Damon glanced slightly at the symbol on his chest; it was a thorned heart, which was Maya's symbol when she entered his body.
"I saw you have a symbol on your chest, but it's the first time I've seen it," Ignis stated while remembering the time she saw Damon naked, but the image was too much for her to remember.
"Ah… It's a b-birthmark!" Damon replied hurriedly. He nervously glanced at Ignis, who raised an eyebrow at him.
"A birthmark? Hmm," Ignis hummed and leaned down, trying to see the mark on Damon's chest that was covered by his clothes.
Damon slowly stepped back, showing his dislike at the uncomfortable space between them.
"That's a very unique and prominent birthmark, but set that aside. Come with me; I might be able to find you decent work if you're up for it," Ignis grinned and changed direction.
"Okay," Damon felt a surge of relief at the change of topic. He followed Ignis, leading to another massive building full of buffed men and women.
Damon stared at the name hanging on the signboard. "Adventurer's Guild," he whispered.
"Yup!" Ignis giggled and waved at the other people she knew.
Damon's shoulder slumped. He knew about the Adventurer's Guild and its role, but he never thought Ignis would recommend him that kind of work since he still looked like a child.
As they entered the bustling building, Damon couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. He would finally feel what it's like to be an Adventurer.
The Adventurer's Guild was a renowned establishment where seasoned adventurers gathered, seeking quests, bounties, and various missions across Tarynla.
The place was alive with chatter, and the atmosphere crackled with an air of determination and adrenaline.
Ignis led Damon confidently through the crowd. "Here we are!" Ignis announced cheerfully, gesturing towards a notice board adorned with parchment papers detailing different tasks and requests.
Damon scanned the board, seeing requests for monster slaying, relic retrieval, escort missions, etc. It was a world away from the entertainment business he had in mind.
'I want to take them all!' Damon thought excitingly in his mind, but his facial expression remained expressionless.
"Do you dislike me so much?" Damon asked nonchalantly and looked at Ignis, who was shocked at his question.
"What!? No! I'm helping you," Ignis shook her head in amusement. "Why did you even think about that?"
Damon's brow twitched and pointed at the board. Even though he was fine being an adventurer, he needed to stay in his act based on his physical appearance.
"Ah! You're looking at the grown-ups job," Ignis nodded in understanding. She grabbed Damon's finger and slowly lowered it to another section. "Here, it's a relatively simple and low-risk job, but less pay."
Damon's eyes widened. "Class D Rank quests," he muttered.
Class D rank adventurer quests typically involve quests suitable for beginner adventurers or those seeking initial experience and money.
"Hmm, not bad," Damon nodded while looking at the papers posted that were mainly herb gathering, simple crafting, or repair.
"Yes! You can pick one and I can help you if it's too difficult," Ignis grinned and pulled Damon with her.
They went to the counter, where a woman was standing with a forced smile on her face.
"Hello Indiana, how are you?" Ignis asked cheerfully but received a grumble instead.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, where bravery meets opportunity, and daring souls unite. This guild is a haven for those who dare to dream, explore, and conquer. May your time here be filled with thrilling exploits, unwavering courage, and the forging of bonds that withstand the tests of time and trial," Indiana stated nonchalantly and tonelessly with a grin.
Damon couldn't help but giggle at Indiana's reaction. For him, she looked like a robot forced to do the job that she hated.
"That opening line is still too long," Ignis shook her head while sighing.
"Here's the application to become an Adventurer," Indiana said and put a piece of paper that contained the contract and an ink.
"I haven't said anything yet! Indiana, are you a mind reader now?" Ignis teased. She took something from her pocket and gave it to Indiana.
"An orange," Indiana stated with a raised brow.
"Yes, I know you like it," Ignis smiled and gave Indiana a peace sign.
"Alright, thank you," Indiana beamed while shaking her head in amusement. Her job was easy, but she got stressed by hard-headed adventurers who got on her nerves every single minute.
"Well, Damon, put your thumb mark here, and everything is set," Ignis stated, handing Damon the ink and paper to read.
Damon didn't hesitate to put his thumb mark, but to his surprise, he didn't have any. A full tiny oval was placed on the identity option below instead.
"Now that's interesting, haha!" Ignis laughed and looked at Damon's thumb.
"Stop it," Damon muttered, pulling his hand away, fearing Ignis would get wary of him. "I burnt my fingerprint after I touched a heated pan."
"What?" Indiana and Ignis said at the same time in disbelief.
Damon could feel their puzzled gazes fixating on him, their expressions a mix of surprise and skepticism. He had to think quickly to maintain his cover without raising further suspicion.
"Yeah, it was a silly kitchen accident," Damon continued, trying to keep his tone casual despite the tension prickling at the back of his mind. "I wasn't paying attention while cooking and accidentally touched a hot pan. Burnt my fingerprint right off!"
Indiana arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "I've heard of various mishaps in the kitchen, but burning off a fingerprint is quite uncommon."
Ignis, still wearing a bemused expression, examined Damon's hand again. "I've never seen a burned mark like that before. You sure that's what happened?"
Damon felt the pressure building. "Absolutely. It was a while ago, but it healed strangely. I'm sure it will come back, haha," he laughed it off and played it cool.
Ignis nodded slowly, seemingly accepting Damon's explanation. "Strange indeed, but I suppose accidents can result in unusual outcomes."
Indiana shrugged, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "Well, it doesn't matter much for our records. We'll find a way around it. Welcome aboard officially, Damon!"
Indiana slid a card beige card that had Damon's fingerprint with his Adventurer Rank.
Relieved that his improvised excuse had seemingly passed their scrutiny, Damon managed a grateful smile. "Thank you both. I'm excited to contribute to the guild's endeavors. I will do my best despite my… uh… age."