A group of caravans was quickly approaching the city gates.
Upon seeing the massive line of vehicles and merchants waiting in front of the gates, they slowed down and joined the queue, waiting for their turn to enter.
That group of caravans was where Nim was.
Now closer, Nim could see the enormous city gates and its tall walls more clearly.
(So many people) It was Nim's first time visiting a city.
And even before entering, he had already seen many people waiting to get in.
After waiting nearly two hours, it was their group's turn.
At the front was the merchant's caravan. The merchant had already gotten out to speak with the guards and explain the reason for his visit.
Although the city's security seemed thorough, the truth was that both the superiors and their subordinates were only thinking of their own benefit.
As long as you paid the entrance fee and a little extra to the guard on duty, it was easy to bypass most of the hassle.
The merchant spoke with two guards about his reason for visiting. These two guards seemed to hold higher ranks.
A moment later, the merchant pulled out two pouches, which contained several silver coins.
The two guards accepted the pouches while smiling.
One of the guards gave instructions to his subordinates, who began a minor inspection of the merchant's caravans.
When a guard approached the caravan where Nim was, he only performed a superficial check, not even looking inside.
Noticing that they didn't inspect the interior, Nim assumed the merchant had reached some kind of deal.
In truth, Nim could have entered the city on his own, but that would've cost him more time and money.
And when it came to the country's government, he probably would have had to pay more than what was fair.
Because of all this, Uncle Smith had made a deal with the merchant.
The group of caravans passed through the massive city gates. Upon entering, Nim was greeted by the overwhelming noise of the crowd.
After traveling down a few more streets, Nim's caravan came to a stop.
—You can get off now —a voice called from outside.
Nim opened the curtains and got down. In front of him stood a man dressed in expensive clothing: it was the merchant.
—With this, my debt to Mr. Smith is paid. You're on your own now —after saying that, the merchant turned and climbed into his vehicle.
Nim watched as the caravans disappeared into the crowd.
Now that he was alone, Nim began to look around: large houses, buildings, and even a grand plaza.
These towering structures were things he had never seen before.
With a look of awe, he realized how different this was from his village.
Uncle Smith had already told him many things about the city and his travels, but seeing it with his own eyes was still impressive.
After walking and obviously gawking for a while, Nim remembered something.
He started searching through his belongings and pulled out a piece of paper— it was a map that Uncle Smith had given him.
After studying it for some time, he reached a conclusion.
(I'm lost) Nim thought, unable to find his position on the map.
After thinking it over, he decided to ask the locals for directions.
After wandering back and forth, Nim decided to enter a place that seemed to be a restaurant. Upon sitting at one of the tables, a waiter approached.
The waiter noticed that the customer was very young and wore a strange expression, but still spoke.
—Good afternoon, customer. What would you like to order?
—Could I have some soup? —if Nim wanted to ask for directions, he at least had to buy something.
(Soup...) The waiter already had some guesses just by looking at the boy. Though his clothing was fairly normal, he had an accent slightly different from that of city residents.
(This boy's from outside the city) People from the countryside usually spoke with an accent that set them apart. Also, when they came to the capital, they rarely had much money.
Realizing that, the waiter lost interest, even considering scaring the boy off.
—Ah... if there's no soup, maybe something with meat would be fine. Also, I'd like to ask about a place —said Nim, pulling out a silver coin.
Upon seeing the coin, the waiter's expression changed instantly, and he smiled.
—Yes, we have soup and meat. What kind of information are you looking for?
Nim ignored the waiter's sudden change in attitude and asked how far the guild was from his current location, as well as for some good inns.
The waiter happily explained and pointed them out on the map. To Nim's surprise, they were very close to the guild.
With his questions answered, Nim handed the silver coin to the waiter. The waiter accepted it with a smile and went to bring the dish Nim had ordered.
A short time later, the waiter brought soup and a piece of meat.
Nim ate it happily; during the long journey, he hadn't had a good meal. The soup during the trip hadn't tasted good, and his rations were just dried meat.
Now that he had tasted real food, he devoured it quickly.
After paying for the meal, which wasn't much given how simple his order was, he began heading toward the guild.
Along the way, Nim felt the urge to climb the buildings to move faster, but Uncle Smith had told him that was forbidden in the capital. Otherwise, he might be arrested by the city guards.
So Nim held back the impulse.
...
The guild's location was in the central area of the Capital; its location was common knowledge.
But Nim had never been good with directions.
As night fell, Nim finally caught sight of the massive guild building.
This was the country's main Guild headquarters, and as a result, it was the largest.
Nim smiled with excitement. It had taken him the whole afternoon to get here because he had only walked.
Along the way, he had also seen something Uncle Smith had told him about— demi-humans.
Compared to the massive human population, demi-humans were scarce.
In fact, in the country of Sinfrienld, there was a certain level of discrimination against demi-humans, but they were not enslaved, since doing so would be considered an insult to the demi-human nation.
That country was one of the strongest on the continent, and with that backing, Sinfrienld had not enacted harsh laws against demi-humans living within its borders.
As he got closer to the guild, Nim began to see people dressed in different outfits: some wore heavy armor, others carried staffs or bows.
There were even some demi-humans among them.
These were adventurers coming and going from the guild headquarters.
Nim, with a fairly common appearance, walked through the guild's large doors.
Upon entering, he saw even more people. Some were sitting at tables, chatting with their own group or with others.
Others were looking at the bulletin board, searching for missions.
And the rest were trying to find a new group to go back into the dungeon.
(This place is huge) Nim was amazed by the lively scene. Amid it all, he looked for the reception area to register, and upon finding it, joined the line in front of it.
After some time, only one person stood in front of him.
—I want to take this mission. I know I don't meet the required level, but I'll level up soon, so it's still within my capabilities —said the man ahead of Nim. He looked to be nineteen or twenty.
—This mission not only requires a level you don't meet, but it also demands a group of at least two members —replied the receptionist, in a tone used to such situations.
—Yes... but—
—Please don't delay the people behind you —said the receptionist, now with a colder tone.
The man walked away, discouraged by the rejection.
—Next —Upon hearing that, Nim stepped forward.
—What mission are you registering for?
—I'm not taking a mission, I want to register —Nim
—Register... —The receptionist thought Nim was an adventurer. Though he looked very young, it wasn't rare for people his age to become Adventurers.
—Alright, fill out this form —said the receptionist, handing him a quill and paper.
Nim wrote down some simple information that was requested and handed the form back to the receptionist.
The receptionist gave the form a casual glance —Nim, thirteen years old.
Though the minimum age requirement was thirteen, most started registering at fifteen or sixteen. It was very rare to see someone his age. Besides, he looked older than he actually was.
The receptionist didn't think much more of it, since it would later be determined whether or not he was fit to become an adventurer.
—Alright, the guild test will be in three days —the receptionist handed him a circular token, which bore the guild's crest.
After receiving the token, Nim stepped away from the line. Now he had to find a place to stay before the test day.
Upon leaving the guild and seeing the streets lit by lanterns, Nim thought to himself:
(I hope I don't get lost)
He still needed to find the inn the waiter had recommended.