"I'm General Rung, thank you for coming all the way here, I'm glad so many mages from the mainland have joined our forces."
"It is unfortunate to say, but we can no longer contain the attacks of the Dragons, our losses are increasing with each day, but together we will rise over this adversity and win the fight for the future of the human race."
Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap
With applause from the mages, Rung with soldiers left the stage, leaving only an old man of about sixty years old standing on it.
"Before the fights, we advise you to form teams of at least four or five. The battles will be in the form of quests, the higher your rank, the more dangerous quests you can take and receive rewards in exchange. You can already go and see the list of quests in the association, good luck."
After explaining some basic rules, enough to not get fired, the old man left the stage, leaving the Magi in a collective ruckus as they searched for team-mates.
"Haruto, I don't think we need a teammate. I, the great Yug, am powerful enough to protect you, now it's time to make some money. Let's see what kind of quests there are."
However, as Haruto and Yug walked towards the exit of the courtyard and were about to leave they were stopped by a person hidden underneath an elegant hooded cloak.
"Excuse me, can I join your team?"
Haruto and Yug looked at each other, but as Haruto was about to answer, Yug interrupted him with a face full of seriousness.
"What is your rank?"
"I'm rank A."
"Fine, but if you join us you have to give me 40% of your earnings because I'm already having trouble protecting my useless assistant behind me."
A ball of fire suddenly appeared in Haruto's left palm as he looked at Yug with a provocative look.
"Repeat what you just said, if you dare."
Yug's facial expression changed to that as if he was just a poor old man being intimidated by a youngster.
"Aren't you ashamed of wanting to hit an old man like me, ouch my hip, my arthritis, my heart hurts, I'm gonna... I'm gonna die..."
While Yug held his chest with his hand, the magi farther away all looked at Haruto with a disgusted look.
"Look at the young man over there, he's not even ashamed of bullying the elderly!"
"Young people nowadays are all wrongly educated!"
Hearing this, Haruto murderously gazed at Yug, before dispelling the fireball.
"Ha-ha-ha, that's okay."
Yug at once stopped pretending and with agitated, almost burning eyes, looked at the
mysterious person.
"What'd you just say?"
"I said it's okay, I'll let you have 40% of my income."
An immense joy ran through Yug, who then began to tremble, his eyes reddened and he even began to drool a little.
"40%... 40% of 1,000,000, 400,000J... 400,000J ($40,000)"
"400,000J just for me."
While Yug was fantasizing about the 400000 Jewels, the person took off his hood, she was a young woman with blond, lengthy hair tied back in a ponytail, she also had side-swept bangs in front, with two strands of hair draped down the sides of her head.
"I'm Anna, nice to meet you."
Accompanied by their new teammate, Haruto and Yug arrived on the second floor of the association.
The room was crowded, various mages were standing in front of several large boards with more than a hundred parchments, that seems to be where requests were pasted.
Next, the three of them started looking for a quest.
[Helping to defend the southern border... ...reward: 200,000J, Rank: B]
[Defending the city of Bacilia....reward:
1.000.000J...Rank: S]
[Accompanying General Rung's troops and protecting the city...]
[Escorting refugees from the city of....]
"I see no quest with a reward that will at least allow me to do my magic research."
Then Haruto saw a scroll that everyone seemed to be ignoring.
[Slaughtering the dragons on Lata Peak....reward: 50.000.000J...Rank: SS]
Haruto read the quest for a while before, ripping the scroll off the board and putting them in his pocket.
"Let's go, I've found a good quest."
Yug and Anna, who were reading the scrolls, saw Haruto leave the room and go down the stairs.
"Wait for us!"
. . . . .
They went downstairs to the first floor, the floor and walls of which were covered in wooden boards, there was a long counter near the front wall, behind which the two women, who seemed to be the receptionists, stood.
Haruto, followed by Yug and Anna, came to the counter, then he took out the parchment and placed it in front of one of the receptionists.
"We'd like to take this assignment."
The receptionist took the scroll and after reading it for a moment, looked at Haruto with a strange look on her face.
"Sir, are you sure you want to take this task? It is an extremely difficult quest, all the previous expeditions of the army and dragon hunters, who accepted it, have been annihilated."
"We accept this quest."
"Show me your badges."
Haruto took out a wooden badge from his pocket, yet Yu and Anna hesitated.
Haruto rolled his eyes at Yug.
"The reward is 50.000.000J."
Hearing this Yug unhesitatingly pulled out his badge.
"You're crazy! Do you know how dangerous this quest sounds?!"
Yug's eyes suddenly changed and became as threatening as those of a demon.
"You want to stop me from winning 50,000,000J?"
"No, no, no, no, no Mr. Yug, here's my badge!"
Anna, covered in cold sweat, also pulled out her badge.
Seeing their badges, the receptionist nodded, and then a faint blue light materialized from the tip of her thumb, before falling onto the parchment, thus creating a seal with the word "Accepted" on it.
Haruto swiftly took the parchment, before leaving the association, accompanied by his two companions.