VALERIAN STREET
"Hey! Watch where you're going," the man snapped. "Are you blind or something? Kids these days…"
He turned fully, irritation still on his face.
Then he froze.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You," he said.
"You're that girl from before."
Cassandra blinked. "Huh? Do I know you?"
"I don't think so," he replied.
"I'm lysander, but my nickname is Shadowstep, from the Dex Adventure Party.
My party was present during your training at the Valorian Courts last week."
He folded his arms casually.
"Are you training to join the Elite Force someday?"
"Yes!!" Cassandra shouted immediately, her eyes shining with excitement.
Hesper raised her hand lazily. "It's a no for me."
Cassandra gasped in betrayal.
"Come on," she pleaded, grabbing Hesper's hands. "It'll be fun! Since you're my rival, you should join too. Pretty please."
Her eyes shimmered dramatically, her lips trembling as if she might cry.
Hesper stared at her for a long moment.
"You're annoying," she sighed. "…Okay, fine. I'll think about it."
Cassandra froze.
Then jumped.
"YES!"
She bounced happily in place.
Lysander stood right in front of them, watching quietly.
His eyes slowly drifted toward Hesper.
Wow… the demi-human girl is beautiful, he thought.
Nice boobs… and her hair… she even smells nice from here…
Then his gaze shifted to Cassandra.
…But this one…
She's got anger issues, that much is obvious.
And honestly… no charm at all.
No boobs, no looks…
She could wear a man's outfit for a month and no one would even realize she's a girl.
Suddenly
Cassandra's fist clenched.
Her eye twitched.
For a split second, everything was quiet.
Then
BAM!
Her punch slammed straight into his jaw.
Shadowstep's eyes went wide.
His body dropped instantly to the ground.
The street froze.
A man carrying boxes stopped mid-step.
A woman selling vegetables blinked in shock.
A worker holding a hammer slowly lowered it.
"…She just dropped him," someone whispered.
"…With one punch…"
"Who is she exactly?" another voice asked.
Lysander lay flat on the ground, staring at the sky.
"…I think I saw heaven…" he groaned weakly.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Cassandra shouted, marching toward him in pure rage.
"You think you can just stand there and insult me?!"
She raised her fist again.
Hesper grabbed her from behind.
"Let's go. People are watching," Hesper said calmly.
She bowed slightly to the crowd.
"I'm sorry about my friend's behavior."
"LET ME GO!" Cassandra shouted, swinging her arms wildly.
"You heard what he was thinking too!"
Her foot kicked a nearby bucket.
Water splashed across the street.
"MY CLEAN FLOOR!" a shopkeeper cried.
"I'M NOT DONE WITH HIM!" Cassandra yelled.
Hesper dragged her backward.
"You punched an adventurer in public!"
"HE DESERVED IT!" Cassandra shouted.
Hesper sighed.
"Lady Lisanna deserves a huge reward for raising you…"
They continued dragging and shouting as they disappeared down the street.
One man whispered, "Remind me never to marry someone like her…"
Another nodded. "I want to live a long life…"
Shadowstep slowly sat up, holding his jaw, completely confused.
"…I didn't even say anything…"
In the distance
"I'LL FINISH THIS NEXT TIME!" Cassandra's voice echoed.
Hesper groaned.
"You're insane…"
"I KNOW!"
VALERIAN
"Come on, Hesper… are you still mad at me?" Cassandra asked, walking a step behind her. "You heard what he was thinking too. And… I know I can get carried away sometimes."
Hesper didn't stop walking.
"I'm not angry at you, Cassandra," she said calmly. "I'm trying to locate the guild. That's why we came out here, remember?"
She glanced at Cassandra briefly.
"Lysander could have helped us. He already spoke to us. But instead, you punched him."
Cassandra looked away, slightly embarrassed.
"If you keep punching every person we meet," Hesper continued, "you'll make a name for yourself. And not a good one."
They walked past a row of shops, the street alive with movement.
"For now, you need to control your anger. Ignore what people say."
She paused, then added,
"Take Phobos, for example. He says all kinds of annoying things. But if you ignore him, you learn control. Having a hot temper is a disadvantage in a fight. Your opponent can use it against you."
Cassandra sighed.
"…Yeah."
Hesper nodded once.
"Good."
She stopped a passing man carrying a bundle of wrapped cloth.
"Excuse me," Hesper said politely. "Can you tell us where the Adventurers Guild is?"
The man looked at them, then pointed down the road.
"Straight ahead. You'll see a large stone building with banners. You can't miss it."
"Thank you," Hesper said.
The man nodded and continued on his way.
Hesper turned back to Cassandra.
"He said this way. I think we'll get there in no time."
They walked forward.
And then
They saw it.
VALERIAN:THE GUILD
The building stood proudly at the end of the street, large and imposing, Wide stairs led up to massive wooden doors reinforced with black iron.
Above the entrance hung a huge engraved emblem a sword and shield crossed together, the symbol of adventurers.
Tall banners hung from the walls, swaying gently in the wind.
The entire area around it was alive.
People were everywhere.
Humans and demi-humans filled the open space in front of the guild.
Some wore heavy armor, swords strapped to their backs.
Others wore long robes, staffs resting in their hands.
A group of demi-humans laughed loudly near the steps.
Two adventurers walked out carrying a large beast fang as proof of a completed job.
Others sat on benches, resting outside.
Talking.
Waiting.
Watching.
It was loud.
Alive.
Real.
Cassandra's eyes widened.
"Wow… we're here," she said, her voice full of awe. "This is so amazing."
She stared at everything like a child seeing the world for the first time.
Hesper looked at the building, impressed despite herself.
"…I'm quite impressed too," she admitted quietly.
They stood there together.
Right in front of the place.
They stepped through the massive wooden doors and entered the guild.
Inside, the space opened into a vast hall, far larger than it appeared from the outside.
The ceiling rose high above, supported by thick iron beams, and the entire room buzzed with activity.
Multiple counters stretched along the far wall, each one occupied.
Adventurers stood in lines, some placing monster parts, crystals, and documents on the counter as proof of completed quests. Others received small leather pouches in return, the unmistakable sound of coins clinking inside them.
To the right, several weapon stands displayed polished swords, daggers, and spears. The metal gleamed under the lantern light, some simple and worn, others beautifully crafted.
Not far from there was a bar, where drinks were being served. Adventurers sat on tall stools, laughing, arguing, or resting after their work.
The smell of food and ale mixed with the scent of leather and steel.
On the largest wall hung an enormous quest board.
It was divided into three sections.
Bronze.
Silver.
Gold.
Each section held dozens of papers.
Bronze requests filled the largest space simple jobs.
Silver held more dangerous work.
Gold had only a few.
But even from a distance, they felt heavier.
Important.
Groups of adventurers stood in front of the boards, reading carefully, discussing quietly, deciding.
Cassandra and Hesper walked toward one of the counters.
A young woman stood behind it.
She looked about twenty-three.
She wore a neat guild uniform , a fitted navy vest over a crisp white shirt, with a dark ribbon tied at her collar.
The colors gave her a clean, official appearance.
Her hair matched her uniform , deep navy blue, cut just past her shoulders, smooth and straight.
Her bangs rested lightly above her eyes, framing her calm, professional expression.
Her eyes were sharp, attentive.
Efficient.
She offered them a polite smile.
"Welcome to the Double V Guild," she said.
Her voice was clear and practiced.
"Do you have a request to post on the board?"
She gently placed a form on the counter and slid it toward them.
"If so, fill this out and we'll begin."
The young woman listened patiently, her posture straight and professional.
"We ain't here to submit a request," Hesper said.
"It's the other way around, I'd like to become an adventurer. Where do I sign, and how do I start?"
Cassandra immediately raised her hand beside her.
"I'd like to become an adventurer too.
But first, would you mind explaining things a little? This is our first time here."
The woman paused.
Her polite smile didn't disappear, but her eyes shifted slightly.
Great. Newbies, she thought.
Pinned neatly to the left side of her navy vest was a silver name tag.
Name: Emilia Vance
Age: 23
Emilia reached beneath the counter and pulled out two blank forms, placing them down but not sliding them over yet.
"Adventurers are ranked in tiers," she began. "Bronze. Silver. Gold. And above Gold… Diamond."
Her voice carried the calm rhythm of someone who had explained this many times before.
"Once you register, you'll receive a Bronze Tag. That tag contains your name, age, clan, and current rank. Everyone starts at Bronze Rank One."
She gestured toward the massive board behind them.
"The more jobs you complete successfully, the higher your rank rises. Bronze has four steps.
After Bronze Four, you advance to Silver One, Silver also has four steps.
Then comes Gold."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Gold has seven steps.
After Gold Seven… comes Diamond."
Even nearby adventurers spoke of that rank in quieter voices.
She continued.
"As you can see, there are three quest boards. Bronze. Silver. Gold.
The guild sorts incoming requests and places them according to difficulty."
She folded her hands together.
"There are restrictions.
Lower-rank adventurers cannot take higher-rank quests.
Bronze cannot take Silver.
Silver cannot take Gold."
She paused.
"And most importantly… you cannot work alone."
Cassandra blinked.
Emilia continued.
"You must form a party of four.
For Bronze parties, at least one Silver-rank adventurer must be present.
This ensures survival, guidance, and reduces unnecessary deaths."
Her tone did not soften on that last word.
"When you complete a quest, you must bring proof.
Monster parts.
Objects.
Signatures.
Without evidence, there is no payment."
She tapped the counter lightly.
"And every quest must be stamped by the guild before departure.
This allows us to confirm party structure and authorization."
She finally slid the forms toward them.
"You'll learn more with experience.
For now, fill these out."
She pointed across the hall toward a wide doorway.
"After that, go to the registration room. There will be an exam.
You must pass to become an adventurer."
Cassandra leaned forward slightly.
"And if we fail?"
Emilia answered without hesitation.
"Then you wait."
A pause.
"The next exam is in seven months."
Cassandra's eyes widened.
"Seven months?!"
Emilia nodded once.
"Yes."
Silence hung between them for a moment.
Then Cassandra grabbed the form.
"I'm passing," she said immediately.
Hesper sighed quietly and began filling hers out as well.
Name.
Age.
Clan.
They handed the forms back.
Emilia reviewed them briefly, then nodded.
"You may proceed."
Cassandra was already moving.
Her heart pounded with excitement.
Her fists clenched slightly at her sides.
This was it.
She and Hesper stepped into the examination room.