Dario opened the Guild door and let me and Daria go in first.

 

"Oh! Mina is at the reception."

 

Behind the reception sat the same person as before.

 

"Hey! Mina!"

 

Daria waved to her.

 

"Uh? Daria, what are you doing here? Short on cash?"

 

Daria shook her head.

 

"Today, I am here because of her."

 

She pushed me forward to present me to Mina.

 

"Aren't you from the other day?"

 

"Yup, that was me."

 

"Have you always had this horn?"

 

"Yup."

 

Before, I was just camouflaged.

 

"And? What do you want in the guild? Place a request?"

 

"She wants to register."

 

Daria intervened.

 

"If so, just go ahead."

 

"Mina, it's not that easy! We don't know which guild is best suited to her desired profession."

 

"What job is it?"

 

"Magical Scout."

 

"Should I check the professional catalog?"

 

"Please, do that."

 

She rummaged under the cupboard and pulled a thick ham¹Thick ham = Dicker Schinken (german) Dicker Schinken is a synonym for a thick book out, on the cover stood "Professions from P to T."

 

"Wouldn't the profession have to be under M?"

 

I asked in the round.

 

"No, Eris. A magical scout is a special form of the scout, so it's like the others at S, as a subsection of Scout. "

 

Dario explained it to me.

 

Mina turned a few pages, and with an "Ah!" her finger stopped in a line.

 

"Magical Scouts fit in with all three guilds. The regular Scout is used by the Hunterguild to read tracks. In the Mercenary Guild and he scouts ahead, and as part of the Wizardguild, is he scouting for treasures."

 

"And?"

 

"It says here, that the scout if he wants to be recognized as a magical scout, needs to take an exam in each guild, and in the end earned a so-called tri-pass instead of an average guild card. If someone doesn't want to take this trouble, they can enroll in one of the three guilds, as a regular scout or another sub-type instead."

 

"Eris, what do you think? Do you want to stay with the profession or choose another?"

 

"I don't know why, but something tells me to stick with it."

 

"Well, Mina, where do we have to go for the application for the exam?"

 

"Wait."

 

She put the book back under the counter and bought out a scroll.

 

"You're always welcome,ok?"

 

He handed the scroll to us.

 

"Now, go to each guild to get the stamp on the scroll. The exam date depends on the guild. The guilds usually split the exam over three days, one exam each. Which guild starts depends on their schedule."

 

"Alright! We'll do it now."

 

Our first goal wasn't the Hunters Guild, but the Wizarding Guild on the top floor.

 

In the Wizarding Guild, I encountered a familiar face.

 

"If that's not Dario, along with her brother. Daria."

 

"Haha! Very funny, you rod wielding lap dog!"

 

I felt the sparks fly between Perine and Daria.

 

They both insulting each other looked to me like kids fighting with each other.

 

"Hey, Dario! Can it be that both are good friends?"

 

"Not really, Perine is my teacher, and Daria didn't want me to learn from her. Since then, they always fight with each other when they meet."

 

"Is Perrine so good with spells casting?"

 

"Yes, she is. There is hardly anyone stronger in Astel."

 

"But a good wizard isn't automatically the best teacher. How was she?"

 

"Harsh. She was a strict teacher, but I never gave up."

 

Perine pushed Daria aside and approached us.

 

"Dario, why are you here, and who is this?"

 

Didn't she recognize me?

 

"This is Eris. She wants to become a magical scout, and therefore she has to take the exam in all three guilds."

 

"Eris... Hm? Wait, Eris!?"

 

She looked at me and her eyes widened.

 

"I didn't realize it was you!?"

 

"And?"

 

Dario held out the scroll to her.

 

"...Wait."

 

She took the scroll and disappeared into the back room.

 

It took less than 5 minutes, and she was back again.

 

"Here, please."

 

She handed the scroll back to Dario.

 

He rolled the scroll up immediately. In his face, the amazement was visible.

 

"Why is this "completed"?"

 

"Very easily. The magic test would have been "concealing presence" or "recognizing presences," and manipulating their presence is another way of hiding, so she passed."

 

So... easy!?

 

"Good luck with the other guilds."

 

""Thank you.""

 

Dario and I thanked, but Daria had other plans.

 

"Where do you want to go, we are not done yet!"

 

Perine turned to her and had a smug smile on her face.

 

"Well, I think so."

 

She gestured to Dario and me as we were about to leave.

 

"Tch!"

 

Daria reluctantly relinquished and followed us to the Mercenaryguild.

 

The mercenary guild had a large anteroom with a front desk, the room was almost empty the only thing here were the bulletin boards.

 

"Oh! Daria long time not see."

 

A group of 3 young women of the same age as Daria and Dario recognized Daria and greeted her.

 

I leaned over to Dario.

 

"Who is this now?"

 

"These are Daria's former team members. I was in a research group, and she was in a mercenary team. While I researched, Daria headhunted criminals with a bounty or accompanied traders through nearby villages. It was part of Vil's training, as well as that with you now. "

 

"Now that we're back at Vil, what's she for you?"

 

"Hmm... I never thought about it that much."

 

"Never?"

 

"No, Daria and I have known her for over ten years. At that time, we lived with her in an Elven village for the time being. We both speak their language, too, but that shouldn't be something new for you."

 

"What do you mean by "shouldn't be something new for you"?"

 

"Well, you also speak both languages."

 

"How do you know that I speak both languages?"

 

"In our house, when Vil and Nymira were there, we talked in Elvish."

 

I didn't hear that because of "soul language"...

 

"You haven't answered my question, what is she for you and Daria?"

 

"...Maybe... Well... Something like a mother, but also like a big sister. She is family."

 

"Family... uh ..."

 

I probably made a sad face because Dario nudged me lightly on the shoulder.

 

"Come on, let's go, Daria can talk to her friends for a bit."

 

Dario and I went to the counter. There was a short line with two groups in front of us.

 

"Do these in front of us accept requests?"

 

"Nah, they completed theirs already. The mission counter is over there."

 

Dario pointed to an empty counter with a sign posted saying, "Orders can only be accepted from sunrise to midday. Special orders, please to the other counters. "

 

"Why only in the morning?"

 

"That was changed a long time ago in all three guilds. The reason was that the adventure, as it was called back then, often came in drunk at noon to accept any requests. Now, the guild takes care that they don't look "unprofessional" in the guild. Even though guild members can more or less choose their working hours, the guild remains the employer, and they don't accept drunkards."

 

"So, there's no bar here either?"

 

"There's a bar sponsored by the Guild, but it's not in the Guild House."

 

The counter in front of us was free now, and we approached the receptionist.

 

"Welcome to the Mercenary Guild, how can I help you?"

 

Dario took out the application and put it on the table.

 

"She wants to take the exam to become a magical scout."

 

The receptionist took the document, looked over it, and put it down again.

 

"I can ask our guild leader if he has free time to let you take the exam now, would that be ok?"

 

"Eris, what do you think?"

 

"May I learn what I have to do in the exam?"

 

"Should I explain it?"

 

"Please."

 

"As you may know, we at the Mercenary Guild are responsible for assignments such as guarding or escorts. In rare cases as a soldier. Our Scouts have to find tracks and detect ambushes. Therefore, good knowledge of reading maps is fundamental to be able to recognize possible problems already then. Your test will be on a fictitious map identifying five possible positions for an ambush. "

 

"Eris, can you read maps?"

 

"I've never used a map this way, but I think I can handle it. If possible, I would do the exam immediately."

 

"Yes, Miss."

 

The receptionist disappeared into the back room.

 

We didn't wait long and he was back after a few minutes.

 

"Our leader has something to complete and is available in 30 minutes. I recommend you to wait as he sets out on an expedition tomorrow and will, therefore, be absent for several days."

 

"Would it be possible that we could go to the Hunters Guild? We were already in the Wizardguild."

 

"I think that it wouldn't be a problem. In the meantime, I'm going to prepare the conference room for the test. It will be the conference room 4. So when you're done, just come straight to the conference room. "

 

"All right."

 

Dario and I turned away and went to Daria and her former comrades.

 

"Daria, we are done."

 

"Nice? And when is the appointment? "

 

"In 30 minutes."

 

"And you want to accept this appointment, Eris?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Is it alright if I stay here then?"

 

"As you wish. Eris and I can do it alone."

 

"Thank you, brother."

 

We parted from Daria and went down the stairs. Downstairs Mina spoke to us immediately.

 

"Where did Daria stay?"

 

"She met old comrades and is currently talking with them."

 

"Ohh! How unlucky!"

 

"Sorry, Mina, but we don't have much time."

 

"Oh, ok... Mister Untouchable strikes again."

 

The second half mumbled to herself, but I still could hear it anyway.

 

We walked through the swing doors into the Hunters Guild.

 

"What did she mean by Mister Untouchable?"

 

"Uh! Where did you hear that, Eris!?"

 

"Well, just now."

 

*Sigh*

 

Dario sighed loudly, and it was even so loud that some people turned to us.

 

"I don't know why, but that's what some people call me."

 

He made a disappointed face.

 

"Come on, let us go."

 

I pulled on his sleeve to free him from his rigidity.

 

His gaze wandered over my hand to my face.

 

"Uh! Uh! OK!"

 

We approached an empty counter.

 

"Why are the desks so empty? What about the creatures to be cast? "

 

"For hunted creatures, there is are buildings not far from any city entrance. Here only plants, minerals, etc. are accepted."

 

"Welcome to the Hunters Guild, how can I help you?"

 

The receptionist greeted us, which interrupted our conversation.