In a narrow and somewhat dark alley, Kael peered out at both ends. After confirming that there were no pedestrians who might see him, he dispelled the hidden magic on his body. His figure suddenly materialized out of thin air.
Just appearing at the city gate and then disappearing for no reason... this noble attire is useless now, Kael thought, shaking his head slightly. Quickly, he activated the [Superior Item Creation] magic, and in an instant, he was wearing a set of white-silver armor and a cloak.
For his head, he didn't particularly like wearing cumbersome helmets, and he wasn't an undead who had to hide his true face. So, he used a simple disguise item to change his appearance into an ordinary man with short blonde hair and calm blue eyes.
Stepping out of the dark alley, he entered the bustling main street of the city's residential area. Kael walked leisurely with a slender silver sword elegantly hanging at his waist. His eyes scanned the shops and buildings on both sides of the street with a hint of curiosity.
Although it was already night, the magic lamps installed periodically along the city's main streets emitted a soft glow, illuminating the road and making it safe to travel. Therefore, as Kael walked down the street, his handsome appearance and conspicuous attire quickly attracted the attention of many passersby.
"Wow, that man is so handsome," a young woman whispered to her friend, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Kael.
"The armor and sword he's wearing are clearly top-notch products. He must be very rich," her friend replied with an admiring tone.
"I don't see an adventurer's plate attached to him. Maybe he's just a noble gigolo who just wants to have fun in this city. Ah! Such good equipment is wasted!" a middle-aged man muttered cynically, a hint of jealousy on his face.
Although Kael wasn't a heteromorphic being or a monster with abnormal perceptual abilities, his level 100 attributes gave him physical fitness and senses far sharper than ordinary people. Hearing the whispers coming from behind him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve slightly into a mocking smile.
Ha, I just want to make you envious, jealous, and maybe even hate me, but what can you do to me? With a hint of hidden arrogance, Kael even raised his chin slightly proudly, then with a casual yet provocative gesture, he lifted his hand and gave the middle finger to the person behind him who dared to call him a gigolo.
"Damn it! Don't pull me back! I'll mince him to death!" the insulted adventurer warrior growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly in anger, as if he would draw his weapon the next second. His eyes glared fiercely at Kael's retreating back.
His companions beside him merely looked at him with amused smiles, not in the slightest intending to stop his anger. Some of them even deliberately fanned the flames by whispering, "No one here wants to stop you, Badru, and we fully support you in teaching that arrogant brat a lesson."
"Hm," Badru, the adventurer warrior, snorted, suddenly loosening his grip on his sword hilt as if nothing had happened. "I am a generous man, and I won't argue with a snot-nosed kid who doesn't know any manners."
Do you really think he's that stupid? one of Badru's companions thought with a mocking smile. Even if the other party was actually just someone showing off his wealth, he had high-class equipment and a very conspicuous appearance. His identity was definitely not ordinary. It wasn't something an experienced adult adventurer would do to offend a potentially noble enemy just because he felt displeased with the situation.
"Let's go back to the inn. I'm tired today," Badru said in a flat tone, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Badru, you're actually scared, aren't you?" his companion teased with a chuckle.
"Huh, I don't know what you're talking about," Badru retorted with a flushed face.
Similar conversations gradually quieted down and eventually disappeared completely as Kael's footsteps moved further away. Kael merely smiled faintly and didn't particularly care about the small episode that had occurred on the street.
He continued to walk leisurely, observing the bustling night scene of the city. He didn't know how long he had been walking down the crowded streets before a brightly lit building came into his view. Many people wearing similar weapons to his own were entering and exiting the building's entrance, looking very busy with various matters.
"The Adventurers' Guild?" Kael muttered to himself, reading the signboard hanging above the entrance. Through the small metal plates worn by many of the people entering and leaving the building, he quickly determined the type of organization that occupied this magnificent building.
Although he had often seen organizations like the Adventurers' Guild while reading fantasy novels and watching anime in his previous life, this was the first time he had seen one with his own eyes in the real world. With a hint of curiosity tickling his heart, he walked towards the bustling building.
The first thing visible after entering the door was a busy long counter, where three receptionists were warmly receiving teams of adventurers who came to report the success of their missions, take on new missions, or conduct other transactions.
There was a large door to the left of the counter that probably led to offices or meeting rooms, and a large bulletin board with many parchments pinned on it stood firmly to the right, likely containing lists of available missions and other important information.
Kael walked towards the busy counter, and instantly, the adventurers in the large hall turned their gazes towards him. Even though they didn't say anything directly, Kael could sense that they were commenting on him from the up-and-down movements of their eyes, assessing his appearance and equipment.
Ignoring the impolite and overly curious gazes, Kael finally arrived in front of a counter that had just become vacant. At that moment, an adventure team had just completed their mission handover and left the seats in front of the receptionist.
"Hello, sir. What business would you like to handle at our Guild?" the woman at the counter greeted with a professional smile. Because Kael wasn't wearing an adventurer's identification badge and his appearance and temperament were very prominent and different from most ordinary adventurers, the woman treated him kindly like a wealthy client who had come to give a commission or seek important information. She asked in an enthusiastic and polite tone.
"I'm here to register as an adventurer," Kael replied in a casual tone.
As soon as he spoke those words, Kael could clearly feel a subtle change in the way the people around him looked at him. Their expressions shifted from curiosity to a more wary gaze, mixed with a hint of the disdain and underestimation usually directed towards inexperienced newcomers.
Although the woman at the counter who was receiving him tried to maintain her professional expression, Kael could see that her face became slightly more serious. "Esteemed guest, becoming an adventurer is actually a very dangerous and risky job. Are you sure you really want to register?" she asked in a warning tone.
"Of course. Any other questions?" Kael replied, raising his eyebrows slightly and speaking in a rather flippant tone, as if belittling the dangers mentioned.
The woman at the counter shook her head gently, seemingly not too surprised by the arrogant answer. Every year, a number of young noble men and women seeking excitement and challenge came to the Guild to register as adventurers.
Some of them would soon get bored after a while and return to their comfortable lives, while others would die tragically due to lack of experience and overconfidence when undertaking tasks that were too difficult for them.
But no matter what their background, as long as they could pay the registration fee set by the Guild, anyone had the right to become an adventurer. This was a basic rule that applied to all branches of the Adventurers' Guild.
"In that case, please pay 5 silver coins as the registration fee," the woman said, extending her hand politely. The prevailing currencies in this new world were ranked from the lowest to the highest value as follows: copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and platinum coins.
The exchange rates between different countries varied, but because there were universal gold coins, there weren't many problems in cross-border trade. The general currency exchange rate was in decimals, that is, 1000 copper coins = 100 silver coins = 10 gold coins = 1 platinum coin.
The price of 5 silver coins was actually not a small amount. The average salary of residents in the kingdom's cities was 1 gold coin per month. Registering to become an adventurer could immediately give you an income equivalent to half a month's salary.
Kael reached into his armor. When he pulled his hand out, there were five more silver coins in his palm, gleaming dimly under the light of the magic lamps.
That was what he had exchanged for the belongings of the residents of Carne Village. Although the gold coins in the Yggdrasil game couldn't be used directly in this world and he wasn't afraid of revealing his identity as a player, spending them in this way felt like an unnecessary loss.
Game coins were much more useful than ordinary coins in another world; for example, game coins could be used when creating high-level magic scrolls. Therefore, Kael felt that unless it was absolutely necessary to use them, it would be more cost-effective to keep those game coins and let the production-based followers in Carne Village use them later so that they could practice making magic scrolls and gain experience points in the process.
"Do you need a ghostwriter to fill out your registration form?" After collecting the registration fee of five silver coins, the woman at the counter took out a piece of paper and asked Kael this question.
Not everyone in this new world was literate, and adventuring was a profession that anyone could take on regardless of their level of education. Given the constraint that some people couldn't fill out their own information forms, the Adventurers' Guild also provided a service to fill out information on their behalf, but there would be an additional service fee of 5 copper coins.
Of course, Kael didn't recognize the letters in this world, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was illiterate in the local language. He obediently paid the ghostwriting fee and made up some basic personal information. With the patient assistance of the woman at the counter, he completed the entire identity registration process and obtained an identity badge that symbolized his status as an adventurer, made of gleaming metal.
"We will provide appropriate training courses for all newcomers. It's free. Would you like to participate to learn the basics of this job?"
"No, thank you for your offer," Kael replied politely but firmly, "I actually already possess very powerful personal strength and do not need basic training." He casually swung his new adventurer identification card and turned towards the exit.
He had registered as an adventurer just to get his name on the system and have an official identity in the city. He didn't really want to become an active adventurer like Momon in the original work, exploring dungeons, gathering information about the other world, and "supporting his family." After this, he planned to let some of his followers from Carne Village do this job. On the one hand, they could earn money and experience, and on the other hand, it would be a good opportunity to hone his followers' combat skills and at the same time increase the reputation of the Church of Destiny in the eyes of the public.
Kael had just taken two or three steps when he was surprised to see two figures walking in from the gate across from him. The sight startled him for a moment, and he couldn't help but stop and observe them.
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