Ten minutes passed. Caelus let his gaze wander across the central hub, taking in its grandeur. Alette sat perched on Jack's left shoulder, her legs swinging back and forth in idle boredom. Meanwhile, Jack leaned back against the bench, fast asleep, completely at ease amid the quiet wait.
Abigail, the Vanguard guild's receptionist, approached them to deliver the news.
"Excuse me?"
At the sound of her voice, Caelus and Alette both turned toward her. Beside them, Jack stirred, blinking awake as he lifted his head.
"Erm...yeah?" Jack yawned.
"Your guild tags are ready."
"Really?"
"Ah, finally!" Said Alette, after flying up.
"Indeed, please follow me."
Jack and Caelus rose from the bench and followed Abigail across the lobby toward the reception desk. Abigail gently placed three wooden boxes on the desk before them. They each picked one up, studying it for a moment before exchanging glances.
"This is it."
"Wanna open at the same time?"
"Sure, and Alette, I believe this box is for you, but I'll open it for you."
"Thanks! Oooohh, oh boy, oh boy, give Jack an orichalcum!"
Jack and Caelus opened their boxes in unison, their eyes immediately drawn to the material tags inside.
"Aha! A platinum tag!" Caelus grinned, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Guess I really am on par with those guys." He turned to Jack. "What about you, Jack? What did you get?"
Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting much, while Alette's face fell in disappointment at the sight of the mithril tag resting inside the open chest.
"Congratulations, you are officially members of the Vanguard guild." Said Abigail with a cheerful smile.
Jack glanced at Abigail. "Ah, yeah, thank you, miss-"
"A mithril?! Really?!" Alette's voice rang out right beside Jack's ear, and he jolted in surprise at the sudden shout. "Jack is much stronger than that! You should've seen how he fought those monsters outside!" Alette puffed up in protest, scolding Abigail without holding back.
"My apologies, but that is the guildmaster's decision, and the rank assigned for today."
"Well, I wanna speak to the guildmaster-!" Before Alette could finish, Jack lifted a finger and gently pressed it over her mouth, cutting her off mid-protest.
"Alette… I'm flattered. Truly." Jack said, a little sheepish at her outburst, but clearly touched. "But mithril rank is fine for me. There's no need to make a fuss."
Alette shot Jack a quick look before turning her head away, arms crossing tightly as her cheeks puffed in a pout. "Hmph… fine."
"I've got to admit, you're the most skilled elementalist I've ever seen." Caelus added.
Jack nodded to Caelus.
"I guess you look ok for a platinum rank, Mister Caelus." Alette said with a slight smirk.
As the trio turned away from the reception desk, a crowd of mercenaries suddenly swarmed toward them, eagerly calling out invitations to join their teams. Word of the new high-rankers had already spread, likely sparked by Alette's early shout and mention of mithril and platinum.
"Ah! What the!" Alette startled.
One after another, the mercenaries pleaded with Jack and Caelus, urging them to join their parties and take on quests together.
"You! Headband! Join my party!"
"Come with me, we can be rich together!"
"We need a strong guy like you!"
"Join my party!"
"Take a quest with us!"
"I urged both of you to join us!"
Desperation and excitement filled the air as they all vied for Jack and Caelus's attention.
"Uuh, one at a time, please."
"Argh, can you guys keep it down!" Alette closed her ears.
"Uhh, Jack, I don't know who to join at this point."
From the second floor, the wolffolk guildmaster stood beside Dahlia near the stairwell, observing the crowd of mercenaries surrounding the three newcomers. With a small motion, he raised his cane, then struck it against the floor. A crushing wave of pressure spread across the entire central hub. Even Jack felt it. The crowd stiffened, bodies trembling under the sudden weight, and one by one, every head turned toward the guildmaster, the moment the wave of pressure stopped.
"Lower your voices!" the guildmaster commanded. "Give these two gentlemen and the fairy some space. And don't try to force them into your little groups."
The mercenaries quickly voiced their apologies as the guildmaster descended the stairwell, guided by Dahlia. Most of the mercenaries backed off and dispersed, leaving only a handful who lingered, still urging the trio to reconsider joining their parties.
Alette sighed. "Ha...that was intense."
"Yeah… maybe we should be careful not to get swept up in all this attention, or show off our powers too much."
"Though I must agree with Mister Jack, it's also nice to have others join our parties and share some rewards with them." Caelus said thoughtfully.
"Yep, yep."
By the time they left the Vanguard's central hub, night had already settled over the city. Jack walked over to his horse, untied it from the paddock, and took the reins.
Caelus came to them before setting off. "Where are you guys going?"
Jack turned to Caelus. "We're thinking of finding an inn while I've still got some coins on me. I've fought many creatures on our way here."
"Yeah, and we didn't get any comfy and quiet sleep, what about you?"
"Well, since I don't have a single crown on me, I think this is a good opportunity to take on a quest. I guess this is where we part ways?"
"No worries. Next time we cross paths, we'll take down those ugly monsters together." Jack said, offering Caelus a handshake.
"Yeah, it'll be our first adventure with Alette and her friends!" Alette puffed up with pride, pointing at herself with a bright, excited grin.
"Ha, you're right! I'll see you on the other side!"
Jack and Caelus shared a firm, almost celebratory handshake before going their separate ways, exchanging one last wave in farewell.
Later that night, Jack and Alette wandered through the streets, searching for the cheapest inn they could find, as Jack quietly counted the coins in his hand.
"Seventeen crowns."
"Seventeen crowns? Do we have enough to afford a night at an inn?"
Jack and Alette slowly lifted their gaze, and there it stood. A crooked, rust-eaten inn loomed before them, its worn walls and sagging structure giving off an eerie, abandoned air. Not a single soul seemed willing to stay there. Alette shivered slightly, the building reminding her of a haunted house.
"We are not going to sleep in there, are we?"