Leuco woke from his dream under the shade of the apple tree a mile outside the city gate. The tree had been around for a long time and bore no fruit anymore, but was rumored to once have done so throughout the seasons. Legend around those parts said that in the early days of the city's establishment, adventurers would pluck the fruit as they left for quests, both to have a free source of food and as a token of luck. That had all changed when an unfortunate party picked the tree bare and offered the fruit to a demon in exchange for their lives on a quest, and the tree stopped giving fruit altogether.
Leuco looked at the sky, its small blue patches visible through the leaves of the tree, as he left the memory of his dream and came back to the world of waking. He had realized that calling them nightmares did not seem correct anymore, for they did not instill any more fear in him than the sight of an insect. The dreams were different each time, but ever so slightly, and he had started to grow weary of them. They all spelled a future which he already knew all too well, painful beyond measure but also inevitable. As all inevitable conclusions usually do, it had first driven him to desperation to avert it, only to evolve into an acceptance of fate as time passed. The sound of a carriage passing on the dusty road broke his thoughts. A party of adventurers, back from a quest, rode it back to the city for their reward. Their merry laughter was enough to tell Leuco that the quest had been a success. As they passed and caught a glimpse of Leuco, the laughter soon turned to hushed whispers, and it was clear that they spotted him. Even at that distance, he caught mention of his name and realized that there would be no point camping outside the city anymore now, and the few moments of sleep that he had gotten would now suffice for the next couple of days. The adventurers had seen through his shabby disguise and recognized him."I really need to get better at this if I need peace." He had hoped to roam the city without incident, but that would not be possible anymore, as it was clear that his reputation had reached the city much before him. For once, he hoped to get to a city where he would be welcomed as a stranger free of all notions, but that was a wish too good to be true."Well, guess it's time to head to the guild then." He muttered to himself as he picked himself up from the ground and picked up his signature sword that seemed to betray his identity as it lay right next to him. He had tried to put it in the item bag or the netherspace for storage without success over the years. As far as he knew, it was the only sword of its kind to exist, and there was no craftsman in the entire continent who could perform any alteration on it.He started walking towards the city as another couple of carriages with adventurers passed him, some more somber than others. Adventuring on the continent was a dangerous job but pulled in people from all walks of life, primarily due to the money involved. Everyone born on the continent gained a class and a skill at the age of 7, with varying degrees of proficiency, which made itself evident as they grew up. At the age of 15, anyone could submit themselves for an evaluation at the guild, which would measure their mana and physical abilities to assign them a level. Only the people who passed with a level of 10 or higher could register as an adventurer, due to the strict guidelines put in place to prevent people from harm. If someone failed, they could train and apply again for an evaluation, but this could only be done 3 times. Leuco had passed his on the first try itself with a level of 13 and a class of Knight. As for his skill, the record had reflected "quick slash," but that had been an intentional misrecord.As he reached the city gate, he took out his identification bracelet for the guards to check, who, to their credit, did not seem to make a mess of handling him, or maybe they just didn't recognize him. The hope of the latter was shattered as he passed through the town to the hushed whispers and gaze of residents that he cut across. He could sense equal parts fear and pity in their eyes as they stared at him. "I really do need a better disguise; the robe artifact really isn't doing much to help me out here. Maybe I can find a better market here that will actually have a decent thing for me." He thought to himself.The guild hall was the same as the tens he had visited before, full of rowdy adventurers, shellshocked half-parties with lost members and bloodied armor, novices trying to find a quick way to make money, and the guild staff behind their counters swamped with work.He saw an empty counter at the corner of the hall with the guild worker scribbling down into his records, too busy to look up as he approached it. "Yes, what can I do for you?" The guild worker was a young kid, no more than 15 or 16 years of age, and spoke to him without looking up from his stack of quest reports. "Oh, come on, there are people here, and I don't have all day."Leuco took his bracelet and touched it to the identification gem as it spoke his identity: Leuco Inosson Class: Knight Familiar Title: The Knight of Misfortune Level: 23A sudden quiet fell in the bustling hall as the name was heard, with the last sound being that of Leuco's sigh and the worker putting his pen down."The Knight of Misfortune, huh? That's an unusual title. So, what can I do for you?" The worker finally looked up at Leuco with a look that he had not seen in ages. "Do you know who I am, kid?" Leuco asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Oh great, another entitled adventurer who thinks they deserve special treatment. Well, let me be very clear, you get the same treatment as a level 10 novice, for this hall is a place that respects its adventurers equally."It was after a very long time that Leuco could feel his face make an expression that he felt he had forgotten. This would be an interesting city to be in, he realized, as he smiled from ear to ear.