Astraea: The Journey of Magic

While all of that was going on in Azralia, back in Ruthil, Reiji and Juno were looking at requests. Unlike Kuroki's group, they were still at F-Rank, although thanks to their reliable formation and the fact they never started any disputes in the guild, they were likely going to be promoted soon. While they lacked experience, their skills and abilities were clearly above a normal F-Ranker.

In particular, Juno's Archery had more range, precision, and power somehow then some C-Rankers even. Reiji meanwhile was a reliable guardian, who would protect Juno and prevent anything from getting close.

That said, they also had another nickname.

"Hey you, what is a little brat like you doing in here" one adventurer said, as he approached Juno. "Don't tell me you are just some brat, who needs to drink his mommy's milk every night while having someone else carry him".

Juno looked at the receptionist, who shrugged, and then gave them a thumbs up. The moment that happened, Juno let out a sigh.

"Listen okay, we don't want to cause any problems..."

"What, afraid you might wet yourself?!"

Whether Juno had or had not during their first combat encounter with monsters will forever remain a secret kept by Juno and Reiji. And it would continue to remain that way.

Before Juno could react though, Reiji got inbetween them.

"Juno, no, he isn't worth it. We can't help it when they are dumb like that".

"You calling me dumb, you overgrown musclehead! Just telling the brat he shouldn't hold real warriors down".

Before he could say another word, Reiji gave him and uppercut and sent him flying, as he eventually hit the wooden floor behind him.

"Don't insult Juno. He works way too hard to deserve dealing with that crap".

Yes, they had this one recurring issue. It seemed that there were a large number of people who took issue with Juno. First off, he appeared younger then he was, thanks to his wish of wanting to help Kuroki and Akano feel more normal and to also understand them more, among other things.

Then, he was a Cat Beastkin. There were unfortunately sentiments of human supremacy still, and among all the races, Beastkin tended to get discriminated against the most. Apparently because they were very picky due to their enhanced senses, but also other factors or just from pure idiocy reasons like just cause they were different.

However, there was a very weird third subgroup. The people who ostracized Juno because they wanted to chase him away to claim Reiji for themselves. And not just for his strength either, but also because he was hot. There were even some very strange rumor spreaders who claimed they were in a romantic relationship, but they did nothing out of the ordinary for boys and best friends in this world, so it was really just baseless gossip.

Simply put, there were a surprising number of people, both females and males...and also others, who were attracted to Reiji.

Then again, Juno did have his own share of fans as well.

Unlike Kuroki, who was just too short for his real age to be even remotely recognizable except for a few people, Juno was at least tall enough for people to believe he is old enough at least, and Reiji was just many hotness who could pass for someone even older. Thus they got such looks from time to time, although admittedly it was mainly Reiji.

Although, the archers in the guild were always far more focused on Juno for archery related reasons. After all, they could recognize at a glance from the way he carried himself, the callouses on his hands, and his eyesight that he was a talented archer.

At this point, he was more concerned with the idea they might get noticed by problematic Starfallen by having this much attention brought to them. So far, they had already noticed two tragedies that were related to Starfallen. For one thing, someone got uppity and tried to enforce a law that only existed where they came from, and not in this current world. They even made a bit of a scene with things like rights and so on. They looked to be a man in his late 30s to early 40s, and Juno recognized him. He was some sort of police officer higherup for their city, although Juno remembered that he seemed more politician then police. Juno thought he looked easy to bribe, which was an issue. unfortunately, small cities like theirs were easy to get corrupt people in charge. Large enough that not everyone knew everyone, but small enough that it got overlooked easily.

He was kind of a troublesome and problematic individual they had heard in their previous world, so it wasn't all that surprising that he got arrested. He didn't seem very flexible after all, and Juno had him a short list of people Kuroki's dad probably bribed or was friends with, or both.

The other incident, involved someone who appeared to be of high school age. Apparently, they tried to go around selling various ideas of the modern world, but ended up getting labeled as a scam artist and arrested by the city guard. Not only that, but at least some of what he suggested already existed or was in use. Juno was surprised anyone could even remotely remember any of that, but supposedly from what he overheard, the high schooler actually had far less knowledge about this then the merchants and farmers he tried to sell to, who already knew these techniques anyways, and he failed to come up with details about his master plans. Probably why he got labeled a scam artist.

Meanwhile, they had identified at least two other Starfallen in their city, aside from the girl that Reiji and especially Juno hated. A pair of twins, they were getting by through...not so legal means, but they were surprisingly good at it. They had become adventurers, but they were also pickpockets. That said, Juno observed and tailed them for the better part of a day, and discovered they were very picky so far with their targets. They only stole from the rich, from the cruel and arrogant, or from other pickpockets and criminals. Juno felt that last one was dangerous, since they might come after the twins for revenge, but they were very good at keeping hidden and made it hard to identify them.

That said, Juno wasn't sure to reveal himself to them yet, and Reiji agreed, since they were still stealing. They were also of elementary schooler age though, but they had managed to reach F-Rank on day one just like Juno and Reiji had.

There were also others who were deemed as potentially Starfallen, but the two boys couldn't be certain. If they were Starfallen, they were blending in very well. Juno only clocked the twins because he recognized them from a time their school ran a program to help mentor and guide elementary schoolers, and they had been there. He never learned their names or talked with them though, but they were twins so they stood out to Juno. One boy, one girl.

These others however included a man in his late twenties. He had also joined the Adventurer's Guild, and seemed to know quite a bit about human biology. Or maybe the word was anatomy? Either way, it was clear he had medical background. Juno overheard him use terminology that sounded more like their old world then this current world, however he couldn't be sure because this world seemed to have a decent understanding of the human body as well. Furthermore, he didn't seem to stand out as much, and he joined the guild rather late compared to all the others. Juno considered he might have had a really isolated starting location, but he couldn't be sure.

Another potential one is a woman who also joined the adventurer's guild. She was at least 40, and from what Juno overheard from his laundry/gossip group, that did happen sometimes, although it was rare. Sometimes it was a former soldier who retired to raise the kids, but now that they were grown decided to go out and adventure to make money and such. Juno did admit she seemed experienced with combat, which made him wonder if maybe she was with the military, however she seemed accustomed to swords as well. Juno still got chills when he saw her fight a few thugs when she registered.

And then finally, there was a boy who had to be middle school age. Juno didn't recognize him, but its not like he remembered every person in his middle school, and there was a second middle school in his city. He registered under the name Syli as well which Juno didn't recognize either. He took down the people who harassed him when he joined easily, and with such precision. He looked like a martial artist, which had Juno go on guard even more as he considered he might be one of Kuroki's father's disciples, but he was pretty sure he had seen them all enough times to remember them, so that seemed unlikely. But the most eerie thing was, when this boy walked, he rarely if ever made a sound.

He is using advanced walking techniques? He is only like fourteen, is that actually possible?

Either way, none of them were in the guild today, which was good. Shortly after that first man was arrested, his cell mysteriously had a sink hole open underneath and he got crushed by rocks and debris that fell in. The high schooler just got arrested yesterday, but Juno suspected that the death of that Starfallen was no accident, so the high schooler was probably next. Whoever did it though was leagues beyond Juno and Reiji, and they knew it. As much as they wanted to prevent a murder, the guards were already on high alert, apparently not buying this perfect sinkhole story either.

Between that and the corpses they found inside of craters, its no doubt that someone is hunting us. From the research I did in the Guild's research room, it appears people who fall to this world from other worlds through the heavens are known as Starfallen. So someone is hunting Starfallen. Perhaps these Demons and Devils I read about?

Juno had heard things from other sources as well, like his laundry group, which had more or less turned into a gossip group at this point. By now they were all really comfortable and open with each other, although Juno was sure there were still a few secrets they all had. But with their emotions and dreams, as well as interesting gossip they heard, and their likes and dislikes, they talked about them all the time.

Juno was the type of person to make friends easily, as well as go after those who threatened his friends. Reiji often refered to him as a Spitfire of Emotion, and apparently that might have been amplified in this world.

Reiji meanwhile has been socializing in the guild as well, and forming his own connections. He was already on good terms with all the receptionists, and he had started chatting with some of the veteran adventurers even. A lot of people always thought he was older then he was, partially since he was so tall and smart and mature, and partially because they naturally contrasted him with Juno.

Which was why the receptionists knew how to give them the go ahead when someone picked a fight with them.

"At least he was alone today" Juno mentioned, as he took a request off the board. Reiji then picked Juno up, and put him on his shoulder. Juno got a bit flustered. "Really Reiji, this again?"

"It's faster this way. Just think of it as me doing my best to help you out, so I am not dragging you down".

"Like I keep telling you, if anyone keeps dragging anyone down, its me dragging you down".

"While I was asleep, you cooked me breakfast yourself, did all the laundry, organized the schedule for today, cleaned the weapons, restrung your bow, somehow managed to adjust my armor to fit me better, and managed to go potion shopping...not even sure how you did that when no clothes were available".

"And you are always pulling all the weight while you are awake. I have to do something, no matter how hard, embarrassing, or tedious".

"Juno..."

"Reiji..."

"Yes yes" the receptionist said, interrupting them. "You are both wonderful friends who care for each other. Lets not get stuck in the same loop as last time".

"Sorry".

"My apologies".

Although on one hand, everyone in the guild didn't want such a conversation to keep looping, on the other hand, many had warm fuzzy feelings about seeing the strength of their friendships, and wondered about their own.

"...maybe I should invite my old childhood friend out for drinks sometime. He and I haven't spoken much recently sine we both got busy, but...we should make the time".

"Its been a long time since I wrote to my brothers. I should let them know...that im okay, and just random gossip as well".

"Mei, lets never let anything come between our friendship".

"Agreed, Kai".

Such a pure friendship seemed to rekindle something in the adventurers, both old and young, that were present, something the receptionist there was happy about.

I am glad its having an impact at least. We cant let them just stand there forever on that loop, but...the more healthy bonds adventurers have, the more mentally stable they tend to be overall. That is good for the guild, and it lets them come back alive far more often. Just goes to show how important mental health is.

She had such thoughts while watching the heartwarming scene.

At the same time though, another person left the guild, after having carefully watched the two boys. Unlike the receptionist, he had more insideous thoughts.

The big one will be a pain to deal with, but the price we could sell the little one for is astronomical. The fact their inn is borderline impossible to even get close to is annoying though, as is the fact the small one seems to always know where we are. He isn't even hiding it anymore, not that it would matter if he did at this point.

They knew well enough that Juno was onto them. His taunting of their men every night at the inn, acting as if he was rubbing his bare butt all over them, was drawing increasing hostility and impatience. And yet they couldn't move so easily. Sure, one could try and jump them while in town, if they wanted to get caught and have the guard come down on them. They never once wandered into any abandoned alleys, no shady stores, none of their fronts. Any time they are about to, the small one, the prime product that we were requested to find, seems to notice immediately. It was as if he could sense them...no, it was exactly like that.

Not only that, but thanks to the other brats he did laundry with every night, more heat came down on them. THe Order of the Silver Wind was now snooping around them for some annoying reason, apparently willing to listen to the pleas of their squire. That order was always a pain for any criminal organization to deal with. They were outright immune to bribes, they acted with honor, they were all crazy strong and could use magic, they were able to sense even the slightest trace of evidence, and apparently they were experts at analyzing evidence as if they were forensic science masters.

It wasn't even a matter of power. In terms of power, they could easily outclass the two in a heartbeat. The issue was that they would never be able to do it covertly. And trying to do it in public was a great way to have the guard crack down on them with extreme prejudice, taking a child off the street with violence in broad daylight.

Of course, they did go into the forest, but despite the training of their men, they always were evaded. Often times, the small one would talk to the guards, and then suddenly the trained stealth experts tailing them would suddenly get pulled over for questioning.

Why do the guards listen to him so easily?! What the hell is this farce?!

What the criminal didn't understand is that the guards of Ruthil were already on wits end. Sure, the organization he was a part of was avoiding the spotlight, but over a dozen boys had gone missing in the last three months, children as young as four and as old as fourteen. This would naturally get the guards on alert, so when a child mentions they saw strange people following them, in this current climate they were always going to listen. Either out of duty, or empathy, or as decent human beings. And considering Juno currently had a one hundred percent success rate the guards had found, they acted faster and with less hesitation each time. But the criminal couldn't understand duty or empathy, let alone being a decent human being. Such motivications were beyond him. Money, selfishness, and doing whatever he pleased to enjoy his life. That was what this criminal understood.

Still, this time I spotted which request he took. We can set up an ambush and lay in wait at the target spot.

While the criminal was thinking of this, back in the guild Juno without even looking at him noticed that the man was gone. Letting out a sigh, Juno put the one he had taken previously back on the board, and took a different request instead.

Finally that creep is gone. Did he seriously think I wouldn't notice him staring right at us? His desires and greed give him away way too easily...

Normal adventurers their rank, or kids their age, likely wouldn't have noticed, but thanks to Juno being a Cat Beastkin and also having enhanced awareness, was easily able to pick these things out. Trying to covertly ambush him was quite difficult, and they were still treating him with kid gloves in essence. Until they got the real hardcore pros, it would likely be impossible to avoid Juno's watch. He was in essence a long range surveillance system, with sniping ability thanks to his skill with a bow. One could argue it was borderline cheating.

"So, the location..."

"Yep, I will make sure to tip the knights off" the receptionist said with a smile.

"Thanks".

"By the way you two, should you turn in these quests successfully, along with other things you have done, you will have earned a rank up. When you get back, I will explain the rank up exam to you. I assume you will want to take it right?"

"Really? Thanks. We will make sure to check in when we get back this afternoon".

The two left the receptionist, and began to head out of the guild as they conversed. The guild had been happy about the criminals getting arrested lately, so that and their reliable turn in of quests and materials, seemed to have made them eligible for a rank up already.

Reiji smiled. "I think you have already got twice as much worth out of your perceptive abilities compared to any others".

"Haha, seems like it" Juno said, as he put on a pair of glasses. "There, feels right at home".

"I would think you would just get used to not having any".

"Well, I mean, that last guy who tried to ambush us had these things I guess for a disguise, since they aren't prescription, so I figured hey, why not?"

"Fair enough. A sharpshooter that wears glasses though....that has to be a new one".

"I am sure there have at least been a few before me. Besides, snipers use scopes, so I think it's not that odd".

"True".

And so, while having such a conversation, they went out to take their quest, not knowing the chain of events that were about to unfold.

Kuroki, Riku, Kaede, and Ryuu had all assembled at the guild. Ozlo was at his usual position at the receptionist counter. He was glaring at the paperwork with such force Kuroki wondered if heat beams were going to shoot out of his eyes and melt his glasses and burn the paperwork. Incidentally, it wasn't just them here, but the Deep Dashers were here as well, but not Soaring Shield. The nine of them in total were watching Ozlo, who looked like he was about to blow a gasket.

Riza was just standing behind him. The usual carefree expression he had was gone in an instant, and instead, he had a scowl on his face that could rival Ozlo's. He was clearly and visibly displeased, wearing a serious expression that did not usually suit him.

"...the hell is this farce?"

"...yeah, this is....yeah..."

"So...why did you need us all?"

Dia eventually worked up the nerve to ask. As expected of the most experienced party leader there.

Ozlo let out a sigh, rubbed his temples, and then looked right at them.

"We are getting some...unusual activity from the other guilds. For some reason, some stink has been raised about your promotion".

"...but I thought it was okay?"

"It absolutely should be, there is no reason to, the rules were very clear on this matter. But apparently, whatever asshole is behind this...almost assuredly Valiance...is being a petty little shit".

Ozlo started to leak out his true thoughts about nobles with some curse words, which was the classic sign he was being made to endure unreasonable situations and was being overworked.

Kuroki meanwhile was confused.

"Wait, why would other Adventurer Guilds be causing trouble over an E-Rank and a D-Rank promotion? I know getting to D-Rank is a big deal, but didn't you approve it yourself?"

"Yeah. See, normally one has to take an exam to reach the higher ranks. There is an exam for E-Rank, D-Rank, C-Rank, B-Rank, A-Rank, and S-Rank. SS and X don't have rank up exams due to their rarity. However, there are conditions that let one skip the exams. For example, participating well and contributing highly during a large scale conflict. Even if it was only a few days long, we essentially did have a war between our city and a Goblin Surge, and no one doubted that you both earned your positions. It is a practice that has long since been allowed in the guild, with quite literally tens of thousands of precedents. However, for some reason, someone managed to rile them up and claim that this wasn't allowed".

"Basically, they said it's not kosher" Riza told them. Kuroki wanted to ask how he knew that expression, but considering the amount of times he worked with the Hero of the past, as well as various Starfallen cases he investigated, and the fact he currently had custody of a decent number of Starfallen, it seemed like it would be more difficult for him not to learn of such things.

Plus, Riza probably did it on purpose just to try it out. Kuroki could see him doing something so unfathomable.

"Now of course, we have tons of adventurers here that saw what you did and will vouch for you. Hells, it seems you even managed to light a fire under Reveris, very nice. But those idiots who can be so easily bribed...ahem, 'swayed' by such stupidity are being a hassle, and its not like I can talk them all down".

"Nor can we punch them all in the face" Riza added.

"Well, yeah, that is kind of a given. We can't just go around using violence to solve all our issues either".

"Says the one who wants to do that most of all right now".

Ozlo scowled at the response, but didn't bother trying to refute it. Kuroki got the feeling that he actually really did want to do just that.

"In any case, it ended up being a huge big thing. Guildmaster zoned out like ten minutes in, forcing me to deal with the whole negotiations. As if I didn't have enough work as is. It was mostly just bickering anyways, but still, he could have helped intimidate them at least!"

"Hold on, aren't you an A-Rank? I know they are Guild Staff and all, but surely your track record speaks for itself".

"Mhm. Thats why I was able to hold my own so well. Anyways, the meeting is about to dissolve, the idiots have their heels firmly planted in the ground, then the Guildmaster, after making me deal with it all the whole time, comes back into the room, and then ends up mentioning detailed numbers when looking at everyone through the crystal orb. They went pale after that".

"...wait what?"

"That was almost assuredly the amount those guys were bribed. I have no idea how he got his hands on that information though, but it didn't end things completely. We pointed out they had no authority intervening in another guild's business over E Rankers, and then somehow Deep Dashers got mentioned. Valiance did see them, so I am sure he did it out of spite, plus maybe he got the funding for this bribe by Human Supremacists".

Dia groaned at those words. "Seriously?"

Ozlo let out a sigh. "Yeah I know, its stupid. Anyways, they said you two had to take the exam, especially Silver Storm. Apparently a whole party making it to E-Rank in a few days without an exam is something they just wont let me do. And unfortunately, despite your long track record which they had access to, you have to as well Deep Dashers. Sorry about that".

"It's not your fault. Valiance is the shitty one".

"I wouldn't be surprised if Sebas got involved as well" Kuroki mentioned. "So, are they going to spy on the exam then?"

"Yeah, basically. They will have familiars monitoring it. The first is your basic medical examination. You strip everything off, do some exercises, stretches, get checked for curses or signs of illegal drug use or such. Will take like an hour or so in the back of the guild, tops. Amyris already gave you both a clean bill of health, but they need to see it themselves and they need an 'objective examiner'. As if we just ignore the health of our own guildmembers to push this through or use drugs that could get them killed! What absolute idiotic assholes! Because apparently, they think we are showing you guys favoritism. Frankly, if this were a book, unless someone was plotting something dastardly during the exam, it would probably get skipped over completely. Naturally, this means we do need to make sure the objective examiner isn't a pawn, even though they claim we are playing favorites".

Ozlo scoffed at that last part, before continuing.

"After that, the real exam begins after that. Once your health and physical abilities are confirmed, you will need to spar with the examiner. Naturally, even though he will be a high ranking one, he won't be allowed to use his full power, and you are not seriously expected to win against him, but you do have to fight as hard as you can and be serious about it. After passing both of those stages, you and the other participants will go on an excursion overnight in the northern woods. You need to demonstrate you know how to set up a camp and stand guard, as well as finding a good camp spot in the first place. All while hunting and dealing with any monsters you come across. That said, those woods are fairly light on monsters, and they are only going to be things like Goblins and whatnot. Still, its something that would certainly be more of an E-Rank thing to stay out there all night. Anyways, next morning, you will need to bathe in a river to clean off, making sure to be safe and alert in the process, avoiding the risk of luring any monsters to the main roads via smell. Plus, this is important to make sure you know hygine, and wont bring back diseases into the city. Then you disassemble camp, and get back to the city. Once you are through the gates, the exam is over, although you still have to go to the guild so that all the notes can be compared and then those who successfully rank up will be announced".

From what Kuroki had learned of this world so far, it sounded like a basic camping experience, but with monsters. Well, plus the whole bathing in a river thing and the mock battle beforehand.

"So the E-Rank exam is basically to make sure we can stay out overnight properly?"

"Yes. Even if F-Rank adventurers are full fledged, generally all the requests will only take day trips to complete, no matter where you go. Even if its not in-training anymore, there is still a lack of experience when you first make it. E-Ranks may need to make overnight stops, not to mention the possibility of traveling on caravans occasionally. This test checks for that. Its also to make sure no one is using combat performance drugs as well, since those are not allowed to be used for Rank Up Exams and generally are ill advised to use in general, since reliance on them at all often leads to party wipes down the road. Furthermore, the guild needs to make sure they dont have any injury which might impede them from doing the exam properly, as the guild has no interest in throwing away the lives of its members. Adventurers die everyday, so its up to the guild to do its best and make sure to try and keep that number as low as possible. Both for the sake of its members, and to make sure the monsters dont eventually overwhelm and kill us all".

The Adventurer's Guild was quite a benevolent organization. Course, as Ozlo mentioned himself, there were some bad apples who might take bribes or such among them. But it seemed to have good bones, as one might say.

"You could say it has good bones!"

Kuroki twitched, briefly wondering if Riza could read minds.

"Grandpa, please dont use weird expressions you keep picking up from the Starfallen. I doubt you actually understand most of them".

"Rude! And to someone who changed your diapers no less!"

Suddenly, a dragon hissed behind Riza, as Ozlo glared at him.

"I will be good! I promise!"

Ozlo decided to leave the idiot alone, and focus back on the two parties in front of him.

"As for Deep Dashers, they will be taking a separate D-Rank exam. Which is..."

"Bandit subjugation, right?" Dia asked, although he seemed certain already.

"Yes. After all, while criminals tend to usually be handled by Knights, a lot of times escort requests for caravans will result in fighting not just monsters, but bandits might try to attack as well. One needs to show the resolve necessary to kill a fellow person. I somehow managed to find a bandit hideout for everyone too, which was a lot of work. I deserve lots of praise for this you know?"

Dia patted Ozlo's head while sincerely thanking him. "Yes yes, well done Ozlo, nice job".

"Wait, for everyone?"

Kuroki didn't understood why Ozlo said that.

"Well, not everyone merited a full rank up from the last war, just enough to take the exam. Some got taken out earlier and had to rest and recover while the big event happened too. And since entire parties were involved, it got a bit chaotic. Typically, people tend to take the exam as individuals. There are milestones, and the guild occasionally makes people shuffle up with other parties for a quest or two. This is to help form connections with everyone, but also to see who is able to do their share and who isn't. Especially as you get into the higher ranks, entire parties ranking up is rare. Normally we would have less taking the exam, but again, stupid interference".

In other words, sometimes they would need to take quests with others. This prevented from someone being ranked up just by leaching off their party members. The Guild can't give promotions or endorse such behavior. Clients, people in general, need to know the rankings are as accurate as possible.

"That said, its not a total loss. Due to the sheer amount of parties, we were able to force...I mean, get them to agree that we need our own examiners as well. I will have a friend of mine, Kylia, looking over the D-Rank exam. Meanwhile, the Vice Guildmaster will be monitoring your E-Rank exam".

The Vice Guildmaster. This person was the only one of the top three people at the guild here who Kuroki and friends had not met yet. They did not even know if it was a he, she, they, or something else all together. All they knew is that they were actually responsible, unlike the Guildmaster.

"So when is this exam happening then?"

"Tomorrow, so make sure you get anything you might need. Tents, sleeping mats, all of it. That said, you do have to figure out the rest yourself. You could say this too, is part of the rank up exam".

Kuroki nodded. Ozlo might not like this interference, but he was trying to teach them properly instead of giving them all the answers.

"Anyways, right after breakfast, come to the guild before Second Bell, or 9AM".

They had clocks in this world, but they were also expensive. Sundials were made as well, specially designed to be as accurate as possible. But naturally, there was also a Bell Tower in the center of the city, which also happened to be a clocktower. That said, it was hard to see the clock from a number of places in the city, so most people relied on the Bell Tower.

First Bell was 6AM, Second Bell was 9AM, Third Bell was 11AM, Fourth Bell was 13PM noon, Fifth Bell was 2PM, Sixth Bell was 4PM, Seventh Bell was 6PM, and Eighth Bell was 8PM. At least that was how it generally was for this kingdom, and how it was for this city. Other kingdoms had their own counters. Supposedly, there were places in the Empire to the west that the Bell rang every hour between 6AM and 6PM. Incidentally, this world also had a 26 hour day, and a nine day week, as it turned out. Kuroki and the others were still getting used to that one.

Kuroki was also glad about the timing for this, since he was going to get his True Arcana in just four days. This meant that this wouldn't interfere with that, so he saw no reason to object either.

"Okay. We will be here".

"Good to hear. Incidentally, I said that normally, you wouldn't be able to seriously defeat the examiner...but if you see the chance to, go for it. It would really make those idiots who let themselves be influenced think again about their actions".

"Got it...no guarentee, but we will do our best".

"No problem with that. Thats what I want the most".

"Just consider it a bonus objective" Riza added.

"Riza, how..."

"Ah, that one is on me" Ryuu admitted.

Oh...yeah, that seems about right.

With that done, Kuroki's group moved out of the way so others could talk to Ozlo, as they began to think things through.

"So, we need to get good camping gear...do you think we can ask Amyris and Ellie?" Kaede asked.

"Nah, the way Ozlo said it, I think we have to search for it and buy or acquire it ourselves. If we came with camping gear normal F and E Ranks couldn't afford, it would probably be seen as favoritism and being given an unfair advantage. After all, high quality tents tend to come with monster warding...but they also cost silver, and sometimes even gold coins".

They probably wouldn't see gold coins until they made C-Rank, or at least were in D-Rank for awhile. Adventurers tended to make more money then other professions, but that was due to how dangerous it was, and they also spent more money than other professions. It wasn't unusual for adventurers to both be equipped with great gear, but also short on cash and needing to be frugal. They naturally had the same challenge, although they didn't have to pay for lodging. All they had to do was clean up after themselves, help keep the place clean for guests, do dishes after breakfast before they pulled their underwear on and got dressed, and made sure they kept up their efforts to work hard and get used to this world.

"So no super tent then?" Ryuu asked.

"Nah. We will have to get a small one. It might be a bit cramped with four of us, but one of us will always be standing watch, so really it just needs to hold three".

The fact that Kuroki was a small as kids five years younger than him was becoming an asset here for sure, since it let him take up less space for the tent. They would need enough room so they could quickly get up and get ready to fight quickly.

Unlike in the city, they would sleep in their gear or something protective at least, but the question was what. Half gear? Just padded longshirts? Or even full gear? That last one probably wasn't all that comfortable, but it would mean they would be ready for combat immediately. That said, Kuroki figured half gear was a good middleground to go with. After all, they would probably count the quality of sleep as part of the exam, so it was best to be careful about that.

And then, leaving aside sleep, there was food and water.

"We cant make drinkable water with magic, so we will need plenty of water bot...water skins. Each one of us should have two, to be safe, and they should be filled completely. We will also need preserved food for dinner and breakfast I would guess, since normal adventurers wouldn't have the lunchboxes Amyris gave us".

"...we really do have it easy huh?"

It didn't feel that way compared to their old world, but compared to other F and E Rank adventurers, they absolutely had it easier. Even moreso once they got used to the common sense of this world, and understand that a different culture is just as right and acceptable as their own.

"We mentioned tents, but what about sleeping bags? And how will we carry it all?"

Kuroki followed up on Kaede's questions. "I think we will just have to use sleeping mats for now. Bags would hinder us if a monster attack came while we were sleeping after all, and they take up less space. Plus, I am not sure sleeping bags actually exist in this world".

"Will we at least be getting a tent that can set itself up easily?" Ryuu asked.

"I don't think those exist in this world".

"Oh...I thought maybe they might, since adventurers are everywhere".

"...hmmm, that is not a bad thought. If they are within our budget, then maybe".

And so, as they went shopping, they continued to think about everything they might need.