Ch.12Rolling the Snowball NPCs. (3)

Finally. Finally! The border!!

Me, Ira, and Status Window. The mime golem had reached the border city of Ponia.

Now, if we just take a carriage leaving for a foreign country, even if not to Aigram, we can say goodbye forever to the trash of Ponia.

According to the game’s settings, even if you’re wanted for PK in one country, that wanted status doesn’t carry over when you go to another country.

The reason is that they don’t know whether the country is telling the truth or framing someone.

This Eight.

The world map story setting consisting of 8 countries large and small is quite a dysfunctional family… no, a dysfunctional continent, and they don’t trust each other’s countries.

This was mentioned in ep.1 Aigram.

In other words, if we escape like this, Ponia will perish anyway, and the wanted status for me and Ira will disappear forever.

Bye! Bye!! Trash country! Miserable leaf village!!

“You mean the merchant caravan heading abroad? The fastest one goes to the Empire, followed by Nati. The Empire costs 30,000 kan per person, and Nati costs 20,000 kan per person. Which carriage ticket do you want to buy?”

“…J-just a moment, I’ll come back with some money.”

“The Empire departure is in 3 days, and Nati is in two weeks.”

“Ah. Yes.”

This is bullshit. In the game, there were no merchant caravans; you could just ride a mount and move. But now they’re saying you can only leave the border area on an authorized merchant caravan. It’s driving me crazy.

What is this? An airplane? Asking me to pay economy class fare? I only flew economy once in my previous life!

The world where you can’t do anything without money is the same here as in my previous life. Damn capitalism, fuck.

“Haah…”

“Oppa. Do we not have money?”

“…Sorry. Just wait a little. Oppa will make some quickly.”

The money I have left is just over 10,000 kan. If I spend on lodging and food, it’ll be nearly impossible to save up.

But still.

“Hey. Status Window.”

[Please give me a name soon.]

“…Alright. I’ll name you after we finish this. For now, take Ira to the inn.”

“What about you, Oppa?”

“I’ll earn some money and be back soon. Just wait a little, Ira. Let’s definitely go to a better country, a better world.”

“Yes! I’ll go anywhere with Oppa!!”

The red-haired girl with a bright smile, my sister who’s become even cuter now that she’s eating well and gaining some weight in her face, raised her hand as she spoke.

Yes. We’ll definitely leave this country that would let you die. So just wait a little.

After parting with Ira, I headed straight for the massive building in the center of town.

The Guild. A place I’ve seen several times on my journey here but never approached.

There are guilds in the game too, but they’re always places where raid quests happen, where NPCs attack users.

Moreover, I’m currently wanted. Perhaps this place itself might be hell for me. However.

‘If I need to make money right away, I have no choice but to go.’

I cover my face with my hood and enter the Guild. The building is like a mishmash of modern and medieval styles.

The sound of numbers changing somewhere resembles a township office.

I approached a nearby magic device and took a number ticket.

After waiting for a while…

“Welcome. This is the adventurer counter. How may I help you?”

“I’d like to apply for an adventurer ID.”

“International adventurer ID or Ponia adventurer ID. Which one would you like?”

“International, please.”

“Alright. I’ll verify your identity. Please place your hand on this crystal.”

…A tense moment.

When players put their hands on this, it would glow red, revealing that they were falsely accused and wanted from a previous quest, triggering a battle event inside the guild.

In a way, I’ve followed a similar route, so it might glow red if I’m not careful.

However, the Status Window (small) that separated from the golem’s main Status Window is showing me the levels of all nearby humans.

The highest-level adventurer I can see is level 31. In other words, if I decide to make a run for it, there’s no one who can catch me.

Please, just don’t start playing the RUN background music!!!

“Alright, you’re verified. Please sign here, and would you like to take the practical test for a rank upgrade? It’s optional. If not, you’ll start at Black rank.”

“Niiiiice!!!”

“…Eh?”

I couldn’t help shouting when I saw the crystal didn’t glow at all.

It seems my wanted notice hasn’t reached the border area yet.

Well, how quickly did we move? I only caused a minor incident in a small baron’s territory, not even a proper crime. Any more persecution would truly be the world’s fault.

I immediately decided to take the rank upgrade test.

“The first test is automatically for Gray rank. If the examiner approves, you can take the next rank test right away. Take this paper and go down to the basement.”

“Yes.”

After giving me something like a guidebook, the receptionist sent me on my way, and I headed straight for the basement stairs.

[International Adventurer Guidebook.]

[1. If you kill an innocent person and become wanted as an adventurer, you’ll be wanted worldwide. (Domestic adventurers follow domestic law.)]

[2. Adventurer maintenance fees: Black rank 50,000 kan/year. Gray rank 45,000 kan/year. Red rank 40,000 kan… White rank no fee. (Different from domestic adventurer fees.)]

[3. Must complete at least 5 requests per year. Rank will decrease if quota isn’t met.]

[4. Parties must be formed through the Guild. The Guild will not compensate for damages incurred through privately formed part…]

Status Window translated the guidebook’s contents on its own, and I read it casually while descending the stairs.

Wait, Gray rank 50,000 kan? 500,000 won? More expensive than a passport? What’s with these prices? Have they gone mad? You could lose your family’s livelihood maintaining adventurer status.

With a feeling of “if you don’t like it, just get White rank,” I skimmed through the content and arrived at the basement testing area.

“Hmm? Ah, are you here for the Gray rank test?”

“Yes.”

“Come up. So, your weapon?”

“I fight bare-handed.”

Among the ranger skills I learned from my father, there were methods for handling daggers or machetes, but I rarely used them.

Father also told me to avoid using weapons if possible, to train my body instead of relying on weapons that might disappear when needed.

Of course, I’d like to use weapons in the future, but it’s not important right now.

“Hmm, it would be better to use weapons as an adventurer. We can teach swordsmanship here if needed. It’s 20,000 kan per half-year…”

“No thanks. I’ll just take the test.”

When I cut him off and insisted on taking the test, my examiner’s expression somehow became gloomy.

Could it be that he’s recruiting students? Even examiners must have a hard time making a living.

Soon, I stood facing the man holding a wooden sword in a small training ground.

“Well then, come at me. This is to measure your skill. You won’t get hurt. So you must come at me with full power.”

I nodded at the kind man’s explanation. However.

[Occupation Adventurer: Level 17]

Considering I’m level 300 with combined stats at level 50, if I went all out, this man would die.

I lightly stepped in to close the distance with my opponent.

“Huh, what?!!”

-Bang!

“Kuhak!!!”

The kind man’s chin was lifted upward by my palm that I struck with deliberately restrained force.

Since I didn’t put any strength into it, he shouldn’t be injured, right?

In my past life’s memory, hitting the chin would shake the brain and make someone fall… huh?

-Thud.

“…Eh?”

What? Did he just collapse forward… what?!!

“Huh? Huh? Mister. Breathe!! Breathe!!”

I found myself in a situation where I had to slap the cheeks of a non-criminal man until he started breathing again.

*

“Hmm. I used to be Blue rank in my day, you know? It would be a waste for you to remain at Gray rank. Would you like to take the Blue rank test? If you just get approval, you’ll be Blue rank. Even if you fail, you’ll be Red rank.”

“Yes. Thank you. I’ll take it.”

I deeply bow in gratitude to the kind man who gave me a proper evaluation despite momentarily falling unconscious because of me, his cheeks now swollen and sore.

He really stopped breathing, and I almost had to give him CPR from my past life’s memories, nearly losing my first kiss to a middle-aged man(!), but thankfully he woke up from the face slapping.

Combining my past and current lives, I’m still a virgin, and having my first kiss with a middle-aged man would have been too cruel a punishment for one mistake in controlling my strength.

“Huh? What? Devil, you got beaten by this kid?”

“Haha. Billy. This friend has good movement despite appearances. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Sigh. He clearly doesn’t meet the standard. Devil, maybe it’s time for you to retire? Geez. Why not just go to Red rank?”

The Blue rank examiner appeared, opposite to the older man in both personality and appearance, with golden sun-like features.

My goodness. Why is the kind man’s name Devil? Isn’t that guy the devil? And Billy? That golden sun is Billy?

My past life’s memory is going crazy, insisting that if this Billy guy stops breathing, it would be a disaster, so I shake my head vigorously.

No, that won’t happen.

[Occupation Adventurer: Level 21]

“Well, fine. What’s your weapon?”

“Bare hands.”

“Pfft! This kid’s all show, an adventurer without a blade? What’s with the hands? Geez, I’ll have to beat you up once to keep you from dying out there.”

“……”

Looking at this man who was completely opposite to the first examiner in both manner and speech, I think:

If I go all out on him too, he’ll die. And since I made the other examiner faint, I roughly know how to control my strength now.

“Come at me. I’ll make you pay for that ridiculous stance.”

“Yes.”

Watching him casually swinging his wooden sword, I immediately stomped on the ground.

And then.

“Corn.”

“Huh?!!”

I slapped his cheek with a full swing of my palm.