“Mr. Sora, Rank 10 adventurer, I’m sorry to say this, but effective today, you are no longer qualified for this profession.”
“Er... Excuse me?”
That day, the guild’s receptionist had handed down my excommunication in a tone that clearly indicated she was not sorry at all. In other words, they were firing me.
“Y-You’ve got to be joking...right?”
“No. This is an official notice, approved by the guildmaster himself. Here it is in writing.” She politely handed me a piece of paper.
With trembling hands, I took it. It did indeed call for the immediate expulsion of Rank 10 Adventurer Sora from the guild. It even had the guildmaster’s official seal.
My heart ached. That wasn’t a figure of speech—I literally felt like my heart was in a vise. Why? I asked myself. What did I do to get fired out of the blue?
I’d just returned from gathering medicinal herbs, which had become a daily task for me. I’d gathered the amount requested just like I was supposed to, so why were they getting rid of me? I couldn’t recall any significant screw-ups on other missions I’d been assigned either. It seemed ridiculous and unfair, and the prim-and-proper look on the receptionist’s face wasn’t helping things. Her words and behavior might’ve been textbook and her braided hair perfect, but her eyes as she looked at me were like ice, disinterested, as one might look at a pebble on the side of the road. Just like the look my father had given me.
I had been registered with the guild for five years now and was still stuck at the lowest rank, so I could understand why others might look down on me. Still, they shouldn’t have kicked me out without a concrete reason. I had half a mind to shout out that this was all bullshit.
“Um, excuse me, are you sure there hasn’t been a mistake...maybe?”
The words that came out of my mouth were so pathetic that even I cringed. The receptionist, who didn’t look a day over twenty, gave a small sigh, making it obvious that she considered every moment spent talking to me a waste of time.
“Rest assured, there’s no mistake. The guild rules state that any adventurer who hasn’t risen in rank for three years is to be expelled from the guild. In your case, sir, you were demoted from Rank 9 to Rank 10 three years ago, and your rank hasn’t changed since. Therefore, you fulfill the condition for expulsion.”
“O-Oh...I see. Sorry... I didn’t know that. Er, if you knew that rule from the start, couldn’t you have, er, warned me or something before?”
“As I said, everything I just told you is all written in the guild’s rules. The fault lies with you, sir, for not reading them yourself. The guild is under no obligation to warn its members about such things. It is your responsibility.” For the first time since I’d walked in, the receptionist met my gaze directly. Her eyes were filled with such contempt and scorn that I unconsciously flinched. “This town, Ishka, has a variety of facilities that directly benefit adventurers. Since its position puts it under constant threat of monster attacks, the people here need the cooperation of adventurers to survive. With that in mind, all those belonging to this guild, adventurers and employees alike, are expected to work for the sake of the town.”
“Er, I already know that much.”
It wasn’t a lie; in fact, that was precisely the reason I’d chosen to settle here. A town constantly threatened by monsters would have people to save and thus opportunities to gain prestige. I’d sworn to myself that here, I would accomplish what I’d failed to do back on the island. Now, however, the fulfillment of that vow seemed even farther away than the moon in the sky.
My reply made the receptionist’s eyes glint with an even sharper coldness. “If you’re already aware, then why haven’t you bothered to raise your rank even once in the past three years? It’s not like Rank 9 is particularly difficult to achieve. You, sir, should know that better than anyone else, considering you were promoted to Rank 9 five years ago.”
“I-I understand, but I just don’t have the extra money right now to—”
“It costs one silver coin to take the qualifying exam. Do you mean to say that in a three-year span, you haven’t managed to scrounge up a single silver while helping yourself to all the privileges granted to adventurers in this town? Privileges are only given to those who do their duty and earn it. Even a child knows that.”
“Urk...”
“At any rate, rules are rules. The decision can’t be overturned, and besides, based purely on what you said just now, it sounds like your expulsion wasn’t unwarranted.”
The receptionist lined up one sound argument after another against me, leaving me with no room for rebuttal. I could only open and close my mouth uselessly like a fish gasping for air.
Likely because she thought prolonging the conversation any further would only be a waste of her time, the receptionist spoke harshly and decisively. “This is your reward for today’s quest. May it help you in whatever you decide to do from here on. Next in line, please.”
“Wait!” Sensing she was forcing an end to the conversation, I cried out to stop her, but she had already turned away from me.
The other adventurers in line behind me gave me impatient looks, as if urging me to hurry up and get out of the way. They were all of a higher rank and level than me, and their dangerous gazes kept my feet from moving right away. Finally, I sheepishly backed out of line with an awkward smile.
If this was how it had to be, then this frightened weasel would at least leave one last stink bomb behind. I’d spew a few parting insults and curses at the receptionist before leaving—or at least I considered as much, but she was young, pretty, and popular with all the other adventurers, and they might beat me to a pulp if I tried. In the end, I could only slink away from her and the guild, dejected.
Upon finishing a quest, I normally headed to the cafeteria with my reward money in hand to treat myself to a round of ale, but today, I wasn’t in the mood.
“She didn’t give me my ID back either,” I muttered. “Guess that means I really am out, huh?”
My proof of identification—a silver stamp that adventurers had to present when reporting the completion of a quest—hadn’t been returned to me. It had not only proved my status as an adventurer but granted me access to the town’s many facilities and perks catering to guild members. Put simply, without it, I wouldn’t get the usual discount.
Ishka was known as a town of adventurers and independence, but it was also constantly exposed to the threat of monsters. Naturally, the royal knights and soldiers did their part to protect it, but adventurers were a more reliable force. Therefore, local policy gave them special treatment. It was all exactly as the receptionist had said.
What’s more, that treatment included discounts on everything from weapons and armor to the daily cost of an inn. Without proper identification, the cost of living here would triple. When an adventurer reported the completion of a quest and handed the receptionist their ID, the receptionist was supposed to hand that ID back along with the reward. The fact that she hadn’t returned mine proved that this was no joke or prank. The realization that I really had been fired was finally starting to sink in.
A chill ran down my spine. Without a job, I wouldn’t have any income. I had hardly any savings, as even with the complimentary meals at the cafeteria and discounts at the inn, I’d barely managed to scrape by until now. Starting tomorrow, I wouldn’t even have those perks to help me out.
I left the building in a daze. I’d been a member of the organization for five whole years now, but despite this being my last day, no one called out to me or told me they would miss me. I was no better off than five years ago.
A dry smile came to my lips. In times like these, sometimes the only thing one could do was laugh.