My journey began as I stepped into the center of the city at sunrise. Shops opened. Workers shouted to one another. Another ordinary day for the kingdom.
I pushed open the doors of the Adventurer's Guild.
Laughter and loud voices filled the hall—until they didn't.
Silence dropped the moment I walked in.
I didn't react.
I walked straight to the main desk.
The receptionist looked at me with a professional smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may I assist you?"
"I want to apply."
Her gaze moved slowly from my face to my clothes, then back to my eyes.
"Have you read and signed the required documents?"
"No."
"You didn't receive them?"
"No."
A pause.
"I see." Her tone shifted slightly—cooler now. "Young man, I don't believe this branch is appropriate for you."
"I don't follow."
"This is a high-class guild," she said plainly. "We accept applicants with proper background, status, and capability."
"How can I be accepted?"
Her eyebrow twitched. "You truly don't understand."
The curtain behind her moved.
A man stepped out.
Older. Calm. Authority in his posture.
"Is there an issue?" he asked, voice steady.
"Yes," I answered.
The receptionist let out a quiet breath. "He insists on applying."
The man studied me.
"And you are?"
"An applicant."
A faint murmur passed through the watching adventurers.
He folded his arms. "Why do you want to join this guild?"
"I want to become an adventurer."
"Hmm." He looked me up and down. "I refuse."
"I see."
A small flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
"However… I might offer advice."
The receptionist blinked. "Father?"
"There is another guild in the city," he continued, ignoring her. "This branch is reserved for those of high standing. It is not a place for… independents."
"Where is the other guild?" I asked.
He tilted his head slightly.
"To become an adventurer, you require a clan. Look behind you."
I didn't turn.
"No one here is volunteering."
A few people looked away quickly.
Then—
"I will."
The voice was clear. Confident.
The crowd shifted.
Amelia stepped forward, glasses catching the light.
The man narrowed his eyes. "Amelia."
"Guild Master," she replied with a small smile.
I looked at her. "Long time."
She grinned. "You really don't change, do you?"
The receptionist rubbed her forehead. "You're serious?"
"Completely."
The Guild Master sighed. "Very well."
The receptionist pushed the papers forward sharply. "Sign."
I picked up the pen.
"How many members are in your clan?" I asked Amelia.
She froze.
"…Excuse me?"
"How many."
She stared at me in disbelief. "Not even a 'thank you'? Or perhaps 'I appreciate the rescue'?"
"Thank you."
Her eyes narrowed. "You make gratitude sound like a threat."
I signed.
The paper glowed faintly—then burned into ash.
The receptionist handed over a parchment. "Your first assignment. Standard gathering mission."
I turned. "Let's go."
Amelia blinked. "Wait. You're not meeting the others?"
"No."
"They're interesting people."
"I'm not."
She studied my face for a moment, then shrugged.
"Fine. Cold as ever."
We stepped outside together.
"Our mission is herb collection," she said, walking beside me. "Magical herbs. Used for medicine. The guild supplies them to the hospitals."
"I read the details."
"Of course you did."
"I plan to leave this kingdom."
She glanced at me sideways. "Already?"
"Yes."
She exhaled softly, then smiled.
"…Alright. Then I guess I'll make sure you don't die before that."
I didn't respond.
And just like that, the journey began.
The divine magic of Amelia, Sara, and their mother was more than just healing; it was control. True control. As a manipulation and divine magic user myself, that gave me the upper hand. Divine magic wasn't only about fixing wounds or boosting strength—it extended to commanding animals, dragons, and monsters. That kind of power, if used correctly, could shift the balance of a fight entirely. I considered it carefully. Every advantage mattered, and in this world, control was everything.
Amelia's voice broke my thoughts as we traveled through the forest. She grew tired from walking, and without warning, a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. In an instant, a velociraptor formed from condensed mana, its scales glinting like polished stone under the sunlight. With a casual ease, she mounted the creature and gestured for me to follow. I did. The raptor's claws tore into the earth as it carried us between trees, weaving gracefully through the dense foliage. The wind whipped my hair, and the forest passed in a blur. There was a strange calm in the movement, but Amelia, ever chatty, used the time to fill the silence with her words.
"So, Xiver," she asked, glancing over her shoulder, "anything new?"
"No," I said flatly.
"You really don't expand on things, do you?"
"Not necessary."
She huffed dramatically. "You're painfully boring."
"Hmm," I replied, keeping my eyes on the path.
Her tone softened slightly. "Do you just not like talking? Or being around people?"
That was wrong. I did like company, just not the people here. I missed my own world, the one I had been born into. Back there, I had friends, recognition, power. I was at the top. Girls admired me, teachers praised me, and I had everything a child could want. Then tragedy struck: my ex died in an accident, and my mother followed soon after. My life collapsed, but even then, I had wanted to keep living. This world, however, offered nothing. No hope, no meaning—just survival.
"…Xiver?" Amelia's voice pulled me back.
"Are you going to answer?"
"…I was thinking," I muttered.
"And?"
"I prefer being alone."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's not what Sara told me."
I didn't flinch. "Should I care what she says?"
"She was worried about you."
"Her loose mouth has caused enough problems already," I replied, my tone calm and measured.
Amelia exhaled sharply. "You don't have to be that bitter about the accident."
Silence fell between us, heavy and tense.
"…Sorry," she whispered.
"Don't," I said, not looking at her.
The forest seemed to still, and even the raptor slowed its pace, as though sensing the weight of the moment. Then, a roar shattered the quiet. My head snapped upward. Above the treetops, a swarm of massive, winged dinosaurs appeared, their wingspans vast enough to blot out the sun. The velociraptor shrieked in instinctive fear and sprinted forward, crashing through the underbrush with effortless speed. For a heartbeat, the forest disappeared behind the chaos of leaves and shadows. Then, we emerged into an open clearing, and the dragons circled high above us, their silhouettes dark against the morning sky.
I finally glanced at Amelia. Her face was illuminated by pure excitement, her eyes shining with an almost childish wonder. She was smiling. Wide. Joyful. Not afraid, not tense. Just… alive. I didn't comment. She didn't need me to. Her smile said enough.