Arthur Leywin POV
The Guild Hall was not what I had expected it to be. A vivid image of a place filled with thugs seated around wooden tables downing beer was what I envisioned. Instead, it was a building filled with prestige and luxury. A marble structure towered over us like a sacred museum. Once inside, it was clear the amount of work that had been put into the intricately designed interior. There were tables made from metal where I could see other adventurers giving us a passing glance. The whole place had an ambience of extravagance that didn't suit me, much less some of the barbarian-looking adventurers here, but I simply continued my stride.
"Welcome! How may I help the two of you?" The female receptionist's rehearsed smile gleamed a pearly white.
Before I had the chance to reply, Jasmine slid a piece of parchment towards the woman.
"I would like to sponsor him for a rank examination." Her face remained expressionless as she said curtly.
"Y-Yes! I understand," the receptionist answered, nodding her head fervently as she handed back the piece of paper. "Please, come over this way."
Getting up from her seat, the women opened the door beside us from the other side. As we entered, I couldn't help but notice the hushed murmurs around us.
"Oy, there's someone taking a rank examination," someone whispered.
"It's just a girl and some masked midget, though," another hoarse voice mocked blatantly.
I held in any questions I had and simply followed the clerk in silence. Passing through the door, we were led past the row of seats behind the glass counter where the receptionists were stationed and into a small room.
"AA-Class Adventurer, Jasmine Flamesworth has requested this..." the clerk's voice trailed off as she eyed me cautiously. "...gentleman to be taken in for a rank examination."
"Yes, I'm quite aware of who Miss Flamesworth is. You may wait outside, Mary." The slender man waved her away as he stood up from his seat. "Miss Flamesworth, how are you these days? I met with your father not too long ago."
Jasmine simply gave a terse nod, that barely resembled a bow, as the man approached us. Her expression had gotten sharper since coming into this room, but at the mention of her father, Jasmine's hands clenched into fists.
"Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you." The man shifted his attention to me, finally acknowledging my presence. "My name is Kaspian Bladeheart, and I am in charge of this branch. I take it that you must have some sort of close relationship with Miss Flamesworth. Is there a name I can address you by?" His gaze darted up and down as he quickly assessed me.
"Kyu!" Sylvie answered in my stead.
I had made Sylvie transform back into her original form during my time as an adventurer so her horns protruded and her red spikes were visible.
"I go by Note," I answered gruffly. The name didn't mean much and was made fairly mindlessly based on the blue streak that went through the left eye slit; it had reminded me of a single half note.
Kaspian's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly recovered, responding with a casual smile. Other than that, seeing a mana beast didn't seem to surprise him, which I assumed was because of his line of work. "Yes! Well... Mr. Note, we will proceed with Miss Flamesworth here as your sponsor. Do you know how this will work?"
Shaking my head, I let him explain. "An Adventurer of B-class or higher has the right to sponsor a new adventurer for an examination. Depending on how well you do, this exam will give you the opportunity to be placed into a suitable rank. This way, you can avoid the needless struggles of starting from the very beginning. The rank exam will consist of only a practical portion. Now, judging by your weapons, I can assume that you are an augmenter, yes?" He looked quizzically at my body's build.
"Yes."
"Okay! Usually, there would be a quick application along with an inspection of your mana core before the exam but since it is Miss Flamesworth here sponsoring you, I will waive that," he continued as he opened another door at the far end of his office. "Mary, take these two to the examination hall."
"Y-Yes!" The receptionist, who had been waiting outside the room, entered hastily and led us toward the back door. "Please, Mr. Note, Miss Flamesworth, right this way."
I peered at Jasmine through my mask as we made our way down the long corridor. Was this the reason why she wanted to be the one to follow me? The Flamesworth House was mentioned with a fair degree of respect, but what exactly was the Flamesworth House?
I was forced to squint as my eyes tried to adjust to the sudden change in brightness as we exited out of the dark passage. As the blinding glow subsided, I was able to make out the details of the hall we were in. The brightly lit area was an indoor, dirt-floored arena with standard theater seats that appeared more like exaggerated stairs. While most of the seats were empty except for the scattered ten or so people, there was a tense atmosphere as everyone's eyes focused on the two people at the center of the arena.
Placing Sylvie between Jasmine and me, I leaned forward to get a better view of the two fighters about to duel. Jasmine simply leaned back in apathy with her legs crossed.
As the Time passed by, I grow bored at the sight. None of them interest me beside those three, The half-elf blond noble who have an over inflated ego who think that he was a super star, putting aside his personality he was a great conjurer though. The serious looking boy with glasses, The midnight blue hair girl. The three of them got a B-rank, though it's only the half-elf was the one who took an exam since, glasses guy and the girl was both place at B-rank.
"Next examinee, Noah! Please come down!" Then a boy, with a amethyst hair who looks like the same age as the midnight hair girl and glasses boy, is walking down towards the arena.
"Noah Wilson 10 years old. Augmenter at the dark orange stage.... with the affinity in earth and fire."
dark orange? with that aura? I don't believe his only at the dark orange stage. He's most likely using a core concealer just like me.
The boy nodded at the information, and taking his spear out from his storage ring.
"Let us begin," the examiner declared, then taking a fighting stance.
As they where about to clash a voice interrupted them.
"Stop!"
Turning my head, I saw the thin, bespectacled man named Kaspian walking toward the arena from the corridor jasmine and I had come in from.
" I was told that Noah Wilson, will be ranked as an A-class adventurer" Kaspian declared looking at the boy. The boy just nod before turning his back, walking where the midnight girl is before they start talking to each other.
It seems that they know each other.
"Next examinee, Note! please come down!" Kaspian announced, obviously interested at me since I was sponsored by jasmine.
Jasmine placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck."
Giving a firm nod in response, I walked down the steps. arriving at the arena and facing-off kaspian.
Kaspian looked at me before smirking and unsheathing his rapier from his waist. "I knew from first glance that you would have to be assessed in a different manner. I hope you don't take this... special treatment to heart," Kaspian commented as he lowered his stance.
Taking out my short sword from my ring and preparing myself for the clash.
"Please prepare yourself. I wouldn't want the person Miss Flamesworth sponsored to lose too quickly."
He sprang forward, leaving a trail of dust behind him as he closed the gap between us. In one fluid motion, he lunged his rapier like a coiled spring, using the momentum of his initial step.
I saw this coming as I effortlessly blocked his attack and dashed behind him, jabbing him with my elbow.
Kaspian was surprised at this but quickly composed himself as he turned and thrust his blade towards me. I used my sword to parry his blade and redirected it.
Kaspian was frustrated as I effortlessly dodged each of his attacks. He continued with a series of attacks which I blocked without breaking a sweat.
Kaspian's attacks were fast and barely visible for an average person. Still, with my training with dad, this felt like child's play.
I again parried his attack and thrust my sword towards his face as I scratched his cheek with my blade. His thin eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered instantly as blood dripped from his cheeks.
"I must apologize for underestimating you. I shall be a bit more serious now." Kaspian's voice was calm, but his face expressed a certain seriousness that wasn't there before. His sharp eyes gleamed with a powerful killing intent that could only be present in someone who had years of fighting under his belt.
Kaspian aimed his rapier toward me, but the blade began glowing with a silvery hue as he brought it closer. I instantly knew he was preparing the wind bullets.
"Ha!" Letting out a sharp breath, he thrust out his rapier, piercing the air in front of him.
I avoided his attack before it even reach me, knowing he had a wind affinity. I then start freezing the very particles of air, as the temperature dropped around the battlefield.
With this his wind element will be useless, as I decided to finish the match I dash where he is, and bombarding him with attacks.
As I completely overwhelmed him, with a swing of my sword he try to block it with his rapier. Seeing this as an opportunity to end the duel, I swing as I intend to causing his rapier to fly before hitting the ground. I then put my sword at his neck signaling the end of our match with my win.
He was shock at the result before quickly composing himself, before saying. "Your skills and control over mana was impressive. And with that I will give you a rank of...." Before he can continue I cut him off
"A-Class is enough for me."
He look at me with shock not expecting for me to ask to be placed in lower rank.
"Are you sure? I can give you an AA-Class or even S-Class with your skill. do you really want to be placed as A-Class?" Kaspian ask.
Which I responded with a nod.
"Okay! Note, A-Class!" Kaspian announced before turning around and leave.
Kaspian Bladeheart POV
"ha....." I let out a long sigh while sitting at my chair. Although I act almighty earlier I already know for sure that I will lose the battle.
When I first saw that guy or note, I can already sense his stronger than me. Just by the aura coming from him even if he tries to hide it you can still feel it, if you have an experience like me. But he wasn't hiding it or more likely directing it at me when they first enter my office.
He can end the duel as he want, since I knew from the start he was holding back against me. I can also end it if I want to, but I Decided to continue the match to test my skill. I don't care if I get humiliated It's rare to find another strong opponent.
I then see the two examiners in charge of today's placements enter my office, then bombarded me with questions.
"George, Emily, take a seat and don't talk all at once," I sighed
"Sir! What was with today's examinees?" George immediately shouted out. "Three B-class adventurers, and two A-Class Adventurers right off the bat in a day? This kind of situation is unheard of. Not to mention that four of them were kids! Light orange at the age of eleven... has that ever occurred amongst humans?"
Emily nodded fervidly in agreement.
"Do you remember what happened half a year ago here in Xyrus?" I asked.
"Around six months ago should've been the time when the first tournament amongst the three races took place, right?" Emily answered.
"Yes. The Adventurer Guild workers will all know soon, so there isn't much of a point in hiding this; I was just notified of this a couple of weeks ago as well. The ban on elves and dwarves becoming adventurers has been lifted and today's batch included some of the representative examinees." I pulled out a thin file from my desk drawer.
"S-Sir, do you mean to say that all of them were either dwarves or elves?" George's eyes had widened to a frightening degree as he expressed his shock.
"Lucas Wykes is a half-elf that has been residing in the Kingdom of Sapin. The information on his birth is classified but if I had to guess, he was probably a product of an elf slave. The Wykes Family has always had a bad reputation for dabbling in nefarious ways to breed better mages for their house. He's an unusual case, though, being able to be so adept in flame affinity, despite his elf lineage. He awakened at the age of eight, which is fast, even amongst elf standards, and was sent here for a sort of trial run. The Wykes no doubt expended a lot of money into buying beast cores and other resources to quicken his growth." I flipped to the next page.
"Elijah Knight. He's quite the mystery. According to the file, his origin is unknown. He was, however, raised amongst dwarves at a young age. He was sent as one of the first representatives from the Kingdom of Darv to assimilate into the human kingdom."
"How come he wasn't tested, Sir? The clerk only told me to just put him into B-class," Emily asked, her voice higher than usual from excitement.
"Elijah awakened a few months ago, so he's only now barely reached the dark- red stage. As for why he was allowed to be a B-class adventurer, it probably has to do with the person backing him up. I don't have any say in his case, so we can only let him be. I'm curious as to what his abilities are, though." I shook my head, putting down his file.
" As for Caera Denoir and Noah Wilson, I don't know who they are but I received an order from the higher ups to place them at those rank."
"As for that masked augmenter from today, to be honest, I have no idea who he is. He wasn't recorded as any of the representatives on the list. I was simply curious as to what kind of person Miss Flamesworth would be willing to sponsor."
"Flamesworth...as in that Flamesworth House? The famous house that is known for birthing the strongest fire attribute mages?"
I put away the file and regarded them seriously, adjusting my glasses. "I told you all of this because you will find out soon anyway. However, I trust that you guys will refrain from telling others until the announcement is officially made across the country?"
With fervent nods from both of them, I dismissed my two employees.
I was left to ponder over today's events.