abcnovels
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Now that I've decided to break through the normal scenario, there's a few things I needed to do.
First of all, I need to make sure that this world is really the same as the one in the game. If I can be sure of that then I can be sure that the things that will happen will largely be according to the game's scenario.
And the other goal is to find a way to make money. The only way to save Anastasia is to stop her from being punished, that is, to win as her representative in the duel. That means I need to enroll into the Royal Academy. For that purpose, I need money.
By the way, though I think the easiest way to solve this entire problem is to prevent them breaking up in the first place but no matter what you did in the game, the marriage was still called off so I'll chalk this option up to wishful thinking.
Now, first step to accomplish those things is to get the [Scroll of Concealment]. This thing, in the game, was found in a small room in the secret passage that leads from the academy to the underground sewers of the royal capital. It's an area that had been left unused for years and was only found out during the time when the Empire's army had overrun the royal capital.
It was an item that was supposed to be discovered accidentally when Amy and the others walked through the sewers to escape from the Academy.
If we really find it there, then we can confirm that events that happened in the game can be related the current world. And with the scroll, we can move around much more freely.
In other words, whether the scroll is there or not would be a huge factor in making sure how this world and the game are related. If this scroll and a few other things could be confirmed, then we can safely assume that the world is exactly the same as in the game.
And that's why I came to the Adventurer's Guild with my mother.
"Excuse me, please let me clean out the ditches!"
"O-oh! Sure kid, good luck with that! Here, let your mom fill this one out.
The old man at the reception desk gave my mom the application form he explained the guild system while she filled it out.
The Adventurer's Guild starts accepting registrations for kids at the age of 8 where they would help them find random chores, like cleaning ditches, that they could do around town. Actually, not too long ago, my mom encouraged me to apply but I refused, saying I didn't like the stench of it.
But last night when I told her I changed my mind, she was very happy. And so that leads us here.
By the way, the adventurer's system is like this: A kid like me starts off as a G-ranked adventurer. Once you become 12-years-old, you can become F rank and can advance onwards until the highest S-rank.
"Alright, then drop a little bit of blood on this guild card."
I did as the old man said, and pricked my finger with a needle. The card flashed a bit when the blood came into contact with the card.
"Alright, that completes the registration. If you lose your guild card, it'll cost you money to get another one so be careful. Also, this thing can also function as a wallet. Convenient, right?"
I was surprised at how much more convenient it was than in Japan.
Anyway, just like that I became a G-level adventurer and continued to clean ditches every day.
By the way, I was also paid 1,000 cents a day for cleaning ditches. It's the currency for the Centraren Kingdom, so it's a cent. Comparing it, I think the conversion rate is roughly around 1 cent being equal to 1 yen.
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And so, after a month of hardships and stink and filth, the receptionist old man called out to me.
"Hey, Allen! Today onwards you can take care of the underground sewer system. It stinks is a lot worse than those ditches outside but you can get double the pay. What do you think?"
"I'll do it!"
Of course, I immediately agreed. I mean, this was the reason I was doing this in the first place, you know?
I accepted the request and entered the underground sewers from the stairs behind the guild and lit a lantern I borrowed.
I don't know how to get to the scroll's location from here, but I had a few ideas. I headed downstream to the underground sewers, marking my path so I don't get lost.
So after walking for a while, I entered a large brick-domed sewer area.
That's good. Now I was in the main sewers. And the red bricks around me meant that I was downstream from where the scroll was.
I marked the sewer back to the guild so that I didn't get lost on the way back, and then I started walking upstream.
And after walking for quite some time, the walls and ceiling changed from red bricks to a gray stone structure.
It was a sign that I was getting closer and so I continued on.
After around 5 minutes of walking, suddenly I arrived at a place with a picture of a bird on the wall.
If this was exactly like the game, then there should be a hidden door in front of the place where this picture of a bird was written.
I checked the walls around it and found something that looked like a button.
Without hesitation I tried pushing it in but maybe because it was old, it was harder than I thought. I put my whole body weight against the button until I heard something softly click into place.
Then, with a rumbling sound, a section of the wall opened up. I had brought something like a crowbar just in case, but luckily I didn't need it.
I went through the entrance. There should be a room with a desk a bit further in…
Ah. Here it is.
When I looked inside, I saw a battered, rotten desk and a chair with its seat missing. What in the world was this room used for?
I walked to the desk thinking…
Please, please be there.
A little bit underneath the desk there was something on the floor.
I tried to reach out and take it but it was farther than my arms could reach.
Damn. To think I'd be held up by a trap like this!
But not all was lost, I had brought a crowbar-like thing just in case, and this was its time to shine. I nudged and hooked the thing and brought it towards me.
Now, the moment of truth, was this the scroll I was looking for?
I unfolded the scroll.
There I saw the symbols for "Concealment" written on it. Yes! This was it!
In the game, using it was easy. All you had to do was open the scroll and put your palm on it.
I immediately laid it flat on the ground and put my right hand on it.
The scroll flashed brightly, and in the next moment it was gone.
"All according to plan!"
For a moment, I felt imaginary glasses light up like some sort of anime villain.
I felt like I was on cloud 9, but it was a bit too early to celebrate.
I took out my guild card and checked my personal information.
?????
Name: Allen.
Rank: G
Age: 8
Blessings:
Skill: ?Concealment?
Residence: Lurden
Money: 3,348
?????
Yes!
This. Is. Great!
It's perfect!
In the small little basement with no one else in it. Elated cries of celebration echoed out.
…
That was kind of embarrassing.
I regained my composure and went back to the guild with great enthusiasm.
Huh? What about cleaning up the sewer? Of course, I did it on my way out.
What can I say? I'm a man who gets the job done.
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?The difference between blessings and skills.
A blessing is like a gift sent by the gods, which gives one significant talent in a particular thing or field. For example, if you are given the blessing of?Wind Magic?, you will be given sufficient physical qualities and talents to use it, and through practice you will learn and improve at a tremendous rate. Basically, it is positioned higher than skills.
A skill is the state in which you are able to use some ability. When you have a skill, the way to use it will come to mind on its own. For example, if you have the?Wind Magic?skill, a type of wind magic that you can use whenever you want will automatically pop into your mind. However, unlike a blessing, you aren't granted the talent to improve it, so you can't do anything other than what is prescribed by the skill.