It was still mid-day when we made our way towards the townhouse, which happened to be the tallest building in the entire city and located in the middle of it. Hard to miss when all you need to follow is the tallest skyscraper here. But instead of making our way directly there, I had other errands to complete first. Mainly a bank to get my coins changed, and then a blacksmith or merchant to purchase weapons and armours.
I felt bad for having Lily literally forking up for everything thus far. I'll buy her a bow and something else to make up for it. And a meal. Speak of the devil, a blacksmith's store is right ahead. It had an anvil-shaped sign written 'Holly Begonia' at the main entrance. That name—it somehow doesn't fit a blacksmith shop, honestly speaking. But hey, I'm in dire need of a spare weapon and an armour, so any blacksmith will do for me.
"Guys—and girl, shall we head there? Kind of need a spare weapon and perhaps some armour if you don't mind," I asked them.
"Oh, a workshop! I was looking for one too. I'll need a bow before I join a guild," spoke Lily as she scratched her head, feeling flustered.
"What about you, John? Anything you wish to buy before taking the guild's test?" I asked him.
"Hm? Nah. This short sword is all I need," he smiled as he flexed his arm.
Really? Is he just overconfident with his strength? Or perhaps he's just broke.
We opened the door, and a loud ding could be heard above the door frame. A bell above the door, how very smart.
Now, what do we have here? Hang on, wait a minute, is that—a dwarf? What?! I was certain there was no such species in this world. But alas, I didn't lie. He's not a dwarf, just a short, stouty human with a bushy beard that I mistook for a dwarf.
"C'min lads, what can I do fer ya?" asked the blacksmith. Is he just roleplaying or is he yanking with me with the dwarf accent?
"A blade and perhaps some armour, please. And a bow for my friend here," I pointed my thumb at Lily.
"A blade, eh? Hm… a short sword would suit ye better, honestly speakin'. Those skinny arms of yers look like ye can barely lift a one-handed sword properly. And perhaps a leather cloak for ye. Doubt ye can move around in metal armour with that small frame of yers," he judged me while studying my body carefully.
What's with people judging my size?! Damn it! I'm gonna get bulkier with more muscle. Just you wait, all of you!
"An elf, eh? I've got just the bow for ye. Ere ya go, a short bow for yer long-eared friend," smiled the blacksmith as he passed the bow to Lily.
A short bow? I was hoping for something much better than just a short bow after all the things she had done for us. Lily held up the bow and tested the strength of the string. Seems like she's satisfied with it when she smiled satisfyingly. I, on the other hand, was not.
"Hey, uh, smithy. I would prefer if you could offer us something better, if you don't mind?" I whispered to him.
"Well, I do have better goods behind, but uh—do ye have enough money in the first place?" he questioned me with a raised eyebrow.
"Will this suffice?" I asked as I showed him three gold coins. His eyes glimmered at the sight of them and he started laughing loudly.
"Ho ho! Why didn't ye say so earlier?! Let me bring out the good stuff fer ya. Hol up a min," said the blacksmith as he headed to an area behind the counter.
While we waited for the blacksmith to return, we continued browsing the available items on display. John took notice of a metal armour and lifted it, seemingly interested to try it on. However, when I asked whether he wanted it, he told me that the guild he's planning to join generally doesn't favour heavy armour.
A guild that doesn't favour heavy armour? Got to be the Viking Guild.
I tried to lift the armour that John had just lifted earlier when he decided to browse other items. Holy, what the— it weighs like 20 kilograms or so. How did John lift it with little to no effort at all?! Am I really this weak?
I gestured for Lily to come over and requested her to try and lift the armour. She was indeed able to lift it but with more difficulty than me. Alright, phew, I'm fine. I am FINE~
But Lily is a girl. Men are generally supposed to be stronger. Way to bring down my mood, geez.
The blacksmith returned with a number of items in his hands and placed them on the counter. Now we're talking. What do we have here? Now that's a good-looking bow. Despite not being coated with gold or silver, it had a beautiful wooden finish with tasteful designs and a thicker string for better piercing. What else is there? Some cloaks, daggers, and short swords among the other things that I can see.
I passed the bow to Lily for her to try out. She hesitated and shook her head as she knew that it was gonna be expensive from looking at it. I snatched the short bow she was holding and shoved the nicer bow to her, tossing it back to the blacksmith and proceeded to check for some form of protection for me, and a side weapon if there's anything worthy.
Hm, leather cloak, another leather cloak, why are all of these leather cloaks? I'm sure I can wear something more sturdy and protective than plain leather.
"Hey smithy, these are all leather armours. Got anything with more protection that I can wear? I questioned him.
He put on a thinking face and gave some thought. A light bulb appeared above his head and he went to the back to grab something again. I continued to browse the items that he had brought out earlier, pushing aside common items as they just don't catch my eye. Oh hey, that's a nice-looking dagger. Looks kinda elvish based on its design.
"Hey Lily, come take a look at this," I called Lily over.
"What is it? W—what is this doing here? Elven weaponry is not supposed to be on sale. No less inside a human's shop!" Lily was surprised and raised her voice as though she was angry when I showed her the dagger.
"Hey hey… some elf sold it ta me a couple of years ago, sayin' something about needin' money ta go somewhere. I took pity on da fella and decided ta buy it from im. Ya can't blame me for helpin' an elf in need, can ya?" explained the blacksmith as he came back holding a black cloak which he handed to me.
"How's it? Suits ya nicely, ain't it?" he asked as he awaited my reaction.
I inspected the cloak before putting it on. It has a silky texture, but there was some weight to it. Not too heavy, but not too light either. I pressed my fingers onto the silk to see what secret is hidden beneath. Woah, there are chains woven together hidden beneath the silky cloak. Is this supposed to be some form of lightweight chainmail?
"Miniature chains hidden beneath the silk. Very interesting indeed. What's the story behind this cloak?" I asked the blacksmith. I was certain that someone else made it rather than the blacksmith himself.
"Diz here is ma masterpiece. Individual carbon steel chains woven together tightly and wrapped with the best silks available in this city. This sucka will easily stop a direct stab or a slice from a sword. Will still hurt ya though, but at least ya won't be bleedin' outside. It'll be less effective blocking a direct strike from a two-handed weapon, so ya still need ta be really careful," he explained.
Okay, guess I was wrong about him making it himself. But I'm certainly liking what I'm hearing so far.
"What about this elven dagger? Up for sale?" I asked the blacksmith while ignoring Lily's remarks since I really like this dagger.
"It is, which is why I brought it out since ya can afford it. Won't be cheap though," he shrugged.
I unfastened the scabbard and unsheathed the dagger. Should I really call this a dagger, honestly speaking? It's longer than a standard knife and close to the length of a short sword. It has a beautiful design with a yellow hilt and scabbard. Weight-wise, it's lightweight, albeit not as light as Inazuma, but still perfect enough for me to wield. I can certainly see myself using this dagger, and would love it to be my side weapon.
"Are you really planning on buying that?" Lily came up and asked from behind. I turned my gaze to her as I held the dagger. I really don't feel like letting this item go.
"May I? I won't buy it if you're uncomfortable with me using it or if it goes against your beliefs," I asked.
Obviously, that was a lie since I really wanted this dagger and I'm doing everything I can to persuade her. I showed her a sad face, which thankfully worked in my favour.
"Alright, fine, you can buy it. At least it's better in your hands than being left here in a human's workshop. You have my permission," answered Lily as she sighed. Yosh! She caved. Heh heh.
"How much for all of these, mister?" I asked the blacksmith.
"Hm, let's see. The bow, cloak, and dagger… 2 gold and 20 silver coins. It is ma best offer including discounts seeing as ya buyin' so many items," he smiled brightly. He must be feeling all giddy when three younglings had boosted his entire monthly revenue in a day.
"In that case, equip my other friend here with a weapon to make it a solid three gold coins. I'm in a spending mood today," I smiled back at the smithy.
He seemed delighted to hear it as he walked towards John, who had been browsing the shop looking for a weapon.
"Wait, hold up. You're paying for my bow? No way. I never agreed to that, Zen. I'm paying for my own," Lily pestered me.
"Nonsense, you paid for everything thus far. It is only fair that I, at the very least, pay for that bow. Consider this as thanks for helping me. Think nothing of it," I waved her aside.
"What do you mean nothing? This composite bow costs a lot! It would be at least ten silver coins at the bare minimum. I'm not letting you pay for it, Zen. Nuh-uh," she raised her head and crossed her arms.
She can really be stubborn at times. Cute, but stubborn. How am I gonna persuade her? Hmm, let's make good use of the fact that she has a crush on me. Maybe that might work.
I placed my index finger on her lips to keep her quiet. She was taken aback by my sudden actions and started blushing a little.
"Lily, you've done so much for me and I deeply appreciate it. Please, allow me to return the favour and get you something as thanks. Consider it a gift for everything you've done and for allowing me to purchase this dagger, alright?" I lifted my finger away after I was done.
She quickly turned her head to the side with her ears turning red. I noticed she moved her hand to grip her chest as well. Is she alright?
"Heya kid, top-up diz ere axe fer ya red-haired friend and this short sword fer ta lovely lady and we'll call it even. Deal?" asked the smithy.
"You've got yourself a deal, mister!" I replied as I passed the gold coins towards him. Lily was shocked by the sudden addition of a short sword for her.
The blacksmith brought the axe over to the counter, which made me look twice.
"Uh, John? Are you sure you can wield this? It looks—pretty big to me," I stared at John with wide eyes.
It is an adult-sized double-headed axe. It would be rather awkward to see a kid holding an adult-sized axe and swinging it around in combat.
"What do you mean? I can even wield it one-handed, see?" John lifted the axe with ease. What in blazes? Is this guy Superman or something?!
"Hoo— yer family's bloodline iz strength-based, eh? Ya should join da Viking Guild then! They value strength over anything else there!" laughed the blacksmith.
"Yeah, that was what I had in mind! You think I can succeed in joining the Viking Guild?!" asked John with an excited tone.
The two of them appeared to hit it off and started chatting about the test and requirements for joining the Viking guild, among other things.
"Yer'll be fine! Just show off yer strength in front of em and they'll be beggin' ya to join! Hahahaha!" laughed the blacksmith.
While John and the blacksmith continued their conversation, Lily suddenly nudged me from behind, seemingly wanting me to follow her. But where to?
We went behind one of the shelves that was displaying some armours. What's going on? Ouch. Did she just smack my head?
***
*Lily's Perspective*
This guy—this guy, this guy. I was trying my hardest to get over him, and yet here he is, making my heart flutter like crazy. He even placed his finger on my lips earlier and smiled gently at me. What was he thinking?! Is he trying to give me a heart attack or something? Geez! My heart had been beating non-stop ever since!
Not to mention he bought this composite bow and a short sword for me. The composite bow on its own was already expensive enough, and he just paid that without batting an eye. Flaunting around his wealth, is he? Gosh!
John and the blacksmith suddenly started chatting away non-stop after John showed his strength to him. Now's my chance to talk with Zen. I need to give him a piece of my mind. Where can we talk privately? Those large armours seem like the perfect spot for us. I'll just—pull his clothing to nudge him.
Damn it! Why're you tilting your head?! You look way too cute now! Argh, that does it. I gotta smack him for making me feel this way. A light punch to the head shouldn't hurt. *smacks
Good, that's for toying with my heart. Ugh, it's still beating so hard that I can practically hear it. I hope my ears are not burning red right now. Oh... oh no, I need an excuse for dragging him over. Umm… um… oh right, I can use that.
"Zen, before you can officially use that dagger, there's a custom that we usually go through when we give or exchange weapons, usually with another elf, but I don't see why it can't be done with you. We do this weapon transfer process to sort of "inform" the weapon that it belongs to a new owner, which grants you the right to use it to its fullest potential. You might find this weird, but it's our way; fairly certain the elf who sold it didn't bother doing the process either. Can you close your eyes before we begin, please?" I explained to him, and he just nodded.
Can I even do this properly? My heart is still fluttering like crazy right now. Calm yourself, Lily, calm yourself.
***
*Zen's Perspective*
Alright, my eyes are closed. What's gonna happen now? The sudden feeling of cold fingers wrapping my hands made me tense up. Did she—just touch my hands?
I decided to take a peek. Her face was directly in front of me with her eyes shut. Our foreheads touched with the dagger held between our hands. We were so close that if I were to move my head a little bit forward, we would have kissed. This proximity is killing me softly.
She began chanting something, which I suspect might be elven language since I've never heard it before. The dagger began to shine as she chanted further and I immediately shut my eyes to not be blinded.
Some moments later, I presumed the custom was done when the feeling of her fingers and forehead left mine. When I finally opened my eyes, she had already turned her back towards me.
Now that was something else. My heart is still beating loudly even now. I genuinely thought she was gonna kiss me when she moved her face so close to mine. What was I even thinking?
Pulling myself back to reality, it would appear that John was still talking to the blacksmith. Seems like they hit it off pretty well.
"Shall we go? We still have to visit the townhouse today," I interjected into their conversation since I suspected that John had forgotten about it. He gasped and ran out of the shop, grabbing his new axe and waving goodbye to the blacksmith. Lily and I waved to the smithy too before we left the store. Farewell, you dwarf-looking human.
"Thanks for the axe, Zen. I will repay both of you someday. So, shall we head straight to the townhouse now?" asked John with a grin on his face. His eyes were practically sparkling. Guess the blacksmith buttered him up nicely.
"Sure, hopefully there's a bank on the way for me to change my coins," I told him.
"Um, Zen? The bank is right over there," Lily pointed out for me.
Well, what do you know? It's just at the side of the blacksmith shop. Probably expecting people to withdraw money and spend on equipment. How sneaky.
I decided to change four of my remaining gold coins into a mix of silver and copper coins, all the while having the receptionist glance suspiciously at me when I showed her the coins. What's wrong with me having them? Never seen a spoilt brat before? Not that I am, at least I hope I'm not.
I counted my remaining coins and ensured myself that I still have four gold coins with me. Useful on a rainy day. Nothing too concerning since I have extra coins that Grandfather had left me back in our home. Wondering why I'm not afraid that people might steal them? Nah. In the first place, it's called the Forbidden Forest for a reason. Second, it's hidden somewhere you least expected. Above the ceiling? Nope. Under the floorboards perhaps? Nada. It's actually hidden under some tree outside of the hut, where we had covered the hole extensively, leaving no evidence that it had ever been dug.
Now that my coins are finally changed, let us proceed to the townhouse. I'm sure we had enough distractions for today; about time we choose a guild for real.
We proceeded towards the city centre, all the while noticing how empty the street was. You would think that people would be selling their goods at the side of the street, but there's not a single vendor in sight. Is there some sort of event or festival that is preventing them from opening?
It was evening when we finally reached the townhouse, and thankfully it's still open. The building itself resembled a church; perhaps the city is trying to show people that younglings are getting blessed with knowledge or something.
We headed in and were immediately greeted by a receptionist who was waving at us. I decided to take in the scenery first while John and Lily headed towards the receptionist. There were quite a number of kids similar to our age talking to other receptionists. Guess this receptionist happened to be free, which is why she was willing to call out to us.
"Well, hello there. Are you three planning to join a guild? Now, allow me to clarify first before we start. You're allowed to choose any guild you like, but it's still up to the guild's discretion whether they would accept you in. Our job here is to narrow down your selections so as to improve your chances of getting selected with guilds that complement your stats. Are we clear on that?" the receptionist asked us.
The three of us nodded our heads in unison.
"Alright, before I begin with the introductions of the guilds, each of you take this scroll and blow on it. Go on, don't be shy. Everyone does the same when they have to check their stats," explained the receptionist.
Knowing our stats just by blowing onto this? Really?
"WOO HOO!!"
I turned my head towards whoever shouted that and it was John. He seemed to be jumping for joy and showed his scroll to the receptionist with sparkling eyes.
"I can join the Viking guild with this, right? RIGHT?!" he asked with eager anticipation.
The receptionist was taken aback by his enthusiasm and smiled awkwardly at him. She gestured for John to wait for the both of us before she explained further. Oh well, here goes nothing.
*FUUUU!
Huh… not "bad", I guess? Not too shabby, if I say so myself. I quickly glanced at Lily's scroll at my side just to compare. Hang on—her stats are somewhat even better than mine!
Zen
Strength - 10
Skill - 10
Agility - 20
Constitution - 10
Lily
Strength - 8
Skill - 20
Agility - 10
Constitution - 15
I quickly hid my scroll underneath my cloak to prevent her from seeing mine. I glanced at her, who was already chuckling at my behaviour. Fairly certain she had already seen mine. Geez, how embarrassing. What's the point of doing all those vigorous training sessions with Grandfather when my stats are still so low? Sigh.
I handed my scroll to the receptionist, who studied our scrolls. She nodded to herself after having studied our stats and began with her explanation about what each stat meant. Let me summarise it briefly for all of you. Strength is the mostimportant stat you need. It determines your attack power and ability to wield heavier items, whether it's armours or weapons. Skills are sort of useful, but the adventurers in this continent rarely utilise Skill stats in combat, with the exception of the Elemental guild. Agility, on the other hand, determines your movement speed, including your reaction speed, while Constitution is sort of like your health and resistance towards the types of damage you receive. So I'm weaker AND have lower health than Lily. Great, yay me.
Next, she explained about the five guilds that are currently residing in the city. There are the Dark, Light, Dragon, Viking, and Elemental guilds. Everyone starts out as a warrior, no matter which guild they join. Then the ranking is as follows.
Dark Guild
Swordsman > Fighter > Shadow Knight > Dark Knight [Dark Lord Guildmaster]
Light Guild
Paige > Crusader > Templar > Paladin [Paladin Lord Guildmaster]
Dragon Guild
Spearman > Lancer > Dragon Warrior > Dragon Knight [Dragon Lord Guildmaster]
Viking Guild
Axeman > Great Axeman > Twin Axe > Great Viking [Viking Lord Guildmaster]
Elemental Guild
Trainer > Fire Warrior > Shock Trooper > Blitz Knight [Elementalist Guildmaster]
She continued explaining what each guild is specialised in. The Dark guild focuses on instilling fear and debuffing their enemies with spells or tactics, sometimes even using equipment depending on their preference. The Light guild, on the other hand, focuses on buffing their allies and themselves.
The Dragon guild focuses on utilising range attacks with their spears or halberds combined with their athletic abilities, while the Viking guild favours strength and uses axes or swords the majority of the time.
The final guild, the Elemental, is more of a specialised guild that focuses on using elemental damage such as fire and electricity. Hence, the reason why many people aren't qualified to join this guild is due to the controversy of those spells. Based on this, she returned our scroll to us with a stamp at the bottom, signifying which guild suits us more based on our stats.
Zen > Dark or Light guild
Lily > Elemental guild
John > Viking guild
I took a quick peek at John's scroll to see what his stats distribution was. Oh my Lord, his stats favour strength heavily. No wonder he's fit to join the Viking guild.
Strength - 30
Skill - 5
Agility - 5
Constitution - 20
"So, are you satisfied with our explanation? Any other questions?" asked the receptionist.
"I'm—qualified to join the Elemental guild? What are my chances of succeeding? I thought it was some sort of specialised guild?" asked Lily. I was surprised as well that she was recommended to join the Elemental guild over the others.
"Your skill stats are certainly high enough to join the Elemental guild. Elves are generally skilled beings since they practice using bows, throwing spears or daggers when they're young. All three items require some level of skill to use properly. Which is why your skill stats are so high. However, you'll need to be disciplined in using your spells. Many houses were destroyed in the past due to some of the members playing with their fire spells. Due to this, the guild decided to impose a strict requirement in order to join them," she explained to Lily with a smile.
Lily seemed to be contemplating whether it's a good idea to join the Elemental guild.
"Excuse me, you gave me two options. Does this mean I can choose either of these two? Do I need to make a decision now?" I asked the receptionist.
"You can decide whichever you wish to join later. Just head over to the guild that you have chosen and pass them the scroll. They'll check your stats along with our recommendation stamp," she smiled.
Guess what Rick said was true. I'm more suitable for these two guilds. Oh well, sorry about that, Luke. Darth Vader calls for me. Heh heh.
We gave our thanks and bid farewell to the receptionist lady. Lily was quiet after the whole endeavour. She must still be contemplating whether she should join the Elemental guild. Is there a reason why she doesn't want to join the Elemental guild?
"Are you alright, Lily? You seemed awfully quiet," I asked her.
"Yeah, you don't seem all too interested in joining the Elemental guild, I take it?" John asked.
She kept quiet. Is she crying?
"If— if we joined our respective guilds— we won't be able to see each other much, won't we? I don't want us to leave when we had just met each other," she sniffled. Ok, she's really crying.
"W— we can still meet every once in a while. The 'Sleeping Daisies'will always be there. We'll meet there every now and then to talk about our adventures. Won't we, John?" I poked John with my elbow.
"Oh, definitely! This is not goodbye, Lily. We'll still be meeting often. Then we'll have plenty of stories to talk about. Don't worry, our friendship will always stay strong!" said John as he petted Lily's head.
She pushed his hand away after he patted her a few times.
"Hmph! I'm going to be stronger than both of you the next time we meet. Then I'll tell you all about my grand adventures," she folded her arms.
There were still a bit of tears at the edges of her eyes, but at least she's smiling now. Great, I never knew how to comfort women when they start crying, aside from being completely silent. Lily is literally the first female I ever interacted with in my life.
"You're on!" smiled John as he flexed his arm.
Lily held out her pinkie, and we responded to her pinkie swear. The three of us made a promise to be friends and meet often to talk about our adventures. Sadly, the latter didn't come true.
We headed back to the tavern as it was getting late. Another night of lounging and dinner at the 'Sleeping Daisies' it is. Rick was here as he promised. I informed him that I'll be taking the test to join the Dark guild tomorrow. He cheered happily and seemed eager to see me in action for the first time.
Our meals arrived, and the three of us sat at a table together. We shared a drink to signify our friendship and soon after retired to our respective rooms, which I paid for this time. What a tiring day today.
As we made ourselves comfortable in our room, I called out to Q in hopes that he could hear me. I was genuinely surprised when he actually poked his head out of the ground despite the time. I picked him up and did my best to explain to him about what happened to Grandfather. Seemingly understanding every word I just told him, he started crying as though he knew that Grandfather might no longer be alive. I hugged and comforted him, telling him that should he wish, he can continue his duty by serving me instead. Seemingly cheering up a little, he burrowed away, not before making a "kew" noise as though he agreed to the proposal.
I had always wondered if John or Lily happened to see me talking to Q, would they think I've lost it? Not to mention I was comforting him as both of us were feeling sad. It would certainly be awkward to explain to them about Q's intelligence if that ever happens.
Before heading to bed, I thought I should perform some meditation to sort out my troubled feelings. Grandfather always told me that having a clear mind before bed helps with your sleep, which in turn makes you more effective in combat.
***
"Finally decided to clear your mind, I see," spoke a figure that appeared in front of me.
Huh? Who's this? Or more like, why is everything white? Am I asleep?
"I understand that you are confused. After all, this is our first time meeting each other properly," he continued.
Oh, it's the blurry-looking horse that I saw the other night. Hang on, is it— even a horse? It has a horn.
"Are you— a unicorn?" I asked curiously.
"H— how dare you! I am Kirin! Not some Western mythical being that shoots rainbows from the rear!" scolded Kirin.
His voice rumbled through the entire world that I was residing in now. I immediately sat on the floor in seiza style.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me," I apologised and bowed my head to Kirin.
The world suddenly changed to a grassland, and I ended up kissing dirt as I was bowing to him. I lifted my head quickly and all around me was nothing but grassland, which can be seen for miles. Is this world created by Kirin?
"More importantly, you lost control, boy! You allowed your bloodlust to consume your mind!" he shouted.
Gah! This horse is scolding me directly to my face! Stop shaking this world any further!
"B—bloodlust? Is that what everyone was talking about?" I asked him.
"Hmph. You are still too young to be using State of Mind effectively. You need more experience before you start using it. However, you should not be using Bloodlust if you wish to wield me. I favour calmness over the destructive path. You must learn to control your emotions from now on. Do not forget this," he explained to me as he puffed his nose.
Is it just me, or is this Kirin acting like a Tsundere?
"Wield you? Are you from Inazuma? You, who is a mythical being, are residing inside my kodachi now?" I asked him with genuine curiosity. I thought it was just a plain kodachi in the first place.
"I am Inazuma. And I am a Celestial Being. What you are wielding is a legendary weapon. I came to this world in hopes of seeing what it has to offer, and it didn't disappoint me just yet. I decided to become a weapon to see whether there was any worthy being capable of wielding me. Your father was the first, and he wielded me effectively. He was a genius, capable of achieving greatness before he fell at the hands of the Demon King," he explained. I detected a hint of sadness in his voice. Is he sad that Father died?
"Can you tell me more about my father? I barely knew him. He was a Hawthorn, right?" I asked. Kirin might be my only chance of getting answers about my parents.
"I wish I could tell you more, but time is short. Your basic meditation only granted you a short amount of time to talk to me. You need to improve yourself in controlling your mind; only then will we be able to converse more," he spoke as he started fading away.
"Hey, wait! I'm not done yet.....," I shouted, but everything began fading to white.
***
My eyes opened abruptly, and I sat up from my bed. W—what time is it now? A quick peek out the window and it was clear that daylight was approaching. The candle had once again burned out completely since I hadn't realised I had fallen asleep once again. These two days must be exhausting, that my body slumbers the moment my head touches the pillow. Recalling the dream I had just had, I glanced towards Inazuma, thinking whether I should poke it. Is it gonna zap me? Thankfully, it didn't.
Dawn was approaching, and I decided that it was pointless to sleep further. I decided to perform some basic exercise and sword training in my room, and what better way to train with my newly elven dagger. Practicing with Inazuma doesn't cause me to sweat much since it weighs close to nothing. I took the first swing of the dagger to test the weight. Well, well, not bad, not bad at all. I'm starting to like this dagger even more now.
After I was done with my training and worked up a sweat, I took a quick bath to freshen myself up. I knocked on John and Lily's room, telling them to meet me downstairs for breakfast since I was the early bird today. We'll be heading our separate ways after breakfast to our respective guilds. We gave our last 'kanpai' and headed out. Lily bowed to both of us, which we gladly returned. She suddenly rushed and hugged, which caught me off guard. Never expected her to be daring enough for public affection, but I understood her feelings. I petted her head and assured her that everything would be alright. She smiled and gave a light bow once again before proceeding to her guild. John smirked at our interaction and waved goodbye to me as well before heading off.
Alright, time to head out. To the Dark guild it is. I'm going to hold back on visiting the Elemental guild for the Elementalist first. Doubt he'll be bothered to see me since I've not made any name for myself. A little fame should be better before I make my plan to meet him.
***
It was not long before I reached the guild. I stood in front of a huge, dark-coloured building in awe as the building itself could fit about a thousand people. Definitely "Dark" guild material with that colour scheme. Hopefully, I'll have a room of my own since it's this big. *fingers crossed*
I knocked on the main door before peeking in. There was a female receptionist waiting to greet anyone who came in. I greeted her with a smile and handed her my scroll as per the townhouse receptionist's advice. She opened and read the contents.
"Are you sure you wish to join the Dark guild? You have an option to choose," she smiled.
"Yes, I'm sure. Do allow me to join this guild," I bowed at her while she maintained her smile.
"With your word, I'll proceed with your application. Please wait here while I submit your application and inform the Guildmaster," she gestured me to sit down. Guess there's paperwork to be done before my test.
After waiting for a time, she came back and gestured me to follow her. We passed through an area that looked like a cafeteria of some sort. Guess there's an eatery here for members to eat, which is rather convenient. As we headed further in, we came to a stop at a small, open arena. This must be where I'll be taking my test.
"Do you wish to change into something more comfortable before the test? Your cloak is not allowed, but your current dougi is fine," she informed me.
"What about my weapons? Am I allowed to use them?" I asked her.
"You'll be using a wooden sword for this test. If possible, try to avoid hitting your opponent badly. The Dark Lord favours those who can control their strength over beating their opponents excessively," she explained.
"Alright. Should I place my weapons at the side here? I'll remove my cloak," I asked.
"You can just pass them to me. I'll hold onto them until your test is done," she smiled.
I removed my items and passed them all to her before heading into the arena where Rick greeted me on the way in.
"Yo, give it your best. I'll be watching you," he tapped my shoulder. Now that's some rather minor encouragement there.
I continued into the arena and stood at the side. It was not exactly grand per se, but it can still fit a couple of hundred people. It should be used mainly for training purposes.
Not a lot of people watching, which I'm grateful for. Less stress when fewer eyes are focused on you. But what stood out the most is the glare coming from someone sitting above the arena. That must be the Dark Lord. He certainly lives up to his reputation, alright. Black armour, check. Dark glare, check. Evil aura, triple check!
I walked up the arena and stood alone as I waited for further instructions. A moment later, someone came up the stage holding two wooden swords. Dressed in training attire, he tossed one of the wooden swords at me, which I grabbed skilfully. The word "Begin" was spoken loudly enough for all to hear from above as the arena was strangely silent. Guess it's time for me to take the stage then.
***
*Rick's Perspective*
I'm so glad that Zen had decided to join us. That kid definitely has the potential to be strong, and I want him to be part of our guild. I've even spoken to the Dark Lord earlier, telling him that a special newbie will be joining us soon. I really hope my expectations don't fail me; otherwise, I'll be in trouble for sure. The Dark Lord will be assigning me terrible jobs for the next few months if Zen ends up failing!
Alright, he's taking the stage. Hope I looked cool when I gave him some encouragement earlier. That should be enough to persuade him to fight harder. Wonder who's his opponent going to be?
Well, well, this guy will be sparring with him, eh? Heard he's the strongest rookie in our ranks this year. He's already at the rank of Swordsman and awaiting to rise to the rank of Fighter soon. I wonder how Zen will fare in sparring with him? No shame in losing, though. The Dark Lord pays attention to many other aspects rather than just winning or losing.
Huh? What the— hell just happened? The strongest rookie is flat on the ground? When did Zen even hit him? A referee went up to check on the rookie. Guess he's out cold. Woah, that's— amazing. I'm a Shadow Knight, and I could barely see what happened earlier. I swore I didn't blink!
"Next," gestured the Dark Lord.
Seems like he wants to test Zen's potential even further. Wait a minute, this guy— he's already at Fighter rank! Is the Dark Lord seriously asking someone who's already at Fighter rank to spar with a newbie? For real? Next thing you know….
*Pap!
Same thing happened this round with the Fighter rank kissing the ground. What the— hell is going on? Did Zen just seriously defeat a Fighter rank with a single strike? The whole arena was creepily silent as the other members figured out what the hell just happened. This boy is crazy!
What will the Dark Lord do? Seems like he's contemplating what to do next. Surely the Dark Lord is not stupid enough to—
"Rick, how about you head in?"