Summer, Year 989 of Imperial Calendar.
The City of Jeffer, the Imperial Capital of the Dixon Empire. It is a city that is huge and prosperous and considered as the center of the continent by the many. The city is where the Imperial Royal Family lives in.
It was founded by Hero Alfred Dixon, who put an end to the Demon Lord's tyranny. He hailed as the First Emperor of the nation. He conquered the most difficult dungeon in his territory and established the Adventurers' Guild.
The Imperial Capital is the largest and the most important city in the continent. The city's the catch basin of the continent's trade and commerce. In terms of economic power, the city of Jeffer dominated all of the cities in the continent, or even the world.
The city is wide and plain and had a perfect circle shape. It had an area of three kilometer radius zone and surrounded by pitch-black sturdy stone walls of thirty-five meters high.
The larger the city means the higher its population. Same as the largest city, the Imperial Capital also gains the title of the most populous. Currently, the city of Jeffer holds the population of three million individuals of multiple races.
◆◇◆
In the middle of the day, along with the buzzing crowd, a man walks down the main street. He stood around five foot seven, physique not too bulky but not slim and looked like he's at his mid-twenties. He clad in hooded robe in jet-black color to hid his silky dark brown hair.
He passed some shops and stalls that sells their own produce. He walked silently for several meters until he reached his destination.
The destination that he was about to enter was a gigantic three-story building. Various types of people poured in and out of the said establishment. But most of them have the same in common. They equipped with weapons and looked strong.
The establishment that the man wanted to enter was the organization of free people who earned fortune by stepping one of their foot on the grave and take requests, the Adventurers' Guild. Not just a local branch of it but the Imperial Main Branch of the organization in the whole continent.
He entered the establishment and the scenery he witnessed a tavern-like atmosphere. The chattering of people resonating through the establishment.
He waltzed in and passed some round tables before he stopped at the request board for B-ranked quest. He scanned the pinned papers and read its contents.
(Orc Settlement Subjugation… Tyrant Lizard Material Collection… Cyclops Subjugation… Long Trip Escort Mission… Vagoth Forest Investigation… Poison Tester…?)
He raised a brow upon reading the last quest. The payment was good but the risk was also high. High risk, high reward. Even though he can tolerate poison, he didn't want to accept it because he couldn't withstand its awful taste.
Since his teammates weren't available, he didn't waste any second and choose the quest the doesn't required to be in a party. Without his trusted and reliable colleagues, he cannot perform on his own pace if others are slowing him down.
He ripped the paper of his chosen quest, the Tyrant Lizard Material Gathering. It was a permanent quest due to the monster's high quality raw materials. It is demanding not just in the Empire but only in another countries.
He walked on the stone floor again for his quest to verify. His gait was filled with grace as he walked towards the empty counter.
"I'll be taking this quest." he said with a deep voice as he place the quest paper on the counter.
"Nyaa! Oh, It's just Michael. I cannot even feel your presence at all."
"Even though you are a cat beastmen, you still can't sense me? Are you really one, Nefa?"
The receptionist at the counter startled as the man, Michael, opened his mouth. Michael is just too silent and appeared out of nowhere. In addition to his deep voice, it increases his entrance and made him more intimidating.
The one he is talking was a young woman from the Cat Tribe of Beastmen race. She had cat ears and tail, green eyes and short amber hair. She looked in her late teens but she was actually older than she looks. Beastmen lives longer than humans after all.
"Of course I am! It's just that your presence is too thin. You didn't even make a sound while walking. Are you really a swordsman, not a rogue?"
"I am." he plainly answer her question as he taking off the hood of his obsidian robe.
It is obvious what was his class from the way he looks. He equipped with a tough leather armor under his robe. At his waist, there was a leather scabbard with a mithrill sabre inside.
At first glance, he is definitely a swordsman. But Nefa beast instinct was telling her that that wasn't the case. But if the person in the question said so, she had no choice but to believe.
"Hmm? Where are the others?"
"…Busy."
"Ahem. Back to your business, Tyrant Lizard again?
Now that I think about it, Tyrant Lizards rarely seen in the Vagoth Forest. Your party are the only one supplying Tyrant Lizard's materials outside the dungeon. Where on earth did you get those?"
"…Deeper in the forest."
"Sigh. If you say so… Your guild card, please."
"Here."
He handed his Adventurers' Guild card to Nefa as she let out a tired sigh. The beastmen receptionist accepted it with a professional smile and placed it on a scanner-like device. When the process has done, she handed it back to Michael.
"Here's your card~. By the way, your level is at Level 255 already. Means that you reached the threshold for a promotion to become an A-ranked adventurer, which require to be atleast Level 250. If you accomplish more quests, you'll be able to rank up in no time!"
"Is that so? I have to work harder then."
Adventurers need to reach the required Level to rise their ranks. The higher the rank, the higher the reward. But it also means the higher the risk.
"Ahh! I almost forgot…" she paused then opened a drawer and took a white envelope, "…the Guildmaster said to hand this letter to you." she said, handing the envelope to Michael.
"A letter for me? And from the Guildmaster himself? What's this all about?" he asked as she take the letter.
"I don't know. Because I am the one in the guild closest to you, I was asked to hand this letter personally to you, the leader of your party."
"Thank you then."
"You're welcome~."
Among all the receptionist in this establishment, Michael always went to Nefa to confirm his chosen task even though there wasn't much adventurers who approach her counter.
Even when the more attractive and popular receptionists' counter got vacant and available, he still continue to work with Nefa since he was just an F-ranked newbie adventurer.
"What will this be?"
Michael stared the white envelope within his grasp. He scanned it and discovered it had even a sealing wax with the seal of the Guildmaster.
"Hmm. I'll read it later. See you next time, Nefa." he bid farewell to Nefa as he insert the envelope in his robe then leave.
"Yeah. See ya later, Michael. I will be always here for you." she waved her hand as she saw Michael's figure shrinking in her sight.
◆◇◆
The man, Michael, walked again along the main road under the sun after he got his task. He also received a letter from the Guildmaster in the process.
He continued his feet until he passed a giant gate. It was one of the main gates of the city. The gates were constructed at all cardinal directions to give way to the people around the continent.
The gate was made out of durable Black Treant's wood and mithrill fasteners. It was double-doored with the total width of ten meters. There are portcullis of the same material that was lifted up to temporarily closed the gate in case of problems.
He was on his way to the forest not so far from the city, the Vagoth Forest. It's infested by powerful monsters but not as dangerous as the infamous Great Forest of Darkness.
The Vagoth Forest has an area of less than a quarter of the Great Forest of Darkness's coverage. The forest is the main source of profit for the adventurers of the Imperial Capital.
When Michael reached at the area where no one's life detected, he suddenly changed his speed and dove deeper into the forest. He ran at 400kph without leaving a trail which was uncommon for a swordsman like him. He was running for minutes at constant speed without breaking a drop of sweat.
He dove the forest deeper and stopped his feet when the reached and area at the heart of the forest where S-ranked monsters lurk. His task, the Tyrant Lizard material collection, was only at B-ranked, which made him more questionable.
He leaned his back over a nearby tree then cross his arms. Knowing no monsters or anybody nearby and certain that no one will come to where he is, he laxly closed his blue eyes and start talking to himself.
"…Wait for me in the base. I'll be there ASAP…"
No. He's not talking to himself. He was talking to someone from afar.
"…"
As the winds blow through the dense forest, he vanished along the billowed leaves. Not even a print of his boots left below the tree. He just disappeared as if he wasn't there in the first place.
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