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The lady gave me a troubled puppy look, but I returned the written application to her.

“No, there is actually a different issue. It is written here that only adults (13 years old and above) can register, and I haven’t met that qualification yet. Is there perhaps a special exception?”
“EH…?!”

With a hysterical exclaim, the lady gazed at me from head to toe —with particular emphasis on my breasts and hips— warranting me to readjust the front of my robe.

“…umm, forgive me for asking, but how old are you?”

She asked, eyes wide. I answered honestly.

“I just turned twelve last month.”
“Wuh…?!”

The moment she heard my answer, the lady made a face as if it was the end of the world, with her hands on her own chest. Speaking of, her chest was… well, it was at a size commensurate with her slender appearance.

“Y-, you’re right, being a pre-adult… haahaa, means… haahaa, you’re not qualified yet… haah.” Even with both elbows propping her on the counter and breathing hard on her shoulders, she answered with the expected professionalism.

“A-, are you okay…?!”
“I’m okay, it’s nothing. Nothing!”

For some reason, I felt like she was not saying that to me, but maybe it’s just me? By the way, I’m only 160 centimerte tall. Still in the middle of growing.

“I do, however, have an ID, if you need to see it.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the scarlet-colored ID that Regina had left me with.

“Let’s see… Ah, you’re Julia. Right, you are 12 years old.”

The voice came from behind me, sounding halfway between a boy and a young adult. I jerked in surprise, turned around, and saw a kind-looking boy of about 15 years old in leather armor behind me.

“…” Truth to be told, it was largely due to my negligence that I only learned that he had come so close to me. There were simply too many mixed wavelengths here in the big city, it threw my Search magic art into confusion. Perhaps it would’ve been better to be more alert with presences rather than poorly relying on mana for every little thing.

“Oy, Jesse. It’s rude to peek at a girl’s ID without permission. Restrain yourself.” A large female warrior standing behind the boy, dressed sensuously, mainly only covering her chest and waist —seeing that she had lop ears hanging from her head, maybe she’s of the rabbit tribe? —rebuked the boy.

“Good grief. How lecherous are you? You’re already surrounded by two beauties, you know that?” Another girl, intelligent-looking, with cat ears this one, gave the boy a cold stare.

“Th-, that’s not it! I just wanted to help the kid since she seems troubled—” The boy explained in a panic.

I reflexively hid the ID in my pocket again.

“Aah, it’s okay. Don’t be alerted. Jesse’s an idiot, but he’s not a bad guy.”

The cat beastfolk girl, seemingly around 16 to 17 years old, interceded. Her hands gestured for an apology.

“That’s right. You guys just had to poke fun at me!”
“Hmm. So, what’s your plan, mister-kind-to-girls Jesse?”

Ignoring the boy’s anguish, the warrior girl spoke with the bearing of an adult —though, she herself is at most 18 to 19 years old.

“Eei! Anyway, since the girl can’t register, we’ll do the liquidation for her, sounds like an easy enough solu—”
“Unfortunately, proxy liquidation and or transactions are prohibited under Article 18, Section 3 of the regulations concerning trades.”

Before the boy could finish, the receptionist coldly cut him off.

“Eh…?! EEH?!! But, some people are already doing that!”

As if to accost the bewildered boy, the lady explained slowly.

“I am aware that such instances are happening. However, they are bad practices, a matter of concern that we of the Adventurer Guild have long addressed to rectify. Therefore, while I might overlook such a practice should it happen behind my back as I could not be involved in it, I will be left with no choice but to firmly dismiss any instance of proxy transaction happening so blatantly and openly right in front of me.”
“Eeeh—! Aren’t you a bit too obstinate, Caldina?”
“Say what you want, it’s a no.”

The boy (Jesse?) pursed his lips, complaining, while the lady (Caldina?) was unyielding.

“…good grief, that heedless idiot.”
“Yeah. He should have asked the little miss first before deciding what to do.”

The two girls who seemed to be his associate looked away from the argument at the counter and sighed. Their gazes then turned to me.

“Miss—Should I call you Julia? I am Laika, a member of Jesse’s party.”
“Ah, I’m Eleanor. Nice to meet you.”

The tall female warrior and the bob-cut girl greeted me casually.

“Yes, Julia is my name, it is a pleasure to meet you too. However, please do call me Jill.”

Laika nodded.

“I’ll do that then, Jill. I heard you want to liquify your materials? It seems to me you aren’t familiar with the city. Do you want us to guide you to the Commercial Guild, then?”

Seeing that I was puzzled by the unexpected kind offer, Ms. Caldina, who had concluded her argument, gave them the stamp of approval. “Don’t worry. While one of them is a helpless pushover, they are trustworthy.”

“You heard her.”

Seeing that Laika smiled bitterly at that, putting her heart on her sleeve, I decided I should trust them too and bowed my head.

“—If so, I’m sorry for the trouble, but please do help me.”
“Leave it to us! Come on, Jesse. We’re going. You are not going to grumble there forever!”
“Oh, come on! I was the first to call out to her, don’t treat me like luggage.”

Following the three friendly-looking people ahead of me, I walked outside the Adventurer Guild… but before I stepped out, I slightly bowed to Ms. Caldina at the counter.

And right then—

“…that ID, it can’t be…yeah, no way it’s a Scarlet ID, I must’ve seen wrong…”

I almost heard Ms. Caldina muttering something, but it must be the wind.

Author’s Note:

Many of you were expecting a big fuss to happen when she pulled out her ID in the guild, but I decided that this chapter should focus on introducing the Guild and Adventurers. By the way, the ranks of the demon beasts are S > A > B > C > D > E > F, but for the rule of thumb, three to five adventurers of the same rank are roughly equal in strength.