Kael woke with electric excitement buzzing through his chest.
Today was the day.
Knock. Knock.
"Master Kael," Mira's gentle voice came from beyond the door. "I have brought your clothes for the day."
"I'm coming!" Kael replied, already jumping out of bed.
He dressed quickly, barely paying attention to what he wore.
"Thank you! Sorry, Mira—I'll eat later!"
Before she could respond, Kael bolted out the door.
Down the stairs—
Through the gate—
And straight into the town.
People turned as a silver-haired boy sprinted past them like the wind.
"Is that Lord Kael?"
"He's fast!"
"Something big must be happening!"
Kael skidded to a stop in front of a massive stone building engraved with a familiar emblem.
The Adventurers' Guild.
He inhaled deeply.
From today onward… my journey begins.
With steady hands, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
The moment Kael stepped inside, the lively guild hall fell strangely quiet.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
Whispers rippled through the room.
"Who's that kid?"
"Is he new?"
"Does he look… noble?"
Ignoring the attention, Kael walked straight to the reception counter.
Behind it stood a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair. She blinked in surprise.
"Good morning," Kael said politely. "My name is Kael. I would like to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Good morning, Kael. I'm Sarina."
She reached beneath the counter and placed a crystal orb on a pedestal.
"Please place your hand on the crystal."
Kael nodded and did as instructed.
The moment his palm touched it, the crystal began to glow.
Softly at first.
Then brighter.
Then blinding.
Light flooded the guild hall.
Murmurs erupted instantly.
"What is that glow…?"
"I've never seen a crystal react like that!"
Sarina shielded her eyes as a freshly formed guild card emerged from the crystal.
"…Incredible," she muttered.
She looked up at Kael, stunned.
"You possess an extremely high amount of magical power."
Kael scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Yeah… I hear that sometimes."
The whispers only grew louder.
"Is he even human?"
"That mana's terrifying…"
Trying to escape the attention, Kael leaned forward.
"Um… could you explain how the guild works?"
Sarina quickly regained her composure.
"Of course. You may accept quests from the board, but only those suitable for your rank."
She gestured toward a large wall covered in parchments.
"The ranks are E, D, C, B, A, and S. All new adventurers begin at E-rank. To rank up, you must complete promotion quests. For A- and S-rank, you'll also need a recommendation."
"I understand," Kael nodded.
"You may now select a quest," she said with a smile.
Kael stood before the quest board.
Most E-rank missions were simple: herb gathering, cleaning stables, helping townsfolk.
Higher ranks involved goblins, bandits, and dangerous monsters.
As Kael read, a large, rough-looking man suddenly stepped in front of him.
"So you're the newbie everyone's staring at," the man sneered.
Before Kael could respond—
"If you want a fight, I can give you one."
The atmosphere shifted.
A young man in his early twenties stepped forward, his presence heavy and sharp.
The large man stiffened as a hand landed on his shoulder.
"T-That voice…" he swallowed.
"Why are you here, Nikolas?"
Nikolas—an A-rank adventurer from a renowned party—smiled faintly.
The man immediately backed away.
"S-Sorry! I don't want trouble!"
He vanished into the crowd.
Nikolas turned to Kael.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kael replied.
"I'm Nikolas."
"Kael."
Nikolas nodded approvingly.
"Good luck."
"I'll do my best," Kael said sincerely.
After Nikolas left, Kael selected an E-rank quest and folded it carefully.
"Perfect."
The forest was calm, sunlight filtering through tall trees.
Kael stopped in a small clearing.
"…How do I find these herbs?"
He reread the quest details.
Lunaria Leaf — Grows in shade. Used for mana recovery.
Emberroot — Warm to the touch. Found near tree roots.
Kael's eyes lit up.
"…Right. I have that."
He raised his hand.
"Search Magic — Find Herbs."
A ripple spread through the air.
Glowing labels appeared everywhere.
Lunaria Leaf
Emberroot
Silver Moss
Sunbud
"…There are so many."
The area was rich with rare medicinal plants.
Collecting extra shouldn't be a problem… right?
Kael worked carefully, preserving the roots.
When finished, he opened his Item Box. The herbs vanished neatly into storage.
Satisfied, he headed back.
The guild buzzed with noise when Kael returned.
"I've completed my quest," he said.
"That was fast," Sarina blinked. "Did you bring the herbs?"
"Yes. Actually… I gathered more than required."
"…How many?"
Kael opened his Item Box.
Bundles of herbs spilled onto the counter—far more than expected.
"…Did you really collect all of these?"
"Is that bad?"
"No—no!" Sarina shook her head quickly. These quantities are absurd…
"…Please come with me."
Inside the Guild Master's office, Kael waited calmly.
Moments later, a tall man with silver-streaked hair entered.
"Greetings," he said respectfully.
"Master Kael."
Sarina froze.
"…W-What?"
"Kael is the second son of Count Aelric Valcrest."
Sarina bowed deeply.
"I—I'm terribly sorry!"
"It's fine," Kael said quickly. "Please treat me like a normal adventurer."
The guild master smiled.
"So, what's the issue?"
Sarina explained. The guild master examined the herbs and nodded.
"No problem. We'll accept all of them."
He added casually,
"After all, Kael once defeated Sir William in a mock battle."
Sarina stiffened.
"I will promote you directly to C-rank."
Kael nodded. "Thank you."
Later, Kael returned home.
"Kael!" Lyria hugged him tightly. "How was your day?"
Kael smiled, patting her head.
"It was fun… but I'm tired. I'll rest."
As he climbed the stairs, exhaustion finally caught up to him.
Yet—
Far away, unseen eyes were already taking interest.
The first step had been taken.
And the world had begun to move.