The afternoon sun was beginning to dip, casting a warm, slanting glow from the west onto the cobblestone streets of the capital, Burgovin. However, inside the grand building of the Adventurer's Guild, the atmosphere was heating up. The hustle and bustle of adventurers returning from missions, the clinking of beer glasses, and the noise of haggling over monster materials filled the air.
Keyzier strode in with his chest puffed out, looking like a king who had just conquered the world. Beside him, Donovan walked with a calmer but wary step, his eyes scanning the crowded room.
They headed toward the reception desk made of sturdy mahogany. Behind it, a young woman in a neat uniform and a professional smile welcomed them.
"I am Anna, the receptionist for the Adventurer's Guild here in the capital of Burgovin. How may I help you?" she greeted warmly, though her eyes betrayed the exhaustion of dealing with dozens of adventurers all day.
Keyzier tapped the table gently, staring at Anna with overflowing enthusiasm.
"I want to register him as an adventurer, and we will also be forming a party of just two people!" he exclaimed, pointing at Donovan with his thumb.
Anna nodded, pulling out a party registration form. "Standard procedure. Please hand over your guild card, Keyzier! And for your friend, we will process his new registration."
Without hesitation, he handed his guild card to Anna. She processed the data deftly, her quill dancing over the parchment paper. After a few moments of recording Donovan's data, Anna looked up.
"So, what is your party name?"
This was the moment Keyzier had been waiting for. He took a deep breath, spread his arms as if to embrace the whole world, and shouted loudly.
"DONKEY..!!"
Silence...
An awkward silence blanketed a three-meter radius around the reception desk. Donovan, who was looking at the quest board next to them, turned his head stiffly. His face went pale.
"Hey Key, what do you mean by Donkey? You mean the animal?" Donovan asked with a tone of horror, hoping his ears were deceiving him.
Keyzier looked at his best friend with an annoyingly innocent gaze, as if Donovan had just asked if fire was hot.
"Of course not, stupid! DONKEY is an abbreviation for Donovan and Keyzier!" he answered proudly.
Donovan massaged his temples. He could imagine a bleak future where he had to introduce himself as a member of "Donkey" before a king or a noble.
"But why Donkey? We sound like a party of idiots!" he protested desperately.
"GREAT IDEA..!!" Keyzier snapped his fingers suddenly, his eyes sparkling.
Donovan stepped back, startled. "HAAAA??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN??"
Keyzier wrapped his arm tightly around Donovan's shoulder, staring at him with the intensity of a philosopher who had just discovered the truth of the universe.
"Two foolish men who have been together since childhood, and as teenagers, they go on adventures together!! Isn't that great? The name holds the philosophy of our friendship!"
Donovan opened his mouth to argue, trying to salvage what was left of his dignity. "Yeah, it's good, but, Donkey is a bit—..."
BAM!
The sound of a stamp hitting paper cut off Donovan's protest. Anna smiled sweetly as she closed the large registration book.
"Yes, it's done. Your party name is Donkey! The fee is 40 Zol."
Donovan's eyes widened. His world collapsed instantly. "W-Wait... this is a mistake! We haven't agreed yet!"
Anna shook her head gently, her face turning slightly stern but remaining polite. "It is already registered in the central system. If you cancel it now, you are banned from becoming adventurers ever again! The administration is very complicated."
Hearing that, Donovan could only fall silent and hang his head. His soul seemed to float out of his body, leaving behind an empty shell that resignedly accepted its fate as a "Donkey."
Keyzier, who was completely insensitive to his best friend's inner suffering, reached into his pocket. He pulled out his last coins.
"Here is the money, Anna!"
After the administrative matters were settled, Keyzier pulled Donovan's still-limp hand toward the quest board. He pulled off a low-level mission paper at random and immediately dragged Donovan out of the guild.
The afternoon breeze hit their faces as they exited the building. Keyzier walked fast, his stomach starting to growl loudly.
"Hey Novan, my money is gone, that's why I took this mission to finish it before night falls!" he said, a little panicked.
Donovan, snapping out of his daze, looked at his best friend in astonishment. "You only had 40 Zol?"
"Yes. That was the money from my first mission, and I haven't eaten since morning," admitted Keyzier honestly. His face looked pitiful.
Donovan sighed deeply, shaking his head at his friend's impulsive yet impoverished behavior.
"Let's eat before running the mission. After that, we find an inn and rest! You can't fight on an empty stomach."
Keyzier's steps stopped abruptly. He turned around, staring at Donovan with wide eyes.
"You... You have money??"
"Yes, I do. Why? I brought my savings from the village," answered Donovan casually.
Keyzier's face turned crimson with annoyance. He felt stupid for panicking so much about their fate.
"Because of you, I almost got depressed thinking there was no money for us to eat or rent an inn! I thought we were going to sleep on the side of the road tonight!"
"Why didn't you call me or ask?"
"I saw you bowing your head dejectedly at the reception desk earlier," Keyzier defended himself with his strange logic. "I thought you were like that because you had no money after Anna asked for the 40 Zol fee! That's why I immediately paid it for you!"
Veins of irritation appeared on Donovan's forehead. He grabbed Keyzier's collar and shook him hard.
"I WAS LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE PARTY NAME YOU REGISTERED, YOU MORON...!!"
After a fierce debate that ended with a big meal treated by Donovan at a nearby tavern, the mood of the two young men improved. Keyzier leaned back in the wooden chair with a full stomach and a happy heart.
"Ah... I'm stuffed. Thanks, Novan, you saved me!" he said, patting his belly.
"Yeah, you're welcome. Let's finish our mission! The sun is almost setting," said Donovan, already standing and checking his sword.
"Okay, let's go..!!"