The forest road gradually widened as Noah and Ignis continued their journey.
Before long, the dense trees began to thin, giving way to open land.
Small farmhouses appeared in the distance, their thatched roofs rising above fields of wheat and barley swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.
Wooden fences lined the road now, and Noah could see farmers working the fields while children ran between rows of crops laughing.
Civilization was close.
Ignis walked beside him quietly, ember-red eyes observing the unfamiliar sights.
“Not used to seeing humans living like this, huh?” Noah said with a small grin.
Ignis gave a low rumble that might have been amusement.
“Your kind spreads quickly. Even the forest bends to your settlements.”
Noah chuckled softly.
As they continued along the road, more travelers began appearing — wagons heading toward the city, farmers guiding carts of produce, merchants leading pack mules.
Noah slowed slightly, glancing toward Ignis.
“We’re getting close to the city,” he said. “You might scare a few people looking like that.”
Ignis’s tail flicked lazily.
“Humans fear what they do not understand.”
“Exactly,” Noah replied with a smirk. “Which is why it’s probably best if I dispel you for now.”
Ignis nodded once.
“I understand.”
“Hopefully it isn’t for too long. I’ll summon you when it’s safe.”
A faint circle of glowing runes briefly appeared beneath the great wolf’s paws as his body dissolved into drifting embers, the sparks flowing toward Noah before fading into nothing.
Noah stretched his shoulders and continued down the road alone.
He had only walked a few minutes when a distant sound reached his ears.
Thud… thud… thud…
Noah slowed.
At first he thought it was thunder.
Then the ground trembled slightly beneath his boots.
He turned toward the road behind him.
A cloud of dust was rising in the distance.
Horses.
And not just a few.
Dozens of armored riders galloped down the road toward him.
Noah stepped aside just as the riders slowed sharply, surrounding the road in a semicircle.
One of the soldiers raised a hand.
“You there! Hold a moment!”
Noah paused as the riders formed a loose half-circle around the road.
The soldiers wore polished steel armor bearing the crest of Caldonia—a silver hawk with wings spread wide. Dust clung to their cloaks from the hard ride, but their posture remained disciplined.
One of them nudged his horse forward slightly, studying Noah carefully.
“Have you seen anyone pass this road recently?” the guard asked. “A group of men, possibly armed. We’re searching for bandits.”
Noah shook his head.
“No. I haven’t seen anyone.”
The soldier glanced back toward the others before responding.
“Bandits have been causing quite the uproar lately,” he said. “Raiding farms, stealing livestock, attacking supply wagons.”
Noah nodded slightly.
“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”
The soldiers shifted as another rider stepped forward.
His horse was taller than the others, its black coat shining in the sunlight. The young man seated atop it wore finely crafted armor far more decorative than the rest of the patrol. A crimson cloak draped across his shoulders, clasped by a silver brooch bearing the same hawk crest.
The soldiers instinctively made space for him.
The rider studied Noah from head to toe before speaking.
“Lord Cassian Valmere of Caldonia,” he said calmly.
His voice carried an irritating confidence that immediately rubbed Noah the wrong way.
“And where exactly are you headed?”
“Caldonia City,” Noah answered.
Cassian tilted his head slightly.
“For what purpose?”
Noah shrugged.
“I’m heading to the Adventurers Guild.”
For a moment the noble simply stared at him.
Then a faint smirk crept across his face.
“The Adventurers Guild?”
His gaze slowly traveled over Noah’s simple clothes, lingering on the lack of armor or weapon.
“You?”
He gave a short, amused laugh.
“You look more like a farm boy than an adventurer.”
Noah resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“Say what you want,” he replied calmly. “You don’t even know me.”
The noble’s expression hardened immediately.
“Mind your tongue, boy.”
His horse stepped forward a few paces, towering slightly over Noah.
“Do you even know who you're speaking to?”
Noah crossed his arms casually.
“Someone with too much time to judge strangers on the road.”
A few of the soldiers exchanged glances, clearly uncomfortable.
Lord Cassian didn’t seem to notice—or care.
Instead, he leaned slightly forward in his saddle, studying Noah again with narrowed eyes.
“Tell me something,” he said slowly. “Isn’t it a little unusual to see a lone adventurer wandering the roads these days?”
His smirk returned.
“Where is your party?”
Noah shrugged.
“I don’t have one.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
“No party?”
“No,” Noah said calmly. “I tend to stick to myself.”
The noble watched him for another moment.
“And your name?” he asked.
“Noah.”
Cassian’s smirk widened slightly.
“And you’re traveling alone… headed to the Adventurers Guild… without armor, weapons, or companions?”
He tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Hmm.”
“Why does that come off as a little suspicious?”
A few of the soldiers shifted in their saddles.
One of them finally spoke up.
“My lord, the bandits we’re tracking were last reported further down the eastern road. We may lose their trail if we delay.”
Cassian sighed as if the entire situation bored him.
“Yes, yes.”
He looked back down at Noah once more.
“Well then, Noah…”
The noble’s smirk returned.
“Or should I say farm boy.”
A few of the soldiers tried very hard not to react.
Cassian chuckled lightly.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
He gave Noah one last dismissive look.
“Good luck in the guild.”
His eyes briefly flicked over Noah’s simple clothes again.
“You’ll obviously need it… with that gear.”
Cassian laughed as he turned his horse.
“Move out!”
The patrol kicked their mounts forward, hooves pounding against the road once again.
As the riders passed, one of the horses struck the dirt hard enough to send a small spray of dust toward Noah.
Within seconds the patrol disappeared down the road, leaving the air quiet again.
Noah brushed a bit of dirt from his shoulder and sighed.
“Well… that guy was pleasant.”
A faint swirl of ember-red sparks appeared beside him.
Ignis’s voice echoed softly in his mind.
If it would not cause problems, the ember wolf said thoughtfully, I would very much enjoy biting that human on the backside.
Noah snorted.
“Yeah… I had a similar thought.”
The journey didn’t take much longer after that.
The road widened steadily as Noah continued forward, and the farmland surrounding it grew busier with activity. Wooden fences lined the fields, and farmers worked beneath the afternoon sun, guiding plows through the soil while others stacked bundles of wheat along the roadside.
A wagon creaked past him heading toward the city, piled high with vegetables and sacks of grain. The driver gave Noah a brief nod before urging the horses onward.
Children chased each other between the fences nearby, their laughter carrying across the fields.
The closer Noah walked, the more the world around him seemed to come alive.
Smoke drifted lazily from chimneys in the distance. The smell of freshly baked bread floated faintly through the warm air, mixing with the earthy scent of soil and livestock.
Civilization.
Noah breathed in slowly.
After everything that had happened in the forest, the normalcy of it felt strange.
But peaceful.
The road curved gently around a low hill.
When Noah reached the top, he finally saw it.
Caldonia.
Massive stone walls rose from the land like a fortress carved from the earth itself. Tall watchtowers stood at regular intervals along the battlements, banners bearing the silver hawk crest of the kingdom snapping in the wind.
Even from this distance the city looked enormous.
Lines of travelers flowed toward the main gates—merchants guiding wagons, farmers carrying goods, adventurers walking the road in small groups.
Guards stood watch at the entrance, their spears glinting in the sunlight as they directed people through the gate.
Noah couldn’t help but stare for a moment.
So this is Caldonia…
“I finally get to see a real fantasy kingdom – pretty cool if you ask me.”
Passing through the gate felt like stepping into an entirely different world.
The city streets were alive with noise.
Merchants shouted from their stalls, advertising everything from fresh bread to polished blades. Horses clopped along the stone roads pulling carts loaded with crates and barrels.
The scent of cooked meat drifted through the air from nearby food vendors, mixing with the smell of leather, metal, and smoke from blacksmith forges.
People moved everywhere—citizens, traders, soldiers, and adventurers wearing armor of every style imaginable.
Some carried swords strapped across their backs. Others had staffs, shields, or bows slung over their shoulders.
Noah took it all in as he walked.
This city was bigger than anything he had ever seen before.
It didn’t take long to notice where most of the armed travelers were headed.
A large stone building stood a few streets ahead, far larger than the surrounding structures. Its thick wooden doors were wide open, and the constant flow of armored men and women walking in and out made its purpose obvious.
Hanging from a sturdy iron bracket above the entrance was a large wooden sign.
A sword and shield had been carved into the center of it.
Beneath the symbol, bold letters had been burned into the wood.
Adventurers Guild
Noah stopped for a moment, staring up at the sign.
A small grin spread across his face.
“Well,” he muttered quietly.
“Guess this is where things really start.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Noah pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
The noise inside struck him immediately.
Voices filled the large hall—adventurers laughing, arguing, trading stories of monsters and treasure. The scent of roasted meat and spilled ale drifted through the air from a nearby tavern style corner where several armored men sat around a long table.
Along the far wall hung a massive board covered in parchment requests, each sheet marked with bold ink and wax seals.
QUESTS
Some were already half torn down where adventurers had claimed them.
Others flapped gently in the warm air as the door closed behind him.
Noah slowly stepped further inside, taking everything in.
The Adventurer’s Guild was far livelier than he had imagined.
Then his attention shifted toward the long wooden counter near the center of the hall.
A young woman stood behind it, carefully writing into a large ledger.
She looked up as Noah approached.
For a moment Noah nearly forgot what he was going to say.
The guild clerk was strikingly beautiful.
Soft brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail, held by a blue ribbon bearing the guild’s insignia. Her warm amber eyes carried a gentle brightness that immediately gave the impression she had greeted countless adventurers before him.
She wore a finely tailored blue guild uniform trimmed with gold, the crest of the Adventurers Guild pinned proudly to her chest. A white blouse beneath the jacket was neatly pressed, and a polished red gemstone brooch rested at her collar.
Despite the chaos of the guild hall behind him, she looked perfectly composed.
Organized.
Professional.
She closed the large ledger softly and smiled.
“Welcome to the Adventurers Guild.”
Her voice was warm and polite, practiced from greeting hundreds of travelers.
“How may I help you today?”
Noah cleared his throat slightly, remembering why he was here.
“I’d like to register as an adventurer,” he said.
Then his tone grew more serious.
“But I also need to speak with the guild leader.”
The clerk blinked in mild surprise.
“The guild master?”
Noah nodded.
“It’s urgent.”
Her expression shifted slightly, curiosity replacing the professional smile.
“May I ask what this concerns?”
Noah reached into his pack and carefully pulled out a folded letter.
The wax seal of Akotto Village was still intact.
He placed it gently on the desk.
“I was sent here by the village elder,” he explained.
“Their water supply was corrupted by dark magic. I dealt with the one responsible.”
The clerk’s eyes widened slightly.
“Dark magic…?”
Noah nodded again.
“A mage.”
He paused before continuing.
“Before he died, I recovered something.”
Noah reached into his satchel again and carefully set a worn leather journal on the desk.
“This belonged to him.”
“It mentions something… bigger.”
The clerk glanced at the journal, then back at Noah.
The polite atmosphere of the desk suddenly felt much more serious.
“A cult,” Noah said quietly.
The clerk slowly closed the ledger in front of her.
Her cheerful demeanor faded into something more focused.
“I see.”
She looked toward a staircase leading to the upper floor of the guild hall.
Then back to Noah.
“Please wait here a moment.”
“If what you're saying is true…”
She paused.
“…the guild master will want to hear this immediately.”
Noah nodded.
“Thank you.”
The clerk gathered the letter from Akotto Village along with the dark mage’s journal and carefully stepped away from the counter toward the staircase leading to the upper floor.
As she disappeared up the stairs, Noah became aware that the guild hall had grown slightly quieter around him.
Not completely silent—there were still mugs clinking and chairs scraping—but several nearby adventurers had clearly been listening.
A broad-shouldered man wearing battered plate armor leaned back in his chair at one of the nearby tables.
“Did that kid just say dark magic?” he muttered to the others sitting with him.
Another adventurer, a woman with twin daggers strapped across her belt, frowned slightly.
“I heard it too.”
A third man scratched his beard thoughtfully.
“And something about a cult.”
The armored man glanced toward Noah again.
“That's not the kind of thing people joke about.”
Noah pretended not to notice the attention, resting one elbow casually on the counter as he waited.
Ignis’s voice drifted softly through his mind.
You seem to have attracted interest.
Noah resisted the urge to smile.
Yeah… I noticed.
One of the adventurers stood and walked past him toward the quest board, slowing just enough to get a better look at him.
“You the one who found this dark mage?” the man asked casually.
Noah shrugged slightly.
“Something like that.”
The adventurer studied him for another moment before giving a low whistle.
“Huh.”
“Didn’t expect someone your age to be walking around with that kind of trouble.”
He shook his head and continued toward the quest board.
At the nearby table, the armored man chuckled.
“Kid’s either telling the truth…”
“…or he’s about to get the guild master’s full attention.”
Noah glanced toward the staircase where the clerk had disappeared.
“Guess we’ll find out.”
Noah pretended not to notice the curious looks from the nearby tables as he waited for the clerk to return.
The guild hall slowly returned to its usual noise—mugs clinking, chairs scraping, adventurers laughing loudly as they compared stories of monsters and treasure.
But not everyone had lost interest.
Across the room, three adventurers sat at a heavy oak table near the quest board.
One of them leaned back in his chair, boots resting casually against the table leg as he watched Noah from across the hall.
He was younger than the others, with short silver hair and a confident smirk that rarely seemed to leave his face. A short sword hung loosely at his side, its polished hilt catching the light whenever he moved.
The way he carried himself made it clear he believed he owned the room.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Did you hear that?” he said quietly.
Beside him sat a woman with long purple hair pulled into a high ponytail. A dark cloak draped over her shoulders, decorated with small skull ornaments along the clasp and belt. She idly flipped through a small spellbook resting in her hand.
“Dark magic,” she said casually, not looking up.
“And a cult.”
The third member of their group chuckled.
He was easily the largest man in the guild hall—broad shoulders stretching against thick leather armor. His massive hands rested comfortably on the pommel of an enormous axe planted between his boots.
“Kid looks like he’d get eaten by a slime,” the brute rumbled.
The silver-haired swordsman smirked again.
“Exactly.”
His eyes remained fixed on Noah.
“Which makes it interesting.”
He stood slowly, adjusting the belt at his waist as he rose.
The massive axe man followed with a heavy scrape of his chair.
The mage closed her book with a soft snap and stood as well.
Together the three of them walked across the guild hall toward the counter.
Conversations around the room quieted slightly as they passed.
Noah noticed them approaching out of the corner of his eye.
The silver-haired swordsman stopped a few feet away and looked over at him.
Slowly.
Judging.
Then the smirk returned.
“So…”
He rested one hand casually on the hilt of his short sword.
“You’re the one who found this dark mage everyone’s whispering about.”
Noah met his gaze calmly.
“Something like that.”
The swordsman chuckled.
“That’s funny.”
He leaned slightly closer.
“Because you don’t look like someone who could handle a goblin… let alone a dark mage.”
Behind him, the axe-wielding brute crossed his arms and grinned.
“Maybe the mage tripped and fell on his own staff.”
The woman rolled her eyes slightly but didn’t disagree.
“Or maybe,” she added, glancing at Noah with mild curiosity, “he’s lying.”
The swordsman tapped the counter lightly with his fingers.
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
He tilted his head.
“So, tell me, farm boy…”
“What exactly are you doing in our guild?”
The word landed harder than it should have — farm boy…
Noah slowly turned his head toward the voice.
Noah slowly turned his head toward the voice.
The young man standing a few steps away leaned casually against the counter, one hand resting on the hilt of a short sword. A confident smirk tugged at his lips as if he already knew he was the most important person in the room.
Noah stared at him for a moment.
And his stomach tightened.
The face looking back at him was… almost identical.
Not the hair.
Not the clothes.
But the face.
The sharp jawline.
The smug expression.
The same eyes that looked at people like they were something to step over.
For a split second, Noah wasn’t standing in the Adventurers Guild anymore.
He was back in his old world.
Standing in a school hallway.
Hearing the same mocking voice.
Seeing that same smirk.
It’s him…
Noah blinked once, the memory snapping away just as quickly as it came.
Of course it wasn’t the same person.
Different world.
Different life.
But the resemblance was unsettling.
The silver-haired swordsman tilted his head slightly.
“What?”
His smirk widened.
“Did I offend you?”
Behind him, the large axe man chuckled.
“Kid looks like he forgot how to talk.”
The woman with the spellbook crossed her arms.
“Maybe he’s realizing he shouldn’t lie about killing dark mages.”
The swordsman leaned forward slightly.
“So go on then,” he said.
“You’re the one who supposedly killed a dark mage?”
His eyes slowly scanned Noah’s simple clothes.
“…because from where I’m standing…”
“…you still look like a farm boy who wandered into the wrong building.”
Noah exhaled slowly through his nose.
Irritation was starting to build now.
First the noble on the road.
Now this guy.
“You know,” Noah said calmly, “that’s the second time today someone’s called me that.”
The swordsman raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Noah shrugged.
“The first guy was a noble.”
“He was just as annoying.”
A few nearby adventurers snorted quietly into their drinks.
The swordsman’s smile tightened just a little.
Ignis’s voice slipped into Noah’s mind.
Would you like me to bite this one as well?
Noah almost laughed.
In his mind he told ignis – “Easy friend.”
Then out loud – “This guy isn’t worth the trouble.”
Easy, friend, he replied silently.
Then out loud he said calmly,
“This guy isn’t worth the trouble.”
The silver-haired swordsman’s smirk vanished.
The words clearly hadn’t landed the way Noah intended.
His eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me?”
Behind him, the massive axe man stepped forward.
The floorboards groaned slightly beneath his weight.
He loomed over Noah like a walking wall of muscle.
“You got a lot of mouth for someone dressed like a scarecrow,” the brute rumbled.
Before Noah could react, a huge hand grabbed the front of his shirt.
Noah’s boots lifted slightly off the floor.
Several adventurers nearby leaned back in their chairs, watching with growing interest.
The silver-haired swordsman chuckled quietly.
“Careful, Rook,” he said lazily. “You might break him.”
The mage crossed her arms, clearly amused.
“At least then we’d know he wasn’t lying about killing anything.”
Noah looked down briefly at the large fist gripping his collar.
Then slowly back up at the brute’s face.
His expression didn’t change.
But inside, something had shifted.
His mana stirred faintly beneath the surface.
Ignis’s presence flickered in the back of his mind like a waiting flame.
“Just say the word,” Ignis whispered.
Noah’s fingers curled slightly.
One more second.
One more push.
That was all it would take.
The brute tightened his grip.
“Maybe we should toss him outside and teach him a lesson.” he said with a grin.
Noah was just about to move when—
A loud throat cleared across the guild hall.
The sound cut through the tension like a blade.
Every head in the room turned.
The brute holding Noah froze.
Slowly, the massive hand released Noah’s collar.
Noah’s boots settled back onto the wooden floor.
The once noisy guild hall fell into sudden silence.
At the base of the staircase stood a man whose presence alone seemed to quiet the entire room.
He was older, perhaps nearing fifty, with short steel-gray hair and a rugged face marked by years of battle. A faint scar traced along his jaw beneath the rough beginnings of a beard.
One hand rested casually atop the pommel of a long, broad sword planted against the floor beside him.
The weapon looked well-experienced and rugged.
So did the man holding it.
His sharp eyes swept across the room with calm authority.
This was clearly a man used to being obeyed.
"That has to be the Guild Master," Noah thought.
Standing beside him was a younger man with dark, untamed hair tied loosely behind his head. His arms were crossed, his posture relaxed, yet something about him radiated quiet danger.
At his side rested a long, curved blade in a lacquered sheath.
A katana-style sword, its elegant guard and slightly curved handle marking it clearly different from the heavier western weapons most adventurers carried.
His hand rested loosely near the hilt.
Not gripping it.
Just close enough to remind anyone watching how quickly he could.
His sharp eyes were already locked onto the three adventurers surrounding Noah.
“I wonder who he is?”
The Guild Master’s gaze settled on the scene near the counter.
His voice was calm.
But carried unmistakable authority.
“Is everything alright out here?”
The brute shifted slightly.
The silver-haired swordsman clicked his tongue.
“Just welcoming the new farm boy,” he said casually.
A few uneasy chuckles echoed through the room.
The Guild Master didn’t smile.
His eyes shifted to Noah.
Then to the clerk.
Then back to the three adventurers.
“Is that so?”
The dark-haired man finally spoke, his voice low but razor sharp.
“Funny.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the brute.
“From where I’m standing, it looked more like you three were about to start a fight.”
The brute scratched the back of his neck.
“No fight,” he muttered.
The silver-haired swordsman shrugged.
“Just a misunderstanding.”
The dark-haired man tilted his head slightly.
His fingers tapped once against the sheath of his katana.
“Then misunderstand it somewhere else.”
The room stayed quiet.
The message was clear.
The silver-haired adventurer gave Noah a long-irritated stare before turning.
“Come on,” he muttered to his party.
The mage rolled her eyes and closed the book she had been holding.
The brute followed with a heavy stomp.
As they passed Noah, the silver-haired adventurer leaned closer.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“This isn’t over, farm boy.”
Then they disappeared back into the crowd.
The tension slowly drained from the room.
The Guild Master stepped forward toward the counter.
His eyes studied Noah carefully.
Then he spoke.
“Now then…”
His gaze shifted briefly to the clerk.
“Care to explain why the newest face in my guild hall is already causing trouble?”
“That settles that assumption – definitely the guild master.” Noah thought to himself.
The clerk straightened behind the counter.
“Guild Master, this adventurer says he’s come from Akotto Village.”
She glanced down briefly at the letter Noah had handed her.
“And he claims to have information regarding a dark mage… and a possible cult.”
The room grew quiet again.
Several adventurers who had been pretending not to listen suddenly became very interested.
The Guild Master’s expression hardened slightly.
He looked down at the letter in the clerk’s hands for a moment before reaching out and taking it.
The thick parchment unfolded with a quiet rustle as his eyes scanned the contents.
His brows lifted slightly.
Then he spoke—loud enough for the room to hear.
“And a very sincere letter of recommendation… stating your heroic bravery from the Elder of Akotto Village.”
A low murmur spread across the guild hall.
The Guild Master continued reading.
“Hmm.”
He glanced up at Noah briefly before finishing the line.
“For the slaying of a rogue dark mage who had corrupted their water supply and threatened the lives of their people.”
The murmuring grew louder.
Someone near the back of the room muttered,
“Dark mage?”
“Kid doesn’t look like he could kill a rabbit.”
The Guild Master folded the letter slowly.
His eyes returned to Noah.
“And you claim to have recovered this mage’s journal as well?”
Noah nodded.
“Yes sir.”
The room quieted again.
The Guild Master looked toward the clerk.
“Miss Yuri.”
“Yes, Guild Master,” she replied immediately, straightening slightly behind the counter.
“Secure that letter.”
“Yes sir.”
She carefully took the parchment and slid it beneath the large guild ledger on the desk, pressing it flat so the seal and writing would remain protected.
The Guild Master’s gaze then shifted across the room.
More specifically—
Toward the table where the silver-haired swordsman and his party had returned.
They were watching now.
Very closely.
The Guild Master spoke again, his voice calm but carrying easily through the hall.
“A dark mage operating this close to Caldonia is not something we take lightly.”
Several adventurers straightened in their seats.
A few exchanged glances.
Dark magic was never good news.
Even the dark-haired man’s expression sharpened slightly as his hand rested loosely near the hilt of the long-curved katana at his side.
The Guild Master turned his attention back to Noah.
“And if what you say about this cult proves true…”
He tapped the folded letter once against the counter.
“…then you may have brought us information of considerable importance.”
The room had grown completely silent now.
Every ear listening.
The dark-haired man stepped forward slightly, the sheath of his katana shifting softly at his hip as he moved.
His sharp eyes studied Noah carefully.
Then a faint grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Well now…”
He tilted his head slightly.
“Looks like the farm boy might actually be interesting after all.”
Across the room, the silver-haired adventurer’s smirk slowly faded.
The guild master gestured toward the staircase and hallway behind him.
“Come with us. We will discuss the rest in my quarters.”
His tone left little room for discussion.
Noah nodded.
“Yes sir.”
The Guild Master turned and began walking toward the back corridor behind the guild hall.
The dark-haired man pushed himself off the wall and followed beside him, the sheath of his katana shifting softly at his hip with each step.
As they passed through the guild hall, conversations slowly began again—but quieter now.
Eyes followed Noah.
Some curious.
Some skeptical.
And a few… impressed.
Near the back of the room, the silver-haired adventurer leaned back in his chair, watching them leave.
His fingers tapped slowly against the table.
“Interesting…” he muttered under his breath.
The large brute beside him frowned.
“You believe that kid?”
The silver-haired man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Doesn’t matter if I believe him.”
His smirk slowly returned.
“What matters is the Guild Master does.”
Meanwhile—
Noah followed the two men down a short hallway behind the guild counter.
The noise of the guild hall faded behind them as they passed through a heavy wooden door.
The Guild Master stepped into a private room lined with shelves of documents, maps, and old quest records.
A large oak desk sat near the center.
Several chairs rested nearby.
The Guild Master moved behind the desk and set one hand on its surface.
Then he looked up at Noah again.
The calm authority from earlier returned fully.
“Now then.”
His eyes sharpened slightly as he studied Noah more carefully.
Beside him, the dark-haired man leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, the sheath of his katana resting at his side.
Though his posture looked relaxed, his sharp eyes never left Noah.
The Guild Master gave a small nod.
“Forgive my manners, Noah.”
“My name is Galvin. I am the Guild Master here in Caldonia City.”
He gestured slightly toward the man beside him.
“The man standing beside me is the Vice Guild Master — Master Hayate.”
Hayate lifted his chin slightly in acknowledgment.
Galvin continued.
“Though around the guild, most simply refer to him as Captain Hayate.”
Hayate gave a faint smirk.
“Old habits from my days commanding field parties,” he said calmly.
Galvin folded his arms behind his back and returned his attention fully to Noah.
“Now…”
His tone grew serious again.
“You mentioned a dark mage, a journal, and something about a cult.”
The room suddenly felt a little smaller.
Hayate’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Galvin leaned forward just enough to make it clear the conversation had become very important.
“Tell us everything.”
“Start from the beginning.”
“How exactly did you come to be involved with Akotto Village… and the dark mage that was operating there?”
Hayate’s hand rested lightly near the hilt of his katana.
Not threatening.
Just ready.
“And take your time,” he added calmly.
“We’d like to hear this story properly.”
The two men waited.
Now the room was silent again.
All eyes on Noah.
Noah took a slow breath.
He looked between the two men—Guild Master Galvin behind the desk and Captain Hayate watching him carefully from the wall.
“Well… it didn’t start with the village,” Noah said.
“I was just traveling.”
He leaned back slightly in the chair.
“Freely, I guess you could say. No real destination at the time. Just moving from place to place.”
Hayate’s expression didn’t change, but he was clearly listening closely.
Noah continued.
“A few days before I reached Akotto Village… I ran into something in the forest.”
Galvin folded his arms.
“What kind of something?”
Noah exhaled slightly.
“A treant.”
Hayate’s eyebrow lifted.
“A treant?”
Noah nodded.
“Yeah. But not a normal one.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“It had a dark crystal embedded deep in its bark. Black veins of miasma were spreading through the wood like rot.”
Galvin’s expression grew more serious.
“A corruption crystal…”
Noah nodded again.
“That’s what I figured later.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Anyway… the thing attacked me.”
Hayate glanced briefly at Noah’s clothes again.
“You’re still alive,” he said dryly.
Noah gave a small shrug.
“Barely.”
He tapped his side lightly.
“It got me pretty good before I managed to bring it down.”
Galvin leaned slightly forward.
“And after that?”
“I kept moving,” Noah said.
“I eventually collapsed not far from Akotto Village.”
He glanced down briefly.
“The villagers found me and took me in.”
Hayate’s posture shifted slightly.
“They treated your wounds?”
“Yeah,” Noah replied.
“Fed me too. Let me recover for a few days.”
He shrugged lightly.
“They didn’t know anything about me. They just helped.”
Galvin nodded slowly.
“So you chose to help them in return.”
“Pretty much,” Noah said.
“The village elder eventually told me their water supply had started turning bad.”
“Crops failing. Livestock refusing to drink it.”
Hayate’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Signs of corruption.”
“Exactly,” Noah said.
“So I figured the least I could do was take a look.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“There’s a cave upstream from their well.”
“I went to check it out.”
Galvin remained silent, letting him continue.
“When I got inside… I found runes carved into the stone.”
“Dark ones.”
Hayate pushed himself off the wall.
“And the mage?”
Noah nodded.
“He was there.”
Galvin asked quietly,
“Performing a ritual?”
“Yeah.”
Noah’s voice hardened slightly.
“He was using the water as part of it.”
Hayate’s hand rested near the hilt of his katana again.
“And you stopped him.”
“Had to.”
Noah reached forward and slid the worn journal across the desk.
“After the fight… I found this.”
Galvin opened the journal again.
The pages rustled softly as he turned them.
“You’ve read it?”
“Some of it,” Noah said.
“Enough to realize that mage wasn’t acting alone.”
Hayate stepped closer to the desk.
Galvin stopped on one of the marked pages.
Hayate looked down.
His eyes narrowed.
“…Cult markings.”
Galvin nodded slowly.
“Multiple references.”
He closed the journal.
The room felt heavier now.
Hayate crossed his arms.
“If what’s written here is accurate…”
He looked back at Noah.
“…that mage was just one piece of something larger.”
Galvin’s voice was quiet but firm.
“And that means we may have a dark magic cult operating near Caldonia.”
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then Galvin looked back at Noah.
“You did well bringing this to us.”
Hayate gave a small nod.
But his eyes still studied Noah carefully.
“There’s still one thing that doesn’t quite add up.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“You were wounded by a corrupted treant…”
“…yet still managed to fight and kill a dark mage a few days later.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“That’s not something most people could do.”
Hayate paused.
Then asked calmly,
“So tell me something, Noah…”
“How exactly did you manage that?”
Noah scratched the back of his neck slightly.
“Guess I’m stronger than I look?” he said with a small shrug.
For a moment neither man spoke.
Hayate’s eyebrow lifted just a little.
Galvin didn’t smile, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly as if he found the answer amusing.
“Perhaps,” the Guild Master said slowly.
His eyes studied Noah again—this time more carefully.
Then Galvin leaned forward slightly, resting both hands on the desk.
“But that doesn’t answer the real question.”
His gaze moved briefly over Noah’s clothing.
Simple.
Travel-worn.
No armor.
No visible weapon.
“No sword.”
“No armor.”
Galvin tapped the desk lightly.
“So tell me…”
“Do you wield magic?”
Hayate’s attention sharpened instantly.
His eyes moved across Noah again as if reassessing everything he had seen so far.
“Or,” Hayate added calmly, “are you hiding your weapon somewhere?”
Noah leaned back slightly in the chair.
“My sword’s in my internal storage,” he said casually. “And yes… I use magic.”
Before either man could respond, Noah lifted his hand.
A faint shimmer of mana flickered through the air.
In the next instant—
Steel appeared in his grip.
The blade materialized as if pulled from thin air, its polished surface catching the lantern light of the office.
Hayate moved immediately.
His hand snapped to the hilt of his katana, the blade sliding a few inches from its sheath with a sharp metallic whisper before stopping.
His stance lowered instinctively.
Eyes locked on Noah.
The reaction had been pure reflex.
Then the realization hit.
Hayate slowly eased the blade back into its sheath.
“…Storage magic,” he muttered.
Galvin, meanwhile, stared at the sword in Noah’s hand with open interest.
“Well now,” the Guild Master said.
“That’s… impressive.”
He leaned forward slightly, studying the weapon.
“Spatial storage magic like that is extremely rare.”
He glanced up at Noah again.
“Most people rely on enchanted bags or storage rings.”
“But summoning a weapon directly from internal storage…”
He shook his head slowly.
“Not many people can do that.”
Hayate straightened slightly now, his earlier tension replaced with curiosity.
“And you said you use magic as well.”
His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
“Let me guess.”
“A hybrid.”
Noah gave a small shrug.
“Something like that.”
Hayate gave a quiet chuckle.
“Well that explains a few things.”
Galvin folded his arms.
“It certainly does.”
He studied Noah again, but the look in his eyes had changed now.
Before, he had been cautious.
Now…
He was intrigued.
“So,” Galvin said calmly,
“A swordsman who can wield magic…”
“…and carries internal storage.”
He tapped the desk once.
“No wonder you managed to survive a fight with a dark mage.”
Hayate tilted his head slightly, studying Noah with sharper interest now.
“Still,” he said,
“No disrespect intended to you, Noah… but you hardly look veteran enough to take down a treant and a dark mage on your own.”
The room fell quiet again.
Noah leaned back slightly in the chair, resting his forearms on the armrests.
“Looks can be deceiving,” he said calmly.
Hayate watched him carefully.
Noah continued.
“I’m highly skilled with my blade.”
He gave a small shrug.
“And I’m getting better with magic as well.”
Galvin raised an eyebrow.
“A swordsman… and a mage.”
Noah nodded.
“That’s why I came here.”
“I wanted to sign up as an adventurer.”
Hayate crossed his arms again.
“And your chosen class?”
Noah answered without hesitation.
“Battle Mage.”
The word lingered in the room.
Galvin leaned back slightly.
“Well now…”
Hayate’s smirk returned faintly.
“A battle mage,” he repeated.
“That’s not a class we see very often.”
Galvin nodded slowly.
“Most people specialize in one discipline or the other.”
“Sword… or magic.”
“Few manage to balance both.”
Hayate studied Noah again, this time with clear curiosity.
“And fewer still are confident enough to walk into the guild and declare it outright.”
Noah shrugged lightly.
“I figured honesty would be the better option.”
Hayate gave a small chuckle.
“Probably the smartest thing you’ve said today.”
Galvin folded his arms.
“Well, Noah… if even half of what you’ve told us is true, you’ll make quite the interesting addition to the guild.”
He glanced briefly at the journal on the desk.
“Especially considering the situation you’ve brought to our attention.”
"I will definitely keep you in the loop if we find any information about the cult."
Then his eyes returned to Noah.
“But before we finalize anything…”
Galvin’s tone shifted slightly.
“There’s still the matter of your registration.”
Hayate pushed himself off the wall again, the sheath of his katana shifting softly at his side as he stepped away.
Galvin straightened behind the desk and gave a small nod.
“Well then,” the Guild Master said.
“Let’s get you registered properly, shall we?”
He picked up the journal again for a moment, then set it carefully aside.
“So that I can welcome you officially to the Adventurers Guild.”
His gaze returned to Noah.
“I could use the help of an interesting lad such as yourself.”
Hayate gave a faint smirk.
“Especially one who walks in carrying information about dark mages and cults on his first day.”
Galvin chuckled quietly.
“Indeed.”
Then his expression grew thoughtful.
“I’m also very curious what your aptitude test will reveal.”
Hayate nodded slightly.
Noah blinked once.
“Aptitude test?” he asked.
Galvin glanced back at him as he moved toward the door.
“You didn’t think we just hand out guild badges without learning what you’re capable of, did you?”
Hayate smirked faintly.
“Every new adventurer goes through it.”
“It measures magical affinity… combat potential… sometimes even hidden talents.”
Noah leaned back slightly in his chair for a moment.
An aptitude test…
For a brief second his mind drifted.
Back to his old world.
To the manga he used to read late at night.
The scenes were almost identical.
The mysterious guild.
The test that revealed a person’s potential.
The moment where everything changed.
No way…
A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
That’s actually kind of cool.
He pushed himself up from the chair.
“Well,” Noah said casually.
“Guess we’ll see what happens.”
Galvin opened the office door and stepped out into the hallway.
“Indeed we will.”
Hayate followed, resting one hand lightly on the hilt of his katana as he walked.
“Something tells me,” he said over his shoulder,
“this one might be interesting.”
Noah stepped out behind them.
As they walked back toward the guild hall, the sounds of conversation and clinking mugs slowly grew louder again.
Unseen by Noah—
several curious eyes turned toward the hallway as the Guild Master emerged with him.
Galvin paused near the doorway to the hall and glanced back at Noah.
Then he smiled slightly.
“Come along, Battle Mage.”
“Let’s see what kind of potential you’re hiding.”
Noah stepped into the guild hall once more.
And somewhere deep in the back of his mind…
A faint voice rumbled with quiet amusement.
This should be fun.
