Hugo and Bennet attended their first day of school. As they mingled with kids their age, they quickly realized that each student belonged to a different guild. When children proudly declared their affiliation with guilds like the Blood Hounds or Jackals, it garnered admiration and respect from their peers.
However, when the name "Shadow Viper guild" was mentioned, a hushed buzz of whispers and awestruck glances swept through the crowd. It became evident that the Shadow Viper was no ordinary guild; it was considered the elite among the guilds, with membership reserved for only the top one percent of warriors.
Among the students, only two were fortunate enough to belong to the prestigious Shadow Viper guild. Lucio, level thirteen, and Zaira, level twelve, both stood out in presence. The majority of the other students fell in the range of levels eight to ten, while both Bennet and Hugo stood at level ten.
Bennet's experiences from his previous life had left him with certain expectations, especially when it came to the two students from the elite Shadow Viper guild. He had seen enough anime to anticipate that they might be bullies or may act superior to others.
With this in mind, Bennet made a conscious decision to keep his distance from Lucio and Zaira, choosing to avoid confrontation for the time being. He believed that the best course of action was to focus on his own growth and become strong enough to face any challenges that might come his way, even from members of the prestigious Shadow Viper guild.
As Bennet and Hugo finished their class and started packing their belongings, a friendly voice approached them from behind. The voice belonged to a girl who asked, "Hi Bennet, Where are you heading now?"
Bennet, not looking up, replied, "Going back to the Celestial Fox guild, hopefully, we could get a job."
The girl offered her assistance, saying, "If you need an extra hand, just let me know. I have nothing to do after class."
Bennet was about to respond when he abruptly stopped. He finally glanced up and found himself face to face with the girl who had offered help—Zaira from the Shadow Viper guild. She had silky black hair, captivating eyes, and a charming smile that seemed to radiate friendliness.
Bennet couldn't help but feel cautious, a voice in his head warning him that it might be a trap.
"Okay, thanks, Zaira. We will head out now," avoiding further engagement and quickly making his way out of the classroom with Hugo.
As the brothers were walking, a sudden grip on Bennet's shoulder startled him. He turned to see Lucio, a member of the Shadow Viper guild, who shared similar black hair but bore a more snobbish expression compared to Zaira.
Lucio questioned Bennet's behavior, saying, "Zaira was being friendly, why are you ignoring her?"
Bennet, feeling a bit flustered, quickly responded, "I am not ignoring her; we are just in a hurry."
Hugo, sensing the tension, issued a warning, "Let him go."
Bennet couldn't help but feel that the situation was taking a turn for the worse.
Zaira intervened, calmly stating, "Hugo is right, let him go, Lucio."
Lucio, still somewhat annoyed, insisted, "But they ignored you."
Zaira, displaying understanding and maturity, responded, "That's okay. Maybe Bennet is just shy, right, Bennet?"
Bennet, feeling relieved by Zaira's understanding, stammered, "Y-yes, I think so."
"Oh, I apologize if that's the case." Lucio, surprisingly, offered an apology.
Bennet was genuinely taken aback that a member of an elite guild would apologize. He quickly brushed it off with a smile and said, "No harm done. We really have to go now."
Zaira and Lucio bid them farewell, and Bennet and Hugo continued on their way
In many anime and manga, individuals like Zaira and Lucio, with their exceptional talents, wealth, and affiliation with the best guild or family would typically be portrayed as natural rivals or antagonists. However, Bennet was beginning to realize that this world might be different from the anime and manga he was familiar with.
Bennet made a mental note to be friendlier and more open in his interactions with others tomorrow. After a short walk, they arrived at the guild house where they were greeted by a staff member named Marie. She explained that she would be responsible for assigning them their jobs.
Before they could begin their first job, Marie provided them with the official guild uniform. Hugo and Bennet eagerly put on the uniforms, and as Bennet looked at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but notice that the uniform resembled the one worn by Roy Mustang from the Full Metal Alchemist anime, but in black not blue.
Hugo marveled at their appearance, saying, "We look like actual soldiers."
Despite his age, Hugo had a rather younger face but was taller than most kids his age so him wearing a military-looking uniform looks really odd.
"Yes, these are actually dope!" Bennet said.
"Dope?" Hugo seemed puzzled by the word
Bennet clarified with a chuckle, "I mean, it looks good on us."
Bennet couldn't help but wonder how he could remember a word from his previous life after all these years which has no value to the new world that he is in.
Marie handed Bennet and Hugo their job contract for the day. Bennet expressed his gratitude and immediately began to read the details.
The mission for the day appeared to be relatively simple yet valuable. They were to exit through the North gate and head to the border of the land of the beasts. Bennet noticed additional information specifying that they would be transporting around three hundred kilograms of food supplies, and the journey would take about three hours by horse.
Concerned that it might be just him and Hugo handling the task, Bennet asked, "Excuse me, will it just be me and Hugo who will deliver the materials?"
Marie chuckled at his question and reassured him, "Of course not. You will join a group at the north gate. Your job is to simply guard the caravan along with other warriors."
Bennet and Hugo realized the practicality of having a group for such a task. It would have been impossible for just the two of them to manage transporting over three hundred kilograms of food supplies and handling horses on their own.
As they reached the northern gate, they found twelve other warriors already assembled. Among them, nine appeared to be younger than twelve years old, while the rest were older.
A man in his early twenties approached them and asked, "Are you two from the Celestial Fox guild?"
"Yes, we are from the Celestial Fox guild," Bennet confirmed.
"Good, we are complete now," the man said.
"Listen up, we will start our journey," he commanded, and the group gathered around him.
"I am Captain Igor, and I will be the leader of this party," he introduced himself.
As Captain Igor confidently led the group, Bennet couldn't resist the urge to take a quick peek at the captain's level. Igor was at level nineteen, indicating that he was likely a newly promoted warrior. It was impressive to see someone his age holding such a position.
As they proceed with their mission, Captain Igor decided it was a good time to emphasize the importance of remaining vigilant and observant of their surroundings. He gathered the group and explained the primary reason for the presence of warriors on this mission – pesky goblins.
These cunning creatures were notorious for attempting to steal from caravans passing through this region.
"They may not be individually strong," the captain cautioned, "but goblins are relentless and often attack in large numbers. If we're not careful, they can easily overwhelm us. So, keep your eyes peeled and your weapons ready. Our duty is to protect the caravan and ensure the safe delivery of these supplies."
The group nodded realizing that their mission wasn't just about delivering goods but also defending them from potential threats along the way.
Hugo, always brimming with curiosity, couldn't help but ask Captain Igor a question that had been nagging at him. "Captain, if there are defenders guarding the border, why are there still goblins causing trouble?"
"You see, these goblins are clever little creatures. They usually travel underground through hidden tunnels and passages, making it challenging for border defenders to spot and intercept them. Additionally, while they may be a nuisance, they're not considered a significant threat to the realm's security, so the government doesn't allocate as many resources to deal with them."
Captain Igor looked at Hugo and said "I like people who ask questions".
Hugo nodded, absorbing this new information and he felt a sense of satisfaction that his question had earned the captain's approval.
The group maintained a brisk marching pace. They strategically expanded their formation as they moved, ensuring that they wouldn't be an easy target if the goblins decided to launch an attack from a distance, using arrows or other projectiles.
Captain Igor, with his experience, knew the importance of keeping the group spread out. It minimized the risk of multiple warriors being hit by a single goblin arrow and allowed for better mobility in case they needed to respond quickly to an ambush or other threats.
As they marched through the rugged terrain at the border of the land of the beasts, the warriors stayed vigilant, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of lurking goblins. The forested landscape concealed many potential hiding spots, and the tension in the air was palpable.
Bennet had never encountered a goblin before, so he couldn't gauge their level of threat accurately. However, he reasoned to himself that the guild wouldn't send children on a mission that was too dangerous to handle.