Cain had turned ten years old. He had grown to about 150 centimeters tall, and his silver hair was neatly trimmed, making him quite a handsome young boy, resembling his mother, Sarah.
"Finally, I can register as an adventurer."
Cain said with his best smile.
"Are you going to register as an adventurer right away?"
The one who called out to Cain was Sylvia. Sylvia had grown quite mature. She had been with him since birth and had been working as a maid for ten years since she was twelve.
"Yeah! That's right! I've been looking forward to it."
Cain put on leather armor and fastened a sword to his waist.
"Please be careful. I don't think you'll lose to anyone, but still."
Sylvia had often watched Cain practice in the training ground she had set up in the garden, so she knew how strong he was. She had been shocked the first time she saw him in action.
"I'll do my best!"
Cain waved to Sylvia and walked through the gate of the estate toward the city center. The Adventurer's Guild was located near the outer wall. To avoid the trouble of transporting materials from defeated monsters all the way to the inner part of the capital, the guild was always set up near the outer wall in every city.
As he walked through the city, he passed by a bustling street lined with shops and stalls. He bought a skewer and ate it while walking. The Adventurer's Guild was marked by a sign with a sword crossed over a shield, a common symbol in every city.
He found the guild on the main street, opened the door, and went inside. As expected, the guild in the capital was a larger building than the one in Gracia.
There were about ten reception counters lined up in front, more than in Gracia, and the drinking area on the left was lively.
He stood in front of an empty counter and waited his turn. Most of the adventurers waiting in line were adults, well-built and sturdy.
"Hey, kid, are you here to register as an adventurer? Good luck."
A red-haired swordsman in front of him called out.
"Yes! I turned ten, so I can finally register as an adventurer."
He answered honestly because the man seemed friendly.
"I see, I see. Don't push yourself too hard, you only have one life."
The man patted Cain's head and smiled, then was called to the counter and left.
"You seem familiar."
He felt like he had seen someone similar before, but he forgot about it as his turn came.
When he went to the front of the counter, a beautiful human woman in her twenties was sitting there. Receptionists at the Adventurer's Guild were known for being beautiful, but he had heard that they rarely accepted date invitations.
"Nice to meet you. This is the Adventurer's Guild, Capital Branch. What brings you here today?"
The receptionist greeted him politely.
"Yes! I turned ten, so I came to register as an adventurer."
"Then please fill out this form. Do you need help writing?"
"I can write, so I'm fine. Thank you."
He took the form. The receptionist treated him with respect, even though he was a child.
When filling out his name, it didn't make sense to use his noble name as an adventurer. He wrote "Cain" and listed his special skills as swordsmanship and magic. His age, of course, was ten. It seemed he only needed to fill out the minimum information.
"I'm done. Here you go."
"Thank you. Now, please place a drop of blood on this crystal. This will register your magic power on the card."
Cain did as he was told, pricking his finger with the needle and placing the blood on the crystal. The crystal glowed for a moment, and a card emerged from the device below. It was a card with an iron-like color.
"This is your guild card. When you infuse it with magic power, your name and rank will appear. As your rank increases, the material of the card will change, so do your best. You will start at rank G. Do you need an explanation about being an adventurer?"
"Yes! Please."
He had heard a little from Mili and Nina when he was in Gracia, but he hadn't heard the details. He wondered if they were doing well and thought he might visit them using "Transfer" next time.
"Adventurers have ranks, starting from G. The highest rank is SSS, and so far, only one person has achieved it. It was the first king of this country, King Yuya, three hundred years ago. The cards are as follows: G to F are iron cards, E to D are bronze cards, C to B are silver cards, A is a gold card, and S and above are platinum cards. The SSS rank of the first king is said to be a black card. The guild makes its own judgments about promotions, so they are not publicly announced."
So, being called a hero means being that strong, Cain thought.
"There are three types of quests: regular, designated, and emergency. Regular quests are the most common. However, if a client designates an adventurer, the guild will review it and issue it as a designated quest. Emergency quests are for situations like a monster outbreak. The guild remains neutral in wars with other countries, so it's up to the individual adventurers."
The receptionist explained politely.
"Regular quests are posted on the board to the right of the entrance, categorized by rank. Please take the quest you want and bring it to the counter. However, if it's marked as a 'standing quest,' you can complete it by delivering the required items without accepting it. Mainly, these are quests like goblin slaying. You can accept quests solo or as a party. If you form a party, please register it with the guild. This will add guild points to both parties. The guild does not generally get involved in disputes between adventurers, but it will intervene if a serious crime is involved. That's all for the explanation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"Thank you very much, miss!"
Cain bowed politely in gratitude. He still didn't know the receptionist's name, so he called her "miss."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Letia, a receptionist at the Capital Branch. Nice to meet you, Cain."
"Please, no need for formalities... I'm only ten, so just call me 'kun.'"
"Alright, then, Cain-kun, do your best. Take care of yourself."
Letia smiled at him.
"Yes! I will."
Cain answered with a sincere smile. Just as they were both smiling, a voice called out from behind.
"Hey, when did you start liking younger guys, Letia? Stop playing with this kid and come entertain us. We'll keep you company all night. Besides, he's just a kid. He should be helping at home. What's a kid like him doing here?"
Letia's face suddenly turned sour. When Cain turned around, he saw a group of three rough-looking adventurers. One of them suddenly kicked Cain, but he dodged by stepping aside.
He hadn't expected to encounter such a cliché situation. The red-haired adventurer from earlier had been nice.
"Hey, what are you doing? Messing with a kid? If you want to play, I'll play with you."
The red-haired man from earlier turned around.
"Ugh, it's Claude with the Ice Flame."
One of them muttered.
"Damn, my mood is ruined. Let's go, guys. Remember this, brat."
The three left the guild. Cain unclenched his fist.
"Thank you, Claude-sama."
Letia thanked the red-haired man.
"Thank you, Claude-san."
Cain also thanked him.
"I stopped them for their own good. You're pretty strong, kid. I could tell from your movements. What's your name?"
It seemed he had been watching Cain dodge.
"My name is Cain. What did you mean by 'Ice Flame' earlier?"
"Ah, I see. I'm Claude. 'Ice Flame' is our party name. My wife and I are adventurers. She'll be here soon, so let's have a drink. Oh, you're still a kid, so it'll be juice!"
Claude put his arm around Cain's shoulder and led him to the drinking area. After ordering drinks, Claude spoke.
"Cain, you're pretty well-trained. Your movements were efficient. That's not something you can do without a lot of practice."
"Thank you. I've been training since I was little, and I've had an adventurer as a tutor."
"Ah, I see. I think Cain will reach a high rank when he grows up. Do your best."
Claude clinked his mug with Cain's.
"A toast to a good encounter!"
He drank from his mug. Of course, Cain's drink was fruit juice.
Cain asked Claude about being an adventurer, and he learned a lot. Claude and his wife, a fire swordsman and an ice mage, respectively, were known as "Ice Flame" and had a gold rank, which surprised Cain.
As they were talking, a voice called out from behind.
"I thought you weren't here! What are you doing, and with a kid?!"
Behind Claude stood a woman with light blue hair that reached her chest, tied back, and wearing a white robe.
"Hey, Lina, you're finally here. Cain, this is my wife, Lina! Nice to meet you."
Claude was cheerful, probably due to the alcohol.
"It's not 'finally here'! I came to look at quests, not to drink!"
Lina was angry in contrast.
Cain stood up and bowed.
"I'm Cain. When I came to register as an adventurer, I was harassed, and Claude-san helped me. I've been listening to his stories about being an adventurer. I'm sorry."
Cain bowed again.
"Hmm, that's what happened. Cain-kun, right? I feel like I've heard that name before..."
Lina tilted her head in thought.
"Never mind. Come on, Claude! Let's go."
She hit Claude on the head with her staff.
"Ouch! Lina, cut it out! Well, I guess we're leaving. See you, Cain!"
He finished his drink and stood up.
"Thank you!"
Cain called out to Claude, who raised his hand and walked toward the quest board.
"Oh, I was going to look at quests too."
Cain finished his juice and ran to the quest board.