Chapter 53: New Adventurers

Chapter 53: New Adventurers

"Hey, green hair! It took you long enough to finally come back," Sage greeted Gregor with a small smile, and he couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Hahaha... I guess it really did take me a while, huh?" Gregor scratched his head and chuckled.

He glanced at the enormous pile of papers on the desk before turning to Sage with a wide grin. "Looks like business is really booming for you!"

"Yeah..." Sage nodded, continuing, "Business is thriving. I haven’t had a proper rest in days."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked at Gregor. "It seems like you’re doing quite well too, especially with all that shiny new equipment."

Gregor crossed his arms proudly and replied, "Of course! After going through that mission a few days ago, I figured I deserved to treat myself. Besides, my old gear was outdated — I had to replace it."

"So what do you think of this equipment? Pretty cool, right?" Gregor tilted his head and grinned.

Sage rubbed his chin and rolled his eyes playfully. "You look like a turtle in that gear."

Gregor’s lips twitched at Sage’s comment, but he shook his head with an amused smile. "I knew you’d say something like that."

"Ahem..."

Just then, a rough cough interrupted their banter. Sage raised an eyebrow and peered around Gregor to see over twenty Warriors standing behind him, each looking at Sage with various expressions.

"Oh right! I almost forgot," Gregor said with an awkward chuckle. "These are the Warriors I’ve brought to register as Adventurers, there are 26 of them."

Sage’s eyes lit up with excitement; his previous nerves dissipated completely—he wouldn’t have to worry about losing his balls anymore.

He turned to Gregor and smiled warmly. "You’ve really done well."

"I have to do my job after all; we made a deal," Gregor waved dismissively as he approached the chair and sat down with his hands clasped on the desk.

"Guildmaster, these four people are my good friends, we’ve gone through many life-and-death experiences together," Gregor said while pointing toward four individuals behind him.

"This is Brutus, the muscle man; that’s Caelis, more of a scout with excellent reconnaissance skills; this is Leona, a skilled warrior known for her strong attacks; and last but not least, the beautiful and deadly Calista." He introduced each one in turn.

"Good to see you, Guildmaster!" The four bowed slightly towards Sage in greeting.

"Good to see you too," Sage replied with a smile. "This green-haired fellow is lucky to have such good friends like you all."

Gregor rolled his eyes dramatically. "What do you mean I’m lucky? They’re the ones fortunate enough to have me as their friend!"

"Yeah, yeah, green hair..." Sage waved his hand dismissively before turning to Brutus and the other Warriors behind him. "So, you’re all here to register as Adventurers, right?"

"Yes!" they replied eagerly, nodding in unison.

Sage nodded back. "Alright, just give me a moment to post these missions on the Mission Board. After that, I’ll get you all registered."

With that, he grabbed a hefty stack of papers and made his way over to the giant Mission Board. It was already plastered with dozens of Mission Dockets from the past two days.

Three minutes later, all the Dockets were up on the Board, nearly covering its entire surface. As Sage surveyed the bustling display of missions, a sense of fulfillment washed over him.

Just days ago, this Board had been practically empty; now it overflowed with missions for Adventurers eager to come and complete them.

Letting out a satisfied sigh, he returned to his desk and opened a cabinet filled with tall stacks of Adventurer Ledgers alongside boxes brimming with Adventurer Badges and IDs.

He settled into his chair and glanced at Gregor. "What are you sitting there for? Get out of the way so I can register them."

Gregor rolled his eyes but said nothing as he stood up from his chair and crossed his arms while watching Sage begin the registration process for the Warriors.

Sage smiled at them and instructed them to line up before starting their registrations. He meticulously entered each Warrior’s information into their respective Ledgers while issuing Badges and IDs. He also took a moment to explain some important details about being an Adventurer.

As he collected their registration fees,fifty silver coins each, his drawers filled with jingling pouches of coins brought a smile to his face.

Time flew by quickly; twenty minutes later, Sage finally finished registering all twenty-six Warriors. He flexed his fingers and shoulders before beaming at them.

The Warriors curiously examined their new Adventurer Badges and IDs, excitement evident in their whispers among themselves.

"Alright everyone," Sage announced proudly, "from now on you’re officially Adventurers! Remember that your Badges and IDs are proof of your identity; don’t lose them or getting replacements will be complicated." He clapped lightly to regain their attention before continuing.

"Understood, Guildmaster!" they shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the Guild Hall.

Sage nodded calmly but felt exhilaration bubbling beneath the surface. "Damm! I really like this feeling.... not bad, no bad at all"

Clearing his throat to refocus himself, he pointed towards the Mission Board. "You’re in luck! There are plenty of Missions posted for you to tackle. Feel free to browse through them; if you find one that you think you can complete, take it and bring it here for processing."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Also, keep this in mind: you can only accept missions that align with your Adventurer Rank and Estimated Strength. If you attempt to take on a mission beyond your capabilities, there will be penalties."

The group exchanged glances before nodding at Sage in understanding.

"Any questions?" Sage asked calmly.

"Hmm... Guildmaster," Caelis spoke up from the crowd, raising his hand.

Sage turned to him with a smile. "Yes, Caelis? What would you like to ask?"

Caelis’s eyes flashed with a strange glow as he looked at Sage in surprise but quickly regained his composure. "Can an Adventurer take more than one mission?"

"Absolutely," Sage replied with a nod. "You can take on multiple missions; however, since your current Rank is Iron, you’re limited to two missions at a time. This limit will increase as your Rank improves."

He scanned the faces of the Warriors before him and added, "Any other questions?"

Silence settled over the crowd, indicating that no one had further inquiries.

"Good," Sage said with a slight nod. "You may now head over and browse the Mission Board for tasks you’d like to undertake."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Adventurers surged toward the Mission Board with eager anticipation in their eyes.

Watching them rush off, Sage let out a heavy sigh and sank back into his chair, feeling exhaustion wash over him as he rubbed his shoulders.

"Hey Guildmaster Sage, what about my end of the deal?" Gregor approached eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Sage regarded Gregor’s expression for a moment before responding. He opened one of his drawers and pulled out six Mission Dockets, placing them in front of Gregor.

"Here are six missions, each rated 2-Stars, with rewards ranging from 150 to 300 Gold Coins," Sage explained while observing Gregor’s excitement as he sifted through the Dockets.

Sage sighed softly and continued, "I’ve specifically selected these missions for you. The difficulty isn’t too high, but they are important since they’ve been posted by affluent merchants. Make sure you don’t mess this up."

Gregor nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, Guildmaster! I promise I’ll complete these missions quickly."

"Good," Sage acknowledged before adding, "You’ve brought twenty-six Warriors and received six missions as part of our agreement; that leaves seventy-four more to go."

Gregor tucked away the Mission Dockets and looked at Sage seriously. "Don’t worry; I’ll keep bringing more Warriors to register."

Sage smiled back at him. "I trust you’ll handle this promptly..."

Just then, a cheerful voice rang out from the entrance.

"Petty Uncle Sage! Mina is back...!"

Sage’s expression shifted drastically as if he were facing an approaching monster.

"Oh no! The flatboard princess is here..."