The tall knight blinked at Yuuv like he couldn't quite decide whether to be amused or alarmed. "...Right. Name?"
"Yuuv," he said proudly.
"Just… don't ring that again, alright?"
DingYuuv smiled sweetly. "Okay."
Rick was nearly choking with laughter, hiding behind Iuro's shoulder. Lui pinched the bridge of his nose and handed over the rest of their names before someone got kicked out.
Once registered, they were handed rolled-up quest scrolls, small canvas bags, and a short but very serious lecture about how "this is not a field trip."
Inside each bag was a beginner adventurer kit: a cloth pouch for gathering herbs, a bandage roll, a biscuit wrapped in wax paper, and a compass stone that spun lazily until touched. Rick immediately named his biscuit "Sir Crumbs-a-Lot."
"Don't eat your quest silly," Izumi said without looking up from the map he was unfolding.
Iuro sniffed. "Mine smells weird. Like old boots and cinnamon."
"That is oddly specific," said Ishi.
Their entrance quest was, as expected, basic: gather six types of herbs from the Forest of Lightbrook and return before sundown. No fighting was allowed unless it was self-defense. They were told not to eat any glowing fruit, drink from sparkling puddles, or insult squirrels. Apparently, the squirrels were territorial.
"They have a hierarchy and everything," the knight had warned. "Don't challenge them."
They were given a start time.They had ten minutes.
Yuuv immediately sat down cross-legged and began organizing his bag. He placed the biscuit in the very center and tucked his bell-wand carefully beside it like a baby chick.
Lui checked the scroll map. "Alright. There's a northern path, a river trail, and a shortcut through some brush. We can avoid the danger zones if we follow the hill ridge."
Izumi tapped a small X. "Here's the closest herb patch. Should take us twenty minutes to reach if we move steady."
Iuro raised his hand like they were still in class. "What if we see something cool, like a talking mushroom?"
"Don't talk to it," Lui said flatly. "Rick, especially you."
"Whyyyy me?"
"You made friends with a floating carrot last month," Izumi said.
"It was polite," Rick mumbled.
With bags slung and nerves bubbling, they made their way to the south gate. Other kids had already begun forming groups. Some looked confident, others were clearly trying not to cry. One boy in golden armor sneered as they passed.
"Is that a bell on a wand?" he scoffed.
Yuuv looked at him.
DingThe boy blinked.
"...Did it just sparkle?"
A faint shimmer had echoed from the bell like soft dust in sunlight. Even Yuuv looked surprised. "Oh. That… wasn't me."
Lui gently pulled Yuuv behind him. "Let's keep moving."
Moments later, the horn sounded.
DOOOONNNN.The entrance gate groaned open.
And they ran.
Not all at once—Yuuv tripped, Iuro turned back to help him, Rick darted the wrong way to chase a butterfly, and Izumi calmly followed the map.
But eventually, they made it into the forest.
The trees of Lightbrook were tall and silver-barked, their leaves green with tinges of blue. Dappled sunlight scattered across the mossy floor. Birds sang overhead, and somewhere in the distance, something giggled.
"Stay focused," Lui warned.
They followed the ridge trail, climbing carefully over roots and ducking under branches. Soon, they reached the first patch—a circle of violet-leafed plants with a soft citrus scent.
"Silvermint," Izumi confirmed. "Cut gently. Don't pull them."
As the boys began harvesting, a rustle came from the brush.
Rick stood up. "Did anyone hear that?"
Ishi nodded, eyes narrowed.
A pair of kids from another group appeared, pushing branches aside. They looked older and slightly annoyed.
"Hey, this patch is ours."
Lui stepped forward. "We got here first. Plenty to share."
The boy frowned. "Still. We marked this zone."
Yuuv tilted his head. "With what?"
"With a stick."
Yuuv blinked.
DingThe shimmer echoed again.
The other boys hesitated.
Lui didn't wait. "We're moving on anyway. Let's go."
Once they were out of earshot, Iuro whispered, "Was it just me, or did that shimmer feel… warmer than before?"
"It responded to his curiosity," Izumi said softly. "Interesting."
Yuuv looked down at the bell. It was quiet now.
Their journey continued.
By the time they reached the second herb, Rick had already stepped in mud, Iuro had fallen off a small log bridge, and Yuuv had named five rocks. The sun was higher now, and their bags slightly heavier.
But they were working together. Taking turns checking the map. Watching each other's backs.
Even Ishi smiled once.
As they sat down for a short break near a creek, Rick pulled out Sir Crumbs-a-Lot and held him up dramatically.
"For glory."
He took a bite.
"That… tasted like defeat," he muttered.
Everyone laughed.