Free Web NovelChapter 114: Chapter 100: Silver Level Adventurer
The convoy slowly approached Silver Stream City. Seen up close, the city was far cleaner and more beautiful than when viewed from a distance.
’If Roland Town had walls like these, so many young women wouldn’t have been abducted by Goblins.’ The city gates were imposing and sturdy, and the surrounding walls were a full ten meters high.
A constant stream of people came and went—merchant caravans, plainly dressed commoners, and, of course, no shortage of armored Adventurers.
Compared to Roland Town, the morale of the people and Adventurers here seemed much better. Even though Silver Stream City was also near Loran Forest and faced the problem of rampant Goblins, one saw almost no one who was emaciated and starving, lying by the roadside.
Clearly, the city’s good governance wasn’t just talk; it was a fact.
This made Lin Mo, who had grown accustomed to the various miserable sights in Roland Town and had begun to think the whole world was like that, feel a bit out of place.
’To think there could be such a huge difference with just a two-day carriage ride!’
"Everyone, a routine inspection is required upon entering the city."
At the city gate, the guard’s tone was very polite. This wasn’t just because they were Adventurers; even toward the commoners passing by, their attitude was decidedly courteous.
After a simple inspection of the carriage, the guard let them pass. They stabled the carriage near the city gate; Alton would handle its return later.
The first step after arriving in a new city was, naturally, to find a place to stay.
Unlike Lin Mo, who was alone, Alton and the others had brought their families and needed to get them settled quickly.
The team probably wouldn’t be in a hurry to take on quests afterward. So, for the next few days, Lin Mo planned to go out on his own, accept some simple quests to increase his completion count, and, while he was at it, level up his two Magic spells.
"Lin Mo, where are you planning to stay?"
Just as he was thinking about these things, Ali, who was beside him, suddenly asked.
"Me?"
Lin Mo pointed to himself. "I’ll probably find an inn to stay at for now."
Someone like Alton, who had a family, couldn’t possibly take everyone to stay at an inn. He would most likely find a place for a long-term lease or just buy a property outright.
Of course, that wasn’t cheap, especially in a city like Silver Stream City rather than a village or town.
But for a veteran Adventurer like Alton, a price of a few dozen Gold Coins wasn’t unaffordable.
For Lin Mo, however, there was no need.
’Mainly because I’d have to clean it myself, which is a hassle. Unlike an inn, where the staff will help tidy up, clean, and change the sheets and bedding.’
’Before I have a family of my own, staying at an inn is more comfortable, and the price isn’t that high.’
Lin Mo remembered that back in Roland Town, the basic monthly rent was only 2 Silver Coins, but that was for a rather modest inn.
Now that he had money, while it wasn’t wise to be extravagant, staying at a slightly better inn was no problem.
"Then let’s stay together! It’ll be easier to stay in touch!"
Ali finally revealed her true intentions.
Lin Mo had no reason to refuse, but Lena looked a bit troubled.
"Um... I think I’ll pass."
The Little Cat Girl lowered her head. Compared to the Adventurers with their considerable income, her financial situation was quite dire.
Her entire savings consisted of just a few Silver Coins. She really couldn’t afford to stay at an inn; she could only find a less desirable long-term rental, which she could barely afford.
"Oh, right. About this child."
Flora, who was nearby, suddenly interjected. "She was a receptionist at the Adventurer’s Association before, wasn’t she?"
"Y-Yes."
Lena straightened her back but kept her head lowered, answering very timidly.
"Perfect. We’ll head to the Association later, get your team’s information registered with the branch here, and find this child a job while we’re at it."
"Is that possible?"
Lena’s eyes instantly lit up. In truth, she had been worrying about this problem the entire trip. She had been utterly unwilling to stay in Roland Town and lose her only two friends, but now that she was here, how would she survive without a job?
"Don’t worry, I’m very familiar with the chairman here."
As Flora spoke, she took out a small, silver-colored plaque.
Lin Mo glanced over. He recognized the plaque, of course; it was very similar to the Adventurer Identity Card on him, but his was black, representing Black Iron.
Flora’s, on the other hand, was silver, representing a Silver Level Adventurer, which fit her strength.
Around three in the afternoon, the team members, having settled their families, regrouped in the Association hall. Alton took out the team’s token and handed it to a receptionist to register everyone’s information.
"Where is your chairman?"
Flora asked bluntly.
The receptionist glanced at the silver Identity Card pinned to her chest and hurriedly replied, "The chairman? He’s currently resting on the 12th floor of the Association."
Unlike the Association in Roland Town, the Silver Stream City Adventurer’s Association was clearly more luxurious, boasting a full 12 floors.
"Let’s go. We’ll go meet the chairman."
Flora said, walking toward the nearby staircase.
Alton and the other team members followed close behind, but Lin Mo felt a little reserved.
It was his first time going to the other floors of the Association.
He had heard that the things sold at the Association were rather expensive, so he had never been to the second or third floors before.
With Flora leading the way, they proceeded without obstruction, all the way to the chairman’s office on the twelfth floor of the Association.
Flora didn’t waste any time. Without even knocking, she pushed the door open and walked right in.
The old man inside panicked for a moment, hastily stuffing something from his desk into a drawer before looking up at the newcomer, his expression turning to one of surprise.
"Isn’t this Little Flora?"
He stood up and approached with a cheerful laugh. "It’s been three or four years, hasn’t it? What brings you back here all of a sudden?"
"It’s a long story..."
Flora shook her head. "It’s hard to explain right now. I’ll tell you about it later."
As she spoke, she walked over to the desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out the book the chairman had hidden inside. "Speaking of which, you really haven’t changed a bit."
Lin Mo glanced over. The cover of the book featured a slender Elf girl; it didn’t look like any sort of proper literature.
’All I can say is, the old man may be old in body, but not in spirit. He’s still young at heart.’
"AHEM—"
The chairman looked embarrassed, tugging at his snow-white beard. "It’s just a personal hobby. Can’t you leave me a little dignity?"
"Alright, alright, we have other friends here. Hello, everyone. I am Vick, the branch chairman of the Silver Stream City Adventurer’s Association."
He said, hastily changing the subject.
"Hello, Chairman Vick."
Unlike Flora, Lin Mo and the others still had to show the chairman some respect.
After all, to become the branch chairman of a city’s Association, one’s strength couldn’t be weak, if nothing else. He had to be at least an Elite Level Professional.
"I came here this time because I need your help with a small matter."
Flora walked over to the tense Lena and patted her on the shoulder. "This little one was originally a receptionist at the Roland Town Adventurer Association. She came here with us due to certain circumstances. Can you arrange a job for her?"
Vick looked at Lena upon hearing this. His expression didn’t turn sour; he maintained a friendly smile. "A Half-Beastman, you say? As it happens, our Association’s previous Half-Beastman receptionist just resigned for personal reasons. If this young lady wants to join, she is of course welcome. But, even though Little Flora introduced you, you must be diligent in your work. You can’t waste the Adventurers’ time."
"Don’t worry, this girl is more than capable."
Flora had posted quests with Lena before, so she knew that although Lena could be timid and nervous at times, her professional skills were excellent.
"If there are no problems, then, can you start tomorrow? As for salary, the daily base pay can be 1 Silver Coin. Any additional commission will be up to you to earn."
"1 Silver Coin?!"
Lena was stunned, her eyes wide.
Back in Roland Town, her daily base pay was only 10 Copper Coins, a tenth of a Silver Coin!
"Normally it’s 30 Copper Coins, but our branch association has a subsidy for Half-Beastman staff, so it’s 60 Copper Coins. Plus, since Little Flora introduced you, I’ll give you a little extra preferential treatment. It’s no problem at all, as long as you work diligently."
It was obvious that the Silver Stream City Adventurer’s Association was much wealthier than the one in Roland Town.
The Association chairman in Roland Town was actually a good person, too. He was the one who had issued the Rescue Order for the villages and had been conscientious and responsible, even helping to arrange for carriages.
But compared to this place, the Roland Town Adventurer Association’s income was too limited. The money used to issue those rescue orders had been scrimped and saved from daily operations. They really didn’t have the luxury of considering the receptionists’ feelings.
Besides, with the exception of the rather special case of Lena, the actual income of the receptionists at the Roland Town Association wasn’t low, thanks to quest commissions.
"By the way, Captain, wasn’t Bena’s original job..."
Rick, who was with them, reminded him.
"Her? She’s taking a break for now."
Alton shook his head and shot a fierce glare at Solan.
Even though he had tried his best to keep an eye on things, there were no walls in this world that could keep secrets forever. Although he felt that kid Solan was a bit unreliable, Bena just happened to like him, and as her father, he felt helpless.
Bena wasn’t young anymore. Now that they were in a new place, there was no need for her to force her way into a competitive job. In another year or two, it would be about time for her to get married and have children.
Flora and Chairman Vick chatted for a few more moments, and then the group left the Association.
As evening approached, they decided to go have a group dinner at a restaurant Flora recommended.
The restaurant’s dishes were quite good, much more refined than the eateries in Roland Town, though the taste wasn’t drastically different. Fortunately, the price was less than double, which was still acceptable.
After dinner, the group parted ways. Lin Mo, along with Ali and Lena, found a relatively nice inn. The daily lodging fee was 50 Copper Coins per room. The rooms were large and twin-bed rooms were available, so Ali and Lena decided to share one. This brought their individual expense down to 25 copper a day per person, which wasn’t too heavy a burden for Lena.
