Goodwill
I arrived at Harang Guild Hall, and despite it not being a particularly busy time, the place was packed.
It was a testament to Harang Guild Hall's popularity.
I'd heard they've been getting a lot of customers lately.
I guess you could really feel it.
Lost in thought, I took a seat.
Just then, Teron approached me.
I could tell it was him from afar thanks to his shining head.
"Hmm, what brings you here today?" he asked.
"I don't need a reason to come here, do I? Your food is delicious."
"Ah... right. My apologies."
"It's fine. By the way, are there a lot of benefits to reaching Gold Plate Rank?" I asked.
I was genuinely curious.
About the benefits of reaching Gold Plate Rank.
Of course, there had to be some, but I wondered if there were any significant advantages.
As I asked, Teron gave me a puzzled look.
"...You did have a reason for coming, didn't you?"
"Well... yeah?"
Teron shook his head and said, "I'm not a Gold Plate Rank myself, so I don't know all the exact benefits, but I've heard from my wife that there are pros and cons."
"Your wife is a Gold Plate Rank...?"
"Yeah, you could say that. She achieved it a while back."
Teron's lips curled up slightly as if he were the one who had achieved the rank.
From my observations of Teron, any change in his expression meant he was feeling emotional.
Quite intensely, in fact.
He usually maintained a poker face.
So, I decided to compliment him a bit more.
Partly because it was the expected response, and partly because it was genuinely impressive.
"Wow, that's really amazing."
"Ahem, it's nothing special. My wife is stronger than me."
He seemed like a very devoted husband.
There was no other reason for him to keep boasting like that.
As I was thinking this, Teron must have realized he was getting sidetracked because he cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, what's the main reason you want to reach Gold Plate Rank? That's the most important thing."
My reason for wanting to reach Gold Plate Rank?
There was only one.
"To use the bank. The deposit limit is too low right now."
There were Adventurers' Guild branches in other cities.
This meant that if I deposited money in the bank, I could withdraw it from other locations.
Teron seemed to ponder this for a moment before replying, "It's a good idea once you have around 500 gold. The interest is pretty decent."
"I see..."
Although I was on good terms with Teron, I was a bit hesitant to disclose my finances.
So, I just laughed awkwardly and moved on.
I had received my answer, so I could have left, but since I was already there, I thought I might as well contribute to his sales.
So, I placed an order.
"In that case, I'll have the grilled pork. With a beer."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Personally, I wasn't a big fan of beer, but a cold one really hit the spot.
Even though I wasn't much of a drinker, I couldn't help but crave it sometimes.
With that in mind, I placed my order and sat down, pulling out my phone to check the forum.
Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to make a quick post.
[Author: ReallyDirtPoor]
[Title: Decided to go for Gold Plate Rank lol]
[Content: Thanks to everyone who gave me advice]
Posting something like this every now and then ensured that people would continue to help me in the future.
If I just sat back and reaped the benefits without contributing, there was a high chance people would get fed up and stop.
Thinking about it, I figured it would be nice to return the favor and help others as well.
Maybe it would earn me some goodwill.
"Hmm..."
My knowledge mainly revolved around magic and practical life skills.
As a former beggar, I knew where to find free food handouts and which areas had the most edible trash.
Of course, this was limited to Lookfelt, but I figured other cities would have similar resources.
People's needs were pretty universal.
Lost in thought, I browsed through the forum posts.
[Author: PartyLover]
[Title: Total magic noob here, what am I supposed to do?]
[Content: (Picture) Stuck on this part, totally clueless…]
Hmm.
This was a very basic magic spell.
Finding the post rather endearing, I decided to give a friendly reply.
L ReallyDirtPoor: Just memorize all the runes in that section lol
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: They don't even come up later anyway
A moment later, a reply popped up.
ã„´PartyLover: But it's like 40 pages long...?
I couldn't comprehend their response.
Wasn't memorizing 40 pages a given if you wanted to use magic?
Dumbfounded, I replied.
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: Yeah, you just gotta memorize it
Another reply followed swiftly.
ã„´PartyLover: That's impossible
ã„´PartyLover: How am I supposed to memorize all that?
I was getting slightly annoyed.
This was basic knowledge for any aspiring magic user.
It was how I learned magic.
Come to think of it, I had asked Silvia before, and she had learned the same way.
So, it wasn't me who was in the wrong.
It was this forum user who had a problem with memorization.
I decided to give them a piece of my mind.
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: You can't memorize it?
ã„´ PartyLover: ?
ã„´ PartyLover: Can YOU memorize it?
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: Why WOULDN'T you be able to?
ã„´ PartyLover: Lol just assuming everyone's a brainiac like you
ã„´ PartyLover: Makes me want to punch you
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: ??
ã„´ PartyLover: Blocked, bye
"...What was that about?"
I wasn't angry.
Just baffled.
I was simply trying to help, sharing my knowledge, and this was the reaction I got?
It made me question why I even bothered trying to help others.
Being repaid with insults for my good intentions left a sour taste in my mouth.
Deciding to ignore the negativity, I checked the replies on my own post.
Just one more act of kindness, I told myself. Surely, this next person wouldn't be the same.
[Author: StarvingArtist]
[Title: Being broke sucks, man]
[Content: Lost all my money gambling, now I'm homeless and starving. Where can I get some food? Seriously gonna die out here]
This was my area of expertise.
A year of living as a beggar had made me intimately familiar with the ins and outs of this world's street life.
I was confident in my ability to offer useful advice.
With that in mind, I typed out a reply.
L ReallyDirtPoor: If you wander around the back alleys, you'll find spots with a lot of other beggars. You can usually find scraps there, or
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: Check the less-frequented dumpsters for rotten food
ã„´ ReallyDirtPoor: It's surprisingly edible
This advice came from firsthand experience.
ItIt was hard-earned wisdom that you wouldn't find just anywhere.
I had spent a year on the streets, and this knowledge was my reward.
As I waited for a response, a new comment appeared.
ã„´StarvingArtist: Eat rotten food? Are you insane?
ã„´StarvingArtist: I'm not an animal
ã„´:Even animals wouldn't eat rotten food lol..
ã„´:For real lol
"Ugh, this is infuriating."
I was trying my best to be helpful, offering the wisdom I had gained through hardship, only to be met with such disrespect.
Perhaps it was best to just stick to my own post and enjoy my meal.
[Author: ReallyDirtPoor]
[Title: Decided to go for Gold Plate Rank lol]
[Content: Thanks to everyone who gave me advice]
L Ferus: Congratulations!
ã„´Ferus: You're reaching Gold Plate Rank so quickly.
ã„´:It's cute how the Adventurer Master is congratulating him lol
L:Congrats
L:Gotta respect the Gold Plate
L:Oh, sick
L:Any particular reason for going for Gold Plate? They take a cut of your earnings
ã„´:Gold Plate is all about the prestige
ã„´:Can't argue with that lol
As I scrolled through the comments, my food arrived.
"Your order is ready."
Teron's expressionless delivery sent chills down my spine.
I quickly spoke up, "You... You can drop the formality. There's no need for that kind of tone."
"I find this way of speaking more comfortable when addressing customers. Our previous conversation was a personal one."
"Ah, I see."
If he was comfortable with this manner of speaking to customers, it wasn't my place to object.
I quickly finished my meal and left Harang Guild Hall.
My destination: the Adventurers' Guild.
I would rank up to Gold Plate, buy a tanghulu on the way home, and call it a day.
Creak—
The familiar groan of the old door welcomed me back to the Adventurers' Guild. As usual, Esily was dozing off at her desk.
However, I didn't feel like waking her this time.
Seeing her handle all the land-related tasks on top of her usual duties had aroused a sense of sympathy within me.
I decided to wait patiently.
Then—
"Hmm...?"
Esily's eyes fluttered open.
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