I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 92: Warlock [Revised]

So he came today to submit a commission?

Petra wondered silently.

Just as she was ready to receive the task item and the identity badge Gauss handed over, he still hadn’t taken out the item.

Her thoughts paused for a moment, unclear about the situation.

But she quickly shifted into work mode, wearing a professional smile.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I’m here today to ask about how to specifically advance to a Bronze-rank adventurer,” Gauss said straightforwardly.

In fact, Petra had explained it to him once before.

Roughly, after completing ten ordinary-level tasks, one gains the right to accept beginner-level tasks. Completing three beginner-level tasks then allows application to the Adventurers Guild to become a Bronze-rank adventurer. After the guild verifies the task completion process, a Bronze-rank badge is issued.

Though Petra felt confused inside, she assumed Gauss was preparing in advance for the future, so she patiently explained the rules once again.

“Where do I accept beginner-level tasks then? I don’t see any in the hall,” Gauss glanced around the hall, where the cork task board was filled entirely with ordinary tasks aimed at low-level adventurers.

“You need to accept those specially from our receptionist. But have you reached the required number of ordinary tasks?” Petra blinked at him, her tone a bit hesitant. “According to the rules, you need to show your badge here to verify your task history.”

Ten ordinary tasks—neither too many nor too few.

Gauss had only recently entered the field, so he might not have reached this goal.

Her intuition was correct.

Gauss’s original task record showed he had completed only eight ordinary-level tasks.

The first was with Hayley’s team, and the remaining seven were with Levin’s squad.

He simply did not meet the prerequisite.

However, in Absinthe Town, he had “cheated” by accepting two herb gathering tasks and then bought the required materials at Lawrence’s herb shop to submit and fulfill the tasks.

So, he quickly used money to make up the shortfall for two ordinary tasks.

Strictly speaking, this didn’t violate the Adventurers Guild’s rules. For gathering tasks, only submitting the materials is required. It doesn’t matter whether the materials were picked personally or purchased.

Moreover, for most adventurers, quickly filling up ten ordinary tasks has no real significance, so this wasn’t considered exploiting a loophole.

“Okay.”

Gauss took out his identity badge and placed it on the counter, waiting for Petra to check.

Petra took it and operated under the counter.

She raised her eyebrows after a quick scan.

He really had completed them.

Although the first two gathering tasks were suspiciously slow and might not truly count, the last four task records were genuine combat missions.

According to the Adventurers Guild’s unspoken rules, combat-type commissions must account for over 60% to meet basic requirements.

“Although you meet the requirements to accept beginner-level tasks, I must remind you again that the beginner-level tasks for assessment are solo tasks and must be completed independently by the examinee. We will review the commission process afterward.”

“You can accept five assessment tasks in total and need to complete at least three. If you fail all five, you will enter a one-year cooldown period.”

“Are you aware of all this?”

“No problem.”

Seeing Gauss’s still somewhat confused and naive expression, Petra felt a bit anxious.

In her eyes, Gauss was a pure rookie.

He hadn’t realized the difficulty of advancing adventurer ranks, mistakenly thinking that after meeting the basic condition of ten ordinary tasks, he could immediately take the assessment and advance to Bronze rank.

In fact, ten ordinary tasks were not important at all. Many low-level adventurers cautiously completed twenty, thirty, or even more ordinary tasks. If their strength wasn’t sufficient, they still wouldn’t dare to accept promotion tasks.

Beginner-level tasks were very dangerous for ordinary people, and since they were solo tasks without assistance, some newly promoted professionals wouldn’t dare to take the assessment rashly. They would wait until they were familiar with their professional-level abilities before carefully selecting tasks.

“Gauss, what I want to say is, only adventurers who have advanced to a profession can complete beginner-level tasks. Isn’t it a bit too early for you to accept them now?”

Petra sighed and stopped following the formal script, hesitating before gently advising him.

Low-level adventurers accepting beginner-level tasks either waste time, then hesitate and give up after accepting, or they are courting death. Every year, quite a few new adventurers die due to extreme overconfidence.

In her eyes, Gauss was a promising young talent.

As a “guide,” she didn’t want to watch Gauss die in vain.

But Gauss didn’t see it that way.

After his battle with the mantis man, he had a certain understanding of his own strength.

Although he used props, it still proved that as an apprentice, he had the strength to fight an elite monster of challenge level one, even if he might be at a disadvantage.

After advancing to a profession, his strength would multiply several times over.

After fully practicing his skills in Absinthe Town for the past few days, he was very confident his strength was sufficient to participate in the assessment.

After all, the assessment that most new professionals could complete, there was no reason he couldn’t.

“No problem, take me to get the tasks.”

Seeing Petra’s worried expression, Gauss shook his head.

Petra looked conflicted.

Although she still doubted Gauss’s strength, the Adventurers Guild had regulations: since Gauss fully understood the situation and insisted, she had to accompany the qualified Gauss to select tasks.

“Garcia, cover the counter for me,” she called out to someone in the rest area at the back of the hall to take over her post, then gestured to Gauss to follow her.

As they walked toward the task receiving room, her steps felt heavy.

She couldn’t help but recall several new adventurers she had guided before, who, like Gauss, were full of confidence and thought they could complete beginner tasks—but in reality, they never returned.

Thinking of this, a twinge of guilt arose in her heart.

She led Gauss quietly down the corridor along one side of the hall to the end.

One side of the corridor was a room, very quiet and completely different from the noisy hall outside.

“You will come in with me but don’t speak carelessly. There’s a big figure from our branch inside,” Petra whispered to Gauss, then took a deep breath and knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

A mature female voice came from inside.

Gauss followed Petra inside.

Sitting behind the desk was a red-haired woman with exquisite and beautiful features, a clear but gentle jawline. What caught attention were her amber eyes, in which flames seemed to burn and flicker deep within the pupils.

“Little Petra, what brings you here?”

“It’s like this, Lady Sherry. I have an adventurer here who wants to take the Bronze-rank assessment. I want to retrieve the one-star beginner commission files used for assessments,” Petra said, showing great respect and a serious tone toward the woman in the office.

“No need to make it so complicated. You can just go upstairs and get a task crystal,” the red-haired woman said, putting down the book in her hands. She paused, looking at Gauss’s face for a moment before speaking to Petra with slight confusion.

“Task crystal? Isn’t that only usable by professionals?” Petra quietly asked.

The red-haired woman winked at her.

“But the person you brought is a professional, isn’t he?”

“Ah?” Petra was stunned.

She turned and exchanged a glance with Gauss.

Gauss shrugged helplessly.

“Little Petra, you really need to fix your bad habit of judging by appearances,” the red-haired woman laughed lightly, then focused her gaze on Gauss.

“My name is Sherry, a warlock. And you, young new professional?”

She sensed a strange yet familiar fluctuation from this good-looking young man. It was odd, and that was why she glanced at Gauss several times.

“Gauss, spellcaster,” Gauss answered cautiously.

“Ha ha, a sly rookie,” the woman named Sherry laughed heartily. “But that’s good. As professionals, we must always be wary of strangers.”

She naturally understood the clever vagueness in Gauss’s answer.

“Spellcaster” was a general term for a class of professions that cast spells. It could mean mage, warlock, wizard, or various sub-professions, including some mysterious professions long gone.

She was curious because she felt the unique magical power fluctuation Gauss emitted, so she wanted to test this rookie.

Unexpectedly, Gauss was cautious and didn’t fall for it.

But she wasn’t angry.

Instead, she expressed admiration for Gauss.

Vigilance was a virtue for adventurers; many died due to carelessness and negligence.

“Well then, Lady Sherry, I’ll go upstairs to get the task and record crystals,” Petra said, her gaze lingering between Sherry and Gauss, feeling the atmosphere was a bit strange.

“Go ahead.”

After Petra left, Sherry invited Gauss to sit down.

“Want some tea?”

“Thank you.”

“Are you a local? Do you have a teacher?”

“From out of town, self-taught.”

“Then your talent is quite good.” Sherry shook her head, not commenting on Gauss’s answer.

After a brief chat,

Petra quickly returned with the task crystal.

Sensing Gauss’s awkwardness, Petra bowed politely, then pulled Gauss out of the office.

“Well then, Lady Sherry, we won’t disturb you further. We’ll go to the VIP room next door to complete the procedures.”

“All right.”

Left behind with the door closed, Sherry blinked. Was chatting a couple more sentences really so suspicious?

Sent to such a remote small town, she finally met a rookie professional who seemed interesting and wanted to chat more.

But there would be time later.

Shaking her head, she buried herself back into the book in her hands.