Algeni walked behind Rose and Nen through the village’s cobblestone streets. The gentle morning breeze drifted between the stone buildings as merchants opened their stalls and adventurers left the guild to begin their missions. The atmosphere was peaceful, a sharp contrast to the chaos of the past few days.
“So, are we heading back to the guild?” Algeni asked curiously as he looked ahead.
Rose, who was still dragging Nen by the collar of his shirt to make him walk faster, answered without slowing down.
“Yeah. That’s where we’ll choose your first mission.”
“I see,” Algeni replied calmly.
Nen finally managed to free himself from Rose’s grip. Straightening his clothes with an annoyed expression, he complained,
“Hey, pulling me by the collar wasn’t necessary.”
“Stop complaining,” Rose replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I wouldn’t complain if you weren’t so rough,” Nen shot back, folding his arms.
As though it were part of their daily routine, the two immediately fell into yet another one of their usual arguments.
Algeni watched them with a faint look of annoyance.
Even so…
The scene felt strangely familiar.
“Those two are even worse than Polar and Yeremi.”
The thought brought back a vivid memory.
Algeni had been sitting peacefully in his living room, watching television, when a loud shout from Polar’s bedroom shattered the silence.
Frowning, he got up from the couch and walked toward the room.
As soon as he opened the door, he found Yeremi and Polar arguing at the top of their lungs.
“You did that on purpose! Didn’t you see I was about to finish?” Yeremi shouted angrily.
“I don’t give a damn. I wasn’t about to let you win,” Polar replied without the slightest bit of remorse.
The two exchanged fiery glares.
Algeni rubbed his forehead before asking,
“Can someone explain what happened?”
Both of them immediately turned toward him.
“Polar hit me with a blue shell!” Yeremi exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him.
Algeni instantly understood.
“You’ve got to be kidding me… You’re yelling because of that?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yeah! Yeremi just can’t accept that in this game you either win or lose,” Polar answered without showing the slightest regret.
“That’s not fair! I was in first place and only had one lap left! Because of you, everyone passed me!” Yeremi protested.
Algeni let out a long sigh.
“Is there any way you two can settle this without screaming?”
The two stared at him before answering at exactly the same time.
“NO!”
Algeni sighed once again.
“Well… I tried.”
Without saying another word, he stepped out of the room, quietly closed the door behind him, and let the two continue their ridiculous argument.
He returned to the living room, sat back down on the couch, and turned up the volume on the television so he wouldn’t have to listen to their shouting anymore. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Algeni returned to the present as he watched Nen and Rose arguing exactly the same way.
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah… they’re exactly the same.”
A few minutes later, the three of them arrived in front of the massive Adventurers’ Guild building.
Nen finally stopped arguing and turned toward Algeni with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“I hope our little argument didn’t bother you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m more used to that kind of thing than you might think,” Algeni replied calmly.
The three of them walked through the guild’s large entrance.
Inside, the hall was as lively as ever. Adventurers chatted while studying the mission board, others turned in completed quests, and the receptionists helped customers with practiced efficiency. The constant buzz of conversation, clinking mugs, and footsteps filled the spacious hall with life.
Nen raised a hand in greeting.
“Morning, Diana.”
The receptionist looked up from her desk and greeted them with a warm smile.
“Good morning, Nen. What brings you here so early?”
“Nothing much. The boss called me over,” Nen replied before recounting everything that had happened since early that morning.
Meanwhile, Algeni quietly observed the conversation.
“Looks like those two have known each other for a long time… Or maybe Diana’s just used to Nen showing up with stories like this.”
Diana let out a soft laugh.
“You’ve certainly had an interesting morning.”
She then turned her attention toward Algeni.
“So, starting today, you’ll officially be an adventurer. I hope I’ll be able to help you whenever you need something.”
“Thank you. And I hope I’ll be able to help you as well if you ever need anything,” Algeni replied politely.
Diana smiled with approval.
“My, what a well mannered young man. You should learn a thing or two from him, Nen.”
Nen made an annoyed face.
“Hey, don’t push it.”
Before the conversation could continue, Rose stepped in.
“Guys, I know this is entertaining, but we should hurry up. I still have things to do afterward.”
Diana tilted her head slightly.
“Sorry, Rose. I got carried away.”
“Don’t worry, Diana. I don’t blame you…” Rose replied with a small smile before shooting Nen a glance. “…I blame Nen.”
“Hey! What did I do this time?” Nen protested.
Rose gave him a sharp glare.
“You know exactly what you did. We got here late because of you.”
Watching the exchange unfold, Algeni sighed inwardly.
“They’re going to start arguing again.”
Before either of them could continue, Diana raised a hand to stop them.
“Please, you two. That’s enough. Arguing won’t get you anywhere.”
As if her words carried some kind of magic, the two immediately calmed down. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“You’re right, Diana,” they both replied at the exact same time.
Algeni blinked several times.
“Diana really is the voice of reason… Thank goodness. I really don’t want to listen to another argument.”
Diana smiled softly before returning to the main topic.
“Alright then. You came here to take on a new adventurer’s first mission, correct? Could you hand me your adventurer’s card?”
Algeni reached into his pocket, took out his adventurer’s card, and handed it to her.
Diana examined it carefully before nodding.
“Good… Rank F.”
She placed several documents on the counter and spread them out.
“The best missions I can offer you right now are these:”
Wolf Hunting
Gathering Medicinal Herbs
Finding a Lost Cat
Algeni studied the three options for several seconds, unsure which one to choose.
“Want me to pick one for you?” Nen asked.
Algeni nodded. After all, Nen had far more experience than he did.
“Then let’s take the wolf hunting mission,” Nen said confidently. “With your abilities, it won’t be a problem.”
Diana frowned slightly.
“Nen, you’re being too reckless. He’s only just become an adventurer. A mission like that for a beginner?”
“That’s because you don’t know what this guy has already done,” Nen replied without a hint of doubt. “Trust me. He’s much stronger than he looks.”
Diana still looked uncertain.
“Are you both absolutely sure?”
“Absolutely,” Algeni answered firmly.
Diana let out a quiet sigh before finally nodding.
“If you’re both certain… then go ahead.”
She handed his adventurer’s card back along with the mission document.
“Here you are. Good luck.”
“Thank you,” Algeni replied as he carefully put both items away.
Without any warning, Nen suddenly grabbed Algeni by the arm.
“Let’s go!”
Before Algeni could react, Nen broke into a run, practically dragging him out of the Adventurers’ Guild.
Rose’s eyes widened.
“Hey, wait! It looks like you’re kidnapping him!”
Without wasting another second, she dashed after the two of them.
Diana watched as the three disappeared through the guild’s entrance. The lively sounds of the hall gradually returned as the doors swung shut behind them.
She slowly shook her head, unable to hide the amused smile that spread across her face.
“Those two… they never change.”