Deadmeat Saga

Chapter 4 – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Good judge of character.

Gerhart sat by the front desk and felt like he was in a pinch.

On the one hand, there was a total STACKED babe in front of him, the gentle and pleasant-to-look-at type, too.

On the other hand, a hellhound in the form of a man stood beside her, her father, reading the envelope he gave him.

He decided that looking at the babe was a poor move, so he looked toward Abiah instead.

"Hm... Okay, I get the picture. So you got robbed by another party, and you are the sole survivor. And now, you are afraid of being targeted, so you seek to stay away from the dungeon for the time being." Abiah said, giving a somewhat sympathetic look.

"Yes." Gerhart nodded.

"Okay, since Skyler looked at you, I believe your case." Abiah nodded. "From the letter, you traveled 11 times to the dungeon and even ventured to the 3rd floor. So you are not a complete novice... But you lack adventurer know-how, so you need some instructions later. Adventurers don't merely kill monsters and loot drops. They must dirty themselves in the mud, extracting materials and proof of subjugation, and learn about different plants and monsters. And you would need to travel outside the city's safety to go to the woods and hunt monsters."

After he finished his explanation, he gave Gerhart a deep look. "So... Are you ready to become an adventurer?"

"Yes." Gerhart nodded without hesitation.

"Scarlet." Abiah turned to his red-headed, stacked daughter. "Register him."

"Yes," Scarlet replied, pulling a contract paper from the desk. "Sir, can you read?" Scarlet politely asked.

"I'm illiterate," Gerhart said, not proud but not ashamed.

Not everyone knew how to read and write... Rather, many people didn't know anything above writing their name. Gerhart was initially dumb as a brick, so he never learned above basic math and the spoken language. Hazel was average and learned some words, while Mylo could easily read the contract.

"I see..." Scarlet nodded, not criticizing him, and started explaining the contract details.

It was a similar contract to the Dungeon Explorer guild's contract, and it was mostly a few loose rules like 'Don't kill each other' or 'Pay your monthly dues' and whatnot. Of course, there was the guild secrets clause and agreement that selling equipment provided by the guild to an unauthorized party was a crime. Or that canceling or failing a request resulted in a penalty depending on circumstances and could result in expulsion after failing too frequently... Or accruing enough debt to become a slave.

They didn't charge him the 100 Silver Coins entrance fee because Skyler recommended him, but he needed to pay his monthly dues to the guild, amounting to 10 Silver Coins. Of course, this gave him access to the guild's services. The higher the guild rank, the more he needs to pay, but he gains access to more services and goods.

"Any questions?" Scarlet professionally asked.

"Where do I sign?" Gerhart asked.

"Sign here. And you need to place your fingerprint with your blood." Scarlet took out a needle and gave it to him. "You can do it yourself, right?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you." Gerhart nodded, knowing the procedure. He took the needle, pricked his thumb to draw blood, pressed it on the area requested, and then signed at the designated area.

Once he was done, Scarlet took the paper, looked it over, and nodded. "All is in order... Thank you for registering with the guild!" She said with a sweet smile.

"Thank you..." Gerhart replied, trying to remain as professional as he could.

If his eyes started wandering now or he flirted with her... He might get killed.

"Now that this is done, come with me," Abiah said, patting Gerhart's shoulder.

"Right... Thank you, Scarlet." Gerhart nodded to the red-headed beauty, who waved back to him, and he left with Abiah.

Once outside the office and Abiah closed the door, he narrowed his eyes. "I know what is going on in your head, kid. You are too transparent."

"E-Eh..." Gerhart suddenly felt cold sweat on his back, knowing he was seen through. He was genuinely afraid Abiah would be angry at him and punch him.

"No need to be afraid. I am not angry with you being interested in her. Rather, I hope to find someone with enough balls to date her." Abiah said in a surprising twist.

"I... I don't follow." Gerhart blankly replied, confused.

"Ah, right... You don't know who my daughter is... She is the Vice Guild Master, Scarlet the Blood Rage, a B-rank adventurer, and the most talented berserker I have ever seen in my career. That was also the reason I put her in my office since she almost killed a few guys at the reception desk, including a Count's heir. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." Abiah said with a somewhat proud look.

"Vice Guild Master... B-rank... Berserker... Almost killed a few guys..." Gerhart froze as these pieces of information connected. 

Vice Guild Master = Second in command.

B-Rank = Very Strong.

Berserker = Walking bundle of muscle and anger.

She nearly killed a few guys = Lacks self-control.

All of them combined... If he gets on her wrong side, he is DEAD MEAT!!!

"FUCK! That gentle exterior almost made me believe she was an angel! She was a caged beast!" Gerhart realized, cold sweat covering him.

"Heh. Your reaction tells me you realize why I am desperate for her to find a guy. Otherwise, she might remain single for life." Abiah smirked and leaned over. "So... Wanna give it a shot and see if she doesn't break half of your bones? I'm willing to put a good word for you."

"E-Ehehehe... Erm... Yeah... Please show mercy..." Gerhart raised his hands in defeat. He was too young to die... Again...

"Hehehe... Just messing with you." Abiah lightheartedly chuckled, patting Gerhart's shoulder. "You can think about it if you become B-rank."

"Right..." Gerhart forced a smile.

But inwardly, he was screaming. "NONONONO!!!! Even if I become a B-rank, she might toss me around like a ragdoll!"

"Anyway, let's finish the rest of your registration. Follow me." Abiah said and headed downstairs.

Helplessly, Gerhart could only follow.

As they returned to the main hall/ tavern, the rowdy guild looked over. And then, some people grinned, while others clicked their tongues and ordered more drinks. Little did Gerhart know that half of the guild bet whether he would return in one piece... Whether by Abiah or Scarlet.

After Abiah returned to his seat, he started finalizing the paperwork. He then took out a card, used a magitech device to scan it, and gave it along with a needle. "You know the drill, right?"

Gerhart nodded and pricked his finger again before squeezing a drop of blood on the card. As the blood touched the card, it shone, revealing his details... Not that he could read it.

Name: Gerhart
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Occupation: Warrior
Rank: F

"This is your guild card. Lose it, and you will pay a 20 silver coin fine to reissue it." Abiah warned. "Also, I suggest you start planning which tasks to take since you will set off before dawn. If it is an herb-picking request, learn about the plant you will pick and how to pick and store it. If it is monster hunting, learn about the environment, the monsters, and what could be harvested for profit. Plan your route and see if a village or town is near it. If it is an escort mission, learn about who you are escorting and the destination. You can also try to join a party, making things safer." Abiah suggested.

"Do you have any suggestions for monster hunting?" Gerhart asked.

"In Vlita, you won't find much monster hunting outside the dungeon... But the sewers can always use pest sweeping. Some weak pests like Horned Rabbits harm the fields outside the city. There are also pest-sweeping requests in town, like cleaning the basement from a giant rat infestation. When you become an E-rank, you should leave the city and perhaps join an escort to a town close to a better hunting ground. Until then, those are your options. The details are on the request board." Abiah said.

"I see..." Gerhart scratched his head, feeling troubled. "But I can't read..."

"I'll read the Sewer Sweep and Critters in the field requests for you because I like your character, but later, you should form a party without someone who can read... Or ideally, learn how to read yourself," Abiah said.

"Thank you! That would be great!" Gerhart happily smiled.

Abiah nodded and started reading the two requests.

Deadmeat Sage: Read on scribblehub for free! Report to Bignt if you paid for it...

"So, what do you want to pick?" Abiah asked after he finished reading them.

"Sewer Sweep," Gerhart replied almost immediately and gave his card.

Although he would likely earn more from going to the fields, he wanted to test his absorption power. There was nothing more ideal than the sewers with critters nobody would miss.

"It is your call." Abiah shrugged, took the card, and registered the request before returning it. "Okay, it is registered. Remember to report early tomorrow. They also offer breakfast, although nothing fancy. For tonight, you can rent a room at the guild. Talk to the barkeep, Ernest. And also, don't forget to study about the monsters, harvestable body parts, and proofs of subjugation."

"Thank you." Gerhart smiled, taking his card back.

"No problem. You can come to me whenever." Abiah returned a smile on his intimidating face.

"I will," Gerhart replied and walked to the bar.

But he didn't notice that the nearby adventurers and two receptionists who overheard it were stunned.

"Abiah acknowledged him! He must have a good character!" They all thought.

Abiah is said to be a good judge of character. From the moment he sees you, he knows whether you are someone he can trust or someone who would backstab for profit. However, he is also notorious for punching anyone he thinks has a bad character.

If he thinks you are good, he will treat you well.

If he thinks you are neutral, he will mostly ignore you, begrudgingly tolerate you... Or, if you annoy him enough, punch you.

If he thinks you are scum, he will punch you, regardless of your status, even high nobility.

That was why, even if someone had good character, they would likely not approach him out of fear. Only B-rank adventurers and above dared to approach him... And even then, some of them got punched.

And the scariest part was that he got it right 100% of the time. Anyone he punched was scum, one way or another. And anyone he treated well was an upright person.

In other words, if someone got punched by him, it indicated that the person was untrustworthy. Conversely, if he treated you well,  you had high moral standards, a person you can trust your back to.

To adventurers, reputation is their lifeline. Having a bad reputation was close to a death sentence. That was the second reason everyone avoided Abiah... aside from the pain of being punched in the face. 

So, when they saw Abiah treating Gerhart so well, it was the same as telling them, "This person is trustworthy. Feel at ease to recruit him."

Of course, just because he was trustworthy didn't mean he had the skills to match it... But it was a good start. Many of the adventurers decided to keep an eye on the newbie.

.

.

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The following day...

Gerhart woke up in his rented room. It was a smallish barebone room that cost him 2 Silver Coins to rent for a night, but he had the advantage of privacy and security.

He put on his equipment and carried his bag before locking the room and walking down the stairs.

The guild was emptier, and adventurers had breakfast or left for requests. By a bar, there was an obese man with a funny, smiling face, wiping a cup while humming something.

"Good morning, Ernest." Gerhart greeted. "I'm here to return the room key."

"Good morning, Gerhart. I hope you had a good sleep." Ernest gave a genuine smile. "Please put the key over there. Want something to eat or drink before you head out?"

"I am doing the Sewer Sweep, so they already provide me breakfast, but thank you for suggesting." Gerhart politely rejected.

"I understand. Good luck!" Ernest said.

Gerhart bid him farewell and left the guild. He then walked through the early morning streets, where stalls were slowly opening, and arrived at the merchant district's guard station. However, the building was rather lackluster, and one could see it was underfunded.

Most city guards were old volunteers, armed with simple weapons like clubs and hatchets, and mostly kept an eye for fires and petty crimes. For anything significant, either armored guards were dispatched or the knights.

Gerhart entered the unguarded entrance, arriving at an office where complaints were usually made.

As soon as he entered, the man at the front desk immediately asked, "Sewer Sweep?"

"Yes." Gerhart nodded.

"Show me your Guild Card, please." The man requested.

Gerhart gave the man the card, and after checking it, he wrote something on a paper and returned it. "All is in order. Is this your first time?"

"Yes," Gerhart replied, taking the card back.

"Okay. First, head left and go straight ahead to the dining hall. Find Captain Antonis, and he will arrange everything for you." The man instructed.

"Thank you." Gerhart thanked the man and headed to the dining hall.