I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince-Chapter 488: Assassin Lilith (2)

The atmosphere at the Ironhold Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t bad at all.

There was a balanced supply and demand for monster materials and extermination tasks, meaning people here generally had enough to get by. And when people are well-fed, they tend to be more relaxed.

“Hello! What brings you here today?”

“I was wondering if I could register as an adventu—oh, uh, hm.”

“Sorry?”

“...I’d like to register as an adventurer.”

“Ah, of course...!”

I quickly corrected myself, catching the polite tone I was used to slipping into. Assassins, after all, are typically blunt and speak in curt phrases.

If I wanted to keep up the act of being an assassin, it was best if no one found out about my history as a maid in a noble mansion, my time at Luminor Academy, or that I could use magic.

“To register, you’ll need to fill out a form. If you’ve worked in another guild, you can submit your adventurer’s badge.”

“...I don’t have one.”

“All right, I’ll help you fill out the form. May I have your name?”

“Lil... Lily.”

“Lily? And no surname?”

“...Yes.”

In hindsight, maybe I should have gone with a completely different name. But it was too late—the name was already being written down. Changing it now would make me seem like a criminal on the run. Anyway, a common name like "Lily" could make it harder for anyone to track me down. In fantasy worlds, commoners often had names inspired by flowers or gemstones, so this was natural enough.

“As you haven’t registered with any other guilds, you’ll be starting at the F-rank, per our guidelines. Is that all right?”

“...That’s fine.”

“We also charge a registration fee of one Imperial silver coin. This fee ensures your identity verification. If needed, we can hold items in exchange for a loan to cover it.”

One silver coin was a decent amount—not too high, but not trivial. For an impoverished commoner, it could be a burden, but for me, it was hardly an issue.

“Here.”

“One silver coin received. Thank you!”

Maybe I should have hesitated a bit before handing it over. The receptionist gave me a curious look, but she didn’t press it and continued with her job.

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“The adventurer’s badge will be ready in two to three days, but you’re free to take on work starting today.”

“...Do I get the jobs here?”

“Typically, we match adventurers with suitable tasks directly. Some requests are posted on the board, and you can let us know if you’d like to accept one. Since you’re currently an F-rank adventurer, you’re limited to F-rank requests unless accompanied by higher-ranking party members...”

The receptionist was thorough, explaining every detail about the adventurer’s work. Now I understood why male adventurers tended to get overly familiar with guild receptionists in fantasy novels.

“Additionally, if you’d like, we can help you form a party with other adventurers of similar rank...”

“No need. Just give me something I can do alone.”

“Are you sure? Some monsters can be dangerous to handle alone and may require assistance.”

“I’m fine. I prefer working alone.”

“All right. I’ll find a suitable solo F-rank request for you.”

The receptionist’s attempt at pairing me up was kind, but it wasn’t something I needed right now. Besides, I would stick out too much in an F-rank group, and an impromptu party from the guild was unlikely to have competent members.

After picking up a goblin extermination request for a single F-rank adventurer, I left the guild.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Gkkh...!”

“That makes twenty, right?”

After the fifth kill, I’d stopped keeping count. I was collecting goblin ears as proof of extermination, swiftly killing any goblins I encountered. My job required only five, but there was no harm in taking extra.

It wasn’t unusual to exceed the quota on these simple extermination tasks. The guild often divided larger extermination requests into smaller tasks for lower-ranked adventurers. By sunset, I’d taken down about thirty goblins and returned to the guild with my haul, which made the receptionist raise her eyebrows slightly.

“Ms. Lily, did you defeat all these on your own?”

“Yes... oh, I mean, yeah.”

She stared at me for a second with a somewhat suspicious look but quickly turned away. With my combat skills and lack of a registered badge, she likely suspected I could be a criminal or part of a thieves’ guild, but, as a receptionist, she couldn’t openly question it.

If an adventurer could keep their criminal history discreet, the guild didn’t particularly care. Since they primarily dealt in materials and sales, they focused on profit.

“Thirty-two goblins confirmed. Payment is two copper coins per goblin, totaling sixty-four. Anything else you need?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Very well. Have a nice day, Adventurer Lily!”

“...Yeah.”

That wasn’t a bad debut as “Lily the Assassin,” I’d say.

I’d make sure to stick with the same receptionist. It’d take a while to rise to E-rank, but she’d likely already realized I was beyond F-rank level. If I steadily increased the difficulty of my tasks and gained more recognition, I’d eventually become a regular face here, making it easier to blend in.

‘Best not to attract too much attention... I’ll aim for D-rank within a year.’

A D-rank would be considered a competent adventurer, with access to a few guild perks.

That night, I returned to the inn, ate a simple meal of bread and meat stew, and went to bed, satisfied with my first full day in Ironhold.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About two weeks passed since I started at the Ironhold Adventurer’s °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Guild.

I had settled into a routine. Every day, I took on extermination tasks from the guild, filled a bag with monster ears by evening, and handed them over. Initially, the receptionist had been wary of me, given I’d arrived without credentials, but now she just saw me as someone with decent skills.

Eventually, I blended in enough for conversations like this to become part of my daily life.

“Oh, Lily! Early as usual today, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Got plans? If you’re free, want to join me on a hobgoblin hunt?”

“No, thanks.”

“Wow, icy as always. Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

“Lily, going solo again today?”

“Yeah.”

“Need an archer? I could back you up if you handle the front.”

“No, I’m good on my own.”

“All right...”

The more people recognized me as a capable assassin, the more party invitations I’d get. I didn’t know most of their names, but they all knew mine.

I rejected nearly every invitation. Working with F or E-rank adventurers would be too easy, and I doubted most of these men wanted just a simple extermination mission.

Even with half my face covered by a mask, my figure still drew unwanted attention from the men around me.

‘I’d consider joining a female party, but not with any of these guys.’

As a former “unicorn,” I wasn’t about to treat goblin exterminations as a pseudo-date with men. Even if my heart never returned to Ethan, I’d keep it that way.