Chapter 5: The Inn Interview

The inn I’d been introduced to was located in a district crowded with adventurers.

It was a typical inn, with a dining area on the first floor and guest rooms on the second.

A burly old man greeted me with, “Yo, been waiting for ya.”

He had a scar on his face and walked with a slight limp.

He was a former adventurer.

“Thank you for having me!”

First impressions matter, so I greeted him energetically.

“You’ve got spirit. Well, have a seat.”

Before sitting down, I quickly handed over my letter of introduction.

My heart pounded as I waited for him to skim through it.

…I wonder what’s written in there.

“Hm. We’re looking for a live-in employee here. How about it?”

Of course, living here would be a huge help.

But if I didn’t explain my hopes now, it would only cause problems later.

The merchants I’d met had also told me that bringing up demands afterward damages trust.

“Yes, I’m fine with living here.

But… I have a hope, or rather, a dream.”

The blood rushed to my head from nervousness, making my voice tremble.

“My skill is ‘Preparation,’ but I want to try becoming an adventurer.”

The moment I said it, my heart thumped heavily.

Back in the village, people had laughed at me for two whole years, saying there was no way I could become one.

Even among the travelers staying at the village inn, there were those who supported me and helped me think things through, and others who simply laughed and used it as drinking entertainment.

“If you let me work here, then after about half a year, once I’m able to work efficiently… I’d like permission to take days off when business is slow.

You can deduct those days from my wages, and I’d like to work as an adventurer on those days.

W-Would that be unacceptable?”

I spoke so quickly all at once that my throat became painfully dry.

“Sure.

Business has its busy and slow periods, so not paying you on slow days ain’t a bad deal for us either.

Well, that’s assuming you can become fully competent within half a year.”

“Thank you very much!”

The old man grinned.

“Then let’s get you registered at the guild before the evening rush starts.”

After leaving my luggage in the employee room, we headed toward the guild in the merchant district a little ways away.

The old man walked with a slight limp, but maybe because he was so big, he moved surprisingly fast.

I hurried after him as quickly as I could, and feeling how obviously childlike I looked made me a little embarrassed.

Once I hung the tag issued by the Merchant Guild around my neck, I suddenly felt much more like an adult.

It looked cool.

Even if it was a detour, this was still my first step toward becoming an adventurer.