“Yo, Davida, small world, huh?” I waved my hand, greeted her out loud. All the eyes in the room instantly turned towards me.

Davida lowers her head, trying her best not to look at my directions. Ignoring it, I approach Davida, “Hey Davida, how are you?”

“Um, I’m fine.” She shyly replied. Seeing this, there’s some strange feeling welling up inside me. Is this how Alicia felt when she saw me back then? How can one be so adorable?

“I don’t know you’re becoming an Adventurer. Why don’t you tell me?” I casually ask Davida

“You didn’t ask,” she said quietly.

Ouch, that hurts. Okay, fine, maybe shouting out loud embarrassingly was not a good idea, okay. Sorry.

I chatted with Davida while waiting for the exam to begin. Not long after, the receptionist came from the second floor of the building. “All right, last batch. Come up”

All 17 of us come up, following the receptionist. Upstairs, I found the guilds’ tavern. The adventurers there ate, drank, and laugh before noticing us. They smiled at us warmly then they go about their business. The receptionist led us into the door behind the tavern’s counter.

“Barlog, can you open the door, please?” The receptionist politely asks the bartender, Barlog; unlike his name, he’s an elegant man wearing a buttles outfit with a monocle on his right eye.

“Sure,” Barlog blandly replied. He took out a key from below the desk and open the door.

“Thanks”

We were then led down the stairs into some kind of basement. “Welcome to the guilds training room. My name is Yuya, most of you know me as this branch receptionist. But what most of you didn’t know, I also act as the branch manager of the guild, meaning I held the authority whether to accept you lot or not.” The gentle receptionist from before is gone; what replaces him looks like a strict drill instructor I saw from my previous life.

Yuya prepped up a wooden doll. “This is the first test. Damage this wooden doll as best as you can. Note that destroying it doesn’t mean you’re going to qualify. When I call your name, step forward.”

“First up, Miss Davida”

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Startled, she readied herself before stepping forward. “You may begin,” Yuya signalled.

She pulls out a staff out of her robe before beginning to chant. The temperature in the room started to rise before a blast of fireball comes out from her staff. The fireball hit the wooden doll, charring it.

“Fireball, at least a 2nd Circle Mage,” Yuya scribbles something on his notes. “Next,” he said, pointing to the next examinee.

“Whoa, a 2nd Circle Mage.” One of the examinees said

“Do you know how old she is? Being a 2nd Circle Mage at that age. Incredible.” Another one chimes in.

“How do you know she’s only a 2nd Circle Mage? For all we know, she might hide her true strength.”

At least a 2nd Circle Mage? If people find out about my childhood friend, their eyes will come out from their sockets. As the test went on, from what I see, besides Davida, only 2 people are somewhat above average. The middle-aged man with glasses and the blond female elf.

The middle-aged man looks like someone who’s survived on a battlefield, proven by how he handles his greatsword proficiently. While the blond female elf is another 2nd Circle Mage. They appear to be a pair, seeing they’re so close to each other.

“And the last one, Mr Eru.”

Finally, it’s my turn. I think about how I can flaunt my power, but my dad’s words popped up ‘Don’t show your power needlessly. Show enough, save the rest. It’ll save your life someday.’ My eyes focused. I stepped forward, facing the wooden doll; I drew my sword. Holding the sword firm with both of my hands, I raised my sword up high before slashing down quickly, faster than most eyes can see.

Yuya and the middle-aged man’s expression changed. The middle-aged man gazed at me with wary before nodding. “Eru passed.” Yuya evaluates while scribbling at his notes.

“This concludes the strength test. You’ll have a 15 minutes break. Feel free to order anything from the guilds’ tavern. We’ll have food and drinks ready for the examinee.” Yuya explained; he then leads us back to the guilds’ tavern. “As I said before, you have 15 minutes break. After, the knowledge test will begin.”

The knowledge test proceeds smoothly. The question mainly consists of monsters and how to deal with them. There’s also a math test and general knowledge test.

“Right, we’ll evaluate your scores in a minute. Please wait in the guilds’ tavern, or if you want to wait somewhere else, feel free, but please come back in approximately 30 minutes. Thank you.” Yuya explained gently. It seems his receptionist mode is back.

I decided to wait in the guilds’ tavern with the other while Davida, the middle-aged man, and the blond elf leave together. Those three must’ve known each other.

I sat in the bar, The bartender, Barlog glancing at me slightly while cleaning the glasses and plates professionally. He serves me a glass of ice tea out of the blue. “Here, it’s on the house.”

“Thanks” I sipped the ice tea. My eye brightens. “Whoa, so fresh.” I slurped it quickly until it’s empty. “Delicious,” I sigh, satisfied.

Barlog smiles smugly, “That hair, you know Rudy?” he glaringly asks me.

“You know my dad?” I tried to get every bit of tea left in the glass.

Barlog snatched the glass from me, “Give me that,” then proceed to refill it back up. “We’re old friends. Your dad never told you?” he put the ice tea back to the table.

I picked it up, sipping it slowly this time; I want to savour it. “Nope. He never told me anything about his past. The only things he told me were how he trains and how he met mom.” I nonchalantly said.

“Is that so….” Barlog clicked his tongue. “Tch. Darned that guy. He never told us where he lives after that day, never sends any messages. Lo and behold, his son is now here, sitting right in front of me.” He irritably said.

“So, my dad used to be an Adventurer?”

“Not exactly an Adventurer. He doesn’t like to be bound by anything. He always does what he wanted.”

“Hmm-hmm. He always does that.” I nod in agreement.

“Even that time, when he decided to go on an adventure. He didn’t tell anybody and just brought us along. How selfish can that guy be….”

I nod along with his rants

“Even when he decided to leave the party and took Annabelle with him. Doesn’t he know how much trouble he gave us bringing a princess from the elf kingdom away?”

“Hmm-hmm… Wait, whaat?” I spat my drink at Barlog

“MY MOTHER’S A PRINCESS!?”