Mile was startled by the sudden loud shout from behind.
"No, even if you say that..."
"Such an F-rank hunter can't exist! When you registered, there was a skip application, right?"
"Eh, skip application? What's that?"
Seeing Mile's puzzled expression, the faces of the hunters and guild staff changed. In particular, the guild staff member looked pale.
"Call the Guild Master!"
At the shout of a veteran hunter, the guild staff member hurriedly ran up the stairs.
"Miss, who processed your application?"
"Um, a blonde woman, around 17 to 18 years old, I think her name was Ura or Raou..."
"Raura, right! Damn, she's made a terrible mistake..."
Sensing that something serious was about to happen, Mile was nervous.
"Ah, is there a problem..."
"Yes, you're the victim, so you don't need to worry. We'll wait for the Guild Master to come for the details."
A few minutes later, the Guild Master descended the stairs with the staff member who had gone to call him. It probably took some time because the staff member was explaining the situation. It didn't seem like the Guild Master would meet someone for the first time without any prior knowledge, especially when there was a problem.
The Guild Master didn't look like a muscular high-ranking hunter as Mile had imagined, but rather like a branch manager of a local bank. He was probably chosen for his management skills rather than his combat abilities.
"The problem is with this young lady? What happened to Raura?"
"Yes. Raura is on leave today, but we've sent someone to call her."
After nodding at the response from a nearby staff member, the Guild Master turned to Mile.
"I'm sorry, it seems one of our staff made a mistake. Can you come with me for a moment? I'd like to discuss something."
"Ah, yes."
"We'll also be present to ensure that you're not taken advantage of. It's the guild's fault, and we need to make sure the hunter doesn't suffer any disadvantage. We'll confirm the details."
The Guild Master nodded at the veteran hunter's words, and the hunter called two more elderly hunters. They all moved to the conference room.
While drinking the tea served in the conference room, the receptionist from yesterday, Raura, arrived, out of breath, and the discussion began. Raura's face was pale.
"First, let's confirm with Raura.
Did you process this girl, Mile's, hunter registration yesterday?"
"Y-Yes..."
Raura nodded, her face pale.
"Then, did you explain the rank skip application at that time?"
"N-No..."
"Why didn't you explain it?"
"Well, she was a new registrant at 12 years old, a beginner..."
"What does the rule say?"
"T-To explain it to everyone..."
The staff member's mistake was confirmed, and the Guild Master held his head in his hands.
"Her profession was a magician. How did you not check her skill level?"
"Well, she was equipped with a sword, so I thought she would mainly use a sword in combat and have weak magic..."
"Idiot! She can cut Matthew in one stroke with a sword and use storage magic, which is powerful enough to be considered B-rank! Because of you, she has to spend years gathering herbs and hunting Horn Rabbits. What do you plan to do about it!"
"S-Such..."
Raura was so shocked that she burst into tears.
It was understandable. The difference in earnings and treatment between F-rank and C to B-rank is enormous. If she had ignored the rules and skipped procedures, causing a promising new talent to waste valuable years, it would be irreparable.
"Um... "
Mile, who didn't understand the situation, hesitantly spoke up.
"I don't mind staying as I am..."
"Such a thing can't be!!"
She was scolded by all the hunters present.
"We can't set a precedent where hunters accept the guild's mistakes and do nothing! Think about the other hunters! Besides, how can an F-rank hunter who can use storage magic exist!"
One of the hunters explained to the puzzled Mile.
Storage magic is a high-level magic with few users. With this magic, one can carry extra weapons, armor, water, food, and large amounts of collected or hunted items, making the profit efficiency very high. Even if the user's combat ability is weak, they can join C to S-rank parties with the protection of others.
In other words, just the ability to use storage magic alone would qualify one for C-rank, regardless of other abilities.
With the ability to use other magic and swords, it was certain that she would be in high demand by B-rank and above parties.
"Then, can't we re-register?"
"If it were that easy, we wouldn't be in this predicament..."
This time, the Guild Master explained.
Apparently, in the past, many nobles and their followers tried to forcibly raise their ranks through money and power. To prevent this, the rules for rank promotion were made very strict, and once registered, one cannot re-register at a higher rank. Retired hunters can re-register at the same or lower rank, but there is a minimum required period to rapidly raise one's rank, and exceptions are rare unless one is a hero who saved the nation.
Even if they thought they could get away with it, the severe penalties for any detected fraud, including all involved parties, made it too risky. One slip of the tongue by a staff member or hunter, or a secret report, could end everything.
Ideally, at the time of registration, one's abilities and skills should be thoroughly checked. If there is a qualification or ability to skip ranks, the Guild Master should be informed, and a test should be conducted under the supervision of guild staff and multiple high-ranking hunters to determine the initial rank.
Not everyone starts at F-rank, as retired knights and soldiers, or court magicians who have been expelled due to factional disputes, can also become hunters.
Mile, ideally, should have started at least at C-rank.
Even if she didn't want to.
"What can we do..."
"I'm fine as I am..."
"Shut up!!"
When Mile tried to help the troubled Guild Master, she was scolded again by the veteran hunters and shrank back.
She didn't mind earning 10 gold coins a month, but the veteran hunters didn't think she could consistently earn that much from constant requests and material sales alone. F-rank hunters are not eligible for major monster hunts, important person protection, or mandatory participation in emergencies, so they didn't want to waste a valuable resource for years.
Especially, the ability to transport supplies with storage magic, a critical support skill in times of crisis, was invaluable for a guild branch in a city with a shortage of personnel. Although Mile was not involved in guild operations, it was a matter of life and death for the hunters.
"Um, what about the capital's training school..."
"Exactly!!"
The Guild Master and one of the hunters latched onto the words that Raura, who had been looking down with a pale face, muttered.
The other two hunters didn't seem to understand what was happening, and neither did Mile.
'Hunter Training School'
This was a program started by the country six years ago.
A noble of hunter origin, concerned that talented individuals would take too long to become full-fledged due to the minimum required period and would have a short active period due to age, proposed and implemented it on a trial basis. The system involved cramming all the skills and knowledge needed to be a hunter into a six-month period, and granting D or C-rank qualifications upon graduation.
"There, whether noble, commoner, or even slave, all are accepted for free. Normally, the competition is fierce, but one of the tasks of the Guild Master, who is in charge of each guild branch, is to discover promising new talent. If the Guild Master vouches for someone, they can be admitted. However..."
"However?"
"If the person recommended is deemed unworthy of admission, they will be immediately expelled, and the recommending Guild Master will lose the trust of the upper management and have little chance of promotion..."
After hearing the explanation from one of the hunters, Mile looked at the Guild Master, who was smiling gently.
"I believe in you, Mile..."
(Ah, this is the look of someone who has resigned themselves...)