"That must be the actual store for adventurers."

Alexander murmured, narrowing his eyes as he watched a rugged-looking man flash an adventurer card and get waved through an inconspicuous side door.

"It is? Then what's all this supposed to be?"

Asked Rusty, now slightly perplexed. To him, keeping the better weapons out of the main store seemed counterproductive.

"Seems kind of backwards, doesn't it? Hiding the good stuff?"

"Not really. Places like this often keep their best wares tucked away. It's a sort of unspoken rule a lot of stores follow. It's just mostly for safety reasons and saves them time dealing with people that don't have money."

Alexander replied.

"Is that so..."

Rusty had never run a store before, so this was new to him. It seemed that the humanoids preferred to separate the cheap weapons from the expensive ones. He had only caught a brief glimpse inside after the adventurer stepped through, but he noticed an armed guard stationed within. The weapons on display were clearly radiating mana, which meant they were probably enchanted. The ones out here, on the other hand, were simple iron and steel, only suitable for F and E rank adventurers.

"...Huh. That actually makes sense… but it's annoying when you're the customer…"

From a customer's perspective, such treatment would likely feel a little humiliating. It suggested they weren't even worthy of looking at the better weapons. Rusty wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to implement the same system, at least not before seeing what was inside for himself. He could also create enchanted weapons and wanted to understand how to price those items appropriately. While he could probably ask Rolo or the people inside the shop, he still preferred to see it with his own visor.

Soon he made his way to the side door and mimicked what the adventurer had done, giving it a few solid knocks. With a metallic click, the slit opened, revealing a pair of watchful, unimpressed eyes.

"Who are you? Haven't seen you around here. Do you have any identification?"

The voice asked while scanning Rusty's gear. His current body bore no enchantments and he looked like an ordinary adventurer wearing standard steel-grade armor. Still, Rusty confidently pulled out his adventurer card and held it up to the slit to showcase it. The card shimmered in the light, displaying his current name, Edmund, and his rank of an E-rank adventurer.

"..."

There was a long pause. The guard didn't move. Then, without a word, the slit snapped shut. Rusty stood in stunned silence and could hear the man muttering curses behind the door. But he knocked again, refusing to give up. The slit slid open once more, but this time the guard looked much angrier.

"Beat it. This isn't a place for E-rank adventurers. Either show me something worth my time or don't come back."

"Worth your time?"

"Are you slow or something? Read the rules!"

The opening slammed shut again, leaving Rusty standing there, confused. He looked around for a moment, then finally spotted a weathered, rusted sign with faint words etched into its surface.

"Entry Restricted.Verified D-rank and Above or Proof of Merit Required."

Rusty stared at the barely legible sign and felt frustrated. Although he had become a D-rank creature, the adventurer card he carried belonged to someone who had died before advancing beyond E-rank. Fortunately, there was one saving grace: the proof of merit, which offered another path forward.

"What is this proof of merit?"

He asked, and Alexander quickly answered.

"Probably something like a down payment. Some shops make customers pay a large sum just to view their better wares, kind of like an insurance fee."

"...And people are okay with that?"

"Most won't bother, but if you've got plenty of money, wasting a gold coin or two doesn't really matter. Well, in their eyes, you're an E-rank adventurer. Just another greenhorn trying to sneak a peek at gear you can't afford."

It seemed the down payment existed to filter out casual browsers. It was likely meant to discourage those with hidden agendas or anyone who couldn't afford the merchandise and would only waste the store's time.

"I see..."

Rusty turned his attention to the person behind the store counter and walked over. After asking a few questions, he found out that obtaining the proof of merit would cost him a single gold coin. It wasn't a huge loss, but it still felt unnecessary. Given his current skills, he believed he could pass the D-rank adventurer test. Heading to the guild might be a better option.

"This is annoying…"

This felt like a setback since he had planned to examine the store's wares to understand what was selling. He also wanted to study the magical enchantments the humanoids were purchasing. That would help him decide where to focus his efforts and which materials to invest in. The twilight steel that made up his body was too rare to use for trade, so he preferred to keep it untouched. Instead, he hoped to observe where his competitors were putting their resources. As long as the items were made of metal and he had the necessary materials, he could theoretically replicate the weapons he had crafted.

"I wonder how the other blacksmiths are handling things…"

Although continuing here was no longer an option, there were still a few other shops and merchants he could visit within the district. After making sure Aburdon had memorized the general layout and all the prices of the regular items, he headed out.

He spent the next few hours slowly walking through the settlement, examining equipment prices. Some of the smaller shops only offered standard weapons, most of which were unremarkable. Others, however, had hidden chambers where they kept their best wares. These merchants also refused to reveal anything without proper identification or a heavy coin purse, neither of which he had at the moment.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

As he continued to look around, a few things became clear. Some of the workers in the blacksmith shops and throughout the merchant district were slaves. Many dwarven individuals were forced to work in the smithies with collars around their necks. This was a common sight that no one seemed to care about.

"What am I giving you food for?"

"But Sir, there are just too many of them."

"I don't care. You're not getting any food until you sharpen all of these!"

"Please, n-no…"

While walking around, he came across a troubling scene between one of the dwarven slaves and the merchant who owned the smithy. The dwarf looked malnourished but was still forced to sharpen weapons in exchange for scraps of food. The owner showed no concern for whether the slave worked all day or through the night.

The scene reminded Rusty that these people were capable of cruelty too. There was a strange darkness about them, a tendency to ignore uncomfortable truths or hide them beneath the surface. Others nearby could hear the exchange, but no one turned to look, as if even acknowledging it would bring trouble. Eventually, he reached one of the stores that sold raw materials, but another problem came up.

"My what?"

"Your buyer permit. You expect me to sell raw materials to you without the proper papers? Leave now before you get me into trouble."

Rusty stood in stunned silence outside the shop. The door slammed shut behind him again and more curses came his way.

"First I'm too low-rank to buy a proper weapon, and now I need papers just to buy some ore? Where do I get this buyer permit?"

He posed the question to his guides and Alexander was the one to answer.

"Probably at the town hall again."

"Great..."

Another complication had appeared, one he hadn't expected. It felt like these humanoids tried to take a share of his profits every time money was involved. This clearly served as a tactic to keep new merchants from competing with the established ones. If he wanted to do business with them, he would have to pay once more and stay in their good graces, or he would need to find another way to secure ores and other materials for crafting.

Now he faced a decision. He could head to the town hall and find out how much the permits cost, or he could go to the adventurer guild first and try to raise his rank. Perhaps with a higher rank, the cost of permits would be reduced. With that in mind, the next step was quite natural.

"Do I really need to go to the adventurer guild and go through one of those tests again…"

Previously, he had to team up with a few others and enter the dungeon to obtain the E-rank card under his former identity, Albert. He had since lost that card and replaced it with another identical one. From what he understood, each guild had the authority to issue promotions at their own discretion. While there were standardized tests in place, guild masters occasionally chose to ignore them. He was not sure what kind of test he would face, but a D-rank adventurer card would likely open many opportunities for him in the future. It was something he needed to address sooner rather than later.

"Silly Rusty, why bother with a test when you can just take what you need?"

As he considered his options, Aburdon suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a menacing edge.

"Take? What do you mean?"

"It's quite simple, my dear Rusty. Let's head to the dungeon now, kill a couple of D-rank adventurers, and take their cards."

Aburdon cackled as if this suggestion were the most natural thing in the world. Although he could take someone's head and use it through possession, killing humanoids was not that straightforward. It was difficult to account for their relatives and acquaintances. Choosing someone indebted to the thieves guild or involved with other shady individuals could create even more problems for him.

"That's an idiotic idea, as always. Let's just go to the guild and ask around first."

" ( • ̀ω•́ ) "

"Oh? I don't think that's a good idea, Gleam. What if they catch you?"

As he prepared to head toward the guild, his little companion poked him with her antennae. She offered to sneak into the shops and gather all the information Rusty wanted.

"( ˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵)"

"Uh… I still don't think that's a good idea."

"( ¬`‸´¬ )"

"You'll be able to test your new armor some other time…"

Rusty chuckled. Gleam clearly volunteered because she wanted an excuse to try out her new suit of armor, which allowed her to blend into the shadows. As things stood, there was no real urgency. Even if they could not check out the enchanted goods right away, there would be other opportunities. They could always earn more money by hunting monsters in the dungeon or simply acquire a new adventurer card, which would solve the problem entirely.

"For now… let's just head to the guild."

" (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) "

After a little back and forth, Rusty finally decided to head to the adventurer's guild. The one in Ferndale was somewhat similar to the one in Argossa but it was hard to ignore the flaws. The building seemed to be not as well kept and the training grounds outside were quite miniscule. It was clear that the people here had not been able to establish themselves well yet but the state of the building didn't matter, what he needed was to get his D-rank accreditation and somewhere in there he should be able to do it.

"This could work in our favor Rusty. If they didn't fully establish the guild here, then there is only one way to test adventurers."

"Oh, and that is?"

As they walked, Alexander brought up a point which made Rusty rather happy.

"Trial by combat."

"You mean?"

"Yes, your favorite."

With the lack of resources and the constant threat of monsters, it was normal for the guild to not be able to prepare proper tests like the large city he was in previously. There the guild sent out multiple people to keep watch over the F-rank adventurers and make sure that they wouldn't get hurt inside the dungeon. They even prepared traps and made sure any out of the ordinary monsters would spawn to kill them. Everything which then was affected by the strange cult and made things a bit more hectic. Nevertheless, this settlement didn't have the funds to spare which left only one option, quick combat with an adventurer of an appropriate level and class.

He eventually made his way into the guild. Inside, he saw the woman with large square glasses working once again. She and an old man had helped him register Gleam as his tamed monster, and she was probably the best person to ask about the guild's rank promotion test. After waiting for about five minutes, he reached her reception desk. The woman with auburn hair looked up at him with sharp eyes that shifted toward the bump in his robe where Gleam poked her head out.

" ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و "

"Oh… it's you. How can I help?"

At first, it was clear she didn't recognize him, but once Gleam appeared, her eyes changed. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed much more interested in his ant companion than in whatever he had come for. He cleared his possessed throat and got straight to the point.

"I would like to achieve D-rank. How can I go about that?"

The woman looked at him and raised an eyebrow as if he had said something foolish.

"You wish to take the D-rank test?"

"Yes."

She adjusted her glasses and set down the stack of papers she had been working through. Her expression shifted from mild disbelief to a more professional demeanor.

"Normally, to promote from E-rank to D-rank, you must first complete a minimum number of quests. May I see your card?"

Rusty nodded and handed her his card. She took it and stepped away for a moment. After about a minute, she returned and handed it back.

"It seems you have managed to meet the requirements."

"So, does that mean I can become a D-rank now?"

"Not quite. The next step is a written exam followed by a battle test with one of our veterans."

"Oh…"

He had not expected a written exam before getting a chance to demonstrate his combat skills. But once he remembered that he had two blabbermouths inside his helmet who could probably handle the test for him, he was ecstatic. Compared to the last test he had faced, this one already seemed much easier, at least on the surface.