<b>The main gates of the city of Leceron.</b>
"So, can anyone explain why is there a massive dead Alpha Thunderwolf bound to the top of your carriage?" The gatekeeper guard asked.
"Well, uh, we killed it?" Jandel asked meekly.
"We know that''s bullshit Jandel, no way can you and your party, a coachmen, and... whoever this young miss with that weird attire is, can possibly defeat an alpha Thunderwolf of all monsters! It is an A-rank beast for gods sake!" The guard yelled at Jandel, attracting the attention of other adventurers and passing civilians alike...
"Well uh... we can split some of the bounty money with you? Heheh?" Jandel laughed meekly.
"Ugh, who did you think I am? Of COURSE I would want a split of that delicious revenue you got there." The guard smiled devilishly, patting Jandel on the shoulders.
Little did the guard know, I was the one who killed that alpha wolf-thing. Or, to be more exact, that stupidly powerful harpoon I threw punched straight through the alpha Thunderwolf''s skull, instantly killing it, and frying the entire body as well due to the harpoon absorbing the ball of positive charge, unleashing it right on the wolf instead.
The rest of the wolf pack''s reaction was priceless, they straight up froze in place, and Jandel and his adventurer friends even killed a few of them before they digested their devastating losses and ran back into the depth of the forest.
As much as I dislike the progress of technology, that display of raw power was pretty satisfying.
For the sake of normalcy though I told Jandel and his party to not tell anyone about this, and that in return they can do whatever they want with the wolf carcasses.
Them binding the big bad wolf boss to the top of the carriage was NOT something I considered they would do, but well, I should''ve expected it, since while cleaning up the corpses, Melissa told me that "adventurers" are essentially monster hunters, that also occasionally does some bounty work that helps with the development of of towns and villages.
Sounds like a fairly decent job, until you realize that area development in this world is tied pretty close with monster hunting.
"Well, be on your way Jandel and your party. Wait- " The gatekeeper guard halted the carriage just before we are about to go.
"Miss, who are you again? You don''t seem familiar around here. Do you have an entry permit?" He questions me.
"Uhhhh-" Before I could reply, Melissa covers for me and said first. "She is new here so she isn''t familiar with how things gets done here, we will get her to the registration desk at the guild once we get in."
"-Right. Fair enough." The guard looks like he was going to ask more questions, but it seems like he was content enough with Melissa''s persuasion.
As the carriage crossed the gates, I whispered a thanks to Melissa.
"I don''t know why you are here, but you look a bit confused, so we will be glad to help you!" She smiled.
Bronsted rolls his eyes. "Hey, when did I ever- OW!" Followed immediately by a whack from Melissa''s staff.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"Shush, meathead. Be nice to others, okay?" She stared at Bronsted in the eye.
"Alright alright, fine." Bronsted crossed his shoulders and looked out of the window instead. I sighed in relief.
"It''s okay, with me here, we will get over with your registration soon enough." Melissa said. "Its not that hard anyway."
<hr>
<b>Permit registration guild, City of Leceron.</b>
Turns out, it is actually harder than she described.
"Date of birth?"
"[DATA CORRUPTED - INVALID]"
"...Date of birth?" The receptionist asked again. I sighed as I repeated what I said.
"[DATA CORRUPTED - INVALID]"
"Mhmmm, darling, I still can''t seem to understand what you are saying." The receptionist raised her eyebrows as she looked at me.
I sighed, as Jandel and Melissa comforted me. "Ah, language barriers can be a pain sometimes, isn''t it?" Jandel said.
Well it''s not really a language barrier, but it feels weird, like something is preventing the translation of me speaking my date of birth. Definitely weird and requires investigation, but I am kind of busy right now, so I asked the receptionist for a solution.
"Can I, um, just not put my date of birth? I know I am 22 years old."
"An age of 22? Oh please, do you look-"
"Ma''am, I can confirm that she is 22." Jandel took out what looks like a card of some sort, and after looking at it, the receptionist looked at me with the strangest look, then shrugged and wrote something on a bronze plate
"Well, here is your entry permit for the city... Nina. What a strange name. Anyways, this will be 20 copper coins, please."
Melissa pulls out a small sack from her robe, and some small copper coins floated out from the sack and right into the receptionist''s hands.
"And that is 20 copper coins, thank you. Have a good day." The receptionist stopped focusing on us and went back to her weird fondness of staring at that one particular potted plant placed in the center of the room.
"<i>Almost</i> wasn''t hard, was it?" Melissa grinned at me. I rolled my eyes.
"Alright Melissa, I know you''ve grown a liking to uhhh... Nona? But she better be getting off to do her own stuff now, isn''t it?" Jandel said. "You were very... showy for a first-timer here, so for the sake of the safety of my friends..."
"Jaaaandel. Do you really have to be the first downer in Nina''s first visit to Laceron?" Melissa crossed her arms, unamused.
"W-well it wasn''t like that. She is just um, really, powerf- uh, <i>really </i>strong. Uh, <i>Nina</i>, on behalf of the citizens, I welcome you to the best city in the continent, the city of Laceron!"
<hr>
<b>Adventurer''s guild dinner lounge, City of Leceron.</b>
"This is so juicy, so meaty... never in my entire life had I eaten something so scrumptious!" Bronsted waved around the big leg meat of some animal while using some of the most intelligent words I''ve seen him used since my first encounter with him. I had to cover my mouth while quieten my uncontrollable chuckling to not get caught by him.
"Even after splitting some of the revenue to that Mr. bastard guard we still have so much money, all thanks to you Nina. Cheers!"
<i>Clink!</i> Goes the sound of the two wine cups touching each other.
Melissa seems to want to say something as I drank the expensive looking fruit wine (made from self-claimed "lots of exotic fruits", but it smells like apples. Maybe apples are a thing here?), but she swallowed it down as if she realized something.
<b>Warning, consumption-grade alcohol detected. All toxins has been automatically repurposed for electricity production.</b>
Annnnd when I finished pouring the wine into my throat, the lingering taste is that of fruit juice.
<i>Can I turn this off? </i>I thought of this quietly
<b>Negative. This feature is a core system function and cannot be separated.</b>
Well, not the biggest bummer I''ve experienced since reincarnating into this world, but that means all fruit wines will taste like fruit juices forever.
On a second thought... I can do something fun.
"Hey, want to try a drinking contest?" I smirked at Bronsted.
"Ha! Challenging me to a drinking contest? Let it be known that I am the runner up for last year''s grape wine festival contest, a puny girl like you would never, ever win!"
"Heh, I bet I will." I poked at him, and his face turned as red as a tomato.
"How DARE you. Waiter! We are doing a wine drinking contest, right here and right now!" He roared.
"Coming, coming! Don''t rush!" The waiters rushed to the storage, and brought out big barrels of wine
"A drinking contest?"
"Is that a girl? Drinking contest? Absolutely ridiculous..."
"How could she win? Isn''t that Bronsted? I heard he was the runner up for last year''s festival."
"Oh golly this showdown is going to be SO fire... lads, bring in the betting table!"
Jandel and Melissa looked at each other. "Uh, oh." They said in unison.<hr>