"F-rank...?" ［Receptionist］
A silent voice of shock and disbelief echoed in the air as the receptionist saw the results of Grey and Yuna's exams. Even when she had said their guild's motto earlier, she still wasn't expecting to see such results,
"Is there something wrong?" ［Grey］
"A-Ah! There's nothing wrong, I was just surprised by how high your assessments are. I didn't think you two would become F-rankers right off the bat." ［Receptionist］
In all her time being a receptionist, it was her first time seeing such perfect results, especially when the ones taking them were younger than her. Not to mention that it was personally done by the Guildmaster himself.
Previously, she had only seen Grey and Yuna as youths trying out their luck on adventuring, but after seeing their results, she had realized how wrong she was. She now felt a strong sense of admiration for the youths in front of her.
Quickly recovering from her initial shock, the receptionist then quickly processed the remaining steps and finally registered the two in the Adventurer's guild. With a simple wave of her hand, the data of Grey and Yuna's registration was quickly uploaded into the guild's database using a strange magical tool.
"Here are your cards." ［Receptionist］
Shortly after, white-colored cards were issued to Grey and Yuna as proof of their registration and affiliation to the guild. While not made of paper, it also wasn't made of metal, it was a card which could only be explained by magic.
Receiving their cards, Grey's heart beat faster as if he was running a thousand miles per hour. He had finally achieved it, he had become an adventurer!
Yuna's reaction wasn't far off either. Like every time she found something interesting, her eyes once again sparkled at the sight of her guild card. Especially after thinking she now has another matching item with Grey.
"Ah, thank you miss... umm..." ［Grey］
"Tilda, you can call me Tilda. I'll be in your care from now on." ［Tilda］
"Then we'll intrude on your kindness, Miss Tilda." ［Grey］
"Nice to meet you." ［Yuna］
With a beaming smile on her face, the fox-girl receptionist introduced herself to Grey in Yuna. Similarly, the two reciprocated Tilda's introduction with a smile of their own.
"Ah, right. Miss Tilda, we'd like to form a party!" ［Grey］
The Party System, a system in the adventurer's guild which allows adventurers of similar ranks to form an alliance and create a party. It could either be temporary or permanent, either way, parties are designed to make quests easier to accomplish and lower the mortality rates of adventurers from doing quests.
"A party?" ［Tilda］
"Is it impossible?" ［Grey］
"Ah, sorry... it is possible. I was just surprised that you would form one on your first day. Normally, rookie adventurers would go solo for months so that they won't have to share the rewards. It's only when they rank-up and face harder quests that they decide to form a party." ［Tilda］
At first, Grey thought that something had changed in the guild's party system like the examinations before, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.
"Well, since you're starting at F-rank, I suppose it would make sense why you would form a party immediately. Quests at F-rank are nothing to scoff at, after all, It's better to be safe than to be sorry." ［Tilda］
"Then I'd like to form a party with Yuna, please." ［Grey］
"Miss Yuna, are you fine with this?" ［Tilda］
"Un." ［Yuna］
With a simple nod of affirmation from Yuna, the contract of agreement between Grey and Yuna was formed. It became the day where a legendary party was born, but that's a story for another day.
Grey and Yuna then filled up the registration form and officially became a party with Grey as the leader. And as the party was still F-ranked, names weren't an option. It was a privilege only granted to parties who have reached B-rank.
After filling the registration form, Grey immediately handed the form to Tilda, and with speeds incomprehensible to normal people, Tilda finished the registration, officially establishing Grey and Yuna's party.
Although the two had been living with each other for almost three years, somehow, the fact of being connected as a party seemed to have solidified their bond with one another. It was a simple yet joyful occasion for the both of them.
"Now that that's all done, would you like to take a quest today?" ［Tilda］
"Ah, yes." ［Grey］
"Then please take note that you can only choose quests with the same rank as you at most. After you're done choosing quests from over there, please return to the counters so that we can record it." ［Tilda］
Tilda pointed at an array of bulletin boards at the right side of the counters. The boards were labeled from Apprentice-rank to S-rank, designating the difficulty of quests posted there.
And while the sizes of the bulletin boards were roughly similar, the same thing couldn't be said to the quests as those with higher difficulties had less and less in them,
With nothing more to do, Grey and Yuna immediately started picking F-rank quests we would be able to complete swiftly so that we can raise our ranks as quickly as we can. But while they were choosing quests...
"Huh? What are these kids doing here?" ［???］
... a voice suddenly interjected from behind.
When Grey and Yuna turned around, two adventurers who seemed to be in their early or mid-twenties greeted them, one was a human man, while the one was an elven woman.
Although he was on the leaner side, the man who was the source of the voice was quite muscular and well-built. As for the elven woman beside her, she was a fair beauty with curves in the right places, a lady many men won't be able to resist.
Hearing their first remark, it made Grey immediately think it was "that" type of cliche. The cliche where veteran adventurers would pick on rookies, something which often happened in the stories Grey had read in his past life.
In addition to it...
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Kris
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 24
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 1,868 [Mana Quality] B
[Combat Power] 3,097 [Threat Level] A
[Attribute] Earth [Magic Proficiency] High (65%)
[Class] Ravager [Weapon Proficiency] High (67%)
[Physical Enhancement] 70%
[Ability] 『Lion Soul (4☆)』
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Aria
[Race] Elf
[Sex] Female
[Age] 22
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 1,424 [Mana Quality] C
[Combat Power] 2,036 [Threat Level] B
[Attribute] Wind [Magic Proficiency] High (61%)
[Class] Archer [Weapon Proficiency] High (59%)
[Physical Enhancement] 63%
[Ability] 『Hunter's Eye (3☆)』
-----------------------------------
... they had the strength to back it up.
It isn't even worth debating, Grey already knew that the two adventurers before him were the strongest people they had met yet. But even with all that, they still wouldn't be a match to Grey and Yuna.
The problem was, if the two adventurers did pick a fight, everything in the vicinity would be caught up and destroyed. It was a situation Grey wanted to avoid at all cost.
Grey had prepared himself if things were to go ugly, but...
"Are you perhaps new here...? Then, I'd advise easy quests like those ones on the Apprentice-ranks or H-rank boards." ［Kris］
... it turned out, all his worries were for naught. Grey was so embarrassed, if he could travel back to a few moments ago, he'll 100% punch himself in the face for thinking of useless things.
On top of that, he completely forgot he had "Judgement", an ability which allows him to judge whether people were "good" or "evil". And sure enough, the two before him were judged as "good".
"Kris, you're scaring them." ［Aria］
"Ah, sorry, I meant no harm. I just wanted to stop you from doing something reckless before you regret it." ［Kris］
Apparently, the man was worried about the rookie adventurers eyeing the F-rank quests. He was worried they'd do something reckless so he stepped in without thinking too much about it.
Judging from his attitude and rank, Grey had already pieced the pieces together and unraveled the identity of the man. Grey was sure he was the man who the Guildmaster was talking about who beat up veteran adventurers on his first day.
Knowing this, Grey became more embarrassed from his initial thought. He felt like he was dying on the inside.
"Please forgive him, he's just an idiot who loves sticking his nose into other people's business. Especially when it comes to rookie adventurers." ［Aria］
"Hey, Aria, you're making me sound like someone unpleasant." ［Kris］
"And aren't you one?" ［Aria］
"That's rude!" ［Kris］
Hearing Aria's words, Kris tried to retort, but it was immediately shot down by another statement from Aria.
Before either Grey and Yuna could even talk, the two adventurers who suddenly appeared had already gone to their own worlds, throwing retorts to one another time and time again.
"Oh, Mister Kris, Miss Aria, you're back!" ［Tilda］
Thankfully, Tilda was there to break the seemingly never ending bantering of the two. Something which had gone on for one too many minutes.
"Yo, Tilda, we're back!" ［Kris］
"If you're back, you should have reported immediately to the Guildmaster! He had been waiting for a report since this morning!" ［Tilda］
"Hahaha, sorry, we just happened to see these rookie adventurers looking at F-rank quests. Thought I'd have to stop them from doing something reckless while I was at it." ［Kris］
"By rookies, do you perhaps mean..." ［Tilda］
Following the direction of Kris' eyes, Tilda found herself looking at Grey and Yuna, who were still dumbfounded at what was happening.
"Hey, kids, this is just advice from someone who has more experience in adventuring, but it's better not to rush things and only do quests that you can handle. Since you're new here, why don't we pick you guys a good one." ［Kris］
"Ah, about thatー" ［Grey］
"I believe that won't be needed, Mister Kris." ［Tilda］
Before Grey could even answer, Tilda quickly interjected and cut off Grey's words. An answer which just made Kris tilt his head in confusion.
Without missing a single detail, Tilda then explained to Kris and Aria the things which just happened this morning. From the time they registered up until the part where Yuna and Grey were selecting quests, leading to the current situation.
"I see... so you became F-rankers right off the bat, huh... Now that's something you don't hear everyday, I didn't think that the guildmaster could still find himself some promising new adventurers. And on that note..." ［Kris］
Like a sudden gust, a pressuring aura came down upon Grey and Yuna, imposing a heavy atmosphere upon the guild. Of course, the cause of such a scene was none other than Kris.
As the strength of the aura Kris released was enough for normal people to pass out, he only limited the concentration on Grey and Yuna, but even then, the two didn't budge from such crushing pressure.
While Grey and Yuna were a bit intimidated by the previous release of aura by the Guildmaster, it was mostly because they were caught off guard and that it was their first time experiencing aura from other people. And like the genius that they were, one time was enough for them to learn their lesson.
As suddenly as it came bearing down, the aura also disappeared without warning, returning the normal atmosphere back to the guild.
"I see... So an S-ranker and an A-ranker, eh. No wonder you're starting at F-rank. You could even go to destroy a whole army with that kind of strength." ［Kris］
Without much thought, Kris gave a comment which shocked both Aria and Tilda which were close by. Thankfully, the other adventurers were far enough that they weren't able to overhear the conversation.
But the one who was surprised the most was Grey. After all, no matter how much he searched, Kris didn't have any appraisal nor intuition related abilities.
"Were you surprised how I could tell?" ［Kris］
"Y... Yeah, a little bit." ［Grey］
"Well, with enough experience, you would be able to roughly gauge one's strength by using your aura. Well, seeing how you got incredible strength at such a young age, you'll probably learn it sooner rather than later." ［Kris］
Kris explained shortly, easing the baffled Grey and Yuna.
Well, even if Kris explained it like that, gauging an opponent's level by aura alone was an incredibly difficult task. Even the Guildmaster, Gaston, isn't able to do such a thing despite all his experience.
Not counting Grey and Yuna, Kris could be counted as one of the most unparalleled geniuses in the world. Someone only second to monstrous geniuses who have achieved Calamity-class and higher.
Nevertheless, Kris could still be counted as one of the most powerful people in the kingdom, whom before Yuna and Grey had arrived, only the country's General can restrain.
"You're impressed, aren't you? Even though Kris is an idiot, his talent is still nothing to scoff at." ［Aria］
"Hey, Aria, who are you calling an idiot?" ［Kris］
"Who else do you think I'm referring to?" ［Aria］
"Hey!" ［Kris］
With a provocation from Aria, the two started bantering again and went off to their own worlds. They were acting as if there wasn't anyone else inside the guild.
But even with such loud commotion, no one inside the guild was voicing any complaints. No, it would be better to say they have gotten used to such a scene, as if it was a regular occurrence.
"Uh... Ummm.... Miss Aria, Mister Kris, the report..." ［Tilda］
"Ah." ［Kris］ "Oh." ［Aria］
Replying in unison, the two stopped their bantering as if they just remembered something important.
Seeing their reactions, Tilda's face became that of wild disbelief, and a priceless one in that. It was as if she had eaten something sour, salty, and bitter at the same time.
Meanwhile, Kris who was the most responsible for forgetting the said task just smiled it off like an idiot. It was to the point where Grey and Yuna pitied Tilda deep in their hearts.
"Ah, right. I suppose we still haven't introduced ourselves. We're the A-rank party 'Black Silver', and the name's Kris, nice to meetcha!" ［Kris］
"I'm part of the same party, my name's Aria. It's a pleasure to meet you." ［Aria］
"I'm Grey and this is my partner, Yuna. The pleasure is ours." ［Grey］
"Un, Nice to meet you." ［Yuna］
With the introductions over, Kris and Aria finally left for the Guildmaster's office. Of course, that is after tying all loose ends...
"Oh, and Tilda, don't tell anyone about what you just heard, kay?" ［Kris］
"Haah... You can count on me for that. Not that anyone would believe me anyways." ［Tilda］
Tilda expressed with a tired face. It seems like it wasn't the first time Kris had said something outrageous and burdened her with great responsibilities.
Knowing Kris' abilities, Tilda already knew what Kris said before was true, but even then, she still found it hard to believe that the two rookie adventurers who she just had a friendly conversation with were actually very strong powerhouses.
Even with her professionalism, there was a limit to the things that she can handle. But with things being the way they are, she was left with no choice but to accept it wholeheartedly.
"Miss Yuna, Mister Grey, I apologize for having experienced that on your first day here. Even though they're like that, they aren't bad people. I hope you understand." ［Tilda］
"Ah, Miss Tilda! You don't need to apologize. We really weren't bothered by it, right, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, actually, I was more surprised rather than bothered." ［Grey］
Tilda bowed her head in apology, but Grey and Yuna quickly stopped her from doing so.
Even if Grey and Yuna did get bothered by it, they still won't blame Tilda for it. Rather, it would be more reasonable to blame Kris and Aria from causing such a commotion.
"I'm glad you understand... Actually, even if they're like that, those two are actually an engaged couple." ［Tilda］
""Eh?!"" ［Grey and Yuna］
Taken aback by what Tilda said, Grey and Yuna voiced out a cry of disbelief.
While Grey expected the two to be close to one another, he didn't expect them to be engaged. Especially considering how much they banter with one another.
In Merusia, all Salferines have similar lifespan, unlike the ones from fantasy works on Earth. Be it Elf, Dwarf, or Human, they all have a lifespan of about 70 years. With that fact, interracial marriages are not uncommon.
Even with such knowledge, Grey was still fascinated about how different races marry one another without much discrimination. It shows just how different Merusia was to Earth.
Yuna, on the other hand, was also fascinated by the fact that a Human and an Elf were engaged, but not in the same way as Grey was. As after seeing Kris and Aria, she couldn't stop imagining herself and Grey in the same situation.
Luckily, Grey was still facing towards the direction Kris and Aria left. Otherwise, he would have witnessed how red Yuna's face had become.
"Umm... Miss Yuna, Mister Grey, have you finished picking up a quest?" ［Tilda］
"Ah, right..." ［Grey］
Like a lighthouse to a boat, Tilda's voice called Grey and Yuna back from their thoughts, prompting them to continue picking a quest to their liking.
Soon after, Grey and Yuna headed back towards the reception desk, bringing along with them a number of request forms.
"Miss Tilda, we'll take all of these!" ［Grey］
CHAPTER 12 END