The adventurer's guild was louder than usual today.
Rachel stood at the entrance, gripping her staff tightly as she took a deep breath.
Yami, Rei, and Lina walked in behind her, casually ignoring the loud conversations and the occasional drunk adventurer. Yami didn't care about any of it—he had seen worse.
Rachel, on the other hand, was nervous.
"This is where I register, right?" she asked.
Rei nodded. "Yeah. Just go to the counter and tell them you want to become an adventurer."
Rachel hesitated. "That's it?"
Lina chuckled. "That's just the start. You still have to take the beginner's test."
Rachel swallowed. "Test?"
Yami crossed his arms. "You're fine. If you couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have let you follow us."
Rachel blinked, surprised by the indirect compliment.
"Right…" She took another deep breath and stepped forward.
The guild receptionist, a woman with short brown hair, looked up as Rachel approached.
"New recruit?" she asked with a bored expression.
Rachel nodded. "Yes! I'd like to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist handed her a small piece of paper. "Name and class?"
"Rachel. Evergreen Mage."
The receptionist stopped writing and looked up. "Nature magic, huh? That's rare."
Rachel smiled nervously. "Is that… good?"
The receptionist smirked. "Depends. If you're strong, then yes."
Rachel gulped. "And if I'm weak?"
The receptionist shrugged. "Then you die."
Rachel felt her stomach drop.
Before she could panic, Yami placed a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine."
Rachel glanced at him, surprised.
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "You vouching for her?"
"I don't vouch for people," Yami replied. "But she's not weak."
Rachel's heart pounded in her chest.
The receptionist sighed. "Fine. Just head to the training yard. The beginner's test starts in ten minutes."
Rachel nodded quickly and rushed toward the exit.
As she passed Yami, she paused. "Thank you."
Yami glanced at her. "For what?"
Rachel smiled. "For believing in me."
Yami clicked his tongue and looked away. "Just don't die."
Rachel laughed softly and ran off to take her test.
Rei smirked. "Well, look at you. Acting like a leader."
Yami scoffed. "Shut up."
Lina giggled. "You really do have a soft side."
Yami sighed. "I swear, I regret bringing you two along."
Rei and Lina just grinned.
Meanwhile, outside, Rachel stood in the training yard, staring at the large, armored man who would be her opponent for the test.
She took a deep breath.
This was it.
Her first step into the world of adventurers.