Arcane Innovator

Morning came, and with it, the insistent heat of late summer. Still, I didn't let it sour my mood, as today was the day when I would finally enter the rumored Great Labyrinth.

However, before I could delve into that dark abyss, there was just one more thing I needed to do in advance - register as an adventurer.

Back in the Borderlands, I didn't want to do it because I feared it would take too long, and I wanted to cross the Plains as quickly as possible. But now I had plenty of time before the Acceptance ceremony would commence, not to mention the lower foraging tax the adventurers apparently get to enjoy.

So, after a quick breakfast consisting of leftover dried meat and porridge, I made it outside onto the busy main street. Some light asking about later, I came across a grand building a short distance away from the Labyrinth's main entrance.

The Adventurer's hall was a towering structure made entirely out of dark marble. It was the most opulent building—apart from the Tower itself—that I have seen in the city so far.

Although there were plenty of sizeable, multi-story buildings, most were fairly utilitarian apartment buildings despite their richly decorated fronts.

Until now, I haven't encountered any of the opulent mansions I remembered seeing back in the Kingdom's cities, and I also haven't spotted any nobles, which I found quite odd but welcomed surprise.

Approaching the intricately carved wooden doors, I took a deep breath before confidently pulling the heavy doors open and stepping inside, showing nothing but the image of a fearless warrior I was going for.

The cavernous, luxurious main hall was bustling with activity. Looking around, I noticed that the entire back wall was lined with desks where clerks processed a steady stream of adventurers.

Not wasting any time, I joined the queue while covertly observing those around me. Many seemed eager, some nervous, a few cocky. They came from all walks of life—hardened mercenaries, optimistic youths, and even a few unseemly-looking characters who appeared strangely similar to the bandits I used to fight in the Plains not so long ago.

The line moved slowly, and when it was finally my turn, I hurriedly stepped up to the desk, where I saw a bored-looking clerk absent-mindedly scribbling away some notes.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. What can I do for you today?" He said almost mechanically without looking up.

"Good morning, mister. I'd like to register as an adventurer." I replied cheerfully, deciding not to take his obvious disinterest to heart.

He finally deigned to lift his eyes, looking me over. "The registration fee is 5 silver, and no, we don't allow credit."

I raised an eyebrow, noting that this was quite a substantial amount of money for a mere registration. Nevertheless, I quickly procured the required coins from my pocket with a smile. "Here you go."

The clerk's blank expression momentarily cracked with a hint of surprise, as if he didn't think I could have that kind of money before immediately assuming a businesslike smile.

"To complete your registration, please fill out this card and then proceed to the registration office over there," he said, giving me a piece of paper and a red wooden token as he directed me toward a hallway with multiple doors further back.

I suppressed a sigh as I thanked him and reluctantly made my way over to the lounge area to fill out the registration form. 'They have certainly nailed their bureaucracy alright. This feels completely different than the beast hunters...' I mused quietly as I concentrated.

Luckily, the form's questions were all very basic, such as "Name" and "Skills," so I didn't have to lie—at least not too much.

After I was done, I swiftly knocked on the plain-looking doors with the big sign "Registration Office" on it and was greeted by a smiling lady clerk who, at first glance, looked much more inviting than the last guy.

I handed her the token and the form, and she nodded, inviting me to sit down. "Our Guild will be extremely pleased to acquire such a promising young Aspirant mister... Darian, was it?" She said while perusing the documents.

"Mhm," I replied with a nod. I decided to give them my real name as I was all but done with running and hiding. Not to mention, the truth would come out soon anyway after I entered the Tower in a few months.

"Still, I have to ask..." The clerk eyed me with an apologetic smile. "Why do you want to join our Guild? It's not common for prospective mages to enter our ranks as they are usually fully occupied with their studies to be doing this kind of work."

"Oh, you see, I came from a poor commoner family, and the expenses of a mage's training are quite substantial..." I lied without batting an eyelid while lowering my sight to the ground as if ashamed.

The lady hurriedly cleared her throat to break the awkward silence that followed my statement as she fiddled with the papers. "Well, as I was saying, it's not common, but there are such cases... Anyway, I can set you up for an entrance test in about... two weeks."

I was just about to smile victoriously, but hearing her following words made me widen my eyes. 'Another test? And did she just say I have to wait two weeks?'

"Isn't there something you could do to skip the test?” I quickly interjected. “You see, before I discovered my magical talent, I was a very accomplished beast hunter in Wittenwald. I even got a recommendation for my exceptional deeds. Here, look..." I said as I took out the unassuming piece of paper I coaxed out of Malaric back in Neufeld.

The lady clerk eagerly accepted it before studying the scroll for a bit. "Hmm, this seems legitimate. I'm not too familiar with the Wittenwald institutions, but I know that they don't give out such commendations for nothing..." She paused for a bit, seemingly deep in thought.

"...We normally don't make any exceptions, but in light of the fact that you are both an Aspirant and an accomplished hunter, on top of that, I think we could figure something out." She said with a smile before excusing herself as she apparently had to talk it over with a superior before making a decision.

I waited patiently, excited at the prospect that I might at last have some luck. 'I finally found a way to make some use of that stupid thing.'

It took quite a while, but in the end, the clerk returned broadly smiling, and I left the Adventurer's Hall tightly clutching a small wooden plaque with my name on it, signifying that I was now a proper adventurer.

Despite skipping the entrance test, I was of the lowest rank, but I could still go in and out of the Labyrinth as I pleased. On top of that, I could pay my taxes through the Guild, and they would take care of all the paperwork so I could wholly focus on the fun parts - exploring and making money.

***

I was eager to head into the Labyrinth straight away, but I forced myself to calm down my enthusiasm. There were still a few things that needed to be done, mainly buying supplies and repairing my gear.

I had no idea what would await me down there, but I didn't want to take any chances. Thus, I retraced my steps back to the market area, noticing that there were now many more vendors selling all manner of things than last night.

From strange-looking vegetables that seemed more like mushrooms all the way to exotic-looking weapons, they had it all. I lingered for a bit, noting local prices, before entering a general store to replenish my dwindling supplies.

The store was dimly lit, with various sundries and provisions packed tightly into every available space. I navigated the cluttered aisles, gathering the staple essentials - dried meat and hardtack.

I also bought a fresh waterskin, as my current one was getting a bit worn out. When I left, my coin purse felt lighter, but I was satisfied that my backpack was once again adequately provisioned.

My next stop was the tailor, where I left all of my heavily damaged clothes to be repaired while buying a suitable replacement. Until now, I didn't bother carrying around many clothes as I wanted to travel light, but since I now plan to make this city a permanent base, I could always leave any redundant equipment in the inn and later in the Tower, so I no longer have to be frugal with my purchases.

With all of the shopping done, I soon stood before the jagged cliff that was apparently the main entrance into the Labyrinth, and in front of it, an orderly line slowly moved forward.

If I hadn't learned this fact yesterday, I would have been surprised that most people standing in the line seemed to be local peasants equipped with nothing but large bags and what appeared as sickles for gathering.

There were also small groups of heavily armored adventurers now and there with severe expressions. What surprised me the most was that I didn't spot any mages, which was kind of odd given that the city should be teeming with them. 'Do they have a separate entrance through the Tower?' I wondered briefly, but then it was already my turn to enter.

There was a checkpoint with a clerk flanked by two armored guards who looked up at me disinterestedly. I flashed him my new badge, and the clerk grunted in acknowledgment, writing down my name and stamping something onto a piece of parchment.

With that, I was waved through without any further troubles, which turned out to be a much simpler process compared to the peasants who had to have their identities checked every time they wanted to go down there.

Beyond the checkpoint was nothing but a giant, seemingly endless hole and a set of steps meticulously carved into the wall of the crater.

I took one last deep breath before carefully joining the others busily descending into the dark abyss. 'Time to finally discover what all the fuss is about...'