Having completed their first quest and returned to the city, Gravel and Iris contracted rooms in the Adventurers' Guild building. For eight silver coins, they secured two rooms with breakfast provided at the guild's ground-floor tavern and dining hall. There was a large, luxurious room on the top floor, the fifth floor, but at two gold coins per day, it seemed too expensive, so they opted for two basic rooms at four silver coins each.
The rooms were in good condition. A large bed, a bedside table, and two chairs next to it. The walls were bare, without a single painting, and the room had only basic furniture, giving it a somewhat lonely atmosphere. However, a large window allowed sunlight to flood the small room, creating a cozy feeling.
Since the rooms were intended for adventurers, there was no need for lavish decorations, large tables, or comfortable, oversized chairs. Many adventurers believed that as long as they could shelter from the cold of the night, rain, and chilly winds, that was enough.
After securing a place to stay, Gravel sat on the guild's ground floor, listening to the chatter around him and gathering a wealth of information. He learned that the city's name was Froikton and that it was part of the territory of Count Told, under the Duke Vanas's family in the northwestern part of the Esteta Kingdom. This he gleaned from the conversations of other adventurers. Afterward, he continued to gather information while taking on small quests. Tasks like collecting goat horns and hides from the western mountainous region or clearing out undead from an abandoned mine allowed him to gradually expand his range of activities around Froikton, taking on quests while accumulating information and funds.
Given their exotic appearance with black hair, one might have suspected Gravel and Iris of being spies from another kingdom as they asked questions here and there. However, their bold and open manner of asking led most people to assume they were adventurers from a far eastern land, and they answered within the limits of their knowledge without suspicion. This made it easy for Gravel and Iris to obtain the information and stories they sought.
Most of the information came from the guild's receptionist, other adventurers, shop clerks, or village chiefs who had posted quests for small villages. While not vast or varied, the information included details about the surrounding terrain, habitats of wild animals, locations for gathering useful plants, and the fact that the river flowing from the Norwan mountain range in the west, passing north of the city, and heading east was called the Deure River. Collecting these small pieces of information, Gravel and Iris gradually adapted to life in Froikton.
The northwest street of Froikton, near the Merchants' Guild, was bustling with the sounds of countless carriages coming and going, workers unloading goods, and merchants greeting their arriving trade partners. The northern street, frequented by those connected to the Merchants' Guild, was lined with taverns and lodging establishments.
Among these, at the very end of the tavern street, stood the Bellfog Tavern. Enduring the creaking sound of its hinges and opening the large wooden door revealed a quiet interior, as if shrouded in fog. It was daytime, but closed windows and thick curtains blocked out the sun, so only the faint light seeping through the window cracks and the glow of lanterns on the tables allowed one to barely make out the faces of those seated across.
Despite the dim atmosphere, the tavern was quite crowded. Unlike typical taverns, the patrons here drank quietly or ate with the occasional clink of cutlery, maintaining a subdued presence in Bellfog.
At one of the tables sat Gravel and Iris. As if it were routine, Gravel rested his chin on one hand, studying a map spread out on the table, while Iris quietly sipped steaming tea from a small cup, careful not to disturb her lord.
"We've explored most of the areas near the western mountains. Should we head beyond the range next?"
Having grown accustomed to life in Froikton, on days without quests or when quests ended early, Gravel began using magic to fly through the skies and scout the city's surroundings. Flying at high altitudes, he went unnoticed by others.
Despite exploring a wide area around Froikton, Gravel could not find his Aerial Citadel. Letting out a sigh mixed with disappointment and uncertainty, he marked the explored locations on the map spread out on the table at Bellfog.
After Gravel lost himself in thought for a while, a man entered Bellfog, accompanied by the creaking of the door. He had brown hair and sharp eyes. Contrary to his piercing gaze, the upturned corners of his mouth softened the intensity of his expression. Small throwing daggers were strapped to his waist, leather-padded arm guards protected his arms, and a short bow wrapped in leather, along with a quiver of arrows, was slung diagonally across his waist.
The man, who had been touching the pommel of a not-too-long sword sheathed at his waist, scanned the tavern's interior, turning his head this way and that. His gaze settled on one corner of the tavern, and with a wide grin showing his teeth, he strode quickly toward Gravel with large, confident steps.
"Well, well! I knew you'd be here, Mage!"
"Hello, Rude, right?"
Gravel turned in his chair to greet the man approaching him, folding the map on the table several times and tucking it into his coat.
"Oh? You remembered my name? That's flattering! Here, your share for helping out the other day."
With a jingle, Rude placed a heavy pouch on the table from his coat.
"How's your warrior companion doing?"
"Hmm, thanks to you, he's probably still passed out drunk from all the celebrating with this latest reward. He'll likely keep drinking when he wakes up. We earned enough to keep that up for a while."
With his eyes and head fixed on Iris, Rude continued.
"By the way, this lady is…?"
Rude's gaze was captivated, unable to tear itself away from Iris.
"This is Iris, my long-time companion."
Introduced, Iris gave Rude a slight nod in greeting.
"Oh! Gravel, did you see what was happening in front of the Adventurers' Guild today?"
Snapping back to reality as if his soul had returned to his body after staring at Iris, Rude continued.
"Huh? Iris and I were on a quest yesterday and only got back to Froikton this morning. We haven't been to the guild yet."
"I see. Well, the thing is, the Drake Hunting Crew came to town today. Rumor has it a pretty big drake was spotted in a canyon deep in the Norwan Mountains. So, I came to share the news and split the reward from the other day."
While talking, Rude caught the eye of a Bellfog waiter, pointed to Iris's teacup a few times, then to himself, seamlessly ordering the same tea Iris was drinking.
"And it seems the Drake Hunting Crew thinks this one's a tough opponent, so they're recruiting adventurers who can use healing magic. The catch is, if you've got a party, you can join freely, but no extra pay! Kind of a cheap deal, right?"
Rude grimaced with a bitter expression.
The mention of a drake piqued Gravel's interest. Most quests in Froikton involved dealing with low-level monsters, so facing a drake—a mid-tier or higher monster in Grand World—would be a chance to test his magic and strength. Since it was a hunting crew, he had no intention of drawing attention by using high-level magic in front of a crowd, but he considered experimenting with weakening or curse magic, or perhaps enhancement spells. He was also curious about the identity of this drake-hunting crew Rude mentioned.
"Can we join too? Do we go to the Adventurers' Guild to sign up?"
Gravel asked Rude with a voice tinged with excitement, a departure from his usual calm and composed tone.
"Huh? Yeah, just talk to the receptionist. Man, you've got some loyalty! You said 'we,' so that means Iris is joining too, right? Or does Iris use magic? Doesn't seem like it…"
Glancing at Iris's armor and the helmet on the table, Rude guessed she wasn't a magic user.
"Yeah, I'm a Way of Mana, so it's tough going solo. Are you joining too, Rude?"
Adventurers in Froikton, unlike in the game, referred to magic users as "Way of Mana" and those who fought with swords or weapons as "Steel Path." It wasn't clear if these were universal terms in this world, but since their activities were still centered around Froikton, Gravel used the local adventurers' terminology to make communication easier.
Not everyone used these terms, though. Gravel had been called "Mage," and Iris had been addressed as "knight" or "swordmaster," suggesting the terms weren't fully standardized.
"Of course, of course. Our honorable and devout Vareeld insisted we join too. They probably set those recruitment conditions knowing most Way of Mana folks have companions. Can't be helped. I hear the crew spends a lot on each hunt, so they're likely trying to cut costs."
"Let's head over then."
"Huh? I haven't finished my tea yet… Gravel? Wait, you're just leaving?"
While Rude hurriedly blew on his hot tea, trying to drink it quickly, Gravel stood up and walked out of Bellfog. His quick, light steps betrayed his excitement.
"A group hunting drakes? Like the professional field boss raiders in Grand World Online?"
Rude, having scalded his lips on the hot tea, followed Gravel out of Bellfog, with Iris trailing behind her lord.
"By the way, Gravel, you said you're from the far east, right?"
"Yes."
"Are there a lot of beauties like Iris there?"
Rude's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Not really."
"Really? That's a shame… such a shame. I was thinking about taking a trip."
Rude, who had been ready to quit adventuring and embark on a long journey east, let his lips droop in disappointment.
"Still, I'd love to visit someday. What was the kingdom called again?"
"It's the Huld Kingdom, on the easternmost side of the Laviroon continent."
Tired of vaguely referring to a far eastern kingdom, Gravel had memorized the name and location of the easternmost kingdom from the guild receptionist's explanations about the continent's nations.
"Oh? Huld Kingdom, huh… I've got to visit it someday."