May 27th, 9,226.
The sun was just starting to rise, though blocked in view by the Great Enforcer.
It had been a week since Rein was invited to "join" the Royal Guards.
Nothing much had happened during the past few days, as Rein had just lived a quiet and normal life in the 2nd quadrant.
The only problem was her quickly diminishing money. Everything in the 2nd quadrant was just way too expensive to afford. Luckily, Miriko's Cafe Inn came with free food, which was why Rein could eat with a peaceful mind.
Still, after all her shopping – for herself and Ciel – she was now left with 5 Silver. Though that amount was still a lot of money for a normal human, just not for anyone living in the 2nd quadrant of the Floren Kingdom.
[ We should have just stayed in one of the other quadrants, regardless of what the Royal Guards said… I'm sure they could understand someone being poor. ] Ciel said from her shadow
[ Miriko's Cafe Inn really is quite cheap for this quadrant. Still, it's about time I start earning some money. ] Rein replied
Today, she was going to send a letter to Emille saying that she wouldn't have plans for joining the Royal Guards in the near future, but would work as a Scout instead.
Emille's address was written down in the envelope she had given to Rein.
After hand writing everything down with ink and double checking the text of the letter, Rein put the letter into an envelope with the required mailing details.
She then put a postage stamp on the envelope before dropping it off at a nearby post box.
[ Even sending a letter is quite expensive here… ] Ciel sighed inwardly
The cost of the postage stamp was a staggering 10 Copper. Even for the lavish 2nd quadrant, that price seemed slightly ridiculous.
[ Yeah… anyways, I'm going to the Scouts Guild now. There's no need to wait around anymore. ] Rein replied sourly
The Scouts Guild was an official branch of the Floren Kingdoms military, where anyone with the basic requirements could register and complete random missions for money.
It was located in the 2nd quadrant, Maude Borough, which was named after the prestigious Maude family.
Rein was now headed there to register herself so that she could start earning some money, no matter how less.
She had never worked a job back on Earth, and this would be the first time she would work for money, even though being a Scout wasn't really a normal job.
Luckily, Ciel was there to support her from the shadows.
[ After you earn 30 Silver and complete the Star Contract, I think you should take up Miriko's offer of joining Miriko's Cafe Inn as an employee. ] Ciel suggested
[ I was thinking the same. ] Rein said in agreement
There was no benefit to working as a Scout after earning enough money.
Miriko's Cafe Inn would not pay as much as being a Scout, but would give Rein an excuse to not have to work as a Scout, which in turn would give her more free time to wander the kingdom.
She had to find a way to the royal treasury of the Avadonn Palace, and working as a Scout certainly wouldn't bring her close to that goal.
It also seemed like Miriko and Zhanix were not related to the Royal Guards in any way, making them feel trustworthy.
After passing through multiple fancy streets in the 2nd quadrant, Rein finally made it to the Scouts Guild.
It was a simple single story building painted white, surrounded by various flowers and vines, giving the building a nature filled aesthetic.
This aesthetic was enhanced by a fountain whose water led into an old pond that was near the building.
Rein passed by the fountain and entered into the Scouts Guild.
The interior was quite spacious, with a slight grand feeling. There were a few other people gathered here.
Rein went up to the large reception where one could find a suitable mission. There was a young man standing there who was on duty.
All missions were kept in a folder according to the difficulty and payment. These folders were all kept in an organised bookshelf behind the reception desk.
Normal people couldn't take on something that was high in difficulty.
The young man behind the reception asked:
"Are you new here? If so, would you like to register as a Scout?"
"Yes please. Also, I'm an Awakened Sorcerer." Rein Awkwardly added
"I see. Please fill in your details here." He passed over a form and ink pen
Awakened Sorcerers or higher did not require a signing up fee of 5 Silver, making their registration completely free.
This was because no one would refuse the help of Soul Sorcerers, whether that be the Scouts Guild or mission contractees.
Rein quickly finished writing all necessary details, which included her name, age and contact information.
She didn't need to reveal her Ability or Attribute, since it was optional to fill that out.
"What type of mission are you looking for?
I'm sure we will have something that will suit you."
"I want a ticket to the Tempest Plains for a Global Mission." Rein replied with no hesitation
"Alright… that would be 50 Copper…" The receptionist said with uncertainty
[ He probably thinks that you don't have what it takes to defeat a Forsakened. ]
[ That means that you look like a complete amateur and weakling. ] Ciel said with humour
[ I would retort, but that is a good thing according to you, isn't it? You probably think we should both strive to look weak, but not weak enough to be considered incompetent. ]
[ Not that i disagree. ] Rein replied stoically
[ Yeah, you already know me quite well. ] Ciel said mentally, feeling a hint of content
Global Missions worked differently than the normal missions available at the Scouts Guild.
A Global Mission was something that was always available and could be done in mass.
For example, bringing in Forsaken Cores or other rare materials.
Forsaken Cores would sell depending on what Soul Tier they were at.
They would be bought for: 30 Copper, 10 Silver, 1 Gold, and 20 Gold respective to their Soul Tier.
Rein would only need to defeat three Twisted Forsakened to get 30 Silver.
Still, Global Missions had an even bigger benefit to them.
In normal missions, the one who requested the mission would send their request to the Scouts Guild with advanced payment.
The Scouts guild would take a cut from that payment as the middleman if a Scout completed the mission.
Though the money wasn't really theirs until the mission was complete, since it could be refunded if no one working as a Scout wanted to do the mission.
This was done so that the contractee wouldn't be able to argue about the cost of their mission later on.
For Global Missions, the Scouts Guild would buy the rare materials directly from you, without any extra tax.
The downside was that there were no Global Missions that could be done inside the kingdom. Still, it was worth the extra trouble of going out.
"Do you need a Transmissioner before you go?" The young receptionist said
"Maybe next time." Rein replied
A Transmissioner was a device that let one take on and complete missions while not having to go to the Scouts Guild. All rewards would directly be sent to the owner's bank.
Any type of mission was available on the Transmissioner, and it cost 1 Gold to buy.
That was the reason Rein didn't want one. It was an expensive B3 Artifact after all.
Eventually, she got herself a ticket to the Tempest Plains so that she could enter and exit the kingdom with ease.
She could thank Miriko for all the information about the Scouts Guild.
[ Once we come back, we'll find a way to reveal myself to Miriko and Zhanix. ] Ciel said
[ Are you sure? ]
[ Yeah. I think they can be trusted. I don't really want to stay in shadow form forever… who knows what could happen. Maybe I'll completely merge into your body. ]
[ Yeah, that wouldn't be good. ]
Even if Ciel revealed himself to Miriko and Zhanix, it would only be them. He didn't need or even want to walk around in public.
When Rein exited the Scouts Guild, it was already afternoon.
She quickly went back to Miriko's Cafe Inn for lunch before heading back out to the Novan Gate.
She walked at a decently fast pace, passing by all types of splendid manors, shopping districts, and boroughs belonging to nobles.
By the time she reached the gate, it was already evening, turning night.
The Novan Gate looked almost exactly the same as the Valenor Gate, with just a few barely noticeable differences.
Beyond the Novan Gate was the Tempest Plains.
Rein got through the gate security with ease since she had the Tempest Plains ticket.
Once she exited the gate and looked around, she could see the rolling hills of the Tempest Plains that stretched endlessly ahead of her.
In the distance towards the left of the Novan Gate was the Crystal Fjords.
[ We'll go there some other time. For now, I'll keep a distance from the Floren Kingdom before trying to hunt Forsakened too seriously. ]
[ Any changes with the observer? ] Rein asked
[ No. They're still there. They'll probably continue to keep an eye on you for a bit longer. ] Ciel replied
[ That's annoying. ] Rein said with an inward sigh
[ It can't be helped. There is something else you need to know, however. ]
[ Yeah? ]
[ Somebody else might be following you. It may just be a coincidence, but they have been following you since the time you left the Scouts Guild. ]
[ Yup, that's definitely a coincidence. ] Rein said sarcastically
[ Maybe they just want an autograph from your greatness. ]
[ I'm not that great. Yet. ]
[ Anyways, I'm feeling kinda annoyed right now, so I'm just gonna ignore them and walk through these cool plains for a while. ]
Like that, Rein ventured across the rolling hills of the Tempest Plains for a few hours while being followed by two strangers.
At least one of them had a good reason to follow her.