The first group of ten stepped forward.
The shift was immediate.
Conversations faded. Breathing slowed. Every pair of eyes followed them to the reception desk.
This was it.
"Shiro," Akeno said, nudging him lightly, "you've been staring at that group for a while."
Kinuko tilted her head. "Did something happen?"
"Nah," Boros replied casually, though his gaze stayed forward. "I just recognize one of them."
He scratched the side of his head.
"Lykon. We took a couple of the tests together earlier."
"Ohhh," Akeno hummed.
At the front, Lykon stood stiffly before the receptionist.
He stared at the woman Infront of him and couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to Scarlet.
The resemblance was striking. The same crimson hair as Scarlet. The same sharp eyes.
But where Scarlet carried composed authority-
This woman radiated impatience.
Lykon realized too late that he had been staring.
Her palm slammed against the desk.
"Could you stop staring?" she snapped. "It's getting annoying."
"S-Sorry," Lykon stammered. "It's just that you-"
"That I what?" she cut in sharply.
He straightened immediately. "Nothing."
She gave him a long, unimpressed look before glancing down at the stack of ID cards.
"Lykon Vren. Correct?"
"Yes," he answered, tension creeping into his voice.
She pulled a golden-brown card from the pile and held it out.
"Here."
For a brief moment, he just stared at it.
Then he accepted it carefully. It felt heavier than it looked.
On the front, engraved cleanly, was everything Scarlet had described:
Name. Height. Blood Type. Rank. Guild Registration Number. Cardinal Affiliation. Registration Status.
On the back, beneath a crisp barcode, was a formal inscription:
If found, return to the White Tigers Guild Headquarters, Western Cardinal - Calonia.
Signed, The Guildmaster.
His throat tightened.
"You are now officially an adventurer," the receptionist said flatly, offering a short salute.
Lykon blinked once-then returned it with firm resolve.
He turned and walked away, forcing himself not to rush.
When he reached an empty seat, he sat down slowly and looked at the card again, gripping it tightly.
The surrounding noise dulled.
"This..." he whispered.
A small, determined smile formed.
"...This is where my story begins."
More groups went in, it was a mix of people getting their IDs and those who didn't pass.
"Naelle Voss?"
"Here."
A tall young woman with dark hair stepped forward. One arm rested in a sling, bandaged and tied around her neck.
The receptionist looked her up and down.
"You've got some nerve," she said dryly, sliding an ID card across the desk. "Wearing red trims before you've officially been accepted."
Naelle took the card without hesitation.
"I like to prepare in advance."
She stepped aside and glanced down at the golden-brown surface.
Her name.
Her rank.
Her registration.
"Even after that disgraceful loss..." she murmured under her breath. "I still made it in."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"The gods must be favoring me."
Her grip tightened around the card.
"I will get my revenge on that woman."
Another group was called forward.
Rael stood near the back of the line, his hands trembling despite his attempts to steady them.
Getting orange during the Resonance Test was not an automatic failure. But it wasn't safe either.
If his other scores weren't high enough...
He swallowed.
The short wait felt endless. Each name called stretched his nerves thinner.
Finally, the candidate in front of him stepped up.
There was a brief exchange at the desk.
Then-
"FUCK YEAH!" the man shouted, pumping his fist as he ran off with his card.
Rael let out a weak breath.
"Lucky guy..."
"Rael Stren?"
His heart jumped into his throat.
"I'm here."
The receptionist motioned him forward with two fingers.
He stepped up stiffly.
She picked up a card, handed it to him. Then saluted.
For a moment, he just stared at it.
His hands trembled.
The receptionist cleared her throat pointedly.
Rael snapped his head up.
"S-Sorry!" he blurted, quickly returning the salute.
He looked back down at the card, his vision blurring slightly from the rush of relief.
"I can't believe it..." he whispered, clenching his fists as a grin spread across his face.
His shoulders straightened.
"Things are about to get a lot crazier from here."
...
Boros let out a quiet chuckle to himself.
Akeno immediately elbowed him in the side.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
He tilted his head slightly and pointed across the room.
"You didn't tell me you had a fan."
Akeno followed his finger.
"...Huh?"
"She's been staring for a while," Kinuko added calmly.
Akeno stiffened.
"Ughhh, I know!" she snapped. "I've been trying to ignore it, but she's not making it easy."
Her eye twitched.
"SHE'S STILL STARING RIGHT NOW!"
Several heads turned as she pointed dramatically at the brown-haired woman across the hall.
Boros burst out laughing.
"Stop laughing, Shiro!"
"Alright, alright," he said, wiping the corner of his eye. "Where do you even know her from?"
"Hmph." Akeno puffed her cheeks and turned away stubbornly.
Boros rolled his eyes.
"She's the one Akeno fought during the sparring test," Kinuko explained helpfully.
"Oh?" Boros' grin widened.
He suddenly draped an arm over Akeno's shoulders.
"Was she strong?"
"Huh? She wasn't! I even be-"
"Akeno was defeated," Kinuko stated flatly.
"Defeated?!" Akeno gasped, spinning toward her. "Preposterous!"
"Well... you didn't win," Kinuko replied evenly.
"I mean," Boros added lazily, "she's not wrong."
"Shut up! You weren't even there!" Akeno shot back, jabbing a finger at him.
Then she turned to Kinuko, flustered.
"And it was a tie! A tie, you hear me?!"
.....
"I still can't believe I tied with someone that loud..." Kaien muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on Akeno across the hall.
Akeno was mid-argument, waving her arms dramatically while Boros looked half-amused and half-exhausted.
Kaien clicked her tongue softly.
"And that white-haired guy..." she added to herself. "They say he's insane."
Her gaze shifted briefly to Boros.
"How does someone like her even end up around someone like that?"
"Kaien Mure."
Her name cut cleanly through her thoughts.
Kaien straightened immediately and stepped forward.
The receptionist handed her a golden-brown ID without ceremony.
Kaien accepted it and gave a sharp, disciplined salute.
"Congratulations," the woman said flatly.
Kaien nodded once and turned away, taking a seat along the wall.
Even then-
Her eyes drifted back to Akeno.
Still watching.
Another group was called shortly after.
Minutes passed.
Names were called. Cards were handed out. Reactions ranged from quiet relief to barely contained excitement.
Eventually, the line thinned. Then disappeared.
Only one person remained.
The receptionist glanced down at the final card in her hand.
"John Hale."