Rae stood in the training yard, victorious after her duel with Harold. The win had been hard-fought, yet she barely savored the triumph. Her mind was set on the next step—becoming an adventurer. The guild was where she needed to be, even if every fiber of her being told her the road ahead would be anything but easy.
The adventurer's guild loomed ahead like a fortress of stone and timber, its grand double doors etched with symbols of valor and power. As Rae pushed them open, a wave of murmurs swept through the bustling hall. The room fell silent, save for the occasional clink of tankards or scrape of a chair. All eyes turned toward her, their gazes heavy with skepticism.
A deep voice boomed from the back, breaking the tension. "Hey, princess! What're you doing here? This ain't no playhouse for children. Go back to your fancy mansion and play tea time with your dolls. Only real warriors belong here!"
Laughter erupted around the hall, a chorus of scorn that tried to swallow her resolve. Rae straightened her shoulders and ignored the taunts, her boots clicking against the wooden floor as she strode to the counter.
"I'd like to register as an adventurer," she said firmly, her voice unwavering despite the weight of dozens of eyes on her.
The clerk behind the counter, a tired-looking woman with ash-blonde hair tied in a loose bun, hesitated. "I'm sorry, but—"
"Let me stop you right there, princess," a hulking man interrupted, stepping into her path. His broad frame cast a shadow over Rae, and his twin axes glinted menacingly at his sides. "Do you think adventuring's a game? That it's all glory and no guts? If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around and go home."
"Yeah, go back to your safe little mansion!" someone hollered from the crowd.
"We wouldn't want your delicate hands getting scratched!" another jeered.
Rae's grip on her cloak tightened, but she stood her ground, her gaze unwavering. "You haven't even tested my abilities. Isn't this discrimination? How could you deny me just because of my age or size?"
Her words hung in the air for a moment before a door behind the counter creaked open. Out stepped a man of medium height, his silver hair catching the dim light of the hall. Though age had softened the edges of his face, his presence was anything but gentle. This was the guild master.
"What's all this noise?" he demanded, his voice carrying an air of authority that silenced the room. His sharp eyes scanned the scene before landing on Rae. "What's going on here?"
The clerk stammered. "Guild Master, I was just trying to explain to the girl that—"
"She makes a valid point," the guild master interrupted, raising a hand. "If she believes she's capable, she deserves a chance to prove it. Let her take the test."
"But Guild Master, she's just a child—"
"That's enough," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "Prepare the testing grounds."
The clerk bowed her head and hurried off, leaving the room buzzing with murmurs. The guild master turned back to Rae. "You'd better be as good as you claim. If not, this dream of yours will end here."
The testing arena was grander than Rae had expected—a massive domed structure with a sand-covered field at its center, surrounded by rows of spectator seats. As she stepped into the arena, the seats began filling with onlookers, their curiosity palpable.
"Choose your weapon," the clerk said curtly, gesturing to a rack of gleaming blades, maces, and other implements of war. Rae walked to the rack and selected her twin daggers, their weight familiar and comforting in her hands.
Her opponent stepped onto the field, the hulking man from earlier, his twin axes resting on his broad shoulders. His grin was wide and condescending. "I'm gonna teach you why kids like you don't belong here. Don't worry, princess—I'll try not to break you too much."
The crowd roared with approval, their cheers bolstering his confidence. Rae ignored them, her focus narrowing to the opponent in front of her.
The guild master's voice rang out from above. "Begin!"
The man lunged, his axes cutting through the air with a brutal, unrefined strength. Rae sidestepped effortlessly, her movements precise and calculated. She activated a wind magic circle beneath her feet, the air propelling her forward like a bullet. In a blink, she was behind him, delivering a swift kick to his exposed back.
The force sent him staggering, confusion etched across his face. "What the—?"
Before he could recover, Rae struck again, kicking his axe out of his grip. The weapon clattered to the ground as she unleashed a flurry of attacks, each one landing with unerring accuracy. The crowd's cheers faltered, replaced by gasps and murmurs of disbelief.
Desperate, the man swung his remaining axe in a wide arc, but Rae was already gone, leaping into the air with another burst of wind magic. She spun mid-air, her body curling into a tight ball before she extended, delivering a devastating kick to his chest. The impact sent him sprawling, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Silence blanketed the arena. Then, the guild master's voice broke through. "The winner is Rae."
The murmurs of disbelief turned to awe as the crowd began to process what they had just witnessed.
"Is she even human?"
"Was that wind magic? And without a chant!"
"She really is a prodigy…"
The guild master approached her as she stood amidst the sand, her breath stable despite the exertion. "You've earned your place here," he said, his tone even. "Congratulations, Rae. You're officially an E-rank adventurer."
Back at the mansion that evening, Rae sat with her father, the weight of the day pressing heavily on her. "Father," she said, her voice resolute. "The adventurers… They're not as strong as I thought they'd be. If they are what stands between us and the monsters, then we're doomed."
Her father sighed, the lines on his face deepening. "I've tried to bring high-class adventurers on board, but they're not interested. Only the low-ranked ones come."
"Then let me try," Rae said, determination lighting her eyes. "If I can convince them to join us, we might stand a chance."
"You won't go," her father said firmly. "Not unless you have a capable companion."
"What if I joined her party?" came a voice from the shadows. Trina stepped into the light, her arms crossed but her expression earnest.
Her father hesitated, then nodded. "If you're with her, then I'll allow it."
The next morning, Rae and Trina set out, their hearts heavy with the weight of their mission but fueled by the hope of what they could achieve.