2.3 - Truth

We arrived at a large wooden building with a sign that read "Adventure Hall of Moonlight Grove" All the buildings look the same, all being made of stone and wood. It was just basic wood though I don’t know anything about what type. Just a boring old brown door.

Upon entering, the atmosphere inside was surprisingly quiet. It was much quieter than I had anticipated, considering the lively chatter and commotion usually present in adventure halls in movies and games. I expected more. On the left side of the room, there was a large board covered with papers, most likely displaying missions or quests available for earning money. In front of the board stood a long smooth wooden desk, which seemed to serve as an information or reception area. To the right, there were several tables and chairs, but there were very few people sitting there. It appeared to be a bar and restaurant where adventurers gathered to share stories and accomplishments. I counted only three individuals, so perhaps it was still early or most of them were out on quests already. Everything was made of wood.

We approached the desk, where a single receptionist awaited us. She was a woman with short wavy blonde hair, standing around five feet tall. Her revealing attire emphasized her ample bosom, which, from my perspective, was quite attention-grabbing. Despite appearing older, around 50, she possessed a youthful appearance, resembling someone in their early 30s. Perhaps she was one of those famous "milfs" I had heard stories about, which would explain why tall, older adventurers enjoyed eating at this establishment.

"Oh, isn't it Miss Silica! Welcome back, my dear," then noticing our arrival, "And who are your cute friends?"

"Hello, Nana. This is Kendra and Mackenzie. They wish to register as adventurers and take the aptitude test,"

"Yay, new members!" she cheered, clapping her hands together and jumping in excitement. Her bosom shook up and down as she did. "Let me fetch the magic orb and the necessary paperwork." I couldn’t but help stare at the up and down movement. Bras must not be very popular in this world. Kendra was also staring with a twitched brow.

She disappeared beneath the desk, the sound of shifting papers and objects filling the air as she rummaged through them. After a moment, she resurfaced, placing the dusty orb on the table. She leaned in, blowing off the dust to reveal a clear, transparent glass orb. Nana leaned towards us; her chest pressed against the desk. Exposing herself to be a little perky and not just per personality is the term I would use. No wonder older adventurers like to eat and chat here.

"All right, who's first?" Her hand flowed over the orb as if pushing a wave of water, similar to conjuring a spell. "Put your hand on the orb." I glanced at Kendra and instantly saw the anticipation in her eyes, she couldn't wait any longer. Stepping back, I gestured for Kendra to go ahead. She eagerly seized the opportunity, a smile on her face as she placed both hands around the orb. The four of us stared at it for over 10 seconds, but nothing happened.

"All right, let's see," the receptionist said, disappointment evident in her voice. "Nope, I don't sense even a hint of magic. That's quite rare, having such low magical aptitude or better to say no mana. Most people possess at least a little bit."

Shocked and disappointed, Kendra's head dropped down, and a dark gloom seemed to envelop her. "Mrs. Kendra, since you don't have any magical aptitude, I suggest considering a non-magical role, such as an archer or a close combat fighter with a sword or spear," the receptionist advised. "Although, I recommend against becoming an adventurer since you lack magic and could easily get hurt. It's a dangerous job after all" she sounded trying to be sincere. Kendra took this as a direct insult, her anger flaring up. "I will be a swordswoman!" she stubbornly declared, standing proudly with a fiery determination in her eyes with a slightly rude tone.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't mean to offend you; I'll mark you down as a warrior for now. Let me know if you want to change roles later.” Turning her attention to Me, who seemed eager to escape the tense conversation, the receptionist said, "Mackenzie, it's your turn now."

I placed my right hand on top of the globe, and the clear, transparent glass suddenly turned a shimmering light blue.

"Wow!", her eyes almost popping out of her head. "Have you had any magic training before this, Sir Mackenzie?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"No, I just arrived here and learned about magic," I replied, placing my other hand over my head, and laughing.

Quickly, as I started laughing, Silica moved my hand off the orb and placed hers on it. Miraculously, the orb also turned light blue. Silica, now filled with jealousy and anger towards me, turned to Nana and asked quickly and nervously, "Well, who has more magical power, me or him?"

"Well, I believe he has more lightness and potency than you, but training can always improve it." She smiled, trying to ease the tension.

I guess meditation at home must have paid off with increasing my mana. The mood in the room had shifted dramatically, with both Silica and Kendra now displaying gloom and jealousy toward me. I decided to ignore their negative energy, diverting my gaze elsewhere. The receptionist stared at me intently waiting for an answer. “So, what job do you want to be?"

"What classes can I choose from?" I inquired.

“Well, you can be in any class you want. You can be a mage, swordsman, archer, or anything else that suits your fancy. You can even become an advanced specialized class, such as a paladin or a warlock. However, I recommend starting with a simpler job and specializing later once you discover your elements and undergo training,"

"How can I determine my elements?"

"You'll have to try out each basic spell to test them, but Master Grignard the mage will have more information than me," she replied.

"I think I'll choose magic for now and specialize later," I decided.

"Perfect, Mackenzie. I'll put you down as a mage,"

"Let me tell you about the rules. Welcome to the Adventure Guild of Moonlight. We are a member of the World Association of Adventures, which means that if your rank is silver in our guild, you will also hold a silver rank in other nations within the association," she began. “You will start as a trainee and take an appropriate test for your chosen class. For example, if you're a warrior or a close-range fighter, you'll undergo a warrior/close-range test. As a mage trainee, you'll be tested in a mage-specific evaluation to receive a bronze badge."

"Once you pass your trainee training, you will become an official adventurer and participate in quests within your level range. Bronze-ranked adventurers may only take bronze quests, but if you have a silver-ranked adventurer in your party, you can tackle silver quests." Please note that since we are a small branch, we can only promote adventurers up to the silver rank. For gold and platinum ranks, you will need to visit a capital city. But don't worry, all your completed quest information will be transferred to major cities. Welcome to Moonlight, young trainees! We currently have 26 registered adventurers and trainees using this branch as their main base. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime. Any questions so far?"

Kendra eagerly raised her hand, "So, our first step is to take the trainee test, but where do we go for that? I'm confident I can pass it already."

"To take the test, you'll have to join the training groups. All adventurers are welcome there to practice, train, and meet one of our warrior or mage trainers for guidance," the receptionist explained.

"I can take you there," Silica happily volunteered. As we left the hall and walked just a few blocks until we reached a shop called Magic Stuff. I couldn't help but think it was a rather silly name, but I bet there’s awesome stuff inside!