A bored-looking asian woman stood behind the counter. Her fingers worked frantically on a keyboard of something that looked like a computer as she greeted us, “Welcome to the guild. Your identification cards will be ready momentarily.”

Kalli timidly said, “But we didn’t register yet.”

The receptionist laughed and replied, “Everyone who walks through that door is scanned and automatically registered. There are no requirements for being registered. Once I give you your identification cards, you can do with them as you wish. However, if you commit any crimes, we now have your magical signature on file. Is there anything else you would like to know?”

Kalli and I looked at one another. What do you think Mel? I wasn’t going to register. I was hoping we could get away with only you registering.

It’s done now. We might as well get some quests.

Kalliphae frowned at me. What other services do you think the guild offers?

The woman behind the counter narrowed her eyes at us and scolded us, “Can you speak out loud, please? If you want to have a conversation in group chat, please be seated in a lounge and come back when you’re ready to conduct guild business.”

I waved off her suggestion, “Can you tell us what services the guild offers?”

“Very well”, the woman resigned herself to providing service, “Membership in the guild has the following benefits. It guarantees you enrollment into any school that you qualify for. You may take part in the quest system. There is a progression system for quests. The registrar can give you more information about that. You need to present your ID card at any fast travel points.”

I cut her off, “What is fast travel?”

She huffed me for interrupting, “There are 4 types of fast travel. First, there is local travel. You can report to any guild hall to be transported to another guildhall in the same region. We employ a variety of sky mages to guarantee travel to any location in the region in under an hour. The negotiated guild rate for this type of travel is 10 silver per person. Next, we have long-distance travel. The includes all travel outside of the region but on the same continent. The rate for long-distance is 10 gold. Depending on how far it is, we occasionally offer teleportation to cut down on travel time. Intercontinental travel consists of traveling anywhere else in the world. The method of travel is always teleportation. Finally, we have inter-world travel. This travel is restricted. You are required to present an exit visa as well as a sponsor from the world you wish to visit. The price for this travel is 10 million gold as it will require a gate to be opened between the two worlds. Do you have any questions?”

I gave Kalli a sad look.

I guess we won’t be able to use the guild to send you home.

She winked at me. You’ll have to send me back yourself as you promised.

The receptionist snapped her finger at us to get our attention, “Okay, if there are no questions, we’re moving on. For those who don’t wish to live a life of quest and adventure, the guild will match you with a named house where you can find a job. If you go this route your skills will be matched to a suitable job. There are many guild-regulated facilities around the world that your identity card will get you access to. This includes magical medicine, libraries, and the ancient sites where mages throughout history resided. As you know, mana still permeates their old residences.”

I recounted the various guild perks and told the receptionist, “I think we would like to look at your quest list.”

She checked her terminal again and opened a dumbwaiter behind the counter. Inside were two lanyards with plastic cards attached. I noticed my picture on one and Kalli’s on the other.

Melvin Murphy

Summoner: Level 3

Status: Student

Guild Rank: F

Restrictions: None

Guild Fame: 0

Kalliphae Hellquist

Pyromancer: Level 8

Status: Apprentice

Guild Rank: F

Restrictions: Magical Contract (2)

Guild Fame: 0

Ooh, I leveled up.

We each accepted our cards and hung them around our necks. The receptionist walked around the counter and led us over to a notification board. She smiled, “You may accept quests up to your rank in the guild. If you wish to pick up a quest of a higher rank than F, you will need to either rank up by completing quests or group up with a guild member of a higher rank.”

She walked us over to one of the lounges and informed us, “This area here is roped off for people who are seeking more members to group with. You can take a quest with up to 8 people in your group.”

I looked at the people in the lounge. Seated in the lounge were a lot of adults that reminded me of that last person picked on a dodge ball team. Then there was a little girl who seemed out of place. I tossed Kalli a questioning look and sought her input.

What do you want to do?

She sized up the people sitting in the lounge and shrugged. Maybe we should try an F rank with just the two of us to see what it's like. Then we will know what kind of group to get into.

I gave the people waiting in the lounge one final look and smiled at Kalli as we walked back to the bulletin board by ourselves. The quest board had quests up to C rank, with the F ranked quests located at the bottom of the board. I scanned a few of them before announcing, “Ah hah. This world does have slimes.”

Kalliphae made a gagging noise at me and sent me a message. Why ever would you want to fight a slime? They are so…slimy.

“I wouldn’t waste my time with any of those quests if I were you”, a childish voice said from behind us, “They barely give any experience points and even less money.”

I looked back and forth between the quests and the new speaker. A little girl of maybe ten years old stood triumphantly behind us with her hands on her hips. Behind the kid stood two men wearing black suits and sunglasses. Noticing that she had our attention, the kid announced, “My name is Shara Shaw. These two are tweedle dee and tweedle dumb. They don’t talk. Now, if you guys want to get some real experience, come with me upstairs.”

Kalliphae and I exchanged a glance.

What do you think Kalli? These quests only give 10 copper each.

Kalli appraised the trio for a moment before introducing herself, “Hello, my name is Kalliphae. Is it true? Do the two of you never talk? Are you her guardians?”

Shara snorted and answered for the silent men, “It is true. They never talk. Not even to me. It isn’t their fault. Daddy prevented them from talking. They serve as my bodyguards.”

“Why does a kid need two bodyguards?”, I blurted out, confused by the little kid’s offer.

Shara scowled at me and explained, “First off, I am not just a kid. I am a Shaw. Only a neanderthal wouldn’t know the name. These two are assigned to power level me since daddy wants me to make level 20 by the time I enter puberty.”

Kalli’s voice whispered in my head. This kid is spoiled rotten. She reminds me of nobles from my world.

I had picked up on that as well.

I agree. Let’s hear her out. She might be able to give us a head start on that thousand gold we need.

We followed the kid over to a stairwell that led to the upper floors of the guildhall. A security guard manned the entrance and barred our path, “I’m sorry, you need at least B rank to enter the upper levels.”

Shara stood in front of us and barked at the guard, “These two are with me.”

The guard saluted the kid and stood aside. I decided to inspect her as we followed them up the stairs.

Name

Shara Shaw

Class

Prodigy

Level

15

Affection Level

Affection Starved

Kalli, this kid is level 15.

I could feel Kalliphae’s shock through our connection. Are you sure? What class is she?

Prodigy.

She nodded at me. Well, at least she’s not just a spoiled brat that daddy paid to get levels. The last part of that statement may be true, but you don’t get the prodigy class without being smart. What level are the bodyguards?

I turned my attention to the guards.

Name

Sebastian Reynolds

Class

Brawler

Level

31

Affection Level

Guarded

Name

Enrique Hernandez

Class

Marksman

Level

33

Affection Level

Guarded

They’re a level 31 brawler and a 33 marksman.

We followed the trio up the stairs and Kalli replied, Brawler is a melee class, and marksman is ranged. I think they use a crossbow.

He uses a gun. I can see it under his jacket.

Kalli looked at me in confusion. What is a gun?

You guys don’t have them?

She shook her head. Our private conversation got the attention of Shara, who had turned and was watching us intently. She demanded, “Let me join your group. It's so quiet in mine grouped with these two.”

Kalliphae and I looked at each other helplessly. I was worried that the kid was going to take away my private chat channel with Kalli. She noticed our hesitance and begged, “Please let me join your group. I promise I’ll behave.”

Her comment reminded me of her affection level. The kid was affection starved. I asked Kalliphae.

Do you mind?

She nodded. Go ahead.

So I invited her.

Shara Shaw has joined the group

The excitement to be in the group flowed out from the kid. Hi guys. I am going to make this so worth your while. Just you wait and see.

Kalli sent her joy through the connection as well. Welcome to the party, Shara. It’s nice to meet you.

She squealed out loud but replied in group. It’s nice to meet you too.

Deciding I wanted in on the action, I tried to project happiness too.

Welcome, Shara. Thanks for offering to help us out.

Shara turned her smile on me. I realized she was a cute kid when she smiled. She was very short with a shrimpy frame that reminded me of Kalli from her childhood, only Shara wasn’t malnourished like Kalliphae had been. Her jet black hair flowed loosely down to her shoulders and looked like it was brushed relentlessly causing it to have a silky sheen.

I could tell she was happy as she thought, Thank you. It’s so lonely grouping with these two and none of the other adventurers want to group with me because I’m still a kid. They don’t even care that I have two super-strong bodyguards.

As if on cue, the guard named Sebastian stopped in front of Shara and held a hand out. The girl stiffened and pleaded with us. Please please please, can they join the group? I’ll get in trouble if I don’t let them group with us. And, you guys will get experience from any monsters they kill. I promise they won’t rat us out to daddy, no matter what we talk about. I made daddy promise.

I nodded my approval. Kalli also nodded but sent us a thought. Let's not talk about our situation while they are in the group just to be safe.

Sebastian Reynolds has joined the group

Enrique Hernandez has joined the group

The feeling I got when the bodyguards joined the group was very different from Kalli or Shara. Where those two were living balls of emotion that were as radiant as the sun, the bodyguards were devoid of emotion and felt like two black holes had joined the group.

It was strange driving to a quest marker in the back seat of an escalade. I expected to walk or at the very least ride on horseback out to a dungeon where I would slay the beast and rescue the princess. Of course, the princess was a higher level than me and already in the group, so my vision of questing was already slightly skewed.

Our new bodyguards sat in the front seat, while Kalli and I shared the back seat with Shara in the middle.

She beamed up at both of us and chatted our ears off about her new kitty that daddy got her for her last birthday. I was unimpressed until I discovered she was talking about a tiger. I’m only allowed to pet him when Sebastian is there but it's okay. He’s so fluffy.

Shara was B Ranked in the guild, so we had picked out a B ranked quest.

More is needed: Magical Mahogany Version

Slay treants to obtain bark, branches, logs, and sap

Collect materials from up to 10 treants for your reward. 0/10. Reward 10 Gold

You are tasked with thinning the great treant forest surrounding Palomar Mountain.

It turned out that there were multiple versions of the Monster Vision buff.The guild temporarily granted us with Monster Vision (B) which allowed us to see monsters up to and including a certain rank.B rank monsters were typically designed to be defeated by a small number of people.

The Griffon that Kalli and I had fought was not generally something that could be killed without a well geared full group. When we explained the fiasco to Shara she sounded impressed. Griffons are A rank monsters. The only reason you survived was that it was a baby at level 5. It shouldn’t have been able to see you. Whoever gave you the Monster Vision buff probably messed up and forgot to put a limit on it. If a dragon had been flying by, it probably would have eaten you for lunch.

Kalli gave me the stink eye for a moment before giving up and laughing. Leave it up to the moron that buffed us to mess up the buff.

Not understanding that she was referring to me as the moron, Shara laughed along with her. I just sighed and resigned myself to not make that mistake again. We parked in a parking lot with Palomar Mountain looming in the distance. It wasn’t a big mountain as they went, but it looked beautiful with snow at its peak.

A short walk down a nature trail led us to a clearing at the base of the mountain. The five of us stood there in awe as we looked out over hundreds of living trees as they milled about at the base of the snow-capped mountain as if they were waiting for a concert to start.