Sometimes, you can’t help but marvel at the world around you. That’s how it’s always been for me. As a child, I was captivated by tales of adventurers, epic battles, and brave heroes fighting off monstrous threats to keep the city safe.

Maybe it was the innocence of childhood, or perhaps it was because I witnessed my own grandfather fend off a monster when our city was in peril.

I remember that chaotic day vividly. Monsters had breached the city walls, wreaking havoc everywhere. People were falling left and right. My father was away on business, leaving us vulnerable. It was my grandfather, who just happened to be home, who saved us.

“Amazing…”

I stood there, mesmerized as a horde of goblins appeared in our neighborhood. They spotted my mother and me as we stepped out of our house. By some stroke of luck, Grandpa saw them too.

Without warning, he drew a sword seemingly out of thin air.

“Alice, get inside the house now,” he commanded.

Grandpa didn’t just save us; he saved the entire neighborhood with his swift actions. Later, my mother told me that Grandpa was once a top adventurer before he started his business.

“Really, Grandpa? You never told me that before…” My curiosity and excitement were palpable. I could picture him, a legendary warrior, battling monsters with skill and courage.

From that moment on, I vowed to learn the ways of the sword and magic.

Stolen story; please report.

But, as I grew older, I realized the world wasn’t as heroic as I imagined. Most people didn’t even bother to learn basic self-defense skills. In this world, society was increasingly dependent on magical weapons and mundane office jobs.

Even though I was determined to learn swordsmanship and magic, there was no one around to teach me. Whenever I mentioned wanting to become an adventurer, people would laugh and say, “Why? Let the government and military handle it.”

Sighing, I resorted to practicing alone in my spare time.

“Are you heading off to school, Ray?” Grandpa asked as I was about to leave the house.

“Yes, Grandpa! What about you?” I replied, slipping on my shoes.

He held up his phone, “I need to check on your dad. He just called.”

“Oh... okay. Well, talk to you later, Grandpa. I need to leave now!”

Grandpa had retired, leaving Dad to run the family business. Dad was excellent at it, having expanded the business significantly. Grandpa only visited the office if absolutely necessary.

“Probably some urgent work,” I thought.

On my way to school, I bumped into a familiar face—a friend who was a bit of an oddball.

“Good morning, Ray!”

His name was Kei Mori. We had been friends since childhood, both admirers of my grandfather’s heroic deeds.

“Hey, Kei. Up early today? Didn’t stay up all night gaming?” I teased.

“Nah, I was too tired yesterday.”

As we walked together, Kei brought up some news, “Did you hear about the Adventurer Guild having the lowest number of requests ever?”

“Oh, that? Yeah, I heard,” I responded.

It was true. City security had improved, and dungeon appearances had decreased. It was a good sign—our city was becoming safer.

As we approached the school, we noticed a large crowd gathered at the entrance.

“What’s going on over there?” Kei wondered.

“Maybe an accident?”

...

It wasn’t an accident. As we got closer, we saw that the ground had collapsed, creating a massive hole at the school’s entrance.

“A dungeon formation…?”

Some teachers identified it quickly and started calling the adventurer guild and authorities. While everyone else was busy informing others, I saw it as a golden opportunity for real-life experience.

Today, I would register myself as an adventurer...