Chapter 51: The Tour

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The Tour

Paul stood there for a long moment. His hand was still raised. His handsome expression was frozen. His pride was shattered on the ground like a dropped plate.

Lyra pulled back from the hug. She looked at Paul. Her head tilted.

"Who’s this?" she asked.

Daniel gestured at Paul. "This is Paul. My roommate."

Lyra looked at Paul. At his frozen expression. At his raised hand. At his handsome face.

"What’s wrong with him?" she asked.

"He tried to be cool," Daniel said. "It didn’t work."

Paul’s eye twitched again. He lowered his hand. He forced a smile.

"Hello," he said. "I’m Paul. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Lyra nodded. "I’m Lyra."

"The pleasure is all mine." Paul’s smile widened. "I must say, Daniel didn’t mention how beautiful you are."

Lyra blinked. "He didn’t?"

"Not at all. He just said you were the cutest." Paul shook his head. "He undersold you. You’re not just cute. You’re stunning."

Lyra’s cheeks turned pink. "Oh. Um. Thank you."

Daniel stepped between them. "Okay. That’s enough."

Paul looked at him. "What? I’m just being friendly."

"Too friendly."

"I’m always friendly. It’s part of my charm."

Daniel sighed. He looked at Lyra. "Ignore him. He’s like this with everyone."

Lyra nodded slowly. She looked at Paul. At his handsome face. At his confident posture.

"Are all the men here like this?" she whispered to Daniel.

Daniel shook his head. "No. He’s a special case."

Paul heard them. He grinned. "I prefer the term ’unique.’"

Daniel rolled his eyes. He turned to Fluffy, who was still on his back. She was awake now, her eyes bright, her ears alert.

"You okay?" he asked.

Fluffy nodded. "Fluffy is okay. Fluffy is hungry."

Daniel nodded. "We’ll get food soon. First, Paul is going to show us around."

Paul clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Follow me. I’ll give you the grand tour."

They started walking. Paul led them through the guild grounds. The morning sun was bright, casting long shadows across the cobblestone paths.

"This," Paul said, gesturing broadly, "is the F rank area. It’s where all the new members start. The buildings are simple. The amenities are basic. But it’s home."

Daniel looked around. The F rank area was like a small town. Dormitories. A dining hall. A training ground. A small market where members could buy supplies with contribution points.

"The guild is divided into ranks," Paul continued. "F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. Each rank has its own area. The higher your rank, the better your accommodations. The better your resources. The better your missions."

Daniel nodded. "So it’s like a sect."

Paul frowned. "A what?"

"A sect. From my world. It’s like... a group. A community. You live together. Train together. Take missions together. You rise through the ranks based on merit."

Paul stared at him. "That’s... actually a good description."

Daniel grinned. "I have my moments."

Lyra listened carefully. She was absorbing every word. This was her dream. Her goal. Being an adventurer. Joining a guild. Rising through the ranks.

"How do we earn contribution points?" she asked.

Paul pointed at a large board near the dining hall. "See that? That’s the mission board. Every day, new missions are posted. They range from simple tasks to dangerous quests. The harder the mission, the more points you earn."

Lyra walked toward the board. Daniel followed. Fluffy peeked over his shoulder.

The board was covered in papers. Each paper had a mission written on it.

[Collect 10 Moonpetal Flowers - F Rank - Reward: 5 Contribution Points]

[Clean the Stables - F Rank - Reward: 3 Contribution Points]

[Escort a Merchant to the Next Town - E Rank - Reward: 20 Contribution Points]

[Hunt a Pack of Wild Boars - E Rank - Reward: 25 Contribution Points]

[Investigate Strange Noises in the Forest - D Rank - Reward: 50 Contribution Points]

Lyra’s eyes widened. "There are so many."

Paul nodded. "And that’s just the F and E rank missions. The higher rank missions are posted in their respective areas."

Daniel scanned the board. Most of the missions were simple. Gathering. Cleaning. Escorting. Nothing too dangerous.

"We should start with something easy," he said. "Build up our points."

Paul nodded. "Smart. You’re F rank. You can only take F rank missions. Once you earn enough points, you can take the promotion test to E rank."

Lyra looked at him. "Promotion test?"

"Yeah. Every rank has a test. You have to pass it to move up. The tests get harder as you go."

Lyra nodded. Her eyes were determined. "Then we’ll pass them all."

Paul smiled. "I like your attitude."

They continued the tour. Paul showed them the training grounds. It was a large open area with dummies, sparring rings, and obstacle courses. Several adventurers were training. Some were practicing sword forms. Others were throwing knives at targets. A few were wrestling in the dirt.

"This is where you’ll spend most of your time," Paul said. "Training. Improving. Getting stronger."

Daniel watched the adventurers. They were skilled. Fast. Strong. He could learn from them.

"This is where you’ll spend most of your time," Paul said. "Training. Improving. Getting stronger."

Daniel watched the adventurers. They were skilled. Fast. Strong. He could learn from them.

"This is where you’ll spend most of your time," Paul said. "Training. Improving. Getting stronger."

Daniel nodded. He could see himself here. Training. Getting stronger. Leveling up.

Paul led them to the dining hall. It was a large building with long tables and benches. The smell of food filled the air. Adventurers sat in groups, eating and talking.

"This is where you eat," Paul said. "Three meals a day. Free for F rank members. Higher ranks get better food."

Daniel’s stomach growled. "Let’s eat."

They found a table near the corner. Daniel sat down. Lyra sat beside him. Fluffy climbed onto the bench next to Daniel. Paul sat across from them.

A serving girl appeared. She was young. Freckles. A friendly smile.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

Daniel looked at the menu. It was simple. Porridge. Bread. Soup. Nothing fancy.

"I’ll take everything," he said.

The serving girl blinked. "Everything?"

"Everything."

She nodded and hurried away.

Lyra ordered bread and soup. Paul ordered porridge. Fluffy just stared at the menu with wide eyes.

"What does Fluffy want?" Daniel asked.

Fluffy looked at him. "Fluffy wants meat."

Daniel nodded. "Bring her meat. As much as you have."

The serving girl nodded again. She seemed overwhelmed.

She returned a few minutes later with a tray. She placed bowls and plates on the table. Porridge. Bread. Soup. And a large plate of roasted meat.

Fluffy’s eyes lit up. She grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out. Her tail wagged.

Paul watched her. His expression was complicated.

"She really likes meat," he said.

Daniel nodded. "She does."

Paul looked at Daniel. "You really care about her, don’t you?"

Daniel met his eyes. "She’s my friend."

Paul studied him for a moment. Then he smiled. A real smile. Warm. Genuine.

"You’re a good guy, Daniel Black," he said. "Strange. Perverted. But good."

Daniel grinned. "Thanks. I think."

They ate in comfortable silence. The food was simple but filling. Daniel ate everything on his plate. Then he ate some of Lyra’s bread. Then he ate some of Fluffy’s meat when she wasn’t looking.

When they finished, Paul leaned back in his seat.

"So," he said. "What’s next?"

Daniel looked at Lyra. She looked at him.

"The library," they said in unison.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "The library?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Daniel smiled. "I made a promise."