Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Grudge of Something Unmentionable

The guild office was located in a visible spot right by the central plaza.

Although it wasn't ornate, the building was larger than the others. Next to it, there was an annex with a door twice the size of the guild's main entrance. It could be a part of the same building, with separate entrances for different purposes. The structures were of different heights but appeared to be a single, cohesive building.

"Come on in."

Jenny led me inside, and instantly, all eyes turned toward me.

I had grown used to it after enduring endless stares on the way here, so it didn’t bother me too much anymore.

At that moment, a man swaggered toward me, staring straight into my face from an uncomfortably close distance.

He was shorter than me, but still quite burly. His head was completely shaven, and he had a large scar running across his face, making him look terrifying.

Honestly, I was a little scared.

It’s much scarier when someone looms silently over you, rather than outright attacking with murderous intent. It was like being back on Earth, facing off against a mob boss or something.

The man chewed on some kind of grass, then spat it onto the floor, along with a wad of saliva.

What was that supposed to be? How disgusting. I'll mentally dub you "Spitting Baldie" from now on.

I didn't dare say anything aloud but muttered internally while the man gave me a grin.

"A newbie, huh? Just because you’re big doesn't mean you can fight. If that axe is just for show, I—"

"Stop it."

Baldie was interrupted by Jenny.

"You’re going to cause a misunderstanding. I know everyone who comes here understands that you mean well, but a newcomer won’t know that. They’ll just think you’re picking a fight. Any other time, I wouldn’t bother stopping you, but..."

Jenny shot me a glance, probably checking to see if I was about to pull out my axe.

When she saw that I was standing calmly, she continued speaking.

"This time, it’s not a good idea. If the other person thinks you’re challenging them, you might end up dead—no hesitation, no reprieve."

"... I-I'm not that weak, and it's not like I meant any harm. I just thought he should go through an initiation like any newcomer...”

"Haha, I understand."

Jenny laughed, and the bald man's face reddened.

Maybe he was embarrassed.

Perhaps Baldie had a thing for Jenny.

She seemed older than him.

So, maybe he wasn’t a bad person after all.

Just someone whose appearance led people to misunderstand him.

Considering how people probably perceived me as well, I realized it wasn’t right to judge someone based on their looks alone.

I felt a twinge of guilt.

Rella, though, didn’t seem to agree. She perceived Baldie’s actions as a threat. Suddenly, she flapped her wings and moved to the front of my hair, chirping loudly.

It seemed like she wanted to fight.

Even though she’s weak.

And for a wild animal, shouldn’t she be better at reading people’s intentions? Whether they genuinely wanted to fight or not?

I couldn’t help but laugh.

The confusion and uncertainty I had felt because of my mother seemed to dissipate a little.

Well, whoever decides to become an enemy, I’ll deal with them.

And if things don’t work out, I can always return to the forest.

The Demon Forest might be dangerous for others, but for me, it’s home.

There is no place as safe as that forest for me.

That thought put my mind at ease.

I gently petted the agitated Rella with my finger, calming her down.

“Hey... she’s cute. Can I pet her?”

I don’t think so.

Rella, still in combat mode, seemed angry at me for trying to calm her down. She started nibbling at my hair.

Before I could answer, Jenny spoke up.

“We don’t have time for that. We need to hurry up and get you registered, sort out a job, visit the lodging—there’s a lot to do.”

“Looks like we’re out of time,” I said with a smile, and Baldie’s eyes widened.

“You can speak our language?”

Of course I can.

“You speak our language so well… impressive!”

Oh, so that’s what it was.

Baldie seemed touched, patting my arm as if he were proud.

“You must’ve worked hard. That’s great. If you speak the language, you can find more work. Well done.”

Contrary to his intimidating appearance, he seemed genuinely kind.

He was so happy for me as if it were his own success.

Does he treat every newcomer like this?

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

With that kind of gentle heart, it seemed like he would have a tough time navigating the world with such a scary face.

“Mr. Rafa, come over here,” Jenny called from the reception desk.

I walked over, enduring the stares of everyone in the guild.

Unlike Baldie, the other gazes weren’t as friendly.

Most were curious, but many held an unpleasant edge.

It was definitely contempt.

I’d never experienced it in my past life or this one, but I knew it when I saw it.

It was the look people give to those they see as inferior.

Are they looking at me like this because I’m a barbarian?

Suddenly, I thought of my mother’s stoic face and sighed softly.

She must’ve endured these looks as well.

A heaviness settled over me.

I placed one hand on the reception desk and turned slightly.

Sensing the tension radiating from me, the guild fell silent.

I turned my gaze to each person staring at me, locking eyes one by one.

Everyone who met my gaze quickly looked away.

Those who had held contempt hidden under their expressions now wore carefully blank faces.

They couldn’t even meet my eyes.

“Cowards,” I said, loud enough for everyone in the guild to hear, but nobody responded or got angry.

Baldie, who had been staring at me, burst into laughter.

“You’re too nice! In times like this, you gotta start by smashing something!”

What nonsense is that?

What if I get fined and can't pay for the damages?

Starting life in society with a deficit makes everything harder. I know from experience.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp gaze on me and turned to see Jenny staring up at me.

I wondered if she was about to lecture me for picking a fight.

Instead, she smiled brightly.

“Are you really from Enorthos? To talk before using your fists—you’re truly amazing! You’ll be able to find lots of work here.”

"..."

What exactly have other Enorthos people done here?

I was genuinely curious.

“So, shall we register you now? I happen to have a few jobs in mind for you. Normally, these would go to intermediate adventurers, but we’ve been short-staffed lately.”

“So, does that mean I start at an intermediate level?”

Jenny, who had begun rummaging for registration forms, paused and looked at me, intrigued.

“You really… don’t seem like someone from Enorthos. Why would you think that?”

“Well, you just said you’d recommend work meant for intermediate adventurers.”

“Enorthos people always start by asking about ranks. I’ve never seen anyone from Enorthos react the way you do, Mr. Rafa. But then again, there aren’t many from Enorthos who work with our guild.”

"..."

The more I spoke, the more it became evident that I knew nothing about Enorthos.

It made me a bit anxious, afraid it might lead them to figure out I was Helga's son.

Even if it comes to light one day, I’d rather keep it hidden for as long as possible.

I glanced around, then lowered my voice.

“Um, about Helga... you mentioned her before. Has she worked here?”

“Helga?” Jenny lowered her voice as well.

“Luckily, no. She never worked here. She was active in the capital.”

If that’s the case, I guess I won’t have to run into people who know her every step I take here.

The adventurer I ran into outside the city must have had dealings with my mother back in the capital.

Maybe that’s why he left the capital and ended up here.

“But why is that lucky?” I asked.

“Nothing remains intact after Helga passes through. People, property… It’s just rumors, but it was like a typhoon. They say nothing was left behind—just a sea of blood.”

"..."

No, no, that’s not true.

If she were really like that, she wouldn’t have been able to find any work.

Perhaps the story had been exaggerated to the point of turning her into a monster after the incident involving my father.

“Oh, and Mr. Rafa, you won’t start at an intermediate level. Your rank will be the standard E rank. We need time to assess you—how diligently you work, what kind of jobs suit you. Then, if you prove yourself, your rank will go up gradually.”

“I see.”

“If you work hard, you’ll move up quickly, so don’t be discouraged.”

Jenny smiled politely and handed me a piece of paper.

“This is the registration form. Today, I’ll fill it out for you while explaining things, but if you ever need assistance reading or writing...”

Jenny trailed off, giving me a hopeful look.

“Um, do you happen to know how to read or write?”

"... Yes."

"!"

Jenny's eyes widened in surprise.

“Many people in our country can’t even read… Mr. Rafa, are you really from Enorthos?”

See, I hesitated because I knew I’d get a reaction like this.

I was worried it might lead them to the story of my noble father.

But lying about being illiterate would cause more trouble later, and there was no point in hiding something that would eventually come out—especially if I ran into one of my mother's enemies.

I had no choice.

Jenny seemed to realize I wasn’t going to elaborate and handed me a quill pen.

The registration form wasn’t complicated.

It only asked for my name, the weapon I used, and my specialty.

“Oh, and there’s a guild registration fee—twelve lira. The toll you paid to enter the city will cover it. Normally, you’d have to pay the toll every time you enter, but after you register with the guild, you don’t need to pay.”

Since I hadn’t officially registered earlier or paid the membership fee, I should technically be paying both. Jenny must have been flexible about it.

“Thank you.”

When I bowed slightly, Jenny’s eyes widened again.

She seemed surprised that I noticed her consideration.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on the axe strapped to my back, and she squinted.

“People from Enorthos sure do love axes.”

Do they?

I only chose an axe because my mother used one. It was the weapon I trained with from the beginning.

Now I was curious if other warriors used axes too.

“Have you met others who used an axe?”

“… Yes. A long time ago.”

It didn’t seem like the kind of memory she wanted to revisit.

I closed my mouth, and Jenny took a deep breath before beginning to explain more about the guild.

The guild had six ranks, represented by letters from Earth’s alphabet for some reason.

The highest rank was S, followed by A, then B, C, D, and E.

Everyone started at E rank.

As Jenny spoke, the tense atmosphere in the guild gradually loosened.

Apparently, people had realized that I wasn’t a raging wild boar, and the expressions of the guild staff became more relaxed.

Earlier, their faces had been pale, as if they were about to faint, but now they looked much more at ease.

"Rather than trying to explain everything at once, let's pick out a suitable job for Mr. Rafa first. Normally, the guild recommends easy tasks, like gathering herbs, to start with, but I don’t think that suits you. This is what I recommend."

Jenny placed several sheets in front of me.

There were a few jobs involving escorting merchant caravans, one involving dealing with beasts that had attacked a village, and another with the grand title of hunting a magical beast.

Jenny seemed particularly keen on the job involving the village beasts. She pushed that request closer to me.

"This escort job is risky since it involves traveling through a dangerous forest, which makes it hard to find people willing to do it. That’s why it’s still available. There’s some collaboration involved, which could be a bit of a concern, but it mainly involves work in the forest, so I thought it could suit you, Mr. Rafa. Still, it’s probably better to take it on after gaining some experience. With that in mind, I think this job is a good fit."

She pushed the beast extermination request towards me again.

It seemed she was recommending it because it was a straightforward job involving brute strength.

I didn’t know enough about this world yet, so it seemed wise to follow her recommendation.

“I’ll take this one,” I said, nodding, and Jenny’s face brightened as she jotted something down on the request form.

"Let's get you to the lodging for today. We can discuss the job tomorrow. You’ll need some preparation, and I assume you’re unfamiliar with what's required, so I’ll help you with that."

"... Why are you going out of your way for me? I doubt you treat everyone like this," I asked, and Jenny laughed softly.

"I'm trying to avoid accidents. From experience, if left to their own devices, Enorthos people… well, someone gets hurt or killed every time they take a step. But once they adjust, they’re incredibly skilled and a huge asset to our guild. Having highly ranked adventurers is vital for a guild’s survival."

She added in a softer voice, “I also have a personal fondness for people from Enorthos. Shall we head to the lodging now?”

Jenny stood and made her way to the door.

When we left the guild, the crowd that had gathered in the plaza had already dispersed.

“This way.”

Jenny led me across the plaza, down a twisting alleyway.

I followed her, but suddenly stopped in my tracks.

I felt a gaze on me.

Many people were glancing at me on the street, but this gaze was different from mere curiosity.

It felt... intense, sticky.

It made me uneasy.

I scanned the crowd, trying to find the source, and spotted the bard standing at the entrance of the opposite alley.

His head was lowered.

The intense gaze was gone.

Maybe it was his.

I watched him for a while, but the bard never looked up again.

Unable to determine the source of the gaze, I followed Jenny into the alley.

I remained alert, ready to confirm it immediately if it returned, but the gaze never followed me again.

----------------------------------------

That face, those eyes.

There’s no doubt about it.

That’s Helga’s child.

Muel bit his lip, muttering internally.

"Helga, may your child pay the price for the grudge of my... dignity."