Sneaking out of the house with a sword was far more complicated than I anticipated. It took me a full hour just to figure out how to conceal it.

"If only I could summon my sword out of thin air like Grandpa," I muttered in frustration.

I waited patiently for the perfect moment when everyone in the house was occupied. This was no easy task—the sword was far too large to hide in a pocket or a bag. I had asked Grandpa how he managed to draw his sword from nowhere, but he explained that his sword was a unique artifact created by a master blacksmith. I remembered the sword stigma etched into his hand. When he channeled mana into it, the sword would materialize.

"The trouble is, there aren’t any blacksmiths of that caliber around here anymore," he had told me.

_Sigh..._

Eventually, I managed to slip out, the sword clutched in my hand. I sprinted towards the adventurer guild, hoping to avoid drawing too much attention. The sword was sheathed, but even then, it looked out of place in the hands of a high school student. At least I had my ownership card with me.

After running for what felt like an eternity, I arrived at the adventurer guild, gasping for breath. I paused for a moment to steady myself before pushing open the door. The room fell silent as I walked in, all eyes on the young boy with a sword.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"What can I do for you, young man?" the receptionist asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to register as an adventurer and join the dungeon exploration," I declared, my voice steady.

"Son, this isn’t a video game. Please don’t waste our time," he replied, clearly unimpressed.

This wasn’t a game to me. I had spent years training for this moment.

"I’m serious. I heard the guild needed adventurers. I’m here to explore the dungeon," I said, my determination unwavering.

Murmurs and chuckles spread through the room.

The receptionist sighed. "Why is a kid trying to do something so dangerous? Go home."

"Why do you assume I can't handle it? There’s no age limit for registration. Just do your job," I shot back, frustration creeping into my voice.

I hadn’t expected it to be this difficult just to sign up.

"Do you even own that sword?" he asked, pointing to the weapon.

I pulled out my sword ownership card and handed it to him.

He read the name aloud, "Ray Everett | DAW-ARI-5634."

His demeanor shifted as he recognized the name. Without another word, he retrieved a registration crystal ball and placed it on the desk.

"Place your hand on the crystal and channel your mana. It will record your mana signature," he instructed.

I had heard about this from Grandpa. The crystal would capture my unique mana signature. I placed my hand on the crystal and focused, channeling my mana into it. Though my magic skills were limited, I could control my mana flow well enough.

The crystal glowed softly, revealing a shimmering thread of my mana.

"So, that’s what a mana signature looks like," I murmured to myself.

The receptionist took the crystal to the backroom for processing. "Follow me to the waiting room," he said.

I followed, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. This was the beginning of my journey as an adventurer.