Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 392 Adventurers' Guild (Shark Bay Branch)
Both are large organizations with a wide sphere of influence.

Unlike the uniform churches that vary only slightly in interior decoration and building size due to differences in the prosperity of the location, these are large churches built specifically for prayer and worship.

The architecture alone is enough to demonstrate the differences between the Adventurers' Guild and the Church in many aspects, such as their founding principles and organizational styles.

Perhaps it stemmed from the artistic pursuits of a former high-ranking member of the association, or perhaps it was to demonstrate the respect that this vast organization, spanning the entire continent, has for the local environment and customs, and to highlight its own uniqueness.

According to Xia Nan's understanding, the Adventurers' Guild's branches throughout the continent of Aifara all hire top architects at the outset to design their branches, taking into account the local environment and any localized elements involved.

Take the Adventurers' Guild branch in Riverdale as an example. It is built from oak wood from deep in the Misty Forest, and the eaves and other details are decorated with lush green plants, making it look like a treehouse from a distance.

Currently, the Adventurers' Guild branch located in Barracuda Bay has also undergone localization in terms of appearance.

It looks like... a huge reef located on the beach.

The exterior walls are constructed from dark pebbles collected from the nearby beach, combined with some hemlock wood. The edges are deliberately left with dark green, moist seaweed. The roof is covered with tiles made of dark clay and decorated with thick seaweed, presenting varying shades of gray-brown, blending into the "reef".

Its unique shape makes it stand out from the clean and exquisite buildings of the surrounding streets, as if it belongs to a different style. However, when combined with the vast ocean behind it as a backdrop, it gives people a sense of harmony that is hard to describe.

The building's facade is only one story high. Even with its rounded top, resembling a "reef," making it almost 1.5 times taller than ordinary buildings, it still appears rather low compared to the surrounding three- or four-story buildings.

Like the branch in Riverdale, there was no sign indicating its identity, but the adventurers coming and going through the open doors already made the building's identity known:

—Adventurers' Guild (Shark Bay Branch).

When Xia Nan asked why the association didn't have a second floor, the middle-aged man with a weathered face beside him didn't give a clear answer.

Although Paddy had lived in Barracuda Bay for many years and was very familiar with the power structure and customs of the port city, he was, after all, just a small merchant who ran a general store.

They have limited understanding of things outside of certain fields that are basically inaccessible to ordinary people.

While the Adventurers' Guild has never restricted the identity of those entering and exiting, theoretically even homeless people on the street can go in and have a look around.

However, it must be admitted that when facing adventurers who possess extraordinary power and live a life of death and slaughter, it is a different story.

Few ordinary people possess such mental fortitude, remaining calm and composed in the association's hall despite the hostile gazes they receive.

In fact, even in taverns like the "Three-Legged Sea Dog," which are frequented by a large number of adventurers, you rarely see ordinary civilians unless absolutely necessary.

Seeing that the other party was stammering and unable to speak, Xia Nan stopped asking and thought that he might as well go in and see for himself, and ask the receptionist. Maybe the branch of the Suyu Bay Association had more than one location?

They had originally planned to bring Colin and Paddy in with them, but seeing the troubled look on the middle-aged man's face, they realized that he was probably not willing to enter such a place.

He didn't force them, but found them a seat at a grilled oyster stall across the street from the association. He offered to treat them, handing the stall owner three silver coins and telling them to eat as much as they wanted, and he would make up the difference when he came out.

Then he walked towards the Adventurers' Guild on his own.

Perhaps taking into account the number of adventurers coming and going, the reef-shaped building has an extremely spacious entrance, with two dark wooden doors reinforced with black iron bars for decoration, which are opened to the maximum for easy passage.

Xia Nan hadn't noticed it from a distance, but now that he was closer, he suddenly realized that the entrance to the association was actually a sunken design.

Illuminated by fluorescent lights on the stone walls on both sides, there is a wide stone staircase leading downwards.

After descending about twenty steps, the space suddenly opens up:
—A huge circular atrium surrounded by a corridor!
The floor was paved with light-colored, smooth, specially made sandstone, and bright sunlight streamed in through the aquatic plant-patterned windows overhead, illuminating the entire hall.

The central area of ​​the hall, which is also the association's entrance, serves as the commissioning area and reception area.

The entire left wall is a task notice board made up of countless small wooden grids. Each grid is edged with different colored paint, representing different task types and difficulties. All kinds of adventurers crowd and jostle under the wall, looking for tasks suitable for their teams.
On the right wall hangs an equally enormous relief map, centered on Barracuda Bay, showing the surrounding sea islands and parts of the inland. At this moment, quite a few adventurers are also in small teams, holding parchment containing mission information, occasionally looking up to check their destination.

And in the very center, of course, is the reception area.

A long, arc-shaped counter made of sea rock, its surface much higher than the floor, was polished to a shine, and ink bottles, quill pens, and stacks of mission logs could be vaguely seen on it; behind the counter sat receptionists dressed in light blue guild branch uniforms, in front of them were long lines of adventurers.

Xia Nan's gaze swept across the corridors surrounding the central courtyard, where he could see shops that cooperated with the Adventurers' Guild, such as alchemist's shops and general stores that sold supplies. He then glanced at the huge window at the far end of the hall, which offered a direct view of the distant ocean, and began to guess where the so-called "second floor" was located.

There is no rush.

After observing the surroundings for a while, Xia Nan picked a relatively short queue at the counter, walked to the end of the queue, and waited quietly.

He's pretty lucky.

Most of the dozen or so adventurers in front of them had already chosen their missions and were registering; only a few, covered in blood, were there to deliver their commissions.

Although it took a little longer to count the loot, there was basically no arguing with the receptionist.

However, after waiting for about twenty minutes, Xia Nan arrived at the front of the line.

He was greeted by a young woman named "Mar".

With slightly high cheekbones, a well-defined jawline, and skin the healthy honey color typical of seaside residents, caressed by the sea breeze, her face wasn't strikingly beautiful, but her features combined were quite pleasing to the eye.

He was around thirty years old, having shed the naivety of his teens and twenties, but without the weariness and conservatism often seen in middle-aged people. His posture wasn't perfectly straight, but it was within the standard range.

The light blue association uniform was neatly pressed, with few wrinkles. A silver chain with a small dark blue seashell pendant hung around her neck, a distinctive feature. Combined with her carefully braided reddish-brown updo, she exuded a gentle yet individualistic charm.

It can be considered one of her clever tricks, which allows her to leave a sufficiently distinctive impression on important clients in a short period of time without violating association regulations.

After all, being selected by the Adventurers' Guild to serve as a receptionist representing the guild's external image requires at least a certain level of physical appearance.

To keep this well-paid, promising job with considerable growth potential, the receptionists naturally need to take initiative and improve their performance. Xia Nan observed this very carefully.

Unlike the blonde Miss Jasmine in River Valley, who seemed to never get enough sleep and was already looking forward to getting off work as soon as she started, she was different.

Ms. Mar, with her reddish-brown hair in a bun, was very professional at work.

Her facial expressions were like those of a seasoned actor who had been immersed in the industry for many years. When faced with a young adventurer who was nervous and somewhat incoherent during their first registration, she would deliberately raise the corners of her mouth with an encouraging smile that was not at all mocking. She would patiently help the other party answer their questions and soothe their panic with her demeanor and subtle movements.
When dealing with seasoned adventurers who haggle or deliberately exaggerate the difficulty of a mission, her misty gray-blue eyes would soften into a calm, scrutinizing gaze. With a slight raise of her eyebrows and an ambiguous tone, she could often make the other party awkwardly return to the main topic.

Xia Nan couldn't help but wonder why Jasmine, who was also a receptionist, always seemed so lazy and unresponsive. She never seemed to get upset when she received complaints, yet she managed to stay in her position so calmly.

When I left River Valley Town, the girl told me that she had received a raise because of him.

Could it be that Jasmine has some kind of background within the association? Or is River Valley Town too remote, causing the association to pay less attention to its staff?

Xia Nan shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore.

He got along very well with Miss Jasmine, and she was incredibly proactive in handling his affairs. Her professional skills were also quite good, which made him very satisfied.

To some extent, the two could be considered good friends, and he was pleased that the other was able to make progress in his career.

"jingle……"

I heard a clear bell ringing from the counter in front of me.

Xia Nan quickly stepped forward.

Immediately, my keen senses took effect silently.

He noticed the change in the woman in front of him.

Having sat at the front desk of the association for almost ten years, receiving up to three-digit numbers of adventurers every day, Mar's ability to judge people, especially those adventurers who walk on the edge of a knife and live with death, is unparalleled, even ignoring the association's regular training.

The aura exuded by seasoned adventurers who have already achieved professional ranks is completely different from that of ordinary adventurers at the bottom.

To put it bluntly, they're like street thugs versus gang leaders in the underworld.

The former needs to rely on flashy tattoos, vulgar and offensive language, and pretentious and deliberately crude behavior to make people around them feel disgusted and leave without wanting to provoke them.

The latter, on the other hand, often sits there, behaving no differently from an ordinary passerby, showing no sign of anything amiss. Only when necessary does the aura that has gradually formed under the influence of years of status and past experiences emanate, making people dare not look him in the eye.

Right now, a black-haired adventurer is walking towards him.

Even if she looks too young, perhaps not even twenty years old.

But the complete control over the body derived from strong physical abilities and extensive training, and the steady and solid feeling with each step, are something that many seasoned adventurers who have spent forty or fifty years in the adventurer class and frequented countless casinos and taverns can never possess.

Beneath his seemingly aloof and unapproachable demeanor lies an unspoken confidence in his own strength, honed through numerous intense battles.

Compared to all of the above, the excellent equipment worn by the black-haired youth became a foil.

After all, weapons and equipment can be bought by anyone with money and connections. Over the years, she has seen plenty of rich young men who spend lavishly and treat gold coins like copper coins.

However, it is still very easy to distinguish between superficiality and true composure.

Just then, as the black-haired youth approached her, she realized the potential benefits this adventurer could bring her.

Mar's expression subtly began to change.

Unlike Miss Jasmine, who seemed to have been electrocuted, going from being drowsy and lying on the table to instantly straightening up and becoming extremely energetic.

This gentle lady's movements were much more subtle and deliberate.

The shoulders, which had been slightly leaning forward to receive the adventurers, were imperceptibly pulled back half an inch. This was not a retreat, but rather an adjustment of the center of gravity to strengthen the body's tension.
The rhythm of breathing subtly shifted from its original even and shallow pace to a deeper one after a slight pause, as if the person was unconsciously inhaling more air in preparation for any potential interaction that might follow.

Of course, she couldn't just stare straight at Xia Nan walking towards her; that would be too obvious and reveal her intentions, and it would also be somewhat offensive to him.

He glanced at it calmly, then lowered his head, clutching a quill pen, pretending to be busy with some business.

At the same time, she naturally tucked the strands of hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear, and by tilting her head slightly, she carefully sensed the approaching footsteps that were accompanied by the rhythmic sound of metal armor rubbing against metal.

A mental prediction.

They stopped when they reached the counter.

Before Xia Nan could speak, Mar naturally and slowly raised his head.

With a gentle blink, her gray-blue eyes, which had previously appeared somewhat aloof due to their color, softened as she deliberately lowered her eyelids and tilted her eyes upwards.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, almost imperceptibly, and she looked no different from before, but this made her expression and demeanor more approachable and considerate.

A pleasant female voice, slightly higher in pitch than usual and filled with kindness and enthusiasm, rang out in the air:

"Hello, welcome to the Adventurers' Guild Barracuda Bay Branch."

"Respected adventurer, is there anything I can help you with?"

(End of this chapter)