I gotta find Jack.

 

It's easy to say these words, but actually knowing where that guy went is extremely difficult. This is especially the case when he's hiding from my family while doing some shady stuff under my parents' noses. The only clue I have is his affiliation with the adventurer's guild which he works for as an A-class adventurer.

 

Besides, I also have to find an excuse to travel outside of Osmium and freely wander around Lanthanum to start the search in the first place. This shouldn't be too difficult since I'll be considered an adult when I hit 14 years of age, which I think is kinda ridiculous to think of a pubescent boy as a grown up capable of making life decisions. Magic probably fried people's brain and made them insane.

 

I'm getting sidetracked. My current plan is to convince Sarah that it would be a great idea to let me tour the kingdom once I hit 14 as a celebration, or something like that. At least I won't have to convince Magnus since he's still away fighting something that may or may not be magical in origin. Maybe if I say that I miss my dad then Sarah would feel bad and let me go?

 

Whichever it is, I probably should do it quickly so as to not be pressed for time then get rejected at the last second. Jack is definitely not going to wait idly while I try to find him.

 

*knock* *knock* *knock*

 

"Young master, it is dinner time."

 

Alright, I made up my mind. I'll have the confrontation with Sarah during dinner and work from there. My birthday is about a week from now, so I still have time.

 

"Young master, can I have a moment please?"

 

"Is there something troubling you, Sisley? It's quite rare for you to ask for something."

 

Sisley maintained a neutral face so I can't judge what she wants from me.

 

"It's quite the opposite, actually. I was wondering if something was troubling you, young master."

 

"Me?"

 

Did I do something weird lately? I can't remember anything like that, though.

 

"You currently wake up 3 minutes earlier than average. You respond to the door 4 seconds later than usual. You haven't been to Fort Erosion for a week now, which is the longest you've ever not gone there. The ceiling light had 13 more shoe marks since the last time I've cleaned the room. The-"

 

… She just keeps going. What kind of stalker freak is she to notice so many small details which even I don't know about myself? Could it be because she's always standing next to my door for such a long time that she had to memorize such things to preserve her sanity? The job of a servant must be quite horrible.

 

"-and with that, I came to the conclusion that something has come to trouble you. It is my duty as your personal maid to know of your woes and attempt to remove them if possible."

 

"Alright Sisley, you win. The thing is, I want to leave this region and travel around Lanthanum, which is a problem because my mother will probably not like that idea. Got any clue on how to convince her otherwise?"

 

"Travel… I believe Lady Sarah will agree to letting you leave Osmium. However, she might add some conditions of her own which could be a little inconvenient if privacy is what you want."

 

"I'm not going to dive into a dungeon or do anything dangerous so sending bodyguards would be extreme."

 

"That's something Lady Sarah shall decide herself."

 

I guess this is the most Sisley is going to tell me. In the end, I still have to speak with Sarah myself for this to work.

 

I strolled through the hallways then reached the dining room where not only Sarah, but Alice and Alex sat down eating drake meat. Never liked it, yet apparently, it's considered a luxury meal. I took my usual seat and decided to speak up.

 

"Mom, since I am going to become an adult a week from now, I would like to leave Osmium for a while and explore the rest of Lanthanum. No matter how many books I have read, the knowledge is meaningless without experiencing what was written in the first place. I wish to get your permission for travel once I become an adult."

 

Sarah had a surprised expression on her face as if I had said something completely unbelievable. Seems like this is going to be harder than what Sisley has told me. No need to worry, though, since I'm actually a grown adult and can hold my own in an argument.

 

"I can't believe this, that's wonderful!"

 

"Huh?"

 

"You see, I just spoke with your sister about how she wanted to become an adventurer and that she needed to visit the capital for a special test since she is underaged. I was troubled about who would go with her because I can't go myself when I'm busy with managing the territory. I thought that you wouldn't agree as you might've wanted to stay with your knight order, but this changes everything!"

 

"Yay! Bestest brother helps me out even without asking!"

 

"umm…"

 

Hold on a second ladies! Alice wants to become an adventurer when she's still a bit under 10 years old, yet Sarah talks about it as if nothing wrong is going on. Even more, Sarah wants me to take Alice to the royal capital so she can register by doing some special test. Aren't there some points here which don't make sense?

 

Alex seemed to have noticed my confused state and took it upon himself to clear things up for me.

 

"Max… Alice is different. With her immeasurable talent, it would be a waste to keep her locked inside the mansion… Besides, I've heard that she was a major participant in your previous quests..."

 

I flinched when I heard the last sentence. That idiot phrased it in such a way you'd think my regiment would've failed without Alice and her crazy abilities.

 

"... It's better for her to rack up experience and achievements early on for a head start."

 

"But do I really have to go with her? Can't she go with her personal maid and some bodyguards?"

 

"Brother! You should know that I can't receive the special test without the presence of an adult relative. It's all written in the adventuring manual inside dad's study."

 

I never had much interest in books unrelated to magic so there are gaps of knowledge inside my head. Isn't there any other alternative? I know that I'll have to pay a visit to the adventurer's guild to find clues about the whereabouts of Jack, but my movement will be restricted with Alice as baggage.

 

"Alright kids, I've already decided. Max, along with Sisley, will accompany Alice to the royal capital on the day he hits 14. After you finish the registration, I allow a maximum of three months to explore the country on the condition that Alice gets to do quests along the way."

 

This is seriously going to give me a headache. Do I really deserve all this torture in this life?

 

I quickly finished my plate of tasteless meat then left to my room in defeat. Now I have to always worry about Alice, a new variable, as a potential obstacle in my plans. Maybe I should look at the bright side of things since now I have the perfect excuse to regularly visit the adventurer's guild.

 

The days have passed uneventfully as I prepared Martin to be the temporary captain while I'm away. Nothing new about Magnus's situation has come up, yet no one seemed to be worried at all, so I convinced myself that everything is fine.

 

I started to pack my stuff which includes clothing, money, and null dust in a leather bag. I should probably also bring my anti-magic sword with me as I doubt that this whole journey won't be peaceful when Alice starts doing quests. I wish I could also bring some of my soldiers and a cannon as well, but apparently, I'll need to do tedious procedures for bringing armed troops with me around Lanthanum which I can't be bothered with.

 

Now that I'm ready, I should check up on Alice. Who knows what she might bring with her that could ruin the trip. I'll make sure she brings the essentials and nothing more since I'm not looking forward to traveling with an entire wagon's worth of clothes.

 

"Young master, seems like you finished packing up. Don't worry, I'll make sure that you didn't forget anything important so as to not delay us later."

 

Sisley was holding a heavy-looking brown bag while still wearing her maid attire. Isn't it too inconvenient to move around in something like that? She doesn't seem to be having any problems, though.

 

"Yes, I have finished with my preparations. I am going to check up on Alice before we go."

 

After replying to Sisley, I navigated the mansion till I reached Alice's room. The door is open, and Jessy isn't standing next to it, probably because the old maid is helping Alice pack her things since she's still a child. I'll go in and check what sort of baggage they are planning to bring.

 

"Young madam, I strongly recommend that you bring the adventuring guide with you in case you forget any important details."

 

"Come on, Jessy! I totally remember everything. Besides, brother Max will definitely complain throughout the entire journey if I bring anything he thinks is unnecessary."

 

"I understand that you feel pity for your brother, but please don't make it hard on yourself just to satisfy him. I am sure that young master Max will understand if you act cute and tell him that this is all necessary for your success."

 

"That's not it, Jessy! I mean, yeah, that would work, but-"

 

… I think I came at a wrong time. Oh well, even if she brings a little extra baggage, we can still manage by dumping it later down the road. Since everything's in order, all that's left to do is wait for Alice to finish and get in the carriage which was prepared for the trip to the royal capital.

 

As I reached the front gate, Alex and Sarah stood next to a small carriage pulled by two normal horses.

 

"You came out quite early, didn't you? Are you sure you didn't forget anything? Maybe you want a hug before leaving?"

 

Sarah gave me a very tight hug before I could even answer. She must be having all sorts of emotions having her children leave at such a young age, even if it was temporary. Her warmth made me sad as faint memories started to creep up from my mind.

 

My real mom had it hard as a single mother. I should've acted as a grateful son and worked to support her, yet…

 

"Mom, I'm here! Sorry for being late, Jessy made me triple-check if I had everything I needed. Wait, brother is crying!?"

 

Eh? What is she saying? My cheeks feel a little damp and my nose is a little runny, that's all. A grown man like me won't cry especially in front of his family.

 

"Come on Alice, don't act like that. It's the first time for Max to leave home for such a long time so don't be too harsh on him."

 

"Understood, mom!"

 

I quickly got on the carriage and used my handkerchief to clean my face. Soon after, Alice and Sisley sat with me before the hooded driver, who remained silent the whole time, finally made the horses move. Sarah and Alex waved at us, so we waved back as our distance increased further away from the mansion.

 

It took us a little shorter than two weeks on a trail going South towards the center of the kingdom to reach the capital city of Lawrencium. Nothing changed much since the last time I've been here other than the hot weather due to our arrival in the middle of the Summer heat which is more pronounced here than in Osmium. We quickly passed through the main gate after the driver showed a Phoenix emblem to the guards then entered the noble district where we'll stay in our family's villa.

 

After resting for a day, Alice and I left to go visit the adventurer's guild for the registration procedures while Sisley stayed behind to clean the villa. After getting lost for a while and asking the locals for directions, we finally reached a large white brick building with a wooden sign that had a sword and a bow inscribed on it.

 

To be honest, I was expecting that the place will be filled with barbarians and clowns who'll kick us out when they see our out-of-place appearance. However, the moment I opened the wooden door, what greeted me was the sight no different from a government building. The place was clean with reception windows and long wooden benches for waiting. Furthermore, the receptionists all wore fake smiles as they busily dealt with people wearing vastly different equipment, which were mostly well-maintained and looked pleasing to the eye.

 

"Brother! Stop looking around and let's go to the registration window. People are staring at us."

 

"Oh, sorry. Let's go get this over with."

 

We walked to a window with the sign 'Registration' and stood behind a short line of two people.

 

"What do you mean that I have to specify my birthplace? I thought that the adventurer's guild lets people have anonymity!"

 

Looks like the blond dude in the front has some trouble. I sure hope that it doesn't take long.

 

"I sincerely apologize, Mister 'Dragon Lord', but this rule has been established in this specific branch for security reasons since this is the royal capital. You can go to Tantalum where our closest branch with no such restriction resides."

 

"Bah! Wasting my time for such a trifling matter. I'll definitely remember this incident!"

 

The man immediately turned around and started to stomp away, only to stop next to Alice and gave her an inquisitive look. Before I could tell him to leave us alone, the man smirked and continued on his merry way to the exit.

 

The next person in line didn't take any time at all because the old lady wasn't actually registering to become an adventurer but mistook the window as the one for requests. After a short apology and a complaint about how her vision is failing her, the old woman slowly walked to a window with a much longer line.

 

Finally, our turn has arrived. The receptionist wore a uniform similar to that of an office worker and her black hair was tied in a ponytail. A bronze plate was stuck in the front of her hat which read 'Receptionist Violet'.

 

"Welcome to the adventurer's guild. This is the registration desk for those who want to become adventurers."

 

"Hello, I am Max Phoenix. My sister, Alice Phoenix, came here to take the special test."

 

"Oh! Please fill these papers while I call for your examiner."

 

Violet handed each of us a piece of paper. Looking at it, mine seems to be asking for my personal information, probably to verify that I'm Alice's relative. There was a pen on the desk which Alice and I used to fill the papers.

 

Right after I put the pen down, the receptionist came back with a middle-aged bald man who's ripped.

 

"I apologize for the wait, Alice and Max of the Phoenix family, my name is Caster. Allow me to guide you to the training room where we shall perform the test."

 

We followed Caster to a large room with reinforced walls and a bunch of training equipment. He then took off his shirt and put on boxing gloves before turning around and taking a fighting stance.

 

"So, who's coming at me first?"

 

???

 

"Umm, brother, I'm feeling a little nervous. How about you go first?"

 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN GO FIRST!? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME AN ADVENTURER, NOT ME!

 

"Alright boy, let's see what you are made out of. I'm not holding back!"

 

… What did I get myself into?