Year 5014 after the system day 6 of the moon season.

 

With a wooly coat surrounding my upper body, I left the house while allowing little saint to play around. At first, he used to chase me around halfway to the village, but thankfully he understood that he shouldn’t go far from home.

‘If it wasn’t for the fact food awaits him, I’m sure he would have run off somewhere,' I giggled at my silly thoughts, despite having some truth blended in them.

Through the thick snow, I took large yet slow steps through it. One could never be too careful with its potential depth. During any other season walking for 20 minutes would’ve allowed me to get to the village's South entrance. However, thanks to the terrain an extra 10 minutes was necessary.

At the gate, two guards stood watching.

“Good morning,” I waved at them with a smile. 

“Morning,” Tyson said in a low, indifferent tone.

A man who had once scared the hell out of me when I was younger, as his flirting attempt to get my mom was by all means annoying. Especially bad when he tried to grab my arm without questioning, to which my innocent self responded by freezing his finger. Something that had been only possible because he let his guard down, but thanks to that, I managed to keep my distance from him. This man was once a part of my parents’ adventuring party and was now one of the men guarding this village.

Having a couple of guards per town was one of the benefits the residents received from the taxes they paid to the Lumen family, in other words, the royals. Thus, the lack of payment would also equal that these trained men would be mercilessly placed elsewhere as there were too many places that required some order.

As for the one next to him, he was more interested in blowing some hot air at his hands and rubbing them afterward. My eyes took a glimpse of the white mist that escaped his mouth.

“Today sure is cold,” my feet took me through between the two of them.

Tyler’s quiet voice approached from behind in a soft tone, “it sure is.”

A brief smile passed through my lips upon receiving his answer. He who back then melted the frozen fingers of his younger brother Tyson.

As I moved closer to the center of Astia, my eyes stole glances at some of its villagers. All of them were wearing similar wool clothing: effective vestment against the cold.

Beyond the center, where a garden and fountain were usually the first things visitors notice, there was a large house with two floors and a backyard with wooden walls surrounding it. Above the front door, I read its words, “Adventurers’ guild.” 

A small habit gained through routine, it helped my mind calm down before entering it. At a fast pace, mainly because of the excitement within me, my feet smoothly took me to it, pushing the tall door with some effort. As it opened, distinct voices, beer clattering, laughter, and screams approached my ears, ‘this place is as lively as ever.’

I grabbed the pommel of my sword, seeking some comfort from it because of the loud pounding of my heart. With each step I took through the middle path toward the receptionist, the grassland within my eyes glittered with a hint of anxiety, ‘I hope the party will accept me.’

“What a slim-looking kid,” a man laughed, looking down on me while drinking some bear, causing the surrounding three to snort.

“Here to carry our bags?” another one added in a mocking tone.

‘Ignore them, Iris. Ignore them,’ I thought to myself, knowing they were way beyond my capabilities. 

After the training with my parents, I wasn’t too far from what my mother could do with the sword, but without a class, the basics couldn’t possibly handle her skills.

Furthermore, after discussing my future with my parents, I agreed to hold back and wait for a better chance. The ones I had unlocked were clearly lacking in one way or another. Worse even was the gap between me and my father. Our elements were so distinct that I couldn’t acquire any of his light skills or something similar that could work for mine. I sighed, moving onwards through the path, ignoring the voices and the typical annoying comments. 

‘It’s nothing new... you’ll be fine,’ once again, I reassured myself, taking a deep breath.

“Welcome. How can I help you?” A good-looking man in a black suit questioned. The clothing was similar to those who worked here, full black outfits. A little stylish, but not expensive ones. Mainly good enough to distinguish them from the adventurers around who clearly didn't care much about attires. From leather suits to light armored sets, whatever worked to protect them from monsters was what they preferred, and ideally, clothing that could fend off the stenches and stains of alcohol.

“I came yesterday,” my eyes looked around for the person I spoke with yesterday, to no success.

“For?” he questioned calmly, making a docile smile.

“Today’s my first audition as a helper. They asked me to come in the morning.”

“We’ve got a few selected for today.”

I noticed the way he looked into a book, smoothly passing a few pages.

Hastily my voice opened to help him, “Iris! My name is Iris.” 

Upon getting this tiny piece of information, he lifted the book, muttering a tiny sound, “daughter of ex-adventurers...”

His eyes widened momentarily as he read my father’s name loud enough for only us to hear, not so much surprised about my mother’s one.

“Very well. You’re to run a test today while we wait for the rest,” he looked at me as if to make sure I understood, taking me for a child. “Both the parties that need helpers and the candidates.”

At his clarity, I consented with a nod, having received a similar explanation on the day before. His eyes left my own, lowering all the way down to my waistline, “I see you’ve come prepared.”

Without hesitation, I replied, “Yes!”

He faced towards the left, taking my gaze along with him, then his arm lifted and pointed at a door, “you’ll find the instructor on the other side.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“Good luck,” he gave me a piece of paper, then gestured with his head for me to move on.

At that, I smiled briefly, gripping my pommel once more while walking towards the backyard entrance.

On the other side, I found a woman seated in a chair on my left, with a small desk in front of her. At her side, there was a very long table glued to the wall with many types of weapons resting on its solid-looking surface.

“Good morning instructor!” I ended up yelling out of anxiety.

Upon taking notice of me, she signaled me with her index finger to approach. Once I reached the table, her hand stretched out for me with the palm facing upwards, “the document.”

I trembled, slightly confused, remembering afterward about the paper he gave me, delivering it to her shivering thanks to the nerves.

“Iris... fourteen...” She mumbled the words that piqued her interest the most.

“It says here you haven’t got a class,” her eyes rose from the paper as she slammed it on the table.

Before I had the time to reply, she added with a half-confused, half-serious expression, “you do realize you’ll need one to become an adventurer, right?”

Despite the cold outside, my cheeks were rosy, and embarrassment and anxiety took over me fairly easily.

‘This is stressing me...’ my eyes closed, along with a deep breath, in an attempt to calm my heart down. 

“I’ve unlocked a few choices, but they were all basic classes.”

She tapped the table with a finger, annoyance running over her face, “so?”

I lowered my gaze, flustered at her moody and quick reply, “I... I want a rare class like my father’s one!”

She chuckled at my determination, “Luke’s a healer because he has the light element.” 

Her finger tapped the table once more, “you realize, your ice element, despite being rare, it’s not something that can heal others.”

The gaze from the instructor pierced my own with more intensity, “you understand where I’m getting at, right?”

I nodded in agreement, “yes. I seek a rare class that matches my element.”

“Do you now?” she sighed, unsatisfied with my answer, thinking to herself that any class would be better than having none.

But I didn’t want to learn something just to drop it later if I didn’t like it. It was especially bad since basic classes only came with one skill tree. And changing them would only cause me to look at the loss of the class skills I worked hard to get.

From my parents’ teachings, it would be a different story if my class evolved, but the chances for that to happen were extremely low.

Though I told them that if I didn’t manage to get a rare class or higher till I became fifteen, I would go for one that I liked. After all, I wouldn’t be accepted as an adventurer, as that was one of the minimum requirements.

“Yes ma’am. I promise to do my best for the party despite that,” I declared, holding a convicted glint in my verdant eyes.

Her words came out as serious as the ruthless stare and cold tone, “here says you’ve learned a bit of swordsmanship. How to use a shield, and a bit of magic.”

“I learned what I could with my parents,” a smile surfaced on my lips. Talking about them always filled me with some confidence and warmth.

“Very well. Let’s see what you can do.”

The paper entered a heavy-looking book that rested on the table. With this chilly breeze, that was potentially for the best. It didn’t take her long to get up, grabbing a long sword with her right hand as if its weight was non-existent.

‘She’s using that with only one hand?’ I made a dubious face as it looked heavier than my own, thus using both hands would have surely made it more comfortable to use and control. And yet, her swing came fast, passing close by my neck. 

My eyes narrowed at the weapon, leaving me speechless.

“You’ve officially died once,” she snickered such words at me, making me feel out of place. However, I was used to losing. Thus, it didn’t take long for me to take her seriously, unsheathing my short sword and grabbing it with both hands.

Her next swing came, but this time slower towards my right shoulder, giving me time to react and think.

‘Is she testing me?’

I parried it, or at least that’s the sensation my mind felt. My eyes followed with a delay at my sword, which flew out of my grasp.

“Did you really think you could parry someone stronger than you?” There was no end to the humiliation she threw at me. Without giving her time to react, I dashed towards my weapon, picking it up, and locking my focus back to her for the following moment.

‘She could have done something there,’ my thoughts were the truth. This woman was way beyond my grasp, and it felt like she was giving me a chance. I took a deep breath; fixing my posture, leaving as few openings as possible. To my surprise, she repeated the same strike.

This time around I hit it, moving to the side, allowing it to go past me, causing my hands to tremble at the impact. Yet, right at that moment, her sword took a turn back at me, passing close to my neck once more. 

“You’ve officially died four times, though it seems you do have a head between your shoulders,” she grinned, turning around and placing her sword on the table. At her words, I felt relieved looking down at the place she was, realizing her feet didn’t take a single step toward me. 

‘She’s way stronger than my mother...’ I wondered about her strength, ability, and, of course, rank in this organization.

“It’s not like you’ll need to fight any creature as a helper, but it’s exemplary that you can defend yourself.”

I nodded with a smile on my face, sheathing my sword in its rightful place.

“Without a class, I’m not expecting anything special from your magic.”

She took a seat on the side of the table, grabbing the document, “in a year, depending on what you achieve, we’ll further test you.”

I opened my mouth, surprised at such words, “does that mean I passed?”

“Yes. Though don’t let it go to your head. Being a helper is not a simple job.” 

She passed her thumb through her neck while adding some words, “pride and carelessness may very well cost your life.”

I gulped, gripping my hands to the point of them becoming fists.

As she was about to add something else, the door opened and people came from it. Three of them were youths like me, and 9 older ones spread in three lines in front of her. It looked like she was an officer and they were soldiers.

“Good morning instructor Rebeca.”

They yelled in unison. All of us: the newcomers, felt the respect in their tone.

“At ease,” she promptly replied, hovering over the four of us youngsters.

“Each of these lines forms a party. They will take one or more helpers with them,” at those words they turned around, facing us four who rested farther behind.

“The three of you, give me the papers.”

The children moved to her, delivering it along with the parties’ information, causing her to study them for a bit.

“This girl is quite the catch,” she smiled happily, in a way that I have never seen before. 

‘Who’s she talking about?’ I looked at my friend Elise, who waved at me with a nervous smile, and then at the other girl next to her.

“Mario, you can take Elise. Her element will come in hand for the subjugation quests.” 

At her words, the tall man’s eyebrow rose, as this meant she was useful enough to not even be tested.

Elise took a step forward to meet the man. She too had realized who he was from his surprised expression.

“That will be all,” upon Rebeca’s words, the four of them left through the door.

“Now then, the other two kids, one’s a natura and the other a swordsman.”

Upon voicing their classes, each took a step forward on the respective one.

“We call bids on the boy,” one of the party leaders added, noticing the sword at the youngster’s waist.

A different group voiced out, “then we’ll take the girl. We could use her tracking skill.”

Rebeca moved to the side, looking at all of them from a different angle, “I’ll leave their guidance to you.”

They looked at each other briefly, taking the children to their respective groups.

“And Ryze, take the blondie with you. She applied to be an adventurer, so teach her about humanity’s enemies.”

His sharp eyes looked at me, “what’s your class, kid?”

“None yet.”

His eyes widened, surprised at me, staring back at Rebeca, doubting his ears.

“Take her.”

His shoulders waved up and down shrugging, not willing to contest the instructor, “alright. Tag along with us then.”

All of us but Rebeca headed onwards to the receptionist’s balcony.

As the last one to leave the backyard, I stopped briefly to thank the instructor who wished me good luck.

Back then, when the incident happened to the guard, I expected my mother to punish me for hurting someone else, but in reality, when we were alone, she had told me: ‘Treat those who hurt you with pain if you must, but don’t forget to be kind to good people.’

Those words quickly became the basis of my standards throughout these years. They shaped part of me whenever I socialized with someone.

From making friends to fighting with kids my age, a little tomboy with the appearance of an adorable girl. This was a piece of me I had yet to further develop due to my past. My emotional side, who had yet to face the enemies of humanity, of true evil, and how powerless I truly was.

From my cold past to my conceivable bright future, within me, there was a firm choice to find a way toward my goal. To become a respected figure and help my parents throughout their lives, for all the continuous great care they gave me.