Tetsuya and Chelsea left Galanis’ Village at dawn the next day. They set out on foot for the Free City of Midgard. It was now dusk and Tetsuya was not holding up well. His legs wobbled with every step, his breathing labored, his clothes soaking in sweat. The poor boy looked as if he was right at death's door.

"Do you want me to carry you on my back?" Chelsea teased. "Because you know I could carry you on my back."

"I'm fine," Tetsuya insisted. That was a lie.

"You don't look fine," Chelsea badgered him. "We'd make better time if you just let me carry you."

"I have never felt better in my life," Tetsuya insisted. That was also a lie.

"What if I carried you like a princess?" Chelsea asked.

Tetsuya stopped and thought for a moment. "A very tempting offer, but no."

"You're as stubborn as a dwarf," Chelsea laughed. "If only you could fight like one."

"Do you think you can teach me how to fight?" Tetsuya asked.

"What?" Chelsea was taken aback, not expecting such a request.

"I hated it," Tetsuya said, images of the night before flashing through his mind. "Standing there, watching you get hurt. Not knowing if I could protect those children. Not being able to do anything. I hated it."

Chelsea could sense that the boy was serious.

"I've only been a licensed adventurer for half a year," Chelsea replied. "So there's not much that I could teach you."

Tetsuya's heart sank.

"But, Roland could probably whip you into shape," Chelsea added. "I'll ask him if he would be interested in training you."

"Thanks, Chelsea," Tetsuya said gratefully.

"I have to warn you though, he's quite a taskmaster," Chelsea warned.

The duo arrived in the Free City of Midgard at nightfall. It was a bustling cosmopolitan inhabited mostly by humans, high elves, dark elves, and dwarves, although it had its share of residents from more exotic races. The city was established as a neutral trading hub between the five northern kingdoms. Each business pays a fifteen percent tax to the Free City of Midgard and another fifteen percent tax to their home kingdom. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for all parties involved. The city was divided into two districts, the massive commercial district at its core and the residential district circumjacent to it.

Chelsea brought Tetsuya to Eicher's Workshop, the storefront for Roland Eicher's weaponsmithing business. The main floor of the building was where Roland conducted his business, the second floor of the building doubled as his home. All manners of weapons adorned the walls of the workshop, each masterfully crafted weapon displayed like priceless works of art.

Tetsuya stood nervously in front of Roland. "I bet this is what meeting your girlfriend's father for the first time must feel like." the kissless virgin thought to himself.

Roland wasn't quite what Tetsuya pictured when he imagined a dwarf. Roland's face looked youthful and chiseled. His golden blond hair was tied up in what can only be described as a hipster man bun. His thick beard was neatly trimmed. He stood at around 4'10. Unlike the depiction of stout dwarves he was used to, Roland's body was absolutely ripped. In short, this man was one handsome dwarf.

"So, you come to my home acting all familiar with the young woman who I raised as if she were my own daughter, ask to live in my home and ask me to train you how to fight as well," Roland said gruffly. "Is that right?"

Tetsuya nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

"You want me to suck your cock too while I'm at it, boy?" Roland asked. "Fuck off, you little shit!"

"Roland, please," Chelsea pleaded, flashing the dwarf her sad puppy dog eyes. "For me?"

Roland was fuming. He looked at Tetsuya, then back to Chelsea, then back to Tetsuya, then back to Chelsea. "Alright, you know I can't say no to you."

Chelsea was ecstatic. She crouched down and pick up Roland and a bearhug, lifting him up in the air. It was quite an amusing sight, like watching a mother lift up her fussy child.

"Don't laugh. He'll kill you," Tetsuya thought to himself.

Roland freed himself from Chelsea's clutches and landed gingerly on the ground. "You, boy," he turned to Tetsuya. "What weapon do you want?"

The boy looked around at the various weapons lining the walls of the workshop. There were a variety of swords including short swords, longswords, and greatswords. Disappointingly, not a single katana. Battle axes, like the one that Chelsea proudly wielded. Spears, lances, and polearms. Longbows, recurve bows. Shields ranging in size from small bucklers to massive tower shields. He didn't even know where to even begin. "What weapon do you usually use, sir?" Tetsuya asked, hoping for a bit of inspiration.

"I've never gone wrong with a war hammer. Grab one from that table over there," Roland said, pointing to a table full of weapons.

Tetsuya picked up a hammer. It weighed around thirty pounds, but he felt like he could manage it.

"That's a blacksmithing hammer you fucking idiot," Roland chastised him.

"Gyahaha!" Chelsea burst out laughing.

Roland grabbed the hammer from Tetsuya's hand and shoved him aside. He put the hammer back on the table grabbed a massive looking weapon with one hand. "This is a fucking war hammer," Roland said, tossing it to Tetsuya.

Tetsuya made a fruitless attempt to catch the weapon, he cringed in horror as it fell to the floor, making a loud thud. He bent down to pick it up, but it was far too heavy for him to lift. "S-sorry," he apologized

Roland gave Chelsea an exasperated look.

He grabbed a short sword and walked up to Tetsuya to hand it to him. "You drop this sword and it'll be the last thing you ever drop, boy," Roland warned him.

Tetsuya held the short sword in his hand and took a few practice swings. Somehow, It felt right to him.

"You'll need a shield too," Roland said, handing the boy a buckler.

The shield was small and light. Tetsuya felt like he could wield it comfortably.

"You're a small little fucker," Roland explained. "A war hammer is a deadly weapon, but that doesn't mean shit if you can't even swing it. Just like a plate mail won't do you any good if it slows you down so much that you can't hit a fucking thing while wearing it. Stick with lighter equipment, you'll want to make the most of your speed and mobility."

Roland turned to Chelsea, tossing her a small pouch full of coins. "Take him to the armorer next door and get him fitted for a leather cuirass. While you're there, get him some new clothes too. Can't have him walking around town wearing whatever the fuck that is he's wearing." the dwarf said, referring to the boy's tracksuit.

"Then take him to the Adventurer's Guild and get him registered. Grab a quest for hunting giant rats in the sewers while you're there. We start training tonight." Roland said.

"We just spent all day traveling back from the Wildlands," Chelsea protested. "The boy is tired..."

"The little fucker is tired!?" Roland shouted. "Your enemies don't give two shits if you're tired!"

"Roland..." Chelsea tried to reason with the dwarf.

"Let's do it," Tetsuya said. "Let's go kill some giant rats."

Tetsuya headed out the door with Chelsea chasing behind him.

Roland smirked to himself, appreciating the boy's earnestness. "I'll make a warrior out of you yet, boy."

Tetsuya and Chelsea made their first stop at the armorer next door. A dwarven lady named Greta took Tetsuya's measurements for his leather cuirass. The material commonly used for this armor is lesser drake rawhide, it was a material durable enough to provide a reliable degree of protection against slashing attacks from harpy talons and dire wolf claws. The finished pieces of leather were then crafted into a cuirass, a type of armor that consisted of a breastplate and a backplate fastened together. The entire process of crafting this particular armor was usually a day or two. After he had his measurements taken, Chelsea helped Tetsuya pick out clothing to wear under his armor, as well as to wear around town during his day to day activities. They decided to go with a linen tunic and a pair of linen trousers, as well as a comfortable pair of boar rawhide leather boots.

They made their way through the city and finally made it to the Adventurers Guild. From the outside, the building seemed unremarkable. No flashy signs or decorations to denote the importance of such a venue. But within these hallowed walls was a collection of hunters, warriors, and adventurers throughout the land.

The room was brimming with a cast of colorful characters. Leaning against the wall was a female faun, playing a sweet melody on her lute. Her appearance was neat and well groomed, a stark contrast from the faun living in Galanis’ Village. Sitting across from each other was a male high elf wearing a padded tunic and a male dwarf wearing a chain mail engaged in a fierce arm wrestling competition. A male half-orc wearing studded leather armor stood in the corner laughing and egging them on. At the bulletin board a female dark elf carrying a staff and wearing an elegant raiment. Standing next to her was a fierce looking lizard-like figure, rumor has it that he comes from a race called lizardfolk who dwell in the area around the Marsh of Nereus, but those rumors have yet to be proven. The unlikely pair were contemplating which quest they should take. At the guild clerk's station, a female human wearing a plate mail was turning in a quest that she had completed. She carried a long sword and a tower shield with her, reminiscent of Lady Kiera.

"Talk to the guild clerk over there and tell her that you want to register," Chelsea said, pointing to a high elf girl sitting at the far end of the guild clerk's station. "I'm going to go turn in that boar hunting quest."

Tetsuya walked up to the high elf girl. "Uhhh. Hi," Tetsuya said awkwardly.

The girl gave him a tired but courteous smile.

"I'd like to register as an adventurer," Tetsuya said.

The girl prepared a piece of parchment paper. "Name?"

"Tetsuya Miyazaki." he replied, wondering if he needs her to spell his name.

She began to scribble down something with her quill pen. "Age?"

Tetsuya wondered for a moment if there was a minimum age requirement to become an adventurer. "Eighteen," he replied.

"Race?" the girl asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I guess I should try to speed things up," Tetsuya thought to himself. "Human," he replied.

The high elf girl looked up at him, quickly studying his face. "Are you sure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Please, just put down human," Tetsuya pleaded.

The elf girl shrugged it off and continued her work. "Next of kin?"

"I don't have any," Tetsuya replied.

"Do you have any friends you want to authorize to claim your body?" she asked.

"Claim my body?" Tetsuya asked.

"If you die, is there anyone you want to authorize to claim your body?" the elf girl clarified.

"If I die?" Tetsuya thought to himself. "Oh, wow... That's dark."

"Umm... Chelsea," Tetsuya replied.

The high elf girl stared at him blankly.

"I don't know her last name," Tetsuya said. "I don't think she has a last name."

Tetsuya thought for a moment. "Okay then, how about Roland Eicher? He's a weaponsmith that lives around..."

The high elf girl grabbed another piece of parchment and quickly scribbled something down, then she put down her quill pen and handed the piece of parchment to Tetsuya. "This is your Adventurer's Guild identification card," she explained. "You need to show it every time you register for a quest or claim a reward for a completed quest. If you lose it, you must pay ten crowns for a replacement. Your designated identification number is 620-55-3218. You are now officially registered as an adventurer with the Adventurer's Guild.

"T-thanks, you too," Tetsuya muttered.

He looked around to see if Chelsea was finished with her business and saw her standing, staring at him with a big grin on her face.

"How much of that did you see?" Tetsuya asked.

"I saw enough," she laughed. "Ready to kill some giant rats?"

"Yeah!" Tetsuya exclaimed enthusiastically.

Tetsuya watched in horror as an endless swarm of giant rats scurried around in every direction. Each one was around the side of a small dog. Their squeaks and hisses echoed loudly within the sewers.

"Nope!" Tetsuya exclaimed apprehensively.

Roland handed Tetsuya a large burlap sack. "Kill them and bag them," he instructed. "The Adventurer's Guild pays by the pound."

The boy held the burlap sack in his shield hand so that his sword hand was unencumbered, allowing him to attack more freely. He set his eyes on his first target, a giant rat standing perfectly still in front of him. He lunged for a stab, attempting the skewer it with his sword, but the nimble beast dodged his clumsy attack with ease. Tetsuya heard Chelsea snickering behind him. He chose another target, he made another lunge, miscalculated and lost his balance, falling face first into the putrid sewer sludge. He gagged and retched violently, vomiting all over the ground. Chelsea's snickering intensified.

"What are you standing there laughing for?" Roland asked. "Didn't you let yourself get bitten by a bunch of fucking dire wolves?"

Roland handed Chelsea a burlap sack of her own. "Don't think you're too good to kill a bunch of fucking giant rats."

Chelsea sighed, but she knew Roland was right. She grabbed the burlap sack, drew her battle axe and quietly went to work.

Tetsuya made his third attempt, this time landing a glancing blow at his target, but it still wasn't enough to kill it. He watched it scurry away, his frustration growing.

He stood up once more, set his eyes on another target, and lunged at it. He felt himself losing balance once again, but he committed to finishing the attack. He skewered the rat with his blade, killing it. Tetsuya found himself face down in the sewer sludge. He was elated and finally making his first kill. He didn't even notice Chelsea and Roland watching him, grinning at him, proud of him for pushing through.

"Every enemy has a weak spot," Roland said. "A dire wolf has its throat, a cyclops has its eye, a harpy has its wings. If you want to survive your encounter with these beasts, you'll need to be able to attack their weak spots consistently and effectively. Giant rats are comparatively small, fast and nimble. If you can focus your attacks to kill these little fuckers, then you'll be able to focus your attacks on the weak spots of whatever enemy comes your way.

Roland's words resonated with Tetsuya. He realized right away how important this exercise was. This wasn't just mindless busy work, killing insignificant beasts. Roland was teaching him the building blocks of how to become an effective warrior.

Tetsuya bagged the giant rat and set his sights on another one. He lunged at it with renewed vigor, driving his blade through its skull, killing it swiftly.

"Your shield isn't just for protection!" Roland instructed. "Bash the little fuckers with your shield!"

The boy did as was instructed, switching the burlap sack to his sword hand. He chose his next target, dove at it, and bashed its skull in with the edge of his buckler.

The giant rats were becoming aware of the hostile presence encroaching upon their territory. They were becoming much more aggressive, actively seeking to attack the boy. A giant rat leaped in the air, reaching up to about the height of Tetsuya's waist. He instinctively swatted it away with his buckler, sending it flying back from the direction that it came. It landed on the ground scampering about in a daze.

"It's stunned! Finish the fucker off with your blade!" Roland yelled.

Tetsuya scrambled his way to the beast, impaling it with his sword before it could come back to its senses.

"If you connect with a good hit and you see an opening, be ready to launch a follow-up attack!" Roland instructed. "Don't give your opponent time to recover!"

A giant rat darted at Tetsuya, sinking its sharp teeth into his leg. He crouched down awkwardly to reach the beast, stabbing it through the head.

"Always mind your distance! Don't let an opponent get too close to you!" Roland reprimanded the boy. "Control the space between you and your opponent."

Tetsuya remembered the first time he met Chelsea, the way she drove her boot into a boar's snout to keep it at a safe distance while she retrieved her battle axe from the other boar's skull. He also remembered how much Chelsea struggled with the dire wolves once they sank their fangs into her.

Another giant rat bolted towards Tetsuya, the boy braced himself and kicked the beast right in its head, sending it flying back. Tetsuya saw an opening and prepared for a follow-up attack, he lunged at it and bludgeoned it to death with his buckler.

Roland grinned, pleased at how quickly the boy was learning. "Don't get a big head just because you can kill a couple of giant rats! There's a whole world out there of vicious fucking shits that are just waiting to fucking kill you!"

Tetsuya forged on through the night. He went after one giant rat after another. Sometimes he killed them in one clean hit, sometimes they sank their teeth into his flesh. With each success, his confidence grew. With each failure, he found an experience to learn from. By daybreak he was exhausted, he reeked of sewage, but his burlap sack was completely full.