Doah, feeling puzzled, was about to put Berry down when Berry suddenly clung tightly to her.
Glancing down at Berry, she saw that his ears were pressed flat against his head.
‘Oh, right,’ Doah muttered to herself, shaking her head.
She had forgotten that Berry was afraid of the cursed sword. Still holding Berry, she asked,
“Khunak, is something wrong?”
Khunak slowly opened his mouth, looking at Doah,
“Can you explain why Yan got hurt?”
“Oh, that… well, according to Yan, he just suddenly collapsed…”
“So, it’s because of the contamination, isn’t it? What kind of state is he in…?”
Hearing his anxious words, Doah realized, ‘Oh no.’
Does he think Yan collapsed because of him?
“It’s definitely not because of the contamination. I swear on my eyes that it isn’t.”
Hearing this, Khunak stared at her for a moment, then nodded as if all the strength had left his body.
“Alright.”
Doah gave Berry a tight hug before letting him go and stood up. She walked up to Khunak with determined strides.
“I heard everything from Yan.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’re really worried about the contamination, aren’t you? I’ve been thinking, what if you take an infusion? There’s an infusion that can cleanse the contamination from your body.”
“It’s pointless.”
“Why? You haven’t even tried it yet. My infusion is really effective!”
“I’m connected to the cursed sword through a contract. The contamination that accumulates is a little different.”
“Hmm.” Doah furrowed her brows.
“Then, at least let me give you a check-up.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
Doah was surprised by the unexpected question,
“Why do you care?”
“Well, if someone I know might die, of course I care. If there’s even a chance that I could help…”
Khunak pursed his lips and silently gazed at Doah. His black eyes were calm. Doah, hoping that her sincerity would reach him, met his gaze.
Faint warmth spread through his eyes, and he stood up.
“I’m fine.”
“I know you’re not.”
“Yan is probably just exaggerating.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll consider it later.”
“You have to.”
“Okay.”
Khunak replied halfheartedly, then said to her,
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 9 in front of the inn.”
“Tomorrow?”
“You need to register as an adventurer, don’t you? You’ll need my recommendation.”
“Oh, right! Yes!”
Doah nodded eagerly. Khunak gave a quick goodnight and left the room. Doah sighed in relief, turning to Berry with a smile.
“It’s been quite the day, hasn’t it?”
“Being with Miss Doah, every day will probably be super fun!”
Berry’s words made Doah laugh.
That day, Doah spent time talking with Berry before heading to bed.
However, she had trouble falling asleep.
Tomorrow, she would officially become an adventurer.
She thought of all the stories her mother used to tell her about adventurers, and now she would be joining their ranks.
Doah closed her eyes, trying hard to fall asleep.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Wow!”
Berry exclaimed in awe.
Doah was impressed as well. The building was tall and grand, at least five stories high.
She had imagined the Adventurers’ Guild to be made of wood, with the look of an old tavern, but it was nothing like that.
The grand and majestic space, built of marble, had a sleek lobby.
The place was filled with people dressed as adventurers.
It was bustling with activity since early in the morning.
There was a large magical display on the wall.
Numbers flashed on the display, followed by the announcement of names.
The atmosphere felt like that of a fantasy-themed hotel lobby.
Berry, holding up a pamphlet he had picked up at the entrance, said,
“Read this for me, please.”
“Okay, let’s see. The display was designed by Yoo Ha-jin, the founder of the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“Wowww.”
“It says that when it was designed, it was considered too advanced for its time. It’s only recently that everything has been fully adapted into magic.”
“Wow, Yoo Ha-jin is amazing!”
“Indeed.”
‘Oh, Hajin.’
Doah couldn’t help but chuckle.
On the back wall, there was an inscription that looked like it had been engraved in gold.
[Enjoy every adventure, and love your comrades.]
Huh?
Doah blinked in surprise.
‘That’s in Korean.’
The inscription was written in unmistakable Hangul, the Korean language. Doah pointed at the writing and said,
“That…”
Khunak, who was standing beside her with his hood pulled low, spoke in a low voice,
“It’s said to be the language of Yoo Hajin’s homeland. Can you read it?”
“Yes, it says ‘Enjoy every adventure, and love your comrades.'”
Khunak nodded. Berry exclaimed,
“Wow, amazing! Miss Doah, you’re really from the Southern Continent, aren’t you?”
“Well, sort of,”
Doah replied with an awkward laugh.
As they looked around, they saw a separate area marked ‘Newcomer Registration.’ There were already more than 15 people waiting in line.
The people sitting in the waiting area were a diverse mix.
On the center table, there were forms for filling out personal details.
It seemed there was also a service that filled out the documents on behalf of people. Illiterate individuals were lining up in that section.
Doah asked,
“Do I need to line up there too?”
“No, over here,”
Khunak said, pulling her along.
They got into an elevator in a corner and ascended to the upper floor.
The three of them headed straight to the Guild Master’s office.
As soon as Khunak removed his hood, the guards immediately stepped aside.
The Guild Master’s office was large and simple.
There were hardly any decorations, but the walls and floors, made of large slabs of marble, gave off an air of luxury.
“Miss Doah, you’ve arrived.”
Yan greeted her with a bright face.
He looked completely different from the day before. His skin was glowing like a peeled egg, and his eyes were shining.
His complexion was so bright that he practically radiated.
“I feel so refreshed. It’s the first time I’ve woken up feeling this good. I feel like I’m twelve years old again.”
“I’m glad to see you’re doing so much better.”
Yan cleared his throat and asked,
“Now that I think about it, I left without paying yesterday. I don’t know if I can repay the amount…”
“Then I’ll pay for you,”
Khunak interjected from the side.
“I’ve got so much gold that it’s practically rotting.”
“Khunak,” Yan said gently, “I’ve told you many times, gold doesn’t rot. Were you sleeping during class?”
Khunak, uncharacteristically flustered, made a rare embarrassed face.
“That’s not what I meant, brother.”
His tone had a childlike ring to it. Doah found it endearing for some reason.
‘A brother. That’s nice.’
Doah had always wished for siblings.
Being alone… the feeling of being truly, completely alone was something that had often left her deeply sorrowful.
Trying to shake off the bitter feeling, Doah spoke brightly.
“That’s fine, I gave that to the Guild Master as a fee.”
Yan turned his head, looking surprised.
“Are you sure? I feel like it’s too much of a loss for you, Miss Doah…”
“It’s fine. Now, hand me my nameplate.”
Doah extended her hand confidently, and Yan smiled.
“Well then, if you say so.”
Yan pulled out a velvet box from the desk drawer.
Doah took the box and gently opened it.
Inside was a rectangular silver card, about the size of a credit card.
It was a thick plate, and in the center was a large letter ‘B.’
The edges were beautifully engraved, and at the top was a star symbol representing the North Star.
Below that, in very small letters, the Guild motto was inscribed in Korean:
[Enjoy every adventure, and love your comrades.]
When she flipped it over, her name was written on the back, along with a magic circle in the middle, and a small dungeon core about the size of a fingernail attached to it.
“Place your finger on top of it. It’ll sting a little.”
Doah placed her finger on the core.
Ouch!
With a sharp pain, the core turned red.
The surrounding magic circle glowed brightly before the light slowly faded away.
“Your personal registration is complete, and now only you, Miss Doah, can use the card.”
Doah marveled at the card, turning it around in her hands.
The magic circle was incredibly beautiful and sophisticated.
She traced it with her fingers, recalling the basic theories she had learned from Elibas.
‘Is this a magic circle that transmits information?’
BANG!
Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud noise.
Startled, Doah instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword.
But when she saw the person who barged in, her mind went blank.
“So, you’ve sneaked into Gran without notifying me?”
The man strutted confidently into the Guild Master’s office as he spoke.
He was flamboyant.
Incredibly flamboyant.
His golden hair gleamed even in the dim light, and his eyes were a fluorescent blue.
His face was handsome, but that wasn’t the issue.
He wore a long, thick, and overly ornate cape, lined with fur at the edges.
Even his inner clothes looked like formal attire for a ceremony.
It was the kind of outfit you’d expect to see in a portrait of royalty.
‘Who is this…?’
Is he really royalty?
It was Doah’s first time seeing a royal.
She slowly released her grip from the sword’s hilt.
There was no need to appear threatening to a royal.
Do royals always dress like this?
Isn’t it uncomfortable?
That cape looks ridiculously heavy.
The man smiled slightly.
“Good to see that your head’s still intact, cursed sword.”
Khunak completely ignored him and turned to Doah.
“Miss Doah, let’s go. I’ll explain how to use the card downstairs.”
As he moved to leave, the flamboyant man swiftly blocked their path.
Doah flinched.
‘Huh? He’s fast!’
Despite wearing that heavy-looking cape, his movements were quick.
‘This guy seems really strong…’
“Is this the new adventurer by your side? I’ve never seen this face before. What’s their rank? Tell me.”
“She’s B-rank,” Khunak replied.
The man grinned with interest and said to Khunak,
“Is the cursed sword hanging around with B-ranks nowadays?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Everything concerns me.”
Whoosh!
In an instant, the man’s cape billowed dramatically.
Doah dodged his sword at the last second.
The man gave an amused “Oh-ho.”
Doah’s mouth hung open.
‘Did this bastard really just…?’
If she had stayed still, she would’ve been cut for real.
His movement was hidden by that huge cape.
It seems the cape wasn’t just for decoration.
The man praised Doah arrogantly.
“I actually intended to cut you, but you dodged. Pretty impressive for a B-rank. You may address me as ‘Your Majesty.’”
“What is this crazy guy talking about?”
The moment Doah said that, all three people froze.
Doah stood defiantly, tucking her precious card into her pocket.
“Are you seriously starting trouble the first time we meet?”
The man muttered in disbelief,
“You, B-rank, do you really not know who I am?”
Doah responded,
“Are all adventurers here weird like Khunak? Why is it such a problem if I don’t know who you are?”
Khunak chimed in with a minor objection,
“Miss Doah, I am different from this man.”
“Oh, whatever.”
Doah waved her hand dismissively. Khunak frowned and seemed about to say something more, but the man’s flamboyant cape flared dramatically once again.
In just one step, the man closed the distance between him and Doah.
“So, you really don’t know me?”
“That’s right, I don’t,”
Doah said, glaring back at him.
‘Why are people here so tall?’
This man looked to be almost 190 cm tall.
Doah wasn’t exactly short, but adventurers here were ridiculously tall.
She understood why.
Height provided long limbs, and long limbs were a great advantage in combat.
So, it made sense that strong people tended to be tall.
‘I should’ve asked to be taller…’
It frustrated Doah that she had to tilt her head back to look at him.
“Hold on, both of you, please stop.”
Yan stepped in between them with a sigh.
“Miss Doah, this is Robern, an S-rank adventurer. Robern, this is Miss Doah, who became a B-rank adventurer today.”
Robern’s face lit up with even more interest.
“Doah? That’s an unusual name… I see, you’re from the Southern Continent. That explains your ignorance. Very well, I’ll forgive you.”
Doah gave Yan a skeptical look and pointed at Robern, asking bluntly,
“Who is this guy?”
“The people call me Emperor,” Robern replied.
“Doesn’t the real Emperor get mad at that?”
“How dare you say such a thing to me?”
“Oh, it’s because you’re an S-rank adventurer, right?”
Yan didn’t say a word, but he stood in the middle as they spoke around him.
“A strange B-rank, aren’t you? Would you like to become one of my subjects?”
“Do you even have a country?”
“I am the country.”
“What the…?”
Doah glanced back at him, unable to stop herself from reacting.
Robern smiled smugly at her.
Doah stared at him with doubt and asked,
“Are you Louis XIV or something?”
“Is he a famous king from the Southern Continent?”
Doah wondered if Robern was also a traveler like her, but he didn’t seem to give off that vibe.
She decided to test him.
“Coca-Cola?”
At the mention of the word, all three of them stared at her in confusion.
“Is that a word from the Southern Continent?”
Robern asked innocently.
Doah coughed awkwardly.
“No, uh, never mind.”
She felt deeply embarrassed. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, Robern didn’t seem to be a traveler.
That meant this behavior wasn’t a joke or an act; it was real.
What a nuisance.
‘I should get away from here.’
At that moment, a familiar alert sounded.
Ding ding!
🍓🍓🍓
Main Quest Occurred!
Form an S-rank party!
It will not be easy to conquer the ‘Shining Spring.’
You need companions.
Reward
▸ Key to the Ancient Labyrinth
🍓🍓🍓
