The next morning, I sat inside a horse-drawn carriage alongside Father.
Several guards from our household rode alongside us, their presence calm but vigilant.
The wheels rolled steadily over the stone road.
Father broke the silence.
"Solaris," he said, glancing at me. "Are you wearing them?"
I lifted my hands proudly, showing the two rings resting on my fingers.
"Yes, Father! Right here."
One ring shimmered faintly with shifting rainbow hues.
The other glowed a dull red, warm to the touch.
"Good," Father said. "Remember—do not take them off. Not under any circumstances."
I nodded with a bright smile.
"Okay, Father. I understand."
---
Flashback —
Last night, Father came to my room.
His expression was serious. Unusually so.
"Solaris," he said, "you possess all six attributes."
I froze.
"That is absurdly uncommon," he continued. "And because of that, you will face danger in the future. So… we must do something about it."
I lowered my head.
"Yes, Father," I said quietly.
"I understand. It must be a great embarrassment for you… to have such a weak child."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Father gently patted my head.
"You are not weak," he said firmly.
"And I will never be embarrassed by you."
I looked up.
"You are my pride," he continued.
"My one and only son."
My chest tightened.
Father then reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings.
One was rainbow-colored, faintly pulsing with a deep, mysterious energy.
The other was crimson red, emanating a sharp but stable power.
"These are family relics," Father said.
He placed the rainbow ring into my hand first.
"If you wear this ring, it will suppress and conceal your mana entirely."
Then he handed me the red ring.
"And this one will nullify any abnormal reaction from your fire attribute. To others… you will appear to possess only fire."
My eyes widened.
"So you mean—"
"If I wear them…"
I looked at the rings again.
"I'll become normal again?"
Father scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"One attribute is common," he said.
"So technically… yes. You'll be normal."
My face lit up instantly.
"Yeah!"
"I'm normal again!"
---
Back to the Present
Inside the carriage, I smiled to myself, barely able to contain my happiness.
"Normal… normal…" I whispered softly.
"I'm normal."
Across from me, Father leaned back and let out a long sigh.
The carriage continued forward—
Toward the Adventurers' Guild.
And toward a future that was anything but normal.
---
The carriage slowed.
The rhythmic sound of hooves against stone gradually faded, replaced by the low hum of a crowded street. Then—
It stopped completely.
I leaned forward instinctively and pushed aside the curtain, peering out of the window.
…Big.
For a second, my mind failed to process what I was seeing.
No—huge.
The Adventurers' Guild wasn't just a building. It didn't resemble a hall or an office like I had imagined. What stood before me was closer to a fortress, a structure built not for comfort—but for survival.
Massive stone walls towered above us, their surfaces rough and uneven, bearing countless scars. Deep scratches, dents, and cracks ran across the stone—clear evidence of battles fought far too close to the guild itself. Some marks looked like they were made by claws. Others, by blades. A few… I couldn't even guess.
At the front stood an enormous gate reinforced with dark metal, thick enough to stop a charging monster. Etched deep into its surface was the guild's emblem.
Crossed swords.
And beneath them—
a monster crest.
People moved constantly through the entrance.
Adventurers in battered armor, their equipment worn but carefully maintained. Some walked with confidence, others with visible exhaustion. Mages passed by quietly, their staves faintly glowing, mana leaking unconsciously into the air. Healers, robes clean compared to the rest—yet their eyes looked far older.
And then there were others.
Figures whose mere presence pressed down on the air itself.
I felt it.
A weight.
A pressure.
Not everyone here was human—at least, not in the normal sense.
This place wasn't peaceful.
It wasn't safe.
It was alive.
I swallowed unconsciously.
"…So this is the Adventurers' Guild."
Father sat beside me, his gaze calm and unreadable as always.
"Remember," he said evenly, "this place does not care about your status."
The carriage door opened.
---
The sound hit me first.
Noise.
Shouting.
Laughing.
Metal clashing.
Arguments erupting and dying in seconds.
The moment we stepped inside, the world changed.
The interior was far larger than the outside suggested. A vast hall stretched before us, its ceiling so high I couldn't even see where it ended. Magic lamps floated in the air, bathing the room in a warm glow. One entire wall was covered by a massive quest board, hundreds—no, thousands—of papers pinned onto it, each one faintly glowing with magic.
Adventurers crowded the hall.
Some gathered around tables, negotiating loudly. Others checked quests, their expressions serious. A few sat alone, silently sharpening weapons or staring into empty mugs.
Then—
I felt it.
Eyes.
Someone noticed us.
"Hey… isn't that the Lord of the Void household? Alistair Void?"
"Yeah… why is he here? And who's that kid beside him?"
"You don't know? That's the monster of the Void family—Solaris Void. Rumors say he's already a master swordsman."
"That tiny bread is a master swordsman?"
"Shh! Watch your mouth. They'll hear you. Outside this guild, they're nobles. We're just adventurers. We join for money—they join for status."
I noticed it then.
The subtle shift.
Conversations slowed.
Glances lingered.
Thousands of eyes were now focused on me.
On us.
I clenched my fingers slightly.
"…This feels like déjà vu," I muttered.
---
We stopped at the guild's reception desk.
Unlike the chaos behind us, this area felt strangely orderly. A long, polished counter separated adventurers from the staff. Behind it stood a young woman, her posture straight, her smile professional yet warm.
She stood and bowed slightly.
"Welcome to The Aethelgard— Adventurers Guild, Lord Alistair."
Her eyes shifted to me.
"And this little one must be…?"
"He is my son," Father said calmly. "Solaris Void. I wish to register him as an adventurer."
I stepped forward, trying to stand properly.
"Hello. I'm Solaris Void," I said politely.
"I look forward to working with you."
For just a moment, her expression changed.
Recognition.
"So you are the Solaris Void," she said, her voice softening. "I've heard quite a lot about you."
She smiled genuinely.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young lord. Let's begin the registration."
"Please," I said quickly, waving my hand slightly, "just call me Solaris."
"First the king… now even the guild receptionist hear about me?!" I thought.
She led us away from the counter and deeper into the guild, stopping in front of a towering pillar engraved with strange symbols. The stone felt ancient—older than the guild itself.
"Lord Solaris," she said, "please place your hand on the pillar. It will analyze your physical capabilities."
I hesitated briefly and glanced at Father.
He nodded.
I placed my hand against the cold stone.
The symbols reacted instantly.
Lines of light surged across the pillar like flowing veins, pulsing in rhythmic waves. The air vibrated slightly as mana gathered, reading every detail of my body. I felt a faint warmth pass through me—nothing painful, but impossible to ignore.
After a short moment, the glow stopped.
The receptionist began writing quickly.
"The analysis is complete," she said.
"Please allow me some time to process your guild card. You may rest in the guest room."
She left.
The room was quiet.
Just Father and me.
"Father," I asked softly, "you said status doesn't matter here. Then why does everyone treat us differently?"
Father folded his arms.
"Status doesn't matter inside the rules of the guild," he replied.
"But respect still exists. I am the lord of this land—and a friend of the Guild Master."
He added casually,
"Even without noble status, I would still be a senior member here."
My eyes widened.
"Wow… Father, you're really cool."
He sighed lightly.
Soon, the receptionist returned.
"Apologies for the interruption, Lord Alistair," she said politely.
"Your son's registration is complete."
She handed me a small card—simple, yet heavy in meaning.
"As per regulations, his starting rank is F."
Then she placed a copper, star-shaped badge into my hand.
"Based on his evaluation, his primary class is Swordsman."
She continued explaining carefully.
"This badge allows you to view monster ranks and basic status information. You can also view your own status. When viewing others, only their rank will be displayed, to maintain privacy."
She smiled warmly.
"If you have any questions or require assistance, feel free to ask me anytime."
I stared at the badge in my palm.
It felt cold.
Solid.
Real.
My heart raced.
Like a child who had just been given candy.
…Normal.
---
⭐Explain
This Adventurers' Guild is known as The Aethelgard—
the largest and most influential guild in all of Eldrathis.
Its main headquarters is located in the city of Voidcrest,
and the guild is directly led by the Void Household.
Branches of The Aethelgard are spread across many cities throughout the Kingdom of Eldrathis,
each serving as a center for adventurers, requests, and the protection of the realm.
---
⭐ Author's Note
[Next Time : Quest Selection ]