Dwarves First Adventure in The City of Raora

The sun rises, its light reflecting through the window. 

Brak, laying down on his bed, is lost in thought. He looks up at the ceiling.

"It's not a dream after all. It's been about two days since I've arrived here. I've studied up what I can to become an adventurer. One of the few things being they don't tell you about being isekaid into a game is that you have to figure out all the smaller details yourself because the game sure as hell doesn't share it."

Brak groans and stretches. He sits on the bed and looks out of the window, the morning sunlight shining down on him.

"I said I need to become an adventurer. Easier said than done. Because Brak- I never left this house to enter town; I have no clue how the money here works, so I'm surviving purely off my knowledge of the game's money and adventure system."

Brak closes both eyes and has a forced smile. A vein pops out on his head.

"WHY THE HELL DOES BEING IN AN ISEKAI HAVE TO BE HARDER THAN MY OLD LIFE!!! I NEED TO RELEARN ABOUT HOW LIFE WORKS IN THIS WORLD!!!"

Brak then sighs and calms himself down. Sitting at his desk, he looks at some documents.

"Before coming here, Brak never learned how to read. However, when I came here, our memories got jumbled up, and I could read and write. The devs weren't really all that focused on world building, so the language is roughly the same. Best if I keep this knowledge to myself."

He then sighs and thinks more.

"I can't really ask Mom how this world works. I practically know her entire backstory... What to do, what to do... I know the closest city is Raora, but it's a pretty minor location in the game with very few quests. But it does have some lore."

While speaking out loud to himself, Brak is cut off by a loud voice from downstairs.

[Lucia]: "Brakky! I'm heading out to town! Please stay here!"

The sound of a door closing. Brak is now alone.

"Idea time! Mom outa have some maps or records hiding around in the house. Hmm... no, it would be too suspicious. Wait... This body is stronger than an ordinary human. I think I know what I must do... I'm going to follow Mom around the city! First things first, I need to hide my ears. As long as I'm in this kingdom, I'll be harassed and discriminated against by practically everyone."

Brak makes his way to the closet and pulls out some old clothes. By patching some together, he makes a cloak! 

"My first masterpiece! Hmm? What's this feeling-"

A small light leaves Brak's hand and enters the cloak. However, nothing happens. 

Brak looks at his hand.

"That was weird. I felt a slight burning sensation and then it... vanished. What was that just now? I would normally feel anxious or afraid, but it felt like it was... just supposed to happen?"

Brak decides that he'll question it later. 

Dawning the cloak, Brak sneaks out the door and, using knowledge from his past life, heads straight to the city!

* * * 

"I remember the layout of the game's map. This area in particular is known as the Old Dragon Kings Plains. In Magic Academy, the valley as well as the surrounding city used to belong to a Dragon King that was defeated by a hero and saint who became this nation's first rulers."

Brak then freezes in place as he remembers one face from the game. One particular hero candidate who is a noble from a massive domain that rivals the king's own domain. 

"Ah! I'm so stupid! How could I forget about the heroes themselves?! I know I said that I'll challenge them, but to actually fight them would be suicide!"

Brak then thinks to himself. 

"The main hero candidate players chose is Maximus Aia Solaria because of the Solaria family's bloodline magic. He'll be a major obstacle to overcome once I reach the academy..."

He then sighs and thinks more about the game and the individual hero candidates and the saint candidates.

Brak then gets an idea. 

"I remember that there is one of the three saint candidates who most players skipped over. In fact, she's treated more as a challenge for players who want to play the game on hard mode because she isn't recognized as a saint candidate at first."

Brak decides to take a small break from his walk to the city to think this through.

"Izabell Ixia, a young lady from an impoverished noble household that sits at the far edge of the kingdom's eastern border. The Ixia domain is where the Fractured Axe begins the civil war event in the nation."

A troubled expression on Brak's face.

"If a player chooses another saint, Izabell is already set for death. Because the Ixia domain is where the first civil war event happens, the entire family gets executed. If a player picks Izabell, her poor reputation and lack of any title make it nearly impossible to progress beyond the academy's second year."

Brak then looks at his hand and clenches his fist. 

"No... I can't think like that. To me, this world might be a game, but to them, it's real life. As much as I want to use my knowledge of this world to help, I can't act like I'll be a savior and just solve all her problems. As much as I want to make a name for myself and bring honor to the dwarves, conquering this world is an impossible task without the hero and saints' power. I'll have three years to prepare for then... I should focus on right now, not the future."

Brak makes sure his cloak is still intact, and he makes haste for the city of Raora.

* * *

The city of Raora is a rather large city, with it having a diverse population of humans and demi-humans. Like other cities, those without magic are treated as second-class citizens, as it's not just limited to dwarves. 

Walking along the main road, Brak notices there are quite a few beggars. Some dwarven females, demi-humans without magic, and some humans. Brak keeps his head low, as he knows that he's one or two mishaps away from ending up just like them.

"Just keep to myself and avoid eye contact. As long as I keep my cloak on, people might think I'm just a short human. Find the guild and avoid running into mom..."

After about 10 minutes of walking, Brak finds his way to the guild.

"I found it! In the game, the quests here are just resource collecting or helping out around the city. There aren't many monsters nearby except for one dungeon. I plan to head there to try and earn some expirence. Wait, does this world even have the same EXP system as Magic Academy? If not, I'll need a different approach."

Brak then breathes in and out before entering the guild.

Inside, there are several adventurers. Normal people, demi-humans, and even a few mystic races. 

Brak keeps his head down and ignores them. He makes his way to the receptionist desk. He pulls out a stool to stand on to be level with the receptionist.

"This is so embarrassing..." 

Brak clears his throat and speaks to the receptionist. Or well... he tries to. This is his first time speaking with someone who isnt his mother.

"Uh- hey- hi- oh... Sorry! I'm not u-used to speaking with n-n-new people..."

He then looks up at the receptionist, who leans forward with a soft smile.

[Receptionist One]: "Greetings! Are you new in town? I know the faces of many different adventurers, and I have never seen you before."

Brak tries to respond, but he is caught off guard by her appearance. Blonde hair, beautiful emerald green eyes, and a large bust?! That, combined with the loose fit of the uniform, makes his eyes wander, and his mind go wild.

[Receptionist One]: "Is everything alright, young sir? You look like you saw a ghost."

As she speaks, her chest only juts out more because of her arms pushing them forward. This isn't the ideal situation to be in.

Brak quickly averts his eyes and regains a little of his composure. 

"Sorry! I was just... uh... Lost in thought! Yes, lost in thought... Ehem, I would like to register, please."

The receptionist slides forward some paper and a small crystal ball. 

[Receptinist One]: "Please sign these papers. Once you're done, place your hand on the crystal ball. If you've never seen one before, it records information such as your race, mana level, name, and background. It's just a safety precaution because we've had a history of people lying or manipulating records."

Brak nods and takes the paper. Once he fills out the required information, the receptionist slides the crystal ball over. Brak then places his hand against the ball.

[REGISTRATION UNDERWAY.]

[NAME: BRAK MELLALAN]
[SPECIES: HALF-DWARF]
[MANA: D-CLASS]
[BACKGROUND: NONE]

Brak's eyes widen a little.

"Wait? Why do I have a last name? I know my mom is from the Mallalan family, but I shouldn't have that name-"

The receptionist's facial expression shifts from a happy smile to a more puzzled look. However, her smile returns as she takes the ball and papers away.

[Receptionist One]: "The guild doesn't interfere with personal matters, so any information related to your race, family, and background remains private unless audited by the kingdom. You've passed the crystal balls check and all your information adds up. You are an adventurer! Everyone starts as a Class Five adventurer, as it's just guild protocol."

Brak, who is equally as puzzled, nods and takes the guild card given to him.

[Receptionist One]: "In this country, a citizen isnt considered to be an adult until the age of 16. However, the guild allows anyone 12 and up to register without needing parental consent because we understand that some people come from different backgrounds and require work. The quest board is to your left. I hope you enjoy your time here, Sir Brak!"

"I don't think I ever got your name."

[Alexia]: "Please, just call me Alexia!"

"Alright, Miss Alexia. Thank you for your help."

Brak quickly walks away to the quest board.

Once Brak leaves, Alexia closes her desk and goes into one of the guild's back rooms. She closes the door behind herself and looks at the crystal ball. Her expression darkens.

[Alexia]: "You may come out now."

Someone steps forth from the shadows of the room.

[Lucia]: "It was bound to happen eventually. That boy really does have his father's adventurous spirit. Keep this between us, and don't let anyone know."

[Alexia]: "As you wish... Second Class Mage, Lady Lucia of the Sparking Fang."