A week later, Kael set off for the guild to accept his first quest. He was required to take on at least two quests per month.
At one point, Ivor and Zephyros discussed Kael's anonymity,
The fact that Kael had become a recognizable face in the kingdom was severely limiting his freedom of movement. Especially after the Echidmer incident, the fact that his face was known everywhere could put him in danger on the missions he would undertake through the guildFor this reason, Ivor and Zephyros decided to register Kael under the name "Rosvil," as an orphaned adventurer with a scarred face. They also gave him a special mask with engravings that completely obscured his face. They changed the name on his card to "Rosvil" as well.
Kael spent one of his rights gathering medicinal plants. Thanks to the knowledge his mother Nerya had taught him and the experience he gained in the forest, he gathered the herbs without difficulty and delivered them to the guild. For his second quest, Kael began scanning the quest board.
The S-rank quests on the board were very intriguing; the quest slip was covered in dust, as if it had been sitting there for years. The S-level quest involved hunting a dragon living in the region farthest to the south of the east. Dragons were known as ancient beings in the kingdoms; some were harmless, and there were even those that protected the region from monsters for the sake of humans. Others, however, were simply disaster-bringing species.
There were also "dragonkin"; these were beings on par with demons, and some were even far more powerful than demons.
This race, half-human and half-dragon, lived in the mountains far from the kingdom, where humans could not reach. They could transform into dragons and also use the unique magic dragons employed, even while in human form. The other S-rank quest involved a hydra; this seven-headed creature was a catastrophe-class monster, both due to its colossal size and its regenerative power. The reason it had remained on the quest board for so long was that people were hesitant to face it alone. Additionally, in the kingdom, S-class adventurers either worked under the kingdom's banner or operated independently, and their numbers were very few.
As Kael continued to review the mission list, a C-class mission caught his attention;
"Track down the slave traders!"
As Kael examined the mission slip, he fell deep into thought.Furthermore, it was specifically requested that the ringleaders be handed over to the guild alive. Although slave trading was one of the gravest crimes in the Eastern Kingdom, underground organizations were secretly conducting slave trade operations. The slaves consisted primarily of elves and beastfolk.
For a moment, Kael thought of his friend Ashael. As he stared at the mission sheet, lost in thought, Kael's eyes seemed to have frozen. It was Ivor who broke the silence of the moment. When Ivor suddenly appeared beside him, Kael startled:
"M-Mr. Ivor, I didn't notice you, sir. I'm sorry."
"Ha ha, no problem, son. What mission are you staring at for so long?"
Kael held out his hand; "That slave trader mission over there... I thought slavery was banned in the Kingdom."
"Ah yes, those damned bastards... We just can't seem to root them out. They keep engaging in slave trade under the table. Even if we catch their men roaming around, we just can't seem to find their leaders or the hub of the trade.
Don't let the fact that this is a C-class mission lull you into a false sense of security, Kael. C-class adventurers are usually enough to catch people involved in illegal activities, but this slave trader group has been around for years and has practically taken root in the kingdom. The captured men aren't spilling the beans, and we don't have enough information about the group. If you're taking this mission, be careful—you might want to go with a party."
After a brief silence, Kael turned his eyes back to the mission slip, then reached out and took the paper from the board:
"Mr. Ivor, I'll take this mission."
Ivor had seen the determined eyes peering out from beneath Kael's mask.
"Alright then, I'll give you a few pieces of information that might help with your investigation. Remember: the investigation period for this mission is about two weeks. If you can't provide us with information about the slave traders' location or their men within two weeks, the mission will be posted back on the board. Come by tomorrow morning, Kael; I'll post a notice for the party. If anyone is interested, you can speak with them. Remember, be careful not to reveal your true identity to anyone."
"Understood, Mr. Ivor. Thank you for your help."
"No problem, son. See you tomorrow."
As Kael left the guild, a sorrowful expression was on Ivor's face. Kael was reminding him of memories from the past. He thought to himself, "I hope God is with you and protects you on those dark paths of fate, son."
When Kael arrived at the guild early the next morning, he saw a group of three people—two girls and one boy—waiting in front of the reception desk. As he stepped inside, whispers began to circulate through the guild:
"Who's that masked kid?"
"They say he's the youngest D-class adventurer in the guild."
"They say he started straight in D-class—I've never seen anything like it before."
"There was a kid with four rings at the guild the other day—some really interesting people have been joining lately."
When Ivor saw Kael at the door, he called out to him from a distance:
"Ah, Rosvil! Come here—good news; we've found a party for you. Meet the party members, son."
When Kael approached the group, he saw three people staring at him nervously. The man standing in front was massive, holding a huge shield; the mage behind him, with long blue hair and a blue staff, was practically shouting, "I'm a frost mage!" On the other side was a girl with short hair and piercing eyes; the daggers at her waist indicated she was an assassin. The party's shield-bearer, Marten, ran his eyes over Kael's mask with curious glances, extending his hand;
"I'm Marten, pleased to meet you," he said.
Kael shook Marten's hand; "I'm Rosvil, nice to meet you, Mr. Marten."
"You don't need to be so formal, Rosvil. The mage behind me is Sofia, and our assassin is Noel."
Sofia was a constantly nervous and shy girl: "N-nice to m-meet you, Rosvil."From the moment he walked through the door, Noel hadn't taken a liking to Kael:
"I'm Noel. You said your name was Rosvil, right, kid? Why are you hiding your face?"
Kael replied calmly from behind his mask: "I had an unfortunate accident during an adventure. The scar on my face draws too much attention in public; I hope you'll understand."Noel's skeptical attitude hadn't changed. Turning to Marten,
"Marten, there's something off about this kid; I suggest we send someone else on the mission,"
Marten: "Calm down, Noel. Rosvil was personally approved by Guild Master Ivor. If he were the troublemaker you say he is, he wouldn't have even been able to join the guild, right?"Sofia: "N-Noel, you're being too suspicious of Rosvil. I think he's..."Noel cut Sofia off;
"This isn't about trust, Sofia! As party members, our lives are intertwined; how can I trust someone I've never even seen before?"
Marten: "Alright, alright, calm down a bit."Kael interjected, "The reason I'm wearing a mask isn't to hide my identity—I just don't want to draw attention. I have no issues with my past or my name; I'm here simply to do my part on this mission. If you're looking for an enemy, you're talking to the wrong person, Ms. Noel."
"You're what...!"
Marten: "That's enough! Rosvil, I'm sorry. As Noel said, when we're on a mission, our lives are tied together. I hope you'll understand Noel's attitude. Our party's name is 'Moon Anniversary,' welcome to our group."
"Kael nodded in agreement: 'I won't be a burden to you. You can be sure I'll do more than my share.'
Kael had become the party's fourth member as a mage-knight. They would begin their mission to investigate the slave trade early tomorrow morning.
As they left the guild hall, Ivor gave him one last look.
Kael spent the night in bed making plans for the next day; he was both excited and tense under the weight of the approaching mission.