Chapter 211
“Is this really not the biggest city in the country…? I can’t believe it.”
“In terms of area, this city might actually be bigger, but I think there are still other cities of the same scale.”
“That’s right. To begin with, both the size of the land and the extent of inhabited areas are far greater than in Dusterfill.”
As we rode through the city in a carriage, Melt was reacting as if she were visiting Lindblum for the first time.
Honestly, I felt the same way.
Compared to the continent’s vast size, Dusterfill had a small population, with far more wilderness than areas inhabited by people.
But Riseark—especially the Consold Empire—was probably not like that.
A great nation where human hands had shaped everything, and countless people lived their lives—that was the image I had formed on my own.
As we proceeded along the main street by carriage, I decided that if we wanted to thoroughly explore the area, it would be better to leave the carriage somewhere.
So first, we decided to secure lodging for the night.
We found a place sooner than expected, and it was so large that it seemed more accurate to call it a hotel rather than an inn.
“It’s bigger than the place we stayed at on Yasha Island.”
“It really is a huge hotel, especially compared to the surrounding buildings.”
“Yeah. This city really feels modern.”
Judging from the number of windows, it was at least an eight-story building.
The fact that the entire thing was a hotel spoke volumes about how many travelers this city attracted.
After checking in at the front desk, we handed the carriage over to the hotel staff and were shown to our room.
That said, we didn’t plan to rest yet—we intended to explore the city first and look for the organization equivalent to an Adventurers’ Guild.
Boing!
“The bed here has amazing bounce!”
Boing!
“Melt, that’s dangerous… though it really does have strong springs.”
“What do you want to do? Should we rest a bit before heading out?”
“I’m still full of energy. Let’s go look around.”
“It might be a good idea to ask at the front desk. Since the city is this modernized, they might even have a guide map.”
We returned to the first-floor lobby, feeling slightly intimidated by the calm and elegant atmosphere, and asked the front desk about the guilds on this continent.
“In the Consold Empire, the role of ‘adventurer’ isn’t very common. It’s more accurate to say ‘those affiliated with the Explorer’s Guild who take on non-dungeon assignments.’ Adventurers do exist, but most people work as explorers and use that title.”
“I see. Then how does one join the Explorer’s Guild? This is the first time we’ve visited such a large city, so I’m not confident I could find it on my own.”
“In that case, please head along this main street toward the city exit. The Explorer’s Guild is located very close to the gate, so you should find it easily. Since explorers often travel between cities, towns, and villages, guilds are usually built near entrances and exits.”
“I understand. Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. Then we’ll head that way.”
I left most of the interaction at the front desk to Sheele.
Elves were apparently quite rare, and even in this city I’d only seen about two so far—though it was possible I’d simply overlooked others.
Leaving the carriage at the hotel, we headed toward the Explorer’s Guild on foot.
The air felt urban, but since this world hadn’t yet reached the point where industrial products belched out exhaust fumes, the smell wasn’t unpleasant.
Just a faint scent of machine oil and iron.
Despite being a coastal city, by this point there was no trace of sea breeze—very much the feel of a true metropolis.
“There are so many carriages! Crossing over there looks difficult.”
“There’s a pedestrian bridge over there. We’ll use that.”
“I see! This is amazing… I never imagined there’d be a city bigger than Lindblum.”
“Yeah, this is beyond what I expected.”
With this many people, perhaps there were fewer petty disputes.
Looking around, I could see what appeared to be a police force, clad in proper uniforms, patrolling the area.
Public order was probably excellent—at least on a major street like this.
As we followed the directions from the hotel, an enormous building came into view.
It was strikingly large, complete with parking space filled with carriages.
Perhaps because dungeons of various sizes were scattered across this vast continent, many explorers owned personal carriages to challenge them.
“It’s huge! So we do the paperwork inside, right? Since we’re a three-person party, do we register together?”
“Yeah. I guess it makes sense for me to act as the representative.”
“That would be best. At the very least, Shizuma has the most experience as an explorer or adventurer.”
In any case, we stepped inside the building.
“I see… this really is modern… The departments are very clearly organized.”
There were information boards inside, with detailed explanations.
Besides “New Registration Applications,” there was also a counter for “Applicants with Experience in External Guilds,” so we headed up to the second floor.
Apparently, many people transferred from external organizations—perhaps the Shijuu Republic—because most of the waiting area in front of that counter was filled with beastfolk.
There seemed to be more movement between the two nations than I’d expected.
After completing the reception process, we sat on a bench waiting for my name—as the party representative—to be called.
That was when I noticed we were drawing a bit of attention.
Quiet murmurs, glances in our direction, subtle movements as if people were avoiding us.
…It seemed the reason wasn’t me or Shire, but Melt.
“…We’re standing out.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
“I see. If it doesn’t cause trouble, we’ll just have to get used to it. What should we do?”
“We’ll probably get used to it eventually!”
Yeah, we probably would. And it didn’t seem like the attention would last forever.
Though when crossing into the Shijuu Republic, we might need to take some precautions.
Up until now, Melt’s race hadn’t caused problems, but… we’d have to be careful going forward.
“Next, we’ll call the name of the following applicant. Shizuma-san, from Lindblum.”
“Oh, that’s us. Let’s go.”
At the counter, a woman wearing glasses greeted us.
“Welcome to the Eldrark Port City Explorer’s Guild. How may we assist you today?”
Sorry—I just learned the name of this city.
This is bad. I’d been so focused on boarding the ship that I’d only paid attention to the continent’s name, not the destination city.
So this place really was classified as a city after all…
“Today, we’d like to register our party with this guild. We plan to operate on this continent for a while.”
“I see. Understood. Welcome to the Riseark Continent. If you have registration tags from any previous organizations, could you please hand over one for each member?”
“Understood.”
“Oh, mine too.”
“Here you go.”
We each handed over our registration tags.
When the receptionist checked them, her expression suddenly changed to one of surprise.
“This is… quite surprising. You all look very young, yet your party already includes two dungeon conquerors. …Huh? But the dungeons that exist in Dusterfill are—”
“Please keep this as confidential as possible. This child has cleared two, and I’ve cleared one.”
“Understood. You appear to be quite skilled as adventurers. However, only Lady Sheele is ranked one level lower. In fact, explorers within the Consold Empire are governed by unique rules: even when forming a party, restrictions apply based on each individual’s achievements and rank when challenging dungeons.”
With that, the receptionist took out a sheet of paper and explained its contents to us.
Summarized simply, it outlined the following system—
Imperial Explorer Guild Ranks
Obsidian Dragon Wing Insignia
The highest rank, granted only to those recognized by the nation.
Awarded to individuals who have achieved numerous feats affecting the entire country and possess power rivaling that of a great army on their own.
Platinum Phoenix Wing Insignia
The second-highest rank, granted only to those recognized by the nation.
A mark of exceptional strength, awarded to those who have achieved feats bringing great benefit to the country.
Golden Falcon Wing Insignia
Proof of the highest level of achievements recognized by the guild.
Granted to those whose major accomplishments have been confirmed in other nations and who have also achieved significant feats domestically.
Silver Eagle Wing Insignia
Proof of a capable individual recognized by the guild.
Those who have earned a certain level of evaluation in another country begin at this rank.
Because some procedures are waived, holders are generally free to challenge dungeons (with some exceptions).
Red Bronze Hawk Wing Insignia
Proof of being a fully fledged individual recognized by the guild.
A rank attainable by those with practical experience in other countries or a certain level of evaluation domestically.
Exploration of certain dungeons is permitted after completing light missions in the surrounding area.
Dull Iron Crow Wing Insignia
A novice mark given to those who have just joined the guild.
Granted to individuals with little to no practical experience.
They cannot yet challenge domestic dungeons and must steadily complete non-dungeon missions to raise their rank.
Under this system, Melt and I would be granted the Silver Eagle Wing Insignia.
However, Sheele alone would receive the rank one level below, the Red Bronze Hawk Wing Insignia, meaning she could not directly challenge dungeons. Instead, she would need to take on some form of mission in the region where the dungeon was located.
“I understand. We’d like to register under those ranks.”
“Certainly. Then, as a processing fee, the total for three people will be 3,000 Rix.”
“Here you go.”
So that’s how it works—these kinds of procedures require money.
After a short while, our registration tags were returned to us first, and we were asked to wait a little longer in the waiting area until the guild-issued medals were prepared.
“I’m sorry… I should have built up more achievements as an adventurer.”
“No, it’s fine. We wanted to investigate the areas around the dungeons anyway, and I was planning to take on some simple missions to learn about the land, so it’s not a problem.”
“Yeah. And besides, if we keep challenging dungeons, Sheele’s rank will go up soon too… um, from copper to silver, I think.”
Melt had forgotten the rank names.
Honestly, I had too.
They were unnecessarily grandiose names, after all…
“Sorry to trouble you. Then, after staying here for the night, shall we head to a dungeon somewhere tomorrow?”
“Yeah… let’s do that after we check maps of the continent and dungeon information. Since we’re on the second floor, we can probably find dungeon info in the first-floor hall.”
“There were so many people on the first floor!”
This three-story facility seemed to be organized so that the frequently used reception counters were on the first floor, while procedures like transfers from other countries—like ours—were handled on the second floor.
The third floor appeared to be for more internal work, reports, and special missions.
“Thank you for waiting. Shizuma-san and party of three.”
“Oh, let’s go.”
We were called and handed proof of our affiliation with the new guild.
They were pin-badge–type insignias, designed to be attached to a collar or chest. Though coin-sized, they were beautifully crafted.
Melt and I received silver badges, while Sheele received a bronze one, and we attached them to our clothes.
“All right—next, let’s gather some dungeon information.”
And so, our activities in the Consold Empire of the Rise Arc Continent officially began.