I woke up with a headache. Not because I had gotten drunk, thankfully enough, but because it was morning and I had to wake up. The party had gone on till late into the night, though I had left soon after Miss Emily had given the glass to me. I was calling it the Glass of Emotions.


    Now it sat on my bedside table, still glimmering slightly yellow. The magic that had made it was not of this world. I was starting to suspect it might be some form of Story Magic. Miss Emily had hinted that she knew about it.


    I wondered who she actually was. Story magic was not a common thing. The magic that had made this glass… I did not know enough to say how rare it was. But it had to be very rare. I had not even heard of such a thing.


    Not on this planet.


    Just who was she to know magic not of this world, to be able to see the flows of Story magic and look like she was just a weak Rank 1. I was suspicious of her. But I could not deny that she had done much to help me.


    So I kept my suspicions to myself and headed out. This morning I would be going to the Adventurer’s Guild. And I would take a job. If I went early, there was a good chance I wouldn’t run into that old man. And I had been planning to take a more active role.


    Taking jobs would do that. Just as I had discussed with Miss Emily, taking jobs would mean that I was a client of the Adventurer’s Guild. I would then buy some herbs or something from the Alchemist Guild with the money I earned. That should tell both the Guilds that I was planning to be peaceful.


    The real politics would start after that. But I could deal with that when it came. For now, I needed to get a job.


    The sun had already risen, but there seemed to be fewer people on the street than before. I suppose a lot of the people that lived here had been at ‘my’ party. A few of the passersby even bowed to me. That was surprising. I really didn’t know how to respond to it. Thankfully, they did not seem to want a response.


    But the Adventurer’s Guild could not come quick enough. Thankfully, I didn’t get lost again.  I first went to the training ground and then walked to Miss Emily’s place. There were already people entering the building. The workday started quickly when your clients were dying.


    I walked forward till I came to the hole in the wall. Then I followed the route Alice had taken to reach the Adventurer’s Guild. For all its apparent planning, the city was disturbingly difficult to navigate. And I knew that to have likely been done on purpose.


    A tactic to confuse armies. Before spells were common, and the Empire was founded, when magic was still weak and the Great Cities ruled the world. This was how they were made. The cities’ geography could keep a small invading force from reaching the more protected areas by keeping them confused and lost within the city itself.


    Perhaps give time to evacuate or form a defense. The capital, and several of the older ducal cities were like this. Rowan had gotten lost when he first came to the capital. That was why I knew this.


    But it wasn’t very useful information.


    The Adventurer’s Guild appeared in my sight, and I doubled my speed to reach it. I had managed to navigate through the streets. The route had been long, and highly elongated. But I had gotten here. This might really be the first time I went somewhere without relying on google maps.


    I walked into the building even as a servant rushed inside to inform them of my presence. But they were Rank 1. I was Rank 3. The board stood before me. I could see it. A very normal Adventurer’s Guild board with quests on it. I headed straight to it.


    There was one quest for Rank 2s. And none for Rank 3s. That was good. A Rank 3 quest might have been a bit too difficult for me at this point. I could see that the quest had already been on the board for a couple of days. I wondered why.


    This job should have already been dealt with by the Guild’s own forces by now. A few days was way too long to let a job remain. Perhaps old man Rom and the Rank 2s of the Guild were hoping that someone would come and do their job for them.


    Well today he might get his wish. I took the offer, noting the strange nature of the parchment. This was not paper, it felt more like cloth. But still different, rougher than any cloth I had touched before.


    But what cloth the offer was written on didn’t matter to me. What did matter to me was the receptionist? The servant had already reached her by that point. The girl in question was looking at me like I was a monster about to approach her.


    I did so anyway. “I would like to take this job offer.”


    The girl took it from me with a nervous look on her face, as if scared I would kill her any second. “Th- this offer is only for Rank 2s and above sir.”


    “I am a Rank 3.” I stated.


    “Bu-but sir, the record says that you aren’t.” she replied, looking like she might faint.


    I blinked, looking at her with raised eyebrows. What was going on now? The girl had not even touched the pile of papers that was probably her ‘record’. But I suppose a good receptionist already knew what was in there.


    “There isn’t any record of you sir.” she continued. I suppose that made sense, and explained why she would know I wasn’t on record as a Rank 3. I hadn’t registered yet. How foolish of me.


    “Then would you be so kind as to register me?” I asked.


    The girl gulped. “I—I can’t sir. The Head told me not to do it. You have to meet him to register with the Guild.”


    I groaned. I should have expected that. Rom did not seem like the kind of person that would let something out of his control so easily.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    “And where can I meet him?” I asked.


    “In his office, after making an appointment.” Rom said, his voice coming from behind me.


    “Can I make one now?” I asked, turning around.


    “No, I am busy now. Aren’t I?” he said, looking at the receptionist.


    The receptionist’s eyes were darting from me, Rom and then back to the stack of papers on her desk.


    “N-no-” The receptionist froze as Rom glared at her. “Yes sir, you are very busy for the next -”


    “Three.” Rom said. “I sadly won’t be available for three more hours.”


    I rolled my eyes. “Well I was going to take a job off your hands as a favor, but if it is going to be so stubborn, well. I suppose I can just go to the Alchemist’s Guild.”


    Rom’s eyes widened, and then narrowed as he grunted in anger. The man did not like the Alchemist’s Guild. And he disliked being forced to do something he didn’t want to even more. Now he had to decide which of the two he disliked more.


    I put the offer back on the board. “A pity. The job hadn’t been done for a bit. I suppose it will remain like that for weeks now.”


    Rom glared at me and then at the offer. I knew what I was doing. The higher rank jobs tended to be related to the mines. And if the Adventurer’s Guild didn’t do their part in taking care of the mines, well I could just see the royal knights being very angry about that.


    “Now that I think of it, there might be a problem.” he declared. “I do not remember there being any appointments this morning.”


    “You!” he screamed at the receptionist, clearly struggling to remember her name. “Are you lying to me?”


    The girl did faint at that point. Or maybe she just decided she wanted to act like she did. But either way, it was to my benefit.


    “So, should I just leave, or -”


    “I’ll do it.” Rom grunted. “No, actually just take it. I will fill out the paperwork later.”


    I narrowed my eyes at him. What was he up to now? “I think I would like it to be done now.”


    I did not know what trick he was pulling, but I didn’t want to see him succeed. Rom grunted in annoyance but did hand me some forms. The same fabric-like paper as the offer. I took that to mean that they were real. The forms were even short, so much shorter than I was used to.


    Just took me ten minutes and I was done. On Earth it would have taken me hours to get registered at any institution as government like as this one. A few minutes later, I was a Rank 3 member of the Adventurer’s Guild. Another new thing. Just the thought of not waiting for days to hear a reply was new.


    “Do you have anything else?” Rom asked, still sounding annoyed.


    I shrugged. “Not anything I can think of right now. See you later.”


    That thought did not seem to make him happy. I just walked out, reading the job. There was a bunch of Rank 1 fish near one of the mines. A lot of them, apparently. The royal knights wanted it done.


    The City Lord had offered a hundred silver for it. That apparently came up to a silver per two fish. The same as the poison fish. I narrowed my eyes at the paper. The awakened were either much richer than I thought, or there was something up with this.


    Why hadn’t it been accepted already? I should have thought of that before I took it. Oh well, it wasn’t as if I had to fight them. I could just look at them and come back if they were too strong for me.


    Connor was waiting for me when I got back to the house, a sword in his hands. I blinked at the sight of it. The sword had a red hilt, and a blade that seemed to be a very light gold.


    “What happened?” I asked. The sight of the big giant with a blade like that was scary.


    “Alice talked.” he answered. “Thought we do something for you. So made blade.”


    I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you made that -”


    “Yes, me, Alice make. To thank you for party. And help with fish. Miss Emily think it good idea.” Connor said.


    So the old woman was behind this too.


    “Wait, you made a blade in one night? Even after you were so drunk?”


    Connor avoided my eyes.


    “Connor?”


    “Don’t be offended.”


    “I won’t.” I answered, a bit curious what he was so nervous about.


    “The blade not for you. Made it long ago. But still good blade.” he answered.


    Well, that made more sense.


    “I’ll take it.” I shrugged. “If you’re still giving me that is.”


    Connor continued just looking at me.


    “Is there something else?” I asked.


    “Do you not know blade?”


    “This blade? No, why?”


    “This blade forged in water, quenched in fire.” he said.


    I could feel my blood freeze. “Don’t tell me you guys -”


    “Thought we could do it. So did. Miss Emily very angry. Making this illegal, only royalty can use.” he answered. “Now royalty has it.”


    Of course only royalty could use it. The bloody, idiotic geniuses had gone and copied the forging of the Founding Emperor’s sword. The first part of it at least. That was…well I hadn’t even know it was possible. Not by Rank 2s with so little mana.


    “This could get you killed, you know. How did the royal knights not find out about this?”


    “Made it in mines. Had job there, mine was empty. The air there can be used to make sword. But couldn’t manage to forge it with water, so had to use metal.”


    “Yes, you have to use the air crystals. Just the air mana is not good enough.” I answered before I could stop myself. I shouldn’t have said that. Connor’s eyes lit up.


    “That work. Yes, that could…this the same mana crystal the royal knights take?”


    “Yes, it is an intergalactic resource. The average cost of one is…very large. I don’t know what exactly, but you can’t buy it with gold and silver. There are races that come from all over the galaxy to buy this.” I told him. “Don’t steal it, the royal knights will find out, and they will kill you.”


    This was one of the few resources on this planet that other planets were even interested in buying. There was a reason the royal knights were stationed here.


    Connor’s shoulders slumped, but I was just hoping that he would not try something like that. Well, he did not seem like a fool.


    “Take it.” he said, extending the sword reluctantly. I noticed how he was able to hold the sword up with just two fingers, the blade just a bit away from the rest of his palm.


    I took the sword from him. There was barely any weight to it. This was a proper magic sword. Miss Emily was making sure that I got such things. But they weren’t free. Displaying these powers, giving me these magical items. The woman wanted something. And I knew just what it was.


    “Say, do you happen to know something about these fish?” I said, holding the paper up. “I took a job to kill them.”


    I suppose I should give making a Guild of my own a try, at least once.