Konbini Ossan Volume 1 Chapter 22 – The Newbie Old Man, Aged Thirty-Five
Upon entering the Adventurer’s Guild building, I found the interior surprisingly well-kept.
Given that it’s used by adventurers, I had imagined a more rugged atmosphere.
However, the guild also caters to outside clients — perhaps they keep it clean with them in mind.
Scanning the room, I spotted a row of reception counters and approached the closest one.
“Hello. How may I assist you today?”
“Yes, I’d like to register as an adventurer.”
“Understood. Are you a new registrant, or reapplying?”
“New.”
“Very well. Please wait a moment.”
The receptionist — her nameplate read Shirley — stepped into the back and returned with several forms.
“Please fill out this form. Can you read and write?”
“Yes, I can. No problem.”
Thanks to the goddess’s adjustments, I’m fully literate in this world’s language. Filling out forms is no issue.
The form included fields like:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Whether I had a permanent residence.
If yes, the address.
If no, the name of an inn I frequented.
Marital status:
Number of household members:
And so on…
Essentially, everything needed to identify me as a person.
“Do all adventurers fill out this much information?”
“Actually, most adventurers can’t read or write. In those cases, we fill it out for them.
…
Even when they can write, most of the form is left blank, so we usually ask them verbally and complete it that way.”
Shirley explained with a smile. That made sense — many adventurers likely lack formal education.
I should try not to cause extra work, so I decided to fill in every field I could.
As I wrote, I came to a section that made me pause — the Status section.
It asked for:
Level:
Strength:
Magic:
Vitality:
Speed:
Attribute (mandatory):
Skills (optional):
After some thought, I left the skill field blank and entered the truth for the rest:
Level: 1
All stats: Grade G
When I finished, I handed the form back to Shirley. She reviewed it, then frowned.
“Um, Mr. Otogi. Is it true that your Level is 1 and all your stats are G?”
“Yes, that’s accurate. Here’s proof.”
I activated my status board, and Shirley leaned forward to inspect it — her eyes widened in disbelief.
“T-This kind of status actually exists?!”
“You’re looking at it.”
“But... even kids reach level 2 or 3 just from everyday life. And you’re thirty-five years old…”
“Just think of it as a quirk of my body. See? My skills field shows an error too. That might be related.”
That explanation seemed to satisfy her — reluctantly.
I wasn’t lying, after all.
And so, my registration was completed, and I was issued my Adventurer Identification, also known as a Guild Card.
It resembled a plastic credit card from modern Japan. I wasn’t sure if plastic existed in this world, but it certainly felt like plastic.
“Is this made of plastic?”
“Pura...stik? No, guild cards are made from a magic metal called soft iron, mixed with copper or tin alloys.”
Wow. So this flexible, springy material was actually metal.
“Adventurers fight in extreme conditions — flames, saltwater, and more. That’s why guild cards are heat-resistant and rust-proof metal alloys.”
“I see. That makes a lot of sense.”
Shirley kindly explained. I decided to ask a few more practical questions while I had her attention.
“By the way, what’s my guild rank?”
“Normally, beginners start at F-rank. However, because you reported no skills, no attribute, and all G-grade stats, you’ll begin at G-rank, one tier lower.”
So I really am starting from the very bottom.
Well, let’s think of it as extra room to grow.
“Also, could you explain how jobs work in the guild? I know adventurers take requests and earn rewards, but that’s about all.”
“We have a beginner’s manual you can read inside the building. It covers everything. After reading it, if anything’s still unclear, feel free to ask us.”
She gestured toward a quiet corner where a small bookshelf and a backless couch were set up. Apparently, that’s where the reference materials were kept.
“Thank you. I’ll read the manual carefully before taking on any jobs.”
“Please do. Many beginners jump into requests with no preparation and cause trouble.”
I could sympathize with Shirley. In my convenience store days, I also struggled with rookies who wouldn’t follow basic instructions.
Like the one who kept forgetting to empty the trash, leading to frequent customer complaints.
Anyway, I bowed to Shirley and made my way toward the bookshelf, ready to study the adventurer manual.
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E/N:
At least Shirley didn't overreact like many other guild receptionists in many other fantasies, screaming in disbelief or straight laughing at the MCs, announcing to the entire guild and lowering MCs chances to join a party… Well, that's how the plot progresses.
Sorry for the rant, I hate such guild receptionists!
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