Azrael strode toward the guild with a steady, unhurried pace. While dining at the Hostess of Fertility the night before he had taken the opportunity to do some much-needed planning. To start, if he wanted to join a Familia he decided it would be best to register as an adventurer first. In his mind, having prior experience as an adventurer a more appealing candidate for higher up Familias. That was only one reason he wanted an adventurer's licence though. Having a licence would make entering the dungeon a thousand times easier and then, Azrael could go whenever he wanted.
Upon entering the guild, Azrael quickly made his way towards a particular receptionist. She had the shortest line — a convenience, given the long list of tasks Azrael hoped to complete today. The receptionist, a werewolf, was easily recognisable by her pointed ears. She had long red hair that cascaded past her shoulders and striking gold eyes.
"Good morning," Azrael greeted evenly, "I'd like to register for the Adventurers' guild, if that's alright. " The werewolf woman let out an audible sigh, her ears twitching in irritation. "I'm Rose Fannett, I will walk you through the process of becoming an Adventurer..." She muttered tiredly, her tone mechanical, like reciting from a script.
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel. "Come on... let's get this over with." She led him away from the main guild hall towards a smaller room on the side, her tail flicking with a mild impatience. Once inside the room, they took their seats at opposite ends of the small table. Rose reached for a small stack of papers and placed one on the table in front of Azrael, setting a pen besides it.
"If you'd fill in the information, please," Rose said dismissively, not bothering to take her eyes off her nails. Azrael nodded and took the pen in hand. The first few questions were relatively simple—Name, for which he wrote Azrael, and Place of Residence, to which he answered with the name of the inn where he was staying. However, the next few questions made things a bit more complex. First, Familia, to which he answered 'None,' and Level, which he also answered 'None.' Azrael wasn't entirely sure they would let him in the Adventurer's Guild without those items, but it was a worth a try anyway. Luckily, those four were the only questions they had...
Azrael slid the paper towards Rose, who finally moved her gaze away from her nails, "Oh? Done already, huh?" She glanced at the paper, her eyes widening in disbelief before narrowing as they landed on Azrael. "Are you stupid or something?!" She shouted. "No Familia means no status!" She paused, huffing and crossing her arms.
Azrael stared at her, his expression unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a sense of expectation. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Azrael spoke, "I suspected you might not allow it." Rose stared at him, her ears twitching in disbelief, her tail flicking agitatedly behind her, "Of course I won't! Do you expect me to let you run off to your death?" Her fangs subtly bared as her frustration grew.
"I wouldn't be running off to my death." Azrael argued, his voice constant and steady. "How am I supposed to believe that when you have no Falna?!" Rose complained, her voice rising in frustration. "You're just a regular human there is no place for you in the Dungeon..." Her expression softened for a moment, her tail dropping slightly as a wistful, almost mourning look crossed her face. Azrael, catching up to her unspoken thoughts, spoke soothingly, "I promise, if you issue me a licence I will return every day, alive." He made sure to sound confident, but not so much that it would remind her of past Adventurers who may have made similar promises.
Rose's expression shifted to one of confusion as she looked up at him, her gaze solemn. "Why are you so determined...? All adventurers—" she trailed off, as if struggling to understand his resolve. "You're just throwing away your lives," Rose muttered, but a small smile tugged at the corners of Azrael's mouth, a fleeting hint of amusement.
"I can assure you, Miss Rose," Azrael said evenly, "I'm not your ordinary adventurer, and I'm not ready to die just yet, not when the world is so lively." She stared up at him in disbelief, then her expression softened into one of reluctant defeat. "Fine, I'll give you the damned license, but if you die... I swear, I'll kill you!"
Rose wasn't entirely sure what Azrael meant by 'not your ordinary adventurer,' but for some reason, she couldn't help but trust his words. There was something about him—a strange air that made the impossible seem a whole lot more possible.
"Your license will be ready within a few days. Is it safe to assume I'll be your advisor?" Rose spoke up, her tone much more approachable now. Azrael nodded, "That would make it easiest to repay my promise, I suppose." He stood up calmly and moved toward the exit. "Oh, before I go, where can I get some better gear?" Rose's ears drooped, her expression tightening with concern. "You're not making me confident you'll be able to hold this promise..."
"Your best bet is Babel, specifically between the fourth and eighth floors. That's where the Hephaestus Familia sells their wares." She hesitated, her tail flickering with uncertainty. "Though, the prices can get pretty high over there."
"Speaking of Hephaestus..." A fleeting image spun through Azrael's mind, a memory from his time in heaven. 'Back when I had Demise and Futility, she would always pester me about examining them, studying them. It was like a child fixated on getting a certain toy.' He recalled, one of his more pleasant memories of heaven.
"I'll probably be able to find something that'll do me well," Azrael said thoughtfully.
Rose's expression flared. "Probably?" she asked, her voice rising in irritation. "You're not helping your case." She let out an exasperated huff, crossing her arms tightly.
"Ah, apologies... I'm certain I will find a proper weapon." Azrael said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he corrected himself.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Sorry it's a bit dialogue packed.