Year 5015, day 50 of the flowering season.

 

Almost two seasons later, the guild called me to take the promotion. Today would finally be the day when I could stop being a helper and instead become an adventurer. The utmost freedom I sought, along with one of the guild cards, which exempted me from paying some taxes and having access to certain places.

As I walked near the village fountain, I felt a hand touching the back of my right shoulder.

“Now you’re it!” An unfamiliar cute tone followed by an adorable giggle, caused me to turn around smiling.

Once our eyes met, it felt like the time between us stopped. It was one of those very rare times when I could match the voice properties to the physique of the person. And by all means, this girl was the cutest I had ever seen. A black-haired teen, whose curls extended throughout her long white dress with similarly toned roses engraved on the bottom part. Her clothing yelled the word wealth, as it was simply outstanding. It was easily the most beautiful dress I had ever put my eyes on.

The leaves that were blown by the refreshing breeze passed between us, gently hitting the ground.

“Are you okay?” she asked, blinking her eyes, fanning me with her long eyelashes, and extending her hand to my cheek, sheltering it softly.

“Ah yes!” the embarrassment turned my cheeks rosy, having never experienced such kindness from a stranger before, nor allowing it. But this girl had taken me by surprise in an unforeseen way at that.

“I’m it!” a yell flowed out of me, warning the surrounding players that I entered their little game of chase. It had been a while since my last time as I had been busy working as a helper. But the money had been a great help to my parents. It was especially useful to buy food for my pet, who seemed to have a black hole instead of a stomach.

My hands went out after her, only to be outrun by her unforeseen speed.

‘How come I can’t catch her? She’s not that older,’ confusion engraved inside of me as she dodged my every attempt as if her feet were light as plums. Yet, her legs were fast like those of a horse. For someone that looked to be my age, she sure outshined everyone else, and that increased my sudden interest in her.

The surrounding kids started chanting for me to catch her when none of them could. They yelled my name, clapping, and raising their voices in excitement whenever I got close to her.

What started as a little game had now my full attention and motivation in it.

“Having a hard time, Iris?” she teased me, smiling happily like this was her best day ever, like she had never had fun like this, and it was rather contagious.

She irradiated a cute charm to everyone else. It made all of us feel strangely blissful just for spending time with her.

However, the bit of pride within me wanted to catch her at least once. Thus, I sneaked a magical circle below her feet, freezing the ground right before she landed, and causing her to slip.

Before she fell, my hands got hold of hers, bringing her enough stability to not completely fall, yet dirtying the bottom of her dress.

“I finally got you,” my lowly voice reached her ears, taking sight of how surprised she was.

Her gaze soon lowered, finding out what trick I had pulled on her.

“That’s cheating,” she giggled.

“There are no rules,” I laughed at her as we got showered with praise from the surrounding kids.

After playing with them for a bit, I ended up taking a stroll through the village with Alicia, holding each other hands as we went. We had become best friends in no time at all after chasing each other. Of course, I had only caught her a single time, but it had made me thrilled.

“I didn’t expect to find an ice mage in such a remote village.”

“To find?”

“Yes. I’m not from here.”

“Oh…” In this small village, everyone knew each other. It was strange that I had never seen Alicia, but I had been so lost in this new friendship that I didn’t realize it earlier.

‘What a shame,’ my saddened eyes brought her to a halt.

“Hey! It’ll be fine!” without giving me a chance to contest, she removed one of her five white rings and placed it on my middle one.

“What’s this?” I looked at its glow and the way it adjusted perfectly to the width of my finger.

“It’s a gift,” she smiled faintly, pulling me in with her kindness.

“It’s so pretty,” it was pure white, with a rose on top, similar to the ones adorned in her dress contained.

“This is part of my family heirloom. We give it to potential knights, but in this case, it’s just so we can meet again.”

I swayed my head to the sides, “I’m sorry, I can’t keep something so important.”

As I attempted to take it out, her hands quickly rested on top of mine, “it’s alright Iris. Please accept it. It’d make me happy to see you again someday.”

As I was about to insist, her arms embraced my body, leaving me with no option but to concede.

“Go now. We’ll meet back in the fountain once you finish your business at the guild,” she let go of me, causing me to nod in agreement.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I smiled widely to show her everything was fine between us. We split ways there, and I found my way to the adventurer’s home.

After passing through the typical gruesome stares of fellow members, I reached the receptionist area.

“Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Hi Leonor,” I smiled happily since she was my favorite worker in this association.

“You seem to be in high spirits today. Is it because of your promotion?” I saw her grinning mischievously, fully understanding that she knew what I was there for.

“That too, but I also made a new friend,” my emeralds glinted joyfully for any to see.

“That’s amazing!” she smiled happily without pursuing the subject.

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. It makes me glad you’re having a good time in Astia.”

At those words we exchanged smiles, knowing it to not be the best place ever, having a lot of impertinent fellows. Yet, it was mainly a pleasant village to live in and be part of.

“Regarding the promotion,” she checked some papers on the table. “The guild master has acknowledged your ability despite you lacking a class.”

I remained dumbfounded at her words. It was hard to pass without the full requirements, causing me to work with a lot of parties to this very day. I had stacked positive reports about my cooperation with many parties, learning what I could from them.

“Follow me,” she lifted a wooden blockade between two blocks, allowing me to pass to her side. Then, we entered a room with a bookshelf, two large sofas, and a table between them.

She told me to sit on one of them as her finger and eyes searched through the bookshelf. Once she found it, she brought a thick and heavy book and placed it on top of the table.

‘It’s so strange,’ it looked almost fully brown, covered by grey at its edges along with a peculiar stone handprint in the middle.

“Place your hand on the mark.”

I followed her instruction, placing my hand on top of it.

“Once it finishes registering you, a card will appear. You can present it in many territories and the guards will let you pass, and any guild base can update your rank in it as you complete quests.”

“Oh, so it shows my name and my rank?” I questioned, to make sure I had missed no details about it.

“Yes, pretty much, and also where you registered. I’ll be back soon. Wait for me here, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am!” I raised my free hand in the air.

A few moments after, a light appeared above my hand and a white card came into sight. As I’m about to take my hand off to grab it, the entire process repeats. Excitedly, I got hold of both cards, turning the first one around.

“Name: Iris, Age: 15, Registered at Aria Village, Rank: F.”

As I’m about to check the second Leonor entered, startling me, causing me to save the second one before reading it in my pocket.

She closed the door, then turned to me, “Is it done?”

“Ah... Yes,” I give her my card.

“There, there,” Leonor patted me briefly before looking at the card.

“No need to be scared, Iris.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled at my words.

“Okay, the card looks perfect. Here you go.”

I got hold of it with both hands, “thank you! I’ll cherish it!”

“On our side, it’s complete. From this day onwards, you can just drop by and talk to one of us. We’re the ones who handle all the quests and deliver them to the adventurers based on their ranks.”

“Okay, I will!” I saved it in my other pocket, getting up from the sofa, and then we left together.

We came to the positions before everything started, once more having a counter between us.

“I’d like to receive my first quest if possible,” eager to get to work, I smiled.

‘This girl is a mix of swordsmanship and magic, but she’s alone, so I need to find something easy…’ she went through papers, making different facial expressions upon reading their content.

I took a quick glance around me, evaluating the extensive building, which contained many tables with long benches of the same lengths. There was an enormous hall between the front doors and the receptionists.

“I’ll be right back, Leonor.”

“Take your time.”

On the sides, there were counters where mainly adventurers bought food and drinks. I approach one and got myself 3 sizeable pieces of bread with ham and cheese in there for later. The woman placed them inside a black cloth bag that was then given to me.

Thanks to my card, they put the price on my tab since I didn’t have money with me. With this system, every time an adventurer finishes their quest, part of the reward gets deducted to pay off any debt.

I returned to the receptionist’s area, finding Leonor.

“Iris, I’d like you to take this quest,” she handed it to me and asked, “do you know how to read?”

“Yes, I do. Let’s see...”

Quest

Rank: F

A farmer has sighted a group of slimes between 10 to 20 to the east farm of Astia. They have been eating the crops and if left alone, they may end up hurting someone.

Reward: 2 points and 5 mana coins per slime killed.

“Leonor, what are these points in the reward?”

“Oh, they are the values I mentioned before to rank up an adventurer via their card.”

“I see…” I took mine out, noticing there wasn’t anything related to it.

“You’re very welcome. Don’t forget to get an ally or two to help you out. Oh, and you must bring the soul stones as proof to get points!”

“We’ll then trade it for points and we’ll pay you for their grades properly,” she waves goodbye as she finishes talking.

“Can I bring any other soul stones I find aside from slimes?”

“Yes, of course. We’ll exchange them for points and money. We have a device that checks their soul wavelength, so it’s always the correct reward.”

“Alright,” I nodded happily and then waved goodbye. “See you later, Leonor, and thank you!”

“Be careful Iris. Make sure to only go for the blue ones!”

“Okay!” I left the adventurer’s guild with a radiant face, heading towards the fountain to meet Alicia. Upon reaching it, I found an older man slapping her, causing me to approach and eavesdrop on their conversation, wanting to help her if it somehow got out of hand.

“I told you many times to not play with these peasants. How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Alicia was crying with her head lowered.

“I’m sor-ry fa-ther,” lowly mumbling followed as tears rained.

“Look at your dress. It’s so dirty. Do you have no dignity!?”

Another man approached them, a man dressed in black attire.

“Master, your wife has called for you. She has finished shopping,” the man politely bowed.

“It’s time to go,” he grabbed Alicia’s hand, pulling her towards the carriage.

The moment he started moving away, his arm got stuck.

He turned around and asked the daughter.

"Why aren’t you moving?” His face turned even redder, filled with anger.

“I...” Alicia grabbed her dress tight, “promised I’d wait for my friend Iris.”

“Did you not understand what I said earlier!?” he lifted his arm in the air to slap her again.

As I saw what was unfolding, I stepped in close to them.

“Hello lady Alicia, I’m truly sorry for the wait.”

Happy to see me, she replied, “welcome back, lady Iris,” she smiled nervously at me, holding back her tears.

“I’ve just finished my business in the adventurer’s guild,” I said in a composed, proper tone.

Her father thought about what kind of business I could have in the adventurer’s guild.

I then flawlessly bowed slightly towards her, lifting my casual dress properly, and then turned to her father, repeating the gesture.

In my past life, they forced me to learn noble etiquette, which was quite similar to the one in this world. I tested this with my mother, as she taught it to me when we weren’t training. She said I was extremely good at it and a fast learner at that, so we spent little time on it. It made me glad it hadn’t been for naught.

Alicia bowed properly by picking up her skirt dress and lifting it slightly, bowing in my direction. Her father mistook me for a noble because of my trained courtesy and elegant yet childish tone. However, my attire wasn’t the best, but it was still on a level slightly above what most kids wore. The guild business also helped with it.

He then, feeling a little calmer, added, “seems like you learned something after all. We’ll be waiting in the coach. Have a good day, lady Iris.”

“Have a good day, my lord.”

“Don’t take long Alicia, the trip back to Lumen awaits.”

“Yes, father!”

The butler smiled kindly at me, doing a brief bow before leaving, almost as if he was thanking me. I repaid him with a cute smile.

Without having the chance to look at my friend, she grabbed my hands, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Iris.”

“It’s okay, milady,” I teased her.

Her body loosened a bit, laughing along with me.

“How did the trip to the adventurer’s guild go?”

I took out my adventurer’s card and showed it to her.

Her eyes became shiny as she took a hold of it, reading the information to herself.

‘This girl is so easy to read,’ I thought, staring at her radiance.

I had thought of this, but the truth was that I had failed to notice how important she was.

“I’m so proud of you! I hope you can become a famous adventurer!”

“I’ll do my best to become strong!” upon hearing my words, her expression changed.

“I must go, but I hope to see you again someday. Perhaps one day I’ll come for that ring and make you one of my knights,” she smiled with a serious glint in her eyes.

“A knight? I’m an adventurer, though," I clarified.

“Yes, for now, but we never know in the future.”

“I don’t know if in the future I’ll want to be a knight though...” I replied, feeling awkward about that proposition of hers.

She hugged me and whispered in my ear, “even if you don’t, you’re a friend I don’t want to lose. And this way we’ll surely meet again.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I really have to go, dear friend. I’ll see you someday!” she ran off, waving briefly before going.

“Take care, Alicia!”

I waved her goodbye thinking about her proposition. ‘A knight... perhaps that could be fun too.’

 

A bit later, inside a moving white carriage with rose patterns, a woman’s voice sprouted, “You seem happy, my dear daughter.”

Alicia looked at the woman in front of her and replied with a smile, “yes mother, very.”

“Did anything fun happen?” She questioned curiously, noticing something about her amiss.

She focused on her daughter’s face, passing the right hand softly on it, noticing a swelled cheek. Her arm returned to her chest as the gaze befell the husband.

Without giving a chance for anyone to do anything, she released a bloodthirsty aura worse than an enraged beast towards everyone around, making the carriage shake in pressure, and the horses shriek in despair.

“Alfred, did you hit Alicia!?” Her heart consumed with rage caused her menacing eyes to glare at him. The husband looked at her, slightly shivering from the pressure.

“Someone has to educate our daughter. She was playing with peasants,” the father replied coldly, without giving in to the aura.

Sweat was dripping from everyone inside the carriage. The butler next to the child pitied Alicia in his mind, ‘monstrous parents handling a kid... hang in there young lady, it’ll be over soon.’

She looked back at Alicia and stretched the right hand once more slowly toward the hair. As the hand approached, the girl felt more and more pressure, shaking fiercely from it. In her eyes, it felt like a beast was about to devour her. To this, the child’s arms rose in the air, defending herself.

However, the moment her hand touched the daughter’s hair, the aura vanished, and words came out of the mother.

“Well, your dad is right. It would bring shame to our family if someone important saw you with them, Alicia.”

Her arms lowered down to the lap as she looked at the mother in the face.

“I...” She reminded herself of Iris wanting to become strong, gripping both hands onto each other strongly. “I understand mother; I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Inside the mother’s mind, an unexpected thought went by, ‘I didn’t expect her to be so unfazed after that. Seems like she’s grown up, upon meeting that new girl, perhaps?’

In Alicia’s eyes, the reflection of a faint smile on her mother’s lips went through.

“So, Alicia, you haven’t replied to my question. I’m very curious where one of the five heirlooms has run off to.”

Upon hearing that comment, the husband and butler looked simultaneously at Alicia’s hand.

“I gave it to someone I estimated worthy of wearing it,” she declared to her parents, having grasped some confidence.

The father, upon remembering the girl with the exquisite hair color, turned his face back to the window. The mother, noticing his behavior, realized she had finally made friends with a fellow noble.

“I made a friend. Her name is Iris. She’s 15 years old and today she became an adventurer.”

‘A noble passing that exam at such a young age? They’re usually lazy and spoiled kids,’ the butler thought, confused.

“Sounds like this Iris friend of yours has some potential... but...”

Alicia, upon hearing those words, expressed a confused face.

Her mother, realizing the cheek was already red, decided to leave it at that. After all, she knew that no noble girl would take such an exam at such a young age. Noble kids at such an age already had everything they wished for.

“What is your friend like?”

“She’s fun, friendly, kind, and... strong-minded,” Alicia smiled as she finished.

“Talking on lady Iris, what’s her family name?”

“I didn’t have time to ask father.”

“Very well, also, you could improve your greeting to her level. The one presented by the girl was flawless.”

Upon hearing that, her mother thought, confused, ‘is she really a noble? Peasants don’t learn etiquette praiseworthy of my husband’s...’

“Daughter. Tell me about the appearance of your friend.”

“Ah, well... she’s beautiful, with green eyes and blonde hair.”

‘Blonde hair? I can count the people I’ve seen with such hair with one hand, not to forget that such eye color is even rarer.’

“Robert.”

“Yes, Milady?”

“I want you to find out which family Iris belongs to. I wish to meet her.”

“As you wish, though it might take a while.”

“That is fine,” she declared effortlessly, looking through the wagon window.