"What can I get for you today?" the server asked politely.

"Anything you can recommend? First night here and I've got this free meal voucher." Axel said, pulling out the paper slip from his [Inventory].

"I can recommend the [Hearty Stew]. It’s one of our best sellers, plus it can help with fatigue," she replied.

“I'll have the stew then."

She jotted down the order on the notepad. "One [Hearty Stew], anything else?" she asked.

Axel shook his head.

“Alright, may I have the voucher please?”

"Sure," Axel responded, passing it to her.

After thanking Axel, she made her way to the kitchen to deliver his order to the kitchen staff.

As soon as she walked away, a young man plopped down onto the empty seat opposite him. He had bright blonde hair and wore a simple outfit that consisted of a fitted white leather jerkin and brown leather trousers. But his most prominent features were his icy blue eyes, which radiated with an intense energy.

"Hey there, stranger! You're new here, right?" he asked excitedly.

"Um yea, this table's occupied so if you don't mind..."

"Oh, but I do mind. All the other tables are full, and the lovely server over there said to share a table with you." He pointed at the young lady who was making her way back from the kitchen, bowl in hand.

"Here's your [Hearty Stew], sir," she said, placing the piping hot bowl on the table in front of him.

"Thanks, but do I really have to share a table?" asked Axel.

"Hope you don't mind sir, it's a full house and that seat’s only going to get cold."

Axel sighed, "Fine then."

The woman smiled, "Thank you, sir, and if there's anything else, please let me know."

After the waitress had walked off, the blond-haired man extended a hand across the table towards Axel. "The name's Fen, pleasure to meet you."

"Axel," he responded, shaking his hand.

"So Axel, how's your first day been so far?"

It's been... something," he answered. "What about you?"

"Oh, it's not my first day here. Been here for quite a while, but the first day's always rough isn't it."

"It sure is," Axel agreed. "Wait, how did you know it's my first day here? I just thought you saw me in the training grounds earlier or something."

"Nope! Never seen you before in my life!" Fen chuckled.

"Then how do you know it's my first day here?"

"Because I've got a working pair of eyes. You've just got that aura of newness about ya," Fen explained, smiling widely. "But that's okay. We were all lost and confused when we first got here."

"Really?"

"Yep! But don't worry, that's where I, or should I say we come in."

"We? Who's we?"

"I'm talking about the guild, Blue Rose. I'm offering you to join our guild, we're one of the fastest growing guilds out inside the barrier so joining us will be very worth your while. You don't ever have to worry about being lost or confused again," Fen said with a gleam on his face.

"What? What's that and why would I ever join one?"

"A guild is basically an organization, you know those knights earlier? The Order of the Horn They're basically a guild made to serve the current king. Others saw how successful it was, and thought, ‘Why don’t I have one of my own?’ Thus, many guilds were born including ours."

"Again, why would I ever join one? I don't see any point to it really."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Well for starters, you get access to a lot of useful resources. Why go out and be lost when people have already mapped out the areas around here. Why be lost and confused about the system when others already have the answers just a call away. Imagine the benefits of having a group of people backing you up. Getting your hands on items and skills that individuals, alone, will struggle with. Why face uncertainty when joining a guild makes everything certain. As long as you work hard and pull your weight the guild will always support you."

"Sounds good and all, but why me? I'm just a regular person, nothing special to brag about, definitely not worth being scouted by a guild."

Fen grinned, "My boy, never underestimate yourself, right now you're just a rough uncut stone waiting to be polished and carved out."

"Aren't we around the same age?" Axel asked, raising his brow.

"How old are you?" Fen asked.

"18."

"With age comes wisdom, and this extra year I have on you is invaluable."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly convinced either way. I'm also not really planning on joining a guild, so thanks for the offer."

"That's okay. No one ever plans to join a guild, but one way or another, everyone joins. It's just a matter of whose guild you join."

"Right... If you don't mind, I'm just going to eat my food now."

"Now this time, I don't mind, so go ahead." Fen gestured grandly to the steaming bowl of stew.

Axel proceeded to dig into his [Hearty Stew], the wooden spoon providing a gateway to savory delight. The meat that floated about was tender and juicy, and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. The warmth of the broth filled him with a sense of contentment, and as the flavors mingled in his mouth he found himself sighing happily. The last time he had enjoyed such a warm meal was before he had begun his trek to Pavhorn.

"And this is for you, Fen." The server placed down a large mug of frothy beer in front of him.

"Ah yes, my favorite. Thanks. Cheers!" he exclaimed, raising the mug and taking a large gulp.

Axel was too mentally exhausted to entertain further conversation. The ramblings of the exuberant young man were to the best of his ability, ignored. Ramblings about why joining a guild, specifically Blue Rose was the best option. How each guild has a different way of running and benefiting its members, what each guild specializes in. From time to time Axel would give brief responses, nodding to signal he was still listening, but his attention remained primarily on his food as he tried to enjoy his meal in peace.

The moment the final spoonful of [Hearty Stew] had been dropped into the pits of his stomach, he received another message from the system.

[Buff Received: Fatigue Restoration - Rank F ]

"What the?" Axel mumbled out.

"Oh! Got your first buff, didn't you? Congrats buddy!"

"Buff?" Axel asked.

"Yup, a buff, like a temporary boost. You ate the [Hearty Stew] so you got the [Fatigue Restoration] buff, of course, the quality of the buff depends on the chef. Quality of ingredients and whatnot. Some chefs have better skills than others, et cetera, et cetera."

"Um, right... Sorry it’s been a long day, there's just a lot of stuff to digest."

"Really? You only had one bowl of stew, though."

"That's not what I mean..." Axel said.

"I know, I know. Just messing with you. First day's always rough. You've just got a whole lot of new info overloading that brain of yours, info that frankly doesn't make much sense if you think about it, but you get used to it after a while," said Fen.

"You're telling me, man. This first day has been crazy." Axel shook his head.

"If you've got any questions, feel free to ask. But, just a warning, basic questions I don't mind answering for free, but anything more... how do I say it? Detailed, will cost you a bit of gold." He rubbed his fingers together.

"No hard feelings, but it's just the way the world works. Knowledge is power, and money is power, therefore knowledge equals money," continued Fen.

"That... makes sense. I think?" Axel sounded unsure.

"So, any questions?"

Axel paused to think.

"Actually, I do have one. Do you happen to know anyone called Lunetta?"

"Who?"

"I thought you said I could ask you questions and stuff," said Axel.

"I mean, yeah, but I thought you would ask me general questions about the system or about the world. Pretty much everyone does. I don't know anyone named Lunetta, but for a price, I can look into it for you."

"For a price? I'm currently broke."

"Right, right. First-day problems, Knights taking an introduction fee. Steal all your coins and materials"

"Um, yeah."

"Anyway, any other questions?"

Axel racked his tired brain for any raging questions that demanded to be answered, but nothing came up. "Not right now. I think."

"Really? That's too bad. Well, I've got to go so when you've got enough gold, come find me and we can sort this stuff out. Also, do a little thinking and I'm sure you'll find that joining Blue Rose will definitely be worth it." Fen chugged the rest of his beer before waving goodbye.

Well, that guy was... eccentric? Did he even pay for his beer?

It was a tough day today and Axel lacked any further energy to delve deeper into the mysteries of the system or his surroundings. While he was eager to learn as much as possible about everything the world had to offer, he knew it could wait until tomorrow, for future Axel to deal with.

Right now, Axel just wanted to sleep. He trudged up the stairs to his room, the sight of the warm bed beckoning him. Closing the door behind him, he collapsed onto the sheets, the softness enveloping him. For the first time in what felt like ages, he was able to relax.

Axel lay there on the mattress, letting his body sink into the surface below, enjoying the comfort that it provided. His last few thoughts before drifting off to sleep were about his big sister, as always. Where was she? How was she? When would he finally get to see her again?