The group passed through the gates under the watchful eyes of numerous guards, along with curious or fearful civilians as they scurried on the sides of the road. It seemed that a few guards had gone ahead and began to clear a path for the safety of the citizens. Arcturus looked around with a similar mix of intrigued amazement, and that feeling one has when being put in front of a crowd. He'd never seen a city before, as his memories began at the Sheridan Estate, but neither had he experienced a crowd. The new scenario boggled the poor dragon's mind.
Luca, sensing his partner's worries, said soothingly, "Don't worry, Arc. Just stay next to me and everything will be fine."
The young dragon seemed to barely hear him, but he did look at his big brother after a moment, (I r-remember, big brother…)
"Once we get your familiar mark, everyone will be less scared. Trust me, everything is okay."
Arcturus nodded before returning to looking around cautiously but inquisitively.
After several minutes of walking, they reached the Mages Guild branch, a well-built circular tower with multiple floors both above and below. Dismounting Thunder, Luca patted the stallion and asked it to wait for him by the door. He fully trusted the highly intelligent equine to know what he meant and didn't need to worry about anyone attempting to steal it. He doubted there was anyone that could reign in such a powerful stallion.
The two humans, the dragon in tow, entered the guild with the reaction they'd expected. Whoever was closest to the door practically dove out of the way, while others near the receptionist desk instinctively reached for their wands. A scant few did not react at all, some of which were asleep, drunk or otherwise. A brown-cloaked person, hood casting shadows over their features, also remained inert, though Luca could sense the reason. Even without his [All-Seeing Sight], the boy could sense the well-concentrated and masterfully handled mana around this figure that, to his interest, seemed to be unnoticed by the other patrons. Such fine control exceeded those of Lv. 3 Mages, putting this person at Lv. 4 at minimum.
The receptionist, a green-haired lass with semi-angular eyes, was visibly scared but managed to keep her composure. "W-Welcome to the Bristol branch of the Mages Guild. How can I help you today?"
Admiring her willpower, Luca smiled, "Calm down, you don't need to worry at all. I need two things: guild certification and a familiar mark for my partner."
The room, aside from the figure in the corner, and the three before the desk, became muted for several seconds. The receptionist, which Luca identified as being a descendant of the Wood Elves due to her green hair and partially downward-curved semi-pointed ears, stammered, "W-wait, that dragon is your f-familiar?"
"Yes, he is. His name is Arcturus."
Yet another silent second slipped by before she recovered, at which point she shakingly rose to her feet and gestured for Luca to follow her, "Let's g-get your certification in order first. Come with me, please." She nervously led the trio, Lydia included after his insistence, into a small room with a crystal atop a pedestal with a plaque affixed to its front. As only one person could fit into the room, the trio stood outside as he stepped in and placed his hand atop the plaque. With a sound reminiscent of an old Pinball arcade game from the early 2000s, which Luca never understood the reason for, the orb shimmered and a pop-up appeared in the orb.
___
Name: Luca
Species: Human+
Age: 10
Class: Lv. 1 Mage
Affinity: Light, Space
Familiar: Arcturus (B-grade Dragonkin)
_
Professional Stats:
Magecraft: C-Grade (Creations: 1)
___
As she read Luca's results, Lydia's jaw dopped, remembering Luca's answer to her disbelief earlier. Out of minor embarrassment, she closed her mouth as her face flushed.
Meanwhile, the receptionist had lost her professional demeanour entirely, "Light, have mercy! Lv. 1 at 10 years old!? Dual-Affinity with Space!? E~to... familiar looks right, even the grading…. Wait, C-grade Magecraft!?" Having completely forgotten her job code, which also involved 'not disclosing information without authorization', thus letting the entire lobby hear her screech. By the time she recovered, the first floor was abuzz and she realized her mistake, "The G-Guildmaster needs to see this." As she was about to run off, Luca's youthful voice spoke, "No need, he already knows." Stepping out of the appraisal room, the boy's blue eyes focused on the figure in the brown robe, "Am I correct, Guildmaster?"
A light chuckle came from the figure, "And here I thought I restrained it tightly." Removing his hood, a man in his early thirties with oaken hair made his way over with a small grin on his face, "I'm almost certain that even old Ysmir wouldn't be able to notice me, then I get upstaged by his student."
Shaking his head wryly, Luca said, "My mentor isn't as sensitive to mana as I am. Your aura was far too controlled, almost seamlessly. No ordinary mage could pull that off, and no ordinary mage would be able to tell. Of course, my sensitivity is abnormal."
"That much is apparent, little mage. I am Austin Nicholas, the current Guildmaster of the Mages Guild here in Bristol."
Luca politely bowed, "I am Luca, pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. Considering your strength, I'm sure you've already taken a look at the message I'm charged with."
With a shrug, Austin sighed, "It's not magically sealed, so it's not that difficult to check it as soon as you walked in, little bandit-slayer." He waved his hand as he began walking to the staff area, "I've verified your identity, so do the same for the Adventurers Guild. I'll bring your card along to the city hall since I have to be present for that letter's reveal. Lydia, since ol' Kian is out of town, you need to be there too. I recommend you hurry the certification pronto." The brown-haired guildmaster disappeared as he moved quickly through the back areas.
Blinking, Lydia barely came back to reality upon hearing Austin's reminder, and it sunk a little further in that the message Luca bore was extremely serious if it required the two highest available authorities of the two guilds to attend its reading. With a minor sigh, she grunted, "Come on, we'd best hurry."
As the trio began to leave, Austin poked his head out from the back, "Oh, before I forget, I'll bring the mage's familiar mark kit too, so don't worry about that either."