Preparations Before Departure

At Ren Dao-zhen’s words, the eyes of the other adventurers in the guild turned toward them.

“Yes, the reward for this quest is a full three hundred million, more than enough for us to attend the auction.”

“Three… three hundred million! Wait a second, are you sure? Are you really sure? You’re going to challenge an Undead Knight by yourself? I won’t be any help.”

The sheer number of zeros in the reward had practically blinded Ren Dao-zhen; it was a sum he’d never even dared to imagine.

But the massive reward was one thing—the real question was whether she could actually win the fight.

“Ah, it’s no problem.”

Aliciel spoke in a placid tone, slowly drawing a silver-and-gold emblem from within her attire.

It was, unmistakably, the S-rank adventurer’s badge she had earned just the night before.

“Another S-rank adventurer recently? She’s so young.”

“Oh, I heard a young maid came in for an evaluation last night and immediately qualified for S-rank. So it was her.”

“Probably some young master from a great family who wanted to go out and play, so they sent her as a bodyguard.”

“Wow, I wish I had a maid who was so skilled and so beautiful. I’m so jealous.”

…

Aliciel revealing her badge sparked a discussion among the other adventurers.

To have an S-rank adventurer as a maid surely meant one came from a great family.

In an instant, many of the gazes directed at Ren Dao-zhen were tinged with a newfound reverence; they had clearly mistaken him for the young master of some powerful clan.

“The head maid really is incredible…”

Ren Dao-zhen didn’t notice the stares of the others, his own gaze fixed on the badge in Aliciel’s hand with a sense of wonder.

‘She’s beautiful, has money, and is incredibly strong. She must be the real protagonist.’

“Let’s go. We have preparations to make before we officially set out.”

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Aliciel put away her badge and headed straight for the item shop outside the guild.

Ren Dao-zhen took a deep breath, as if to steel himself, and hurried to follow.

“Our target is located several hundred kilometers outside the capital, in the Sunset Mountains. We’ll need to take an airship and camp in the mountains. The round trip will take at least two days, so we need to prepare some equipment and supplies beforehand.”

“Mhm, I know about that.”

Ren Dao-zhen nodded slightly.

Having consumed so many isekai novels and anime, he was well-versed in such basic knowledge.

The two arrived at a shop and began their procurement.

The establishment catered specifically to adventurers, so without Aliciel even having to ask, the merchant had already prepared a complete wilderness survival kit.

It included everything one might need: a tent, a compass, a map, rope, a medical kit, rations, and more.

The shopkeeper was clearly no stranger to dealing with novice adventurers like Ren Dao-zhen, and recommended several useful pieces of equipment, which the pair also purchased.

Ren Dao-zhen also spent some money on a storage bracelet, since carrying so many items was obviously impractical.

The price of the storage bracelet was far from cheap, making Ren Dao-zhen’s heart ache, but once he had it in his hands, a smile spread across his face as he played with it for a good while.

“Additionally, please prepare some skill books for us.”

“Skill books?”

Soon, Ren Dao-zhen’s attention was captured by this new type of item.

In the past, learning a new skill required one to become an apprentice and receive one-on-one instruction—a method that was exceedingly time-consuming, laborious, and inefficient.

Consequently, numerous mages collaborated to develop the skill book system, which dramatically improved the efficiency of learning skills.

These skill books were divided into two types: permanent and single-use.

The former transferred the skill directly into the user’s brain as data, allowing them to rapidly learn and master it.

With practice, the skill could be further refined over time.

Although they were permanent, learning them required meeting certain conditions.

For example, a fire-type skill demanded the user possess fire-type mana, and some skills had prerequisites related to the learner’s speed, stamina, or even luck.

As for the latter, as the name implied, they stored a specific skill within the book, allowing for direct use at a later time.

Their advantage was the lack of requirements for the user—even an ordinary person could use one.

The drawback, however, was that they were single-use only.

Wealthy nobles without any aptitude for cultivation would often carry a few single-use skill books with them for self-preservation.

Adventurers, naturally, much preferred to learn skills permanently, but they would still prepare one or two single-use books just in case.

“Please give me… the basic permanent skill books for Clairvoyance, Haste, Five Senses Amplification, and Power Burst. Also, a few single-use ones for self-defense.”

“Head Maid, these skill books…”

“They’re for you. Clairvoyance will let you see farther. Haste will increase your speed for a short period, so you won’t get caught by wild beasts. Five Senses Amplification will enhance your hearing, smell, taste, and touch, while also granting you night vision, and it can be stacked with Clairvoyance. As for Power Burst, it allows you to unleash immense strength for a limited time, but it’s followed by a period of weakness. Do not use it unless you have absolutely no other choice.”

Gazing at the small mountain of skill books piled in his arms, Ren Dao-zhen felt a wave of emotion.

Aliciel was genuinely helping him grow stronger, helping him become a capable adventurer and achieve his dream.

Since being transported to this world, he had experienced two great fortunes: one was being rescued by Cecilia and her mother, and the other was meeting Aliciel.

Cecilia and her mother had given him a place to belong and a sense of warmth, while Aliciel had become his mentor in life.

“There’s no need to be moved. I simply don’t wish for you to die so easily. If you did, there would be no one left to design clothes for me.”

“Don’t you worry, my dear Head Maid. I’m the male protagonist, you know. I won’t die that easily.”

“And what makes you so certain you’re the protagonist? Never mind. Enough talk. Hurry up and learn them.”

“Right away.”

Ren Dao-zhen eagerly picked up a skill book.

Though called a book, it was really just a single sheet of paper held between two covers.

He placed his hand on the paper and silently chanted, ‘Skill Acquisition!’

The paper began to emit a faint glow before dissolving into beautiful, firefly-like motes of light that surged toward Ren Dao-zhen’s forehead and disappeared inside.

Ren Dao-zhen could feel a new set of memories forming in his mind—the steps required to activate the skill, the way to channel his mana, and all related knowledge, now clearly imprinted in his thoughts.

“These skill books are so convenient. You can learn anything with ease. If these existed back on Earth, half the schools would probably go out of business.”

Ren Dao-zhen couldn’t help but marvel at the charm of this magical world.

Hope for his future career as an adventurer ignited once more in his heart.

Next, Ren Dao-zhen picked out a multi-purpose dagger to serve as his weapon.

Although he personally would have preferred something cooler like a sword or a spear, he gave up the idea after considering his own skill level.

‘When I have more money, I’ll find someone to forge a weapon suited just for me.’