We made our way towards the main townhouse which was located in the middle of the city. Although, I have a few stops that I should consider. Firstly, a bank to change my coins and then probably a blacksmith or merchant that sells weapons and armours.
I felt bad for having Lily literally paying for everything so far. I'll buy her a bow or something to make up for it. And a meal. Speak of the devil, a blacksmith store ahead with a anvil-shaped sign 'Holly Begonia' at the entrance. That name for a blacksmith shop is awfully sus, but hey, when you are in dire need of weapons and armours, any blacksmith will do.
"Hey, let's head in there. I need to buy some a weapon and armour first," I said.
"Ohh, a workshop! I was looking for it too. Need to get a new bow or something before I join a guild," Lily said while scratching her head feeling flustered.
"What about you John? Got anything to buy before taking the guild test?" I asked.
"Hmm? Nah. This short sword is all I need," John smiled and flexed his arm.
Is it really though? Or is he too overconfident with his strength? Or perhaps he is just broke.
We headed in. *Ding. Door bell above the frame. Smart. Now, what do we have? Hold on, wait a minute, is that.. a dwarf? Huh? I'm certain there is no such species in this world. No, I did not lie to you in my prologue. He is not a dwarf. Just a short stouty human with some beard which I mistook for a dwarf.
"C'mon in lads, what can I do fer ya?" asked the blacksmith. Is he roleplaying or something?
"A blade and maybe some armour. And a bow for my friend," I said to him.
"A blade eh? Hmm.. a short sword would suit ya more to be honest. Those skinny arms of yers looked like yer can barely even lift a one-handed sword properly. And maybe a leather cloak fer ya. Metal armour won't suit yer small frame," he said while looking at me.
What is with people judging on my size? Damn it! I'm going to get bulky and muscular. Just you wait!
"Ah, an elf eh? I have just the bow fer ya. Here ya go, a shortbow fer yer long-eared friend," said the blacksmith.
A shortbow? I was expecting to give her a better bow for what she did for us so far. Lily held the bow and began testing the string's strength. She seems satisfied with it as she smiled after testing it. I was not.
"Hey smithy, I would prefer if you can give us something better if you don't mind?" I whispered to the blacksmith.
"Well, I do have sumthing better hidden in the back, but do ya have enuff money in da first place?" he questioned me.
"Will this suffice?" I said while showing three gold coins to him. His eyes glimmered at the sight of it and he started laughing.
"Ho ho! Why didn't ya say so earlier?! Let me bring out some good stuffs fer ya. Hold up a min," said the blacksmith while he head to the back of his office.
We all waited for the blacksmith to return. John was looking around and lifted a metal armour. He seems interested in it but when I asked him, he told me the guild he plans to join don't favour wearing metal armour too much. Guild that doesn't favour armour? Must be the Viking's Guild then. I then tried to lift the armour but what the.. This weights at least perhaps twenty kilograms or something. How did John lifted it with no effort at all? Am I really that weak in this world?
I gestured Lily to come over and asked her to try and lift the armour. She was able to lift the armour but with difficulties as well. Alright phew, I am fine. I am Fine~.. but Lily is a girl. Men is supposed to be stronger. I feel so sad right now.
The blacksmith returned with quite some items in his hands and arms. Alright, now we're talking. What do we have here? Now that is a good looking bow. Sadly, it is not coated in gold or silver. But you can see the beautiful wood finish, design and even the string looks like it can pack a punch. What else? Some cloaks, daggers and short sword that I can see.
I passed the bow to Lily for her to try it out. She hesitated and shook her head as she knew it is expensive as it looked like it. I shoved the bow at her and proceeded to check for a cloak and maybe a short sword for me.
Hmm, leather cloak, another leather cloak, why is this all leather cloak? I'm sure I can wear something better and heavier than leather, isn't it?
"Hey smithy, these are all leather cloaks. Got anything more protective that I can wear?" I asked the blacksmith.
He put on a thinking face and gave some thought. A light bulb appeared above his head and he went behind to grab something again. I continued to browse what he brought out earlier. Oh hey, that is a nice looking dagger. Looks almost elvish in nature.
"Hey Lily, come look at this," I gestured to Lily.
"What is it? Wh.. what is this doing here? Elven weaponry is not supposed to be on sale. Not to mention in a human's shop!" Lily was surprised and somehow felt angry after I showed her the dagger.
"Hey hey.. some elf sold it ta me a few years ago. He said something about needing money ta go somewhere. I took pity on da fella and decided ta buy it. Yer can't hate me for helping an elf in need, can ya?" said the blacksmith that came back while holding a black cloak. He then handed it to me.
"How is it? Suits ya nicely ain't it?" he said while looking at my reaction.
I checked the cloak. It has silk texture but it got some weight to it. Not too heavy but not too light either. I pressed onto the silk. Woah, there are chains woven together hidden underneath the silk. Is this some chainmail disguised as a cloak?
"Chains hidden beneath the silk. Interesting. What's the story behind this cloak?" I asked. I highly doubt this blacksmith made it himself.
"Dis here is ma masterpiece. Individual carbon steel chains woven together tightly and wrapped with one of the best silks found in the city. This sucka can easily stop a stab or slice from a sword. Will still hurt you though but at least ya won't be bleeding. And probably won't be effective in blocking from a two-handed sword, so ya still need ta be careful," he explained.
Ok, guess I was wrong, but I'm certainly liking what I'm hearing so far.
"What about this elven dagger? Is it for up sale?" I asked the blacksmith while ignoring Lily for now. I am really liking this dagger.
"It is. Dat's why I brought it out since ya looked like ya can afford it. Won't be cheap though," he said.
I unsheathed the dagger. Should I really call it a dagger? It's longer than a knife, almost the length of a short sword. Beautiful design with yellow hilt and scabbard. It is really light too. Well, not as light as Inazuma for sure but I can see myself using this dagger. Would love this to be my secondary weapon.
"You really plan on buying that?" Lily came up behind me and asked. I looked at her while holding the dagger.
"Is it alright? I won't buy if you're uncomfortable with it or goes against your culture," I told her.
But I really want this dagger is what I thought. I showed her a sad face which kind of worked in my favour.
"Fine, you can buy it. At least it is better in your hands than it being in a human's workshop.
You have my permission," said Lily. Alright, she caved.
"How much for all these, mister?" I asked.
"Hmm, let's see, the bow, cloak and dagger.. two gold and twenty silver coins. I gave ya my best discounts seeing as ya bought so many items so far," he said.
"Equip my other friend with a weapon to make it three gold coins. I'm in a spending mood right now," I told the smithy.
He seems delighted to hear that and proceeded to walk to John who has been going around the shop looking at weapons.
"Wait, hold up, you're paying for my bow? I never agreed to that Zen. I'm paying for it," Lily whispered to me.
"Nonsense, you paid for everything so far. It is only fair that I at least pay for your bow. This is the least I can repay you. Think nothing of it," I said to Lily.
"What do you mean nothing? This composite bow costs a lot! It would cost at least ten silver coins in the bare minimum. I am not letting you pay for this Zen," said Lily. She can be stubborn at times.
Hmm, what to do. I let my instinct took over and placed my index finger on her lips. She was taken aback and started blushing a little.
"Lily, let me at least get you something as thanks for what you did for me. Consider this a gift for all you have done and for letting me purchase the dagger, alright?" I lifted away my finger after that. She turned her head to the side immediately. Her ears are turning red.
"Heya kid, top-up dis here axe fer ta red-haired kid and dis short sword fer ta lovely lady ta make it even." the smithy came at the right time.
"You got yourself a deal mister!" I replied immediately. Lily was shocked and surprised by the sudden short sword that was purchased for her.
The blacksmith brought the axe to the counter which made me looked twice.
"Umm, John? You sure you can wield this axe? It looks kind of big to me," I looked at John after asking him.
It is an adult sized double-headed axe. It would very awkward to see a kid holding an adult axe swinging around during battle.
"What do you mean? I can even wield it one-handed, see?" John lifted the axe. What the? Is this guy superman or something?
"Hoo.. yer family bloodline iz strength-based I see? You should join da Viking Guild then! They value strength over anything else there!" the blacksmith laughed.
"Yeah that was what I had in mind! You think I'll succeed in joining the Viking Guild?" John excitedly started talking to the blacksmith.
They both seems to start chatting more about the test, requirements to join the guild, and other things.
"Yer'll be fine! Just show off yer strength to em and they'll be begging ya to join the guild in no time! Hahaha!" said the blacksmith.
While John and the blacksmith continued to chat, Lily nudged me from behind. Seems like she want me to follow her? But where? We went behind one of the shelfs that was for displaying armours. What is going on? Ouch. Did she just hit my head?
***
Lily's Perspective
This guy. I'm already trying so hard to get over him yet here he is making my heart flutter. He even placed his finger on my lips earlier. What was he thinking?! Is he trying to give me a heart-attack or something? Geez!
Not to mention he even bought me a composite bow and now a short sword? A composite bow by itself is already expensive and he just paid for it. Flaunting around his wealth is he?
John and the human blacksmith seems to be chatting away. Now is my chance to talk with Zen. I need to give him a piece of my mind. Alright, we seems to be hidden in-sight from those two.
Damn it! Why did you tilt your head to the side?! You look way too cute now! Argh, let me give him a light punch to the head. He seems confused by it. Good. That is for toying with a lady's heart.
Shoot, now I need an excuse for dragging him here. Umm.. umm... oh right. We have that.
"There is a custom which we elves need to do before giving a weapon to another person. Before you can use the dagger, we need to begin the weapon transfer process. If we skip this, you won't be able to use the dagger to it's full potential. The weapon need to know that it belongs to a new master. Now close your eyes," I said to him.
Can I even do this properly? My heart is still fluttering like crazy now.
***
Zen's perspective
Alright, I closed my eyes. What's going to happen now? Huh? Did she just grabbed my hand? And my other hand too? What is going on??
I opened my eyes to peek a little. Her face is right in front of me! Our foreheads are touching each other now with the dagger held in between us. She started chanting something. Elven language maybe? Woah.. the dagger is shining! I better close my eyes now.
Some moments later, it seems like the process is done. She pulled back her head and hands right after it was done and turned her back to me. I guess this means it is done right? Now that was something. My heart is still skipping a beat even now. I thought she was going to kiss me when she moved in so close. What was I thinking.
John is still talking to the blacksmith. They really hit it off alright.
"Shall we go? We still got to visit the townhouse," I spoke to John who seems to have forgotten about it. He gasped and started running out of the shop while holding his new axe and waving to the blacksmith. We all waved before heading back out too. Farewell you dwarf looking human.
"Thanks for the axe, Zen. I'll repay both of you someday. So, shall we head straight to the townhouse?" asked John. His eyes was sparkling now. Seems like the blacksmith buttered him up nicely.
"Sure. Hopefully there is a bank on the way for me change my coins," I said.
"Um, Zen? The bank is right there," Lily said.
Huh? It's just nearby the blacksmith shop. Probably expecting people to withdraw their money in the event they do not have enough to purchase weapons or armours. Sneaky.
I decided to change four of my gold coins into silver and copper coins. I still have four gold coins leftover. Not to mention grandfather left me some extra coins at home that I can use later. Am I not afraid that people will steal it? Nah. In the first place, it is called forbidden forest for a reason. Second, it is hidden somewhere that you not expect it to be. Is it in the ceiling? Nope. Under the floorboards? Nope. It is hidden under a tree outside where we covered the hole leaving no evidence behind.
Alright, coins changed. Let's proceed to the townhouse. Enough distractions. Time to choose a guild for real.
Walking by, I noticed there were no stores that was opened along the street sides. Odd. You would think that people will be selling goods in the open. Is there some event or festival that stopped them from opening today?
We reached the townhouse in the evening. Glad that it is still open. It looked almost like a church from the outside. Maybe it is to show people that little kids are getting blessed with their knowledge to become better adults.
As we headed in, we were greeted by a receptionist who were waving at us. I looked around while John and Lily headed towards the receptionist. There is quite a number of kids similar to our age that was asking other receptionists. Guess this receptionist happened to be free which was why she was willing to call out to us.
"Well hello there, are you all applying to join a guild? Now let me clarify first. You can try to join any guild you like, but that does not mean the guild will accept you in. Our job here is to narrow your selection so as to improve your chances in getting selected with a particular guild. Are we clear on that?" the receptionist told us. We all nodded our heads in unison.
"Alright, before I begin, each of you take this scroll and blow on it. Go on, don't be shy. Everyone that comes here does this to check their stats," explained the receptionist.
Knowing our stats by blowing onto this scroll? Really?
WOO HOO!! I turned my head towards whoever shouted. It was John. He seems to be jumping for joy and showed his scroller to the receptionist with sparkling eyes.
"I can join the Viking Guild with this, right? RIGHT?" said John with eager anticipation.
The receptionist was taken aback and smiled awkwardly. She gestured John to wait for us before she explained further. So, me and Lily blew on ours.
Huh. Not bad I guess? My stats is not too shabby. I peeked at Lily's scroll. What the? Her stats are even better than mine! Let me breakdown what our stats are.
Zen
Strength - 15
Skill - 10
Agility - 20
Constitution - 10
Lily
Strength - 13
Skill - 20
Agility - 15
Constitution - 15
I hid my scroll under my cloak quickly. I looked at Lily and she was chuckling. She definitely saw mine. Geez, what is the point on doing all those vigorous training with grandfather when my stats are still so weak. Sigh.
I handed my scroll to the receptionist where she studied all three of our scrolls. Then she began her explanation about what those stats mean. I'll summarise it for all of you. Strength is the most important stats you need. It determines your attack power. Skill are sort of useful but the adventurers here rarely utilises skill stats in combat. Not unless you join the Elemental Guild. Agility determines your speed while constitution is sort of like your health and resistance towards the types of damage. I guess this would mean I'll die before Lily then. Farewell good world.
Next, she explained about the five guilds that are located here. There is the Dark, Light, Dragon, Viking and Elemental guild. Everyone will start out as a warrior no matter which guild you join. Then the breakdown 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 to explain on what each guild specialises in. Dark Guild focuses in instilling fear and de-buff enemies with their spells. Light Guild on the other hand is to buff your allies and yourself. Dragon Guild focuses on range with their spears or halberds combined with their athletic abilities. Viking Guild favours their strength and uses axes most of the time. Elemental Guild is more of a specialty guild that focuses on elemental damage such as fire or electric. Hence the reason why not many people are qualified to join this particular guild is due to those spells being controversial. Based on this, she returned our scrolls to us with a stamp at the bottom signifying what guild suits our stats more.
Zen > Dark or Light Guild
Lily > Elemental Guild
John > Viking Guild
I quickly peeked at John's scroll to see what his stats are. Oh my lord, his stats really favours strength heavily. No wonder he is fit to join the Viking Guild.
Strength - 30
Skill - 5
Agility - 5
Constitution - 20
"So, are you satisfied with our explanation?" asked the receptionist.
"I'm.. fit to join the Elemental Guild? What are my chances of succeeding in joining? I thought it was a specialised guild?" asked Lily. I too was surprised that she was recommended to join the Elemental Guild.
"Your skill stats are certainly high enough to join the Elemental Guild. Elves are skilled in general since they practice using bow, throwing spears and daggers most of the time. All three requires some level of skill to use hence the reason why your skill stats are so high. However, you will need to be discipline in using your spells. Many houses was destroyed in the past due to some members playing with their fire spells. Which is why the guild imposed a strict requirement in order to enter," she explained to Lily.
She seems to be contemplating on whether it is a good idea to join.
"So, I have an option to join which I want? Do I need to make a decision now?" I asked the receptionist.
"You can decide whichever you want later. Just head to the guild that you chose and pass them the scroll. They will check your stats and our recommendation stamp," she smiled after explaining.
Guess what Rick said was true. I am more suitable with these two guilds.
We gave our thanks and said farewell to the receptionist lady. Lily was being quiet on the way out. She must still be contemplating on whether she should join the Elemental Guild. I don't see what is wrong about it.
"You alright, Lily? You're awfully quiet," I asked her.
"Yeah, you don't seemed to be interested in joining the Elemental Guild I take it?" John asked her too.
She kept quiet. Is she crying?
"If.... if we joined our respective guilds.. we won't be seeing each other much, won't we? I don't want us to be separated when we just met each other," Lily said while sniffing. She is crying.
"W.. We can still meet up every once in a while. The 'Sleeping Daisies' will always be there. We'll meet there for our meals and talk about our adventures. Won't we John?" I poked John with my arm.
"Oh definitely! This is not goodbye at all Lily, we will still be meeting each other often. Then we will have plenty of stories to tell each other. Don't you worry at all, our friendship will always stay strong!" John said and patted Lily's head.
She slapped his hand away after a few pats.
"Hmph! I'll be stronger than both of you the next time we meet. Then I'll tell you all about my grand adventures," she said while folding her arms.
There was a bit of tears in her face but she at least she is smiling now. Great. I don't know how to comfort a women who is crying. Lily is literally the first female I interacted in my life.
"You're on!" shouted John.
Lily held out her pinkie. Both John and me responded the same. All three of us made a promise that we will forever be friends and meet up often. Sadly, the latter did not come true.
We head back to the tavern as it was night time now. Another night of lounging and eating in the 'Sleeping Daisies' then. Rick was there as he said he would. I told him that I'll be joining the Dark Guild tomorrow. He seems to be eager to see me in action for the test.
Our meals arrived and the three of us sat at a table together. We shared a drink together to signify our friendship then headed to our respective room (I paid this time).
Before heading straight to bed, I decided to do a bit of meditation. Grandfather always taught me that having a clear mind before bed helps with sleep which will make you more effective in combat.
"Finally decided to clear your mind I see," said a figure. Huh? Who is this? Or more like, why is everything white? Did I fall asleep?
"I can see you are confused. After all, this is our first time meeting each other," said the figure. Oh, it's the horse I saw the other night. Wait, is it a horse? It has a horn.
"Are you... a unicorn?" I asked curiously.
"H... how dare you! I am a Kirin! Not some Western mythical being that shoots rainbow from the rear," scolded the Kirin. His voice rumbled this entire world I am in now. I immediately sat on the floor seiza style.
"I am sorry, please forgive me," I apologized and bowed my head to this Kirin.
"More importantly, you lost control boy! You let your bloodlust took over your mind!" Gah, this horse is scolding me right in front of my face! Stop shaking the world any further!
"B.. bloodlust? Is that what everyone was talking about?" I asked.
"Hmph. You are still too young to use your state of mind effectively in combat. You need more experience before you can start using it. But you should not be using bloodlust if you wish to wield me. I favour calm mind over the destructive path. You must control your emotions from now on. Do not forget this," he explained to me. Is it me or is this Kirin kind of a Tsundere?
"Wield you? You are inside Inazuma? You, who is a mythical being is inside my kodachi now?" I asked with genuine curiosity. I thought it was just a plain kodachi.
"I am Inazuma. What you are wielding is a legendary weapon. I came to this world to see what this world has to offer. I decided to become a weapon to find out whether there is any being worthy of wielding me. Your father was the first and he wielded me effectively. He was a genius. Capable of achieving much greatness before he fell in the hands of the Demon King." said Kirin. I felt a hint of sadness in his voice towards the end. Is he sad that my father is dead?
"Can you tell me more about my father? I barely knew him. He was a Hawthorn right?" I asked. Seems like Kirin can offer me some answers to my parents.
"I wish I can tell you more but time is short. Your basic meditation only gives you a limited time in talking to me. You need to improve more in controlling your mind if you wish to speak more with me," said Kirin as he started to fade away.
"Hey wait! I'm not done yet........," I shouted but everything was starting to fade away.
I woke up. I glanced at Inazuma and decided to poke it. Will it zap me? Guess not.
Dawn is close now. No point in going back to sleep now. I should do some basic exercise, sword training and take a shower after. I decided to use the elven dagger for my training since Inazuma weigh close to nothing. I swung the dagger. Not bad at all. This will work in my favour.
After I was done with my training and a quick shower, I knocked on John and Lily's room telling them to meet me downstairs for breakfast. After that, we will be going our separate ways to our respective guilds to take our test. We gave our last "kanpai" with our drinks and headed out. Lily bowed to both of us which resulted in all of us bowing to each other.
Alright. Time to head out. To the Dark Guild for the test. I'll put on hold in going to the Elemental Guild to request for an audience with the Elementalist. Doubt he will even bother seeing me right now since I have no name for myself. Got to gain a little fame for myself first.
It wasn't long until I reached the guild. It is a huge building with dark colour that can fit thousands of people. Definitely Dark Guild alright with that colour scheme. Hopefully, I will have a room of my own *fingers crossed.
I headed in. There was a receptionist waiting to greet anyone who comes in. I greeted her and handed her my scroll as per the townhouse's receptionist advice. She opened and read my scroll.
"Are you sure you want to join the Dark Guild instead of the Light Guild? You have an option here," she asked me while smiling.
"Yes, I am sure. Please let me join your Guild," I bowed to the receptionist. She continued smiling at me.
"With your word, I will process your candidacy. Please wait here while I submit your application and inform the Guildmaster," she gestured me to sit down. Alright, guess there is paperwork to be done before my test.
After some waiting, she came back and asked me to follow her. We passed through an area that looks like a cafeteria or some sort. Guess there is a kitchen here for members to eat. As we headed further in, we came to a stop in a small open arena. I guess this is where I'll be fighting the other rookies.
"Do you wish to change your clothing before you begin your test? Your cloak is not allowed but your dougi is fine," she informed me.
"What about my weapons? Can I use them?," I asked her.
"You'll be using a wooden sword. But if possible, try to avoid hitting your opponent too badly. The Dark Lord favours those who can control their strength over beating their opponents excessively," she explained to me.
"Alright, I'll put my weapons at the side here then? I'll remove my cloak too," I told her.
"Oh, just pass them to me. I'll hold onto them until you are done with the test," she said. Hence, I passed her my cloak and weapons.
I headed into the arena where Rick greeted me on the way.
"Yo, give it your best. I'll be watching you," Rick said while tapping my shoulder. That is some minor encouragement there.
I continued heading into the open arena. It is not grand per-se. I can see that it is used for training purposes or for this initiation test. Not a lot of people watching so I am glad. But what stood out the most is the glare coming from someone sitting above. That must be the Dark Lord. He lives up to his name alright. Black armour, check. Dark glare, check. Evil aura, triple check.
I stood alone in the arena. A moment later, someone came out wearing training clothes and holding two wooden swords. He then proceeded to toss one to me which I grabbed skilfully of course. Not a moment later I heard the word "Begin".
***
Rick's perspective
I'm glad Zen decided to joined us. I can see that he has potential to be strong. I've even spoken to the Dark Lord earlier about a special kid that will be joining us soon. Hope my expectation doesn't fail me though. Otherwise I'll be in trouble for sure. The Dark Lord will be giving me terrible jobs for the next few months if Zen ended up failing the test!
Oh, he's here. Hoped I look cool in giving him some encouragement by tapping his shoulder. That should persuade him to fight harder. Oh, this guy will be fighting him eh? Heard he is the strongest of the rookies this year. He is at Swordsman rank that is ready to be Fighter rank soon. I wonder how Zen will fare with him? Ain't no shame in losing though. The Dark Lord looks at many aspect rather than just winning or losing.
Huh? What just happened? The strongest rookie is on the ground now? When did Zen even hit him? A referee went to check on the rookie. He's out cold. Woah, that is.. amazing. I'm a Shadow Knight and can barely see what he did.
"Next" said the Dark Lord. Seems like he wants to test Zen even further. Wait a minute, this guy is at Fighter rank! Is the Dark Lord seriously asking a Fighter rank to spar with a newbie? For real? Next thing you know..
Pap!
The fighter class fell to the ground. What is going on? Did Zen just beat him up with a strike?
Seems like the Dark Lord is contemplating on what to do next. Surely the Dark Lord is not stupid enough to.. "Rick, how about you head in?"
We made our way towards the main townhouse which was located in the middle of the city. Although, I have a few stops that I should consider. Firstly, a bank to change my coins and then probably a blacksmith or merchant that sells weapons and armours.
I felt bad for having Lily literally paying for everything so far. I'll buy her a bow or something to make up for it. And a meal. Speak of the devil, a blacksmith store ahead with a anvil-shaped sign 'Holly Begonia' at the entrance. That name for a blacksmith shop is awfully sus, but hey, when you are in dire need of weapons and armours, any blacksmith will do.
"Hey, let's head in there. I need to buy some a weapon and armour first," I said.
"Ohh, a workshop! I was looking for it too. Need to get a new bow or something before I join a guild," Lily said while scratching her head feeling flustered.
"What about you John? Got anything to buy before taking the guild test?" I asked.
"Hmm? Nah. This short sword is all I need," John smiled and flexed his arm.
Is it really though? Or is he too overconfident with his strength? Or perhaps he is just broke.
We headed in. *Ding. Door bell above the frame. Smart. Now, what do we have? Hold on, wait a minute, is that.. a dwarf? Huh? I'm certain there is no such species in this world. No, I did not lie to you in my prologue. He is not a dwarf. Just a short stouty human with some beard which I mistook for a dwarf.
"C'mon in lads, what can I do fer ya?" asked the blacksmith. Is he roleplaying or something?
"A blade and maybe some armour. And a bow for my friend," I said to him.
"A blade eh? Hmm.. a short sword would suit ya more to be honest. Those skinny arms of yers looked like yer can barely even lift a one-handed sword properly. And maybe a leather cloak fer ya. Metal armour won't suit yer small frame," he said while looking at me.
What is with people judging on my size? Damn it! I'm going to get bulky and muscular. Just you wait!
"Ah, an elf eh? I have just the bow fer ya. Here ya go, a shortbow fer yer long-eared friend," said the blacksmith.
A shortbow? I was expecting to give her a better bow for what she did for us so far. Lily held the bow and began testing the string's strength. She seems satisfied with it as she smiled after testing it. I was not.
"Hey smithy, I would prefer if you can give us something better if you don't mind?" I whispered to the blacksmith.
"Well, I do have sumthing better hidden in the back, but do ya have enuff money in da first place?" he questioned me.
"Will this suffice?" I said while showing three gold coins to him. His eyes glimmered at the sight of it and he started laughing.
"Ho ho! Why didn't ya say so earlier?! Let me bring out some good stuffs fer ya. Hold up a min," said the blacksmith while he head to the back of his office.
We all waited for the blacksmith to return. John was looking around and lifted a metal armour. He seems interested in it but when I asked him, he told me the guild he plans to join don't favour wearing metal armour too much. Guild that doesn't favour armour? Must be the Viking's Guild then. I then tried to lift the armour but what the.. This weights at least perhaps twenty kilograms or something. How did John lifted it with no effort at all? Am I really that weak in this world?
I gestured Lily to come over and asked her to try and lift the armour. She was able to lift the armour but with difficulties as well. Alright phew, I am fine. I am Fine~.. but Lily is a girl. Men is supposed to be stronger. I feel so sad right now.
The blacksmith returned with quite some items in his hands and arms. Alright, now we're talking. What do we have here? Now that is a good looking bow. Sadly, it is not coated in gold or silver. But you can see the beautiful wood finish, design and even the string looks like it can pack a punch. What else? Some cloaks, daggers and short sword that I can see.
I passed the bow to Lily for her to try it out. She hesitated and shook her head as she knew it is expensive as it looked like it. I shoved the bow at her and proceeded to check for a cloak and maybe a short sword for me.
Hmm, leather cloak, another leather cloak, why is this all leather cloak? I'm sure I can wear something better and heavier than leather, isn't it?
"Hey smithy, these are all leather cloaks. Got anything more protective that I can wear?" I asked the blacksmith.
He put on a thinking face and gave some thought. A light bulb appeared above his head and he went behind to grab something again. I continued to browse what he brought out earlier. Oh hey, that is a nice looking dagger. Looks almost elvish in nature.
"Hey Lily, come look at this," I gestured to Lily.
"What is it? Wh.. what is this doing here? Elven weaponry is not supposed to be on sale. Not to mention in a human's shop!" Lily was surprised and somehow felt angry after I showed her the dagger.
"Hey hey.. some elf sold it ta me a few years ago. He said something about needing money ta go somewhere. I took pity on da fella and decided ta buy it. Yer can't hate me for helping an elf in need, can ya?" said the blacksmith that came back while holding a black cloak. He then handed it to me.
"How is it? Suits ya nicely ain't it?" he said while looking at my reaction.
I checked the cloak. It has silk texture but it got some weight to it. Not too heavy but not too light either. I pressed onto the silk. Woah, there are chains woven together hidden underneath the silk. Is this some chainmail disguised as a cloak?
"Chains hidden beneath the silk. Interesting. What's the story behind this cloak?" I asked. I highly doubt this blacksmith made it himself.
"Dis here is ma masterpiece. Individual carbon steel chains woven together tightly and wrapped with one of the best silks found in the city. This sucka can easily stop a stab or slice from a sword. Will still hurt you though but at least ya won't be bleeding. And probably won't be effective in blocking from a two-handed sword, so ya still need ta be careful," he explained.
Ok, guess I was wrong, but I'm certainly liking what I'm hearing so far.
"What about this elven dagger? Is it for up sale?" I asked the blacksmith while ignoring Lily for now. I am really liking this dagger.
"It is. Dat's why I brought it out since ya looked like ya can afford it. Won't be cheap though," he said.
I unsheathed the dagger. Should I really call it a dagger? It's longer than a knife, almost the length of a short sword. Beautiful design with yellow hilt and scabbard. It is really light too. Well, not as light as Inazuma for sure but I can see myself using this dagger. Would love this to be my secondary weapon.
"You really plan on buying that?" Lily came up behind me and asked. I looked at her while holding the dagger.
"Is it alright? I won't buy if you're uncomfortable with it or goes against your culture," I told her.
But I really want this dagger is what I thought. I showed her a sad face which kind of worked in my favour.
"Fine, you can buy it. At least it is better in your hands than it being in a human's workshop.
You have my permission," said Lily. Alright, she caved.
"How much for all these, mister?" I asked.
"Hmm, let's see, the bow, cloak and dagger.. two gold and twenty silver coins. I gave ya my best discounts seeing as ya bought so many items so far," he said.
"Equip my other friend with a weapon to make it three gold coins. I'm in a spending mood right now," I told the smithy.
He seems delighted to hear that and proceeded to walk to John who has been going around the shop looking at weapons.
"Wait, hold up, you're paying for my bow? I never agreed to that Zen. I'm paying for it," Lily whispered to me.
"Nonsense, you paid for everything so far. It is only fair that I at least pay for your bow. This is the least I can repay you. Think nothing of it," I said to Lily.
"What do you mean nothing? This composite bow costs a lot! It would cost at least ten silver coins in the bare minimum. I am not letting you pay for this Zen," said Lily. She can be stubborn at times.
Hmm, what to do. I let my instinct took over and placed my index finger on her lips. She was taken aback and started blushing a little.
"Lily, let me at least get you something as thanks for what you did for me. Consider this a gift for all you have done and for letting me purchase the dagger, alright?" I lifted away my finger after that. She turned her head to the side immediately. Her ears are turning red.
"Heya kid, top-up dis here axe fer ta red-haired kid and dis short sword fer ta lovely lady ta make it even." the smithy came at the right time.
"You got yourself a deal mister!" I replied immediately. Lily was shocked and surprised by the sudden short sword that was purchased for her.
The blacksmith brought the axe to the counter which made me looked twice.
"Umm, John? You sure you can wield this axe? It looks kind of big to me," I looked at John after asking him.
It is an adult sized double-headed axe. It would very awkward to see a kid holding an adult axe swinging around during battle.
"What do you mean? I can even wield it one-handed, see?" John lifted the axe. What the? Is this guy superman or something?
"Hoo.. yer family bloodline iz strength-based I see? You should join da Viking Guild then! They value strength over anything else there!" the blacksmith laughed.
"Yeah that was what I had in mind! You think I'll succeed in joining the Viking Guild?" John excitedly started talking to the blacksmith.
They both seems to start chatting more about the test, requirements to join the guild, and other things.
"Yer'll be fine! Just show off yer strength to em and they'll be begging ya to join the guild in no time! Hahaha!" said the blacksmith.
While John and the blacksmith continued to chat, Lily nudged me from behind. Seems like she want me to follow her? But where? We went behind one of the shelfs that was for displaying armours. What is going on? Ouch. Did she just hit my head?
***
Lily's Perspective
This guy. I'm already trying so hard to get over him yet here he is making my heart flutter. He even placed his finger on my lips earlier. What was he thinking?! Is he trying to give me a heart-attack or something? Geez!
Not to mention he even bought me a composite bow and now a short sword? A composite bow by itself is already expensive and he just paid for it. Flaunting around his wealth is he?
John and the human blacksmith seems to be chatting away. Now is my chance to talk with Zen. I need to give him a piece of my mind. Alright, we seems to be hidden in-sight from those two.
Damn it! Why did you tilt your head to the side?! You look way too cute now! Argh, let me give him a light punch to the head. He seems confused by it. Good. That is for toying with a lady's heart.
Shoot, now I need an excuse for dragging him here. Umm.. umm... oh right. We have that.
"There is a custom which we elves need to do before giving a weapon to another person. Before you can use the dagger, we need to begin the weapon transfer process. If we skip this, you won't be able to use the dagger to it's full potential. The weapon need to know that it belongs to a new master. Now close your eyes," I said to him.
Can I even do this properly? My heart is still fluttering like crazy now.
***
Zen's perspective
Alright, I closed my eyes. What's going to happen now? Huh? Did she just grabbed my hand? And my other hand too? What is going on??
I opened my eyes to peek a little. Her face is right in front of me! Our foreheads are touching each other now with the dagger held in between us. She started chanting something. Elven language maybe? Woah.. the dagger is shining! I better close my eyes now.
Some moments later, it seems like the process is done. She pulled back her head and hands right after it was done and turned her back to me. I guess this means it is done right? Now that was something. My heart is still skipping a beat even now. I thought she was going to kiss me when she moved in so close. What was I thinking.
John is still talking to the blacksmith. They really hit it off alright.
"Shall we go? We still got to visit the townhouse," I spoke to John who seems to have forgotten about it. He gasped and started running out of the shop while holding his new axe and waving to the blacksmith. We all waved before heading back out too. Farewell you dwarf looking human.
"Thanks for the axe, Zen. I'll repay both of you someday. So, shall we head straight to the townhouse?" asked John. His eyes was sparkling now. Seems like the blacksmith buttered him up nicely.
"Sure. Hopefully there is a bank on the way for me change my coins," I said.
"Um, Zen? The bank is right there," Lily said.
Huh? It's just nearby the blacksmith shop. Probably expecting people to withdraw their money in the event they do not have enough to purchase weapons or armours. Sneaky.
I decided to change four of my gold coins into silver and copper coins. I still have four gold coins leftover. Not to mention grandfather left me some extra coins at home that I can use later. Am I not afraid that people will steal it? Nah. In the first place, it is called forbidden forest for a reason. Second, it is hidden somewhere that you not expect it to be. Is it in the ceiling? Nope. Under the floorboards? Nope. It is hidden under a tree outside where we covered the hole leaving no evidence behind.
Alright, coins changed. Let's proceed to the townhouse. Enough distractions. Time to choose a guild for real.
Walking by, I noticed there were no stores that was opened along the street sides. Odd. You would think that people will be selling goods in the open. Is there some event or festival that stopped them from opening today?
We reached the townhouse in the evening. Glad that it is still open. It looked almost like a church from the outside. Maybe it is to show people that little kids are getting blessed with their knowledge to become better adults.
As we headed in, we were greeted by a receptionist who were waving at us. I looked around while John and Lily headed towards the receptionist. There is quite a number of kids similar to our age that was asking other receptionists. Guess this receptionist happened to be free which was why she was willing to call out to us.
"Well hello there, are you all applying to join a guild? Now let me clarify first. You can try to join any guild you like, but that does not mean the guild will accept you in. Our job here is to narrow your selection so as to improve your chances in getting selected with a particular guild. Are we clear on that?" the receptionist told us. We all nodded our heads in unison.
"Alright, before I begin, each of you take this scroll and blow on it. Go on, don't be shy. Everyone that comes here does this to check their stats," explained the receptionist.
Knowing our stats by blowing onto this scroll? Really?
WOO HOO!! I turned my head towards whoever shouted. It was John. He seems to be jumping for joy and showed his scroller to the receptionist with sparkling eyes.
"I can join the Viking Guild with this, right? RIGHT?" said John with eager anticipation.
The receptionist was taken aback and smiled awkwardly. She gestured John to wait for us before she explained further. So, me and Lily blew on ours.
Huh. Not bad I guess? My stats is not too shabby. I peeked at Lily's scroll. What the? Her stats are even better than mine! Let me breakdown what our stats are.
Zen
Strength - 15
Skill - 10
Agility - 20
Constitution - 10
Lily
Strength - 13
Skill - 20
Agility - 15
Constitution - 15
I hid my scroll under my cloak quickly. I looked at Lily and she was chuckling. She definitely saw mine. Geez, what is the point on doing all those vigorous training with grandfather when my stats are still so weak. Sigh.
I handed my scroll to the receptionist where she studied all three of our scrolls. Then she began her explanation about what those stats mean. I'll summarise it for all of you. Strength is the most important stats you need. It determines your attack power. Skill are sort of useful but the adventurers here rarely utilises skill stats in combat. Not unless you join the Elemental Guild. Agility determines your speed while constitution is sort of like your health and resistance towards the types of damage. I guess this would mean I'll die before Lily then. Farewell good world.
Next, she explained about the five guilds that are located here. There is the Dark, Light, Dragon, Viking and Elemental guild. Everyone will start out as a warrior no matter which guild you join. Then the breakdown 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 to explain on what each guild specialises in. Dark Guild focuses in instilling fear and de-buff enemies with their spells. Light Guild on the other hand is to buff your allies and yourself. Dragon Guild focuses on range with their spears or halberds combined with their athletic abilities. Viking Guild favours their strength and uses axes most of the time. Elemental Guild is more of a specialty guild that focuses on elemental damage such as fire or electric. Hence the reason why not many people are qualified to join this particular guild is due to those spells being controversial. Based on this, she returned our scrolls to us with a stamp at the bottom signifying what guild suits our stats more.
Zen > Dark or Light Guild
Lily > Elemental Guild
John > Viking Guild
I quickly peeked at John's scroll to see what his stats are. Oh my lord, his stats really favours strength heavily. No wonder he is fit to join the Viking Guild.
Strength - 30
Skill - 5
Agility - 5
Constitution - 20
"So, are you satisfied with our explanation?" asked the receptionist.
"I'm.. fit to join the Elemental Guild? What are my chances of succeeding in joining? I thought it was a specialised guild?" asked Lily. I too was surprised that she was recommended to join the Elemental Guild.
"Your skill stats are certainly high enough to join the Elemental Guild. Elves are skilled in general since they practice using bow, throwing spears and daggers most of the time. All three requires some level of skill to use hence the reason why your skill stats are so high. However, you will need to be discipline in using your spells. Many houses was destroyed in the past due to some members playing with their fire spells. Which is why the guild imposed a strict requirement in order to enter," she explained to Lily.
She seems to be contemplating on whether it is a good idea to join.
"So, I have an option to join which I want? Do I need to make a decision now?" I asked the receptionist.
"You can decide whichever you want later. Just head to the guild that you chose and pass them the scroll. They will check your stats and our recommendation stamp," she smiled after explaining.
Guess what Rick said was true. I am more suitable with these two guilds.
We gave our thanks and said farewell to the receptionist lady. Lily was being quiet on the way out. She must still be contemplating on whether she should join the Elemental Guild. I don't see what is wrong about it.
"You alright, Lily? You're awfully quiet," I asked her.
"Yeah, you don't seemed to be interested in joining the Elemental Guild I take it?" John asked her too.
She kept quiet. Is she crying?
"If.... if we joined our respective guilds.. we won't be seeing each other much, won't we? I don't want us to be separated when we just met each other," Lily said while sniffing. She is crying.
"W.. We can still meet up every once in a while. The 'Sleeping Daisies' will always be there. We'll meet there for our meals and talk about our adventures. Won't we John?" I poked John with my arm.
"Oh definitely! This is not goodbye at all Lily, we will still be meeting each other often. Then we will have plenty of stories to tell each other. Don't you worry at all, our friendship will always stay strong!" John said and patted Lily's head.
She slapped his hand away after a few pats.
"Hmph! I'll be stronger than both of you the next time we meet. Then I'll tell you all about my grand adventures," she said while folding her arms.
There was a bit of tears in her face but she at least she is smiling now. Great. I don't know how to comfort a women who is crying. Lily is literally the first female I interacted in my life.
"You're on!" shouted John.
Lily held out her pinkie. Both John and me responded the same. All three of us made a promise that we will forever be friends and meet up often. Sadly, the latter did not come true.
We head back to the tavern as it was night time now. Another night of lounging and eating in the 'Sleeping Daisies' then. Rick was there as he said he would. I told him that I'll be joining the Dark Guild tomorrow. He seems to be eager to see me in action for the test.
Our meals arrived and the three of us sat at a table together. We shared a drink together to signify our friendship then headed to our respective room (I paid this time).
Before heading straight to bed, I decided to do a bit of meditation. Grandfather always taught me that having a clear mind before bed helps with sleep which will make you more effective in combat.
"Finally decided to clear your mind I see," said a figure. Huh? Who is this? Or more like, why is everything white? Did I fall asleep?
"I can see you are confused. After all, this is our first time meeting each other," said the figure. Oh, it's the horse I saw the other night. Wait, is it a horse? It has a horn.
"Are you... a unicorn?" I asked curiously.
"H... how dare you! I am a Kirin! Not some Western mythical being that shoots rainbow from the rear," scolded the Kirin. His voice rumbled this entire world I am in now. I immediately sat on the floor seiza style.
"I am sorry, please forgive me," I apologized and bowed my head to this Kirin.
"More importantly, you lost control boy! You let your bloodlust took over your mind!" Gah, this horse is scolding me right in front of my face! Stop shaking the world any further!
"B.. bloodlust? Is that what everyone was talking about?" I asked.
"Hmph. You are still too young to use your state of mind effectively in combat. You need more experience before you can start using it. But you should not be using bloodlust if you wish to wield me. I favour calm mind over the destructive path. You must control your emotions from now on. Do not forget this," he explained to me. Is it me or is this Kirin kind of a Tsundere?
"Wield you? You are inside Inazuma? You, who is a mythical being is inside my kodachi now?" I asked with genuine curiosity. I thought it was just a plain kodachi.
"I am Inazuma. What you are wielding is a legendary weapon. I came to this world to see what this world has to offer. I decided to become a weapon to find out whether there is any being worthy of wielding me. Your father was the first and he wielded me effectively. He was a genius. Capable of achieving much greatness before he fell in the hands of the Demon King." said Kirin. I felt a hint of sadness in his voice towards the end. Is he sad that my father is dead?
"Can you tell me more about my father? I barely knew him. He was a Hawthorn right?" I asked. Seems like Kirin can offer me some answers to my parents.
"I wish I can tell you more but time is short. Your basic meditation only gives you a limited time in talking to me. You need to improve more in controlling your mind if you wish to speak more with me," said Kirin as he started to fade away.
"Hey wait! I'm not done yet........," I shouted but everything was starting to fade away.
I woke up. I glanced at Inazuma and decided to poke it. Will it zap me? Guess not.
Dawn is close now. No point in going back to sleep now. I should do some basic exercise, sword training and take a shower after. I decided to use the elven dagger for my training since Inazuma weigh close to nothing. I swung the dagger. Not bad at all. This will work in my favour.
After I was done with my training and a quick shower, I knocked on John and Lily's room telling them to meet me downstairs for breakfast. After that, we will be going our separate ways to our respective guilds to take our test. We gave our last "kanpai" with our drinks and headed out. Lily bowed to both of us which resulted in all of us bowing to each other.
Alright. Time to head out. To the Dark Guild for the test. I'll put on hold in going to the Elemental Guild to request for an audience with the Elementalist. Doubt he will even bother seeing me right now since I have no name for myself. Got to gain a little fame for myself first.
It wasn't long until I reached the guild. It is a huge building with dark colour that can fit thousands of people. Definitely Dark Guild alright with that colour scheme. Hopefully, I will have a room of my own *fingers crossed.
I headed in. There was a receptionist waiting to greet anyone who comes in. I greeted her and handed her my scroll as per the townhouse's receptionist advice. She opened and read my scroll.
"Are you sure you want to join the Dark Guild instead of the Light Guild? You have an option here," she asked me while smiling.
"Yes, I am sure. Please let me join your Guild," I bowed to the receptionist. She continued smiling at me.
"With your word, I will process your candidacy. Please wait here while I submit your application and inform the Guildmaster," she gestured me to sit down. Alright, guess there is paperwork to be done before my test.
After some waiting, she came back and asked me to follow her. We passed through an area that looks like a cafeteria or some sort. Guess there is a kitchen here for members to eat. As we headed further in, we came to a stop in a small open arena. I guess this is where I'll be fighting the other rookies.
"Do you wish to change your clothing before you begin your test? Your cloak is not allowed but your dougi is fine," she informed me.
"What about my weapons? Can I use them?," I asked her.
"You'll be using a wooden sword. But if possible, try to avoid hitting your opponent too badly. The Dark Lord favours those who can control their strength over beating their opponents excessively," she explained to me.
"Alright, I'll put my weapons at the side here then? I'll remove my cloak too," I told her.
"Oh, just pass them to me. I'll hold onto them until you are done with the test," she said. Hence, I passed her my cloak and weapons.
I headed into the arena where Rick greeted me on the way.
"Yo, give it your best. I'll be watching you," Rick said while tapping my shoulder. That is some minor encouragement there.
I continued heading into the open arena. It is not grand per-se. I can see that it is used for training purposes or for this initiation test. Not a lot of people watching so I am glad. But what stood out the most is the glare coming from someone sitting above. That must be the Dark Lord. He lives up to his name alright. Black armour, check. Dark glare, check. Evil aura, triple check.
I stood alone in the arena. A moment later, someone came out wearing training clothes and holding two wooden swords. He then proceeded to toss one to me which I grabbed skilfully of course. Not a moment later I heard the word "Begin".
***
Rick's perspective
I'm glad Zen decided to joined us. I can see that he has potential to be strong. I've even spoken to the Dark Lord earlier about a special kid that will be joining us soon. Hope my expectation doesn't fail me though. Otherwise I'll be in trouble for sure. The Dark Lord will be giving me terrible jobs for the next few months if Zen ended up failing the test!
Oh, he's here. Hoped I look cool in giving him some encouragement by tapping his shoulder. That should persuade him to fight harder. Oh, this guy will be fighting him eh? Heard he is the strongest of the rookies this year. He is at Swordsman rank that is ready to be Fighter rank soon. I wonder how Zen will fare with him? Ain't no shame in losing though. The Dark Lord looks at many aspect rather than just winning or losing.
Huh? What just happened? The strongest rookie is on the ground now? When did Zen even hit him? A referee went to check on the rookie. He's out cold. Woah, that is.. amazing. I'm a Shadow Knight and can barely see what he did.
"Next" said the Dark Lord. Seems like he wants to test Zen even further. Wait a minute, this guy is at Fighter rank! Is the Dark Lord seriously asking a Fighter rank to spar with a newbie? For real? Next thing you know..
Pap!
The fighter class fell to the ground. What is going on? Did Zen just beat him up with a strike?
Seems like the Dark Lord is contemplating on what to do next. Surely the Dark Lord is not stupid enough to.. "Rick, how about you head in?"
