Chapter one
"I wonder what quest I should get when I reach the guild…?"
Rowan muttered to himself as he walked through the capital.
The city was alive with motion and sound. Stone roads gleamed faintly under the morning sun, polished smooth by decades of foot traffic. Shops stood shoulder to shoulder, their wooden fronts carved with elegant patterns of dragons, swords, blooming flowers. Each proudly displaying hanging signs that swayed gently in the breeze. Merchants shouted prices with booming voices, adventurers laughed over tankards of cheap ale, and the scent of freshly baked bread mixed with metal and mana in the air.
Rowan blended into the crowd, unnoticed.
Or at least—until he didn't.
*Thud.*
"Oof—!"
He bumped into someone solid and fell backward onto the stone pavement. His palms scraped painfully as he hit the ground. As Rowan lifted his head, his breath caught.
Lucien Valemont.
Tall. Handsome. Draped in a pristine academy uniform stitched with silver thread. His blond hair gleamed like gold under the sun, and the noble crest of House Valemont rested proudly on his chest.
Lucien stared down at Rowan with pure disgust.
"Tch."
He stepped past Rowan as though avoiding filth on the street, his polished boots never slowing.
Rowan clenched his jaw and pushed himself up, dusting off his clothes.
"Ah yes… Valemont," he thought bitterly. "The most famous noble in the academy. Every lady falls head over heels for him."
His lips curled slightly.
"And yet… he hates me. Just like the rest of them."
One name surfaced in his mind.
"Princess Celestia Dragonheart."
Rowan let out a quiet breath, a mock grin appearing on his face.
"As much as they want to hit me… or bully me… they can't."
Because she was his shield.
No noble was foolish enough to provoke someone so closely tied to a legend, someone rumored to be a *mythic in the making*.
Still, reality weighed heavily on him.
"I'm just an F-ranked kid," Rowan thought. "Sixteen years old, no talent worth boasting about."
The academy wasn't glory for him.
It was survival.
"A chance at a job that pays gold instead of bronze," he sighed. "Unlike the trash-tier missions I take now."
He stopped in front of a large building made entirely of dark oak wood. Intricate carvings of crossed swords and roaring beasts covered its exterior, while iron lanterns burned with soft blue Atherion flames beside the entrance.
The Adventurers' Guild.
Rowan stepped inside.
Only two people glanced his way; the rest were far too busy. High-ranked adventurers discussed dungeon raids, guild staff sorted contracts, and armored warriors leaned against pillars while counting coin.
Rowan walked toward a massive quest board filled with shining parchments.
He laughed under his breath.
"What am I doing here…?"
That board was for elites.
He turned away and crossed the hall to a smaller, worn board nailed to the wall.
"There we go… my kind of missions."
The quests were simple.
*Kill five slimes – 10 bronze coins.*
*Gather five healing herbs – 10 bronze coins.*
*Deliver supplies to a nearby farm – 5 bronze coins.*
Rowan tore down two notices and walked to the counter.
"Hey there, miss," he said, placing the papers down. "Here are my quests for today."
The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Ah, of course," she said cheerfully. "You've got this, Rowan."
"Sure thing, Julia," he replied before heading out.
"Right…" He paused at the door. "Next stop—the forest."
---
Hours later.
Rowan sat beneath a tree branch, drinking water. Three sack bags lay beside him, stuffed with white and yellow flowers. Nearby, nearly fifty bottles of slime fluid were carefully packed together.
"I… kinda overdid it, huh…?" he muttered, scratching his head.
"Definitely."
Rowan froze.
He turned around.
The first thing he noticed was the yellow dress, flowing freely with the wind. Then came the long blonde hair, shining softly, and skin so smooth it seemed untouched by hardship.
Celestia Dragonheart.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.
"Earth to Rowan," she said with a giggle.
"Oh—hey, Celestia," Rowan said, snapping out of it.
She sat beside him. "So? How do I look? Dresses really aren't my style."
"I'd agree on that part," Rowan replied casually. "You're so obsessed with armor people might mistake you for a man."
*Bam.*
A punch drove straight into his gut.
"Blegh—!"
"I asked how I look," she said, turning away with crossed arms. "Not what I'm obsessed with."
"Ouch…!" Rowan groaned, rolling in the grass. Green light shimmered as his healing activated. After a moment, he stood up.
"You look beautiful," he said awkwardly, scratching his head. "The color suits you… and your beauty."
Celestia froze.
Her face turned bright red.
*Smack.*
"Ouch!!!"
Rowan flew backward into a tree, his scream startling birds into the sky.
---
They walked back toward the capital. Rowan's cheek was bruised and swollen; Celestia walked beside him with a satisfied smile.
"You know," she said softly, "it's been a while since we talked like this."
"You don't say…" Rowan replied, his voice crooked.
"Oh don't be like that," she teased.
"Oh, you're *damn* right," he snapped. "It's been years since I got punched this much. Since I was eleven, actually!"
People stared.
A commoner shouting at the princess.
"You don't get to yell at me!" Celestia fired back.
"Oh really!? And why not!?"
"Because… because… uh…"
Rowan smirked. "That's right. For hitting me twice today—you owe me a dance."
"W-What!?"
"Oh my god, Celestia—you're turning red. Fever?"
*Smack.*
"Again!?"
She ran off.
---
"Here are the items," Rowan said later, placing the bags and bottles on the counter.
"Hmmm," Julia said, giggling. "Overdid it again, didn't you?"
"Yeah…"
She handed him the coins. "Everything's fresh—and overcounted. Extra pay."
"Thanks."
"See you tomorrow, Rowan."
"Sure thing."
---
That night, Rowan returned home.
A small clay house sat on the outskirts of the capital, its walls cracked, roof patched with mismatched tiles. The door creaked loudly, furniture inside old and worn. It was barely holding together.
"No time for food," Rowan muttered. "Time for my medicine."
He pulled up a loose wooden tile in his room.
A hidden staircase descended into darkness.
"Let's see if it works this time…"
He stepped down.
To be continued…