The morning rays flooded in through the open window, filling the small inn with a subtle warmth that came with the morning breeze. The faint scent of dew mixed with the aroma of baked bread stemmed from the streets below as the sounds of life marked the beginning of another day in the town of Fairhaven.
The room was quiet, save for the occasional chatter from outside and the low hum of the waking town. Fairhaven was indeed filled with life even so early in the morning. Merchants shouted prices as they handled their wares, wheels creaking over cobblestone, the faint sound of a smithy's hammer echoed faintly… it was a new kind of rhythm, one he still wasn't quite used to yet.
At the corner of the room, Kael sat by a table, brows furrowed in focus. His right hand hovered the table where a thin layer of crimson shimmered faintly in the morning light–It was blood. Earlier he had asked one of the hosts to lend him a knife for the job as he couldn't risk using his rusty blade to pierce his skin.
"Damn it, how is this so hard?" He cursed as all he managed to do was swirl the blood around on the table. He could barely even lift it, talk less of shape it into something. All in all he drew a single conclusion.
'As this skill is right now it's basically a useless to me.' he sighed and stared at the palm he'd cut few minutes a ago to see it looking good as new. "At least this skill isn't a letdown."
His frustration faded after a while, replaced by a resigned sort of calm as he wiped the blood clean, muttering, "Guess that's enough for now."
He stood up and grabbed his sword, deciding it was time to head out for the day. But he paused when he noticed his reflection in a mirror before him.
HHe stared at his reflection—tall and broad-shouldered, with the faintest traces of youth still softening his otherwise sharp features. Although his jet black hair was a little unkept, coupled with his framed crimson eyes that glowed faintly in the light, he could easily as be mistaken for a model anyday, but Kael didn't know much of what he was to expect from other people so he couldn't judge himself, prompt the question that escaped his lips in mock seriousness.
"Am I really that adorable?"
His thoughts drifted back to the stares they received from the townsfolk and the praises he received from Hazel.
Back in his hometown, he never really paid much attention to the girls other than his sister, but now that she was gone, he began to notice them a bit more than before...
A faint blush colored his cheeks before he shook it off with a scoff. "Tch. Focus, Kael."
He looked himself over again, this time with a sigh. His tunic was torn and stained with both dirt and blood. The left sleeve had nearly come apart after yesterday's skirmish, and the rest didn't look much better.
"I need new clothes," he admitted grimly. "This is... just sad."
He gave one last glance around the small room, promising himself to come back with at least a copper coin today.
And with that he left the Whispering Inn, his next destination, the Adventurers Guild.
*****
"They said it was around here, right?" he murmured to himself, retracing his steps from the day before as he reached his destination. "Oh, there it... is?"
His words were cut in his throat as he caught sight of the symbol of the adventurers guild—Two swords crossed over a shield. It hung proudly above the entrance. As far as he knew it. was the same symbol for every branch of the guild worldwide.
But unlike the simple building in his hometown, what stood before him was more of a noble's mansion in comparison.
Back in his hometown, the guild had been a single wooden hall—barely large enough to fit a dozen people at once. What stood before him now was closer just grand. It had stone walls reinforced with timber, broad windows gleamed in the light, but none of that compared to its large wooden door. It's height alone was easily three of his' if not more. Although to a normal person this was just a standard building, but yo Kael who came from somewhere as underdeveloped as Einzfall, this was a sight to behold.
He took a breath and pushed it open.
The moment he stepped inside, sound hit him like a wave.
Laughter. Clinking mugs. The smell of ale, sweat, and roasted meat hung thick in the air. Adventurers sat around tables boasting about hunts and near-deaths; others leaned against the bar, nursing drinks or gambling with dice. The wooden floor creaked beneath heavy boots. Every corner of the room felt alive with one activity or the other.
At the far end of the hall stood a long counter manned by various workers in matching crisp uniforms. Behind them were doors leading deeper into the guild's interior, likely other offices and archives.
On the right side stood the quest boards—massive slabs of wood covered in sheets of papers, some fresh, some torn at odd corners, while on the left, a tavern-like counter stretched across the room, where adventurer shared drinks and conversed while a receptionist served drinks to the group of rowdy adventurers
Kael took a moment to soak it all in. So this is what a real guild looks like.
Eyes turned to him as he stepped further in. Some adventurers stole subtle glances from the tables nearby, more curious than hostile about the new face. A few whispers erupted in their circles—some mentioned his clothes, his face, all hinting at the faint air of a newcomer.
He ignored them, his fingers brushing over the guild card in his hand.
It was his proof of membership.' Good thing I already have this,' he thought as he eyed the line already long line waiting to speak with a receptionist. 'No need to line up like a greenhorn.'
He headed straight for the mission boards, his boots thudding softly on the wooden floor.
Standing before the board, he ran his eyes across the quests pinned on it. Although they appeared scattered and disorganized, on closer inspection, Each mission was separated by stamped seals denoting ranks.
In the Guild, the adventurers were divided by ranks went all the way from bronze, iron, steel, gold, platinum and more exotic metals like mitheil and orichalcum in ascending order. The divisions were focused on the power of an individual and strength was directly related to classes.
Ever since the system was introduced on Terra there had always been classes. Perks that allowed mortals to hone their skills in a specific direction.
When someone turned fifteen, they were considered eligible to attain a class. Everyone started simple, warrior, swordsman, mage, scout etc. As you grew stronger, you could evolve that class, climbing through the tiers—each one harder to reach, each one demanding more of you than the last. But the reward at the end was power.
In that regard, bronze ranks were considered normal as the only requirement was to have a battle class. From there you needed more classes to be eligible for the next rank and beyond.
"Ok, what do we we have here..."
"He scanned the parchment slips for bronze rank, praying that he'd find something good."
Ignoring the need for clothes, he still needed money for other things. The rent for a night at the inn was two large copper coins if he added the meals then it was three. He just needed something to cover the costs for at least a night.
'Perfect!' he exclaimed as one mission in particular caught his eye.
'''''
[A thornback viper has been spotted in the southern woods]
[Reward: 5 large coppers]
,,,,,
He was practically dripping with excitement the pay was just what he needed with a little extra on top and to his delight, unlike many of the other bronze-rank quests, this was the only battle related job for his rank.
For a moment he wondered why no one had already taken it since the pay was nice, but one quick glance at how new the parchment looked compared to the others, it wouldn't be wrong to say it was still a new quest.
Kael's lips curved into a faint smirk. "This'll do."
He tore the slip from the board and strode toward the line for the receptionist's counter.
"You're taking this one?" asked the receptionist once it was finally his turn, glancing at the description of his chosen quest. "The Thornback Viper? F-rank… technically. But no one at F has ever returned with it alive. Or sane."
"I'll manage." He replied confidently but his eyes were fixed on the unnaturally long ears of the receptionist before him.
'Sis told me there were were other races but this is my first time actually seeing one...'
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Name: Yelena [Elf]
Class: Accountant [Lv. ??]
[???]
-----------
"Is something wrong?" she asked curiously once she noticed him staring.
"Oh-uh it's nothing."
"Ok, I've checked out your quest,"she said with a worried expression. "You're free to go."
Although they couldn't stop an adventurer from taking a quest of their rank or lower, that did mean she would just like this handsome face waste his life without trying.
"Um... Mister?" She called as he was about to leave, pointing to one of the doors in the back marked 'Library'.
"You can browse the guild's encyclopedia for details on the monsters you're facing to give you an edge in battle."
He blinked at the hospitality and flashed a smile at her. "Thanks."
Although his reply was just a casual greeting, unbeknownst to him she was left in a daze at the 'charming prince' that had just smiled at her.