“Mr. Banning, please refrain from causing further commotion.”
“At our Sunny Town branch, we treat all bounty hunters equally. Please return during business hours tomorrow.”
To Tyler’s surprise, Emilia remained completely unfazed.
Not only did she maintain her composure on the surface, but she also showed no reaction within her heart.
(This girl is quite impressive…)
Emilia was the person with the least internal activity Tyler had encountered since arriving in this world.
Tyler had no intention of making himself look like a villain, but from the current situation, he did appear somewhat like a high-handed bully.
At this moment, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs as someone descended from the upper floor.
“What’s going on at this hour?”
The elderly voice carried an intimidating air; the person had yet to arrive, but the voice preceded them.
The surrounding people became “well-behaved” due to the voice, no longer causing a ruckus, and all turned their attention towards the staircase.
An old man with skin as dark and wrinkled as parched earth, sporting a short crew cut of white hair, appeared in the hall. He appeared to be over seventy, but his age was incongruent with his well-developed, solid muscles.
“Mr.Oleg, a newcomer has a golden badge from the Scarlet Family!”
The bounty hunter closest to the old man took the initiative to explain the situation, and Tyler checked the old man’s basic information at this time.
━━━━━━━━━
Oleg, male, 73 years old, Branch Chief of the Quest Guild – Sunny Town Branch
Production Occupation: Farmer – Lv12
Manufacturing Occupation: Stonemason – Lv15
Combat Occupation: Professional Mercenary – Lv50
━━━━━━━━━
(No wonder he has such strength, being the branch chief.)
After getting to know Granny Kasi, Tyler was no longer easily surprised.
Although Branch Chief Oleg was formidable, there was still a gap between him and Granny Kasi, a 67-year-old, Level 67 Mercenary Sage.
“A golden badge from the Scarlet Family?”
Oleg strode up to Tyler.
“Young man, I am the branch chief here. May I be allowed to verify the golden badge in your possession?”
Oleg spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, but it was evident he regarded Tyler’s identity with more importance than Emilia had.
Tyler didn’t mind and handed over the golden badge.
Oleg examined it carefully, quickly returning it to Tyler before asking another question.
“Pardon my intrusion, but may I ask what your relation to the Scarlet Family is?”
This question was somewhat sensitive, especially in front of so many people.
The situation had now escalated beyond Tyler’s intentions.
“Never mind, I’ll visit again another day.”
Tyler feigned apprehension and hurriedly left the Quest Guild.
(Silly Nissen: Eh? Why run away?)
(Tyler: It drew too much attention.)
(Silly Nissen: Uh, you’re not-o asking about the “trial”?)
(Tyler: The branch chief will come looking for me.)
.
Upon departing The Quest Guild, Tyler ambled through the nearby streets, seeking a suitable woman to charm.
Before long, Branch Chief Oleg approached him, a look of contrition upon his face.
“My sincerest apologies, sir. I was inconsiderate earlier. Might we converse in a more private setting?” Tyler assented, precisely the private conversation with the branch chief he desired.
Together, they retreated to a secluded tavern, its dimly lit interior perfect for clandestine discussions.
“Branch Chief Oleg, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Banning, a friend of Viviana.”
Tyler broached the subject without preamble.
“Viviana Scarlet?”
“Yes.”
— (I could hardly believe that the “Silver Wasp Queen” would have friends.)
Observing Oleg’s thoughts, Tyler unexpectedly gleaned a new epithet for Viviana.
(I never imagined she would become so renowned.)
(But it’s not surprising since, at only sixteen, Viviana is already a level 52 Magic Swordsman. It would be strange if such a prodigy remained obscure.)
“As a friend of the young Miss Scarlet, your presence truly graces our humble establishment,” Oleg spoke, pausing to sit up straight and bow his head slightly in apology.
“Please forgive our earlier indiscretion. Our receptionist can be rather inflexible.”
Oleg’s apology was both appropriate and genuine, lacking any ulterior motive.
Tyler now understood why Viviana had recommended this place.
“No matter. Treating everyone with impartiality is an admirable quality.”
“Hahaha, you flatter me. Now, how may I be of assistance?”
With misunderstandings cleared, they could address the true matter at hand.
Tyler inquired directly about the “trial,” causing Oleg to hesitate, surprised that such a distinguished guest would inquire about such trivial matters.
“What would you like to know about the ‘trial’? The number of trials currently overseen by our guild?”
“Please begin with the basics,” Tyler said.
“Very well.”
Oleg demonstrated his professionalism, thoroughly explaining the concept of the “trial” to Tyler.
The so-called “Trial” refers to a naturally formed magical space amidst the fluctuations of magical power.
This space manifests as a glowing cube, appearing anywhere.
Anyone who enters the glowing cube is instantly transported into the magical space, hence the glowing cube is also known as the “Gateway of Trials.”
Within the magical space, powerful monsters dwell. One must defeat these monsters and destroy their magical cores to leave the magical space.
Those who successfully conquer the magical space will be rewarded, and among the rewards is the lifting of the level restrictions for one’s current Combat Occupation. The corresponding level restrictions are as follows:
20,
50,
90,
140, and so on.
Challenging the magical space is the sole method to break the level restrictions, yet the risks involved are extremely high.
Firstly, only one person can enter the Gateway of Trials at a time.
Once someone enters, the gateway turns black and becomes inaccessible until the individual inside dies, at which point it will light up again. Should the challenger succeed, the Gateway of Trials will disappear as soon as they exit. 𝒐𝗏𝑙ℯxt.𝐜𝑜𝔪
Secondly, there are five colors of Gateways of Trials: white, yellow, orange, red, and purple. Each color represents a different difficulty level, with white being the easiest and purple the most challenging.
Nonetheless, even the easiest white trial has a death rate of 20 to 30 percent. As a result, the magical space is aptly called the “Trial.”
“One of our responsibilities at The Quest Guild is to manage the Gateways of Trials that appear near towns, preventing unsuspecting individuals from accidentally entering,” Oleg explained.
“How high is the death rate for the Purple Trials?” Tyler inquired.
Hearing the young man’s question, Oleg thought to himself, truly the recklessness of youth, not even alarmed by a 20 to 30 percent death rate.
“For the fifth-level difficulty purple Trial, the death rate within the Wester Kingdom is 100 percent.”