"Your adventurer registration is now complete. Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you very much!"

Yes! Starting today, I'm finally an adventurer, just as I've always dreamed! I left my village far from here, made it all the way to Al-Flare, the starting town for adventurers, and successfully completed my adventurer registration.

One day I'll become an S-rank adventurer whose name will go down in history! My great adventure begins right now!

"The request forms are posted on that bulletin board over there. I recommend starting with safer requests like herb gathering or cleaning up the town and clearing out the sewers."

"...Thank you very much. I'll look for something around there."

Even the most renowned adventurers must have started by doing simple tasks like these. I've heard that many rookies make fatal mistakes by underestimating easy jobs. I'll tackle every job with full effort, without letting my guard down!

"Also, here's a list and a map of stores recommended by the Adventurers' Guild. These stores support new adventurers, so they sell their goods at very affordable prices. Be sure to stop by before taking on a request."

"Oh, that's a big help. I'd like to get some supplies before accepting a request, so I'll go check it out."

"Please take care and don't push yourself too hard. I wish you the best of luck."

The receptionist at the Adventurers' Guild sent me off with a cute smile. The women in this big city are really beautiful. They're nothing like the girls my age back in the village. I need to become a famous adventurer soon and find a girlfriend as beautiful as that receptionist. Al-Flare, known as the starting town for adventurers, doesn't have any particularly strong monsters nearby. The cost of living and accommodation is low, making life easier. Plus, with a large Adventurers' Guild and good security, it's famous for being the most beginner-friendly town in the country.

If the Adventurers' Guild recommends a store, I'm sure it won't be a scam like those rip-off shops rookies often fall for.

"I've got this knife for a weapon, and I made this chest guard myself, so that should be fine for now. Potions are a bit advanced for a rookie like me. Since I'll be heading outside the town more in future requests, I'll need a backpack, camping gear, and other stuff. First, I'll check out this place. Let's see... Out-door... Shop, right?"

"Umm, it should be around here..."

The shop recommended by the Adventurers' Guild, the Outdoor Shop, should be somewhere around here.

Bump!

"Ah, I'm sorry!"

Crap! I bumped into someone while looking for the shop.

"It's okay. But you should pay attention to where you're walking."

The person I bumped into was a beastwoman with cat ears on her head. We had elderly beastmen in my village, but this is the first time I've seen a young beastwoman.

"S-Sorry! I was lost... I'll be more careful from now on!"

"It's good to be honest. Oh, that paper... Are you a rookie adventurer, by any chance?"

"Ah, yes. I just registered today. My name is Tobai."

"I see! As you can tell, I'm also an adventurer. This town is very friendly to adventurers, so do your best!"

"Yes, I will!"

"By the way, you said you were lost. I'm Nicole. As your senior adventurer, I'll show you around."

Wow, I'm so lucky to have a beautiful cat beastwoman guiding me! This town is so kind to rookie adventurers!

"Nicole, thank you! Do you know where this ‘Outdoor Shop' is?"

"This... is a huge store."

Thanks to Nicole, I made it to the Outdoor Shop. But this place is enormous! The Adventurers' Guild was a big building, but this store is just as large. Whoa, I better not act too surprised, or I'll reveal I'm a country bumpkin.

"This might be the biggest building around here. Hehe, you'll be even more amazed once we go inside!"

I entered the shop with Nicole. It looks like she'll guide me around the store as well.

"Whoa, someone with incredible armor is standing at the entrance!"

"Oh, that's the shop's guard. This place sells valuable items, so they hire people to prevent theft."

"...I see."

The guards are very intimidating. As a brand-new adventurer, I wouldn't stand a chance against them.

"There are so many customers here! And there are tons of things I've never seen before! Are all the stores in this town this impressive?"

"Hmmm, this shop might be a little special. Other stores don't have as many customers, and there are lots of items you can only find here. You said you needed a backpack, right? I think it's over this way."

"Ah, yes."

Maybe Nicole is a regular here. She seems familiar with the layout and leads the way without hesitation.

"I think these are the ones I'd recommend."

"Wow, these backpacks all have designs I've never seen before. And I can afford these prices!"

All the backpacks are in bright colors. I didn't know fabric could be dyed so beautifully. Oh, I think one of the people at the Adventurers' Guild had this backpack.

"My recommendation is this green and black one. It's called camouflage, it blends into the forest, making it hard for monsters to spot you."

"I see, that's good to know."

"Plus, it's waterproof, so you don't have to worry about getting caught in sudden rain."

"What!? Something like that is available for this price!? I'll buy it! I'll take this one!"

Back in the village, monster pelts that barely let water through were sold to traveling merchants for high prices. This is much cheaper.

"Good choice. Since we're here, would you like me to show you some other items I recommend? You may not be able to buy them now, but you'll definitely want them later as an adventurer."

"Thank you, that'd be a huge help!"

"This is the food section. They sell spices and emergency rations here."

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this."

"My recommendation is this ‘Outdoor Spice.'"

"Outdoor Spice?"

"Yes, it contains various spices, and just sprinkling it on grilled meat, fish, or vegetables makes them taste way better than just using salt!"

"Wait, aren't spices besides salt usually very expensive? And this comes in such a fancy container... Is it really this cheap?"

"This shop is special. Honestly, I can't believe spices are sold at these prices either. It seems there's a purchase limit on items here to prevent reselling. You can only buy two of these per person."

"What!? I'll buy it! I'll take two!"

There's no way I can pass up something like this!

"These emergency rations over here last for a year after purchase, and these ones turn into soft, delicious food just by adding water."

"A year!? Just add water!?"

I've never heard of anything like that!

"When you go into the forest for a request, you can get lost, so having emergency rations is essential. And they taste so good that some people buy them just for regular meals. Oh, and don't forget this ‘Water Purifier.'"

"A water purifier? What's that?"

"When you take requests far from town, drinking water is a big concern. Even if you think you've brought enough, it's easy to run out."

When that happens, you have no choice but to drink river or spring water, but if you drink the wrong water, you could get sick and lose even more fluids. That's when this water purifier comes in handy. It can turn river or spring water into clean drinking water."

"Amazing! You can get something like that for this price!? I'll buy it! I'll take one!"

"And over there, they sell compasses. I don't know how they work, but no matter where you are, they always show the same direction. With this, you'll be much less likely to get lost. They're very affordable too."

"The combination of emergency rations, a water purifier, and a compass has dramatically increased the survival rate of lost adventurers in the forest, and the Adventurers' Guild is thrilled. I think these are essential for adventurers."

"Emergency rations, water purifier, compass..."

Oh no, it looks like I completely underestimated what it means to be an adventurer. I thought having a backpack and a weapon would be enough, but I was wrong.

"Other useful items include fire-starting tools and camping gear. They're a bit pricey, but you can buy them little by little as you complete more requests. The shop staff are always happy to help if you ask."

Nicole continued to teach me a lot, not just about this shop but also about the ins and outs of being an adventurer.

"Um, Nicole, thank you so much for teaching me so much today. I've realized just how naive I was about being an adventurer. Please let me repay you!"

"It was no big deal. Besides, if you want to repay me, once you become a full-fledged adventurer, it would make me happy if you helped out new adventurers like I did for you."

"Yes, I understand!"

"Remember, don't overdo it in the beginning. We'll probably run into each other at the Adventurers' Guild, so until then!"

"Thank you very much!"

This is Al-Flare, the town known as the starting point for adventurers. The story of how this young man will grow into a great adventurer is a tale for another time.