Dylan Hammerstein groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing with the remnants of a massive hangover. He couldn't help but try and recall the events of the previous night, as his memory was hazy from the copious amounts of alcohol he had consumed.

 

"What on earth did I ... do yesterday?" Dylan mumbled, his voice barely audible, as he turned to face Maximus, his mentor and constant companion.

 

Maximus let out an sigh, his eyes fixated on Dylan's disheveled appearance. Even though he had already grown accustomed to Dylan's antics, but today was something new even for him. 

A new low that is.

 

"Ah, Dylan, my dear reckless disciple, so you are awake at last." Maximus responded with a mix of frustration and resignation. 

“What ... Happened.”

"You managed to achieve quite a feat yesterday. After getting drunk in broad daylight, you indulged in a new sport, ‘on how to make a poor person rob for you’, and to top it all off, you then went on to push all your blame to your mentor, me in this case, and the church."

 

Dylan winced at Maximus' words, 

His own actions becoming painful to hear. Given the consequences, maybe ... No, surely his reputation was already in tatters. His name must have also been suspended indefinitely from the hero registry. 

The church also thought of distancing themselves from Dylan after being asked to take responsibility for his misdeeds. 

It’s no wonder they don’t want anything with him anymore.

 

"So, I’ve really become a nobody now huh? To think even the church doesn’t want to acknowledge my existence." Dylan muttered with a mixture of regret and self-pity.

 

Maximus nodded solemnly, his gaze still filled with a hint of sympathy for his disciple. 

"Dylan, your notoriety has managed to cross it’s previous boundary and reach a low that is unheard of. Even the most humble of the townsfolk are now avoiding to mention your name. Given how you even kidnapped the daughter of that poor father, and forced him into thievery as well. It's time for you to reflect on your deed and reconsider a path that doesn't involve tarnishing your own legacy."

 

Dylan let out a sigh, his hangover magnified by the weight of his own foolishness. It was clear that he had a long way to go if he ever wants to redeem himself in the eyes of the world, church, or even in Maximus' weary heart.

"Drink up, Dylan!" Maximus exclaimed, handing over a vial of the Elixir of Dawn with a weary sigh. He had grown tired of Dylan's antics and was desperate for a solution to his friend's perpetual hangovers.

 

Crafted by the legendary sorcerer ‘Alaric the Magnificent’, the ‘Elixir of Dawn’ is a masterpiece among masterpieces of alchemical mysteries. A magical potion that is made blending rare herbs, mystical crystals, with some sprinkle of enchanted water. Its radiant golden color shimmered like promise to give a new life to Dylan.

 

As Dylan gulped down the elixir, with every drop, he felt his inner evils getting vanquished along with the evil hangover spirits. 

The enchanted potion swiftly silenced the pounding headache, quenched the churning stomach, and restored the depleted energy reserves. 

And oh, the taste! A delightful medley of zesty citrus and a refreshing hint of mint that jolted the senses awake. 

 

It’s mystical properties accelerated the body's natural detoxification process, sweeping away the toxins and restoring balance to every cell. It harmonized seamlessly with the drinker's inner energies, fostering a sense of serenity and well-being.

 

After Dylan guzzled down the vial of potion upon waking from a night of debauchery. In mere minutes, his exhaustion evaporated, mental clarity returned. And his body felt reborn, recharged, and ready to conquer the day, as if the previous night of overindulgence had been nothing but a hazy dream.

***

Dylan and Maximus strolled into the bustling guild, their eyes set on securing a new quest. Maximus, exhausted from dealing with Dylan's shenanigans, was determined to boost his friend's fame, and the guild seemed like the perfect place to start.

 

"Good morning, young adventurers!" The guild attendant greeted them cheerfully.

 

"Good morning," they replied in unison.

 

Observing Maximus's hero trainer crest, the attendant's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Ah, a hero trainer! We have a fresh-faced hero in town. How about taking them under your wing?"

 

Maximus hesitated, glancing at Dylan, who was shamelessly ogling the attendant's assets. "Um, well, I'm still training myself," he stammered, attempting to divert attention from his mischievous companion.

 

Maximus chose to conceal the fact that Dylan was already his disciple, mainly because Dylan had sold his hero badge to fund his boozing escapades, resulting in his name being stricken from the records. It was practically impossible for anyone outside the church to uncover Dylan's heroic past.

 

Fortunately, luck was on Maximus's side as he dodged an awkward situation. "I've heard whispers about this new hero's resistance against a succubus. It might be worth your while to assess their potential. A stroke of luck could bring you a remarkable hero, something we haven't seen ever since the era of that Great Hero."

 

‘The Great Hero’ 

Renowned for his unwavering integrity and dedication to helping others, stood as a beacon of inspiration for all heroes who followed later on. It was the Golden age of Heroes, where their legacy remained unmatched even till date.

 

"I shall have a look."

 

"Alright, let's get you and your, -ahem, enthusiastic friend registered," the attendant said, trying to hide her discomfort.

 

Maximus couldn't help but roll his eyes at Dylan's relentless ogling. With a sigh, he gave his friend a playful jab to snap him out of it.

 

"Ah, and by the way, my name is Laila," the attendant introduced herself, flashing a warm smile.

 

"Nice to meet you, Laila," Maximus replied, offering a polite nod. "I'm Maximus, and this troublemaker here is Dylan."

***

Laila swiftly completed the registration process for the rookies, doing her best to ignore Dylan's lecherous gaze that seemed to be still fixated on her chest. Her patience was wearing thin, and she couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

"These rookies ... get some manners, I swear."

A smile... 

“A minute kind please, if you may.”

And stepped away for sometime to recollect herself. As a guild attendant, she knew he would encounter any type of person, and also have to entertain every sort of person while maintaining a professional demeanor at all times, but still, even for her, this was getting too cumbersome.

Lila, Laila’s younger sister, upon looking at her sister’s unusual behavior, approached her. "Onee-san, what's going on?"

Laila let out a heavy sigh, speaking under her breath. 

"Every day, it feels the quality of adventurers in this guild just drops to a new benchmark. It's getting harder to deal with people who aren’t even worth their salt."

Lila nodded as if understanding. 

"But maybe the new hero, come to think of it, what do you think about the new hero? Maybe he would be different?"

Laila's expression softened slightly. 

"Heroes are a different breed, more focused on slaying demon kings and helping the church. If this new hero actually shows up at the guild, someone who lives up to their mettle, that would really be a breath of fresh air for me."

*Bam

The door of the guild opened up,

As the young recruit girl came rushing towards them, panting with excitement. "Laila! Lila! The hero! The new hero! He, He is!

“Calm down, calm down! Take deep breath.”

“There is no time for that! The new hero is here, and he says that he wants to register with our guild!"

“Eh?”