I looked up, tilting my head. 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees...
"GOD DAMN IS THAT A BUILDING!?!"
The main guild branch of the Pentaz Guild lay directly in front of me in all its glory.
I couldn't help but shout my first impression of a twelve story building, in fact it was many times larger than any structure I had ever seen. Forget the guild's central branch building in front of me, the town center I was currently in held many buildings that went up higher than I had ever seen, albeit all shorter than the structure immediately before me.
Even the buildings that weren't massive were still impressive in other ways. Aesthetic restaurants, bakeries, and sweets shops were intermixed with imposing smithies, workshops, and stores for various types of gear. The largest buildings were typically for big businesses that needed a main location for more logistical, influence, and political reasons. Not to mention the section of the town center I didn't even bother with, the residential section. I had no desire nor reason to mess with rich people at the moment.
Unknown to myself I was currently receiving plenty of strange looks after my awed outburst. The Pentaz Guild guards stationed outside the front of the imposing building stared on as well, wondering if they should shoo me away or not.
However, before any cliché enemies could be made, I rushed inside the gilded double doors. The guards chose to look aside as I passed them, my naturally toned figure and unknown rank was enough to discourage them from going out of their way to stop me.
The air inside the main lobby was entirely different. Glossy dark wood walls surrounded me, accented by dark red furniture of an unknown material that looked beyond comfortable and soft to the newly civilized me. An attendant who was doing work behind a front desk stood up to receive me, and I stared on as he approached.
"Hello sir, how may I help you today?"
A well groomed young man with proper clothes and slicked hair greeted me with a practiced hospitality.
"oooh... I'm here to register, with uh, the guild that is."
"oh? of course, please follow me."
The attendant seemed slightly surprised that I was registering, most likely having assumed that I was already an adventurer. We walked up two separate stair cases and into a mildly populated room on the third floor. This large area took up most of the floor and seemed to fulfill the purpose of official business with average-level, low-level, and newbie adventurers.
The attendant guided me towards a seating area in a specific section that held a few tens of people, "please sit down in one of the chairs here, the seats use magic to keep track of the order of arrival and someone will come out for you once it is your turn."
With that the attendant left me, and I hesitantly took a seat and watched as the cushion began to slightly glow before fading immediately. Happy with the comfortable seat and interesting surroundings, I contentedly observed as periodically a female attendant would emerge from the door with another person who would walk away, before they called in someone new. Everyone in this area seemed to be here to register, and I noticed every once in a while someone would walk out of the door with a depressed face.
Could they have gotten declined from the guild?
After more than 20 people before me, it was finally my turn. I was beckoned over by the female attendant I had seen emerge numerous times now, and passed the person who had entered before me. A woman with long pastel yellow hair, she made eye contact with me as I passed, and I noticed not only the gilded geode crest on her chest, but also the fact that she was slightly taller than me.
I instinctively moved to the side slightly as we walked past one another.
Instantly I developed frustration at my own reaction, because although this woman was clearly higher ranked and more physically imposing than I was, I wanted to abandon that feeling of inferiority I had always felt around others.
I had the potential for growth now, and I reinforced my intent to cultivate confidence, knowledge, and most of all power as I stepped through the doorway and into the registration room.
Inside the room, I observed a table with many stacks of papers and a person sitting behind said table. The female attendant gesturing for me to take the seat opposite of the individual as they took their place beside the door.
A scholarly looking woman now sat across from me, and I sat up straight as she began asking questions.
"Hello, what rank are you?"
"Stone."
"Skill?"
"Fireball."
"Level?"
"Zero. I just got a skill book today."
"Name?"
"Einer."
"I asked for your name."
I blinked a few times, struggling to understand why I was suddenly under pressure. It seemed to be going quickly and smoothly until I answered that question.
"FULL name please."
"That's my name though? I don't understa-" I paused for a second as I realized something, "...oooooh, I don't have a second or third name or whatever you guys have."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't come from a town, I originally grew up in the forest boonies where they only give singular names."
I smartly answered as if I hadn't just come from that exact location just a few hours ago, technically without lying too. I still didn't know exactly how I would be treated due to my status, and so I tried to distance myself from it as much as possible without having to make up a lie that might get exposed.
you know, just in case.
"Okay, Einer will have to do then. Please place your hand down here and wait."
I placed my right hand down on the table as the young scholar put her's on top of mine, she began to emit some arcane energies as I realized she was casting a skill.
"I am now going to verify your status panel, I hope you did not lie about anything. As long as you are lower or equal rank to me I will be able to see your name, basic stats, and level."
She focused with her eyes closed for a few seconds, before speaking again.
"I see that everything is correct, I will now be asking you to demonstrate your skill, it shouldn't be to hard to do that right here correct?"
Shivers went down my spine as I realized I hadn't even tried to use the skill yet. I had no clue how to control it, and was extremely worried I might activate it fully and start a fire. This would be so much easier if her ability could view skills as well, but I guess that was most likely a higher rank skill's capability.
Instead I just nodded my head and lifted my hand up in front of me, holding it out as if I was feeling for rain drops before it began to pour.
I hope I can pull this off with some beginner's luck...