“And now you just have to touch this orb to confirm your levels,” the desk clerk said happily as she accepted the two forms from the dark-skinned girl and black-haired woman, “Let’s see…levels twenty-eight and twenty-seven. Okay, that matches up and…”
The clerk fell silent as she stared between the two orbs the girls were holding and their forms, a slight sweat starting to run down her forehead as her smile went rigid.
“Is there a problem?” Brian asked as the clerk shook her head slowly.
“No, no problem, just that, well…being above level twenty allows you to start at Steel Rank in the Adventurer’s Guild,” the clerk explained, “I, uhm…I just need to take these forms to the Guild Master, and he’ll have to sign them.”
“Steel Rank?” Brian asked as the woman ran off, leaving the three of them standing there awkwardly, “Dammit, I didn’t think about this. You two are way higher level than I am, so this is going to look weird.”
“I’m higher level than Karen?” Grisha gasped, looking at the Dragon as the older woman huffed.
“It means nothing, brat! I am still the superior being!”
“Couldn’t help but overhear some of your conversation,” a sleazy voice said as Brian groaned, looking at the three men approaching them, “But you ladies sound strong. How about you leave this small fry and come join us? We’re all level eighteen and already Steel Ranks, so much more suitable for you girls.”
“Are you capable of binding a Dragon?” Karen asked suddenly, stepping in front of Brian, “Or of freeing a princess from a mind controlling Curse?”
“What?” the leader of the three said in confusion, “Uh…no?”
“Then leave, vermin,” she barked at them, the three men stepping back in surprise.
“Hey!” the leader growled as she turned away, reaching for Karen’s shoulder, “What the fuck did you just call me?”
“You,” Karen said, addressing Brian as she glanced back at the three hatefully, making all of them freeze as she glared at them with her golden eyes, “You said I had permission to rip the arm off any man who dared touch me and beat him to death with it, correct?”
“My name is Brian, and yes, go to town,” he sighed, waving his hand in a non-committal gesture, “Just try not to get too much blood on everything.”
“W-woah! Wait, I didn’t even touch you yet!” the sleaze bag said hurriedly.
“Yet, you say?” Karen hummed, stepping closer to him, his still outstretched finger brushing against her chest, “Well, it would appear you just have. Prepare for pain, vermin!”
“N-no!” the three men screeched as they turned tail and fled, Karen about to go after them before Brian grabbed her shoulder, shaking his head.
“Are they really worth your time?” he asked, “Seriously?”
“No, of course not,” Karen huffed, relaxing as he let her go, “I suppose they shall get to live for another day.”
“Good for them,” Brian nodded as he turned back to Grisha, who was hopping excitedly from foot to foot, “And you? Why are you so excited by all this?”
“I get to be an Adventurer!” the girl said excitedly, “Like in my books! I wasn’t allowed out much, always studying due to my Class, but I always dreamed about going on adventures and helping people!”
“I see,” Brian chuckled as the clerk returned, a relieved look on her face as she approached them.
“The Guild Master will see you now,” she said, Brian nodding as he started to lead the two girls upstairs, “Oh, only the two ladies. Unfortunately, a Wood Rank doesn’t qualify to see him, sir.”
“Oh?” Brian sighed, “Ok-.”
“Then does this Guild Master of yours wish to die?” Karen spat, “Because I shall destroy him in an instant should I be forced into his presence alone.”
“W-what?” the clerk stammered, “I mean…probably not? But a Wood Rank can’t see the Guild Master unless directly invited by them.”
“Then this Guild Master of yours must do that if he wishes to speak to either of us,” Karen huffed.
“Oh god,” Brian groaned, “She really is doing the fantasy equivalent of “let me speak to your manager”, isn’t she?”
“But Miss,” the clerk tried again, freezing as Karen glared at her, Brian just shaking his head behind the tall woman.
“Send them up,” the strong voice called, “All of them. If they want to bring their friend, they can.”
“O-oh!” the clerk gasped, nodding to the three of them, “The Guild Master has invited you all up to his office. If you would?”
“Thanks,” Brian smiled kindly back at her as she shivered under Karen’s continued glare, before the woman turned away and followed after the man, Grisha right on their heels as she bounced about happily.
“So, a pair of high-level twenties walk into a Guild Hall with a Wood Rank,” the surprisingly young man behind the desk said as they entered the office, sitting back in his chair, “Sounds like the start of a bad joke to me.”
“It kind of does, doesn’t it,” Brian sighed, shaking his head, “Sorry about that, Karen is a little…”
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“Possessive of you?” the Guild Master smiled, getting up slightly awkwardly, walking around the desk to reveal he had a prosthetic leg, “Well, no matter. I am Guild Master Tyron, a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Peh,” Karen spat, “To think they would allow one as weak as you to be in charge of such an important organization.”
“Oh, you mean my leg? I sacrificed it to kill a young Dragon,” the Guild Master smiled, pointing above their heads at the large taxidermy head above the door, its green scales reflecting the light, “That young Dragon, to be exact.”
“A Nature Dragon,” Karen said plainly, “No great feat, though I suppose it would be for those as weak and pitiful as your kind.”
“My kind?” the Guild Master asked kindly, Brian starting to sweat as he felt a strange pressure in the air.
“Sorry, she doesn’t like most men,” he said immediately, “I’m not entirely sure why she puts up with me, but she does.”
“Because you are interesting and strong for your level,” Karen huffed, “Unlike so many of these vermin.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” the Guild Master smiled kindly again, “Anyway, I just wanted to see the two new Steel Ranks that chose to register at my Guild Hall, so I won’t keep you long.”
“Thank you,” Brian breathed a sigh of relief as the man headed back behind his desk, sitting heavily in his chair, “So, anything else we can do for you, sir?”
“Actually, yes,” the Guild Master smiled, Brian sensing a hint of malice beneath the kind exterior, “I have a possible Quest for you all.”
------
“Fighting inferior creatures? How drole,” Karen sighed as they walked through the town, heading towards the shopping area, “And why do I need armour? Nothing can pierce my skin, even in this pathetic form.”
“Because,” Brian sighed, “We put you down as a Dragoon on the Adventurer’s Guild form, and Dragoon’s wear light metal armour and wield spears, so that’s what you’re going to have to do. At least while we’re around other people.”
“Such a farce,” the Dragon spat, “To force me to pretend to be the pitiful Class the gods made to combat my kind.”
“You say that the gods made the Classes,” Brian hummed, looking back at her in interest, “What do you mean by that?”
“Just that,” Karen replied, “All Classes of you mortals are made by your gods. Dragons have no need for such things, as we are not bound by your pathetic laws or weak bodies.”
“What about Jobs?” Brian asked, “Are they also made by the gods?”
“Yes,” Karen nodded, “Though I do not know their intricacies quite as well as Classes, there are simply too many.”
“So, there are a finite number of Classes? Do they come in like, Ranks or Tiers, like Abilities?”
“They are classified by Grades,” Grisha answered, “Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary, and Mythical. Most people have a Common Class, obviously, but even Uncommon Classes are not that rare among the common folk. At least in the Dem- I mean, in my home.”
“I see, and what Grade is my Class?” Brian asked.
“It is a Common Class with an unusual specialisation,” Grisha continued, “So, probably Uncommon? Though considering what we have learnt, it may be considered Rare in the Human Lands.”
“Uncommon or Rare, huh?” Brian nodded, shrugging as they arrived at the local smithy, “Good enough for me. Let’s go in.”
“Hello and welcome!” the large, muscular woman behind the counter called as they entered, chatting to another older woman, “Be with you in a minute. Now, here you go, Gertrude, I fixed up your favourite pan, good as new.”
“Thank you, dear,” the older looking woman nodded as she accepted the large cooking utensil, “I’ll make you something with it as thanks.”
“No need,” the shopkeeper chuckled, “You already paid.”
“Payment and thanks are two separate things, young lady,” the older woman scolded, “And you need plenty of food to keep your energy up for your work, don’t you?”
“Well, thanks,” the smith nodded, “I look forward to it, your food is always great!”
Brian and the others waited until the older woman had made her way out of the shop before approaching the counter, the muscular woman nodding at them.
“What can I do for you?” she hummed, looking over the three robed figures, her eyes lingering on the sword at Brian’s hip, “Not often I get a group of Mages in my shop.”
“I am no mere Mage, worm,” Karen spat, “I am a proud Drago-!”
“Dragoon,” Brian interrupted, “She’s a Dragoon. Her previous armour and weapon got destroyed in a fight, so we were hoping you could make her something new?”
“Sure, I can do that,” the other woman nodded, looking at Karen strangely, “It’ll cost a bit though. And take a while. You sure you have the coin and time?”
“Yes,” Brian nodded, pulling out a small purse from his bracer and opening it, showing off the ten gold coins inside, “A deposit. Do you have anything suitable for her to wear in the meantime? We kind of have a Quest for the Adventurer’s Guild that’s a bit time sensitive.”
“Sure,” the smith shrugged, pointing to several mannequins wearing various sets of leather armour, “I can sell you something like that, and a good spear, then buy them back if they’re in decent enough shape once I finish your custom order. That sound good?”
“Perfect,” Brian sighed in relief, “Oh, but can you make the custom spear as strong as you possibly can? Weight isn’t an issue.”
“Weight isn’t an issue?” the smith blinked, “I suppose? It’ll cost more, though. Why, does your Dragoon go through her weapons fast or something?”
“That exactly,” Brian nodded, “Actually, could you sell us a bundle of spears or lances for her to use? They’ll all probably end up broken, anyway.”
“Sure, they’re right over there. Cheap stuff on the left, fancy in the middle, strong on the right.”
“Thank you,” Brian nodded as he headed over to the weapon racks, inspecting the various long weapons for a moment before nodding, “How many of these strong ones do you have?”
“About twenty,” the smith shrugged, “They’re a gold each, though.”
“Perfect,” Brian smiled, “We’ll take them all.”
------
“Nothing, Arch Mage,” the Mage shook their head dejectedly, “Even the Wards on the room were all but obliterated by whatever blast occurred inside. It is impossible to find any evidence of the Demon Lord’s demise.”
“That is quite alright,” Cornelius hummed, “You have completed your task to the best of your ability, and that is all I can ask of you.”
“Are you sure?” the Mage continued, “Will the king not be displeased with you?”
“Allow me to worry about that,” the Arch Mage replied, “For now, take your team and go rest, you have been working almost non-stop for a week, you need it.”
“Thank you, Arch Mage,” the Mage nodded, leaving the principal’s office as the old woman watched the conversation.
“Are you sure this is safe, Cornelius?” she asked softly after the door had closed, “While I agree with you that those two should have been allowed to leave, your life is now on the line.”
“It is fine, Brenda,” the Arch Mage sighed, “I have a good feeling about that young man. I sense that he will do many a great thing for this world of ours.”
“Oh? Did your Tier nine Ability activate for him? Did you see something in his future?”
“Something, yes,” the Arch Mage nodded, “Though what, I cannot tell. Only that it was extremely dark, and something saw me back.”
“Something saw you back?” the principal gasped, “Through a future sight Ability? How is that possible?”
“Perhaps it was this Darkness the living Curse spoke of,” Cornelius shrugged, “But, at the end of the day, it matters little. I am going to go rest now, it has been a long day, and I am not as young as I once was.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Brenda chuckled, “You’re still the little whippersnapper that was chasing me around for tutoring all those years ago to me.”
“I am sure I am, Brenda,” Cornelius laughed along, “And I am eternally grateful for those lessons.”
“You had better be,” the old woman snorted as the man left her office, her smile falling as the door closed behind him, “You had better watch yourself, little Corny. I have a bad feeling about all this.”