In a rustic cabin, two people sit at opposite ends of a long wooden table set beneath a wrought-iron chandelier with soft candlelight illuminating the rug below.
Behind them, a stone fireplace crackles with warmth next to a shelf of earthenware pottery, while a nearby window looks out into the busy streets.
The young man with dark hair and crimson eyes sits at one end of the table while the old man with white hair and beard, sits at the other.
The dish before then was Windsor soup and bread.
The young man, having not eaten in over twenty-four hours, devours his food as if an eternity has passed since his last meal.
While the old man watched him devour the food without manners, he didn’t mind it. He lifted a scoop of Windsor soup to his mouth, then asked. "Have you decided to join the royal academy?"
Derek’s mouth was stuffed with bread so much he was unable to reply immediately. He took a spoon of the soup to melt down the hard bread, but since a single spoon wasn’t enough, he lifted the entire plate and gulped down the entire soup.
Thud!
Derek placed the empty plate on the table, cleaned his mouth and responded. "Apologies there, I haven’t eaten anything since coming here."
"Oh, I can tell..." the old man chuckled.
Seeing that the old man didn’t see him as rude, or absent mannered, Derek felt relaxed and uttered.
"I have decided to join. Like I said earlier. I will become a mage. Climb through the ranks and obtain the information I need from the royal library."
"You’ve got determination lad. But I must say, it wouldn’t be easy. The royal academy is a competitive place. The exam is just as brutal. More than half of a thousand apply every year but only around three to five percent pass the exam and get into the academy. Even though you get into the academy, it’s not everyone that graduates and goes on to join their dorms squad." The old man paused for a second, then continued.
"But I have high hopes for you. You are their kid, after all. And with you defeating that golem, I’m certain you’ll have no problem facing any kind of challenges brought before you there."
Thank you for the kind words. But I’m still not sure how I defeated the golem... Derek worried within.
After he had finished speaking, the old man lifted his plate of soup, and just like Derek, drank it all in one sweep.
"Ah... this is best. You can’t find a better soup than mine. Agatha always loved it. Hehe." The old man chuckled as he boasted.
"So... this entrance exam. How do I get in? I mean how do I register? Where should I go?" Derek asked curiously.
The young man is after all a stranger to this magical world and knows not a single place. The only places he had been so far were the tower of blessings, Hall’s Tavern and the now destroyed manor.
All of these places, he had no reason to go back to.
"There is usually one placed in a guild hall or a tavern. Any of the two. There is a guide hall just down the street."
Hearing a tavern, Derek’s memory flashes back to Hall’s Tavern where Roselle works.
If I remember correctly, she said she was going to continue the business and not apply for the royal academy. Then there’s no need to go there. I’m sure by now she must have heard about the manor. I should go to the guild hall instead... Derek nodded as he thought of this. Meanwhile, the old man across from him thought he was responding to his words.
"I will go to the guild hall."
"Wise chose lad. Well, you should get on going before they close."
Close? This early?... Derek was surprised by the old man’s words but didn’t think too much of it.
He got up from the table and was about to take his plate away but was stopped by the old man.
"Just go and do your thing. I’ll clear up here." He had a slight smile plastered on his face.
Derek bowed in respect before walking to the doorway and exited the building.
Stepping out from the heavy wooden door, he paused on the threshold and turned his gaze down the narrow cobblestone street, taking in the sight of a place he had never seen before.
Rows of old, multi-story timber-frame shops lined the uneven road, their hanging wooden signs creaking softly under a sky bruised with the warm violet and orange hues of the setting sun.
Lanterns were just beginning to flicker to life along the street, casting a gentle glow over open-air, stalls stacked with unfamiliar wares and long shadows stretching across the stones.
Townspeople in worn wool and leather hurried past, eager to reach home before dusk settled completely, while further down the avenue, a distant castle spire stood black against the darkening horizon, confirming he was truly somewhere entirely new.
"No way!" The young man couldn’t contain his excitement as his eyes moved around aimlessly. "I really am in another world." At this very moment, the thought had just sunk in and had been made to live with it.
"What’s up with the sun setting though? Is it already evening? How long did I sleep for?"
Derek began walking down the street, looking at each sides he passed. He was looking for the guild hall the old man had talked about and after a few minutes of walking he found the building with the sign Adventure Hall.
It was a grand multi-story building constructed from warm stone and timber, topped with a green-tiled roof and adorned with golden finals and brown banners featuring a stylized wheat emblem.
Double wooden doors at the arched entrance were flanked by outdoor notice boards labeled "Quests", "Bounties" and "Royal Academy Entrance Exam Registration". Green awning shades the ground floor windows behind the notice boards while flower boxes added vibrant touches throughout the facade.
Reading the label on the last notice board, he walked towards it.
"Are you here to register for the entrance exam?" A lady standing at the side of the notice board asked.
"Yes I am."
"Then you are in the right place. If you’d just fill out your details here, the rest would be taken care of."
The lady handed him a piece of paper which had the title "Royal Academy Entrance Exam Form". It was a fill-in application needing the applicant’s name, town/city, age and more.
Derek placed the form on a table near the lady and filled it.
"Town or city. Which am I currently in?" He glanced up and for a moment the lady asked.
"Are you done sir?"
"Oh, no." Derek responded. "Actually, can I get the name of the city or town we are in? You know, just fill in the form."
Upon hearing his question, the lady gazed at him with a perplexed expression. Who wouldn’t know the town they were staying in? She thinks.
"This is Valley Town."
Derek continues filling out the form, having forgotten about the unfinished quest ticking away on its countdown.