Chapter 9

Eva Lemuria-14 years old

I woke up the day after the party a little groggy. I woke up and stumbled out of the bed before making my way to my closet. I then felt my clothes being taken off and swapped with my training armor. When I finally fully woke up I look to my side and see Julie with a happy expression and a little drool. It seems like I had let my guard down and Julie took advantage of my drowsy state.

I want to say something but I want to stay in my good mood. Today is the day I finally become an adventurer. I will feel proud to join the organization father had helped build. I have been planning this for a long time and it truly was hard to get permission to join. Mother is still against it and Father is worried, but accepted it because he knows I'll do well there.

I feel like this is the perfect time for me to join. Recently in my training, I feel as if I have hit a wall. My spells are all as strong as before and my attacks and instincts are the same. Everything is strong, but not strong enough and I can't seem to get stronger at this point. Shadow told me before that when fighting against something new or risking your life can push people to become stronger. This is my goal to become stronger. I will fight with my life on the line and become stronger.

I take a look into the mirror in my room and look at myself. I have on my training armor that I had Shadow have made for me. It's a lightweight dark brown leather armor. It has hardened leather that covers my vitals. My right arm only has minimal cover because it's my primary attacking arm and most armor will just be a hindrance to the speed of my swings. The armor also has a hood so I can cover my black hair and eyes. The armor has a few enchantments so it's as strong as iron armor but not as heavy. I have my dagger attached to my hip and now all I need is my halberd.

I grab my halberd and shoulder it before walking out of my room. Julie follows me as I make my way towards the castles side entrance. The side entrance is mostly used for the castles workers that don't live on the grounds and when goods are brought in like food and other supplies. It's less conspicuous because I don't want too many people to know that I plan on adventuring outside. I may be different and hated by many but I'm still a princess of this kingdom so it's better to not draw any unwanted attention.

As soon as I reach the gate I turn around and look at my constant headache. I didn't think she would still try to follow me even to here. She even still has her maid outfit on. Her black dress with a white apron that matches all the other maids in the castle. She's probably planning on following me under orders of Mother, but there are two reasons I can't have her follow me. The first is that adventures don't have maids following them around because it's just weird and a dead give away that I'm someone important. She didn't even try to dress up as an adventurer. The second issue is that she is too strong to follow me. If she is there I won't make any progress because she will be constantly protecting me. She will be a constant hindrance to my training.

“Julie I think this is where we part ways. I can't have a maid following me as I become an adventurer and go fight. Plus I won't get any genuine experience with you around protecting me.”

“Princess you don’t have to worry, I will follow from a distance and I will not interfere with your adventures.” Julie

“Either way people will notice a maid following me around and assume I'm important, which will bring more danger to me. Also, can you tell me that if you see me fighting and possibly getting hurt you can control yourself and not intervene?” She truly looks shocked and then her face goes to conflicted and she starts fidgeting uncontrollably. “That's what I thought. Julie, you should just go back and wait for me to return. Today I'll just take a simple mission to exterminate a low tier beast.”

“I understand Princess. I will go and wait with the Queen and Princess Lora for your return. Please do not make us worry for too long.” Julie is clearly trying to guilt trip me, but it will not work.

I leave the side entrance and begin walking through the streets. I notice I still have stares on me but I then notice that they are instead looking at my halberd instead. I can't blame them because it's a very deadly looking weapon. Not only is it a weapon type that has not been seen around here before but it's also very unique.

After walking through the streets for about fifteen minutes I make it to the adventurers guild. It's a huge three-floor building because this was the first adventures guild that was built. The entire street is filled with weapons and armor shops that aim at adventures. This building used to be the headquarters for the adventures guild when it was still controlled by Father but once it was passed onto the council the made a new headquarters by the Academy because it's closer to other countries and the Academy has a close relationship with the adventures guild.

I walk into the guild and immediately receive several stares from everyone inside. I immediately notice what's wrong with this picture. Only about three-tenths of the guild members are women and more than half of those women seem to just follow the males in their groups without a word. The few woman in here that don't have males to follow around or rely on are either ostracized or are being hit on. Disgusting is the only word that comes to mind.

Since I'm a new face many people look towards me. It's all evaluating faces, but they can only see the lower half of my face because everything else has been covered. As soon as the men notice that I'm a woman they get lecherous looks while the woman gives me pitying gazes as if they assume ill fall into the usual categories. I heard adventures love to harass each other because they can't do anything to civilians without getting in trouble, but conflicts between each other will not be bothered with as long as it doesn't go too far. I'm sure once I'm finished signing up someone will come to bug me but that is what I want. I walk up to the female receptionist who looks tired from all the harassing and flirting.

“Hello, I am Susan a adventures guild receptionist. I can tell you are a new face to this area, so are you here to sign up or check in from another branch?” A check in is when an adventure comes to a new town. They let the guild know where they are in case they get a personal request or if they are in trouble the guild can track them.

“Yes, I'm here to register as an adventurer. I don't know how the system and rules have changed so can I please here them and please keep my information confidential to others.”

“Of course please fill out this form while I explain everything.” She hands me the papers and a quill to fill out my information. “Okay, the rules of the guild are pretty basic for everyday rules while there are some sub-rules for specific situations. I will just explain the basic rules for you. Fighting is allowed between adventures regardless of rank unless it's a fight to the death. If you want to fight to the death you need to invoke a dual where you have a guild employee come to monitor the duel for you. Adventures are not allowed to duel or fight any civilians with our heavy punishment. If a non-adventurer tries to fight you unprovoked then obviously self-defense is allowed try not to kill because an investigation will be conducted. Adventures are not to try to fake guild request or falsify any claims or reports. Adventures and request are organized by tiers. The tiers go from the 1st to 7th tier, with 1st tier being of the strongest and the fewest. You will start as a 7th tier. There are two normal ways to rank up in tiers. You can either complete a certain number of missions in either your tier or the next tier. Careful jumping tiers because one shouldn't overestimate their abilities. The second way to go up in rank is to take a rank up test. These can be taken anytime because we don't want a strong adventurer to be stuck at a low tier when they are strong enough to be several tiers higher. Now as for completing missions as groups if you want to formally complete a request with a group you may all come to accept a request and the request will be held so no one else may take it. If you go to one request but end up completing another you didn't accept before hand we will still allow you to complete it, but you will have a twenty percent cut from the pay for not formally accepting the request and possibly ruining other adventures plans. Now that's all for the basics I'll just have to file your information. When you come in all you have to do is tell us your name and tier and we will be able to find your information. That's all for the introduction and basic rules. I’ll go and file your information and register you. If you want the 1st tier request is over there.”

She points me in the direction of a large board will with papers organized in rows and columns. I look through the request for something to gauge my strength. I thought of just taking the tier rank up test right away, but it would be better to gauge my strength and gain experience first. While looking through the request I can feel that I'm being watched still. In fact, some of the peoples' gazes haven't left me since I walked into the building.

I spot a request that will probably be perfect for me since it's on the top of the first tier requests. It's to subjugate some earth wolves. They are considered a 7th tier monster but the danger is when they come in large numbers. They are just a normal beast without any mana mutations and there's also a very small chance that there are any mana mutants among them. They are brown wolves that like to burrow in the ground instead of caves or in the forest like other wolves which gives them their name.

I take the request and go back to the counter. The receptionist is there and she looks a little pale. She most likely has realized who I am and has probably already reported it to her superiors, but because I requested my info be confidential they can't do much about it. They'll probably just monitor me and my progress.

“Well-ll Princ..” Susan

“Please Susan, call me Eva. We are both women around the same age lets get along.” She was about to say something really dumb so I cut her off. I tell her this with a slight smile hoping it helps her relax. She seems to realize the problem and takes a breath before returning more to normal.

“Yes, I understand Miss Eva. Well, then you have now been registered as a 7th tier adventurer. Have you found a request or would you like to take a rank up test?” Susan

“Yes, I would like to take this request for earth wolves. After the request, I'll probably want to take a rank up test later. Also, fights between adventures will be fine as long as no one dies right? Does it matter who strikes first or even the reason?”

“Yes, that's right and it doesn't matter the reason or who strikes first. I can tell that you've done your research. I’ll apologize beforehand and good luck on your request.” Susan says with a weak smile and it makes me want to cheer her up so I smile and tell her.

“It's ok. It’s all a part of the plan anyway.” After I say that I turn around and see that someone is already there waiting for me. I can't help but remember those noble boys from last night. I didn't even let them speak before I shut them down immediately. I guess I'll let them try to speak this time.

“Well, miss it seems your new to being an adventurer here. Because adventures ought to stick together and since you're a weak female we thought it best if you just follow us around so we can protect you. You only need to pay us back a little with a portion of your profits and maybe a little extra here and there.” Wow, I knew this is pretty much what he was going to say, but now I can tell that these guys only see females as a source of extra profit and a place to use their lust on. I don't think I will properly be able to respond.

“Disgusting.” Nope, that was right. I take my halter of my shoulder rotate it in my hand till the blade end is facing away from him then I swing it with enough force towards this guys head. The blunt end of his halberd connects to the side of his face and then I finish it through and see the guy flying right towards the wall. I could tell from my halberd that at the very leas he will have a dislocated jaw and probably won't even be able to hear from his left ear ever again. That is if he ever wakes up. When I thought he would break through the wall he instead smashes into it and crumbles onto the ground. Well, now I feel as if he will definitely not going to wake up, but I'm sure he's at least still alive.

I rest my halberd back on my shoulder and wait for their reactions. The guys that were in the same party as the one I hit run to him to check on him while the girls in his group just look at him with shock and then small smirks that tell me their true feelings. All the other guys who came to try to force me under them slowly back away in fear and I see some of the women in the crowd look at me with the same admiring looks that Cathy had last night.

With this, I should have established that I'm not going to be like any of the other weak females who can be put under someone else thumb. I will not be like the other females that are either ostracized or suppressed by others. The fear and admiration are all I see in people's gazes now so I move towards the door without looking at anyone else. I did not know but from this one single action I took for my selfish reason for not wanting to be bothered by others had given some of those women the courage to change themselves creating a new kind of adventurers guild. I didn't know or care because I was thinking of how my fight with those earth wolves would be.