After finishing my orientation and dungeon planning, I head back downstairs to meet up with Elli. She’s waiting for me at a table and has several papers in her hands. She speaks to me with a gentle smile on her face.

“Welcome back! Did it go well?”

“Yes, I’d say it went very well. I feel like I definitely have a better grasp of things now.”

I sit down slowly on the other side of the table. Those papers are quests. I wonder what Elli picked?

“What quests do you have there?”

“I just grabbed a few that would be good to start with.”

I quickly glance over the quests; the highest paying ones are simple gathering quests. Interestingly the quests that involve hunting monsters pay much lower amounts. The highest paying quest is worth only 60 Copper, which immediately stands out to me. If we took quests at this rank, we would never earn enough for the medicine. After looking over the quests, I get up and walk over to the board. I begin looking over the prices of the various posted quests. The quests only go up to gold rank on this board, but I gain a lot of information from the ones posted.

It seems that Copper rank quests rewards are always under five silver. Silver rank quests tend to reward between five and thirty-five silvers. Gold rank quests, on the other hand, make up to one gold. With a lot of hard work, we may make it in a week if we were silver ranks. Gold would make that margin a lot bigger, though. However, I’m not so naïve as to assume that these quests would be easier. We’re in a definite predicament here. Perhaps adventuring isn't the best choice to make money.

I return to the table where Elli is sitting and look over the quests once more. Suddenly I notice the prestige listed on the quests. While gathering quests pay the most, they give almost no prestige. However, every monster quest gives a lot of prestige. If you picked only the high-paying ones, it would take forever to rank up.

“Elli, I think I have an idea. I’m going to confirm it with the receptionist.”

“Oh, okay, good luck!”

I walk up to the receptionist’s desk as she finishes up with another adventurer. To think I’m really an adventurer now.

“Hi, Kazuki! Did you find a quest that you’d like to take?”

“I just wanted to confirm some things about adventurer rank if you’d be so kind. I’m looking at some quests, and I saw that the prestige from each quest varies wildly. I’m just curious how much prestige it actually takes to rank up.”

“Ahh, I see! To rank up to Silver, you’ll need to gather 100 Prestige and to get to the gold, you need 1000 Prestige.”

Seeing that some of these monster subjugation quests have around 40 Prestige, we may rank up very quickly if we prioritize prestige up above all else.

“Well, if you’re planning on taking all of the hardest quests to rank up quickly, I can't say I recommend it. Quests earn prestige based on their difficulty, so picking all of the high prestige quests is equivalent to taking on all of the hardest quests.”

I see. I knew it was too good to be true. Unfortunately, with the time limit we have, we’ll have to figure something out. I do have a unique skill. If we truly get in over our heads. My question is, which monster quests should we take. I don't want to fight any humanoid monsters; I feel that would leave a bad taste in my mouth since I’ll likely employ them in the future. I think I want to take this lesser dire wolf subjugation quest that gives 42 prestige. All we have to do is defeat a single monster. Next, we’ll probably take this quest to kill 5 slimes that give 23 prestige and this quest to kill 3 Large rats for 30. Finishing off, we might as well take this herb gathering quest for 9 Prestige. That will give us just enough to rank up.

Actually, come to think of it, since Elli is already an adventurer, we may not need this many quests. There are party rules for taking quests. I wonder where Elli is at in terms of rank.

“How exactly do party rules work concerning quests?”

“It’s quite simple, really. We take the party members' average prestige to determine which rank the party meets the requirements for. I have an abacus here. The math is a little complicated. I can do it for you if you’d like.”

Calculating the average is considered complicated here? Right, I forgot that a fantasy world has a shallow standard for education. Even basic math is considered quite valuable.

“No thanks, I can do it myself.”

“Could it be, you’re quite educated at math? I was a little concerned since you couldn't write, but are you actually good at math?”

“Rude! But I don't blame you. It’s thanks to a skill that I can read, but since I haven't learned this language myself, it’s not as though I can write.”

“That’s quite a valuable skill. In that case, might I suggest work as an interpreter? Plus, if you are quite good at math, we do have some work we could have you do here. I’d have to have you complete a test first, though.”

“Thanks for the offer but for now, I’ll be hunting some monsters. Though I am working towards quite a lofty goal, so if my plan to rush Silver rank doesn't pan out, I’ll take that offer.”

The receptionist gives me a smile, and I go talk to Elli.

“Elli, can I see your guild card?”

“Hmm, okay. Why?”

“Just checking some things.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

Elli hands me the card. She seems a little uncomfortable. I suppose it’s similar to asking about status, very revealing.

[Elli Lv. 8] [Race: Half-elf] [Class: Summoner Lv.2] [Rank: Copper]

38 Prestige

Wait, she’s been an adventurer for long enough for the guild's prices to change, and yet, she only has 38 prestige? Literally, the dire wolf quest gives more than what she has total for all her time adventuring?! Could it be, maybe she’s really weak?

“Elli, can I ask how long you’ve been an adventurer?”

“It’s my fourth month now.”

38 Prestige in four months? That’s 9 prestige per month!

“Why do you look so disappointed?”

It’s okay. It doesn't matter; we’ll figure out something. I was planning on grinding from zero anyway. With this, we can at least safely drop the slime quest and save a bit of time. If push comes to shove, I can always volunteer my other-worldly education for a quick buck.

“It’s all good. Don’t worry, Elli, tomorrow we’ll be silver ranks!”

“S-seriously? How?”

Elli looks at me in disbelief. I’m sure she didn't even think about ignoring the rewards to focus entirely on ranking up. I take a few minutes to brief her on my plan to rank up super quickly.

“Is it really that simple? I was so focused on money, and that’s why I’m still a copper rank?”

“Yeah, it seems there’s a tradeoff between reward and prestige. Only those that don't care about short-term gains can rank up and make a living in the long term.”

“Still, rats sound easy enough, but a dire wolf? Even a lesser one is fairly dangerous. There have been quite a few cases of copper ranks dying to one.”

“Yeah, that’s the downside of this plan. It hinges on our ability to take down one of these dire wolves. I figured we’ll level up fighting the rats and any other monster we encounter first. Hopefully, that will provide us enough experience to beat it. I do have a trump card that I’d rather not use, but it should give us an edge if we’re desperate.”

If I use [Overdrive], I should be able to tip the scales as long as we’re relatively balanced in power with the wolf. Of course, I’d prefer just staying in the back. I’m a support class. After all, fighting will never be my strong suit. I’m a dungeon master. I’ll wait back and support my subordinates. I’m not exactly a pacifist, but if I can avoid fighting, I absolutely will. Elli slowly comes to approve of my plan.

“If you’re that confident, I guess I’ll trust you.”

“Alright, first, I need to acquire some magic to cast. What’s the fastest way?”

“You’re talking about defeating a dire wolf that confidently, and you don't have any magic?”

“It’s about the theory, the theory! Even if plan A goes wrong, there are still 25 more letters in the alphabet!”

“Actually, there are only 19 letters.”

Right, we’re not speaking English. This translator is great but not perfect. Why must you betray me! Elli then tells me a little about learning spells.

“In any case, as you level up your class, you will learn more spells from that class. There are some other ways too, but I don't know the details.”

“That’s good then. All I have to do is level up.”

“I don't think it’s as easy as you say, but maybe if it’s you...”

“Alright, let’s go get some equipment to prepare for our quests. We’ll need to get me a weapon.”

“We should stop and get you a staff as well, it’s not needed to cast magic, but it does make it a lot easier. We could also replace your clothes; you do look a little weird.”

After our planning session, we finally leave the guild building heading out into the streets on a quest to find a cheap staff. As we walk through the streets, I find myself quite hungry. I feel somewhat uncomfortable asking Elli to pay for everything. Especially so since our goal is to raise money, not lose it. Keeping your body filled with nutrients is very important! What if we were sneaking up on the dire wolf, and my stomach grumbled, causing it our sneak attack to fail.

“Elli, I’m a little hungry. Can we get something to eat from those food stands?”

“Is there anything you want in particular? Being a half-elf, I’m a little picky, so you can pick anything you want. I’ll just watch.”

“I don't mind eating whatever works for you. I’m not from this world. It doesn't matter to me what we eat.”

She gives me a slight frown but finally agrees to my request.

“Alright, if you insist.”

“What do elves eat anyway?”

“We avoid eating animals or anything that comes from them. We lived in the forest alongside nature; however, now that we live in cities, we mostly follow these traditions to honor our ancestors. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Of course, that’s fine.”

It would seem that elves are similar to vegans. I mean, I love myself a good cut of meat, but right now, I’d rather just get a little closer to Elli.

I follow behind her as we walk quite a way around the city until we eventually reach a small alleyway. We enter the building at the end of the alleyway. Upon entering the building, the environment is that of a cozy bar. However, there is an abnormal amount of plants being grown in planters.

There are only a few people in the restaurant. A group of elves dressed in simple white clothing is eating at one table. An elf with short green hair stands polishing a glass at the bar counter. Elli takes us to the back. The elves dining at a table look over and then turn away quickly, making a small laugh as we walk by. I see Elli shrink a little, but otherwise, we sit down at the far table. After a short time, the green-haired bartender walks up to us.

“Hey, Elli, who’s this?”

“Oh, Mr. Oratio. This is Kazuki. He’s helping me earn money for mom’s medicine.”

“oh… I see. You must trust this human a lot to bring him in on a family matter. If only you gave up on being an adventurer and looked for a better paying job, I’m sure you wouldn't have to ask strange people for help. Kazuki, what is she giving to you in exchange for your help? There are only a few things that I can think of that are good enough for a human to help a half-elf.”

He's right. I am getting involved in Elli’s personal affairs. Usually, it would be for the best to stay away. Still, I feel a special connection to her since she is the first person I met in this world.

“I’m getting quite a bit out of this. Elli is footing all of my fees to become an adventurer and help her, after all. She’s buying me lunch today, and to top it off, I made a friend. I keep hearing it, but I can’t say that I understand the stigma around half-elves. I mean, it’s not like my heart is just that pure or anything. It’s just something that I genuinely don’t understand.”

“Hmm, really, that’s all? I don't mean to be untrusting, but I can’t say I believe you.”

“Don’t worry, I won't take it personally. However, it’s not like I have any ill intentions. Your guard is up against nothing.”

“Umm, Oratio, let’s stop talking about this. We came here to eat.”

“I see. Sorry, Kazuki, I probably don’t have anything palatable for you.”

“I’m fine having whatever Elli is having. She already warned me.”

Elli orders us some food. Afterward, the bartender leaves to go prepare it. Elli then looks at me with glistening eyes. It’s a much different look than I’ve seen from her up until now.

“Thank you for standing up for me.”

“I didn't really do anything; all I did was say how I felt. I already have some guesses, but I’d like to know what the deal is with the prejudice towards half-elves.”

She looks down and is clearly uncomfortable. She then looks back up to me and makes eye contact.

“You’ll find out eventually if left alone, so… I’ll be the one to tell you. First and foremost, we are hated because we’re mixed blood. That alone makes many people turn away. The other reason is due to our heightened abilities. Since we possess both traits of elves and humans, we actually end up being slightly stronger than either of them.”

“So, people hate you because you’re stronger than them?”

“Imagine someone who is only half your race is somehow significantly stronger than you. How would that make you feel?”

“Perfectly fine. I don't exactly pride myself on my fighting strength. I do get it, though. When many people share an opinion, it becomes hard to resist. Perhaps if I were born in this world, I’d be affected, but it doesn't really make me feel anything.”

“There's also already tension between elves and humans, so half-elves get the brunt of it.”

“Well, I figured it was something like that.”

“You don't seem very surprised…”

“I won’t hide it. The world I’m from is much more matured than this one. However, while it is certainly more mature, that doesn't make it better than this world. My world has definitely had its fair share of dark moments.”

“I see.”

“Regardless, I’m probably one of the only people who you can interact with who is completely unaffected by it. Of course, you’re special to me too. You’re the only one who I can be open with right now.”

Elli looks at me with a look of warm surprise. I think I may have been a little careless with words. Well, I guess it’s okay, I wouldn’t mind being with her. Wait, I’m going to be running a dungeon. I have no future with Elli. Dungeons may not be evil, but I’m sure they’re often perceived to be, and it’s not as though dungeons are pure good either. I need to keep the dungeon a secret from her. She can’t learn about it, no matter what. This means I shouldn’t get too close to her. That would be a significant problem.

The bartender brings us our food, the flavor is actually pretty good, and it’s quite filling. It’s nothing like home but considering that there is nowhere near the same technology, it’s quite impressive, nonetheless. It’s good to eat a nice relaxing meal knowing that the rest of the day may prove to be quite grueling.

As we continue to eat, I notice that her attitude has changed. She no longer seems to worry at all about what she says to me. It’s a very refreshing lunch that heals my soul a little.