The Awakening Guild

At a table in the back, Lys, Tristan, Kyle—aka Kaito—and Aoi were still gathered.

Tristan, however, said nothing. He observed the two young women with a neutral, almost analytical gaze.

Seeing him approach, Eris crossed her arms, her face tense.

Kyle shrugged.

"I know," Eris replied. "Tristan already warned me. But there's a problem."

"Yes. With all the gray areas in your file... I can't grant your update request."

"All right. What do I need to do to... resolve the situation?"

"Be honest. This time, completely."

                                                                       "You want to know what, exactly?"

"If possible, everything."

A short silence.

Then Kyle nodded slowly.

"Very well. My real name is Kaito. And like Aoi, I'm from another world."

Eris didn't flinch.

"I already understood that," she said with a small sigh.

"Okay... One more thing: I'm an elemental mage... and I think that's it."

This time, Eris's eyes widened slightly.

"Elemental mage? You mean... a real one? One who can use a type of element to its full potential?!"

"That's it."

She took a deep breath.

"Well... I don't think anything surprises me coming from you anymore. Okay, we'll update your file."

"Thanks." 

But their exchange was interrupted by the sudden crash of the guild doors.

They burst open, letting in a dry, tense draft.

Iris and Anne had just appeared, supported on either side by Harry.

Their breaths were short, and they looked as if they were about to faint.

"Iris! Anne!" Lys cried, breaking off her conversation with Aoi and rushing towards them.

A deathly silence fell over the room.

But strangely, Tristan, Eris, and some of the seasoned adventurers remained calm. No agitation, no panic.

As if they already knew.

Lys, however, paid no attention. She helped the two girls sit up, panicking.

"Are you hurt?! What happened?!" 

But on closer inspection... no visible injuries. Just exhausted bodies, pale faces, and dirty clothes.

Harry, gently resting Iris against the back of the chair, replied,

"They're just drained of energy. With a little rest, they'll be fine."

Kyle, who had just watched the scene from the counter, turned to Eris.

"From your reaction... I imagine this sort of thing happens a lot around here?"

Eris sighed, looking as if she'd already said too much.

"It doesn't look like it, but yes. Those two tried to defy their master again."

"And they lost, I take it?"

"Like always."

"So... this happens a lot?"

"Every time he shows up," she blurted out, as if it were too obvious to warrant further words.

 Kyle narrowed his eyes, intrigued.

"Are you talking about those famous instructors we're always talking about?"

"Right. They're among the five S-rank adventurers in our branch."

"Oh yeah... I think that was mentioned to me when I signed up."

Eris frowned, her hard gaze boring into his.

"Explanations of how the guild works are vital, and you weren't even listening!"

Kyle grimaced, a little ashamed.

"Don't get so worked up... Even in my world, at school, I rarely listened..."

"And what do you think that has to do with the adventurer's life, exactly?!"

"Nothing. It was just a comparison," he replied, his calm, almost defiant.

Before she could say anything back, he raised his hands and turned on his heel. 

"Come on, I'll check on the girls."

He walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving Eris sighing in frustration... but not without a small smile.

Kyle finally returned to the table. Thanks to Lys's attentive assistance, Anne and Iris were gradually regaining their senses. Their breathing became more regular, their gaze less blank. The moment of panic was slowly fading.

Lys, relieved, immediately asked the question that had been burning her lips:

"What happened...?"

But before the two girls could answer, Tristan took the lead:

"Don't worry. This kind of thing happens a lot."

Lys frowned.

"Often? What do you mean?"

It was Iris who answered, her voice still weak:

"If your master were here, you would do the same."

Tristan nodded.

"Exactly."

Aoi, sitting nearby, looked as lost as Lys

"Wait... What's going on here, exactly?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to understand," Lys replied.

It was Kyle who clarified the situation, calmly arriving:

"If I understand correctly, it's some kind of intensive training that put them in this state."

"It's not just training," Tristan corrected.

Then Harry, still standing nearby, added calmly:

"It's much more symbolic than that. It's... the pentagram."

The word resonated like an ancient mystery. Kyle arched an eyebrow.

"Interesting. Explain that to me." 

Tristan complied:

"The Pentagram is the name of the legendary adventurer group whose five members are... let's say, at the top of the world. Each of them is a monster of power. And we were chosen to become their students."

Kyle crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"Okay, I understand the context better... It's pure shōnen nekketsu with a mentor-student relationship, this crazy thing."

"What?" asked Aoi.

"Like manga, you know... The master is too strong, the student who has to progress to death. It's classic," he said.

"I see," she said, smiling. "That speaks to me."

But Lys, on the other hand, remained completely lost.

 "Honestly, with your incomprehensible sentences, you've confused me even more..."

Kyle thought for a moment, then continued:

"Just think of it as a final exam."

"Now that makes sense to me a little more," Lys whispered.

"But the real question," Kyle interjected, "is: where are these famous members of the Pentagram?"

Harry replied, his arms crossed like a barrier:

"Those who are currently in town must be hanging out in a tavern, as usual."

His gaze wandered into space for a moment, and a grimace escaped him. "Let's hope things don't get out of hand between them again..."

Aoi blinked.

"Wait... who are these people, exactly?" 

Tristan spoke:

"There's Caleb the Steel Shard, Richard the Colossus, Astrid the Scarlet Thorn, Elias the Void Master, and Freya the Ice Empress. Together, they form the Pentagram."

Aoi's eyes widened.

"Richard? As in, the Guild Master?"

Harry smiled slightly.

"If only he were just that..."

"Harry was trained by him," Tristan added, a hint of respect in his voice.

Kyle stared at Anne, Iris, Tristan, and Harry.

"So, to summarize... You four are the students of these monsters of power."

They all answered with a simple yes.

Kyle let out a thoughtful "Hmm"... then turned towards the quest board.

But before he even reached it, Eris's voice rang out:

"You won't find anything interesting for you."

Kyle turned around, intrigued.

"Why?"

"Since the incident with the wyverns, quests outside the city have been frozen. Too much unrest in the area."

"I see..."

He shrugged, disappointed, and returned to the group.

Meanwhile, Aoi had turned to Harry, her expression sincere.

"I'm sorry... for what happened to you. To you and your team."

Harry replied calmly:

"You didn't do it. Even if you had been there, it wouldn't have changed anything." 

Kyle quietly sat down next to them. Lys, who had just finished a sentence with the girls, joined him immediately.

"Are you okay? You seem upset..."

"No, nothing serious."

A short silence passed, then he stood up again and went over to Tristan.

"By the way... we still haven't sorted that out."

"What detail?" Tristan asked.

Kyle gave a small smile.

"To see which of us is stronger."

"Oh, that," said Iris, who had heard, "you already planned that."

"And I'm still up for it," Tristan replied with a determined look.

Lys, surprised, approached:

"And me? Didn't they even tell me?" 

"It must have been an oversight," Kyle said with an innocent expression. "But the main people involved are here, right?"

"Are we going to fight here, or...?" Tristan asked.

"Good question," Kyle admitted.

"Why not the arena?" Anne offered.

"Is there an arena here?" Kyle asked, surprised.

Lys stared at him, exasperated.

"You should be more careful when people talk to you..."

"If someone had told me about an arena, believe me, I would remember it," Kyle retorted.

"The important thing is that we have one," Tristan interjected. And it's available.

"Then let's go," Kyle said with a defiant smile.

 As the small group prepared to leave for the Helion Arena, the large guild doors opened again.

Elena entered, her usual nonchalance. Seeing her companions gathered, she approached naturally.

"What's going on here?" she asked, looking around.

"Kyle and Tristan are finally going to face off," Iris replied, visibly excited.

"Oh? This should be interesting," Elena said with a smirk.

"You couldn't be more right," Iris replied, crossing her arms.

Tristan approached in turn.

"Where were you, Elena?"

"Gareth's, to upgrade my equipment," she replied.

That's when Kyle joined them.

"Well, now that everyone's here, we can go."

They then set off towards the arena.

Before leaving the guild, they offered Aoi a ride, but she politely declined.

"I'd rather wait for the guild master," she said.

"I'll stay with her," Harry added. "I also have one last thing to settle with the master."

So they left the guild, crossing the streets of Helion in a relaxed atmosphere.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the arena... or rather, what was left of the arena.

 It resembled a miniature coliseum, with circular tiers carved from stone, marble arches cracked by time, and a central platform surrounded by broken pillars.

Faded runes lined the walls, and the air smelled of burnt magic.

The floor, cracked in several places, still bore the scars of a titanic clash.

"Wow..." Kyle breathed. "I wasn't expecting anything but this."

Tristan, who was surveying the area, nodded.

"They must have let off steam here recently."

A small smile played on his lips.

"That's good news. Usually, when they fight... the whole town suffers the consequences."

"That's true," Anne agreed. "We had a close call this time."

"So... the members of the Pentagram fought here?" Lys asked, her eyes wide.

"That's the most likely scenario," Iris confirmed.

Kyle crossed his arms.

"Too bad. In this state, we won't be able to use it."

He made as if to turn away.

"We'd better get back to the guild."

His companions were surprised by his reaction.

"Seriously?" Tristan said. "I admit, I wasn't expecting this from you."

"Same here," Iris added. "I could already see you forcing us to fight here, despite the debris."

And judging by the glances they exchanged, everyone else was thinking the same thing.

Kyle shrugged casually.

"Fighting... it doesn't really amuse me. I suggested it because I was bored. Nothing more.

A heavy silence fell, as if the room had held its breath.

Lys approached him hesitantly, her eyes searching for the shadows in his gaze.

"Why do you seem to be looking for adventure more than usual?" she asked, her voice soft, almost worried.

 Kyle took a moment to think, and then he said,

"If I don't find anything strong enough to hold my attention... I'll leave. Sooner than expected."

The group froze.

Tristan seemed troubled, but said nothing. Anne and Iris exchanged a worried look.

But it was Lys who reacted most strongly.

She looked away. A pang in her heart. Her breath caught for a moment.

"You... you want to leave already?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Kyle didn't answer right away. He looked up at the sky. The wind made his hair flutter slightly.

"... Maybe."

Lys felt her throat tighten. Her heart was beating faster, though she didn't know why.

Her eyes shone slightly. They weren't tears... not yet. But the thought of Kyle leaving hit her harder than she expected. 

"So... we mean so little to you?" she whispered.

Kyle sensed it. He realized he'd just crossed an invisible line. He looked away, uncomfortably.

"It's not that, Lys. It's just that I..."

But he stopped.

He didn't like emotional discussions. Even less so when they involved feelings he preferred to ignore. So, he did what he did best: change the subject. Run away.

He turned abruptly.

"Anyway. Let's go back to the guild."

And without waiting for the others, he retraced his steps, hands in his pockets, as if nothing had happened.

The others were still at the arena, stunned by Kyle's words.

He, without turning around, had headed back to the guild.

 When he pushed open the door, the great hall was quiet.

Aoi and Harry were no longer there.

Normally, he wouldn't have paid any attention to their absence... But today, he had nothing to do, so he might as well keep his mind occupied.

He approached the counter, hands in his pockets, and asked,

"Hey, Eris, where are Aoi and Harry?"

She looked up from her register.

"They're upstairs. The guild master has finally returned."

"I see," Kyle replied, before going to sit at one of the tables in the adjoining inn, a little to one side.

He sank gently into the chair, his gaze unfocused.

He let out a quiet sigh, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

> "It seems the arc of an adventurer's life is coming to an end..."

He thought about all the other things he could discover in this world. This fantastical world. This world that both exhausted him... and fascinated him.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't immediately notice that the entire room had fallen silent.

The kind of strange, respectful silence you only find in the presence of living legends.

Two people were slowly descending the stairs.

The first was a young-looking man with slightly silvery brown hair, dressed in a dazzling white mage's robe, finely embroidered with golden runes. His aura was soft but intense, and his calm eyes revealed years of wisdom.

 The second was a woman with scarlet hair, armed with a long spear. Her figure was graceful, but her presence was overwhelming.

Elegant horns adorned her head, and her skin, in places, seemed covered with discreet and refined scales.

A dragonoid, no doubt.

They walked slowly into the room and… sat down at the same table as Kyle, who still hadn't noticed anything.

When he looked up, his thoughts immediately flew away.

He froze.

"This… can't be. They're straight out of an epic novel."

He didn't know what to say, or what to do. His introverted side was taking over again, and as the silence grew a little too long, he tried to escape.

 But just as he started to get up, the mage's calm voice stopped him:

"You don't have to leave," he said with a slight smile. "Your presence doesn't bother us."

"Ah... okay," Kyle replied, a little taken aback. He sat back down shyly.

The dragonnoid woman stared at him for a few seconds.

"You're new, right? This is the first time I've seen you here."

"Yes," Kyle replied. "I signed up a month ago."

The mage smiled softly, his eyes unfocused.

"This reminds me of when I first started..."

"Hard work and perseverance," the dragonnoid added. "You shouldn't rest on your laurels. Each victory prepares for the next."

"... Yes, of course," Kyle replied politely.

"What's your rank?" she then asked.

 But before he could reply, the mage raised a hand.

"Come on, Astrid. He's only just arrived. He's probably rank E, at most."

Kyle coughed.

"I'm actually rank B."

A short silence fell. The two looked at each other briefly... before their eyebrows raised almost in unison.

"So it's you," Astrid murmured.

"You're the famous Kyle," Elias confirmed, a glint of interest in his eyes.

"F... famous?" Kyle asked. "There's nothing famous about me."

Elias let out a short laugh.

"Of course I am. Very few reach that level in a month. Even among the members of the Pentagram, few of us progressed so quickly."

"Anne told me about you," Astrid said. "And for Elias... I assume it was Iris?"

Elias nodded.

Astrid looked around.

"Where are the others?"

"They're on their way," Kyle replied. "Tristan and I were supposed to fight in the arena, but given his condition, it was cancelled."

At this, Elias cast a sideways glance at Astrid.

"What?!" she fumed indignantly. "Don't look at me like that!"

"If you and that barbarian Richard hadn't already decided to play gladiators..."

"You were the one who suggested using the arena," she retorted.

"Because otherwise, you would have reduced the city to ashes, as usual."

Kyle, who was listening to them, his eyes wide, couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"So these two... are really powerhouses?!"

But it wasn't their brute strength that struck him most. It was how much they looked like normal people, teasing, chatting, laughing.

 Living legends, sitting across from him, talking as if they were still fledgling adventurers.

Kyle watched Elias and Astrid bicker gently, slightly amused.

"If I'm disturbing you, I can leave," he said, a little uncomfortably.

Astrid looked at him briefly, a smile on her lips.

"You're not disturbing us. Stay."

Elias nodded.

"You're exactly as Iris described you," he said mysteriously.

That's when the guild door opened again, letting Iris and Tristan in. Seeing their gathered comrades, they quickly headed towards the table.

"You're finally back," Kyle said, seeing them approach.

"Yes," Tristan replied. "Lys wasn't feeling well, so we took her back to Rose's. Anne and Elena stayed with her."

Kyle, who fully understood what had been bothering Lys since her previous statement, replied simply, looking thoughtful.

"I hope it's nothing serious..."

Tristan politely bowed to the two legendary figures seated at the table.

"Masters Astrid, Elias, it's an honor."

"As usual, you're always overdoing it," Astrid replied, rolling her eyes.

Elias turned to Iris. She seemed tense, almost feverish.

"I'm glad to see you've recovered," he said gently.

Iris bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Master, for your concern." 

Kyle, intrigued by her change of attitude, whispered to Tristan:

"Is it just me, or does she transform when she talks to her master?"

"Believe me, you didn't see anything. She's even transformed into a different person," Tristan replied.

That's when a majestic bird with blue and gold feathers suddenly entered the guild, causing a murmur of surprise from the adventurers present. The animal descended in a flash of light, then soared upstairs.

"It's... a Karavorn," Elias murmured. "A mythical creature. This is the first time I've seen one with my own eyes..."

The members of the group exchanged knowing glances.

"We've seen it before," Iris whispered. "In the capital, it's the same magical creature that came to deliver a message from Asterion to Kyle."

Kyle nodded.

 "If he's going that way, it's probably for Aoi."

And he was right.

A few seconds later, Aoi rushed down the stairs, a magic envelope in hand. Kyle stood up to intercept her.

"What's going on?"

"A mission," she replied quickly. "Miss Sakura sent me a letter. I have to leave immediately."

"I see..." Kyle said. "Then have a safe journey."

"Thank you," she said with a smile before walking through the doors.

But no sooner was she outside than she took out an enchanted whistle. When she raised it to her lips, a magical breath escaped, and a few seconds later, a silver hippogriff with immense wings descended from the heavens.

Kyle stood motionless on the steps of the guildhall, watching it fly away.

 He took a breath, then smiled.

"At least she can find something to do."

Then, without warning, he ran, focused his magic, and surrounded his body with white lightning. In a flash, he launched into the air.

Aoi, still in flight, jumped when she saw him appear next to her, hovering thanks to his magic.

"But how do you fly?!"

"Long story," Kyle replied.

"Are you planning on following me to Asterion? Do you want to join us?"

Kyle shook his head.

"No, no. I just wanted... you to give Reiji a message. Tell him I'm fine. And to continue enjoying this absurd world."

Aoi looked at him for a moment, surprised, then smiled.

"So that's all you followed me for?"

"Okay... I admit it." I also wanted to see if I could catch a hippogriff. That's mainly why."

"Now that makes more sense coming from you," she replied, laughing softly.

They exchanged one last glance.

"Take care, Kaito."

"You too, Aoi. Enjoy this fantastic world."

Then, each one took a different direction in the sky, two flashes that crossed briefly before disappearing over the horizon.

A little later, Kyle returned to the guild. On the threshold, Tristan was waiting for him, arms crossed.

"I thought you were going to follow her," he said, smiling.

"I'm not that insensitive," Kyle replied, stopping in front of him.

"With your thirst for adventure, it wouldn't have even surprised me."

"Maybe... But I can't just leave like that, without saying anything. Even though I'm a classic protagonist, I have consideration for my comrades."

Tristan lowered his eyes slightly, a genuine smile on his lips.

"That's what I thought."

They entered together, as the evening light bathed the guild in a golden glow.