Chapter 6: "Promises and Departure"

As Edward opened the door, the first thing he heard was, "Holy shit, who the fuck are you?!" Luna exclaimed. Edward smiled and calmly replied, "Dude, it's me, Edward."

Luna's eyes widened as she looked at his changed appearance, "What happened to your hair?"

Edward chuckled and answered, "Yeah, about that. This is my original hair color."

"Ooooooh, you look dope," Luna exaggerated, admiring Edward's unique appearance.

"Anyway, what are we going to do today?" Edward inquired.

Luna eagerly responded, "I talked to some people in the lobby, and I found out that there's an Adventure Guild here in this town. But, of course, there's a test to prevent idiots from going on an adventure and dying like some mud in the air."

Edward nodded, "I see. Let's go there later, but for now, let's eat some food."

As they headed downstairs, Edward noticed that the lobby was empty, and he couldn't help but ask, "Hey, where's everyone?"

Luna explained, "Oh yeah, they said there's a mass in the church today, and it's going to take a while for it to end."

"Wait, the church exists? As in like God or Jesus Christ?" Edward inquired, a sense of confusion in his voice. He continued to explain his background, "I was born into a Catholic family, but I couldn't call myself good nor evil. I didn't want to be a liar or an actor in front of Jesus when I died, deceiving the one and only. So, I chose to become a Christian instead."

"Yeah, it's a thing. Wait, are you by any chance Catholic?" Luna asked, grinning.

Edward replied, "No, but I'm a Christian," his tone carrying a touch of sadness.

"Mhm, I see. But man, you really look dope with that hair."

Edward chose to ignore the compliment, fearing that further conversation might escalate.

"Let's just get some food," Edward suggested.

As they settled into their chairs, Luna exclaimed, "Grandma!!! Grandmaaaaa!"

An unfamiliar character, Grandma, slowly appeared, responding with irritation, "What! Shouting in the first thing in the morning?! Could you have said it normally?"

"Ehh, but I prefer it this way," Luna said with a touch of sadness.

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Exhaling heavily, Grandma asked, "What can I get for you today?"

Edward, whose night had been disturbed by recent events, and with his stomach rumbling like a moody storm, placed his order, "I'd like a poached egg, not much rice either, and a cup of coffee, any type of coffee will do."

Luna, still struggling to decide, received a suggestion from Grandma, "What about lasagna? It's good and sweet, and it's quite popular these days."

"That will do," Luna agreed.

Edward, ever attentive to Luna's emotions, inquired, "What's so good about today, Luna?"

With a smile and a sense of happiness, Luna explained, "Oh, nothing special. I'm just happy that I get to eat and drink freely as I want and talk to people whenever I want to."

Edward couldn't help but return her smile and pat her head, "I see."

As they finished their meal, Edward urged, "Drink some water first, and then we can go to the guild."

Luna agreed but raised a concern, "What about the bill?"

Edward remembered and called out, "Grandma! Grandma!"

Annoyed by the interruption, Grandma responded, "Here. What? You guys done eating? How about you pay for the food then?"

Edward assured her, "Don't worry; we're going to pay. Here's the money. By the way, could I ask for your name?"

"It's Linlin. How nice of you to ask for my name, though. Most don't even ask for my name, let alone give a damn about me. Anyway, just call me Linlin. I'm not even that old yet, you goddamned brats," Grandma replied with a touch of anger.

"Mhm. Luna, are you done?"

Luna confirmed, "Yeah. What about you, Edward?"

Edward nodded, and as both took a second sip of water, Edward said, "All right, then. Let's go to the guild."

"Finally! Just follow me, and we'll get there right away," Luna said with a grin.

"Very well, lead the way," Edward agreed with a slight smile.

Upon arriving at the guild, Luna was astonished by its beauty and size. However, for Edward, the exterior was less important than what lay within and its inherent value.

They both entered the bustling guild, a place filled with people and noise. It was as chaotic as a lion's roar but organized like a colony of ants. This arrangement allowed them to approach the counter with ease.

Edward approached the counter and asked, "Hey, could I register for both of us?"

The lady behind the counter explained the process, "Sure, but in your case, you can skip the exams and go straight for the Ranking Test. However, you'll need to relocate, as this facility is full. As for the lady behind you, I'm not sure about her; she can stay here and take the exam and also go for the Ranking Test."

Edward inquired further, "How long will the exam take?"

The lady replied, "It'll take about 7-10 days, approximately."

With this information, both Luna and Edward moved to a quiet corner of the guild. Luna's expression was filled with sadness.

Edward gently addressed her, "Luna, I know that you were hoping for both of us to take the exam together, but it seems that's not going to happen."

Tears began to well up in Luna's eyes as she responded, "Yeah, I know. I was really looking forward to it."

Edward reached out and cupped her face in his hands, making her look directly into his eyes, "Luna, listen to me."

With tears threatening to escape, Luna asked, "What?"

Edward's voice was filled with sincerity, "I know we won't start at the same time, but it's only 7 days. Don't get too upset about it. Stop crying."

"All right, fine. I'll wait. But you better promise me that you won't forget about me and that you'll be waiting for me to get there, got it?" Luna said, her voice quivering as tears began to fall.

Edward wiped her tears and reassured her, "I promise. Why would I ever forget about you?"

With that, he patted her head and left to go to the next town to take the ranking test, determined to stay there and wait for Luna.

CHAPTER 6 END