The sun hung high in the sky, I could feel the moisture in the air and sweat trickling down my body, sticking to my black-colored robe.
A loud thunk entered my ears with each chop, my hands aching from the repeated movements.
The sound of a falling tree echoed in the forest, dust and debris flew everywhere. I was holding the bronze axe in my right hand and wiping the sweat from my forehead.
'Finally, it's done.' I muttered, feeling relieved that I finished today's work.
Cutting the tree into smaller logs, I put them on a tri-wheel cart and pulled it back to the town to complete my quest.
The sun was setting in the horizon by the time I arrived; I was drenched in sweat and shaking from fatigue. A small town near the river bank called Muh appeared in front of my eyes. It had 5 meters tall wall surrounding it, It wasn’t overly sturdy, being made of wood. Its main purpose was to drive away the animals and weak monsters that wandered out of the surrounding forest.
I approached the city guards, one was called Chris and the other Graham. They knew me and had always been kind as far as I could remember. Chris was a man in late-thirties, with brown hair, and green eyes, a typical handsome man. Graham was in early forties, with black hair, black beard and was bulging with muscle, it made him look like a bear. Both were wearing chain mail, brown padded pants, leather boots and had swords hanging from their waist.
After showing them the Adventurers Guild identification, they allowed me to pass, it was just a routine check to upkeep the rules. Chris was concerned about my health so he decided to help me with pulling the cart, together, we entered the city.
After passing the gate, a street made of dirt opened up in front of us, it was complete with shops and houses made of wood on either side and the mansion belonging to the town lord in the center. We headed to the Adventurers Guild, it was located in the eastern part of the town.
The Adventurers Guild was a two-story building, made of wood with windows to let some light in. Above the entrance, there was a carving of an Ice Spear penetrating a Shield, symbol of our kingdom, Glattia.
Thanking Chris, I said my goodbyes and proceeded to return the axe and exchange the logs with guilds’ employee for a token.
I entered the building, accompanying me the creaking sound of wood below my feet. When I opened the door, a familiar bell sound rang. There was a board with quest’s information to my left, and to my right, there were tables filled with people eating. There was an adventurer party that has just finished celebrating, they were drinking wine and eating meat, sitting there discussing their future plans. I proceeded forward until reaching a counter with a beautiful woman standing behind, she looked to be in her early twenties.
She was around 169 centimeters tall, had beautiful black hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes, fair nose, thin red lips, bountiful chests, and long smooth arms. Wearing the Adventurers Guild uniform, she could captivate men and women alike.
It was clear at a single glance she was perfect for the job as a receptionist. Her name was Luna, and she had many suitors in the town, even the son of the town lord wanted to court her based on the rumors floating around.
Luna, Chris, and Graham were the only people kind to me in this town.
She noticed my approach, smiling, she said, “Cassandra, you have returned just on time, the town lord sent his guards to retrieve the wood,” She pointed with her hand at a group of people sitting nearby.
I glanced at them and then feigned an exhausted smile, “Sis, It was an exhausting job, cutting down all these trees. Luckily, there were no monsters nearby so no accidents happened.”
Luna gave me a side eye, chucked and then extended her hand to take the token.
I received fifty bronze coins as payment, ten more than the basic reward. Looking at the bonus, my eyes glowed, licking my lips in satisfaction.
Luna chuckled and I returned a bashful smile.
I paid fifteen bronze coins for rent and meal while she went to talk to the guards. Sitting down, I looked at my meal; a loaf of bread, vegetables, and water with a piece of meat. Realizing that Luna must have told them to add the piece of meat, a warm feeling spread into my heart.
Finished eating, I climbed the stairs and entered my room, it was simple with a straw bed placed in the corner and a couple of luminescent insects inside a jar beside it. There was a barrel with water inside so that adventurers who had just finished their quests could wash. I felt sticky so the first thing I have done was to take off my clothes and then jump into the barrel.
Cold water touched my skin, reflecting my red eyes staring at my oval face, black hair flowing downwards reaching my shoulders, small nose, red lips, pale-white skin glistening with drops of water reflecting the light, medium size chest, long smooth legs, and slender arms.
I washed and heaved a sigh of relief that the day finally ended, logging took alot of physical strength and drained my stamina. Finished, I thought about everything that happened since as far as I remember
When I first became aware, I was lying in front of a dilapidated old temple with a note with a name in it. An old hunched priest took me and sent me to an orphanage.
The orphanage took me in and raised me for eleven years. However, ostracized because of my red eyes. I left when I had a chance and decided to be an adventurer.
I have been doing labor quests for three years, now I am fourteen years old, and after a month, it’ll mark my fifteenth birthday.
Dreaming to be a hero; to fight evil, I aspired to be an adventurer. I yet to take a step towards that path. Heroes learn magic and fight against the monsters. Thus, a strong physical body and magic are needed to become an official adventurer, but I have no knowledge of magic and my body was weak since birth.
Glattia Academy is located at the capital Glat, where people study magic, strengthen their physiques and unlock their soul weapons. It is said they do not care about your background or money as long as you have an aptitude for magic I have been saving so I could go to the capital before my fifteenth birthday. I will try to test my luck, if I fail, I’ll continue being an adventurer doing labor work or try to be a servant for a noble. It may not be exactly what I have been dreaming for, but it's better than dying in the streets.
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I have been saving for a long time, now so I have ten silver coins and five bronze coins, enough to get me to the capital and eat for one day while staying at a cheap inn to see if I will be accepted in the academy. Inns in the capital are said to be extremely expensive.
Luna told tales about the academy, where you learn magic, unlock your soul weapon and strengthen your physique so you can become a strong adventurer. I have no hope to strengthen my physique as it has been weak since birth nor expect to unlock a soul weapon as it is rare. However, I hope to learn magic that will make me a strong adventurer, afterward, I can enter an adventurer party and fight against the monsters and the Demon Lords.
Legendary Sorceresses that can control the fate of the world with a wave of their hands, started their path in their respective kingdom academy.
Follow my dreams of becoming an adventurer helped me persevere. Even though during these few years I did not gain much, at least my body got a normal child strength, unlike the past where I could not even lift an axe.
I left the barrel and dried myself up and wore my a black robe that stretched a little above my foot. Sitting on the bed while watching the night sky, I fell asleep.
***
The first rays of sun woke me up, going downstairs and greeting Luna, I asked her, “Sis, do you know any merchant heading to the capital soon?”
Luna pondered for a moment, then replied, “There is a merchant heading to the capital tomorrow, and he is recruiting people to escort him. He is taking people who wish to go to the capital for three silver coins.”
I looked at her, asking with a bashful expression, “Can I be part of the escort team?, I know I cannot do much but I can at least swing a sword.”
Laughing, she shook her head and said, “The merchant is only taking D class adventurers,” Looking at me for a while, she continued, “however, I can ask him if he can take you for free to the capital.”
Hearing that, my eyes sparkled.
Luna burst out laughing upon seeing that, noticing my expression, I puffed my chest and replied in a dignified voice “It is fine if he does not want to take me for free, I am ready to pay the three silver coins. It’s only three silver coins, nothing much!”
Upon hearing that, she laughed even more exaggeratedly.
Embarrassed, I chatted with her for a while, telling her I’ll go around the town and took my leave.
I wandered around the town, looking at the old wooden buildings that seems as if they will collapse with the slightest touch, but still standing despite the ravages of time. This town is peaceful, even if people are disgusted by my eyes, they did not bully me. Crimes are rare in this town and the instant anything happens, the whole town goes to the rescue. I have heard stories about the bandits outside and the crimes occurring everywhere in this world, and how people ignore those in need. Thus, I was admiring this peaceful town as it might be the last time I will be able to feel such peace.
Visiting the orphanage I grew up in, it appears to have been closed down, mixed emotions were running through my eyes. Even though it reminded me of the memories which I hate, It was still the place I grew up in.
I was starting to feel hungry, so I went to a stall and bought a couple of apples for 5 bronze coins and ate them.
Leaving the town, i walked through the forests and reached a deserted old temple, towering over 50 meters above the ground, black walls overgrown with vines, a majestic wooden gate with ancient carvings depicting a fetus being born, a child, a teenager, an adult, a middle-aged man, an old man, a dead man and returning to a fetus being born in a perfect cycle drawn intricately on the surface on the door. Though time passed, its majestic air remained, however, not a single life could be seen within, it felt as nobody has ever been here for centuries.
I stared at the carving and temple for a long time, by the time I finished the sun was setting. Sighing, I decided to return to the town.
Returning, I headed to the Adventurers Guild and paid fifteen bronze coins for the rent of the room and food. Finished eating, I went back to my room and kept gazing at the night sky for the rest of the day, waiting to sleep, as tomorrow I will be heading to the capital.
I had a dream that night, the same dream I had several times and yet I could not recall what happens in it exactly except a pair of distant, red-colored eyes staring at me, cold and silent.
***
I woke up when the first rays of light were shining down on me, I was met with Luna greeting me at the door.
Luna said in an exasperated tone, “That merchant is a stingy old fart, he wants no one boarding without paying so you will have to pay for the trip.”
Disappointed, I forced a laugh and told Luna, “Sis, It is fine, I expected that. The new year is at the end of next month and people want to celebrate in the capital. There are also plenty of people who want to enroll at the academy at the start of the year so it is understandable that he does not want to let people ride for free.”
Luna sighed, looking at me deeply, saying, “Now that you are going to the capital, I ought to give you a small present,” She handed me a letter, continuing “My sister Lucia Luxford enrolled at the academy, she’s a second-year student now. When you have a chance, please meet her and give her the letter. She’ll be able to help you at the academy.”
I looked at Luna, all the memories of the years we have been together passed through my mind, red-eyed, In the end, I could only say, “Thank you.”
She embraced me into a hug, I enjoyed very much being suffocated in her chests.
“You must come back and see me with my sister,” Luna said, continuing, “Promise me!”
“I promise you!” I replied while being hugged.
Eventually, Luna had to go continue her work as a receptionist. We separated.
I started packing, putting my robe, money, and food into a cloth bag. Finished, I left the Adventurers Guild.
Perhaps I won’t be returning here for a long time.
I headed toward the town gates where the merchant will leave for the capital. It is 21 days journey. So I went to visit Chris and Graham at the gates before leaving.
Chris said, “You’ve become a grown-up young lady and now is a time for you to go on your own way, who knows, maybe at the capital you will marry a Young Noble, hahaha.”
I blushed at hearing that, glaring at Chris with puffed cheeks.
Graham laughed, he looked at me and smiled, but said nothing. His eyes conveyed the love he felt towards me. He always treated me like his daughter.
Looking at them with teary eyes, I said, “I will be going, when I return, I will come back as a strong adventurer.”
Chris gave me a silver bracelet while Graham a small bear charm. They hugged me after giving their gifts, telling me to take care of myself.
I finished chatting with them and then met up with the merchant; he was an old man called Larry, looks like in his early sixties, fatty with gray hair wearing an expensive-looking vest, pants, and boots.
The first thing he said when he saw me, “Lady, three silver coins.”
I felt genuinely annoyed with his behavior, truly an old fart. I paid the three silver coins while enduring his attitude, leaving me with seven silver coins.
My heart bled while paying them, he must have noticed my feelings as he snickered after taking the money.
Larry told me after getting his money to get onto a carriage. We waited till a team of five came, four men and one woman. These were the adventurers who will escort us to the capital.
Thus, our journey to the capital, Glat, began.