Isabel walked beside Kurt, keeping her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Master Rossana," she leaned in close so as not to be overheard by the rowdy parties nearby. "Are you already registered with the Eldoria branch, or do you need to go through the proceedings of becoming a new adventurer?"
"Hmm. I think I am? It was one of the first things that was checked for when I arrived here. But how would I even know if I am registered or not?"
"When you are registered, you receive a special identification tag. It’s enchanted to display your assigned rank, which is calculated based on your strength and how much work you have contributed to the Guild’s request board. As well as other miscellaneous information."
’Another tag? I wonder if she’s talking about...’
Kurt reached around his neck and pulled out the second tag Willy had given him back at the bureau. He hadn’t paid much attention to it during the chaos of the last few days.
"Oh! That is a standard Adventurer’s tag." Isabel’s eyes widened.
Kurt then focused a small thread of mana into the tal. A translucent blue display popped up from the surface, hovering in the air.
Adventurer org -
Guild - N/A
Rank - F
Party - N/A
Skills - (Concealed)
"It says I’m F-rank," Kurt said, tilting the display so she could see.
"F-rank? Did you beco an adventurer very recently, Master Rossana?"
"Sothing like that," he replied with a shrug.
"I see... In that case," Isabel said, regaining her footing as a guide, "you can look at the F-rank section of the board for any requests you could take up."
"Actually, before that, I want to find out what elent I possess. Diana said I could find out if I ca here."
Isabel blinked as her expression turned into one of pure bewildernt. "I’m surprised you don’t know your affinity yet, sir. Especially since you can already use mana coating– Oh–!"
She stopped abruptly as she realised what she had just done and quickly clamped both hands over her mouth, but the damage was done.
In a building full of veteran warriors with ears trained to catch the word "mana coating," her voice had carried throughout the hall like a bell.
The bustling noise of the guild plumted into a suffocating silence.
From the tavern wing to the request board, heads turned. All eyes were suddenly fixed on the young man in the simple clothes and the shy maid hiding beside him.
"... Did she just say, ’mana coating’?" soone whispered.
"... I think I heard him say he’s F-rank."
"... Mana coating at F-rank?"
Unable to handle the sudden, predatory weight of the collective gaze, Isabel retreated behind Kurt’s back, her fingers trembling as she gripped the hem of his shirt.
"I—I’m so sorry, Master Rossana. I-I misspoke. I’m so sorry..."
Kurt didn’t flinch. He scanned the room, his one eye cool and observant. He could feel the curiosity, the skepticism, and the outright hostility radiating from the crowd.
"Don’t worry about it, Isabel. Secrets like that don’t last long in a place like this anyway. I’m not mad."
"T-Thank you. By the way, in order to discover your affinity, you need to go to the receptionist desk," she whispered urgently. "They have the testing orbs there."
Kurt gave a small nod and began to walk toward the counter. Isabel followed so closely she was practically stepping on his heels, her head bowed to avoid eye contact with the veterans.
The crowd parted like a dark sea. Most people moved out of the way, whispering as he passed, but as he reached the center of the hall, a shadow fell over him that didn’t move.
A man stood in his path. He was a mountain of a human, standing at least eight feet tall. His burly fra was encased in leather armor, and a double-headed axe that looked heavy enough to crush a boulder was strapped to his back. His skin and bald head was a map of old battle scars.
He glared down at Kurt with the intensity of a predator. Kurt stopped, eting the man’s gaze without blinking.
After a long, tense silence, the giant spoke in a deep voice that reverberated through the hall. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Kurt asked evenly.
"That you can use mana coating,"
"... Y’know, I was under the impression that an adventurer’s skills were supposed to be private."
The man snorted, sounding like a bull. "Hardly private when your little maid blabs it to the whole hall. If an F-rank can use a Master-tier technique, the guild deserves to know if he’s a genius or a liar."
Isabel flinched behind Kurt as her breath hitched. Feeling the tremor in her hands, he sighed. "It’s true. I can use it."
A collective gasp rippled through the room. The whispers intensified – so of disbelief, others of mocking laughter.
The giant raised a massive, calloused hand, signaling for silence. The room went dead quiet.
"Prove it."
Kurt’s expression hardened. He didn’t like being told what to do, especially not for the sake of an audience. "I don’t have anything to prove to you. I’m here to see the receptionist, not to put on a circus act."
He stepped to the side and walked past the giant. The tension in the air was so palpable it felt like it might snap, but the big man didn’t strike. He simply watched Kurt with narrowed, suspicious eyes.
When Kurt reached the front desk, the atmosphere changed. The receptionist, a young woman with a sharp uniform and a bubbly ponytail, greeted him with a bright, professional smile that ignored the simring violence behind him.
"Good morning! Welco to the Adventurer’s Guild! How may I help you today, sir?"
Kurt smiled back, genuinely appreciative of her normalcy. "Thanks. I’m here to figure out what elent I possess."
"... Pfft. He doesn’t even know his elent."
"... And he claims to use mana coating?"
"... Pathetic."
Ignoring all the snarky comnts, Kurt focused his attention on the receptionist. "I’m new to the system, you see."
"Oh, that’s quite alright!" she said cheerfully, reaching beneath the counter. She took a clear glass orb resting on a cushion and a small, silver prick-needle.
"It’s a very simple process. You just need to drop a single droplet of blood onto the orb. The mana within your blood will react with the device and manifest your primary affinity – or affinities."
"Really? Just like that?"
"Would you like a demonstration?" she asked. When Kurt nodded, she turned her bright eyes to Isabel. "Would the lovely maid like to do the honors?"
Isabel looked startled, but she timidly stepped forward. "Yes... I can do that." She took the needle, pricked her finger with a tiny wince, and let a drop of crimson fall onto the glass.
The orb sat still for a second. Then, it began to vibrate. Suddenly, a miniature torrent of water began to swirl inside the glass, pouring over the sides like a never-ending fountain. But it didn’t stop there. Tiny green leaves and sturdy brown branches began to sprout from the base of the orb, intertwining with the water.
"Oh my! Dual affinities! Water and Earth – or rather, Nature. That’s quite rare, dear."
The crowd’s snarky whispers at Kurt turned to genuine interest as they looked at Isabel with newfound respect. The orb eventually returned to its clear state, and the shy maid stepped back.
The receptionist wiped the orb clean and handed Kurt a clean needle. "Your turn, sir."
The entire Guild leaned in. So stood on chairs to get a better view. Kurt took the needle, pricked his thumb, and watched as a dark drop of blood hit the center of the glass.
And so, they waited.
Five seconds passed. Ten. The orb remained as still as clear and stagnant.
A single snicker broke the silence. Then another. Within seconds, the entire hall erupted into boisterous, mocking laughter.
"Ahahaha! A dud! There’s no reaction!"
"I knew it! Just look at him! A show-off noble trying to act tough! Mana coating my ass! He probably hides behind that maid whenever a sli shows up!"
Isabel was shaking now, not with fear, but with a quiet rage. She looked ready to scream at them, but Kurt stayed perfectly still with his eye fixed on the orb.
Then, sothing strange happened.
In Kurt’s perspective, the sound of the laughter began to pitch downward. It slowed and warped until it beca a low, distorted groan. He looked to his left and saw a man mid-laugh with his mouth frozen open. He looked to the tavern and saw a stream of ale suspended in mid-air, frozen like a golden amber sculpture.
The entire world had stopped.
’This is what happens when my Adaptation skill senses, I’m in life-threatening danger but... there’s nothing. No tingle. No danger. What’s going on?’
Kurt frowned, looking at the orb. It was pulsing a barely visible light and he felt a strange, cold void emanating from it.
’This is too strange. I should talk to Diana about this later.’
The pulse in the orb faded and just as suddenly as it had started, the world snapped back into motion. The laughter returned at full volu, and the ale splashed into the mug.
He looked at the receptionist, who was looking at the orb with a confused frown. "So, did it... finish?" Kurt asked.
She stuttered, looking a bit dazed. "I... I believe so. It seems there is no elental reaction. I’m sorry, sir."
"h. Don’t sweat it. Thanks anyway. Co on, Isabel. Let’s go look at the board."
Isabel followed him with her head down in sha. "I’m so sorry, Master Rossana. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t opened my mouth, they wouldn’t be mocking you..."
"Seriously, don’t feel bad, Isabel. I don’t bla you. And besides, I’m not here for their approval."
As they neared the request board, the eight-foot giant blocked his path for the second ti.
The giant scoffed, the sound full of disappointnt. He stepped aside, moving toward the exit. "You’re not worth the trouble, kid," he rumbled. "Do yourself a favor and quit being an adventurer before you get yourself killed. You’re a hack."
Kurt watched him leave with an unreadable face. Slowly, the adventurers returned to their business, though many still shot mocking glances his way.
When they reached the massive corkboard, Isabel pointed toward the bottom-left corner. "These are the F-rank requests, Master Rossana."
He then scanned the papers.
[Find a lost cat]...
[Clean the sewers]...
[Deliver herbs to the apothecary]...
"What the? These are all dumb assignnts," he muttered. "Anyone could do these."
"It’s part of the system," Isabel explained patiently. "You must complete ten successful F-rank requests to rank up to E. The higher your rank, the more dangerous and high paying the requests beco."
Kurt sighed, reaching for a request about gathering sli jelly, when the heavy front doors of the guild creaked open.
The room went silent once more. But this wasn’t a silence of mockery. This was a silence of reverence and fear.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
The sound of wooden sandals clopped against the floor, moving with a lethal grace toward the request board. Kurt was too focused on the ridiculous requests to look back at who it was.
"Rossana-sama."
Kurt paused. He knew that voice. He then slowly turned around.
"Izumi-san?"
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