Modern Weapons Cheat in Fantasy World-Chapter 14: Prelude to First Quest

As he was told, Marcus went to the front desk.

Elaina was already waiting with a ledger open in front of her.

She looked up as he approached.

"Congratulations," she said. "Sign here."

She turned the book toward him and tapped a blank line beneath his name. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Marcus picked up the quill and signed without hesitation.

Elaina inspected the signature, then pressed a small metal stamp into an ink pad and marked the page with the guild crest.

She opened a drawer and retrieved a rectangular card made of hardened leather with a thin metal strip embedded along the edge.

She placed it on the counter.

"Your official guild identification," she said. "E-Rank. Berm Branch."

Marcus picked it up.

The surface felt firm, slightly textured. His name was engraved into the leather. Below it, a single letter was embossed. "E".

He slipped it into his inner pocket.

"Where are the E-Rank quests located?" Marcus asked. "I want to know what are the usual quests in an E-Rank."

Elaina pointed to the right side of the hall.

"Second board from the wall. Marked with a bronze plate."

Marcus turned his head and saw it. The board was smaller than the others. The parchments were thinner, the wax seals simpler.

"Okay, thank you, I’ll go check it out."

Marcus went toward the board and began scanning the parchments one by one.

Most of them were small slips, pinned unevenly with iron tacks.

Collect twenty greenleaf herbs from the southern fields – 40 kinah.

Deliver sealed parcel to East Gate guard post – 25 kinah.

Gather ten bundles of firewood from forest edge – 30 kinah.

Assist farmer in clearing burrow vermin – 60 kinah.

Collect five river reeds for potion brewer – 35 kinah.

Marcus read them twice.

Material gathering.

Errand work.

Basic pest control.

He pulled one parchment halfway off the board and read it more closely.

Greenleaf herbs. Harvest carefully to avoid damaging roots. Payment upon inspection.

He placed it back.

Another one.

Blue-cap mushrooms from shallow woodland. Beware of look-alike toxic variant.

He exhaled through his nose.

So this was E-Rank.

No dramatic dungeon dives. No monster hordes. No high-stakes rescues. You were just a glorified laborer. And what’s worst the pay is low.

But, this is just the start. Everyone starts at the bottom. He knew what he was getting into and expected this but not to this degree.

He shifted his eyes lower on the board.

Near the bottom, half covered by another slip, was a thicker parchment.

Eliminate minor slime cluster – outskirts of Berm, south pasture drainage ditch – estimated 6–10 units – reward: 180 kinah.

Marcus pulled it free.

Short description.

Recent rainfall caused accumulation in low ground near the pasture road. Slimes reported damaging fence posts and dissolving farm tools left overnight. Adventurer required to reduce population and collect minimum five cores as proof.

"This one looked interesting."

He went back to Elaina and presented her the quest.

"I want to take this job."

Elaina took the parchment and read it once.

"South pasture drainage," she said. "Reported yesterday by two farmers."

She held out her hand.

"Guild card."

Marcus handed it over.

She pressed the metal strip against the registration plate on the counter. A faint glow pulsed through it.

"Quest registered," she said. "Minimum five intact cores. Estimated count six to ten units. Do not leave partial remains near the road."

"Understood."

She returned the card.

"Slimes are weak individually," she continued, "but they can merge if left undisturbed. Avoid letting them accumulate."

Marcus gave a short nod.

"Anything else?"

"Keep distance from direct contact. Their bodies dissolve cloth and leather over time."

Marcus glanced at his tunic briefly.

"Noted. And the reward, 160 kinah. Is that enough for a dinner of two?" he said smoothly.

Elaina’s cheek flushed.

"It’s one hundred eighty kinah," she corrected. "And the guild does not negotiate quest rewards."

Marcus kept a straight face.

"I wasn’t negotiating."

She cleared her throat and closed the ledger.

"If you are finished," she said, tone returning to neutral, "you should depart. The sooner the slime cluster is cleared, the better."

Marcus gave a small nod.

"Right. Well, I’ll see you later okay?"

"Yes adventurer, I’ll be waiting for you here," she said in a receptionist tone.