Vaan tensed and turned to the guard. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yes? Is something wrong?”

The guard shifted his gaze, scanning Vaan from head to toe. As he did, his expression grew dim.

Vaan’s heart raced, wondering if he should just make a break for it after all. His hand twitched, slightly moving towards his sword.

But then the guard let out a deep sigh. “Did your party get wiped out by that dragon, Kid?”

The question was so sudden and unexpected that Vaan reflexively answered. “Sorry?”

The guard shook his head and then tossed a small bag at him.

Vaan flinched and grabbed it. Taking a quick look inside, he saw a few copper coins. Blinking in surprise, he looked back up at the guard.

“It’s not much, but it should be enough to cover the night. Head on over to the Guild Hall first to get yourself sorted. You remember where it is, right?”

“…No?”

The guard sighed and rubbed his neck. “Honestly, kids these days…” He stepped back and pointed down the road. “Head down the street and then take a right at the first intersection. It’s the building with the giant swords on the side. Can’t miss it.”

Vaan gave a blank nod and said, “Thanks…?”

“Thank me by not getting so roughed up next time. Being an adventurer is good money and fun, but you only have one life, even if you manage to climb Babel. Got it? Now hurry up and go, I have to close the gate soon.” Saying that, the guard ushered Vaan in.

Vaan let him, but when he walked inside, he turned back to the guard.

The guard stared back. “What?”

“Did I… Come here earlier today?”

“Hah?” The guard shook his head. “Did you get smacked on the head too, Kid?”

Hearing the harsh response, Vaan laughed. “Sorry. I guess… I’m still a bit dazed, you know? It was kind of traumatic…”

“Mm. It happens.” The guard nodded. “If it’s too much for you though, remember that the Holy Kingdom is hiring guards too. Can’t say it’s much safer, but at least you’ll be fighting people instead of monsters.”

“Right. Thanks.”

The guard nodded one more time and then turned back around, clearly ending the conversation.

Seeing that, Vaan left as well, walking down the road. As he did, he muttered, “Am I a rookie adventurer…?”

The guard seemed to have recognized him. And the way he asked if Vaan’s party got wiped out by the dragon… Did he come to the city with other people? Would they be looking for him?

More questions. More answers that he didn’t have.

Vaan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “…Might as well go check out the Guild Hall.”

If he really was an adventurer, he could get some information there. The place was bound to have records, right?

Shaking his head, he made his way down the road.

There weren’t that many people around, probably because the day was ending. However, the ones that remained were well equipped.

Strong men with rippling muscles and well-used armor. Some women that were the same, with trained bodies and sheathed weapons. Others that looked like priestesses, wearing flowing white robes and carrying crystal staves. Then some scholarly men with cloaks and leather bound books hung at their waists.

Whatever the case though, when they caught sight of Vaan, every single one of them gave him a pitiful look before shaking their head and walking away.

Seeing that, Vaan frowned and then paused in front of a glass window to check his appearance.

Was it that bad?

Turning to face the window, Vaan looked at his reflection and then froze.

It… was really that bad.

Soot and dirt covered his face and his hair, a bright blonde with tinges of gray, was stained brown from what had to have been dried blood. It was also completely frazzled from the wind.

Like he saw from before, his pants were tattered, looking like a beggar’s rags rather than proper clothing. Not only that, but the makeshift shirt he made with his ability had been burned through at the back, only leaving the sleeves and parts of the front, exposing his torso.

Fortunately, it seemed like his body was well trained, so there wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about.

His iron sword was sheathed at the left side of his waist, hanging by a makeshift grass holster while his shield was still strapped along his left arm. However, both of them were covered in soot as well.

Altogether, he realized why everyone looked so concerned. A young man that seemed to have barely escaped the clutches of death, with all his equipment ruined and only scraps to his name.

That was the appearance of the young man that other people saw… His appearance.

Vaan frowned and muttered, “Well… At least I’m not ugly?”

That was one positive about the situation.

Another positive was that the reflection was familiar. Instead of ‘who is this person?’ when he saw the young man looking back, Vaan had the sensation of ‘oh, that’s what I look like.’

At that time, Vaan saw something move from behind the window. A flash of light green hair and violet eyes.

Vaan blinked, suddenly remembering that he wasn’t staring at a mirror but a window into someone’s building. Coughing to hide his embarrassment, he quickly turned and kept walking, following the guard’s directions to the Guild Hall.

A tall, marble structure with towering double doors. A pair of ivory claymores pierced into the ground on either side, like the weapons of a giant titan.

Staring at it, Vaan nodded and said, “I see what that guy meant. It’d definitely be hard to miss this…”

There was a small plaque on the door with a name, but Vaan ignored it and walked inside, pushing through the doors.

A small bell chimed as he walked in.

The interior of the building was just as imposing as the exterior. Polished black marble floors shiny enough to be a mirror. Crimson carpet with golden embroidery, lining the floor. Ornate swords hanging on the walls, along with flags showing the insignia of crossed swords over a golden sun.

Immediately facing the entrance was a long countertop, separated into various areas, presumably to serve multiple adventurers. Off to the left, there was a giant noticeboard with various parchments pinned to it. And then off to the right, there was a waiting area with velvet cushioned chairs and dark wooden tables.

A vast space that could fit hundreds of people, lit up by a glowing chandelier and various light crystals.

But at the moment, there was only one visitor, Vaan, and one receptionist.

A beautiful blonde woman wearing a white, button up shirt, and a black skirt. Completely ignoring Vaan’s entrance, she was leaned back in a chair behind the countertop with her feet kicked up, flipping through a book.

It was a clear atmosphere of ‘don’t disturb me.’ But seeing as she was the only one there, Vaan approached the countertop.

The blonde woman flipped a page, her crimson eyes flitting to and fro as she scanned the book.

Vaan came to a stop at the other side of the countertop and then cleared his throat.

Only then did the woman notice. Her hand froze in the middle of turning a page and then she looked over. Giving Vaan a once over, she frowned and then pulled her feet back, tucking her book inside a drawer on the other side. “What the hell happened to you?”

Vaan blinked, caught off guard by her curt tone of voice, but said, “I… Well…” He paused, wondering if he should stick to the story of his party getting wiped out when he wasn’t sure if that was the truth.

The woman sighed and said, “Whatever. You don’t need to tell me.” She stood up and said, “Follow me upstairs. I don’t want anyone else barging in this late.” Saying that, she walked around the back, heading towards a stairwell on the right side of the room at a brisk speed.

Not wanting to be left behind, Vaan followed after her.

The woman glanced back and said, “You got money for an inn, Kid?”

Vaan nodded. “The guard outside gave me some.”

“Mm, John did that, huh? That bastard. I told him to use it for his brats, not charity.” She sighed and shook her head.

“…Did I come at a bad time?”

The woman stopped at the foot of the stairwell and said, “Absolutely. But seeing how trashed you are, it can’t be helped. That old man would get pissed off if I ignored someone like you this late at night.” She sighed. “Just when I caught a break too…”

Vaan didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t.

The woman didn’t seem to mind him being quiet. In fact, she didn’t seem to be in a mood to talk.

Realizing that, Vaan glanced around at the surroundings instead.

The stairwell was curved, spiraling upwards. Along the walls, there were various plaques with names and titles. A few of them were simple, like ‘Bel Kuranul, Rookie of the Year’, but there were some odd names too, like ‘Orcbolg the Goblin Vanquisher.’

Interspersed among those plaques, there were also some fliers with writing. Tips like, ‘Remember to maintain your weapons’, ‘Buy healing potions’, ‘You only live once… unless you party with a priest.’

Strange, almost whimsical notes that seemed somewhat out of place… But then again, Vaan couldn’t remember anything, so it might just be the way things were.

Still, he felt like a lot had changed for some reason and couldn’t quite place why…

The stairwell ended and opened up to a long corridor with doors on either side. There was also another stairwell to continue the ascent, but the woman walked down the corridor instead, stopping in front of a door. Waving her hand over the handle, a flash of golden light emerged and a soft click echoed. That done, she pushed the door open and turned around to Vaan. “Well? You going to just stand there gawking or what?”

“Sorry.” Vaan shook his head and headed towards her.

The woman sighed and walked into the room.

It was plain. Barren save for a crystal lamp that provided light, a desk, a pair of chairs, and a standing dresser with a dozen drawers behind the desk.

The woman sat down and then beckoned towards the seat opposite her. “Since everyone else seems to be taking their sweet time coming back, I’ll be your liaison for the day. Lucky you.” She smirked and said, “Not many get the fortune of being served by the great Aurelia herself.”

Vaan blinked. “Aurelia?”

The woman’s expression froze and then she frowned, staring at Vaan. “…What. Did you live in the sticks your entire life, Kid? Or did you get wiped so hard you don’t remember anything?”

“Um… Probably the latter? I actually don’t remember much and I had to frantically run away because of the dragon, so…”

A mix of lies and truths.

It seemed to work since the woman let out an exasperated sigh. “Another kid who thought he could make it big just by coming to Bruegel, huh?”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.” Aurelia sighed and then reached around, rummaging in her dresser. “Got a name, Kid?”

“Vaan.”

“Vaan… Mm. Don’t have you on record.” She turned back and said, “You new here?”

“I… think so?”

Aurelia sighed. “Right. Amnesia… Tch. What a hassle.” She stared at Vaan and hesitated before saying, “Gah, whatever. Nobody will notice anyway.” She pulled out a folder from the dresser and slid a sheet of paper across the table to Vaan. After that, she placed a quill and some ink on the table and said, “Sign your name.”

Vaan blinked. “Why-?”

“Look, Kid. I’m annoyed and want to get hammered already, but you’re dirt poor, trashed, and amnesiac. Just hurry up and sign so I have the legal grounds to give you the stuff you need and send you on your way.”

Seeing how irritated she was, Vaan nodded and signed off.

The moment he was finished, Aurelia snatched the paper back and tossed it into the dresser. After that, she threw a silver card on the table along with a beat-up book. “There. Your status card and my personal guidebook so you don’t wind up in a ditch somewhere. Now, with that sorted out-“

“Wait.”

Aurelia was blazing ahead at her own pace, so Vaan stopped her before she could get too far and shove him out.

She narrowed her eyes and then crossed her arms. “What, you gonna complain now?”

“No. It’s just…”

In honesty, he really did have complaints. And a lot of questions. But he’d be stupid to not realize the good fortune being thrown his way so he didn’t press it. Instead, he pulled out his bag of gems and said, “I was wondering if you could tell me where to exchange these before I leave.”

“Hm?” Aurelia flicked her hand, causing the bag to fly over to her, tugged by an invisible force. Catching it, she peered inside and said, “Hoh?” She looked at Vaan, as if reevaluating him, and said, “Hm… I was joking earlier but I guess you are pretty lucky if you made it back here alive after stealing some gems from that dragon.”

Vaan felt like there was a misunderstanding going on, but before he could respond, Aurelia dug around in the dresser again and then tossed a coin bag on the table.

“A hundred gold coins. A bit lower than market price, but you don’t mind, do you?”

Vaan blinked and then gave her a sidelong glance. “You aren’t taking advantage of an amnesiac, are you?”

Aurelia laughed. “Me? Taking advantage of an amnesiac? Please. I’m doing you a favor kid. Do you know how many people would- Oh right. You wouldn’t.” She frowned, as if a joke got ruined, and then sighed. “Whatever. Just take it and get out. Damn, I really do feel up for a drink now… And those bastards still aren’t back yet.”

Not wanting to risk irritating her any more than she already was, Vaan grabbed his new belongings and left.

HappyVainGlory

Thanks for reading! Lots of prep work so far... hopefully it's not too boring. If you're enjoying or have any burning thoughts, I'd appreciate if you left a comment! Ah, and a cookie to whoever can tell where the referenced adventurers are from!