“Whoa, what’s going on now?” Kasla was met by a large crowd as he stepped inside the Adventurers' Guild. It was a commotion as people loudly talked, curious and excited. He got bits of conversation, but the noise was deafening, nothing like the lively conversation back at the inn. It was a more nervous and wild sort of energy.

“Excuse me. Pardon me.” He squeezed his way through the mass of bodies, weaving the best he could around the assortment of Adventurers. Finally he made it to the front of the gathering and felt his heart jump into his throat. There on the front bulletin was a large notice with equally large words.

ATTENTION ADVENTURERS: 

BY HIS ROYAL MAJESTY KING DION HERA REN SUMULAN’S COMMISSION, THE PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANA BURST IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF THE CITY SHALL BE DETAINED FOR  ILLEGAL MANA USAGE AND HARM TO CITIZENS. ADVENTURERS ARE THEREFORE CALLED UPON TO FIND THE INSTIGATOR. THOSE WHO TURN IN THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY SHALL RECEIVE A GENEROUS REWARD OF—

Kasla’s eyes bulged at the reward amount, nearly choking from shock, letting out a muffled cough. He quickly scanned the edict for any more details, but found none. He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Ina, they have no idea what Chrono looks like. Around him people buzzed with excitement, talking about the bounty and the incident.

“Man, that amount of money would mean early retirement for me!”

“I was near where the burst happened. It took a lot out of me, it was suffocating. The people at the center must have passed out.”

“Glad it was short-lived! I hope no one slipped into a coma.”

“I heard it was a monster and the knights had to take care of it! Now there’s a reward?”

“Anyone who would release that amount of mana recklessly is a monster. I hope they get caught!”   

“I wonder if a visiting court magician happened to pass by. Only wizards who work under Royals would exert that amount of mana!”

Kasla started to sweat nervously as the rumors flew around him. The words about Chrono cut him however and he frowned, clenching his fists. He’s not a monster, just a scared kid. A scared kid trying to protect himself and me. 

People had no idea how innocent Chrono was, the true context of the ordeal—they simply wanted the reward and to see the perpetrator punished. Nevermind the reasoning behind it albeit its danger.   

Kasla took a breath to soothe the prickles of agitation, eying the request again. He noticed the fancy seal at the bottom featuring a grand emblem, confirming it was indeed an official request. Even the King wants answers… I’m really glad I didn’t spill anything to the guards earlier.

Loud clapping broke over the voices, drawing the crowd’s attention. Standing on a small podium was a tall bearded, white haired man with a monocle. He wore long robes that went past just past his knees. His expression was stern and his air one of importance, commanding the room. Everyone suddenly stood alert, including Kasla.

“It’s Master Jonesy!” he heard someone whisper excitedly to a companion.

Jonesy cleared his throat, eyeing the crowd as silence fell over the building as if all were holding their breath, not daring to budge a muscle. “On behalf of the Simulan Branch of the Adventurers' Guild, we apologize for yesterday’s sudden closure, and for any inconvenience. The Guild is now back to full operation so items from yesterday may be resolved.

“Thank you, Adventurers, for your patience and support. As you may know, the King has requested us to find the one responsible for the incident yesterday. The reason for our closure was due to an emergency meeting with His Majesty about this matter. Whoever finds the perpetrator will be given a handsome reward from the King himself. 

“We caution anyone wishing to tackle this task as the entity is unknown and very powerful. We also ask you to keep the details of this between Guild members until His Majesty can formally address the public on the matter. 

“As Adventurers, our first and foremost mission is the safety of not only our world, but our fellow inhabitants, all while answering the call of adventure. Thank you again for your patience. Go forth and be the hero in your own stories. Onward, to adventure!” Jonesy bowed his head, earning various claps and cheers. The room seemed energized once more as he took his leave. 

With the others caught up talking once more and beginning to resume their usual Adventurer duties, Kasla made a beeline to the front desk. “Hi, I’m here to register. I just got in yesterday.”

The clerk was a dark skinned Elf with short hair. She wore a Guild hat and round glasses that seemed to shine at Kasla’s words. “Oh! If you want to register,” she pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it towards him, “please fill out this form. Once you’re done, return it to me and I will perform the appropriate tests.”

“Got it.” Kasla smiled as he took the pen she offered him. Excitement coursed through him as the tip met the paper. Finally he was going to be part of a Guild! Finally he was going to become an official Adventurer. He wrote various details about himself down and handed it back.

She pulled out a card-like tag and tapped the paper with it. The words on the paper began to glow before transferring to the tag. Kasla watched in awe as the words appeared, earning a smile from the amused clerk. 

“Mr. Kamao, right? For your mana and stats check please put your hand on this crystal here; no need to remove your gloves.” She gestured to a crystal ball on the desk. A green tinted light swirled around the crystal, almost hypnotic. “This crystal ball is made out of magicksteel that resonates from the user's mana. It will show how much mana capacity you have and also your level of strength, agility, dexterity, intelligence and vitality. This way you can know where you are lacking to improve on it. Once you are done, the status will be transferred to your Adventurer tag.”

“Oh, that’s easy enough.” Kasla relaxed, certain the admission was going to be something more grueling. I thought there’d be a physical and skill exam or something! No asking about any conditions either! 

He placed his hand on the crystal ball, prompting it to glow dimly. On the surface of the crystal formed words, displaying his statistics.

Mana Capacity: Rank D

Strength: Rank B

Agility: Rank D-

Dexterity: Rank A+

Intelligence: Rank C-

Vitality: Rank C

“Ah, a fighter type, based on your stats. Are you perhaps trained in the ways of the sword? A swordsman?” The clerk looked at him with interest, causing Kasla to grow self conscious.

“Oh, ah… No, no. I was trained as a striker. I use my fists to fight and defend myself. Though, I’d love to be a swordsman,” Kasla admitted, thinking of all the cool weapons he missed out on thanks to his training. He held back a disappointed sigh.

“Oh, that’s a rather rare type indeed!” The clerk proceeded to tap the crystal ball. The information floating on its surface glowed and slowly transferred to the tag as if caught by a vacuum. “The only striker class in this Guild is Ood. Hm. Well, we’re almost done Mr. Kamao. May I now request that you remove your glove? We only need a drop of blood to finalize the registration process.”

“What for?” Kasla raised an eyebrow, tilting his head out of curiosity.

“Well… Let’s see…” The clerk drummed her fingers in thought. “Instead of a signature to identify the person, the Adventurer ID Tag, your A.I.T, is enchanted with anti-plagiarism magic. In order for that enchantment to activate, it needs a drop of blood to recognize you as the owner of the ID.

“Not only that, it easily updates your status and it will also prevent stolen identity if someone swipes your tag. In the event of a theft the ID will not display and only those who are with authority in the Adventurers' Guild can see the status. The anti-plagiarism enhancement is just in case the tag’s owner decides to falsely change their stats to proceed to higher ranks; offenders will receive a non-lethal electric shock until correction and it will be logged in their tag’s information.”  

“Oh, I see! Then let’s get to it!” said Kasla, removing his glove and offering his hand. 

The clerk produced a small needle from a drawer and pricked his finger with such precision he barely felt it. A tiny bead of blood formed, just starting to well up. Gently she took his finger and placed the blood against the tag, causing the tag to glow softly.

“Congratulations, Mr. Kamao, you are now an official Adventurer.” She smiled and handed the Adventurer ID to Kasla with a bow. “Welcome to the ranks.”

Kasla stared at the ID, grinning with bright eyes. Excitement coursed through him, causing him to slightly rock as he fought to stay rooted to the ground. This is it! I’m now an official Adventurer! I’m so happy! I can’t wait to slay my very first monster! 

His gaze shot to the clerk, his smile and eyes nearly dazzling. “When can I hunt monsters? Are there any available quests right now for that?”

A chuckle escaped the Elf. “Aren’t you a cute puppy?” She pulled out a paper with a series of letters on it. She placed her finger on the one listed as Rank E. “First of all, Mr. Kamao, you are still a Rank E Adventurer. The only available commissions for that are errand types, such as retrieval quests, also known as fetch. In order to proceed to monster hunting rank you need to accumulate enough finished quests. Then you can proceed to skill testing and training. This system is in place in order to avoid unnecessary casualties like early deaths for newbie Adventurers. 

“However, if you do not increase from Rank E within three months you will be unable to take on more quests and receive a review by our branch leaders. Failure will result in revocation of your ID, with immediate deactivation, and dismissal from our branch. Starting at Rank D you do not need to worry about a review, but a formal notice of absence is required after a prolonged hiatus so we know you are still with us and intend to return to Adventurer life.”

Kalsa felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under him. He had joined in hopes of fighting monsters, not doing menial chores. He scrambled to collect his thoughts, what shattered remains of hope urging him to persist. “But—! I already have the skill! I just saved a kid yesterday from almost getting kidnapped!”

It was as if the room stilled and the temperature dropped.

Kasla felt eyes boring into him. He turned around and saw numerous Adventurers looking at him, none seeming impressed by the claim. A few looked furious while others apparently worried. He swallowed nervously, realizing what he had blurted. If found out Officer Mason would possibly come after him—he had warned about lying.

Crap, I hope no one reports that to the guards. But, seriously, did I say something wrong?