Like other major cities in this world, Windrock City was surrounded by towering walls several metres high, guarded day and夜 by city soldiers. Entry required a modest fee, just a dozen or so copper coins, though wealthy merchants might pay more, with the extra slipping into the guards’ pockets.
Fortunately, Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green, travel-worn and not looking rich, paid fifty copper coins, completed a simple registration, and entered the city safely.
Unlike the chaotic, unplanned Stan Town, Windrock City was orderly and bustling. The streets were wide enough for multiple carriages to pass side by side, lined with countless shops.
Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green, with one horse and a carriage, moved slowly through the city, taking in the sights. For Ye Chui and Green, it was a novel experience, but Debbie acted unimpressed, saying, “Is that all?” Cities south of the Warmwater River were far grander, she claimed.
They soon settled at the Dustsand Inn, a rather grand establishment. Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green took three rooms, eager to wash off their travel fatigue. By noon, they were ready for a hearty meal.
When they emerged from their rooms, all three had changed into fresh clothes. Debbie wore the ornate dress she had on when Ye Chui first met her, claiming it was the height of fashion. In Stan Town, it had seemed out of place, so she stopped wearing it, but in a big city, she wasn’t shy about showing it off.
However, as they sat at a table in the inn’s dining hall, Ye Chui and Green noticed nearby guests whispering and glancing at Debbie.
“Look at that, they’re stunned by my outfit. Only noble ladies can afford such fashionable clothes,” Debbie said smugly, her face beaming with pride.
Green leaned toward Ye Chui and whispered, “Guildmaster, why do I feel like they’re looking at her like she’s a country bumpkin…”
Ye Chui and Green wore standard mage robes, nothing eye-catching, but Debbie’s dress stood out, even in the city. Ye Chui nodded to Green, picturing someone from another world wearing a vibrant 1980s floral jacket on the streets of 21st-century Shanghai.
“I’ll take her shopping for new clothes later,” Ye Chui whispered to Green.
The trio enjoyed a hearty meal, then Ye Chui and Debbie planned to visit the Mercenary Guild. As an out-of-town guild, the Whatever Magic Guild needed to register to operate or take missions in the city, a necessary formality. Green, meanwhile, would act alone for now.
“I’ll wander the city and see if I can gather any information. I’m good at this,” Green told Ye Chui and Debbie. His sociable nature made him a know-it-all in Stan Town, perfect for tasks like running betting pools.
“Be careful,” Ye Chui said, nodding.
“Don’t worry, but…” Green grinned cheekily. “Guildmaster, since this is guild business, what about activity funds?”
“Of course, all expenses are covered,” Ye Chui said readily, handing Green ten gold coins.
Debbie, asserting her vice-president authority, crossed her arms and warned, “Green, we’re here for a mission, not to splurge on food and fun. That’s guild rules, got it?”
“Got it, I know what’s important,” Green said with a smile, pocketing the coins, thinking the vice-president was strict.
Then he saw Debbie pulling Ye Chui toward the inn’s exit, excitedly saying, “I wonder what tasty snacks Windrock City has. We’ve got to hunt for some on the way.”
Green: “…”
He felt the guild rules were aimed squarely at him, the lone member.
After leaving the inn, Ye Chui and Debbie asked for directions and headed to the Mercenary Guild, a staple in every town. It wasn’t hard to find. They soon arrived at a grand, imposing building with a sign in Castro Common Script reading “Mercenary Guild” by the entrance, fronted by a dozen stone steps.
Compared to Stan Town’s guild, this was far more impressive, with mages and swordsmen coming and going constantly.
Ye Chui and Debbie eagerly climbed the steps and entered the guild hall.
“Youngsters, what are you doing here? This isn’t a place for just anyone,” a slightly drunk male voice called out as Ye Chui surveyed the hall’s setup.
The speaker was a scruffy man leaning against the guild’s doorframe, clad in worn swordsman armour, holding a wine glass, and eyeing Ye Chui and Debbie with interest.
“Oh, we’re from out of town. I’m a mage, and our guild wants to register here,” Ye Chui said with a smile to the drunken swordsman.
“Guild registration?” The swordsman paused, sizing up Ye Chui and Debbie. Both looked fifteen or sixteen, likely newly awakened mages. With a hint of disdain, he said, “Why’d your guild send you two? Don’t you know registering in another city requires at least a vice-president?”
“We know,” Ye Chui said, feigning innocence and nodding. Pointing to himself, he added, “I’m our guild’s president.”
Debbie pointed to herself proudly. “And I’m the vice-president.”
With that, they cheerfully headed toward the guild’s counter.
The drunken swordsman was left dumbfounded: “…?”
The spacious guild hall was lined with shields, armour, and other items, exuding a martial atmosphere. Facing the entrance was a large stone board covered with mission scrolls. At the back was a counter where a brown-haired maid sat, handling mission details.
Seeing her reminded Ye Chui of Silas from Stan Town.
After the battle with the dark mage, the golden-haired maid had vanished. Ye Chui had been wondering if she’d stolen his lost dark spellbook, as she’d also been the one cleaning his room.
Someone was already at the counter, talking to the maid—a handsome man with short blonde hair, wearing a mage robe with a sharp stone emblem on the back, likely his guild’s symbol.
Ye Chui and Debbie stood behind him, waiting for their conversation to end.
But it dragged on, seemingly about trivial matters. Growing impatient, Ye Chui squeezed to the counter’s edge. “Sorry, we’re here to register our guild. Can you handle that first? It doesn’t seem like you’re discussing anything urgent.”
The maid, interrupted, glanced at Ye Chui with annoyance. “Register? You two?” She eyed Debbie, a flicker of contempt in her gaze, as if thinking, *Where’d this country girl come from?* Coldly, she said, “Guilds registering in other cities need at least a star rating.”
“You two look unfamiliar, out-of-towners, right?” the handsome man said with a smile. “It’s not easy for foreign guilds to make it in Windrock City. Since you’re mages, how about I introduce you to our Coldstone Magic Guild? It’s a two-star guild.” His tone carried a smug air of superiority.
As the only major city within hundreds of miles, Windrock City attracted many small-town guilds hoping to make a name. Most failed, and mid-to-low-tier guilds eagerly absorbed these outsiders to bolster their ranks—cannon fodder for adventures.
The blonde man clearly saw Ye Chui and Debbie as such newcomers.
“No thanks,” Ye Chui said with a grin, glancing at the blonde man. He summoned his white-covered spellbook, pulled out the guild’s contract scroll, and handed it to the maid, saying casually, “Our guild is three-star.”
