Chapter narrated by: Me, the great and unquestionably magnificent Aelith.
Date: Sixth day of the world with me.
Okay, Aelith, focus.
You just go in, register as an adventurer, and then you find Lira. Simple. Elegant. Perfect.
A flawless plan—which is to be expected, considering who made it.
"You can leave me here. I will do the rest," I told Mayreel and Sasha.
They wished me good luck—which I absolutely do not require—and told me to greet Lira for them.
I will. Obviously. I am a very considerate goddess.
The door of the guild stood before me. Noise spilled out from inside—laughter, shouting, something breaking, someone complaining about something called a "contract dispute." It was... significantly louder than my church.
But that is fine.
Some noisy discussions of mermaids and dodos will not stop me.
I pushed the door open.
The people inside turned to look at me. Oh well, I suppose my magnificence simply cannot be contained or ignored.
There were whispers filling the room now.
"She's... gods, she's beautiful."
Of course I am.
I walked to the center of the room—with perfect coordination, may I add.
"Excuse me," I said. "Who do I need to speak with if I want to become an adventurer?"
A man stood up—probably the biggest human I have ever seen.
"That would be the reception desk, miss," the mountain of a man said. "I can take you there myself."
I followed him to the reception, where he took some papers and began asking questions.
"I'll need your name for the register," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet. "Standard procedure."
A name? Well, the question is obvious. My name is obvious. I am the brightest of all divine beings, the goddess Aelith.
I was about to tell this giant my name, but... I wanted to become mortal. To experience life as a mortal... and to be with her, but that is a topic for later.
If I revealed my name, that would not be the kind of existence I would have.
"Ali," I answered. "My name is Ali."
"Race?"
Did homunculus count as one? And if it did, would it be suspicious?
"Human."
"Birthdate?"
Now this was a difficult question. I was born on the eighteenth of Narithas—that was my day—but Ali was not born that day... she was born on...
"Fourteenth of Reval."
"Class or area of expertise?"
Oh, an easy question. For someone like me, it would probably be a very long list, but let's focus on the most important parts.
"I can control light."
"A light mage?"
That almost made me laugh.
Comparing me to someone who has to study just to wiggle a few rays around? A truly funny idea.
"Something like that," I said. "I'm a specialist. Very high-end. You wouldn't find my techniques in any book."
The man looked me up and down. He didn't look impressed, which I can only assume is a symptom of some sort of tragic ocular disease.
"High-end, huh?" he said. "In terms of adventurer rankings, where would you say you sit? We need an estimate for your starting rank."
Rankings...
I remembered Lira talking about this. She had been explaining the guild system to me while I was busy admiring how the sunlight caught her eyelashes. I had been paying very close attention.
Mostly to the eyelashes—but some of the words definitely made it into my ears.
"The ranks go from one to ten," she had said. Or was it ten to one?
Actually, the second one makes more sense. Mortals love putting the number one at the top.
"I am at Rank One level," I declared, my voice ringing with absolute certainty—the kind only I, a goddess who has never once been wrong about anything ever, could possess.
The man froze. The entire guild hall seemed to go quiet for a heartbeat. A man in the corner started coughing, probably trying to hide how impressed he was.
"Rank One?" He repeated, his voice dropping to a low rumble. He looked at my soft, uncalloused hands and pristine clothes. "You're sure about that? Most people claim rank two or three their first time."
"Is there a problem?" I asked, tilting my head. Perhaps he was intimidated. It's a common reaction when perfection walks through the door. "I know it's a lot for you to process, but I assure you, I am more than capable of handling the... 'responsibilities' of such a prestigious position."
I could already see it. The peasants bowing. The red carpets rolling out. Lira's jaw dropping when she realized her "Ali" was already at the top.
I really am a genius.
The man stared at me for a long moment, then a strange, pitying smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Alright, that makes this easier," he muttered, his pen scratching across the paper with dismissive haste. "No grand test of your claims needed if that's the case. Any other area of expertise?"
Wait.
Was that all?
Was that his entire reaction to meeting a new Rank One adventurer?
If my memory does not fail me—and it has never done—there are only a handful of Rank One adventurers on the entire continent, so then...
Where was the awe?
What is wrong with mortals?!
"Miss, are you alright?" asked the insensitive mountain.
"Oh—yes, sorry. What was the question?"
"Any other useful skill you would like to add?"
"I can paint really well," I answered proudly, lifting my chin. I remembered my lessons back at the church—the way the light hit the canvas, the way I could capture the very essence of a fruit bowl. "My brushwork is considered divine. Literally."
"Painting. Right. Useful for... identifying monsters, I guess," the giant said, not even looking up as he flipped the page. "Final section. Do you have any physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or notable weaknesses we should be aware of?"
Weaknesses?
Me?
I was about to give the obvious answer—that I have none—but then I stopped. His hand was already moving. He was writing before I had even spoken.
I leaned over the desk and read the 'Weaknesses' box.
Weaknesses: Unchecked Ego. Severely Dramatic. Possibly Delusional.
My jaw did not drop, because that would be ungraceful—but my soul certainly took a very indignant step backward.
"Excuse me?" I said. "I have never felt more insulted in my entire eighteen years of existence."
"'Dramatic'? I'll have you know my presence is naturally like that! And 'ego'? It's not an ego if it's an objective fact!"
The man finally looked up, his expression flatter than a stepped-on pancake. He didn't even blink. He simply tapped the paper with the back of his pen.
"You're a Rank One 'High-End' Light Mage who specializes in painting," he said. "The remarks stay, miss."
A spark of celestial fury flickered in my chest.
Calm yourself, Aelith. Do as they taught you.
I pulled a lungful of air into my chest—a clunky, manual process I still find dreadfully inefficient—and forced the anger down.
"Fine," I said. "Any more questions?"
"Only one thing."
"And that would be?"
"Family name?"
Family name... I did not have one.
I suppose the most accurate answer would be...
"Aurelios."
Mr mountain paused, his pen hovering just above the paper. He looked at me, then at the form, then back at me.
"Aurelios? Any relation to a Lira Aurelios?"
The name hit me like a physical weight.
He knew her? My Lira? My beautiful, stubborn, occasionally-too-independent oracle?
"Wait—do you know Lira?" I leaned over the desk. "Where is she? Is she safe? Is she being properly worshipped? Tell me everything!"
He looked entirely unimpressed. He said nothing—just lifted his pen and pointed toward a long, scarred wooden table in the corner of the room.
"She is over there."
My head whipped around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. Mortal necks are so fragile.
But there she was.
Sitting right there.
Suddenly, my "Rank One" status and the man's rude notes didn't matter at all. The great Aelith had found her little turnip.
Now I just had to figure out how to walk over there without looking like I was vibrating with divine excitement.
Stay cool, Aelith. You are a high-end specialist. Not a desperate goddess who has been counting the seconds since she last saw her.
Nine hundred twenty-one thousand six hundred and forty-two.
But who is counting?
She was there—my oracle—sitting at a table surrounded by people laughing. No surprise she was popular. There was an orc, a blond man, an elf... and there was also...
That girl.
Something in my chest shifted.
Unpleasant. Sharp. Entirely unnecessary.
I smoothed out my dress until it was perfect and began to walk toward them. As I drew closer, the noise of the guild faded, replaced entirely by the sound of Lira's voice.
They all turned to look at me.
Calm down, Aelith. It is just your best friend... and a few mortals.
I stopped at the table, placing a hand lightly against its surface, and met Lira's eyes.
For a moment, the world went completely still.
"...Hi," I said.
And for the first time, I did not know what to say.