On the morning of the sixth day, Yori was awakened by the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting leaves, and the trickle of water flowing down the sides of the cliff face just outside of his cave. The rain was quite heavy and kept him from getting any hunting done. As the day drug on and the rain did not let up Yori pounded the ground occasionally, letting out his frustration. In reality, his body was grateful for the rest and his mind needed the lack of stimulation. His hunting resumed the next day, the air humid and fragrant from the previous day’s rain. In the end though, he managed to reach the first of his lofty goals. He had, by his calculations, accumulated enough experience to level up. He would have liked to get another wolf or two for good measure, but he could not bring himself to wait another day. The excitement and anticipation were almost too much.

Knowing that he would spend the day wracked with indecision and considering a thousand options, he took the day off of hunting to devote it to leveling up. Besides, the level could help him hunt more efficiently. Not wanting to waste money going from church to church looking through the skills offered, Yori decided to ask Elina for advice. That way he could more effectively pay the fee at whichever church he decided on and pick a skill from their list. By using his resources, it forced him to be decisive and not spend all his hard-earned savings.

Yori approached the large wooden doors of the Guild, the familiar sign hanging above. Without breaking stride, he opened the door and walked in. A large grin involuntarily stretched across his face as he headed straight to where Elina stood at the reception desk.

“Well, aren’t you just glowing today.”

“That I am, Miss Elina, and I’m hoping you can help me with something, actually.”

“Ahh, I see. You’ve finally developed an appreciation for the fairer sex and are here to ask me out, is it?”

“What-No-Huh!?”

Flustered by the implication, Yori babbled in an attempt to regain his composure. His cheeks flushed as Elina winked and leaned forward on the counter, crossing her arms in front of herself.

“It’s ok, I get it all the time here.”

“I’m telling you that’s not it!”

“Huh?… Oh, it’s that priestess, Lady Kana, you’re interested in then? Need some help from your big sis to win over the damsel that healed your wounds and stole your heart?”

“Miss Elina, please stop teasing me. I could really use your help.”

The young woman stood up again and put her hands on her hips.

“Okay, okay. No need to pout. What is it you need help with?”

“I leveled up and I could use some guidance on deciding what skills to choose.”

“Ohhh, advice on leveling. That is also something people come to me a lot for…. Wait, WHAT!?”

Elina was quite enjoying teasing the young boy when suddenly her jaw hit the floor. She was aware that Yori was trying to meet the requirements that the Guild Master had laid out but thought it would either take him years or be impossible. Unsure how it was conceivable that he, a Villager, had successfully reached level two in barely a week, Elina attempted to mask her surprise. She did not want to, or intend to, offend the boy by remaining shocked for long. The young girl congratulated him and offered her services, as her job as an advisor should be with any new aspiring Adventurers. Gesturing to a room behind her in the hallway that led to the Guild Master’s office, she asked Yori to follow her.