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Chapter 453 454-The Most Beautiful Building in Breeze City
Chapter 453 454-The Most Beautiful Building in Breeze City
Chapter 453 Chapter454-The Most Beautiful Building in Breeze City
Howard breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"We're just curious to see what an adventurer's certification looks like."
Howard intended to pat Greg on the shoulder but realized that without bending down, he could only reach Greg's head, given the dwarf's short stature.
"Besides, we're members of an adventure group, after all. How can we not have an adventurer's certification?"
Howard believed his expression was convincing enough, and his reasoning sound, yet skepticism still lingered in Greg's gaze.
"That's not right!" Greg shook his head.
"I have a feeling something's off! You can go get your adventurer badges if you want, but I'm going to tell Antalya."
"We're an adventure group now. If there's any trouble, it's not just one person's problem!"
"You need to understand that!"
With those words, Greg turned and left, evidently to find Antalya.
Howard opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for how to stop him.
Physical intervention was out of the question, but if Antalya were informed, the situation could become too unpredictable.
After a pause, Howard could only sigh, "Let's go, to the adventurer guild office."
The adventurer guild, an entity that always lurked beneath the surface, immense and omnipresent.
In the Oli Kingdom, its influence was unmistakable.
No one could accurately tally the number of adventurers on Avala Continent, the New World, because the numbers were astronomical, certainly rivaling the army of any given nation.
The entry threshold for becoming an adventurer is almost nonexistent.
As long as you are physically able, capable of independent action, possess a valid form of identification, and pass a simple assessment at the nearest guild branch or office, you can pay the membership fee and become a free adventurer.
For magi, even those merely apprenticed in the magical arts, presenting proof of identity grants a free adventurer badge.
By definition, the profession of an adventurer involves journeying across the continent, undertaking and completing quests, exploring ruins left from bygone eras, hunting dangerous beasts, and more, all as a means of livelihood.
Due to several civilizations having risen and fallen on Avala Continent, countless ruins of past societies are buried waiting to be discovered.
Lost advanced magical techniques, hidden treasures of kings, and even ancient magus legacies lie in wait.
It can be said that every ruin is a potential gold mine waiting to be unearthed!
According to the rules of the Adventurer's Guild, an adventurer who independently discovers a ruin is entitled to thirty percent of the profits from that find.
This means that becoming an adventurer gives anyone the chance to skyrocket to wealth, securing a fortune that could last a lifetime.
Furthermore, once registered as an adventurer, although one is required to complete an annual guild quest, various benefits are also available.
These include, but are not limited to, free access to two-thirds of the countries on the continent, access to low-cost accommodations and even weapons and gear, and the ability to post high-priority quests at a reduced rate.
It is precisely for these reasons that the profession of an adventurer has firmly held its title as the "largest scale profession."
Consequently, the Adventurer's Guild has become the largest guild for the awakened.
Branch guilds, divisions, and offices are scattered across all known regions of the world.
Even in a small city like Breeze City, a basic office has been established to facilitate the registration of new adventurers and for low-level adventurers to pick up and drop off quests.
Though referred to as an office, the facility in Breeze City is far from small.
The tallest building in the southwestern part of the city, a four-story edifice constructed from finely polished white stone bricks with a domed roof, houses the local branch of the Adventurer's Guild.
It stands as the most beautiful building in Breeze City.
A sign, over two meters in length, hangs prominently above the grand dark oak doors.
Many low-level adventurers, armed with various types of weapons, can be seen entering and exiting in groups.
While the number of magi is not high, the population of adventurers in Breeze City is quite significant.
This is due to the city's proximity to the Silverwind Prairie, where a large number of green wolves live on the outskirts of the grasslands.
For those adventurers with a hunting background, these wolves represent excellent prey.
Even focusing solely on hunting green wolves, despite the dangers, can yield a substantial income by the end of the day.
After setting aside money for equipment and food, there's still enough left over for these hunters to relax in the local taverns.
These individuals constitute the largest customer group for the Gold Coin Inn.
Leaving the Gold Coin Inn and crossing several streets still sparse with early risers, Ali and Howard arrived at the grand entrance of the Adventurer's Guild office.
Looking up at the office building, so starkly different from the surrounding structures, Howard sighed.
"How much money would this cost?"
"It could probably buy at least ten taverns like ours," Ali guessed, not entirely sure himself.
His understanding of the human kingdoms' economy and currency wasn't deep, so it was mostly speculation.
"I think it's much more," Howard shook his head, his knowledge as a king giving him better insight.
"Look at that door, so large and thick, made of solid dark oak. I bet just this door alone costs hundreds of gold coins! If the interior is decorated to the same standard as the exterior, this building might cost tens of thousands of gold coins!"
How much was Oli Kingdom's annual tax revenue?
It was a number too vast for Ali to even imagine.
Though she could potentially amass a fortune if she chose to reveal her full strength, she was currently drawing a salary from Antalya, which would equate to tens of thousands of weeks of her wages.
After their moment of reflection, Howard and Ali stepped into the office.
The interior decoration was more modest, though still refined, it wasn't as lavish, more fitting the true nature of adventurers.
Passing through the main entrance, on the left was a small blacksmith shop, displaying numerous steel swords and knives, gleaming with a cold sharpness.
Howard even spotted a set of thick knight's armor, wondering which destitute knight had decided to sell their heirloom.
Glancing at the prices, they were still expensive but about twenty percent lower than those at external blacksmith shops.
For the average adventurer, this discount was not insignificant.
To the right of the main entrance was a magic potion shop, displaying several types of common magic potions in small bottles within a transparent glass cabinet.
The middle-aged shopkeeper was reclining behind the counter, nodding off gradually.
In contrast to the blacksmith shop, which saw a steady stream of customers, the magic potion shop was noticeably quieter.
This wasn't surprising, considering even the most basic accelerated healing magic potion cost thirty gold coins—a price that could fetch a decent-quality steel sword in Breeze City.
Such steep prices deterred the majority of adventurers, making the shop's lack of visitors understandable.
Further inside was the main hall on the first floor, serving as the primary activity area for Breeze City's adventurers.
The second and third floors were divided equally between offices, restrooms, and meeting rooms intended for official adventure groups and quest clients.
Unfortunately, Breeze City currently lacked any official adventure groups in the open, leaving those meeting rooms unused for a long time.
Passing by the bulletin board displaying open quests and red mark bounties, Howard glanced over it.
Most were ongoing quests with no deadline, such as the long-
term purchase of wolf pelts and green wolf claws.
The only red mark bounty was for Red Eye, indicating the target could be brought in dead or alive.
The bulletin board was open for anyone to post quests for a very low fee, but whether these quests attracted any takers depended on luck.
On the other hand, posting an official quest at the counter, though more expensive and requiring upfront payment of rewards, meant the Adventurer's Guild would actively recommend adventurers for the quest, increasing its likelihood of being accepted.
Generally speaking, if one aims to take on higher-paying quests, inquiring directly at the counter is far more reliable than waiting by the bulletin board.
The quests are more dependable, eliminating the risk of completing a quest without receiving due compensation.
Without lingering at the bulletin board, Ali and Howard approached the counter directly, where adventurer badges could only be issued.
"Hello, how may I assist you?"
Seeing Howard and Ali approach, the young lady behind the counter greeted them proactively.
"We're here to pick up our adventurer badges. What's the procedure?" Ali asked directly.
"Do you have a guarantor or a recommender?" the lady's eyes lit up slightly, her demeanor turning even more welcoming.
In theory, the Adventurer's Guild operates on a one-to-many responsibility system.
If newcomers are registering for an adventurer badge, the receptionist tasked with their service is obligated to guide them.
While this service is free of charge, it represents an excellent opportunity to interact with adventurers.
"Let me think," Ali smiled subtly, mentioning Antalya's alias, "Senior Freiley is our recommender."
That was the name she used for her own adventurer badge registration, and the name she had instructed Howard and Ali to use.
Although the registration process for a new adventurer typically requires various procedures, having a bronze-tier or higher-level adventurer as a recommender can bypass most of these steps, even allowing for direct receipt of the adventurer badge.