"I knew you were young and didn't work daily, but you're a student at Celera too?" Albert added in a surprised tone. He pulled his hand back, folding his arms as he took a moment to gather his thoughts.

Albert looked curiously at Erik and asked, "You know what, Erik? I am certainly impressed by your ability to manage studying and adventuring together, but doesn't adventuring affect your academics?"

Erik nodded at this. "I'd be lying if I said it doesn't. It sure does affect my academics, but increasing my proficiency in battle makes up for it, I would say," Erik added with a small smile and a calm expression.

"Ah, I see. Wait, do you guys get marks for battle proficiency too in Celera?"

"It's a school for mages," Erik added with a sarcastic tone.

"Guess that was a silly question," Albert added with a chuckle. Knowing full well how battle prowess is one of the most important characteristic of any mage.

"It was surely a silly question but I don't mind, though I think I should better be going, or I'll probably be slain by a receptionist," Erik added jokingly as he looked at the city's entrance.

"Wait, slain? Am I missing something?"

"Nah, I was just exaggerating," Erik added with a small chuckle. "I should still get going, though. Have a nice da… night sir," Erik said, quickly correcting himself.

"Yeah sure go ahead," Albert added as he re-immersed himself in his work of maintaining the city's register for the day.

And my joke didn't land, huh? That sure was embarrassing, Erik mentally scolded himself as he moved towards the city's entrance and walked inside. He took a quick glance around, noticing that the crowd was the same if not more than in the morning.

What else can you expect in a city of adventurers? Erik added mentally, smiling outwardly at his own thoughts.

Erik walked towards the adventurers' guild, passing by several shops along the way, especially the ones selling delicious food.

I need to eat, don't I? Erik thought as he looked at the delicious-looking kebabs at a street shop.

Erik turned his head back towards the road and started looking down at the road as he walked.

I have a job that's more important, idiot Erik, he mumbled to himself. As he did so, a small smile crept onto his face. Did Seras rub off on me? he wondered, remembering the way Seras often addressed herself as an idiot.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Erik reached the adventurer's guild quicker than he had in the morning, perhaps due to the extra motivation.

He moved inside the guild, noticing it was as bustling as ever, perhaps even more due to the time overlap between adventurers heading to the dungeon at night and those returning from morning expeditions, collecting their payments, and having dinner.

Erik moved towards Alya's counter, his concentration briefly interrupted as one adventurer slammed a wooden mug of alcohol on the table.

Erik glanced at the table. They were having a lot of meat with rice and bread for dinner. Erik turned his head and continued toward Alya.

Focus on your work, he scolded himself mentally as he reached Alya's counter.

Alya was as busy as ever with the paperwork. She stretched her neck by bending it backward to relieve her of strain. When she brought her head back to a normal position, she noticed Erik standing in front of her.

"Erik, huh? When did you come here?" she asked with a tinge of surprise in her voice.

"Just now, I would say," Erik replied in a tired voice.

Alya looked at Erik closely, noticing the unusual tired expression on his face.

"Are you fine? You look unwell," she asked, her voice showing slight concern for him.

"I'm fine," Erik said, widening his eyes to show that he was attentive.

He was in no way interested in getting scolded by Alya for being reckless and using too much magic despite having burnout.

"You don't look like it, though," Alya said, letting out a sigh. "Well, whatever. Hand it to me," she said, stretching out her hand.

Erik removed the Luminarian pouch from his left pocket and passed it to Alya.

"There are 5 nightwolves in this pouch, so yeah, that's all for today."

"Just 5 nightwolves, and you look this tired?" Alya asked with a suspicious look.

She was completely aware of Erik's abilities and knew full well that 5 nightwolves could never give him a hard time.

"I was, hmm, helping a friend out," Erik said with slight awkwardness and hesitation.

"You're lying," Alya said, narrowing her eyes.

"Wait you can tell!" Erik exclaimed in a surprised tone.

"Yeah," Alya added with a smug grin. "I'm good at catching people's lies. I'm kind of like a mind reader of sorts."

"But if it's something you can't tell, you don't have to force yourself," she added with a calm look. "I'll get this loot checked in and be back in a moment," Alya said as she turned toward the storage room.

"Take your time," Erik added.

Alya turned to look back at Erik.

"I have some business with the guildmaster," Erik said, pointing toward the guildmaster's office on the first floor with his thumb.

Alya simply nodded at this. She watched as Erik walked toward the guilds stairs and moved up.

A concerned look flickered on her face however she refocused on her task and went inside the storage room.

Erik was standing outside the guildmaster's office, staring at the wooden door as he prepared himself to meet the guildmaster.

He let out a sigh as he opened the door and quickly bent his head to the left, barely avoiding a wooden chopstick that was headed for his eyes.

"You're as quick as ever, I see," said the man sitting on the wooden chair with his legs crossed and stretched out on the table, said as he looked at Erik.

The guildmaster was wearing a long blood-red trench coat with a white t-shirt and black pant. His facial expression was sharp, he had sharp black eyes, black hair styled in the left part, and he had a pencil style black moustache. He appeared to be in his early 30s.