Paradox: Distorted Reality

Chapter 3: An old friend in the hidden resistance

While Aki and I headed to the village, I explained everything I had figured out. Once we arrived, we bought essentials like food, water, and clothing.

Afterward, we went to the adventure's guild to find a map and possibly locate the demon with the strong mana signature. On the way, Aki kept arguing about things she wanted to buy at the market. Despite her intelligence, Aki has a tendency to get scammed and overspend, so we usually avoid giving her money to prevent from problems.

Taking these things into consideration, I responded to Aki, "We barely have any money for food, and you insist on spending on unnecessary things. Plus, I'm not going back to surviving on nuts and berries again." That one time, mostly due to both Aki and Layla lacking knowledge on finance, we ended up without any money for food, and it took about a week to gather more funds for our adventure. That week alone was torture, and to prevent this from happening again, all our money was split between Meira, Aksha, and me, since we were the most knowledgeable in spending habits.

If I had to guess, Aki was probably just remembered that exact event because she took a long pause before finally responding, "I mean, you're right. Let's just hurry up to the Adventure's Guild." She seems a bit sad; maybe I was too harsh on her, but she'll likely get over it by the time we reach the guild.

After a quiet walk to the guild, right before we entered, Aki whispered, "Are you sure we don't need disguises?"

I quickly replied, "The demons here are quite weak, and they might inform our presence, leading that strong demon away. But if I'm being honest, I'm running low on firepower and explosives. While I do want to get information from them, it's also wise to wait and gain more firepower to defeat the demon with ease. Plus, if the demon runs away, I might be able to figure out the direction of their main fortress."

"You really think of everything, but what if they planned an ambush instead?"

"I have considered that possibility, but I'm confident in my preparations. There's a door that can block most attacks, to add on most of the demons are weak, and I have a backup plan for incase the powerful demon appears. Now, let's open the door and see what's on the other side." Slowly opening the door, everything appeared normal, with adventurers surrounding the quest board and discussing their latest successes.

However, certain details stood out. Some adventurers had dirty and old clothing, even those looking at B ranked quests. Others seemed exhausted with bags under their eyes, suggesting they had been doing quests nonstop for a while. Normally, adventurers wouldn't need to do overtime unless preparing for a large celebration, so it's peculiar to see so many individuals looking tired.

I signal Aki to follow me, and together we walk over to the bustling quest board. Glancing over the array of posted quests, it becomes evident that most of them offer disappointingly low rewards. It dawns on me that in order to secure a comfortable living, adventurers would need to undertake several F ranked quests. Even B ranked adventurers must complete one or two quests daily to generate enough income to support their families. It's disheartening to realize that true prosperity seems reserved for those who achieve A or S rank.

As my eyes skim the quests, I notice that even some A and S ranked quests seem suspiciously underpaid. For instance, dragon hunting only yields enough to cover five days' worth of food and shelter for a whole party, which feels inadequate considering the strength required to tackle such a formidable foe. Under normal circumstances, this type of quest should yield at least nine days' worth of provisions, based on the dragon's strength. The diminishing value of these quests might be affecting lower-ranked adventurers significantly.

Pushing these thoughts aside, I focus on my original purpose—to find a map. The guild receptionist is my best bet, S ranked adventurers such as myself usually receive maps for free. I confidently present my guild card to the receptionist, who seems taken aback by my S+ adventurer status. Her astonishment becomes apparent when she stammers, "An S+ adventure? I've never seen one of those before. Is there anything else you might need besides a map?"