I woke up sometime later, groaning as I sat up in a soft bed, looking up at a plain wooden ceiling. "Passing out is really starting to get old," I grumbled, rubbing my temples. The room was eerily quiet compared to the chaos of the arena fight. I had won, somehow. The thought made me grin, though I wasn't sure how I had managed it.

As I took stock of myself, I checked my ether stores and saw that they had risen to about 20%. Not bad. I was still in my armor and robes, which were a little cut and bloodied but surprisingly intact. "So, what happened?" I asked Harlequin inwardly.

Harlequin laughed in response. "We won glory, dear partner! We faced our enemies with cunning and guile, and made them grovel at our feet. Not only that, we did so to the entertainment of the masses. It was simply marvelous!"

I shook my head with a smile. "I'm glad you had fun, buddy."

Harlequin scoffed. "It's more than that, dear partner. We taunted and we prodded, we laid traps and we lured our enemies into them. I haven't been happier since... well, since forever, it seems!"

I muted Harlequin's voice a little, that laugh wasn’t getting less creepy, and I slowly stood up and walked to the door. The room I was in looked like a medical facility, with two beds, a few chairs, and a writing table. Other than that, it was almost completely bare.

The door creaked as I pushed it open, revealing a long hallway. Following the distant sounds of chatter and clinking glasses, I set off in the direction of the noise. Eventually, I found myself standing on a balcony overlooking the guild hall, which was teeming with people. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease - I'd never seen so many adventurers gathered in one place before. The air crackled with tension, as though something big was about to happen.

My eyes scanned the room, searching for familiar faces. Eventually, I spotted Lyra and Isabel standing at the bar, deep in conversation with Malik. They looked up as I approached, and their faces broke into wide grins. I was relieved to see that they seemed happy, at least.

But as I started to descend the stairs, I noticed that the room had grown eerily quiet. All eyes were fixed on me, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious. "Um...hi?" I offered tentatively.

No one said anything, but a moment later Isabel appeared by my side. "Come with me," she said briskly, and led me down the stairs. "And the rest of you lot, stop gawking at the man and give him some room, will you?"

As we made our way through the crowd, people patted me on the back and whispered congratulations in my ear. I tried to keep my composure, but I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by all the attention.

Finally, we reached the bar, where Malik was waiting for us. He greeted me with a wide smile. "Ah, you're awake, lad, good," he said, pouring a mug of witch brew and sliding it across the counter to me. "On the house. Well done in your trials."

"Thanks," I said, taking a sip of the brew. It was strong, but surprisingly tasty.

"When time allows, I'd like to have a word with you," Malik continued, leaning in conspiratorially. "There are some things I'd like to discuss."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, anytime, Malik."

With that, Malik went back to serving other customers, and I turned to Lyra and Isabel. Lyra was practically bouncing with excitement. "What?" I asked her, smiling despite myself.

"What do you mean, what?" she exclaimed. "What in all of the hells was that? You...I mean..."

Isabel cut in, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You surprised us, is what she's trying to say. I was about to step in there when the guildmaster sent you up against those three, but I'm glad I didn't. You've grown at a frightening speed, David."

I shrugged, feeling a little bashful. "I haven't checked my notifications yet, but I was still only level 16, Isabel. I'm sure others - including you - are far beyond me still."

Isabel smiled at me and said, "I am not talking about levels, I am talking about your approach to the fight. You seem very in tune with your abilities, your illusions are extremely lifelike, your strategies are devious and effective. It is hard to believe that you weren’t a fighter in your old life."

I had played my share of games on my old laptop, and I had always enjoyed games where you would build characters and try to find synergies and such. Perhaps that experience was helping me here. I tried to explain by saying, ‘’in my old world, we have certain games. The games focus on strategy, synergies between abilities, and so on to create the most efficient way to dismantle your foes. Games are a far cry from reality for sure, but I suspect that experience has played a role here."

Isabel nodded contemplatively. "Interesting. Could you recreate those games here?"

I smiled but shook my head. "Sadly, no. Earth, as my world is called, is focused entirely on technology since no magic exists that I know of. It is far more advanced in that field than Aethoria, but I am no expert on how things work, really, so recreating them would be impossible."

Isabel and Lyra both looked a bit disappointed, but I had a sudden idea. "There are a few games I might recreate though, ones that are not focused around technology. You know, for entertainment."

Lyra grinned. "Oh, I want to play!"

I was about to promise I would think of something when a voice cut through the buzz of the hall.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

‘’Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the ceremony to begin,’’ announced the plump woman with the beaming smile, her magically amplified voice booming throughout the hall. ‘’Initiate Wendell, step forward please.’’ Lyra gave me an encouraging smile, so I walked up to the foot of the stairs. The guildmaster and two administrators were waiting for me, but only the woman appeared pleased. The guildmaster looked sour and defeated, but he took a deep breath and straightened his back.

‘’Initiate Wendell, it is my pleasure to welcome you to ‘The Knights of the Open Road’ guild. You have demonstrated exceptional ability in your trials, and we are pleased to have such a promising young man joining us.’’

‘’He doesn’t look pleased at all,’’ I thought, a small smile playing on my lips.

‘’Usually, an adventurer starts at the novice rank, but you have clearly shown yourself worthy of bearing the wayfarer rank. Step forward, please.’’ I stepped forward, and the woman leaned in to place a necklace around my neck. ‘’This is the symbol of our guild. Show it at any branch, and you will be welcomed as a brother and may take on jobs there. You will also be given the option of signing a contract with the Creston branch, and such talks will be held in the next few weeks.’’

The people around me clapped and hooted, seeming genuinely happy to welcome me into the family. I looked around and smiled awkwardly, but the guildmaster wasn’t finished.

‘’Each member of the guild attains a new name when they complete their initiation, and through deliberations and advice from your mentor, you will be known as Harlequin henceforth.’’ I realized I would need to choose another name for my buddy. The crowd cheered again, and a chant of ‘Harlequin! Harlequin!’ began in the back, slowly spreading through the room.

The guildmaster let the chant continue for a bit before raising his hands. ‘’From today, you will have access to the guild stores. Your former mentor will provide information on how that works. The ceremony is now at an end, and the festivities may continue.’’

The crowd erupted in cheers as the guildmaster turned with the tall man and headed up the stairs. The woman, however, didn't immediately follow them. Instead, she gazed into my eyes for a few moments, smiled gently, gave me a wink, and then followed the guildmaster. With the initiation finally over, I was now officially a member of the team. I navigated my way through the backslapping and congratulatory comments, making my way over to Isabel, who was already seated.

"Is it normal for people to get this excited?" I asked her, slightly bewildered.

"No, not exactly," she replied, giving me a small smile. "They saw your fight, David. They're always happy to welcome strong people into the guild. We compete for rankings, contracts, and standing in the guild, but in the end, we're like an extended family. When large contracts appear and we have to work together, they're happy someone powerful will be at their side."

I shook my head with a smile. "I'm not sure I would call myself powerful."

Lyra rolled her eyes. "Your humility is endearing, David, but it's also a bit annoying."

Malik chimed in, walking over with another mug for me. "You certainly have a few exploitable weaknesses, but have some confidence, lad. There's plenty of room to grow, but the potential is there."

The rest of the night was filled with celebration, but as the exhaustion of the day's challenges began to set in, Lyra and I decided to head home. Isabel went to see Bertrand. As I soaked in the bath, Lyra joined me, wearing nothing but a towel. I raised an eyebrow as she entered, and she grinned mischievously before sitting on the stool next to the pool. She removed her towel, and I quickly turned around, pretty sure I heard her giggling. "You seriously coming in here?" I asked, as I heard subtle splashes.

"Don't be shy, David," Lyra said, approaching and stopping behind me. "We can sit with our backs to each other."

I sighed as she sat down and leaned her back against me. "Oh, don't say you don't like a woman leaning up against you, David!"

I chuckled. "Oh, I enjoy it very much. Just surprised is all."

Lyra giggled, and we just sat there, back-to-back in the bath, relaxing in quiet companionship.

"I want to thank you, Lyra," I said after a while, breaking the silence.

"For what?" she asked, stirring slightly.

"For dragging me along like a plaything, for quite forcefully bringing me into your world, and for being a friend."

Lyra turned around, and I looked over my shoulder, carefully looking at the face, and not.. Well.. other things. "You know that sounded like half an insult, right?"

I grinned. "It wasn't."

She smiled. "I know it wasn't. For what it's worth, I'm happy I did."

She hugged me from behind, leaning into my back, and I was finding it hard to concentrate. "Um.. Lyra," I said.

"Yes, David?" she replied, her voice close to my ear.

"You do know that I'm a man, right?" I asked.

Lyra giggled. "Very aware, yes."

"And you know that you're very attractive, right?" I continued.

Lyra squeezed a little harder. "I know that you think so, yes."

I sighed. "Bloody hell, Lyra... you're not making it easy to keep up my cool guy facade here!"

In one fluid motion, she dragged herself around me and sat in my lap. "Then how about you just... don't," she said before kissing me. I happily reciprocated, feeling a sense of rightness I hadn't experienced in a long time.

After a while, I pulled away and looked into her eyes. "You know Isabel might get pretty upset with us, right?" I said.

Lyra grinned. "Oh, let her!" She pulled me to her again, and melted against me.

We spent a good while longer in the bath, and it was a very interesting experience. Later, we went to Lyra's room... her bed was bigger after all.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of a door slamming open. For the second time in days, Isabel was scowling at me first thing in the morning. "Again?" she half-growled.

"Morning, Isabel," I said, giving her a friendly grin. "Had fun with Bertrand?"

Isabel rolled her eyes. "I should have known the two of you would do something rash..."

Lyra stirred next to me and opened her eyes. "It wasn't rash, Isabel. You've known my intentions for a while now!"

Isabel frowned. "And I told you it was a bad idea!"

Lyra grinned. "Oh, Isabel, I can assure you it was a really, really good idea," she said, kissing my cheek. I tried not to blush as Isabel held her frown for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

"Gods, Lyra, you're shameless," Isabel said, still chuckling.

Lyra just grinned and squeezed herself against me. She looked down, Isabel looked down, and I closed my eyes, cursing my damn libido for betraying me. "I'll take that as a compliment!" Lyra said, and Isabel blushed a little before leaving the room in a hurry.