The Grand Adventurer's Guild

Stepping inside, Reiji and Souma was greeted with curious stares from the guild locals. 

The hall of the first floor was alive with noise. On the left a pair of armored bruisers were arm-wrestling on a sticky table, over the last mug of beer. On the right, a cloacked adventurer was haggling over the price of a monster tail with a seedy merchant.

Laughter, cursing, and the ring of mugs clashing filled every gap in conversations. 

There were all kinds of adventurers sitting around the hall. From washed up human soldiers, looking for pay outside their nation's armies. Foreign species, passing through Tristan to take jobs outside their usual territories. Local thrill-seekers, hoping for a quick coin or a good brawl. The most impressive of the lot would be the veterans, hardened adventurers who look like they've been to hell and back. 

"I think you'll fit right in, Reiji." Elnyra wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the room.

"I think that's the first accurate thing you've said." Reiji grinned.

Strolling in deeper, heads of the adventurers began to turn. 

A few rookies began whispering, wondering if he was some wandering mercenary, based on his posture and weird attire. 

A scarred beastkin veteran in slightly worn, but well kept plate armor sized him up once, before turning away - the kind of silent assessment a fighter gives when he's deciding if you'd survive a bar brawl.

Another human adventurer stared hard at Reiji, not trying to hide his disdain. The human was bald and grizzled in a mean looking way, as if he's been in plenty of fights. Yet his armor seemed too good to be used by someone like him. It seemed too expensive and high quality.

"It seems you have an admirer." The irresponsible goddess pointed out.

Ignoring her, Reiji followed Souma as he lead him up the stairs towards the second floor. He could feel the eyes of the same human adventurer boring a hole in his back.

"There's always an idiot everywhere you go..." Reiji sighed.

Reaching the second floor, Souma and Reiji walk up to a guild clerk behind the counter.

"Oh Souma. What brings you here today?" The guild clerk casually greeted Souma.

She was a young catlike beast kin with brown hair and eyes. Standing around 165cm. She wore a white shirt, with a tight black vest, and red ribbon and skirt. On her vest was a pin symbolizing her as a clerk of the guild.

"Hello Serena." Pointing backwards to Reiji, Souma replies. "I brought the applicant."

"Oh, the person you mentioned to the guild master?" 

"That's right."

"Then please wait a moment while we get the exam room ready." Serena bows, before walking off towards the back of the hall. 

Souma points to a nearby chair. "Wait here."  He then walks off disappearing into a different part of the building, leaving Reiji alone.

"Tch. I'm not a dog, dammit." Reiji grumbles as Elnyra laughs at him.

As Reiji grumbles in annoyance, a gruff voice calls out to him.

"Oi, new guy."

Turning around, it was the same adventurer that was staring at him earlier. He had decided to follow Reiji up to the second floor. His eyes still looking at Reiji with disdain.

Smiling internally Reiji couldn't help but think to himself. Finally, something to do other than waiting. Reiji glanced at the man before quickly turning his eyes away, choosing not to look at him as he talked.

"... whaddya want baldy?" 

"Baldy? Who the hell do you think you are, walking in here like you own the place." The bald adventurer fumed with anger, his bald head turning red.

"You're just a nobody. Don't think knowing a gold rank adventurer makes you tough."

"A gold rank? I don't know what you're talking about." Reiji smirks, his voice purposely taunting. "Even if I do, how I walk or who I hang out with isn't for someone as weak as you to decide."

"Brat! I'm a silver rank adventurer... But, someone like you wouldn't know the meaning."  The bald man points his finger to the stairs below.

"Follow me to the pits. I'll personally teach you some manners." 

"Perfect. I was just looking for a sandbag." Reiji cracks his necks and knucles as he follows the bald man back down the stairs.

A few moments later Serena reappears with a stack of papers, looking for Reiji. "Eh... why do these applicants never know how to stay in one place." 

Following the bald man down to the fighting pits in the basement. The adventurers of the first floor sensed blood and simply laughed before turning back to their business. Clearly this was a usual occurence for new applicants to the guild.

Some of the more bored adventurers followed after the two, eagerly chanting "pit fight!" Reiji even heard a few of them place bets on how long he would last against the bald adventurer.

"Hehe. These guys are about to be thoroughly surprised." Elnyra glanced around eagerly taking in the atmosphere. "You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"Not exactly. I just can't stand territorial idiots." Reiji replied telepathically.

Stepping into the pits, Reiji found himself in a large square room, around 100 meters squared. There was a balcony where spectators could watch the fight from above the actual ring. 

The ring itself was made of sturdy square stone tiles. The walls of the room were lined with glowing runes that pulsed with life. 

"It's too late to get cold feet now punk." The bald adventurer shouted as he drew out the long sword from his back. Like his armor, it too seemed to be too expensive and high quality of a weapon for someone like the bald adventurer.

Picking his ear, Reiji sarcastically asked. "So when do we start baldy?"

"Hmph. You've got a tongue on you. We'll see how you feel after a thorough thrashing from -"

"Ah ah, stop right there. I don't need to know small fries names." Reiji interrupted, turning the bald head an even brighter shade of red. "Let's just do this."