Rayleigh gripped the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.
"Well, it's time to part ways," the coachman, having brought him to the Adventurer's Guild, bid him farewell.
Rayleigh offered him a slight smile, "All good things must come to an end, we'll meet again if fate allows us,".
The two shook hands, and Rayleigh watched the coachman depart, pushing open the heavy doors of the Adventurer's Guild and taking a few steps inside to avoid blocking the entrance.
After a quick scan of the layout, he walked to the counter, "Hello."
'Hmm?'
The female Guild receptionist behind the counter looked up at the greeting.
She appeared to be in her late twenties with a striking appearance, when her eyes met Rayleigh's, they widened with a faint glimmer appearing within them.
'What... what a handsome young man!'
His black hair and black eyes gave him an air of mystery, even the rough linen cloak, which would make an ordinary person look like a beggar, made him seem like a dashing bard.
"Um, do you need... no, how can I help you?" the Guild receptionist asked, her smile blooming like a flower.
Rayleigh was surprised by the smile as he returned her smile with a friendly one of his own.
The Guild receptionist felt a wave of dizziness wash over her as he said.
"My name's Rayleigh and i just arrived in Orario today, so I'd like to join a Familia."
"Join a Familia?" the Guild receptionist blinked, stunned.
When it came to official business, she reined in her infatuation and adopted a professional demeanor.
"Um, Mr. Rayleigh, correct?"
"Yes."
"Alright, what kind of Familia are you looking to join?"
"The Hephaestus Familia."
"Huh?"
The Guild receptionist looked astonished.
"But... that Familia recruits only blacksmiths..." she stared at the handsome young man before her, unable to connect him with the image of a blacksmith in her mind.
"I'm aware, it's no problem since i am a blacksmith," Rayleigh said, untying the sword from his waist and presenting it to her with both hands,.
"Please, take a look at this, this is a sword I forged, it's called Asauchi."
The Guild receptionist accepted the sword, looking bewildered.
She couldn't believe it.
Gripping the hilt, she pulled, freeing the blade from its scabbard.
"This... this is..." the Guild receptionist was captivated by the beautiful blade before her, though she didn't know the term for the blade's curvature, she could see that its arc was elegant and the blade polished to a mirror sheen.
Despite the blade's beauty, the fittings, hilt, and even the scabbard were all plain.
"What a beautiful sword... It's a work of art,"
By now, many adventurers in the Guild had noticed the scene and started gathering around, those who had overheard the conversation spread the word, and the news rippled through the crowd.
"Is that a sword from the Far East?"
"Yeah, no doubt about it, I've seen Cyclops carrying a weapon in the same style like that."
"He's so skinny... Is he really a blacksmith? Maybe he got it from somewhere else,"
The area grew noisy with the buzz of speculation, Rayleigh ignored the commotion behind him and looked at the Guild receptionist while asking.
"Can you give me a referral?"
Unlike in games, the Adventurer's Guild here didn't handle Familia recruitment.
It managed the Familias within the city, personnel matters were self-governed by the Familias themselves.
As a newcomer, Rayleigh didn't know how to join the Hephaestus Familia, which was why he had come to the Guild.
Besides managing Familias, the Guild assisted new adventurers and recruits.
Rayleigh was now classified as a recruits, someone seeking to join a Familia.
"Sure, I can do that," the Guild receptionist said, "But just so you know, you didn't need to prove anything to me, after all, the Familia members are the ones who do the screening."
Mirroring Rayleigh's earlier gesture, she returned the sword with both hands.
Rayleigh took the blade and slid it back into his sash at his waist.
The Guild receptionist then produced a card, she explained that it was a map with directions, by following the road signs, he would be able to find the Hephaestus Familia, moreover, the card served as a recommendation from the Guild.
"Thank you."
"N-No problem..." the Guild receptionist replied while blushing.
Just then, a man as burly as a bear pushed through the crowd.
"Can a sword like that even be used in a real fight?"
He strode up to Rayleigh, towering over him, "It's just for show, isn't it? If someone like you can join the Hephaestus Familia, who would want to buy weapons from the Hephaestus Weapon Shop anymore? Hahaha!"
Rayleigh glanced at him, his expression unchanged.
"What a third-rate line," he said, "I'm shocked that a generic mob character like you has managed to live this long instead of being mass-produced in a factory."
"..."
The onlookers' expressions turned strange as they heard his words and a single thought surfaced in everyone's mind.
'This young man, contrary to his handsome appearance, is a sharp-tongued bastard!'
The Bear-like Man froze for a moment, then his eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out.
He snorted, his right hand reaching back to grip the greatsword on his back, as he raised it high, he glanced at the Guild receptionist, gauging her reaction.
Rayleigh noticed this and sighed.
'So he came all this way to provoke me out of petty jealousy.'
'This guy is innocent, but also foolish, has he considered what he'll do if he gets humiliated in this situation?'
'In many stories, characters who get humiliated once never appear again.'
"Kid! Watch closely! This... is a weapon! That thing of yours is nothing but a toothpick—!"
Before he could finish, a brilliant white flash streaked before his eyes!
It was a slash, but it was so fast he could only feel its sharpness without seeing the blade itself!
Clang!
The broad blade fell to the floor.
The man still hadn't processed what had happened, feeling his hand lighten, he brought it before his face and stared at the greatsword he was holding.
No, now it was just a broken sword.
The two-meter greatsword was now less than a third of its original length.
Where the blade had vanished, only a smooth, clean cross-section remained, as if it had been sheared clean!
Rayleigh sheathed his Asauchi with a deadpane expression. "Satisfied now? If you don't want to get hurt, don't bother me again."
With that, he walked around the Bear-like Man and headed for the Guild's exit.
But before he could leave, the Bear-like Man dropped the broken sword, snatched up a long bench in a rage, and swung it at Rayleigh's back!
A cold glint flashed in Rayleigh's eyes.
His hand was already resting on the hilt of his Asauchi.
With a single slash, he could cut the man in two at the waist!
The only downside was staining his blade with the blood of a nobody—an insult to the sword itself.
The moment he turned, Rayleigh's hand froze mid-draw as a blue figure had appeared before him, raising a hand to catch the descending bench.
The newcomer's voice rang out.
"A sneak attack? That's a shameful act for an Adventurer. Stop this at once and submit to the Guild's judgment."
Rayleigh stared at the back of the person before him.
The figure had short gray hair, but their voice was a girl's.
She wore blue attire reminiscent of a knight's armor, tailored to her feminine physique. Her legs were encased in black thigh-high stockings.
The gray-haired girl's righteous intervention stopped Rayleigh from drawing his sword.
He abandoned the thought of cutting the man down.
The thwarted Bear-like Man's rage surged.
"Stay out of this!" he roared.
Just as he was about to continue his rampage, his companions rushed out from the crowd.
Four or five of them grabbed hold of the furious man.
The gray-haired girl watched the scene unfold while bewildered.
"You idiot, stop! That's Ardi Varma—a Level 2 Adventurer and the Ganesha Familia Captain's younger sister!" one of his companions hissed.
The words sobered the man.
'Ganesha Familia!'
'Level 2!'
'The Familia Captain's sister!'
Any one of those titles alone was far beyond what he could afford to provoke.
Without hesitation, the man bowed his head. "I-I'm sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn't have provoked someone or caused trouble in the Guild!"
Seeing his apology, the gray-haired girl's stern expression softened into a cute smile.
"As long as you understand your mistake. Don't let it happen again, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Thank you for your generosity!"
The group fled the scene.
Seeing the matter resolved, Rayleigh glanced at the gray-haired girl, gave her a nod and then turned to leave.
To his surprise, as soon as he stepped out of the Guild, the girl caught up to him.
"Wait! Black-haired Swordsman!"
She ran in front of him, clenching her fists, her eyes shining with excitement.
"That swordsmanship just now was incredible! Even though that man was only a Level 1, you're already this strong without even receiving Falna. It's unbelievable!"
Faced with the girl's praise, Rayleigh replied, "Thank you, but it's not such an amazing technique. I'm still far from skilled."
"It was amazing! Oh, right! I'm Ardi Varma from the Ganesha Familia. Would you be willing to join our Familia?"
'So.. this gray-haired girl just want to pitched her Familia!'