As the group arrived at the mercenary headquarters, it was already late in the day. " Hey Nora. We're here, did you find someone for us then? That was kind of fast!" James said with a laugh.
" Welcome back, Wings. Yes, the promising young man I mentioned in the letter arrived today. He already took the test and passed as well. " She leaned forward over the desk, lowering her voice as she spoke to the group. " He has strangely high mana, and he can already use a spell, so with proper training he could become very strong. Try not to lose him!."
" So he's still a bit green then?. Mhm, that's not a problem if he has talent like you're saying. Where is he now? "
She pointed toward the back door. " Training. He's been there for a few hours already. "
" Alright then, let's go see him. " With that, the trio walked toward the training area. As they stepped through the door, they could see a shirtless young man looking up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.
His body seemed to reflect the sunlight around him. His golden hair almost looked like the sun itself. For a brief moment Tris blushed while Camile muttered quietly, " Forget it, he's on the team. " And James let out an impressed " Oho. "
Hearing whispers nearby, Leon snapped out of his thoughts. He had been thinking about many things, especially with his parents gone and his friends missing. He needed to find them, or at least information about them.
But at the sound of murmurs he looked down, sweat running down his body, then turned to the side and saw a distinct trio standing there. A large man in full armor with a short beard and a gentle gaze, he looked around thirty five years old. Beside him stood a shorter woman in a long black dress, black hair as well, with dark circles under her eyes, staring at him intently. And on the other side, a young blonde girl dressed almost like a church sister, pink hair and. . . Pointed ears?.
Leon blinked a few times at that. Of course he knew there were other races in this world. But he had not seen any yet. 'An elf?' He stared at the group for a few seconds without saying anything.
" Leon right?." The large man broke the silence. " I'm James, leader of Wings. "
Leon immediately understood who they were. " This is Camile and this is Tris. " James pointed first to the woman in black and then to the elf.
" Ah, right, Nora said you might not come today. My name is Leon, as you already know. " He spoke calmly and gently while grabbing his shirt and tossing it over his shoulder as he walked toward James and the others.
" I was training here, so I didn't notice you, sorry. " He extended his hand to shake James's. James gripped Leon's hand firmly. " No problem, young man. It's always good to train and improve!. Now come with us, let's talk about you joining Wings!. "
James practically ushered Leon and the other two back toward one of the tables in the main hall. " So tell us why you want to join us Leon? Usually people try to join bigger groups, since they can take better jobs and for a few other reasons. "
Leon sat down and began putting his shirt back on, letting out a small sigh.
" I saw the options available. There was indeed another group with more members. But I'm not experienced in this, and I feel that a smaller group where I can grow together with everyone would be better for me. And I think we could achieve more that way. "
He spoke honestly. There were many things weighing on his chest at the moment, but he had to focus on what he could actually do. There was no point being anxious about things he could not solve yet. And for Leon, the best way to handle moments like this was to set a clear goal.
" Mhm, good answer young man. " James looked at the two beside him. " Do either of you have any questions for him? "
Camile spoke first, her tired tone unchanged. " Nora said you can use a spell. What kind? "
Leon looked at her, placed his hand on the table, opened his palm, and a small light began glowing from his fingertip. " It's nothing impressive, but I can emit this light. In combat I can increase its intensity enough to blind an opponent for a moment with a flash. "
Tris watched with her mouth slightly open. " Light magic? That's uncommon Leon. Especially with a color that pure, like the stars that light up the day. " She looked at him with clear interest.
Leon did not think it was that impressive, but he knew he could also shape a weapon from light. However he would not mention that. He wanted to keep it as a hidden card in case he needed it one day.
" Is it rare? I didn't know. It doesn't seem that strong, but at night at least I won't have to worry about shadows and darkness. " He said with a light laugh.
" I don't see a problem with you joining us, kid. But we need to get you a few things first. " James looked Leon up and down before continuing. " Do you have a weapon? "
Leon shook his head.
" Then we'll have to get one for you. Once you join the group you can pay us back through the jobs we take. Don't worry about it. "
James stood up and called Nora over. " Let's add him to the group, Nora. Can you prepare the paperwork for us? "
She quickly gathered the necessary documents to officially register Leon as a member of Wings. After a few minutes she returned, and Leon and James signed the papers.
Fortunately Leon remembered how to write his name, and everything went smoothly. The contract clauses did not restrict Leon much, they were mostly formalities. If he wanted to leave the group he would have to give notice in advance and similar terms. Nothing abusive, fortunately.
" Now that everything's done, let's go get you a sword. You use a long sword, right? "
" Yes, it's the one I feel most comfortable with among the ones I practiced with. " He replied as the group left the mercenary headquarters.
They headed toward the weapon shop, which fortunately was not far away, it made sense for a weapons and armor shop to be near the mercenary base.
As they entered, James immediately called out, " Hey Grog, we came to buy some things, hope you can give us a good price!. "
Grog wore a leather apron and had green skin. He looked reptilian. Green scales covered his body and a long tail swayed behind him.
" Good price? Came to rob me again?, the last armor I sold you I barely made anything from it!. " Grog's voice sounded metallic and dry. He wiped the counter with a cloth.
" What do you need today? And who's the light head over there? "
" Haha. He's the new member of Wings. Leon. We're here to buy a long sword for him, and maybe a chest guard as well. "
" Mhmf. I won't give you any discount. But at least I can get you a good long sword. We finished forging new blades a few days ago. "
Grog walked further into the shop while sounds of metal and hammering echoed from inside.
Soon he returned with a long sword inside a sheath, and something that looked like a metal chest plate that covered the upper torso while leaving the abdomen unprotected. 'Better than nothing, I guess.' Leon thought as he stepped forward to inspect the sword.
Holding the blade still inside its sheath, he felt the weight. Heavier than a wooden replica, of course, it was iron. Leon drew the sword from the sheath, seeing the sharp blade reflect his face.