The boy quietly sat in his cushioned seat wondering what the Guildmaster wanted to talk about.

Was it about what he saw? Or could it possibly be something entirely different?

He didn’t know, and that was all the more terrifying for him. It was like a constrictor snake, coiling and then tightening around his lungs. He could barely breathe in the suffocating silence of the room.

However just as he was about to pass out from the sheer mental strain of being alone, a door could be heard opening and closing from behind.

Filius slowly looked over his shoulder and found that the Guildmaster had came into the room, not even paying the boy any mind.

He watched as the Guildmaster came around the desk, and sat at the chair.

For a moment, or so, the two of them locked eyes before the Guildmaster spoke up.

“I heard you experienced something quite traumatic.. I’m surprised a lad your age hasn’t simply given up on life.. Resilient one you are.”

“I am surprised myself..”

“Tell me lad,” the burly man leaned on tied fingers his body giving off an intimidating presence. “What is your name?”

Sensing this presence, Filius immediately cowered.

The Guildmaster, sighing at the cowering, released his tension but still keeping the serious tone. “Sorry about that..”

The boy lowered his guard a little.

“Again, what is your name boy? I can’t keep calling you lad or boy every time I see you know can I?”

Filius gestured in a way that described him not being able to speak.

“Charades, hm?”

It took the Guildmaster a minute or two to follow what Filius was trying to express, but he eventually understood.

“So you can understand common, but can’t speak it is that right?”

Filius nodded.

“Annndddd, you witnessed what happened Thistle’s Rose correct?”

He nodded again.

“What happened to them?”

Filius was about to play another game of charades, but he then realized what he actually did to survive the encounter with the Rune Wolf. “Should I tell him about what happened? Or should I falsify it?” There was a moment of indecision before decisiveness took over.

He played charades, expressing what he did but exaggerating what happened.

In this series of events, Filius was rescued by the “valiant heroes” of the Thistle’s Rose as they gave their lives for his escape.

“So they died trying to save you.. Heh, definitely sounds like something they’d do.”

Filius was a bit relieved by that statement, but something didn’t seem quite right.

“But, we still have to consider this a serious incident that will require further investigation.”

“Oh shit…”

“In the meantime, we’ll have you register with the Adventurer’s Guild so that I as well as guild staff can keep a close eye on you to ensure that you were not directly involved with their demise. However it is unlikely you are the culprit seeing as they did save you, but legal codes says that we cannot rule you out as a suspect until I send a team to investigate the site. Which, won’t be for a little while.”

Filius’ heart sank. He knew that if this guildmaster was going to send out a team to investigate the site of the deaths, then they’ll come across the mummified corpses and the corpse of the Rune Wolf. Which could put Filius as the prime suspect yet again, getting questioned further.

“So here take this,” he slides a letter across the table to Filius, “This will allow you to be recruited into the guild and placed in a party.. However you’ll be placed among those in your age group. Arlade will see to that.”

Filius nodded feverishly and took the letter with hesitation.

“One last thing.”

Filius turned back to the guildmaster after having gained some distance between the two of them.

“What’s your name?”

“F...Filllleeeeeeuuss?”

“Filius?”

He nodded.

“Hmph.. Odd name. You’re free to go then.”

Filius quickly made his exit.

★ ★ ★

Filius wandered the halls of the Adventurer’s Guild before, eventually, finding himself in Arlade’s office where he was diligently working on application forms.

From Filius’ view, this man looked to be an elf with exceptional physique and sex appeal. One could not tell whether he was female or male.

That aside, Filius approached Arlade’s desk cautiously.

Arlade didn’t even look up from his forms and called out to whoever was in his office. “If you have some business, please speak now or leave. I am a very busy elf, and do not wish to be disturbed at this hour of the day.” (Of which was two in the afternoon mind you)

Filius, obviously put off by this snobby-sounding elfman, slipped the letter over the forms he was reading.

This caused his eyes to lurch up and meet the red eyes of Filius. He of course was a bit taken aback by the sudden appearance of a child, but looking at the letter he realized what was going on.

“You must be the boy my staffers were talking about.”

Filius nodded.

“Well then, let us not dawdle on your recruitment or placement. Follow me.”

Filius was led into a side room where a orb was on a pedestal in the middle of the room and was surrounded by mirrors in a semicircle facing towards the door. There were six mirrors in total, all standing about one-point-nine meters in height and about one meter in width. These mirrors reflect the visage of whoever was standing at the pedestal, in this case Filius.

“This is rather simple boy,” said the elfman standing from behind towards the door, “All you have to do is place your hand on the orb and watch the mirrors. Understood?”

The boy nodded.

“Good. You may begin when ready.”

Filius took a few breaths as he reached his hand forward and laid it upon the surface of the orb.

For a moment, nothing happened but a split second later revealed something neither the boy nor the elf were prepared to see.

What they saw was all six mirrors turning black simultaneously and nearly shattering. The boy, of course, pulled his hand away from the orb just as the mirrors were on the verge of shattering.

Arlade, absolutely stunned (horrified even) by the display of magical power, slowly stepped up to the boy. “This is impossible.. No-one should have that kind of arcanic energy.. Who even are you?!”

Filius, surprised and scared by this, turned to the elfman and shook his head in confusion; shrugging as well.

Arlade pressed his fingers to his chin, thinking about the event in detail; pacing around the room a bit.

Filius watched in anticipated silence as usual.

“This could mean a few things. One, you may be some powerful mage that wasn’t discovered until now. Two, you may be some kind of abomination, considering where the Thistle’s Rose found you. Or three, you are something else entirely..” Arlade glared at the boy, who flinched a bit at the glaring. “Either way, we cannot let anyone other than the Guildmaster know of this. Understood?”

Filius nodded fervently.

“This makes you an adventurer in the eyes of guild, but not in my eyes.. You’re a Corrupted Beast.. A dangerous one at that..”

Filius felt rather insulted by this, but didn’t show it externally. “I knew that I was different… But a Corrupted Beast? What the hell even is a Corrupted Beast??”

“Either way, you’ll be placed with the Evangelia. A group with an acolyte, a paladin, a mage, and a warrior. You’ll be with this party for the time being, understood?”

He nodded again.

“They should be in the guild’s meeting hall. Go and find them, and take this with you as well.” Arlade walks back into the other room for a moment before coming back with a piece of parchment. “This is a document detailing your official recruitment into the guild. Don’t lose it. And here’s your ID card. Don’t lose this either. Understood?”

“You say understood a lot.” Filius nodded.

“Then get out of my sight. May we never cross paths again.”

Filius walked out of the orb room, and out of his office. He then made his way to the meeting hall to meet his new party.. At least.. For the time being..