It wasn’t until a little after noon that I could get to the Guildhall to see the available requests. The first thing I noticed when I entered was that the place was almost deserted. Only a handful of adventurers were milling around, mainly near the bar area off the side, with only one bored-looking guild employee behind the desk. I went to the Rank F board to see what was available.

Gem comments as I look over the requests that were left.

I murmur in confusion at the unfamiliar word before shaking myself and answering

I replied, pulling the request from the board. Looking closer at the sheet, I noticed weird vertical black bars with varying widths in the upper right corner and the unnaturally blocky way the text was written; it almost looked like the letters used by the system.

< That's it!> Gem declares.

I sent hesitantly, unsure what I was getting myself into, as I walked to the reception desk. The bored-looking employee behind the desk perks up, seeing me approach.

“Good Afternoon, Miss; what can I help you with today.” The receptionist asked.

“Um, I’d like to take this request,” I say, laying the request sheet on the desk.

“Your first time?” the receptionist asked, which got a nod from me, “In that case, can I see your Guild Card?” I hand it over, and she places it on a crystal square embedded into the counter. Taking a device from below the counter, she held it over those weird black bars until the object emitted a soft beep. “There we go. The request has been registered with your card. When you’ve completed it, go to the redemption desk, and whoever is there will confirm it and mark it complete.”

Gem comments with a laugh, and it could have been my imagination, but that laugh sounded slightly maniacal. I decided not to question it.

“Thank you,” I say, retrieving my Guild Card from the receptionist.

~ ~ ~

With the large stone wall englobing the town, there were only two exits. One was to the west, near the merchant area, and the other was in the north, where most of the town's population lived. Since the northern gate gave the easiest access to the forest, I made my way there. It also had the advantage of being less busy than the west gate. Both gates were similarly constructed with large, heavy wooden doors at either side of the almost twenty-foot tunnel. During the day, both doors were wide open. Only the outer gate was closed at night more to keep the monsters that roomed the forest out than anything.

“Malissa,” one of the guards on duty shouted, waving me over not even a minute after I got into the short queue heading out of town. “I thought that was you, going out on your first request?” the guard added when I got closer.

“Ya, Marcus,” I answer, recognizing the guard as Dad's long-time friend and captain of the town’s Guard.

“Go on through; your father mentioned you might be heading to the forest at some point today.”

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“Um, don’t you need to see my Guild Card or something?” I ask, a little taken aback.

“We only check identification on the way out to ensure criminals or anyone on the watch list don’t try to leave town. With my authority and as you’re the daughter of the Adventurer’s Guildmaster and the Crafting Guildmistress, I think we can let you through without all that hassle. However, you’ll have to show your Guild Card when you try to get back in. There's no way around that, I’m afraid.” Marcus says.

“Oh, um, thanks,” I say, unsure how to react. This was the first time I had been given blatant special treatment because of who my parents were. Growing up, my brother and I had it drilled into our heads that just because our parents ran the local branches of two of the four largest guilds on the continent didn’t mean we were entitled to anything. If we wanted something, we had to work for it.

Giving myself a mental shake, I made my way to the gate. Once inside the dimly lit tunnel, I noticed small rectangular holes close to the ceiling. Gem answers my unasked question.

was all I sent as I stepped out the other end of the tunnel, squinting in the midday sun. The queue to enter the town wasn’t all that large on this side. Probably due to all the foresters and adventurers still being out in the forest. Other than the size of the line, I paid little attention to it, instead following the well-trodden little footpath that led deeper into the forest. While the forest could be dangerous, especially the deeper parts, adventurers regularly cull the monster populations around the town, making the area where Millburn usually grows relatively safe. Relativity safe was not the same as safe, as Dad would always say, so I was still on the lookout for danger as I made my way deeper into the forest.

Before leaving for the guild hall, I had put on the armor Dad had given me and, using the configuration menu of the short sword, changed it to a hunting knife, which I was more comfortable with. Dad had lectured my brother and me at length that any weapon was just as dangerous to an untrained wielder as any potential attacker.

It wasn’t long before I came to one of the clearings where Millburn was known to grow. After searching for about half an hour, I found a sizable patch near a thicket of bushes on the northern edge. I pulled the empty basket mom gave me before heading to the Guild from storage and began filling it.

“Well, that was easy,” I say, storing the now full basket in storage.

Gem commented, and as if her words summoned it, a growl emanated from the bush. Backing slowly from the bush, I pull my knife from the little sheath on my belt. As I do so, three wolves enter the clearing, snarling—one in the center, with the other two flanking a few steps behind. Even if I had remembered to use Identity on the wolves, it wouldn’t have mattered as I didn’t have the time; almost immediately after emerging, the center wolf lunges at me. I barely managed to sidestep the lunging wolf, and as it flew by on some instinct I never knew about, I plunged my knife into the wolf's side, letting its momentum do the work of slicing open its side. At that moment, I realized the knife’s edge was unnaturally sharp, and I felt almost no resistance as the wolf gutted itself.

Congratulations, For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded.

For defeating your first Wolf, 10 XP has been awarded.

I didn’t even have time to pay attention to the message as both wolves, seeing that their fellow had been killed, with a snarl, lunged simultaneously at me. I could barely dodge in time, let alone try to strike one of the wolves. By the time I had got some distance from the two wolves and could focus, the message had already disappeared. My heart was pounding as adrenaline pumped through my veins. A plan formed quickly in my mind; I knew I had to finish this soon as my inexperience was a detriment in a prolonged fight.

As I searched the edge of the clearing, the wolves watched me wearily with low growls. One grew tired of waiting for me to attack and lunged at me. Fortunately, there was enough distance between me and the wolf this time that I had time to think and plan my attack. As the wolf neared, it leaped into the air, clearly going for the jugular, but I ducked down under it and slammed my knife home into its belly, its momentum allowing me to cut it open, spilling its blood and guts onto me and the clearing floor.

Congratulations, For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded.

Wiping the blood that now covered my face, as well as the rest of me, I felt sharp teeth sink into my calf; the second wolf had used the destruction created by its fellow to get in close. I let out an ear-splitting scream as the pain was overwhelming. On the brink of passing out from the pain and using the little energy I had left, I twisted around and drove my hunting knife into the wolf's eye to the hilt. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but as the light left the wolf’s other eye, its jaw loosened, and I could tear my leg free from the beast’s mouth.

Congratulations! For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded.

I fell to my knees, the knife I had been holding with a white knuckle grasp falling to the ground. I was panting heavily, but one thought kept playing through my mind: I was alive.