It’s been a month since Venus decided to form a party with me and Hermes. Currently, we’re chatting in our home group’s classroom while waiting for Mr. Magnus. What we’re doing now is more like helping Hermes with his homework rather than chatting. He really hasn’t change. Venus scolded him when he asks for our help, but she ended up helping him anyway. What a good friends they are.

We manage to finish right before Mr. Magnus enter the class. He’s the type of teacher that hate students who do homework during his class. He asks us to turn in the homework that Hermes just finished a minute ago. Today’s lecture is about guild mechanism. At first, it’s informative and interesting for me. It’s like playing a game’s tutorial. But as it goes on, it gets more and more boring. Mr. Magnus explain about the guild’s organization structure and its management. The student handbook does say that adventurer division graduate can also work at guilds, but I didn’t think that every student has to learn all of this. After a long lecture session, Mr. Magnus ends the class.

“Next week, you will try taking a quest. Every group will go to the guild, so you can do the quest with your party. If you haven’t decided about your party, don’t worry, because there are also quests for solo adventurer. Or you can form a party with other students that doesn’t have party yet.”

Everyone starts to talk among themselves. I don’t feel to have anything to discuss to anyone, so I wait for Mr. Magnus to continue his announcement.

“Also, for you who don’t know, the academy provides free equipment for students. For first year students, you can only get a weapon, but you can choose your weapon of choice. You can ask for it at the equipment room. That’s all.”

After Mr. Magnus leave the class, Hermes walks to me and Venus. He looks excited about something.

“You hear that? We get a free equipment!”

“You didn’t know about that before?”

“Really, just how stupid can you be, Celeri?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry that I didn’t read the handbook. Anyway, we can get equipment for free. As expected from one of the favorite Advanced Academy.”

“Well, we’ll only get a basic weapon on first year. Even throughout second to fourth year, we can only get at most 2 more equipment.”

“They can give more equipment and weapon, but only for top students. With your grades right now, I don’t think you can ever ask for extra equipment.”

“Hmm, is that so? Well, we can think about that later. So, how about getting our weapon now?”

“I still have class with Ms. Wyllt, so I will pass.”

“Sorry Hermes, but I have things to do at home. We can go tomorrow if you want.”

“You too, Marz? I bet you just want to see your big sister.”

“Why do you always bring her up?”

“What is it with your big sister?”

“Nothing. Anyway, I’ll get my weapon tomorrow. Do you want to go together or not?”

“Yeah, okay. What about you, Venus?”

“Well, if you insist to go together.”

“If you can’t, it’s-”

“I will go. Tomorrow after class, right? I just happen to be free tomorrow and it’s better to get this done with as soon as possible.”

Then why didn’t you take it months ago…

* * *

“Marz, do you really know where the room is?” Hermes asked me nervously as we walk together along the academy corridor.

“Yeah, we’ve passed it several times, don’t you remember?”

“Not really. So, what’s up with that bag?”

“My backpack? It’s been a while since the last time I use it, so I decided to bring it.”

“You have used that bag before?” He keeps asking question as we walk.

“I have brought it to Elementary Academy for a week before Ms. Renee told me it’s too big for me, remember?”

“It’s pointless, Evanest. Celeri won’t remember anything that happened before last week.” It seems Venus has finally grown tired of Hermes’ questions.

“I remember we fought a golem together.”

“And what magic did I use?”

“Uhh…”

“See, the inner machinations of his mind are an enigma.”

Maybe I should stop them now, or they will continue even after we arrive at the equipment room.

“You don’t have to- hmm?”

“Hyah…”

Because I turned my head to talk to Hermes and Venus just when we’re about to turn a corner, I can’t see if there’s someone on the corner. As a result, I bumped into someone. It’s a little girl with pale yellow hair, tied into a pigtail on left side of her head. She’s also holding a bow on her left hand. I feel bad for thinking like this, but she looks adorable sitting on the floor while stroking her head. She looks younger than Plisia, so maybe she’s the type that skipped grades in Elementary Academy.

“What are you doing, Evanest? Don’t just stare at her.”

“Ah, sorry, are you okay?”

“Ye-yeah, Luna is okay.”

She responded timidly. Is she referring to herself? As Venus and I help her stand up, someone runs toward us.

“Ah, there you are, Luna.”

“Big brother!”

The girl, whose name seems to be Luna, runs toward the guy that she called big brother. Looking at their uniform, it looks like they are both students here. Maybe she called him big brother because he’s a senior? He pets Luna’s head with a gentle smile.

“I told you to wait for me. Sorry, did my sister caused any trouble?”

“Ah no, I should be the one who apologize for being careless and bumped into her.”

Looks like they’re legit brother and sister. The brother’s hair is as green as a leave, but I guess they have similarity on their face.

“It’s okay. You’re not hurt right, Luna? Anyway, are you guys here to get your weapons too? You should hurry, the equipment room’s service is about to get closed for today.”

After thanking him, we separate from them and continue our way to the equipment room. There are many things I wanted to ask him beside his name, actually. But it’s getting late, and he even said that the equipment is about to closed.

“I remember! She’s from ranged focus group. Remember the one who scored highest during our joint practice with ranged group, Marz?” Hermes suddenly exclaims loudly a while after we separated from the sibling

“Oh right, she’s supposed to be a fifth-grade student of Elementary Academy, right?”

“I heard she turned in a request to attend the entrance exam and she passed. Anyway, Celery, how can you remember things about your joint practice with range focus group? Isn’t it like two weeks ago?”

“Hm? I don’t know. I guess it’s because she’s cute.”

“Oh, is that so.”

Venus looks away and pout. I don’t think Hermes notice it, but I’ll leave it at that.

We make it to the equipment room before the working hour ends. The equipment room is filled with all equipment an adventurer can think off. The wall is covered with different types of weapon ranging from bladed weapon to magic staff. There’s also other equipment like gauntlet and boots and even backpack. Well, clearly my backpack is superior to those.

The teacher who is in charge of equipment room, Mr. Vulko Haesto, was getting ready to go home when we came. When he sees us, he sighs and stroke his beard. There must be many students like Hermes, who just know about the perk of being a student here yesterday and come here to get their weapon.

“Can I help you with something, kids?”

“We’re here to get our first weapon.”

Hermes, who I bet doesn’t even know Mr. Haesto, ask him casually.

“Thought so. You may know me already from your handbook, but I’m Vulko Haesto. Mr. Vulko is fine. So, what do you want? Let me guess. Sword, staff, and… sword, right?”

 “Wow, how do you know?”

I don’t know if Hermes already notice that Mr. Vulko is a teacher, but he continues to speak to him so casually.

“Well, from your posture, I can guess that you boys are from close combat focus group. And I can feel your mana control is better than average, so you must be from offensive magic focus group. Let’s start from the sword. What kind of sword do you want?”

“A standard single-handed long sword is fine, I guess. The one that can slice neatly as I run.”

Mr. Vulko grab a sword from the wall and hand it to Hermes. It’s a double-edge long sword. It looks like the sword that’s used in practice during class, but the hilt is slightly different. Hermes gives it a couple swings and he looks satisfied. It’s also seems to be lighter than the sword used in class.

“There you go. And you?”

“Well, I’m don’t really want a sword, but is there a short sword? Or a dagger maybe? Something that can be used swiftly.”

“We have daggers. It comes in a set of two, let me see… this one is fine, right?”

He gives me a pair of daggers. One of them is slightly longer and more curved than the other one. It’s also slightly lighter.

“Now for the staff, what magic do you focus on?”

“I usually use fire-based magic. Sometimes I also emit smoke and poison.”

“Ah okay, then this one should do the job.”

Mr. Vulko grabs a staff with a red orb on it. It doesn’t have many ornaments, and I don’t really understand the mechanism of magic weapon so I can’t say much about the staff.

“Hey Venus, how do you use a staff?”

“Huh? You mean the basic mechanism? Hmm, you see this red orb? It’s called magic stone. We have learnt about that in Elementary Academy, right? It absorbs and store raw mana more efficient than human, so we can cast magic without relaying too much to our own mana.”

“All magic weapon, including magic staff, has at least one magic stone. It’s called the core. Depending on the core’s properties, the user can cast some kind of magic more efficiently than other kinds, so people usually choose a staff depending on their magic specialty.” Mr. Vulko starts explaining as well. “For example, this staff has heat property, so you should be able to cast spell that generate and manipulate heat easier.”

“I see, thanks for the explanation. Well the, I think we should head back. Thank you, Mr. Vulko,”

Hermes attached his sword along with the sheath to his waist, while I put my daggers inside my backpack. In fact, this is the main reason why I bring my backpack today. Mr. Vulko looks worried at the sight of me putting the dagger to my backpack

“Hey, is it safe to put your weapon in that bag? I know it’s sheathed, but it can still damage your bag. It’s also easier for people steal it.”

“Thanks for the concern Mr. Vulko, but this bag is very durable. It also has a security magic applied on it.”

I take one of my daggers out of its sheath and strike it to my backpack. Nothing happens. It looks like I just struck it with a blunt object.

“Wow, amazing. I’ve never seen a bag with such enhancement. Mind if I take a look at it sometimes?

“Sure. Will I get extra equipment if I help you inspecting my bag?”

“Haha, you’re an optimistic boy. Well, there are quests at guilds that can give you special offer here or at some equipment store. You can do that instead if you want more equipment. Many older students have done it.”

So, there are quests like that. I learn new things today.