Chapter 24: A Quick Test on the Way Home
“Yake, what’s this place? There are so many people!”
Seeing a building with many armed individuals bustling about inside, Aierjisi turned to Yake, curious about its purpose.
“Oh? That’s the Adventurers’ Guild I mentioned before. Adventurers come here to accept mission requests, go out and gather the required items, and then the guild rewards them accordingly. Normally, it shouldn’t be so crowded—today must be the adventurer qualification exam.”
Yake glanced at the building Aierjisi was pointing at and explained the function of the Adventurers’ Guild.
“I see… Yake, are there any requirements to become an adventurer?”
After hearing Yake’s explanation, Aierjisi pondered for a moment, thinking it would be great if she could also become an adventurer. She had admired the legendary stories written by adventurers since she was little. Aierjisi felt quite envious.
“Oh? You want to be an adventurer?”
Yake turned back to look at Aierjisi, who was still perched on his back. Did this little princess really want to become an adventurer?
“Yep! Is my qualification not enough?”
“Not that it can’t be done.”
Yake thought carefully. The little princess looked to be around only a teenager. He wondered if the guild would accept her application. He had been an adventurer for a few years and had seen youths in their teens out adventuring, but those adventurers were usually nobles backed by their families, allowing them to disregard the rules. But the little princess had no such background.
“Then let’s give it a try. Let’s go!”
Aierjisi commanded Yake to change direction and head to the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Alright. Just keep in mind that the people inside might not be very polite, so brace yourself.”
Yake turned towards the guild, leading the little princess in.
As soon as they stepped into the Adventurers’ Guild, the adventurers who had been bragging inside halted their activities, shifting their gaze to Yake and Aierjisi. But after a brief moment, they returned to their own business.
Ignoring the stares, Yake walked Aierjisi toward the registration desk.
“Hello! My companion here wants to register as an adventurer. Can we do that now?”
Yake inquired with the staff member on duty.
“Of course! When will your companion be arriving?”
It was always welcome news for the staff when someone wanted to register as an adventurer. If no one registered during their shift, their commission would be lower.
“She’s right here with me.”
Due to the height of the service desk, the staff member hadn’t seen Aierjisi, so Yake had to lift her up a little.
“Uh… Are you joking right now?”
Seeing that Aierjisi was just a child, the staff member gave Yake a look that said, “Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not joking! I really want to register as an adventurer. Do I not qualify?”
Aierjisi glared at the staff member. She genuinely wanted to become an adventurer; how did her actions seem like a joke to him?
“Sorry, little girl. We have strict rules here. To become an adventurer, you must be at least 16 years old. You’re still too young.”
The staff member had no choice but to explain.
“It’s just 16 years old! For me, that’s nothing! Waaa…”
Before Aierjisi could finish, Yake quickly covered her mouth.
“Don’t reveal your real age here!”
Seeing the little princess about to inadvertently disclose her age, Yake reacted swiftly. He then placed five gold coins on the counter.
“What about this? Can we register?”
Upon seeing the five gold coins Yake placed down, the staff member’s eyes nearly bulged out; that was a hefty sum—enough for years of expenses!
“Yes, of course! Now, Miss, please fill out your information!”
With the sight of money, the staff member immediately changed attitude, pulling out the registration form and placing it on the desk, handing a pen to Aierjisi.
“This desk is a bit too high for me, so I’ll write it over there and bring it back.”
The service desk was indeed too tall for her. Aierjisi had to ask Yake to hold the form while she found a lower table.
“Hey, Yake, how do I fill this out?”
Looking at the colorful form filled with information, Aierjisi’s head was spinning. She didn’t know much about human society, and she couldn’t fill out this form at all.
“Never mind, Aier. I’ll fill it out. Just answer my questions.”
Yake chuckled wryly, taking the pen and filling in the necessary details with Aierjisi’s responses.
About ten minutes later, with Yake’s help, Aierjisi’s registration form was successfully completed.
“Just as expected of my attendant; choosing you was the right decision!”
Aierjisi patted Yake on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs-up to show her approval.
“Ah, well… this form is just the first step; there are two more steps to go.”
Yake led Aierjisi to the registration desk to hand in the form.
“Two more steps? What’s next?”
“A hundred hears is not as good as seeing it once. You’ll know soon. Sorry to bother you.”
After receiving a wristband from the staff, Yake placed it on Aierjisi’s left hand.
“Now it’s all up to you. Don’t worry, it’s all practical stuff; you’ll do fine. I’ll just watch your test from the side.”
Yake then led Aierjisi to a door. Behind this door was the second test area for adventurer qualification. Since he had already become an adventurer, he couldn’t help her anymore; it was time for the little princess to enter alone.
“Huh? Is it all about fighting? Well, then just watch how I easily earn my adventurer’s qualification.”
Aierjisi raised her left hand, letting the crystal embedded in the door scan the wristband. After confirming her identity, the door swung open.
“Go for it; I’ll be right here watching you.”
Watching Aierjisi step into the test area, Yake walked into the nearby passage meant for spectators of the adventurer qualification tests.
