落とし穴１１２堀：受付新人の日常 (Part1)

Pit 112: The Daily Life of a Receptionist Rookie

Side: Fatea, Weed Adventurer Guild, Receptionist Rookie

"Thank you very much."

"Not at all. Please, do your best with your work."

"Yes, I will!"

"Take care."

I sent the adventurer off with those words.

I wonder how many people I’ve processed today? Well, it’s an everyday occurrence, so there’s no point in dwelling on it. For now, I just need to survive the morning rush. With that resolve, I looked at the adventurers still waiting in line.

"Yes, the next person in line, please come forward."

As I said that, the person at the front of the queue approached my desk.

The rule here is that instead of forming lines in front of each individual counter, there is a dedicated queue for adventurers looking for requests, and they are directed to whichever counter becomes available. This prevents the disparity between popular and unpopular receptionists, and avoids the vicious cycle where rookies never gain any experience. Incidentally, it serves a similar purpose for the adventurers themselves...

"Good morning."

This way, no matter which receptionist they deal with, every interaction starts with a proper greeting.

"My name is the adventurer Cloche. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, Cloche-sama. I am Fatea, and I will be handling your reception today. It is a pleasure to meet you."

We bowed to each other. Anyone foolish enough to skip this is promptly kicked out—that is the rule of the Weed Adventurer Guild. Being arrogant or lacking manners in front of a client damages the guild's reputation. It had been a problem for a long time, but teaching manners to rough-and-tumble adventurers is incredibly difficult and budget-prohibitive, so it was usually ignored. However, here in Weed, there is an actual budget allocated for this "training"—or rather, for teaching them proper etiquette.

Well, Weed is a country that was established just a few years ago, and being located inside a dungeon makes it a unique place. Since we were building the guild from scratch, the decision was made to educate adventurers properly from day one. Avoiding any severance of ties with Weed is a top priority for the guild, and preventing adventurers from causing trouble and lowering our standing is a major reason for this education. Or rather, that is likely the biggest reason.

Anyway, that aside, the "Adventurer’s Code" is posted at the entrance and other locations:

・Greet people properly.

・Be polite.

・Wait in line properly.

・Have your guild card ready.

・Do not neglect the maintenance of your weapons and armor.

・Do not take on unnecessary debt.

・Do not come in while intoxicated.

And so on. Ignorance is no excuse.

But moving on, first, I need to check his rank.

"Now, please present your guild card."

"Yes."

Cloche-san produced it immediately, as if he had it ready. Well, given his personality, that’s only natural. He’s very earnest. Though, it *should* be natural since it’s written in the code, but many people still fail at this. There are plenty of people who start searching for their cards only after they’ve sat down.

"Let me see... Rank 3, Dungeon Rank 5... Oh? Your dungeon rank has gone up since last time."

"Ah, yes. I’ve been joining up with Kishua-san, Sia-san, and Alfin-san recently."

"Oh, with Kishua-san and the others?"

Kishua-san, Sia-san, and Alfin-san are some of the most skilled individuals in the Weed Adventurer Guild. They are considered rising stars, second only to the teams of Mauve-san and Ovik-san. It’s a pity that they are only evaluated based on their combat ability against monsters due to their high dungeon rank, but that can’t be helped.

Because this country is located inside a dungeon and is perfectly governed by Her Majesty the Queen, there are no raids by bandits or monsters. There are few requests for collecting rare medicinal herbs, so it is difficult for adventurer ranks to rise. Specifically, the requirement to reach Rank 4 involves tasks like suppressing bandits—essentially, whether one can kill hostile humans—so in Weed, where there are no bandits, there is no way to raise one's rank. If you absolutely want to reach Rank 4 or higher, you have to go to other countries to do that kind of work. Though, I suspect Kishua-san and the others wouldn't hesitate to deal with criminals like bandits.

But that’s neither here nor there. For now, I need to focus on Cloche-san.

"So, what kind of work are you looking for today? A specified monster extermination in the dungeon?"

"Ah, no. Just some general town assistance today."

"Understood."

I stood up and brought over the list of general tasks. It’s not unique to this guild, but besides the typical adventurer work like monster hunting or gathering herbs outside, there are requests for odd jobs around town. They used to be called "pocket-change hunting," a derogatory term for low-skilled adventurers who couldn't work outside, but in the emerging nation of Weed, there is a labor shortage. By utilizing these jobs to improve the image of the guild and the adventurers, the stigma has largely disappeared. Adventurers from other lands might still look down on them, but they get put in their place whenever they try.

Above all, it’s good that anyone can register at the guild and find work. From children to the elderly, while the types of jobs available are fewer than for an average adult, there is enough to earn a living. Of course, most of the jobs that children and the elderly can handle are requests from the Weed administration. Furthermore, completing many of these odd jobs is recorded as an achievement in the guild, making it easier to find permanent employment in Weed later. I believe Milly-sama mentioned it becomes something like a resume?

Cloche-san came to Weed about a year ago looking for work, but he hasn't settled into a permanent job yet, instead helping out with various tasks through the guild. It’s only been a year, so I suppose it can't be helped, but personally, I think it would be better to have a stable income. I, for one, earned my accounting certification and got this receptionist job as soon as I arrived in Weed.

Thinking about that, I looked for a job that would suit Cloche-san. Having dealt with him several times, I have a general idea of what he’s looking for.

"Yes, sorry for the wait. I recommend helping out at the public bathhouse in the Commercial District."

"Oh, I haven't done that one before. I'll take it."

Cloche-san readily accepted the request I proposed.

"Very well. The duration is one month, starting on the 1st of next month—the day after tomorrow. The meeting place is..."

As usual, I read out the details of the request to Cloche-san.

"Do you have any questions?"

"No, none in particular. Thank you."

With that, Cloche-san stood up and left. As I watched him go, I was suddenly addressed from behind.

"Hmm. So Cloche-kun is doing that super public bathhouse this time?"

"Wha—!? Nanna-senpai!? Please don't startle me like that!"

Peering at the request form over my shoulder was Nanna-san, a senior receptionist.