Translator: Nox

I Became A Married Man in Another World

Chapter 46

#046 Party Registration

Following the gatekeeper's directions, taking the stone-paved road from the village entrance leads directly to a wide square.

The stone road that Dorothy had found so fascinating expanded greatly upon reaching the square, forming a circular shape.

Several large buildings were erected as if surrounding the circular square. Narrow-looking roads ran between the buildings, with more buildings lined up along those paths.

The 'Adventurer's Guild' with the Santa illustration was the largest among the buildings surrounding the square.

'But it's strange.'

Why is Santa in a world like this? Wearing a red hat and clothes, no less. To have him drawn so prominently on the Adventurer's Guild sign—the reason was truly a mystery. Surely Santa wasn't the first Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild or something like that.

While Joo-hwan was staring at the sign, Lizzie slowly drove the carriage closer to the Adventurer's Guild.

As they arrived in front of the building and stopped the horses, a boy of about ten years old ran over from somewhere.

"Welcome! Are you guests heading to the Guild? It must be your first time in this town."

The boy was carrying something like a square wooden box that looked quite large compared to his body. With handles on both sides, the boy was grunting as he held it with both hands.

Before Joo-hwan could disembark, the boy quickly set the wooden box down next to the driver's seat.

"Customer, please step on this to get down!"

It was like watching a shoeshine boy from an old movie. It felt like he was forcibly taking the shoes from a sitting customer.

The boy continued with a beaming smile.

"Customer, shall I watch over your carriage and horses? It would be a disaster if someone stole your things. Besides, the horses need to rest too."

"...."

No, I'm a bit wary because I think you might be the one to do it. Joo-hwan thought so as he watched the boy silently.

The boy wiped his runny nose with his sleeve and grinned.

"At our place, if you stay for more than three days, we charge half price for horse feed. If you haven't decided on a place to sleep yet, come to our house. We'll treat you well."

As soon as the boy finished speaking, a scrawny man ran over. He grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck. Even though the boy was choking and gagging, the man didn't let go of his tight grip.

"Hehe, Customer, our lodging is much better than this brat's place."

Joo-hwan frowned instinctively. They seemed to be competitors, but even so, was there a need to be so rough with a child?

The boy struggled to escape the man's grasp, but it was no use. The man held onto the child's clothes firmly.

"Stop it."

When Joo-hwan grabbed the man's wrist, the boy tumbled to the ground as if falling away.

The scrawny man glanced around warily and added a few more words, but when they didn't work at all, he slunk away elsewhere.

With tears welling in his eyes, the boy sniffled.

"I'm sorry. Our house is a bit poor... the lodging is a bit small... and my father is weak and can't work. He just plays at home every day. So my mother works alone and it's always hard... but our food is really delicious, Customer."

Joo-hwan felt a bit sorry for him. He didn't know how things would turn out yet, but if the price was the same, staying at this child's lodging might be okay. Maybe he'd ask about the price later.

"I don't know yet. Whether we'll stay here."

At Joo-hwan's words, the boy's face brightened. He bowed repeatedly, saying thank you, and then held out his hand.

"Customer, I'll watch the horses for you. If I'm guarding them, even thieves won't be scary."

"...."

He appreciated the sentiment, but it would be awkward if he ended up leaving town without staying at the boy's lodging. Besides, it wasn't as if he could trust this kid yet.

While Joo-hwan hesitated, the three adventurers he had seen at the entrance earlier came out of the Adventurer's Guild.

The boy flinched and quickly bowed to Joo-hwan.

"Customer, I'll be watching from a distance. So you won't get robbed. Don't worry about the carriage."

The boy scurried away and hid inside an alley.

What was that? Joo-hwan looked down. The boy hadn't even taken his wooden box. He didn't seem like a swindler or a thief, so what was it?

The three adventurers saw Joo-hwan and the carriage and approached.

"What, it's the person from earlier."

"Was he an adventurer?"

The men clicked their tongues as they looked toward the alley where the boy had fled. One of them muttered.

"Running away at the sight of us.... I guess he's out lying again even after getting scolded like that."

Wondering what they meant, Joo-hwan looked at the men, and the one who had muttered gave a smirk.

"That kid earlier, didn't he say his father was hurt, or dead, or something like that?"

"He said he just plays at home."

When Joo-hwan spoke, the men burst out laughing.

"So he changed his story because he got scolded."

"That brat's father is perfectly fine."

"He's an adventurer, that kid's father. He's mostly quit now, but he still does adventurer work occasionally."

"We got tricked too when we first came to this town."

"That kid tells all sorts of lies just to pull in customers."

"And he'll sneakily sell beer to the customers at a high price, too."

One of the adventurers kicked the box placed next to the carriage. It seemed there was beer inside.

Joo-hwan was a bit surprised. Beer aside, to think he would lie about someone being hurt or dead. He wondered if the boy wasn't worried about his words becoming reality.

"...."

Above all, if you go to that lodging, you'll be found out immediately. Is it because he's a kid?

He didn't seem to think about the consequences.

"Hey, listen. If you go behind this building, there's a place to keep carriages and horses. There are Guild people there, so you don't have to worry about being robbed. That kid earlier definitely said he'd watch the carriage. And then he'd demand coins in return."

"...Thank you."

There's a saying that if you close your eyes in Seoul, they'll cut off your nose; this was exactly that situation. He felt he needed to keep his wits about him.

After the adventurers left, he looked back to see Lizzie sitting on the driver's seat with her eyes wide in surprise.

Only Dorothy was peacefully staring at the sign, knowing nothing.

Looking at her, he suddenly realized. Perhaps Dorothy had never seen a colored picture before.

The village was a place without shops, let alone signs. It was just houses. There probably weren't even any books. She was at an age where she should be looking at picture books, and he felt a bit sorry for her.

As Lizzie drove the carriage behind the building, there was a space for tethering horses. It was quite spacious.

As they left the carriage in an empty spot and tied up the horses, a caretaker approached.

"Do you need horse feed or water? For 1##, you can feed them until night."

It was a slightly unfamiliar word, so he wondered what it meant, but he remembered quickly.

Lizzie had once taught him about the currency units of this world. What he just said was probably, right, a copper coin. A coin made only of copper.

It was the lowest currency unit, but even that was rarely used in the village. In the village, even when peddlers came, most goods were bought and sold in a form close to bartering.

So he had no money. Not a single cent.

He had planned to make money by selling furs once he got here, but he hadn't expected to need it so soon.

'What should I do?'

Should he make some money first?

"...."

Could he sell rabbit fur to the Guild? Or should he find another place to sell it? Joo-hwan sighed slightly and looked at the caretaker.

"I don't have money right now. Does the Guild buy rabbit fur?"

"Of course."

The caretaker smiled broadly.

"Don't worry. There's no charge for leaving the carriage here. Rabbit fur prices have gone up a lot lately. I'll be watching the carriage here, so don't worry and go on in. And later, when you sell the rabbit fur and get some money, please buy some horse feed here. This is my #income."

He probably meant side income. Joo-hwan replied that he would do so and then turned toward the Guild office.

*

The interior of the Adventurer's Guild was quite large. To the left of the main entrance was a wall covered in papers, and to the right were several tables and chairs.

Rough-looking men occupied the tables. Weapons and backpacks were placed around them. They all seemed to be adventurers.

Opposite the entrance was the reception desk. Several guild members were seated there, giving it the feel of a bank teller's desk.

Only the reception desk on the far right was slightly different in shape from the others. The space was a bit wider.

'Is that the place where they purchase goods?'

He hoped the rabbit fur price was high, as the caretaker said. Considering the peddler he met in the village, it seemed like it would be a fairly high price...

Joo-hwan looked around the building once more, but there were no people or items dressed as Santa. He had no idea what that sign was about.

"...."

As Joo-hwan entered the Guild, everyone's eyes turned toward him.

Lizzie was calm as usual, but Dorothy seemed a bit frightened. When the gazes of the fierce-looking men focused on them, she clung tightly to Joo-hwan's leg. Dorothy spoke in a small voice.

"Daddy, everyone is staring."

"It's okay. It's just because we're strangers."

Joo-hwan scooped the child up. He walked straight inside with Lizzie. Joo-hwan stood before the guild member in the very center and asked.

"I want to sell rabbit fur. Do I have to join the Guild before I can sell it? Or can I just sell it?"

The guild member's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Our Adventurer's Guild does not trade with the general public. We only trade with those who have joined the Guild. This is a place for adventurers. If you have rabbit pelts, you can sell them after joining."

The guild member continued with a kind smile.

"Are you an adventurer? If you're going to join, we'll start the ## immediately."

The guild member glanced at Joo-hwan's body and the axe at his waist, then nodded.

"Is your main weapon an axe? Axes are good. Easy to get, cheap, and convenient to use. In our Guild, we divide all adventurers into ##. Everyone who first joins becomes a 6#."

There was no chance to get a word in. Still, he roughly understood what was being said. It was probably referring to adventurer ranks.

The guild member didn't give Joo-hwan a chance to speak, said "Ah," and then continued.

"Have you paid your poll tax? If you haven't paid it yet, you can pay it by next winter after joining. Some people join our Guild just because of the poll tax. Many people fall into debt and become slaves because they can't pay the poll tax every year. Sigh, it's a really hard world to make a living in."

As the guild member spoke, they rummaged under the desk and pulled out a few sheets of paper.

"Living is by no means easy. Many people die as soon as they join the Guild, and in many cases, things turn out badly because they eventually can't pay the poll tax. If you don't have enough income to pay the poll tax, well, there's nothing we can do. The Guild isn't a ####."

The guild member looked at the backpack Joo-hwan was carrying with sparkling eyes and dipped a pen in ink.

"First, please tell me your weapon. Shall I write down 'axe'?"

Finally, he was given a chance to speak.

"I'm a mage."

"...."

The guild member tilted their head and asked again.

"An axe?"

"I'm a mage."

"Eeeeeeeek?"

He was a noisy person. The guild member craned their neck over the desk to look at Joo-hwan and muttered, "I'm shocked."

"I'm truly surprised. A mage with that appearance. I'm really surprised."

"...."

"Of course, just because you're a mage doesn't mean you have to be all thin and ####. Hmm, I see. A mage. That's rare. But are you really going to join the Guild? If you're a mage, it's more profitable to go to a noble."

The guild member frowned slightly.

"In our Guild, though it's a bit of a shame, if you have even a little ability, it's much more beneficial to go to a noble. Ah, but if your ability is only enough that you have no choice but to join the Guild—no, that's not it, ahem, ahem, there are occasionally mages who refuse nobles and become adventurers."

The guild member, perhaps thinking they had made a mistake, moved their hands around in flustered embarrassment. They seemed worried that Joo-hwan might be angry. They glanced at Joo-hwan's hands and the axe.

Well, he wouldn't get angry over something like that. Before Joo-hwan could say it was okay, Dorothy spoke up first.

"Our daddy is an amazing mage! He makes little fires and kills goblins by whacking them with his axe! It's amazing."

The guild member looked at Joo-hwan's axe once more and nodded as if convinced.

"Right, with an axe. Little girl, your father must be very strong."

"Yeah! Dorothy's daddy is super strong! The flames die out suddenly, but he's super strong!"

"...."

The guild member made a troubled "hmm" sound and then smiled broadly.

"Children really can't lie. It's okay. While I've been working here at the Guild, I've seen mages a few times, but their main weapons were something else too. Not all mages fight with magic. It's okay. Still, I'll write down 'mage' for now. It's really fine. I can just add that you use an axe."

Because of Dorothy, the guild member seemed to have completely misunderstood. It didn't matter much, though.

Lizzie seemed to find the guild member's misunderstanding amusing, as she giggled beside him.

However, Dorothy, perhaps thinking she had bragged properly, puffed out her chest while being held in Joo-hwan's arms. Oz, who had been sleeping in the pocket of Dorothy's clothes, seemed to have woken up from the noise. The pocket wiggled and squirmed.

Just then, the guild member at the far right reception desk approached and spoke.

"While you're joining the Guild, I'll help you with selling the rabbit fur. First, I need to see the condition of the pelts to determine the price."

The right-hand reception desk was indeed the place for purchasing goods, just as he thought. When Joo-hwan placed the backpack full of rabbit fur on the desk, the purchasing guild member checked inside and let out an "Oh."

"It wasn't just one pelt."

The guild member, who was carefully examining the inside of the rabbit fur, spoke up.

"The quality is quite good. I don't know who processed the leather, but they're quite skilled. These days, it's rare to find someone who processes it so meticulously like this."

"...Thank you."

Lizzie grinned with a shy but proud expression. The purchasing guild member seemed a bit surprised.

"Was it done by the lady? This leather processing is exactly the way old hunters used to do it."

"I learned it from an elderly hunter."

"That was a very good opportunity. Processing it this way makes the price significantly higher. People don't do it like this these days. It takes too much time and effort."

The guild member who was helping with the registration spoke up.

"You guys are really lucky. Right now, fur imports are blocked because of the war. Even nobles are having trouble finding high-quality fur, so there are quite a few cases where rabbit fur is being used now. That's why the price has gone way up. On top of that, it's well-processed? You can name your price."

He was noisy, but Joo-hwan was grateful for the various bits of information he provided without being asked.

The guild member picked up the pen again and asked.

"Then I'll register you as a mage for now."

"Ah, please wait a moment."

Joo-hwan brought up what he had been thinking about carefully on the way here.

"I'd like to register not just myself, but together with other people. Is that possible?"

"Ah, do you mean a ##? Of course it's possible."

It seemed they called an adventurer party a ## here. Joo-hwan nodded.

"Yes. I'd like to register together as a party."

"Yes, who will you be registering with?"

At the guild member's question, Joo-hwan replied.

"It's these two people here."

"...."

The guild member tilted their head and looked at Lizzie and Dorothy.

"I'm sorry, but the people forming a party must have some sort of, well, ability. Of course, most are adventurers who fight together, but if not that, they must at least handle management, or be in charge of cooking—anyway, they have to do something."

The guild member continued with a troubled expression.

"We cannot register someone who does nothing as a party member. This is a rule."

Joo-hwan looked at Lizzie. Lizzie's eyes were wide as if she were startled.

"This person is in charge of leather processing and management, and this child is...."

Joo-hwan fell silent for a moment while looking at Dorothy. What should he say? Just then, Oz's ear popped out from inside Dorothy's clothes. Joo-hwan hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"This child can give orders to magical beasts."

"Eeeeeeeek?"

Almost at the same time the guild member made the sound, Dorothy shouted loudly.

"Daddy, Dorothy had a magical beast? Where is it?"

Well, in your pocket?