My silver bullets are standard .50 Action Express (AE) bullets and weigh around 30 grams each, roughly the same as the weight of a coin. So, at the black market, I quickly exchange ten of them for nine hundred gold coins, along with some copper coins and 'nicklops' as lower-tier currencies. Typically, any fantasy setting includes copper, silver, and gold coins. But because silver is so rare and valuable in this world, nicklops are used instead. This term refers to a type of coin made from copper and nickel, which has a similar white glow to silver but lacks any anti-magic capabilities.
So, with over $900,000 in buying power at our disposal, we head to a fancy tailor shop to purchase some clothes. If we enter the Adventurer's Guild wearing nothing but tattered rags, yet spend hundreds of gold coins to purchase ranks, it will certainly raise some questions.
And of course, we all have our Chameleon earrings equipped.
—--------------------
A couple of hours later, we find ourselves amidst the bustling activity of the Adventurer's Guild. The guild itself is a sprawling two-story building, with high ceilings and walls adorned with various maps and notice boards filled with quests and bounties. Long wooden tables and benches are scattered throughout the main hall, providing spaces for adventurers to gather and plan for their mission, or just simply meet and chat. The atmosphere is warm and inviting.
"Uh... Sophia, are you sure your Euphonic Aura isn't on? Why are we getting all these stares?" I whisper. “Or are the Chameleon’s earrings not working?”
I can't help but notice the numerous pairs of eyes fixed on us. Everyone from the adventurers and patrons to the guild's staff seems to be whispering and glancing in our direction.
“Actually,” Sophia looks at me with a playful gleam. “I think they are looking at you, Jack.”
I blink in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh my, because you are really hot!” Sophia exclaims with a laugh. Then, pointing discreetly towards the reception desk, she adds, "Just look at the staff members over there; they're swooning!"
I follow her gaze and notice a few of the receptionists stealing glances in my direction, their cheeks flushed. “What? Really?”
“Yeahhh…”
Currently, I’m copying Sophia and giving myself a new pair of fox ears and a tail. Yumi and Hana also have fox ears and tails too. And with our new clothes, we are disguising as a wealthy fox-kin family, coming to Vera to do some trades.
Well, as long as our true identities stay concealed, I don't mind the extra attention.
We then proceed to the counter, where we’re greeted by Elara, a receptionist whose emerald eyes and black braids contrast beautifully with her brown skin.
“Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may I be of service?” she inquires with a professional smile.
“Jack, leave this to me,” Sophia whispers, then proceeds to talk to the girl. “Hi, we're here to obtain our Identification Badges. ”
Elara nods, producing forms and a quill. “Of course, could I have your names?”
Sophia provides our chosen aliases, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor. “My name is Lisa Crowhart. This is my husband, Edward Crowhart, and these are my daughters, Evelyne and Helena. I would also like to purchase the highest rank for my husband.”
As she speaks, Sophia subtly slides a sizable pouch of gold coins across the counter. The receptionist, Elara, glances inside, her eyes flickering with surprise. She proceeds to count the gold, and after a moment, she looks up.
“Yes, five hundred gold coins is sufficient for the Crimson Rank. Is that acceptable?” she asks, her tone is now infused with a newfound respect, having witnessed the substantial amount of money we are willing to invest.
Sophia nods affirmatively. "Yes, that will be satisfactory."
Elara efficiently fills out our forms and then hands each of us a small, enchanted crystal. "Please place your hand on the crystal. It will record your magical signature for identification purposes."
“Erm, about that,” Sophia interjects. “Is it absolutely necessary? We trust the Adventurer’s Guild, but we prefer to protect our identities if possible. We are here for just a couple of days to trade with the royal families, dealing in rare monster parts like dragon scales, cyclops’ eyes, and… basilisk’s fangs.”
“Oh, I see,” Elara responds, pausing to consider our request upon hearing the words. She blinks, and suddenly, her eyes transform, taking on the deep purple hue of amethyst.
Elara's gaze shifts towards me, and instantly, I feel an inexplicable chill running down my spine. Her demeanor has transformed completely; her eyes sharpen like blades, exuding an intense aura. It's as if she has changed into a completely different person!
“To expedite our registration, we are willing to contribute an additional three hundred gold coins,” Sophia offers, maintaining her composure.
“Oh, certainly,” Elara responds, her lips curving into a subtle smile. And I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but I think she also winked at me.
Nonetheless, we proceed to place our hands on the crystal. It doesn't truly record our magical signatures though. With that, the registration process is swiftly completed.
Elara then presents us with our new identification badges. They are sleek, card-like objects displaying our names, ranks, and small portraits that magically materialized during the registration. My badge is Crimson Rank, while Sophia, Yumi, and Hana's badges display the Green Rank.
"Thank you for completing your registration," Elara says, "and I wish you success in your endeavors."
“Yes, thank you very much,” Sophia responds graciously.
With everything settled, we bid farewell to Elara and exit the guild.
—----------------
Moments later, we find ourselves in a quaint tea house, settling down for a discreet conversation.
"Sophia, what was that? Did you notice how her eyes changed?" I ask.
"Huh? Whose eyes?"
"Elera, the receptionist girl!"
"Ohhh!" Sophia exclaims. "Yes, she’s a special one."
Sophia then turns around to make sure no one else is listening to our conversation. And then, she explains in whispers, "The Adventurer’s Guild is also run by the same secret entity that runs the black markets. So basically, you can get away with almost anything. You just need to have a lot of money."
"Oh, I see," I murmur.
That does sound very interesting. It’s very similar to how society on Earth actually works.
Then, turning her attention back to our plans, Sophia inquires, "So, are you heading to the library right away?"
“Yes, that’s the plan. What about you and the kids, though?” I ask.
“Well, I should accompany you to the library in any case,” she responds. “Yumi and Hana, would you like to visit the library with us today?”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Yumi responds enthusiastically.
“But what is a library?” Hana interjects with curiosity.
“It’s a magical place filled with thousands of books!” Yumi explains. “There are so many stories waiting for us to discover!”
“Really?" Hana’s eyes light up. "Are there fairy tales?”
“Yes! There are lots of wonderful fairy tales to read!” Yumi assures her.
We finish our drinks, and then, with our spirits lifted and our curiosity piqued, we rise from our seats, leaving the quaint tea house behind as we step out into the bustling streets once more.
My silver bullets are standard .50 Action Express (AE) bullets and weigh around 30 grams each, roughly the same as the weight of a coin. So, at the black market, I quickly exchange ten of them for nine hundred gold coins, along with some copper coins and 'nicklops' as lower-tier currencies. Typically, any fantasy setting includes copper, silver, and gold coins. But because silver is so rare and valuable in this world, nicklops are used instead. This term refers to a type of coin made from copper and nickel, which has a similar white glow to silver but lacks any anti-magic capabilities.
So, with over $900,000 in buying power at our disposal, we head to a fancy tailor shop to purchase some clothes. If we enter the Adventurer's Guild wearing nothing but tattered rags, yet spend hundreds of gold coins to purchase ranks, it will certainly raise some questions.
And of course, we all have our Chameleon earrings equipped.
—--------------------
A couple of hours later, we find ourselves amidst the bustling activity of the Adventurer's Guild. The guild itself is a sprawling two-story building, with high ceilings and walls adorned with various maps and notice boards filled with quests and bounties. Long wooden tables and benches are scattered throughout the main hall, providing spaces for adventurers to gather and plan for their mission, or just simply meet and chat. The atmosphere is warm and inviting.
"Uh... Sophia, are you sure your Euphonic Aura isn't on? Why are we getting all these stares?" I whisper. “Or are the Chameleon’s earrings not working?”
I can't help but notice the numerous pairs of eyes fixed on us. Everyone from the adventurers and patrons to the guild's staff seems to be whispering and glancing in our direction.
“Actually,” Sophia looks at me with a playful gleam. “I think they are looking at you, Jack.”
I blink in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh my, because you are really hot!” Sophia exclaims with a laugh. Then, pointing discreetly towards the reception desk, she adds, "Just look at the staff members over there; they're swooning!"
I follow her gaze and notice a few of the receptionists stealing glances in my direction, their cheeks flushed. “What? Really?”
“Yeahhh…”
Currently, I’m copying Sophia and giving myself a new pair of fox ears and a tail. Yumi and Hana also have fox ears and tails too. And with our new clothes, we are disguising as a wealthy fox-kin family, coming to Vera to do some trades.
Well, as long as our true identities stay concealed, I don't mind the extra attention.
We then proceed to the counter, where we’re greeted by Elara, a receptionist whose emerald eyes and black braids contrast beautifully with her brown skin.
“Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may I be of service?” she inquires with a professional smile.
“Jack, leave this to me,” Sophia whispers, then proceeds to talk to the girl. “Hi, we're here to obtain our Identification Badges. ”
Elara nods, producing forms and a quill. “Of course, could I have your names?”
Sophia provides our chosen aliases, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor. “My name is Lisa Crowhart. This is my husband, Edward Crowhart, and these are my daughters, Evelyne and Helena. I would also like to purchase the highest rank for my husband.”
As she speaks, Sophia subtly slides a sizable pouch of gold coins across the counter. The receptionist, Elara, glances inside, her eyes flickering with surprise. She proceeds to count the gold, and after a moment, she looks up.
“Yes, five hundred gold coins is sufficient for the Crimson Rank. Is that acceptable?” she asks, her tone is now infused with a newfound respect, having witnessed the substantial amount of money we are willing to invest.
Sophia nods affirmatively. "Yes, that will be satisfactory."
Elara efficiently fills out our forms and then hands each of us a small, enchanted crystal. "Please place your hand on the crystal. It will record your magical signature for identification purposes."
“Erm, about that,” Sophia interjects. “Is it absolutely necessary? We trust the Adventurer’s Guild, but we prefer to protect our identities if possible. We are here for just a couple of days to trade with the royal families, dealing in rare monster parts like dragon scales, cyclops’ eyes, and… basilisk’s fangs.”
“Oh, I see,” Elara responds, pausing to consider our request upon hearing the words. She blinks, and suddenly, her eyes transform, taking on the deep purple hue of amethyst.
Elara's gaze shifts towards me, and instantly, I feel an inexplicable chill running down my spine. Her demeanor has transformed completely; her eyes sharpen like blades, exuding an intense aura. It's as if she has changed into a completely different person!
“To expedite our registration, we are willing to contribute an additional three hundred gold coins,” Sophia offers, maintaining her composure.
“Oh, certainly,” Elara responds, her lips curving into a subtle smile. And I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but I think she also winked at me.
Nonetheless, we proceed to place our hands on the crystal. It doesn't truly record our magical signatures though. With that, the registration process is swiftly completed.
Elara then presents us with our new identification badges. They are sleek, card-like objects displaying our names, ranks, and small portraits that magically materialized during the registration. My badge is Crimson Rank, while Sophia, Yumi, and Hana's badges display the Green Rank.
"Thank you for completing your registration," Elara says, "and I wish you success in your endeavors."
“Yes, thank you very much,” Sophia responds graciously.
With everything settled, we bid farewell to Elara and exit the guild.
—----------------
Moments later, we find ourselves in a quaint tea house, settling down for a discreet conversation.
"Sophia, what was that? Did you notice how her eyes changed?" I ask.
"Huh? Whose eyes?"
"Elera, the receptionist girl!"
"Ohhh!" Sophia exclaims. "Yes, she’s a special one."
Sophia then turns around to make sure no one else is listening to our conversation. And then, she explains in whispers, "The Adventurer’s Guild is also run by the same secret entity that runs the black markets. So basically, you can get away with almost anything. You just need to have a lot of money."
"Oh, I see," I murmur.
That does sound very interesting. It’s very similar to how society on Earth actually works.
Then, turning her attention back to our plans, Sophia inquires, "So, are you heading to the library right away?"
“Yes, that’s the plan. What about you and the kids, though?” I ask.
“Well, I should accompany you to the library in any case,” she responds. “Yumi and Hana, would you like to visit the library with us today?”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Yumi responds enthusiastically.
“But what is a library?” Hana interjects with curiosity.
“It’s a magical place filled with thousands of books!” Yumi explains. “There are so many stories waiting for us to discover!”
“Really?" Hana’s eyes light up. "Are there fairy tales?”
“Yes! There are lots of wonderful fairy tales to read!” Yumi assures her.
We finish our drinks, and then, with our spirits lifted and our curiosity piqued, we rise from our seats, leaving the quaint tea house behind as we step out into the bustling streets once more.
