Chapter 7: First Step

The next day, sunlight streamed into a simple room, revealing its modest furnishings: a wooden bed, a basic wardrobe, a table, and a chair.

The golden rays illuminated the space, while the cheerful sounds of birds chirping and distant chatter drifted in through the window.

On the wooden bed, a figure stirred beneath the blanket and slowly sat up.

Sage stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn. He looked around with a dazed expression, still wearing that groggy look of sleep.

After blinking for a moment, he lightly slapped his face and shook his head as if trying to shake off the remnants of slumber.

“Oh right, I transmigrated! For a second there, I thought I was kidnapped,” he chuckled softly as he pushed aside the blanket and got off the bed.

His feet touched the cool wooden floor as he did some stretches; his bones creaked slightly.

With a satisfied grin on his face, Sage remarked to himself, “What a good sleep.”

He walked out of his room into a small hallway lined with doors on both sides but paid them little mind. At the end of the hall stood an imposing door. He opened it to find several large basins filled with steaming hot water.

Seeing that no one else was around made him smile as he gazed at the inviting water in front of him.

“This inn really knows how to do business!” he muttered under his breath before stripping off his clothes and stepping into one of the basins for a bath.

As he soaked in the warm water, relaxation washed over him.

A contented smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t waste my one gold coin at all; this is fantastic!”

After ten minutes had passed, Sage finished bathing and returned to his room to put on fresh clothes he’d purchased yesterday after leaving the tavern.

He made his way down to the main lobby area of the inn, a bustling restaurant and quickly found an empty table. Moments later, a waiter approached him. Without hesitation, Sage ordered food.

When it arrived shortly thereafter, the waiter smiled politely and said, “Please enjoy.”

Sage nodded appreciatively before turning his attention back to his meal. The food wasn’t overly simple nor luxurious; however, its enticing aroma filled his nostrils as he dug in without delay.

“Not bad… not bad at all,” Sage nodded between bites. “But it’s not quite as good as Mama Maria’s cooking!”

His thoughts wandered back to Earth, wondering how she was doing and if she missed him. Old Harry would be sad too; those two meant more than family to him.

“Sigh… let’s not dwell on this now,” Sage shook his head and continued eating.

“Now that I have grasped some basic information about this world, it’s time to think about my future,” he muttered quietly.

“Hey system! Are you there?” Sage called out mentally.

[Yes Host]

Sage let out a sigh of relief when he heard the system voice. He had been worried that all of this might just be a dream, a figment of his imagination.

“System, you pretty much understand this world already, so how do I go about introducing the concept of adventuring here? Without dungeons, how can I spread the holy words of adventure?” Sage munched on his food as he spoke.

[Host, adventuring doesn’t necessarily mean raiding dungeons. It can include various missions like protecting a caravan or defending a village from monsters, among others.] the system replied.

“Yeah, I know that!” Sage rolled his eyes. “But dungeons are the main source of adventure! This world is such a mess right now. All the dungeons are controlled by powerful nobles; I can’t do anything against them. How am I supposed to fight for a dungeon when those greedy nobles are involved? I might even die again!” Sage complained bitterly.

[Don’t worry, host. In time, you will be able to own a dungeon, but that’s not your priority right now. What matters is finding a location to establish the Adventurer Guild.]

Sage fell silent as he considered the system’s words. It was true; worrying about owning dungeons wasn’t helpful at this moment.

He needed to find a place for the Guild and could look for other types of missions to post there for others to complete.

This would kick off adventuring in a world filled with monsters, wars, and bandits. The number of missions available for his Guild wouldn’t be an issue at all.

With that thought in mind, Sage chuckled softly and quickly finished his meal…placed ten silver coins on the table and walked out.

By this time, the sun had fully risen and hung high in the sky, casting golden rays onto the streets below. A cacophony of sounds filled the air: horses pulling carriages, merchants shouting their wares, and pedestrians bustling along their paths.

Another day had begun. Sage sighed as he took in the lively streets and gazed up at the sky for a moment before snapping back to reality.

“I need to find a suitable place for the Guild, quickly!”

With renewed determination, he blended into the crowd as his journey began in search of an ideal location for his Guild.

—

Three days passed in what felt like an instant. During these three days, Sage was completely focused on finding a suitable spot for his Guild, a task far from easy. He had explored nearly half of Greyvale City but still hadn’t found what he was looking for.

Finding an appropriate location for an Adventurer Guild wasn’t just about picking any random spot; it required choosing one with significant foot traffic,specifically from Warriors who frequently visited such areas.

Over the course of these three days, he gathered and absorbed various bits of information. One of the most significant information for him was that anyone who raids dungeons is referred to as a Warrior, regardless of whether they are a Mage or a Knight.

Warriors are individuals who can sense and harness Mana. These people possess incredible power, but Sage wasn’t surprised by that,after all, this is a fantasy world.

He also stumbled upon a lot of other details, but they didn’t seem particularly important at the moment.

His mind was primarily focused on finding the perfect spot for the Guild, so he chose not to dwell on those other information.

During his three days of searching, Sage encountered numerous locations filled with warriors, but none met his expectations.

Even when he found a potentially suitable spot, the prices for buildings no matter how small,were exorbitant and far beyond his budget.

Greyvale City is not just any ordinary city; it’s a sprawling metropolis with a population nearing one million. The floating population is astronomical as well. As one of the major cities in the eastern part of the Kingdom, it serves as a hub for eighty percent of the region’s trade and commerce.

Given its size and significance, finding an appropriate location proved to be quite challenging, even after roaming half the city for three days.

As two more days passed, marking five days since Sage arrived in this world, he finally stumbled upon what he believed was the ideal place to establish his guild.

———

“Finally! I’ve found the right place!” Sage exclaimed with relief as he gazed at the building before him.

It was a two-story structure that had seen better days; half of it was in terrible condition, lacking a roof and overrun with moss and climbing plants. Grass sprouted from various crevices, giving it an almost wild appearance.

“At least it’s in a prime location with good foot traffic from Warriors!” Sage thought optimistically. He figured all he needed to do was hire some people to renovate it, and it would soon be ready for business.

“But I’m out of money!” His heart sank when he thought of this. He was officially broke. Every last coin from his predecessor’s decade of savings was gone,sunk into this pile of moss-covered stones. He didn’t even have a copper left for lunch.

He winced and rubbed his temples. “This is going to be difficult!”

Suddenly, notifications from the system interrupted his thoughts:

[Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission of finding a place for the Guild.]

[Guild Renovation will take place in 5 minutes.]

[Please don’t enter the building before the renovation is complete.]

Sage’s eyes widened at these announcements, and his heart raced with excitement.

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