Chapter 192 - 187: The Adventurer’s Guild
John woke earlier than he expected.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Then he remembered where he was.
Ravencross.
A new city.
A new place to explore.
He sat up and stretched.
The room was quiet.
Outside the window, the city was already awake.
Wagons moved along the streets.
Merchants shouted to one another.
Somewhere nearby, a bell rang several times.
John walked to the window and opened it.
The sounds immediately became louder.
Ravencross was nothing like Greenhollow.
Greenhollow had felt like a village that occasionally became lively.
Ravencross was lively all the time.
John smiled.
He liked it.
A knock came at the door.
"John?"
"Lythriel?"
"Yes."
He opened the door.
She stood outside, already dressed.
"Breakfast."
"Already?"
"You said you wanted to visit the guild early."
John blinked.
"Did I?"
"You did."
"Right."
She smiled.
"You forget things quickly."
"I don’t forget."
"You forgot breakfast."
John paused.
"...Fair."
---
The group met downstairs.
The inn’s dining hall was considerably busier than the previous morning.
Adventurers occupied several tables.
Some looked experienced.
Others were clearly beginners.
John found himself watching them.
A young man was polishing a sword.
Two women were discussing a map.
A dwarf was loudly complaining about the price of armor.
A group of teenagers were celebrating what sounded like their first successful monster hunt.
It was familiar.
But also different.
John had spent enough time traveling to recognize the atmosphere of an adventurer’s city.
People came here because they wanted something.
Money.
Fame.
Adventure.
A new life.
Sometimes all three.
After breakfast, they left the inn.
The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t difficult to find.
Its building stood near the center of the city.
It was large enough to look more like a government office than a simple guild hall.
A large emblem was carved above the entrance.
John stopped outside.
"So this is it."
Darius nodded.
"Ravencross’s main branch."
Lythriel smiled.
"You look excited."
"I am."
"Try not to cause trouble."
"I won’t."
She stared at him.
John sighed.
"I’ll try."
"Better."
They entered.
---
The first thing John noticed was the noise.
The guild was packed.
People were talking everywhere.
The sound of cups hitting tables mixed with conversations and the occasional shout from someone reading a quest announcement.
Large boards covered one wall.
They were filled with papers.
**Goblin Hunt.**
**Caravan Escort.**
**Forest Gathering.**
**Lost Livestock.**
**Monster Suppression.**
**Rare Herb Collection.**
And several higher-ranked requests John couldn’t immediately understand.
He walked closer.
Lythriel followed.
"Don’t tell me you’re already looking."
"I’m just checking."
"You’ve been here for less than a minute."
"I can still check."
She laughed.
---
A receptionist noticed them.
"Good morning."
John turned.
"Morning."
"Are you registered adventurers?"
Darius answered.
"Some of us are."
The receptionist looked toward John.
"You as well?"
John nodded.
"Yes."
"May I see your guild card?"
John handed it over.
She examined it.
Her expression remained professional.
Then her eyebrows rose slightly.
"You’re registered in another region."
"Yes."
"Your record is rather unusual."
John became curious.
"Unusual how?"
She hesitated.
"You’ve completed several high-risk requests despite having relatively little recorded history."
John shrugged.
"I travel a lot."
The receptionist smiled politely.
"I suppose that explains it."
She returned his card.
"If you’re staying in Ravencross, I recommend updating your records."
"Why?"
"It will make accepting higher-ranked requests easier."
John nodded.
"Maybe I’ll do that."
---
They moved away from the counter.
Darius looked at the quest board.
"We don’t need to take anything today."
John nodded.
"I know."
Lythriel looked surprised.
"You actually agree?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"Good."
John looked at the board again.
There was a request for a monster hunt outside the city.
He was tempted.
But he ignored it.
They had just arrived.
There was no reason to immediately accept another dangerous mission.
They could explore first.
---
Sylvara left to find the herbal district.
Aerion went to look at weapons and armor.
Darius wanted to visit the guild library.
That left John and Lythriel together.
"So..."
Lythriel looked around.
"What do you want to do?"
John thought about it.
"Explore."
"That’s vague."
"I know."
She smiled.
"Then let’s start with the market."
---
The adventurer’s market was enormous.
Compared with Greenhollow’s festival stalls, it was almost overwhelming.
Weapons.
Armor.
Potions.
Monster materials.
Maps.
Magic tools.
Camping equipment.
Everything an adventurer could possibly need was sold somewhere.
John stopped at a stall selling monster materials.
The merchant was displaying several strange objects.
"Dragon scales?"
John asked.
The merchant nodded.
"Small ones."
John examined them.
They were genuine dragon scales.
But they were extremely old.
"Where did you get these?"
"From a traveling hunter."
John picked one up.
It felt different from his own scales.
Obviously.
But still...
There was something familiar about it.
The merchant noticed his interest.
"Interested?"
"Maybe."
"Expensive."
"How expensive?"
The merchant gave him a number.
John immediately put the scale down.
"Never mind."
Lythriel laughed.
"You looked serious for a moment."
"I was considering it."
"Then you saw the price."
"Exactly."
---
They continued through the market.
John found several interesting things.
A map of the northern forests.
A book about regional monsters.
A set of cooking tools designed for adventurers.
He bought the book.
Lythriel looked at him.
"You’re buying a monster book?"
"Knowledge is useful."
"Sure."
She smiled.
John ignored the teasing.
At another stall, he found something more interesting.
A small collection of enchanted stones.
Most were ordinary.
One caught his attention.
A dark blue stone.
The merchant noticed him looking.
"That’s a mana crystal."
John picked it up.
"Where did you find it?"
"Deep underground."
"Any special properties?"
The merchant shook his head.
"Nothing extraordinary."
John studied it for another moment.
Then put it back.
He didn’t need it.
Not everything interesting had to become part of his collection.
---
They eventually reached a quieter part of the market.
A young boy was sitting beside a stall.
He was trying to repair a broken knife.
John stopped.
"Need help?"
The boy looked up.
"No."
He tried to force the blade back into place.
It slipped.
John smiled.
"You’re going to cut yourself."
The boy frowned.
"I can do it."
John crouched beside him.
"What happened?"
"The handle broke."
John examined it.
The blade itself was fine.
He looked toward the stall.
"Do you have another piece of wood?"
The boy nodded.
John found a suitable piece.
With a little work, he helped reshape it.
The boy watched closely.
"You know how to do that?"
"Some."
"Are you a blacksmith?"
"No."
"Then what are you?"
John thought about it.
"An adventurer."
The boy’s eyes widened.
"Are you strong?"
Lythriel laughed quietly.
"Why does everyone ask him that?"
John smiled.
"Strong enough."
The boy grinned.
"Then I’ll become stronger than you."
John laughed.
"Good."
The boy looked confused.
"You don’t mind?"
"Why would I?"
"Most strong people say nobody can beat them."
John looked at the repaired knife.
"Being strong isn’t about making sure nobody can beat you."
"Then what is it?"
John thought for a moment.
"Being strong enough to protect what matters."
The boy nodded seriously.
"I’ll remember that."
John smiled.
---
They continued walking.
Lythriel was quiet for several minutes.
Then she spoke.
"You really meant that."
John looked at her.
"What?"
"What you told the boy."
"Yeah."
She smiled.
"You’ve changed."
John laughed softly.
"You said that in Greenhollow."
"And I still mean it."
John looked ahead.
"Maybe."
He didn’t think he had changed dramatically.
But perhaps he had.
He still wanted strength.
He still wanted to fight stronger opponents.
He still wanted to explore the world.
But he was beginning to understand that those things didn’t have to consume everything else.
---
They returned to the guild in the afternoon.
Darius was waiting for them.
"I found something."
John looked at him.
"What?"
"There’s a request board for regional expeditions."
"Meaning?"
"Groups are being organized to explore several unexplored areas."
John became interested.
"Where?"
Darius handed him a paper.
John read it.
The location was several days north.
A forest known as the **Silverwood**.
Not a legendary dungeon.
Not an ancient ruin.
Simply a vast forest that hadn’t been fully mapped.
The guild wanted adventurers to help chart safe routes and identify monster territories.
John looked at Lythriel.
She looked at him.
"You want to go."
"Yes."
She smiled.
"I knew it."
Darius chuckled.
"We don’t have to accept it immediately."
John nodded.
"Let’s think about it."
He folded the paper.
For once, he didn’t rush.
The expedition sounded interesting.
New territory.
Unknown monsters.
A chance to explore.
But there was no need to jump into it today.
They had only just arrived in Ravencross.
They could spend a few days here first.
Learn about the city.
Rest.
Prepare.
Then decide.
---
As evening approached, the group returned to the inn.
Dinner was lively.
Aerion had bought a new whetstone.
Sylvara had found several rare herbs.
Darius had acquired books.
Lythriel had somehow bought another bag of sweets.
John didn’t ask how much she spent.
He had learned his lesson.
They talked about the Silverwood expedition.
Everyone had an opinion.
Aerion thought it sounded worthwhile.
Sylvara wanted to know what plants grew there.
Darius was interested in the unmapped areas.
Lythriel simply wanted to see what was inside.
John listened.
Then smiled.
"Let’s stay in Ravencross for a few days."
Everyone looked at him.
"We’ll prepare properly."
"Then we’ll decide."
Darius nodded.
"Sounds reasonable."
Lythriel smiled.
"Agreed."
John leaned back.
Outside, Ravencross continued to bustle.
Tomorrow could bring something unexpected.
But tonight was simple.
Good food.
Good company.
And a possible new adventure waiting on the horizon.
For now, that was enough.
---
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