The stars had barely appeared in the sky by the time the Celestars returned to Timbervale, their shell charms swinging lightly around their necks. The streets had begun to quiet down, with only a few lanterns glowing outside shops and inns. A couple of elderly mages sipped warm drinks by a fountain while a street bard softly strummed his lute nearby.
"I love this place at night," Rick said, spinning in a slow circle. "It's all calm and sparkly."
The guild hall was quieter than usual, with only a few staff members remaining at their desks. The receptionist from earlier gave them a wave. "Back already? All safe?"
Lui nodded and handed over the signed delivery receipt. "No delays. No damage. One short bandit attack, but we handled it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Second mission, and already an ambush?"
"It was more like two idiots with bad shoes," Ishi said flatly.
"Noted." She stamped their papers and handed them a little brown pouch. "Here's your reward—120 solins. Not bad for a delivery."
Izumi quickly divided the coins into six shares, sliding them into their personal money pouches.
"Don't spend it all on food," Lui warned, eyeing Yuuv.
"I only bought pudding five times," Yuuv said.
"Today?"
"...This week."
The receptionist added, "You've gained points for this mission too. Just a few, but every bit adds up. You'll need a lot more to reach D-Novice."
"D-rank sounds cool," Rick said. "D for dangerous."
"D for disaster in your case," Izumi murmured.
The boys exited the guild, deciding to grab something light before heading to the inn. They found a small food stall near the main street selling roasted fish on sticks and honey rice balls.
As they ate under a glowing lantern tree, a small voice called out from nearby.
"Are you… the Celestars?"
They turned to see a young girl standing a few feet away. She looked around seven or eight, wearing a red scarf and holding a scroll tied in ribbon.
Yuuv blinked. "Did we do something?"
The girl shook her head. "No! Um… I just saw you yesterday. You helped the old lady with the lost cat. I drew this for you."
She handed the scroll to Lui, then bowed shyly and ran off into the night.
They opened it slowly. Inside was a crayon drawing of six boys smiling, one of them holding a tiny cat. At the bottom were scribbled words: "Thank you, Celestars!"
Silence.
"I look like a turnip," Rick said.
"I like it," Lui said, folding it carefully. "We'll keep it."
Yuuv smiled sleepily. "I like being drawn."
Back at the inn, they relaxed in their room, some of them sprawled out on the floor and beds, others trying to clean their gear. Iuro was gently rubbing his wand with a cloth. Rick had dumped all his coins into a small sock labeled "Treasure."
"You're not supposed to shake the sock," Izumi said.
"But it sounds rich."
Ishi leaned against the window frame, looking outside. "You all fought well today."
"I got stuck in a vine," Iuro said.
"You tripped yourself," Ishi corrected.
Lui sat cross-legged, the shell charm still around his neck. "We're learning. Slowly. That's what matters."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
They exchanged looks.
Yuuv, half-asleep, said, "We're not ordering pudding."
Lui stood and opened the door to find a tall man in silver-blue armor, with the guild's emblem glowing softly on his chestplate. His hair was dark, and his voice was calm.
"Celestars, right?"
"Yes," Lui replied, standing straighter.
"You're requested at the Timbervale guild branch at first light tomorrow. Rank-up event has been announced for d-novice rank."
"Rank-up event?" Rick asked.
The man nodded. "The e-novice ranked guilds with enough amount of points can participate."
Then he turned and left, leaving them with full stomachs and wide eyes.
"Rank-up event…" Izumi echoed.
"We've only done two missions," Iuro said.
"Guess we got enough point since we defeated the bandits too," Lui said softly.
Yuuv yawned and rolled into a blanket. "We'll do great. After sleep."
They didn't sleep early that night—not because of nerves or fear, but because they were excited.
They were growing.
Bit by bit.
And tomorrow, they'd take another step forward.