do not need to be present, but they must sign, and the Adventurers' Guild will verify the signatures with them."

The older sister, Luna, added, "This is primarily for safety. Many believe the Adventurers' Guild is an element of instability in the kingdom. If bandits or robbers become adventurers and then commit crimes, the guild becomes a target for criticism. Of course, we aren't saying you are a bad person, Mr. Li Cha, but you surely wouldn't want to find yourself working alongside a murderer."

Li Cha nodded in agreement and left the guild with the form. Since the reason for the guarantor was "safety," trying to get a signature by randomly chatting up strangers or tricking people was out of the question. If Li Cha turned out to be an assassin who became an adventurer only to kill and flee, he would be wanted, and his guarantor would be imprisoned as an accomplice.

"Off to a rocky start," Li Cha sighed quietly.