A NEW JOBS

Luna and the others went to the Adventurer’s Guild. When they arrived, the guild lobby was sparsely populated. Fortunately, they spotted someone they knew.

"Good afternoon, Sister Nadya!" Phina greeted.
"Oh, it's you guys. Good afternoon. Is there something I can help you with?" Nadya asked.
"We're here to help Sister Luna register as an adventurer," Phina explained.

For a moment, Nadya stared at Luna in disbelief before saying, "Wait a moment, please."
"..."
"Please fill out this form. I'll be right back," Nadya said, leaving them.

Not long after Nadya left, she returned with Hector, descending from the second floor.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Hector greeted.
"Good afternoon!" they responded in unison.
"Miss Luna, do you want to register as an adventurer?" Hector inquired.
"Yes," Luna replied.
"May I ask why?" Hector asked again.
"Besides being a good way to earn money, it also serves as an identification card, so I won’t have to pay taxes every time I enter the city," Luna explained.
"Have you filled out the form?" Hector asked.
"Yes," Luna confirmed.
"Then please follow me. You two can come along as well," Hector said.

With that, they were led to the Adventurer's Guild's backyard. Though not very large, the space was bustling with activity. Some people were sparring, while others practiced long-range skills like magic and archery.

"Alright, since Miss Luna is a mage, your test will be to destroy the three target boards in front of you. You may begin when ready," Hector instructed.

The arrival of Luna and her group drew the attention of those training nearby. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch.

"Good luck, Sister Luna!"
"Yeah, good luck!" the girls cheered.

Luna focused on the targets and swung her staff.

Fireball!

A fireball, the size of a basketball, emerged from her staff and shot forward, obliterating the first target entirely. Next, Luna cast Wind Cutter. A sharp gust of wind shot forth, slicing the second target in half. Finally, she conjured several ice needles, each the size of two fingers, suspended in the air. She launched them at the third target, destroying it completely.

(Those targets were designed to withstand Tier 3 magic, but they were obliterated by Tier 1 spells? The sheer destructive power is immense. If this were aimed at a person, they’d be dead instantly,) Hector thought to himself.

As Luna destroyed the final target, the training ground fell silent, only for Hector to break the silence.

"Amazing! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, Miss Luna!" Hector declared.
"Thank you," Luna replied.
"Let’s complete the rest of the process in the lobby," Hector said, and they returned to the main hall.

"Nadya, is everything ready?" Hector asked.
"Yes, Guild Master," Nadya replied.

"Then, once again, welcome, Miss Luna! Here’s your identification card. As you know, it can serve as an ID for travel both domestically and internationally," Hector explained.
"Thank you," Luna replied.

"Sister Nadya, is there a mission Luna can take?" Phina asked.
"There is. Please wait a moment. Here's a mission to gather herbal plants. Just collect 10 herbs to complete it," Nadya said.
"Thank you," Luna said.

With that, Luna and her friends left the Adventurer’s Guild.

"Is something wrong, Guild Master?" Nadya asked.
"No, nothing at all. Please, carry on with your duties," Hector replied.

• • •

After a half-hour walk from the city, Luna and her friends arrived at their destination. This forest wasn’t the one where Luna had met them previously. They split up to gather herbs. Once they reached their goal, they decided to rest and eat their provisions.

While resting, they also practiced their magic.

"Ugh… why is this so hard?" Phina complained.
"If it were easy, everyone would be a mage," Elise replied.
"True, hahaha," Phina laughed.

"Take your time. Concentration is important, but so is visualization when casting a spell. Like this…" Luna said.

She extended her palm and focused her gaze on it. The air temperature around her hand dropped, concentrating at a single point. Gradually, an ice crystal formed, growing to the size of her fist. The crystal then split into five pieces, reshaping into needles, which Luna launched at a nearby tree.

"Whoa… so that’s how it works!" Phina exclaimed.

"Yes, more or less. You must visualize the spell before casting it. If you’re having trouble, I’ll demonstrate," Luna offered.

After the ice needles, Luna conjured a purple lightning ball in her hand, demonstrating another spell, Lightning Ball. The others resumed their practice, while Luna continued gathering herbs. However, as she worked, she sensed three figures approaching, roughly a kilometer away.

(Goblins?!)

Realizing this, Luna informed her friends.

"What do you think?" Luna asked.
"I think we should deal with them. We can’t let them roam freely. Someone might get hurt," Phina said.
"I agree with Phina," Lynn added.
"Same here. While I’d like to test my new spell, I can still use my old ones against them," Elise said.

"Alright!" everyone nodded in agreement.

They cautiously approached the goblins. Since there were only three, Elise, Phina, and Lynn took them on while Luna provided buffs and stood by in case of emergencies. Once close, Luna confirmed no goblins were within a kilometer, allowing them to attack undetected.

Lynn took out one goblin with a precise arrow to the head. Phina followed with Wind Cutter, slicing another’s neck. Lastly, Elise suffocated the remaining goblin with a water sphere.

"Whew, finally done," Elise said.
"Took you long enough, Elise," Phina teased.
"Quiet! It’s easy for you with fire and wind magic. Try using water magic; it’s hard to kill with it," Elise retorted.

"Alright, no fighting. You all did great, each taking down a goblin. There aren’t any others within a kilometer, but I sense a group two kilometers away," Luna informed them.

"Two kilometers? That’s close," Lynn noted.
"Yeah, we need to report this," Elise suggested.

"Don’t forget to take evidence," Phina reminded them.

They stored the goblin corpses in a spatial storage skill and hurried back to the city. Upon returning to the guild, they reported the incident to Nadya. Luna also submitted the herbs she collected.

"Thank you for your hard work today, but please don’t act on your own next time," Nadya advised.
"S-sorry…" they all responded.

After leaving the guild, they ran into Al and Kyle.

"Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you," Al said.
"Yeah, Al was really panicking," Kyle added.
"Hey! You didn’t have to say that," Al snapped.

"Let’s talk over dinner!" Elise suggested.
"Sure!" everyone agreed.

At dinner, they recounted their day.

"Thank goodness you’re all safe. But next time, don’t do anything reckless. Or at least take us with you," Al said.

Elise, expecting a scolding, was surprised by his concern.

"We were like you once, always eager to be at the forefront, wanting to be heroes like in the old tales," Kyle shared.

"You’ve done the same thing as us?" Elise asked.
"Not just once—many times. Your brother here was the ringleader," Kyle teased.
"Hey! Don’t tell them that, Kyle!" Al protested.

The atmosphere warmed as Kyle shared stories, especially about Al’s blunders.

• • •

"So, you’ve been adventurers for five years?" Luna asked.
"Yes, since we came of age and left the village. Time flies," Al replied.
"In our fourth year, we met Lynn, and in the fifth, Elise and Phina joined us," Al added.

Feeling it was enough for the day, they decided to rest.

[The next morning]

As usual, they started the day with cream soup and bread for breakfast. When the clock struck eight, Luna and the girls headed to the Adventurer’s Guild, while Al and Kyle went to the blacksmith to retrieve their armor.

At the guild, the atmosphere was bustling with people. After checking the quest board, they couldn’t find anything suitable, so they decided to take another herbal gathering mission. The quest had no deadline, and any number of herbs would be accepted, as there was always a need for supplies.

Luna and the girls headed for the city gate. Along the way, they met Al and Kyle, now equipped with their gear. After explaining the situation, the boys looked slightly disappointed but didn’t complain. They decided to accompany the girls to the forest, using the opportunity for the girls to practice their magic.

In the forest, not much happened apart from herb gathering. The girls focused on honing their spells, while Luna continued collecting herbs. At midday, they rested for lunch, but the situation shifted when Luna sensed several goblins nearby. There were seven of them, about 600 meters away, attacking a carriage.

Hearing this, everyone prepared for action.

"Luna, are there any other people?" Al asked.
"Yes, someone is taking cover behind the overturned carriage," Luna replied.
"Alright, Elise and Luna, secure the victim. The rest of us will distract the goblins," Al instructed.

"Understood!" everyone agreed.

Al and Kyle, leading the charge, ambushed the goblins from the side, killing two instantly. The remaining goblins attacked once they realized the ambush. Luna supported with buffs while Elise and Luna reached the victim—a man in his fifties.

"Sir, are you alright? Are you injured?" Elise asked.
"I’m fine, just a few scrapes from falling off the carriage," the man replied.

Once it was safe, Luna joined the others in dispatching the remaining goblins. Afterward, they regrouped near the man.

"Guys, there’s another goblin group 500 meters and 700 meters away. They seem to be heading this way," Luna reported.
"What?! How many?" Al asked.
"Approximately 55 goblins," Luna replied.
"Damn it! That’s too many for us to handle," Al cursed.