Alex POV
The summer sun was gentle that morning, filtering through the expansive glass windows of the cafe that overlooked the academy city's central plaza.
Students chattered faintly in the distance, their voices mixing with the footsteps of those leaving the academy for summer break.
Alex sat by the window, his elbows resting against the small, round table, a cup of steaming tea untouched before him.
Across from him sat Olivia, her hands clasped around her cup, her long brown hair swaying softly whenever the door opened at the breeze slipped through.
It was peaceful.
"...So," Olivia finally said, breaking the silence, "what are your plans for summer break, Alex?"
Her tone was casual, but her eyes, those warm, hazel eyes, were curious.
Alex didn't answer right away.
He looked down at his reflection in the tea, saw the tired face staring back at him, the faint wound on his cheek that was still visible.
"I need to get stronger," he said simply.
Olivia blinked.
"Stronger?"
He nodded once.
Her gaze softened, filled with pity or concern, or maybe both.
Alex sighed quietly, leaning back.
"You remember the final exam, right?"
"How could I forget…" she whispered.
The sound of that name still lingered in their minds.
Murmur, a dark elf twisted by [Dark Energy], had slipped into the practical exam, killing six students before he was stopped.
And he… he had done nothing.
"Even though I'm supposed to be the hero, I couldn't do much. I couldn't think of a way to deal with him. If it weren't for Soren…" he clenched his fists beneath the table. "We'd be dead too."
Olivia's lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but instead, she just reached out and covered his hands with her own.
He glanced up.
Her expression was gentle, but her voice was steady.
"You don't have to carry all of that alone, Alex. You did what you could. I was there too, I saw. Besides… you're still here."
Alex stared at her for a moment, then looked away with a faint laugh.
"You always say things like that."
"Because they're true."
Her fingers squeezed his briefly before she pulled back, her cheeks tinged pink.
'Liv's always like this… too kind for her own good.'
"I'll always be by your side," she said suddenly. "No matter what. So if you're going to train, I'll help you. I'll heal you when you fall, cheer you up when you fail, and hit you if you overdo it again."
Alex blinked at her, and then, despite everything, smiled.
It was a soft, grateful smile.
"Thanks, Liv. Really."
He gazed out of the window at the sunlit plaza, where people walked without fear.
'I have to protect that.'
"Actually," he said after a moment, "I've been thinking of registering with the Adventurers' Guild. Maybe take on some requests over break."
"Eh? You mean… going into dungeons? Or fighting monsters?" Olivia's eyes widened slightly.
"Yeah. Training's fine and all, but… it doesn't help with freezing up. Real combat's different. You can't prepare for the noise, or the smell… or the fear."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"Even Soren lost it during the exam. I can't let that happen to me. Not if I'm supposed to…"
He stopped himself.
The word hero felt heavy in his mouth, too heavy.
Olivia didn't press; she just smiled faintly and nodded.
"Then I'll register too."
"Huh?"
"If you're going, I'm going too. You'll need a healer, right?"
Alex chuckled softly.
"You sure? It's going to be rough."
"We've been through worse. Besides, you're there," she said with a smile.
"Fine. Then it's decided."
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
The Adventurers' Guild of Ingrid, Fialova's capital, was enormous.
A towering stone building with banners depicting the seven ranks: Copper, Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Mithril.
Inside, it was a constant buzz of noise; clattering armour, laughter, complaints and arguments.
The air was thick with the smell of sweat and alcohol.
Olivia's expressions wavered the moment they stepped in as she tightened her grip around the wooden staff in her hands.
"It's… louder than I thought."
"We'll get used to it," Alex said, smiling.
He had never set foot in a guild building before, but given the reputation of adventurers, he had somewhat expected things to be like this.
They made their way to the front desk, where a young receptionist greeted them with a polite bow, her long black hair shimmering under the light.
"Welcome to the Ingrid Branch of the Ivansia Adventurers' Guild! How may I help you today?"
"We'd like to register," Alex said, pulling out his academy ID, and Olivia followed suit.
The receptionist's eyes flicked between the IDs and their faces, and her expression brightened.
"Oh! Students from Stellaris Academy! Then there's no need for the basic test. Scan your ID here so we can check for authenticity."
They both pressed their IDs to the magical implement on the table, and the receptionist smiled.
"Perfect. You'll both start as Copper-rank adventurers."
"Just like that?" Olivia asked, blinking.
"Yes," the receptionist chirped, sliding two small metal plates across the counter. "The Guild recognises your academy's training standards. You've both earned the privilege."
Alex nodded and picked up his plate.
It was small, about the size of a brick, with the word 'Copper' etched at the bottom and their names engraved above.
Olivia stared at hers with awe.
"So this means… we're adventurers now?"
"Yeah," Alex said with a faint smile. "Guess so."
"Would you like to form a registered party as well?" the receptionist asked.
Alex thought for a moment.
'A party name, huh…'
Then he nodded.
"Yeah. Let's register one."
"What name will you use, and who will be the leader?"
Without hesitation, he spoke.
"Lemegeton."
The receptionist's pen halted for a brief second before writing it down with a nod.
Olivia, meanwhile, froze mid-blink.
"'Lemegeton'…?" she whispered under her breath, grimacing.
Her cheeks were tinged faintly pink, and her expression screamed that she was embarrassed, but Alex didn't notice.
The receptionist handed them a small booklet with the Guild's rules.
"You can find available requests on the board over there. Since you're Copper, you will only be able to take small tasks until your rank rises. You can report completed quests here, and as you complete quests, we internally will decide when you're ready to rank up based on your record."
"Got it. Thanks."
As they walked toward the quest board, Olivia sighed softly.
"You really picked that name, huh?"
"It's cool, isn't it?" Alex grinned.
"It's… certainly something."
The board was covered in parchment slips, each describing a different task: gathering herbs, exterminating monsters, escorting merchants, and more dangerous quests further up.
They read through the list of Copper requests for a while before Olivia pointed out something.
"That one should be quick."
"Hmm… Delivering medicine to an elderly man?"
She nodded.
"The reward isn't bad either."
"Alright. Let's take it."
They tore the slip off the board and brought it to the receptionist, who confirmed their choice and stamped the form.
"Good luck, members of Lemegeton," she said with a playful smile.
Olivia flushed slightly, and Alex didn't notice; he was too busy grinning.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the two stood before a small cave outside the city, the air thick with steel and smoke.
Alex rested his hand on the sword at his hip, his blue eyes shining faintly in the moonlight.
Olivia adjusted her robes, holding her staff to her chest, her face showing exhaustion from the walk.
'Finally made it this far,' he thought.
They had completed a fair few low-level requests, climbing from Copper to Bronze, and finally to Iron in record time.
He exhaled slowly, feeling a mix of pride and nervous anticipation.
The days since joining the guild had been exhausting: early mornings, long treks, and more close calls than he wanted to admit.
But with every fight, he could feel himself improving.
Yet the hunger to improve still burned within him.
He looked toward the dark entrance of the dungeon ahead, the Goblin King's Nest.
"Ready, Liv?" he asked.
She sighed softly, smiling as she tightened her grip on her staff.
"Always."
"Good," Alex said, a warm smile on his face.
He drew his sword from its sheath, and together, they took a step forward into the shadows, the faint light of their lanterns cutting through the darkness ahead.
'No matter what it takes… I'll become strong enough to protect everyone.'
————「❤︎」————