13. Adventurers Guild

Though I had no inclination to be an adventurer, I placed my trust in Ares and decided to at least acquire a legal identification. My device's sight activated, and I swiftly scanned the entire town. The population appeared to be just over ten thousand, and numerous small market stalls dotted the streets, each selling a variety of goods.

With my clairvoyance, I swiftly located the address of the Adventurers Guild and began making my way towards the location.

"Little Ael, do you know the way to the Adventurers Guild?"Ares Inquired

"I have been here before," I lied through my teeth, hoping to maintain my facade.

"So, you weren't lying about being a mercenary," he responded, a hint of surprise crossing his face.

"That's what I told you, didn't I?" I replied, waving off his remark.

"I guess, but you don't look like a typical mercenary," he commented, his eyes sizing me up. "Mercenaries are lowlifes who learn everything on the road or in battle. The way you were training, it looked like someone had given you proper instruction."

"Where did you learn to fight? On the road or in battle?" I swiftly changed the subject, eager to steer the conversation away from my true background.

"Well, I was born strong," he answered, flexing his biceps, which were larger than my head.

After some more chitchat, we finally arrived at the Adventurers Hall. Calling it a hall would be an understatement; it resembled more of a miniature fort. It wasn't built from fancy stone, but it exuded a sturdy presence, built to withstand the test of time.

As we entered the outer hall, Ares's behavior transformed. He became even more foolish, making a commotion and shouting, "What have you bastards been up to?" as he barged through the colossal doors.

Taking a glimpse inside, I observed numerous adventurers either sitting or perusing the quest board in search of jobs. Surprisingly, hardly anyone paid any attention to Ares's outburst. They either didn't care about his presence or muttered amongst themselves, questioning why he was even there.

"You really are popular with these folks," I teased him, finding his lack of recognition amusing.

"It's nothing. It's been some time since I last came here. They probably don't remember me due to my beard," he tried to justify his lack of popularity.

"Maybe it's because your beard looks like a dead possum on your face," I couldn't resist mocking him once more.

"It's not your beard, traitor!" a man sitting at a table, already half-drunk, shouted.

"Know him?" I asked Ares, curious about the identity of the irate drunkard.

"He's nobody. Let's just ignore him. Let me introduce you to the knockout I was telling you about," Ares said, a perverted smile taking hold of his face.

As we approached our intended target, I understood why he had hyped this woman so much. I had no idea if breast enhancement magic existed in this world, but if it did, her breasts would be the pinnacle of achievement.

As we approached the receptionist, Ares clumsily attempted to groom his hair and beard with his fingers. Despite his genuine efforts, he didn't improve his disheveled appearance in the slightest.

"How's it going, Sally?" Ares said, trying to act familiar with the woman.

"What are you doing here, Ares? I heard you were knighted and retired," the woman replied, looking bored.

"No amount of money and ale can make me forget your lem... I mean, your pretty face," Ares replied, attempting to flirt with the woman.

"Is that so?" the woman replied, unimpressed by his flattery.

"I have thought about you every morning and night. I tried to forget your br.. , I mean you , but your grip on my heart won't loosen," Ares persisted, desperately trying to gain the woman's favor.

"Just tell me what you want or leave. People don't like you here," the woman replied, breaking his attempt to persuade her.

"Oh, don't be like that, my love," Ares tried again.

"Save it for later," I interrupted the pair. "I want to register with the guild," I told the woman.

"Do you have anyone to recommend you?" the woman asked, showing a bit more respect towards me compared to Ares.

I looked at Ares. "Will he suffice?" I asked.

The woman looked at Ares with a hint of disgust and after some deep thought, she replied, "Yeah, he will do just fine."

"Just fill out the form and there will be a test to verify your claimed skills. So please refrain from lying about your abilities," the woman warned me.

I took the form from her and replied, "I won't lie."

"The combined fees for the form and test will be ten silver coins. But if you can't afford that amount, you can pay us back by doing jobs for us in the future," the woman informed me of the charges.

"I will pay with coins," I replied, taking out my hidden pouch and drawing a gold coin from it.

The pouch filled with gold coins attracted the attention of not only Ares and the woman, but also a group of adventurers standing around us.

"Another noble brat playing adventurer," one of the adventurers murmured, but I didn't pay any attention to it.

The woman gracefully took the coin and spoke with more respect than earlier, "I presume you know how to write and won't be requiring any assistance."

I nodded. "Just a pen I can borrow to fill it."

The woman smiled and provided me with ink and a pen, no charge. Ares, who had become somewhat friendly towards me, was staring daggers at me, seeing the woman he wanted being friendly to me.

I took the form and sat down at one of the tables, while Ares remained still,

still trying to flirt with the woman.

The form required basic information such as name, location of residence, and your job as a mage, warrior, archer, healer, or scout. Since I could perform all of these roles, I wanted to mark them all, but I had to choose a specialty, so I marked "mage."

I put "High Mage" as my current level, even though I was higher than that rank. High mages weren't typically adventurers, as most of them received great payment in some noble lord's court. But I decided to reveal only a portion of my powers, claiming to be a high mage of the wind attribute and intermediate in the other three elements. I wanted a little more privileges going forward, so being a high mage seemed decent enough.

After filling out the form, I submitted it, interrupting Ares once again. It seemed like Ares wasn't wasting his efforts on her, as she somewhat lowered her hostility towards him.

As the woman took the application and looked at the information, her eyes widened. "Is it true that you're a high mage?" she asked in disbelief. "Because there will be a test, so don't exaggerate your skills."

"That's fine," I replied, not a hint of worry on my face.

"That should be accurate," Ares joined in, vouching for my skills, even though I hadn't shown him any.

"I only associate with the best of the best," Ares claimed, staring at the woman.

"Sorry my lord, but we'll have to request a bigger branch so they can test you," the woman replied, still in disbelief. Any high mage would automatically receive the title of viscount in the United Kingdoms. Although it was a title without any land, it still demanded the respect of everyone, high or low born. And on top of that, a boy no older than ten was claiming to be one.

"Don't mistake my appearance for my age. I am half-elf and older than everyone in this hall," I told the woman, no signs of lying on my face.

"Is that so?" the woman , still not fully believing.

"You'll have to wait about a week before the test," another receptionist informed, joining us after the commotion of a ten-year-old boy claiming to be a high mage.

"I will be here," I told her, nodding.