Chapter 2: The Mages Guild

After a long wait, he finally entered the Mages Guild and was called over by a receptionist.

When the robbed woman saw his ID, her eyes went wide and wide, and she stammered out, "Sir… It's an honor."

Alexander looked at her oddly and asked, "I keep getting told that, but I don't feel very honorable."

The woman blinked and leaned in before whispering, "But your title. Only those who have experienced extraordinary things and embrace the world's truth can be called Wise."

The Elf finally understood what she meant and why all the NPCs treated him differently. Revealing a smile, he responded, "Well, to me, treating people as people is just basic decency."

The woman's eyes grew wet with awe as she confessed, "Sir, you're too kind, too kind…" She glanced around and added, "Follow me, I'm sure the Guild Master himself will want to see you."

Alexander edited comments, "I don't want to be a bother…",

But the next moment, he was grabbed by the hand and hurriedly pulled away. He ended up in an office full of mysterious objects sitting before an ornate desk. After waiting a few moments, a small, rather plump dwarf raced into the room, blurting, "Sir Alatar, what an honor it is to meet you." Rushing over, he grabbed the Elf's hand. He shook it admirably while adding, "Such respectable people as you are so very hard to come by."

The Elf rose and bowed slightly while responding, "Guild Master, the honor is mine." Rubbing the back of his head, he added, "My journey has been quite coincidental."

The Dwarf eyed him and shot back, "Be that as it may, you are still Wise, which is truly a blessing for our Guild." Eyeing the Player like a treasure, he went on, "We are in desperate need of people like yourself with kind hearts and great wisdom. Word has come from the West that Morgoth is stirring and filling the minds of Natives and Foreigners alike with darkness. Try as we may, his power only seems to grow."

Not suspecting such revelation, the Elf cleared his throat and responded, "Indeed, this does sound like a terrible crisis." With innocent eyes, he then added, "But how am I supposed to help?"

The dwarves' eyes gleamed as he responded, "Of course, the same way all Foreigners help, we will provide you with missions." Rubbing his nose proudly, he added, "Seeing how you are an ally, I can even see about providing you with some special reward."

Alexander laughed at this, amused that the man's fighting remarks were all in preparation for an offering of a quest. He smiled at the Dwarf and responded, "I'd be happy to do what I can, though as a Hermit, I doubt there's much I can do."

The Guild Master was surprised by this response, then laughed and bellowed, "Of course, how silly of me. You must have come here to advance your class." He summoned a large crystal and added, "Here, let us first identify your aptitude before discussing further."

The Elf nodded excitedly, "Sounds cool to me." He took the crystal but, the next moment was blinded by a radiant multi-colored light. A second passed like this before the crystal exploded, leaving both parties stunned. Looking at the dust in his hands, Alexander swallowed and got out, "Ah, sorry, I can pay for that if…"

The dwarves ignored these words as his eyes filled with awe, and he blurted, "By Eru, how much mana do you have!?"

Alexander blinked and responded, "Ah, a little over 1600."

Completely in awe, the NPC asked, "And what level are you?"

The Elf responded honestly, "I'm still level one."

At this point, the Guild Master fell to his hands and knees, seemingly unable to breathe, and barely got out, "And your Intelligence."

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Alexander didn't know if he should answer, but after a moment of hesitation, he quietly responded, "Ah, 1700 ish."

Hearing this, the Dwarf fainted, leaving the Elf sitting awkwardly in his chair. A moment later, the small man awoke in a start and began to dance around the room, letting out happy bellows: "Oh blessed day, blessed day! Incredible, completely incredible!" He clasped the Elf's hands in his own once more and, with eyes full of excitement, blurted, "Alatar, you must be touched by the Will of the World."

The boy considered telling the Dwarf that he had several titles and even skills, which said he was touched by the Will of the World, but he decided not to overload the Guild Master's brain. He smiled while rubbing the back of his head and responded, "I just meditate and teach a lot."

The Dwarf's eyes seemed to burn with light as he confessed, "Dear Sir, you have the potential to be an Archwizard or more…" Growing even more excited, he asked, "Do you know what Magic Affinities you have? As an Elf, Wood, Light, and Wind are a given, but do you know of others?"

Recalling the achievement he made when he made contact with his fairies, he answered, "Oh, I think I have Earth, Water, Fire, and Electricity as well."

The Guild Master's face grew dark as he deeply contemplated what he had just heard. Resolving himself, the dwarf gaze turned deathly serious as he stated, "Sir Alatar, I do not invoke this offer lightly, but given your impeccable character and talent, I would be a fool not to." A swirling breeze of magical power engulfed the room as he stated, "As the Master of the Mages Guild here in Camelot I have been presented with a mission by a most holy order. To find those willing to lay down themselves for the sake of this world. Would you join me in this quest?"

Feeling a strong gust of wind blow against him, Alexander gulped as a notification appeared:

image [https://imgur.com/BDGltFa.png]

Alexander didn't know what to make of this and collected his thoughts before approaching the matter logically, as his mother had always advised him to: "Well, I'm very interested, but I do have some questions." The Dwarf's face remained intense as the Elf asked, "First, what is this Order? Do I need to meet any other initiation requirements? Once I'm part of your Order, what will my responsibilities be? Is this an exclusivity arrangement, or can I join another faction?"

Balin sighed and grumbled as he waddled over to his desk and took a seat. Meeting the Elf's gaze, he answered, "Fine, kid, you got me. My Order has an incredible lineage, but due to the interference of the Gods, it has fallen on hard times. There isn't much we can offer you in terms of benefits, while in terms of tasks, they are endless. It is our duty to combat evil wherever it exists and strive to create a peaceful world for all. There is much I can't tell you due to my covenant. Still, I can assure you that your freedom will not be infringed. You can join other organizations if you uphold our oath and keep our existence a secret."

The Elf took this in and asked, "Okay then. What is your oath, and what benefits can I expect?"

The Guild Master smiled and responded, "I like you even more, kid. You got a good head on your shoulders." Crossing his arms, he went on, "Our oath is simply to protect the innocent and do no evil."

Alexander processed this and inquired, "What do you define as evil."

The Dwarf flashed a weary smile as he confused, "No stealing, lying, breaking laws, or killing."

The Elf's gaze grew conflicted as he asked, "No killing, like people."

Balin shook his head, his eyes growing cold, "No killing anything. All life is sacred, even if it is corrupted by the evil of Morgoth."

Alexander found this hard to believe, "So ah, how will I level up. Killing monsters is a major aspect of this world."

The Dwarf snorted and responded, "There are other ways to gain power that don't require using evil to fight evil. I understand if you don't believe this is the right path for you."

The young man never liked fighting to begin with but to catch up with Allana, he knew that he needed to gain power quickly, and the best way to do this was to exterminate Mobs. At the same time, he could not deny his conscience, which believed in what this Dwarf was saying. He grew up in a world of peace, and now, knowing the NPCs were alive, he wanted such a world for them as well. He had nothing to gain from this but such feelings were simply who he was.

After thinking everything over, he asked, "And what about the benefits?"

Balin appeared surprised that the Elf still showed interest but quickly answered, "Well, our members are all over the content and can provide you with a great deal of information and opportunities. We have no centralized leadership or leader, so many direct benefits must be earned through meritorious service under the request of another member." He waved and summoned out two books, "What I can offer up front isn't much but will surely benefit you. I have a grimoire on Metal and another on Darkness. With these two books, when you advance to the class of Magi, you can unlock all 9 Elemental Magics. This is something only spoken of in myths and will surely set you on a path to greatness."

After letting out a sigh, Alexander processed this offer and responded, "I need to think about this; it's a very big decision."

The Guild Master seemed hesitant but added, "Very well. I can give you until the day of the full moon."

The Elf rose and bowed his head, "Thank you, Sir. I will see you then."

Feeling slightly lost, Alexander left the Mages Guild and wandered into the city.

He had a difficult choice to make and needed to think over how he wanted not just to play in Eden but to live in it.