Head to a nearby mining town, which has issued a slew of contracts.

The decision to head here wasn't that hard to make. Once you'd gotten it into your head that you were willing to play it risky in the hopes of earning funds for Guild training, there was really only one place to do it. This poor town has been plagued with an influx of monsters recently and while the town proper is well defended by a garrison of men-at-arms, its prosperity has suffered immensely from the dangers of leaving its immediate boundaries.

Given the variety of problems listed, you're surprised the Guild didn't rank it for higher-skilled adventurers only. According to the parchment you carry, they apparently thought that many different low-level threats didn't exclude guys like you from taking it on. You're skeptical, but you still came here, it's a long road back, and your purse is awfully light.

The mining town starts somewhere in the forest and ends somewhere in the mountain. Most of it is centered in a valley at the base, with only smaller homes and their gardens this far away. You can see a barracks and what looks to be a makeshift square a ways down from where you're at, and a few paths snaking away from where you stand. Time to make up your mind about where you're going from here.