The Seeker Guild was a union that supported and managed Seekers, which was said to have been established in the year 112 of R.P calendar. There were several unexplored areas in Red Planet, especially dungeons, and it was believed that 70% of them have not been found or conquered yet.
Dungeons were huge enclosed spaces that appeared out of nowhere. They were mostly cave-like structures that appeared without warning in what used to be plains or swamps, and did not disappear until someone reached the deepest part of it.
To make matters even more troublesome, the dungeons were usually inhabited by monsters, which were harmful to us. Therefore, there was a need for people who could regularly hunt them down or aimed for the lowest level of the dungeon. This profession was called Seeker.
This job was naturally dangerous. No one wanted to risk their life without any reward. Because of that, the country established a guild system to support the Seekers and to create an environment that would make it easier for them to work.
If many Seekers gather in one place, like-minded people could make a group to work together, and if weapons and other things were lent out cheaply, the death rate of Seekers would go down. The guild would provide a manual based on the experiences of Seekers who had conquered dungeons in the past. They would also compile maps of the dungeons that have not been conquered yet and distributed it.
The Seeker Guild, with its long history, was one of the largest buildings in the capital with a height of 55 meters, a width of 32 meters, and a depth of 25 meters. There was a signboard above the entrance with a logo of two crossed swords in front of the cave asserted it presence.
The entrance was a double-door glass door. Going through there, you would find clean white walls, ceiling, floor, and a number of chairs where people who seemed to be Seekers were hanging around. On the wall, there were requests from the clients, reports from the guild, clippings of recent events, and so on. There were magical lighting fixtures attached to the ceiling, which were expensive and out of reach for most people, but they provided bright light even at night.
Vampires were a species with good night vision and could see clearly even in a place with little light. Because of that, they were weak against light that was too strong, and in the middle of the day, their eyesight was actually quite poor. Thus, even though the lighting fixtures were lit, the brightness was only as bright as twilight, when the sun was about to set. This inherent brightness weakness of the vampire was the very reason Mercedes wore glasses.
Mercedes didn't have bad eyesight, in fact, she has very good eyesight. However, she felt uncomfortable when she couldn’t see clearly in bright places, and to solve this problem, she used light-blocking glasses made of a special material.
Glasses themselves were common in this world, and there was a fashionable item for aristocrats called monocle. But putting aside monocles, glasses were not in great demand because there were hardly any vampires with bad eyesight to begin with.
There should be a demand for light-blocking glasses, but so far, I have not seen any vampire wearing glasses other than myself. These glasses were originally something I’ve found in the storeroom, unused and covered in dust. I started to wear them after asking permission from my mother.
Even such a shabby house is still a nobleman's mansion, after all. It's not surprising to find valuable items that are not in circulation to the general public. Or maybe it's because not being able to see well in bright places is considered normal for vampires, so no one is concerned about it.
In my previous life, there was something called night glasses that would make it easier for us to see at night, but hardly anyone wore them on a regular basis, except when driving.
The reason I feel uncomfortable not being able to see clearly in bright places is probably because I still have a lingering sense from my previous life when I was a human.
Mercedes stepped into the building, where the light was just right for vampires to be able to move around without any problems, while ignoring the half-curious, half-taunting looks from those around her, and headed straight for the counter.
"Oh, a cute girl has come. What can I do for you?"
The person at the counter was a beautiful receptionist.... or that was Mercedes' expectation. However, in front of her was a pale-faced male vampire with a tall and slender body. His head was shaved, so he had no hair, and there were also stitches on his face.
This seems to be a fashion that has recently become popular in the capital. Nowadays, it's considered trendy to have such stitches on the face and arms. It's a twisted fashion that only vampires with high regeneration powers could have.
"I'd like to register as a Seeker." (Mercedes)
"Hmm, okay.... Please fill out the information on this form."
On the paper, it stated that if you became a Seeker, you would be given the right to receive support from the guild. It also stated that the contract with the guild did not restrict your freedom, and that the guild would not bind or force the Seekers to do something, and that the guild would not be held responsible if something unfortunate happens to the Seekers during the exploration. Even if the difficulty of the dungeon changes later and the request fee changed, they would not accept any complaints about the request fee that has already been paid. Lastly, it stated that this contract could be canceled at any time.
“Hmm....” (Mercedes)
Mercedes read everything carefully and then checked the entry columns.
If I agree to these terms and conditions, I'm supposed to write my name and age here. There's also an address field, but it's not uncommon for people to not have a fixed address, so it looks like you can leave it blank.
Mercedes first wrote her own name, but then she hesitated to write Grünewald name. It was the name of the lord who ruled over a vast territory including this city. Even if she was just a concubine's daughter, it would definitely attract a lot of unnecessary attention. Thus, Mercedes decided to use her mother's maiden name.
"I've filled it." (Mercedes)
"Thanks. Let's see.... Mercedes Calvette. No address. 20 years old? I didn't expect you are that old, but I guess you just have a slow growth rate. I'm jealous."
The growth rate of a vampire was, of course, completely different from that of a human. They grew just like a human up to a certain age, but after that point, their growth stopped and their appearance hardly changed. The age at which this growth stopped varied from person to person, with some growing normally until they were in their twenties and others not changing their appearance from their mid-teens.
In one case, there was a woman who looked to be in her twenties and a girl of about 12 years old are lined up. You might think they were mother and daughter, but in reality the girl was a grandmother and the woman was her granddaughter.
The age at which this growth stops was called 'immortality', and although the detailed mechanism was unknown, it was generally believed that those who achieved immortality at an early age have more potential to become stronger.
"But you should practice to write more neatly. The number 2 in this age field looks like a number 1."
"Oh, my bad. You can fix that."
Mercedes said it casually, but in her heart, she apologized to the receptionist. She said that the number 2 looked like a number 1, but it was actually the other way around. She had written the number 1 poorly on purpose so that it looked like a number 2.
The people in this world used Western Arabic numerals system like those from Mercedes' previous life. To write the number '1' properly, you first drew a short line from the left to the top right, then drew a straight line from there to the bottom, and finally drew a horizontal line so that the vertical line was in the middle. But Mercedes intentionally made the first line longer, then drew a vertical line diagonally going to the bottom left, and shifted the last horizontal line significantly to the right, resulting in a poorly written '1' that looks like '2'.
I didn't lie. I definitely wrote that I was 10 years old there. The number ‘1’ I wrote may look a bit messy, but it's not my fault that he mistook it for a number ‘2’.
Even so, something doesn't sit well with me....
It's convenient that this world uses the Western Arabic numerals system, but if you think about it objectively, it's strange no matter how you look at it.
Arabic numerals originated from Indian numerals, and became common after being introduced to the Roman Empire. However, there is no India or Arab in this world. So, where did these Western Arabic numerals come from?
There is no Arab, the heart of the matter, and no India either. It's very weird that the invention exists when there is no country to tell the story of. It's like having Japanese cuisine when Japan doesn't exist.
In the end, Mercedes decided that there was no point in thinking about it since there was no way to solve this mystery.
"Next, let's check your aptitude. Please drop some blood on this card."
"Okay." (Mercedes)
Mercedes teared her finger with her own nail without hesitation, dripping her blood onto the black card the receptionist handed her. The wound disappeared in an instant, and the receptionist exclaimed in admiration.
"Oh, what an incredible regenerative power. I wonder if we have a promising newcomer here......... WHAT THE HECK!?"
The receptionist, who had looked at card expectantly, expressed his surprise in a manly tone, as if he was returning to his normal self. Mercedes felt uneasy after seeing his reaction.
Is it that bad?
"Arm strength, leg strength, endurance, stamina, all above level 4? Regeneration level 6!? Magic power is just normal at level 2... You should be C rank or even B rank already with these numbers...."
I guess it's a good surprise. I'm not sure about the rank, but maybe it's related the difficulty of the job based on the strength of the person.
Mercedes snatched the card from the stunned receptionist and read the contents.
[Mercedes Calvette]
Seeker Rank: F
First Attribute: Earth , Second Attribute: Wind
Arm Strength: Level 5 - Leg Strength: Level 5 - Endurance: Level 5 - Stamina: Level 4 - Magic Power: Level 2 - Agility: Level 5 - Regeneration: Level 6
Based on the receptionist's reaction, these are probably good numbers, but single-digit numbers make them look weak somehow.
Mercedes had a feeling that she was strong, but there was no one she could use as comparison. Therefore, she thought that it was a good chance to ask about this matter.
"Are these really such surprising numbers?" (Mercedes)
"Oh, please excuse me. I've lost my composure for a moment.... To answer that question, the majority of Seekers only have level 1 or level 2 abilities. Level 1 is half-baked, level 2 is full-fledged, and if you reach level 3, that means you're first-rate."
"Just for reference, what is the level of the strongest person in this guild?" (Mercedes)
"I can't tell you because it's private information. However, I can assure you that you'd be in high demand even for A-rank jobs."
My status seems to be pretty high. Well, it's much better than being low, so I should be happy about this result. My five years of hard work has not been in vain.
"That card is yours now. If I may add my personal opinion, with that ability value, I think an F-rank card is a disappointment. You should take on as many jobs as you can to raise your rank faster. An F-rank isn't suitable for you."
"No, I will start with some easy jobs. I still need to learn about my new profession." (Mercedes)
"You are very careful."
"I'm just being a coward. So, what kind of jobs are there?" (Mercedes)
No matter how skilled she was, Mercedes was ultimately a beginner with zero actual combat experience. For the time being, she would just try not to push herself and feel the atmosphere at the scene. Mercedes thought that was appropriate.
It's good to have confidence in yourself, but one wrong move and it can turn into arrogance. No matter how skilled someone is or how professional they are in their field, if they let their guard down and become complacent, they will stumble over even the smallest stone.
"There are F-rank requests posted on the board over there. Feel free to pick up whatever you like."
"Okay, I'll be back." (Mercedes)
Mercedes headed in the direction the receptionist pointed. Over there, she saw a number of request forms pinned to a cork board. Mercedes looked through the several requests to find ones that looked good.
[Vravulf Blau Capture Request]
Client: Half Moon Pet Shop
Reward: 20,000 elka
Deadline: Unlimited
Details: Among the Vravulf breeds, the Blau breed is small, weak, and docile, making it popular as a pet. However, they have all sold out, so please capture them. If you capture both a male and a female, we'll pay you double. There are reports that Vravulf Blau appears in Practice Dungeon and Stark Dungeon.
[Stark Dungeon, Spring Investigation]
Client: Seeker Guild
Reward: 8,000 elka
Deadline: Two weeks
Details: The spring on the 2nd floor of Stark Dungeon is expected to have a healing effect, so please bring back some water for research.
[Stark Dungeon, Mapping]
Client: Seeker Guild
Reward: 5,000 elka
Deadline: One week
Details: The Stark Dungeon that appeared the other day needs to be mapped as soon as possible. Please help.
Mercedes had her eye on these three requests among the others. She peeled them off and returned to the reception desk.
These three requests are located in the same dungeon. I can make a map, get the water, and capture Vravulf Blau when it appears.
"I'd like to take these three please." (Mercedes)
"Three of them?"
"Yes, I thought I could do it in parallel." (Mercedes)
"Well, it shouldn't be a problem for you. By the way, do you need weapons? We rent them out cheaply here. Of course, if you break it, you will have to pay for it."
"I'll pass." (Mercedes)
"I see. Then, please take this. It's a map showing the location of Stark Dungeon. It's about a five hour walk from this city. There are horse-drawn carriages heading to that location, so you can also take one of those. You can keep the map because it's available for free."
Mercedes decided to accept the three requests and left the guild building.
I got a map, some mapping paper, and a pen, but no weapons. The cheap weapon rental is very attractive, but I don't have the money to rent them at the moment.
After leaving the guild, Mercedes didn't leave the city, but headed straight for Half Moon Pet Shop to check out what the client's shop was like. Depending on the location and size of the shop, she'd have to think about how to bring the captured Vravulf Blau.
“But still, this is....” (Mercedes)
I guess it's to be expected from a city of vampire. It's similar to a human city, but there are naturally strange parts here and there.
The stray cats walking around have what appear to be bat wings growing from their backs, and wealthy-looking ladies stop in the street to chat, but the animals they're leashed aren't cute dogs, but werewolves. They are rather short, about 160 centimeters tall, and blue in color. Maybe those are Vravulf Blau. Then, at the street stall, bottles filled with bright red blood are sold next to healing medicines.
That being said, I'm also one of them, a vampire. I guess I have to get used to this kind of thing.
Feeling uneasy about the difference in common sense between her vampire self and her human self from the previous life, Mercedes eventually found the store she was looking for.