Chapter 7: Adventure Party
The Adventurers’ Guild in Graystone Town was a three‑story stone building.
Walking straight down the town’s main avenue to the end, the building painted a bright vivid red across from the plaza was the guild’s headquarters.
On the pointed porch, the flag with a sword, shield, and staff—symbolizing the Adventurers’ Guild—fluttered in the wind, and adventurers frequently streamed in and out below.
Despite having lived in the town for over a year, Gauss had never entered; at most, he surreptitiously cast a few glances inside when passing by the entrance.
It wasn’t that the guild restricted visitors—it was his own shyness that held him back.
He felt only capable adventurers or professionals belonged inside, and feared being questioned or stared at if he wandered in uninvited.
Under the watchful eyes of two guards clad in elite light armor, Gauss, like any other adventurer, walked in with composure.
The first floor housed a common hall, similar to the service halls of public institutions in his previous life.
The hall buzzed with people—adventurers carrying various weapons and armor gathered in threes or fives, chatting with one another.
“Nothing decent for commissions today?”
“Last time I fought that gnoll, it dulled my sword—and the fee I earned didn’t even cover the repair. Big loss.”
“Goblins may look weak, but once there are more than three, it’s a whole different story. Be careful.”
“....…”
Gauss turned to survey the hall’s environment.
He even spotted several non‑human races among the crowd—half‑orcs, gnomes, dwarves—but humans were the most numerous among adventurers.
His gaze left the crowd as he looked around at the surrounding facilities.
A semi‑circular reception desk curved around the hall, staffed by several attendants.
In addition to the front desk, notice boards along the walls were plastered with various task postings.
“Common material quest: Submit Slime Cores, from Slime monsters. Reward: 3 silver coins / 5 cores. This quest remains active indefinitely.”
“Common material quest: Blood‑toothed Fern; plant must be submitted alive. Reward: 50 copper coins per plant.”
“……”
With tasks covering several walls, Gauss felt overwhelmed, so he chose to head straight to the front desk to inquire about how to accept tasks and what the requirements were.
The counter attendant, Miss Petra, was pretty and poised as she stood behind the desk.
“Greetings, I’m receptionist Petra, employee number E21051. How may I assist you?” she said cheerfully, her practiced smile well‑timed.
“It’s my first time here. May I ask what requirements are needed to accept a task?”
“A new adventurer, are you? Then you need to register as an individual adventurer. Also…”
“The registration fee is 1 silver coin. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.” Gauss took a silver coin from his pouch, inwardly relieved—he had sold a goblin charm a few days prior; otherwise he couldn’t have paid the fee, which would’ve been embarrassing.
“Very well, please fill out this adventurer registration form.”
“Thank you.” Gauss took the form from Petra and skimmed it quickly.
Besides name, age, basic physical info, and permanent address, he was to list any weapons or skills he specialized in.
After filling it out truthfully, Gauss handed the form back to the attendant.
“I’ll complete the registration now.”
She typed quickly under the counter. Within seconds, she produced a small white badge.
“This is your personal ID and your adventurer’s rank. You’ll need to present it to accept quests or submit completed ones. Please keep it safe—if lost, a new one costs 1 silver coin.”
Gauss inspected the badge—which was diamond‑shaped, made of a white metal, and engraved with intricate plant motifs—admiring the craftsmanship.
“Miss Petra, I’d like to take on some goblin combat tasks—preferably with fewer monsters.” Having finished formalities, Gauss spoke directly.
He continued targeting goblins for two reasons: first, goblins were the most common low‑tier monster; second, he already killed one, so he felt more confident facing them again.
He didn’t know how strong other monsters were just from their names.
“Goblins, hmm? Let me see.” The receptionist paused thoughtfully, then directed Gauss to a spot on the wall.
"That wall has several goblin-related commissions posted," Petra explained, "but most of them involve double-digit numbers, sometimes even more. When the numbers are too small, villagers usually won’t pay a commission to issue a task."
Her implication was clear—goblins in small numbers weren’t seen as an immediate threat to villages, so there naturally weren’t many tasks of that sort.
After thanking the receptionist, Gauss walked over to the area she had pointed out.
Sure enough, that wall was plastered with battle commissions, and the goblin-related ones were thoughtfully grouped in an adjacent section.
[Standard Bounty Task]
Task Reward: 10 silver coins.
Task Description: The sheep pen in Stoneclaw Village was attacked by a band of goblins. Please assist the villagers in exterminating the goblin group hiding near the village. Estimated goblin count: 10 to 15.
Submission Item: Complete left ear of each goblin.
Task Duration: 5 days.
[Standard Bounty Task]
Task Reward: 50 copper coins per goblin.
Task Description: Assist the town guards in eliminating goblins wandering along the main road leading to the Emerald Forest. This is an ongoing task.
Submission Item: Complete left ear of each goblin.
Task Duration: Ongoing
……
There were quite a lot of goblin-related tasks.
It was only natural—being the only Adventurers’ Guild in the region, all village and outpost tasks within the jurisdiction were submitted here.
And goblins were the most common monsters of all—attacking villages and robbing trade caravans were their daily habits.
Gauss looked around and couldn’t help but frown.
Just as the receptionist had said.
There weren’t any tasks involving lone goblins.
Aside from some long-term missions lacking specific locations, most of the goblin disturbances involved groups of ten or more.
At present, even though he had mastered a 0-ring cantrip, Mage Hand, he still couldn’t take on double-digit goblin groups.
Just as he was wrestling with this dilemma, he suddenly overheard a hushed conversation nearby.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop; it was just that he happened to hear the word “goblin.”
“Birch Village is kind of far, huh…”
“Seven or eight goblins—can we really handle that?”
“Relax. Goblins are just basic trash—I can take one down with a single arrow.”
……
The speakers were a small party: one male and two females, all seemingly around 18 years old.
The woman with long wavy brown hair wore snug light armor, carried a bow on her back, and had a dagger tucked into the side of her tall boots. Her confident stance, with hands on hips, suggested she was the group’s leader, as she rallied her two companions.
The second girl appeared far less confident.
With short black hair and bangs brushing her brows, she avoided eye contact and had two daggers hanging from her waist.
The final member, a young man, leaned silently against a pillar with arms crossed, a longsword hanging at his side.
Judging by their gear, all three seemed better equipped than Gauss—at the very least, they wore stylish leather or light armor, and their weapons looked brand-new and gleaming.
But perhaps too new—none of their equipment showed signs of extended use.
Are they also newcomers? Gauss silently took note of this detail.
Had they already taken a goblin task?
The female archer was holding a commission form.
Seven or eight goblins—fewer than any of the wall postings. And if he joined a team, the earnings would be lower, but the risk would also be reduced.
As a mage, he would naturally need a frontline.
After a brief moment of thought, Gauss stepped forward and greeted them.
“Hello. I’m Gauss, a new adventurer. Does your team still need another member?”