Chapter 66 - Joining The Guild
After some time, the lady came back. She placed a small bronze badge on the counter, its surface smooth and reflective, engraved with intricate runes that he couldn't quite understand.
"Please, place your hand over the badge for a minute," the lady instructed, her voice calm and practiced. "It will drain some of your mana, but that's how it will connect with you."
Mana. The word still felt foreign to Amukelo. He had heard it before, mostly from Pao's constant ramblings about magic, but he had never thought much about it. He wasn't a mage. Did he even have mana? Was this going to work?
His hesitation must have shown because Bral nudged him lightly. "Come on, just do it. It's not going to kill you."
Taking a breath, Amukelo nodded and placed his hand over the badge, pressing his palm against the cool metal. The moment his skin touched it, he felt something—an odd, almost ticklish sensation that started in his hand and spread slowly through his entire body. His breath caught slightly as warmth coursed through his veins, like a pulse of energy he had never felt before. It was strange, unfamiliar, yet oddly... natural.
The lady watched him carefully and said, "Keep it like this for a minute. After some time, you should feel it warming up, but don't get scared, and whatever happens, don't take your hand off."
Amukelo swallowed, nodding slightly, but inside, he was still confused. He turned slightly toward Pao, who was practically bouncing in place, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"This is amazing, isn't it?" she asked eagerly, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. "You're feeling mana for the first time! Isn't it incredible?"
Amukelo gave a small, uncertain chuckle. "Yeah... I guess it is. It's... kind of nice."
And it was. As the warmth spread, it became almost comforting, like something inside him had always been there but had never been acknowledged before. His muscles didn't tense in fear, nor did he feel any discomfort. It was just... there. Flowing. Alive.
"Is it supposed to feel like this?" he asked, glancing at the lady. "Like... through my entire body?"
She nodded. "Yes. What you're experiencing is mana circulating through you. Most people don't feel it this strongly unless they've never activated their mana before. Since you've likely never tapped into your own energy, this is your body recognizing it for the first time."
That caught Amukelo off guard. "Wait... are you saying I have mana?"
Pao clapped her hands together excitedly. "Of course, you do! Everyone has it! It's just that some people have it more while other less. But some people never release their mana, so they don't know how much they have. That's why you're as strong as you are. You could have a lot of mana, and it could act as passive recovery or strengthening ability. But it's also possible that your body just adapted and got strong."
Amukelo blinked, processing that information. He had never once considered that his strength, endurance, or reflexes could be tied to something like mana. He had always assumed it was just the result of hard training and survival instincts.
Before he could dwell on it further, the badge beneath his palm began to glow softly. The warmth intensified for a brief second before settling into a gentle hum, and then, just as quickly as it started, the sensation faded. The badge now shimmered slightly, as if it had absorbed something from him.
The lady gave a satisfied nod. "It's done." She lifted the badge and handed it to him. "From now on, this will register your activity on quests, track your contributions, and serve as your identification as an adventurer."
Amukelo hesitated for a moment before taking the badge in his hands. He turned it over, running his fingers along the engraved symbols.
"So, that's it?" he asked, still feeling like there should be more.
The lady cleared her throat and gave him a small smile. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, Amukelo."
As if on cue, Bral reached over and placed another badge in Amukelo's palm. This one bore, a phoenix in a circular formation, the insignia of their guild, smaller than the adventurer's badge but equally important.
"And," Bral said with a grin, "welcome officially as a member of Eternal Ember Guild!"
The others clapped, even Bao, though her applause was brief. Pao was practically glowing with excitement, and Idin gave him an approving nod. Amukelo found himself grinning despite himself.
"Wow... this really feels different," he said, his fingers tightening slightly around the badges. "Thank you, guys. It really means a lot."
Bral slung an arm around Amukelo's shoulders, nearly making him stumble. "No need to get sentimental! Now that you're one of us, the real work begins."
Amukelo laughed softly, tucking the badges into his pocket. "I can't wait to start questing. I've heard all kinds of stories about dangerous dungeons, powerful monsters, massive rewards. It all seems so much more exciting than just... you know, surviving the wilderness."
Idin smirked. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Not every quest is going to be an epic adventure. Some of them are just going to be mundane tasks like delivering supplies or hunting weak monsters. But yeah, once we get to the higher ranks, things do get pretty exciting."
Amukelo nodded, still feeling the rush of excitement coursing through him. This was real. He was no longer just a wanderer scraping by in the wild. He had a purpose now, a direction. He was an adventurer.
And this was only the beginning.
As the group finished up their business at the adventurer's guild, Idin stretched his arms and exhaled. "Well, that took longer than I expected, but since we're not questing today, I have some things I want to take care of. So, I'll see you all later."
Bao crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah, I've got my own things to handle as well."
Pao, of course, looked delighted by the opportunity to finally dive back into her studies. "I'll finally get to continue my magic research! I feel like I've been behind ever since we left for this journey."
Bral, however, seemed a little less enthusiastic about doing anything productive. He scratched the back of his head, still wincing slightly from his lingering hangover. "Ugh... my head's still booming. I don't think I'll be able to focus on anything important today. Maybe I'll just take it easy."
Then his gaze turned to Amukelo. "What about you, rookie? Any plans?"
Amukelo, who had been silently processing all the new things around him, shrugged. "I don't really know what I can do. I mean, I've never spent time in a town before. I don't even know what's possible here."
Bral's eyes lit up with amusement. "Well, in that case, I might as well help you get used to civilization. Since I have nothing better to do, I can at least show you around."
Before Amukelo could respond, Pao interjected excitedly. "Oh! Since you're going out, can I join for a little bit? I haven't been in this town either, and I want to check out a magic shop. But I could tag along with you two for a while first."
Bral nodded easily. "Sure, why not? The more, the merrier."
With that, the group split, with Idin and Bao heading off in different directions while Bral, Pao, and Amukelo started walking through the streets of Llyn.
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at ƒrēewebnovel.com Only.
As they moved through the town, Amukelo found himself struggling to keep his focus. There was simply too much to take in. The streets were alive with movement—people going about their daily business, merchants calling out to advertise their goods, the distant sound of blacksmiths hammering metal. The air smelled of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and something sweet that he couldn't quite place. He tried to keep up with Bral and Pao, but his eyes kept darting everywhere, trying to absorb everything at once.
Pao giggled at his behavior. "You look like a kid seeing the world for the first time."
Amukelo blinked and turned to her, realizing he had been staring at a group of performers juggling knives in the middle of a plaza. "Well... it's completly different than wilderness. Back then every single sound or movement was a potential thread. It's really weird for so many things to happent at once, but there was no real threat anywhere. "
Bral laughed, slapping Amukelo on the back. "You'll get used to it soon enough. But don't just stand there gawking, we've got things to do."
Amukelo nodded and walked closer to them, feeling slightly embarrassed for getting so distracted. "So... what is there for me to do? I mean, compared to the wilderness, this place is incredibly safe, so I think training would be perfect. Is there a place for that here?"
Bral scoffed. "Of course that's what you're thinking about. Always about training."
Pao chimed in, nodding. "I'm sure there's a training ground or a fighter's guild somewhere in Llyn. A lot of adventurers need places to train when they're not out questing."
Bral stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, we can check that out later. But first... I need food."
He turned toward a nearby street vendor selling fresh baked goods. The stall was filled with warm, golden pastries, loaves of bread with crisp crusts, and small sweet rolls.
Amukelo watched as Bral walked straight up to the vendor and started scanning the selection. "Yeah, this looks good. I'll take two of those meat-filled ones, and one of those sweet rolls."
Amukelo hesitated, watching the interaction unfold. His stomach was growling, and he wanted something as well, but something held him back. He looked at Bral and then at the vendor, unsure of what to do.
"Oh, could you find something for me as well? I'm really hungry." Amukelo finally said, shifting awkwardly.
Bral raised an eyebrow. "Find? It's literally in front of you."
Amukelo glanced at the food again, his expression hesitant. Bral stared at him for a moment, then realization dawned on his face. "Ahh... I get it. You don't know how to ask for it."
Amukelo rubbed the back of his neck and gave an awkward chuckle. "Well... it's not that I can't... but..."
And that was where Bral truly understood. Amukelo, for all his strength and skill, had never really interacted with townsfolk before. He had lived off the land, hunted his own food, and bartered rarely in his village. The concept of walking up to a stranger and making a transaction was as foreign to him as magic had been the day before.
Bral grinned. "Alright, rookie. Looks like we've got another thing to teach you today."