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Chapter 14: Part-Time Adventurer

“Young Master Roy, are you interested in the profession of adventurers?”

When Gray said this, his shoulders slightly tensed, and his tone was unintentionally respectful.

Even though Roy had let go of Gray’s earlier rudeness and was being very friendly, Gray, being a seasoned adventurer, still felt a bit embarrassed.

If he had taken a closer look at the quest request, he would have avoided that aberration of a man-eating ogre. Had it not been for Roy’s exceptional strength, the consequences could have been unimaginable.

This time, not only did Gray fail to help, but he also ended up needing saving himself, leaving him utterly humiliated.

Fortunately, Roy had a good temper; otherwise, with his status, it wouldn’t have been an easy matter to assign blame.

Out of both consideration and logic, Gray wanted to make some compensation to Roy in any way he could.

“Mr. Gray, you’ve misunderstood. I’m just here for training; I don’t really intend to become an adventurer,” Roy waved his hand.

“I understand, after all, you are the son of a Marquis,” Gray chuckled, but his eyes showed obvious respect. “However, the identity of an adventurer is actually quite convenient.”

“You can be a part-time adventurer, just as a formality. You don’t have to worry about it day-to-day; only act as an adventurer when necessary. Once you become a part-time adventurer, you can be a member of the guild, take on quests, gather intelligence, and participate in internal guild auctions…”

Hearing this, Roy remembered that there was indeed a fated heroine who was active as a part-time adventurer.

In the Western Continent, seven major forces coexist, and the Adventurers’ Guild is jokingly referred to as the so-called eighth force. They don’t get involved with any party but control a wealth of resources, giving off a strong presence.

In terms of connections and information, the Adventurers’ Guild, which casts a wide net, is even more advantageous than the seven major forces that dominate.

The identity of an adventurer is quite handy, acting as a safe and reliable disguise, which could be used later to handle matters that aren’t suitable for “Young Master Roy” to be involved in.

Having made up his mind, Roy nodded to Gray: “In that case, I’ll give it a try.”

“However, I remember that becoming a part-time adventurer requires an introduction from a senior. Are you sure you want to choose me, Mr. Gray?”

It was clearly stated in the original work that an adventurer can only recommend a limited number of part-time candidates in their lifetime, making it very precious. Most adventurers only do this when accepting apprentices.

Upon hearing this, Gray immediately laughed: “Where are you getting that idea, Young Master? It’s my honor to recommend a young man as talented as you.”

“To be honest, I do have a bit of selfishness. Adventurers in our kingdom have been thin on the ground these years. With a capable person like you joining us, even if just by name, it would give us some good recognition!”

At this moment, Gray’s eyes sparkled with a rare youthful glimmer.

Whether it was Roy’s extraordinary strength or humble character, Gray was deeply impressed. He had a feeling that this young boy’s future was boundless.

Even though he didn’t think he could be Roy’s mentor, just introducing him to the Adventurers’ Guild was enough for him to bask in his glow.

“It’s possible, but I’d like to keep my name hidden.”

“No problem!”

Many nobles keep their names hidden when they work as part-time adventurers, so this reason wasn’t an issue at all.

While any adventurer can take on quests, only part-time adventurers can truly join the guild and enjoy most of its resources.

The benefit of being part-time is that you don’t have to accept the guild’s mandatory assignments. You’re free to do your own thing.

Before long, the identity card for part-time adventurers was processed.

Besides for himself, Roy also helped Alice get one as well.

The adventurer identity card was a rectangular card embedded with magical crystals.

Roy didn’t expect that Alice’s card was silver, while his was shiny and flashy gold.

This meant that Alice was a quasi-B rank, while Roy was a quasi-A rank.

“Wait a minute, I remember that the rank of a part-time adventurer cannot exceed that of the recommender.” Roy found it a bit strange.

Just like in a workplace, you can’t become a boss just by having the ability, and being a senior adventurer isn’t purely based on strength; there are quite a few rules. Roy recalled that the formidable fated woman in the original work only managed to be B rank in the end.

“Ha ha, rules are made to be broken!”

Gray covered his mouth and snickered softly: “Our situation here is special; we just happen to be able to slip through a loophole.”

“According to the rules, to qualify as a quasi-A rank part-time adventurer, you either need to be of the same level or can use the guild’s most senior adventurer as a substitute. And I just happen to be the guild’s most senior adventurer!”

As he laughed, Gray suddenly looked a bit sad.

“Maybe the one who set these rules never expected that the most experienced would be a B rank.”

“Sigh, enough of this depressing stuff. When you reach A rank, you can get a title, Young Master Roy, so you should think about it.”

In the future, he might have to handle things using his adventurer identity; having a title out there without exposing his true name would make things much easier.

However, after the lesson with Cheese, Roy didn’t dare let his guard down; this time he watched as the tavern girl helped him write down his title on the registration book.

Sword Demon.

At the end of dinner, Roy casually chatted with this enthusiastic uncle.

Thanks to Gray’s narration, Roy learned that eighteen years ago during the Second Dragon War, the royal army suffered terrible losses while adventurers were severely impacted. The legacy of adventurers was already hard to maintain, but now the Adventurers of Lionheart Kingdom were almost at a complete standstill.

However, upon learning that Roy was about to enroll in the Central Continent’s Academy of Magic, Gray’s face lit up with longing.

“That’s where the headquarters of adventurers is located, along with countless legendary adventurers. I believe Young Master Sword Demon will surely carve out a life for himself there!”

“Master will definitely be fine.”

Gray painted a beautiful picture for Roy, and Alice nodded fervently beside him.

Only Roy inwardly complained that he was going to school, not to become an adventurer!

Roy didn’t dislike being an adventurer; he just knew that if he actively engaged in that role, he would inevitably get entangled with some troublemaking fated woman, leading to unnecessary problems.

Looking back, he realized if he failed to turn around those fateful nodes with Charlotte, it would be just like a death sentence.

For instance, failing to improve relations with Charlotte would most likely lead to him getting killed by her just like in the original. Or failing to clear up the misunderstanding with the green tea who groped him would mean he’d be besieged and isolated by the Cult of the Evil Dragon.

Touch the fateful nodes and die. In a sense, they were harder to deal with than a cult.

If possible, Roy still wanted to keep his distance and not get involved with any fated women again.

So, he planned to just be a part-time adventurer, using the guild’s resources and benefits!

After finishing his training and making the last preparations, Roy set off with Alice, officially embarking on his journey to the Academy of Magic, and the true stage of Angel’s Wheel Dance.

However, little did Roy know that just the day after he left Iron Blood Ridge, that girl he had carefully avoided would actually come to the Adventurers’ Guild in Twilight City and sit on the very stool he once occupied.

 

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