Joining the Party
If it's not too much trouble, might I have my abilities tested...?
Leon nodded, thinking the request was only natural. The heavily bearded Maxius led him to the building's rear courtyard.
Class 3 should suffice...
Leon turned his palm upward and opened his mouth, pretending to recite the activation words for a spell he had roughly memorized.
"Fluvia."
Water droplets began coalescing above his palm. They quickly swelled beyond the size of his hand, growing to twice the size of a human face. This was the lowest-grade water magic Peter had given him upon becoming a regular apprentice. Arpina's summons were far too distinctive, so demonstrating this much should be more than enough to prove Class 3 proficiency.
"A water-affinity mage, I see."
"Ah, I can also use wind and fire."
"Three attributes..."
Maxius studied Leon carefully. Though the robe concealed as much of his face as possible, his frame still suggested he was far from adulthood. A youthful countenance peeked from beneath the hood. This was hardly Maxius's first time seeing a mage. He knew that reaching Class 3 at such a young age required talent. He also understood that talent was closely tied to elemental affinity.
He couldn't claim precise knowledge, but his long experience whispered the truth. The aura was simply different.
Looks like the young master from some prestigious academy. Out here slumming it for experience?
Maxius recalled the adventurer mages he had encountered before. Most had been Apprentice Class 1 or 2, and even they received exceptionally favorable treatment in a place like this. Given enough time, they could slaughter monsters by the dozens in an instant. From a party's perspective, recruiting one was worth setting one's eyes ablaze with determination.
Naturally, their eccentricities worsened with each passing day. It was as if they were unleashing every pent-up frustration from years of being looked down upon, doing whatever they pleased. Yet the number of parties seeking them never diminished.
It wasn't as though higher-class mages didn't exist. Class 3, 4, and 5 mages appeared occasionally, though rarely. If anything, greater power only amplified their difficult personalities. Mages of even higher caliber were truly rare sights. Even if one appeared once every few years, they all carried an unapproachable atmosphere. Such individuals rarely took much interest in adventurer work. After obtaining a badge for convenience, they typically completed one or two tasks before leaving the city again. There was little reason for people of their level to stain themselves with monster blood.
Leon gave off a similar aura.
Of course, recognizing this didn't mean Maxius would speak carelessly. Offending someone favored by the Magic Tower could lead to unimaginable consequences, kingdom protection or not.
"Your skills have been sufficiently demonstrated. I'll issue you a bronze adventurer badge."
"Thank you."
"If I may ask, what circumstances bring you to the adventurer life?"
Leon felt slightly awkward at Maxius's polite demeanor before answering.
"I intend to visit the Western Demonic Beast Forest."
"Ah... not for selling monster corpses, then. So it's for experience?"
"Something like that."
Maxius nodded at Leon's appropriate response.
"As I thought."
They had returned inside the building at some point. Maxius handed over the bronze badge.
"Your name?"
"...Theo."
He needed to register personal details to become an adventurer, so Leon had decided to use an alias. Maxius sensed nothing unusual and completed the bronze adventurer registration under the name Theo.
"You're not planning to go alone, are you?"
"Is the entrance area that difficult to tackle by myself?"
"Mages require time for incantations, after all... It's better to travel with a party. If you'd like, I can introduce you to a verified one."
"Hmm..."
Leon fell into brief thought. Claiming to be an apprentice mage had created exactly these complications.
If I'd claimed to be an Esoteric mage instead...
The reaction would have been far more intense, so declaring himself an apprentice had been the correct choice.
"Here's a verified party right here!"
A figure suddenly interjected between Leon and Maxius. It was a massive man whose leather armor looked ready to burst at the seams from his bulging muscles. A greatsword rested across his back.
"Dayf."
"I can confidently assist the mage in gaining experience!"
"They are indeed one of the more reliable bronze-rank parties," Maxius added, showing no particular objection to Dayf's booming voice.
Leon studied the brown-haired man before shifting his gaze to the party members waiting behind him. One was a woman with short red hair, daggers at her belt. When her eyes met Leon's, she broke into a bright smile and waved. The other was a woman with long yellow hair and a bow slung over her shoulder. She had a rather blunt expression but offered Leon a polite nod. He reflexively returned the gesture.
It appeared to be a mixed party of three.
"We're specialists in the first sector. If you're looking to explore the entrance area, traveling with us would be ideal."
"Just be honest. You're trying to bring the mage along because you want to push into the second sector, aren't you?"
Dayf scratched his head, looking caught.
"Ah... I wasn't trying to deceive anyone. I thought we'd try the first sector together first. If everything went well, then we could discuss the rest."
"The first sector is the entrance area... and the second sector is deeper inside?"
When Leon asked, Dayf nodded.
"Correct. That said, the monsters there are only gnolls and lizardmen at most..."
Gnolls and lizardmen. They were apparently common monsters in these parts, yet Leon had never seen them in person before.
I really have spent all my time cooped up in the training room...
As Leon fell into thought, Dayf, carefully reading his expression, spoke cautiously.
"Even bronze adventurers can safely reach the second sector, so there shouldn't be any major problems."
"Do we need to prepare a separate party contract?"
"Not at all!"
Sensing Leon's willingness to join, Dayf broke into a wide grin.
"When accepting a quest, you simply write everyone's names together in the party column of the log!"
"What quest were you planning to take?"
"As I mentioned, how about we start with the first sector? We can see how well the party meshes while we're at it."
"And if it works out, we'll head to the second sector?"
"That decision will rest entirely with you, mage."
"Very well."
With limited time available, Leon decided to spend roughly two days exploring the entrance of the Demonic Beast Forest with them.
"The quest is..."
Just as Leon was about to ask where to receive quests, Dayf hurriedly pulled out a crumpled paper he had been hiding. It was a quest to collect monster corpses from the first sector. The corpses yielded mana stones, which apparently sold for quite a high price among adventurers. It seemed the system was similar to mana stones. Their hides could also be used to craft armor.
"Will I need any special preparations?"
"We were already prepared to go with just the three of us, so you only need to bring yourself. Ah... if you need time to prepare, we'll wait."
"No need. I'm ready."
After writing his name on the quest log, Leon officially joined Dayf's party.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Karin!"
"I'm Linne."
"I'm Theo."
After the four finished their introductions, they set off straight for the Demonic Beast Forest.
The red-haired woman who had introduced herself as Karin kept stealing glances at Leon throughout the walk. Leon, focused on Kito fidgeting restlessly inside his robe, suddenly felt the gaze and turned his head.
"Did you have something to say?"
"No! This is only my second time seeing a mage, and I've never seen one so young before..."
"Karin."
At Dayf's warning, Karin dramatically covered her mouth with both hands.
"Ah! Did I say something wrong? Perhaps you're older than you look..."
"Hey, enough already!"
Dayf, who had been leading at the front, approached and grabbed Karin by the scruff of her neck.
"Sorry about that. She's always been a handful..."
"...You all seem quite close."
"We're from the same village. Now that I think about it, is this your first time in Crest, mage?"
"Yes."
The inexperience shown when encountering something for the first time couldn't be hidden behind lies. Even while concealing his identity, Leon had decided against telling obvious falsehoods that would be easily seen through.
"Shall I show you around later?"
Karin, still dangling from Dayf's grip, had her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"The quest should finish today, so on the way back I can show you the city. And if we get tired, we could grab some drinks togeth—eek!"
Dayf smacked the back of her head.
"What drinks? Stop it. I'm being serious here."
Dayf didn't want to show any discourtesy to the mage who had finally joined their party after so long. When he had first arrived in Crest and become an adventurer, he had once partied with a mage. Back then, not realizing it was beginner's luck, he had grown tired of the mage's arbitrary personality and parted ways. Now, after three years, he was finally welcoming another mage, yet this carefree Karin couldn't contain her curiosity.
Save that for after we've gotten closer...!
Dayf had grown experienced enough to understand how difficult it was to find a mage with such a respectable personality.
"Ah... You don't need to be so formal with me."
See? What a considerate mage.
While the excited Karin continued chattering away, they reached the Demonic Beast Forest.
"This marks the beginning of the first sector."
Dayf set Karin down and moved to the front once more.
Leon turned his head in every direction, carefully observing the surroundings. The forest didn't quite match its ominous name. The greenish woods looked little different from any ordinary forest.
Roughly an hour after Dayf's body had tensed with alertness...
"There aren't many monsters."
"Other adventurers have probably cleared most of them already. If we go a bit deeper..."
No sooner had the words left Dayf's mouth than seven green figures appeared before them.
"Goblins?"
"You're familiar with them."
They were goblins wielding crude weapons. Like gnolls, they were monsters whose name carried an F-rank essence designation.
So these goblins are considered F-rank?
That would place them at roughly the level of Apprentice Class 1 or 2.
Leon shook his head.
It doesn't make sense for a mage and a monster to correspond one-to-one like that.
Even as an apprentice, a properly prepared mage could exert tremendous power. Leon knew this well. A warrior capable of easily hunting F-rank monsters facing an Apprentice Class 1 mage? Assuming the mage had learned standard spells, Leon was certain the mage would never lose. With mana infusion techniques, they would already far surpass the physical capabilities of bronze adventurers.
Well, since it takes hundreds of F-rank elixirs just to raise one's realm, perhaps it's not strange after all?
This seemed like an excellent opportunity to test his theories. Did these goblins truly possess F-rank capabilities befitting their name?