"Out of the way, you assholes!"
"Potions! Artifices! Remedies! Come get your supplies at an affordable price!"
"Looking for a place to stay? Come visit the Midnight Raven's Inn!"
"Hey! Catch that little thief!"
The town of Furza was bustling with people as always. Being a frontier town, individuals of different races and culture gather around the town square. You'd never see beastmen, elves, dwarves and humans mingle together in a single place except for Furza.
Makes you forget for a moment how racist they are to each other. But in a place where the threat of monsters are common and where money can be earned, you really don't have a choice but to trust people to watch your back and deal businesses to those with heavy pockets, no matter the race.
"I guess, in a way, you could say this is peaceful..." I said under my breath as I recall the words my father left me.
Though the place is loud and suffocating for me, to be completely honest.
Making my way through the streets, I made sure I kept my hands in my pockets and distanced myself from other passerbys.
If my intuition is telling me the truth, there were about six or seven people who tried to steal from me.
The world's a very dangerous place, I thought to myself as I sighed.
Eventually, I found my way to my destination. It was a large building bearing the insignia of a sword and shield, and a torch in the middle. I made my way through the building after getting checked by the armed guards in front of the door.
Lucky for me, they seemed just individuals who didn't pin me with false accusations and tried extorting me for money. I already had few encounters with said individuals in the past and I managed to get through by showing a recommendation letter from a noble house.
A letter which I lost.
Yeah, so... I no longer have any cards up my sleeve, and my pouch cannot afford to get slashed by extortions. Or else I'd be eating bread and free soup everyday for a month until I get a proper job.
Anyways, the entrance hall was wide—wider than the mansions I've been in—and filled with armed individuals. Swords and shields, greatswords, staffs, wands—you name it. They're all pretty strong as well.
Wonder if I could become like them someday...?
"Hey, move it, kid."
As I start to sink in my thoughts of admiration, I was pulled back to reality by a terrifying voice.
"Wah—?! S-Sorry about that." I jolted in surprise and immediately stepped aside.
I didn't realize I was standing in the middle of the hall. The man who stood behind me was twice my height and size. His towering stature made me shrink in fear.
Thankfully, the terrifying man only clicked his tongue and made his way through. Only then that I realized he had companions behind him. Unlike the scary behemoth of a man, his companions seemed normal.
They all took one look at me and ignored me while one of them—a pretty lady—was kind enough to apologize on his behalf.
"My apologies. The party's not really in the good mood after a failed mission. Please understand."
"Um, it's all right. I'm the one at fault anyways."
"Riza." The man spoke once again, his voice sending a chill down my spine.
"All right. Be seeing you around." The pretty lady gave a small wink at me as she followed behind the scary man.
What a nice lady, I thought to myself.
She had the curves, the face, the skin and the allure. She was like a princess from a foreign kingdom. And despite being such a beauty, I could sense that she was strong as well.
Stronger than me, for sure.
Her boyfriend's one lucky guy.
"You don't have the chance, kid." Another voice came from behind me. "Trust me, we've all been there."
I turned around to see a man wearing leather armor, his face tired and unkempt, as if he hadn't had a proper sleep or bath in days. He takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it up with the tip of hs finger.
A simple magic art, [Torch].
He puffs out a fog of smoke and continues, "The pretty woman's Rizabel Stalimburg. The Lightning Princess of the Ascalons. Not even legitimate princes can woo her, so don't even bother taking a shot, kid. You'll only be crushed by the gap between the two of you."
"Don't be like us, kid..." Another man seated besides him spoke.
He was in no better condition than the other man. He looked like his world was crumbling as we speak and could see no hope left in his life.
"The world... i-is such a cruel place...!" He said as he bit down his lip, fighting back the tears.
For some reason, I have this feeling that I can relate to these people and I can't stop feeling emotional myself.
"Thank you, comrades. I will keep your advice to heart..!" I twirled dramatically, parting a tear as I turned my back on them.
"Keep on, young man."
"Us common men need to help each other!"
I heard a satisfied voice and another sobbing behind me. It renewed my determination as I headed towards the reception desk.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you today?" A pretty receptionist greeted me with a smile. "Are you here to post a quest?"
"Oh, uh, no. Not that." I stutter.
This surprised me. It's not like I'm not used to talking to the opposite gender, or anything like that. It's this strange feeling inside of me when I look at this receptionist.
There's something off about her, but I couldn't say anything about it to her face because that'll be rude.
"I'd like to apply." I continued.
"An application?" The receptionist paused for a moment, then, "Ahh! An adventurer!"
The receptionist seemed surprised at what I said. Her voice was too loud that it caught the attention of the fellow adventurers around us.
For some reason, they're also surprised that I'm signing up to be one.
"Yes, that's right." I nodded, trying my best to ignore the eyes digging a hole in my back.
"Oh, my apologies for the commotion. I didn't mean to speak so loudly. But are you sure about this?" She asked me, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Being an adventurer is a very dangerous profession, y'know. It's not like what you read on stories. It's a difficult and very risky job that can cost you your life. Are you sure you would want to proceed with this?"
She's right.
Being an adventurer is dangerous.
It's a job where you'd have to face monsters and beasts on a daily basis. It's unstable when it comes to earnings since it depends on how much risk you're willing to face in a quest.
The higher the risk, the greater the reward. One wrong move, and it's over—end of story. With the constant costs of weapon maintenance, emergency supplies, daily necessities, and lodging, you're forced to take bigger risks just to earn more than you spend.
Adventuring is not really someone's first choice when it comes to getting a job but...
"I know, but my answer won't change."
Being an adventurer itself is my goal.
Because I wanna see it.
The vast world my father spoke about with a smile on his face. The journey he looked back on after the many years that had gone by. The companions he made along the way. And find romance underneath the starlit night.
I wanna experience it myself.
"I want to be an Adventurer."