Rael trudged into the inn.

He needed to find out how much the lodging cost. He didn’t remember because he hadn’t listened properly. It was because Dorian had paid the price. He vaguely recalled it, but it wasn’t accurate.

He asked the innkeeper at the counter. It was 5 copper coins.

They were giving a slight discount, combining two meals a day for 10 copper coins.

With warm water, it was 12 copper coins.

He asked for warm water only for today and paid for two days’ lodging. Meals were also included.

It was 22 copper coins in total.

He presented the 1 silver coin he had received from Dorian. 78 copper coins remained. Combined with the 7 copper coins he had on hand, his entire fortune was 85 copper coins.

He had to think of a way to make a living before this money ran out. He became quite anxious. His heart felt heavy as he thought that he now had to stand on his own.

Even though Dorian hadn’t properly taken care of him, he seemed to have secretly relied on him. This was another challenge he had to overcome.

The innkeeper struggled to carry a water bottle. It was a container filled with warm water. When Rael said it was too small to soak his body in, the innkeeper laughed.

The first floor became quiet. Embarrassed, he scratched his head. The innkeeper left the room, saying it was for wiping his body. A towel was hanging at the end.

He locked the door and took off his clothes. His body was dirty. It was natural since he hadn’t washed properly.

He soaked the towel in warm water and gently wiped his body. From his arms to his armpits. And down below. After one wipe, the towel had turned black.

He rinsed it in the warm water bottle and repeated. After washing his hair and drying it, he felt refreshed. He also felt like the itchiness on his body had disappeared.

His face flushed as he recalled what had just happened. He resolved to keep his mouth shut from now on. If he didn’t open his mouth, he could avoid embarrassing situations.

Seeing the water reminded him of magic. He thought it would be nice if he could make warm water. Rael sat on the bed and recited a magic spell.

He recalled what he had heard when learning the theory. There wasn’t much useful information. He imagined warm water and tried to create a water droplet, but gave up. It seemed like he would have to learn it separately. It wasn’t something he could do without any prior learning.

Looking out the window, the sun was slowly setting. He had wasted the day. He decided to think about finding work tomorrow.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“I’m here to tell you dinner is ready.”

She added that she also needed to clear the water bottle.

It was a woman’s voice.

He opened the door. Outside stood a young girl. She seemed to be a working girl, but she was taller than Rael. She looked to be his age, but seemed a few years older.

“Shall I clear the water bottle?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need a woman, by any chance?”

“A woman?”

“Yes. I can get you one cheap.”

The girl made a gesture with her fist, putting her thumb between her index and middle fingers. He didn’t understand what it meant. He refused for now. He was curious about the meaning, but he thought she would laugh at him if he asked.

The girl picked up the water bottle. Her arms were thin, but she was strong. She carried the heavy water bottle and left.

Just then, his stomach growled. His body was honest. He locked the door and went out. The first floor was bustling with people. Everyone seemed to have come down for dinner.

He asked the Innkeeper for a meal. Perhaps because he had paid in advance, she didn’t ask for money.

He received a bowl of food. He saw a long table. He sat at an empty spot and ate his meal.

No one said anything. It was lively, but he felt lonely.

The meal was delicious, but not as delicious as yesterday. He felt depressed. He thought he needed to start working quickly.

He asked the Innkeeper. Perhaps because he was staying there, she wasn’t unfriendly.

“Looking for a job?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. If there weren’t any, he planned to go to the Alchemist’s house.

“Go to the Mercenary Guild first.”

“Anywhere else?”

“No.”

“Monsters are still too early for me.”

“It’s not just that kind of work. Newcomers usually start with odd jobs, like gathering herbs or guarding pastures. At best, they might hunt a wolf or two.”

“Anything else?”

“Check the bulletin board. There are many places that need help. Though I doubt anyone would hire a kid like you.”

The Innkeeper chuckled. I wasn’t angry. It was true that I was young. They wouldn’t give me any physically demanding work like others. I had to look for quests to gather herbs.

The Shop Owner added that it would be good to create a Mercenary’s tag. It seemed like he was teaching me because he felt bad about laughing earlier.

“Mercenary’s tag.”

It was a necessary item. I had entered because of Dorian. To enter the Castle, I needed to have something to prove my identity. If I got into trouble and my identity was unclear, I could be blamed in the Capital City.

After dinner, sleepiness washed over me. I went up the stairs and returned to my room. I felt like I needed to sleep another night and then think about it.

Before bed, I stood in a corner and chanted a spell, not to launch the Water Droplet quickly. For now, I approached it with the mindset of moving one step at a time.

I moved it slowly, making it hover around. I thought that once I became skilled at moving it while maintaining its form, I would be able to launch it quickly later.

Fortunately, moving it slowly was possible. I also understood why there had been no progress until now. It was like trying to run without even learning to walk, so it wouldn’t work immediately.

The Water Droplet floated in the air and moved slowly, like a slug crawling. This level was still my limit.

“Haa… haa…”

Even doing it for a short time, my head throbbed. It was harder than when I first created the Water Droplet. But it didn’t matter. I would gradually get used to it.

The throbbing in my head was also a good sign. The more my head throbbed, the faster my skills improved. It was similar to muscle soreness.

I couldn’t help but smile. I practiced a little and then went to bed.

The next day, I left the inn and walked down the street.

Walking through the shopping district, mixed with the crowd, all my gloomy feelings disappeared. The scenery was refreshing. I followed the road and entered the Mercenary Guild.

Even though it was morning, there were many people. Every one of them had a rough appearance. I didn’t see anyone my age. Rael was the youngest. Perhaps because of that, my body cringed.

“Hey, kid.”

A burly middle-aged man at the counter spoke to me.

“Me?”

“Who else is here besides you? Kid.”

The middle-aged man looked around and laughed loudly. The mercenaries in the hall all laughed.

This time, I felt terrible. It felt like he was blatantly ignoring me.

“I’m not a kid.”

“Yes, you are, kid. What brings you here?”

Rael suppressed his anger and stated his business. He didn’t want to become a Gnoll as the other party intended.

“I’m here to get a Mercenary’s ID.”

“A Mercenary? You?”

“I need something to prove my identity.”

“Well, a Mercenary’s ID is convenient. Just a moment.”

The Middle-aged man seemed to agree. He pulled out a pen and paper.

“Name.”

“Rael.”

“Age?”

“Twelve.”

He was confused whether he was eleven or twelve. He said the higher number. He thought he would be looked down upon more if he was younger.

“Origin.”

“Origin?”

“Your hometown, I mean.”

He thought of the Village where he grew up. Even a common Village had a name. He thought it was a simple name. He searched his memory and said,

“Tin.”

“Tin?”

“It’s a Village about a week’s journey from here.”

“Ah, I remember. There were children who came from a Village called Tin.”

“Children came?”

“But they all died.”

“How?”

“They didn’t know their place and went around trying to catch Monsters. The result was obvious. Do you know any of them?”

“No.”

“Well, since you seem to be of a similar kind, I’ll give you one piece of advice. There are many like you who run away from their Village. But few survive. Being a Mercenary may seem like living freely, but it’s not an easy job.”

“I’m different.”

“Everyone says that.”}

“It’s true.”

His preaching attitude was annoying. It seemed like showing him some magic would shut him up. But I held back, afraid of attracting unnecessary attention. Even though I knew how to use magic, it wasn’t enough to defeat a mercenary.

“Just pay the tuition fee.”

I looked at the middle-aged man’s face. He didn’t seem to understand. More than that, I was bothered by his follow-up comment.

“There’s a tuition fee?”

“Of course. It’s like the Mercenary Guild is verifying your identity.”

“How much is it?”

“50 Copper Coins.”

“You’re not ripping me off, are you?”

“Ask anyone. Everyone paid the same amount.”

I looked around. From their expressions, it didn’t seem like a lie. It would also be a lie that would be exposed quickly. I didn’t think he would do such a petty thing to someone he had been ignoring.

“Is there a guarantor?”

“A guarantor?”

“Someone who can vouch for your identity. Even if they’re a stranger, it doesn’t matter.”

“No.”

The middle-aged man said it was a pity. His expression, however, didn’t show it at all. With no other choice, I took out 50 Copper Coins from my pocket and handed them over. The middle-aged man disappeared, saying he would bring the Mercenary tag.

I thought of Dorian. Everything was inconvenient. Without him, I felt like I would trip over a stone and fall even while walking down the road.

The middle-aged man appeared. Something was clutched in his hand. It was a copper identity tag.

“This is a low-ranking Mercenary tag. With this, at least in the Baron’s territory, you won’t be denied entry.”

“What about other places?”

“You’ll have to go to that branch and get a new one. You’ll need to get a separate Mercenary tag issued.”

It seemed to be limited to the Baron’s territory. That alone was enough. I didn’t have any plans to go anywhere else anyway.

The middle-aged man said that completing quests would raise one’s rank, but it was usually very difficult to even get promoted to an intermediate rank. He also added that the Mercenary tag had one’s origin recorded on it, so I should never lose it. He said that any incidents caused by others misusing it would be my responsibility.

I looked at the Mercenary tag. It was written in letters, but I couldn’t read them. The same went for the bulletin board where quests were posted. I felt frustrated.

“Are there any jobs?”

“What kind are you looking for?”

“Herb gathering.”

“And you know how to identify herbs?”

“Yes.”

“Go to the Alchemist.”

“The Alchemist?”

“They put out a request, but no one’s going.”

The middle-aged man peeled off a note from the bulletin board and handed it over. He added that if he completed the Castle, it would be added to his achievements. There was also talk that the more achievements he accumulated, the more his identity would be guaranteed.

He left the Mercenary Guild and headed to the Alchemist’s house.

He fiddled with the Mercenary ID he had tucked into his pocket. There was an unexpected expense, but he wasn’t in a bad mood.

If he hadn’t stopped by the Mercenary Guild, he would have missed the opportunity to accumulate achievements. He thought he did well to come and get a Mercenary ID.