"Halt!"
The town guards lowered their spears, blocking the road.
Above the gate, two archers drew their bows from the watchtower.
"Who wishes to enter the Town of Templora?"
"It's me," the old merchant answered calmly.
"Norman of Sun Trading."
"My wife and daughter are with me."
He presented a bronze token.
"This is our merchant identification."
The guards examined it before nodding.
"And you two?"
Chuck stepped forward.
"I'm Chuck."
"This is Tom."
Both of them showed their Adventurers' Guild badges.
The guards turned their attention toward me.
"What about the runt?"
"He's with me," Mr. Norman replied before I could speak.
"His name is Cole Silvie."
"He doesn't have identification yet, but I personally vouch for him."
The guards exchanged glances.
"If you trust him, Mr. Norman..."
"Then there's only one more check."
One guard returned carrying a crystal sphere.
"The Security Crystal."
"Touch it."
"If you're a wanted criminal or have committed serious crimes, the crystal will react."
"If you're innocent..."
"It won't."
I placed my hand on the crystal.
Nothing happened.
The guard nodded.
"You're clear."
He stepped aside.
"You may enter."
"Before the day ends, visit either the Mayor's Office, the Merchant Guild, or the Adventurers' Guild to obtain proper identification."
"We're only allowing you in because Mr. Norman vouched for you."
"Understood."
The gates slowly opened.
Templora was alive.
People filled the streets.
Merchants shouted from their stalls.
Children ran between crowds.
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The smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the air.
I had never seen so many people gathered in one place.
Eventually, the wagon stopped in front of a massive stone building.
A large wooden sign hung above the entrance.
Sun Trading.
Mr. Norman climbed down.
"This is my shop."
"If you ever need to sell monster materials, come see me."
He handed me a small bronze token engraved with the Sun Trading emblem.
"Show this at the counter."
"My staff will assist you immediately."
Chuck laughed.
"That's a valuable token, kid."
"You won't have to wait in line here."
Tom crossed his arms.
"So..."
"What's your plan now?"
"I'll register with the Adventurers' Guild."
"I need identification."
"Then let's go."
After crossing several streets, we arrived before another enormous building.
Above its entrance were large silver letters.
Templora Adventurers' Guild.
"Come on."
"We'll get you registered."
Inside, we walked directly to the reception counter.
A young woman wearing round glasses smiled politely.
"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."
"How may I help you?"
"This boy wants to register," Tom said.
She looked at me.
"How old are you?"
"I... don't know."
Tom burst into laughter.
"You don't know your own age?"
"I've lived deep in the forest for years."
"I lost track of time."
The receptionist nodded.
"That explains it."
"Today is the seventeenth day of the Month of the Wolf, Year 2026."
I quietly counted the years.
"...Then I'm thirteen."
Three years...
It had already been three years since I absorbed my first rune.
"Can you read and write?"
"Yes."
She handed me a registration form.
"Please fill this out."
I wrote:
Name: Cole Silvie
Age: 13
Hometown: —
Rune: —
Specialty: Daggers
When I returned the form, she frowned.
"You left several spaces blank."
"I don't know how to answer them."
"My uncle raised me in the forest."
"He passed away."
"This is my first time leaving."
"He taught me everything."
The lie came naturally.
"Have you absorbed a rune?"
I remained silent.
Tom spoke up instead.
"He definitely has one."
"I watched him kill several Flame Hounds."
"He moves incredibly fast."
"I'd bet it's at least a Fine-rank rune."
The receptionist nodded.
"We can verify that."
She brought out another crystal sphere.
"Please touch the Rune Crystal."
I hesitated.
Then placed my hand on it.
A faint white light flashed once before fading away.
"...That's unusual."
Tom frowned.
"But his aura was green."
The receptionist looked at the crystal again.
"The crystal only detected a Normal-rank response."
"And it couldn't identify the rune itself."
"Sometimes enchanted equipment interferes with the reading."
She looked back at me.
"We still need to record something."
I touched the Silvervein medallion hanging beneath my shirt.
"...Titan Rune."
Tom blinked.
"You sure?"
"I thought you had a Dexterity Rune."
"My speed comes from training."
He shrugged.
"Fair enough."
The receptionist wrote it down.
"Hometown may remain blank."
"That's allowed."
"Now we'll assess your physical strength."
Behind the guild stood a training yard.
Seven massive stone boulders rested in a row.
"Lift the heaviest one you can."
I didn't want unnecessary attention.
So I walked toward the third boulder.
The moment I lifted it, green light covered my arms and legs.
The receptionist's eyes widened.
"Interesting..."
"The third boulder is usually lifted by adventurers approaching Purple Rank."
"So your Titan Rune is nearing a breakthrough."
I simply smiled.
"Final test."
"Combat assessment."
We descended into the guild's basement.
Several adventurers waited for their turns.
A man holding a clipboard called out,
"Cole Silvie."
I stepped into the arena.
The examiner drew a wooden practice sword.
"Whenever you're ready."
I gripped my dagger.
Then rushed forward.
The examiner sidestepped my first attack.
Exactly as I expected.
I shifted into the third stance.
My feet glided across the floor.
In an instant...
I appeared behind him.
The tip of my dagger stopped against his side.
The examiner froze.
"...Match."
He lowered his weapon.
"You have excellent speed."
"And your movements are clean."
"You'll make an outstanding close-range attacker."
"You pass."
Back at the reception desk, the young woman handed me a small white badge.
On the front was engraved:
Cole Silvie
On the back:
Templora Adventurers' Guild
"This is now your official identification."
I accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you."
I stared at the badge for a long moment.
Then smiled.
This...
Was the first step toward my new adventure.