Tyrus devoured the bountiful table, satisfying his hunger with bread, water, and a delectable red bison stew that had a hint of sweetness in the meat. Even a few fruits made their way in his gullet, and though he may have to vomit soon afterward, he couldn’t help it. It felt as if he had not had a proper meal since forever, though realistically, it had only been a good four hours since. Why was he so hungry?

Fiona sat beside Tyrus, watching him as he shoveled food inside his mouth. “You know... You scared me back there when you passed out there for a moment. Turns out you were just dead tired and... very hungry.”

“Uh-huh,” Tyrus replied, his voice muffled.

They were currently on the second floor, sitting at a table that watched over the entire first floor. There, a handful of people still sat and stood, but their attention was elsewhere. The chatter downstairs was still quite audible, so Tyrus got the gist of what was going on down there.

Zephyr had already finished transporting the remaining applicants, thus signalling the end of the exam. Apparently, the ones that failed were transported back to the building beforehand, so the applicants that just arrived are the ones that passed, which weren’t that many. Only five out of the sixteen remained, that being him, Igneal, a man with sun-kissed skin, Mitha and Wyford.

A lick of a smile appeared on Tyrus when hearing the good news. They had been through a lot together, even if their time was brief. The two of them deserved to be explorers, more than Tyrus. Mitha and Wyford had the skills and knowledge to get the job done. All Tyrus had was a bit of experience and a lot of luck, but that was not enough.

Compared to them and Igneal, he was a weakling. His skills with the sword were subpar at best, and his understanding of magic was mediocre compared to Igneal. The guy had to teach someone with a rare affinity how to use his magic properly. Tyrus would be lying if he was happy Igneal, of all people, had to teach him something he should’ve known a while ago. Plus, he didn't even have to mention his aim with the bow since he's never used one before.

Tyrus was the bottom of the barrel when faced with true talent. All he had going for him was his physique and a knack for getting out of trouble. Without Igneal, he probably would’ve failed the exam at the hands of Jericho. And without Mitha and Wyford, escaping the fishing village would have been impossible with all the lizardmen and beasts chasing them. At those moments, Tyrus truly felt hopeless.

Warm skin suddenly landed on his hand. Tyrus jumped at the touch, looking up to see Fiona staring at him, her expression a mix of worry and comfort. “Hey, I don’t know if you know this, but your emotions become blatantly clear, especially through your ears and tail. When you get all sad, your tail hangs to the side while your ears droop. Though cute, something must be bothering you and I have a feeling it’s related to the exam. Care to tell me what’s wrong?”

Tyrus set aside his mug and wiped his mouth. Before he could open his mouth, a gust of wind from the first floor swept across the building. Soon, the chatter downstairs quieted and turned into a series of muttering. Tyrus and Fiona glanced down, and there, they saw what had caught everyone’s attention; a sphere of wind swirling at where the applicants first teleported to appeared. Afterward, the wind disappeared, revealing the three overseers.

Selena, who appeared unchanged as usual, confidently walked forward with a radiant smile and announced, "Greetings, everyone! As you can clearly see, the exam has officially concluded! Out of the sixteen contenders, only five endured a remarkable three hours in the treacherous Wasteful Wetlands! Considering its medium danger level, this is an astounding achievement in itself. Let's give them a round of applause as they receive their well-deserved Explorer Guild tags!”

Applause filled the air as the other applicants gingerly walked toward the overseers. Tyrus finished stuffing his face with a stick of bread and bid Fiona goodbye as he followed suit. When he made his way downstairs, the stares were back, but he simply ignored them and jogged toward the overseers.

Wyford flashed him a smile and muttered the words 'Good to see you again' while Mitha waved. Tyrus took the spot next to Igneal; he noticed the Lockhart grabbed himself a fresh set of garments and cleaned the mud from his face. Even then, he missed a few spots as mud still speckled his red hair. Where did he find the time to dress and clean himself up? It wasn't even that long since they were teleported back.

Tyrus caught Selena glancing at him with a smile, and he almost gagged. He thought back to Fiona's words about him being easily readable and made a mental note to mask expressing himself through his ears and tail. Was he really being that obvious this whole time?

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Selena started with an unwavering smile, saying, "First of all, congratulations! You have successfully completed the most challenging exam ever devised by this branch in its entire history! Your bravery and determination have allowed you to overcome every obstacle and hurdle that stood in your way. This alone speaks volumes about your skills as an explorer. Some of you even took on the formidable lizardmen single-handedly and emerged victorious. To be honest, such a feat is beyond what one would expect from a copper rank explorer."

Tyrus's eyes narrowed when he realized Selena was directing the last statement at him. The gasping and clapping from the audience drowned out his suspicions as Selena continued with her speech.

"Hey, Branch Leader Selena!" someone called from near the contract board. "Why's Sir Geroth half naked? Was he wrestling a bunch of hogs out of boredom or something?"

A few people in the audience snickered while Selena chuckled and said, "That is a great question, Treide. You can ask Sir Geroth about it later."

Selena gestured over to Sir Geroth, who had been staring dazedly at the roof. When he realized she was waiting for him to say something, he snapped out of it. "Oh, yes! It is a story worth telling over a few drinks! Though I would love to describe how I wrestled three tusked boars, I'm afraid I have my duties to attend to after. Selena, if you will."

Sir Geroth in particular seemed rather shaken, Tyrus noticed. Elder Treant must've told him something worrisome if he of all people was disturbed. Tyrus didn't have time to dwell on the thought, however, as Selena wrapped up the speech almost quickly.

"Best not to keep a protector of Lethos waiting. So without further ado, Celeste will now issue the Explorer tags!"

The receptionist at the desk retrieved a fancy black box from under the desk and walked up to Mitha first. She smiled with a bow and handed her the first tag, a necklace with a copper plate at the end. Then she went down the line and repeated the same gestures. When she got to Igneal and he received his, he looked at the tag with a grimace.

"I should be in gold instead," he muttered.

Celeste shrugged. "Complete more contracts and I'm sure you'll accomplish that swiftly, Lord Igneal."

"Naturally," Igneal said with a puffed chest.

At last, Celeste came to a halt in front of Tyrus and extended the Explorer tag towards him. His hand trembled as he gratefully took hold of it. Raising the copper tag above his head, he reveled in his personal victory. Finally, he had accomplished one of his longstanding aspirations since becoming a sorcerer. Him reaching the status as an explorer was the accumulation of his blood and sweat, tirelessly honing his magic and body to take another step in securing a lavish life.

Tyrus felt like dancing, running, jumping, screaming, and doing a million other things to celebrate, but he restrained himself and did nothing. He didn't want to embarrass himself any more than he had already done. He was content with holding the cold metal to his palms and feeling his heart beat with excitement.

Tyrus held the tag in his hands, carefully examining it. The front displayed the words 'Explorer Guild'. Flipping it over, he noticed a few intriguing details. His name and branch affiliation immediately caught his eye. Strangely enough, unlike the plain inscription on the front, these letters emitted a bright white light. Utilizing his mana sense, Tyrus guessed the tag was infused with mana. And just below his name and affiliation, there was a number.

Ten? What does that mean?

Selena cleared her throat and began, "For all of you, my dear new explorers, the Explorer tag contains your personal information, including your name, affiliation with the Valis branch, and age that periodically keeps track. This will facilitate identification when accessing various facilities that require verification. The information on the back is designed in white color, as it is powered by mana, a remarkable creation by Lethos' renowned sorcerers."

The gears in Tyrus head turned as the information settled in his brain. Why did the tag say ten when his true age was nine? Sure he would reach that number in the upcoming winter, but why would it show a time a few months from now? Tyrus tried to convey his question through his eyes toward Selena, and she must've read his mind. All the branch leader did was wink at him and signalled toward a beaming Fiona, as if to say 'we'll talk later with her.' Tyrus mentally shrugged and stared back at the tag.

"I don't want to keep you guys, so I'll wrap this up now. Congratulations to our new explorers! Don't be shy in teaching the rookies a thing or two about the guild and our way of life. We're all in this together, so do not hesitate to help one another. If anyone has questions, please come and talk to Celeste, myself, or one of the higher-ranked explorers. With that being said, the guild will provide a feast later tonight and we expect to see you there!"

The crowd erupted into applause and hollers, shaking the building to its core. Tables and mugs rattled as explorers took their seats or pounded their feet in a rhythm. Tyrus cupped his ears as the sound overwhelmed his senses.

Ugh, so annoying!

Just as he was about to run off, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He peered up to see Selena, who was smirking down at him. "You look like a kitten ready to flee! Understandable, given your sensitive hearing. Follow me to my office. We have much to discuss of your... future."

From Selena's ominous message and her unsettling smile, Tyrus could not help but gulp. Whenever it came to her, Tyrus always had his guard up. While he would love to leave the building and go somewhere else, he had a couple of questions for the branch leader and information to share.