"It's like, we both put our elbow on a table, and the we try to push the other guys arm down" I try to explain, but he just seems annoyed and confused.

"Why not just do grabbers?" Now it's my turn to be ignorant.

"What's grabbers?" He marches up real close to me.

"Out with your hands!" He commands. Uwah, this guy is actually pretty scary. I just do as he says, then he grabs each of my hands, interlocking each of his fingers with mine. It feels a little gross.

"Then both try to twist the other's hand backwards. I win when you surrender or kneel on the floor" That last part is a clear provocation, but I don't let it touch me.

"Sure, for 10 asti?" I ask. He just replies with "cocky little shit" and starts to turn the pressure against me, which I return in kind.

He quickly finds a new expression, one of surprise and fear, as I easily turn the tables on him. He grits his teeth and tries to hold in, but I just slowly increase the pressure.

"Enough, I yield, I yield!" He says. His comrades at the table look really surprised. "So, ten asti?" He emits a grunt. He fishes up a single coin and flips it to me "Take it you bastard".

There's only a single coin, so I was just about to complain, but upon further inspection, it appears to have two circles on it. I remember the roman numeral-style symbols of this world and recognize it as 10, which means that the new monetary system is probably much close to the one I remember from my old world.

I simply reply with a thanks and go line up in the queue again. Fortunately it is a bit shorter this time.

"I would like to take that exam, please" I ask of the man behind the counter, handing him the coin I just practically robbed. He creases his eyebrows, but accepts it anyway. He turns, opens a door and shouts "Ergad! I've got one for exams!" To which a tall man with white hair and the air of a veteran comes in.

"Follow me, please" he tells me. Amina follows me, but he stops her "please wait here, it will take a little while". She looks terrified to be left alone. I then follow him to a small room, where I am asked to take a seat.

"Now, I will ask you some questions." Wait, is this an oral exam? Shit, I hope it just a common sense thing.

"Name?"

"Yos"

"Age?"

"I don't rightly know actually, just write down what I look to be around" That reply makes him look a little displeased.

"I'll just note down... say... 22?" To which I just nod. I think he would be more displeased if I told him the truth.

"What prior hunting experience do you have?"

"I've been in dungeons for 7 years under the guide of various people" He makes a slightly surprised looking face.

"Then why didn't you apprentice under any of them." Eh, how to wiggle my way out of this one? I know.

"They all unfortunately died" ouch, I actually feel it hurting as I say it. I remember the faces of my relations, lost to eternity once again and feel myself take on a sullen mood.

"Sorry for your loss." Ergad says as a routine. "What weapons do you have experience with?"

"Sword and shield, throwing knives".

"Do you have a gift?"

"Yes. Self-healing" me mutter an "ooh, nice" and continues.

"Do you know any magic?"

"Yes, both bestowal and creation magicks" He makes a smirk.

"Are you a member of any other guilds?"

"No"

"Have you ever committed a crime"

"No" Shortly after replying there, I remember the few innocent lives I took. Shit, I just replied without thinking, so it is probably more convincing, but I can't help but squirm a little once I recall it.

"Now then, this is not a standard question, but I kinda wish to know how an acolyte end up taking an exam for the hunter's guild, or how someone with this background ended up as an acolyte." Oh right, I am still wearing the church robes.

"Eh, that's... difficult" I stumble my way through an uncertain excuse.

"Sorry, didn't mean to pry" What the hell were you doing if not prying?

"Okay, then let's go have a spar to finish this off" He says, and he leads me to a small open area, with tight-packed dirt, wooden weapons, dummies and targets.

He pick of a wooden sword and shield and gesture for me to do the same.

"Remember, this is an exam, you don't have to beat me, you just have to show a certain level of combat prowess" he says, as we go position ourselves at the center of the area.

"Start" He says. I immediately just charge. I am to knock his shield away with my own and slash at him immediately after, but the shield bash is way more effective than I had anticipated and he is knocked down on his ass.

"Eh, that should be enough. Young man, you really are a bundle of raw strength, aren't you?" I don't know what to say, so I just nod, slightly confused myself, as to what just happened.

"You can just leave through the door there. Your tag should be ready the day after tomorrow, so please wait patiently until then" Eh, I have to wait? I grumble a little.

I return to the main room and meet up with Amina. I technically don't need her anymore, so I tell her she can go back to the temple. She immediately adopts an uncertain expression. "Eh, my lord, have I done something wrong? Please don't throw me away!" This damn lunatic.