(Chpt. 41) Finding unexpected trouble.

Alice.

«Yami» 

Hmm… I am in quite a predicament… Ari thought I was joking in spite of me telling her the truth. I mean, how am I supposed to react about being forbidden from using my own symbol?! It’s the same as accusing the inventor of something for plagiarism and then punishing them. It’s just not right… I am still mad about that… 

Aizen got mad at me probably because the lie went too far. If Ari wants to think that way then there is no helping it. I am more amused by the fact that the Guildmaster and Aizen ended up playing a board game to solve their issues. Aizen won and gave me a coin that gives me especial permissions or something like that. She did not say much.  

Also to believe she almost called herself Legendary Dragon in front of the Guildmaster! Why would you do that!? Wouldn’t that be framed as heresy or something?! It’s basically the same as me claiming to be the Demon Lord! It just does not work… Pity that I threw the first thing that I thought about. Rest in peace dagger that I just got back… I don’t know what happened to it. But, I did not see it again… 

“Yami are you coming?” 

Ari looked at me as we were standing at the entrance of the guild. I just nodded and continued walking. We found ourselves in the main street. It was way more crowded than before. It looked really busy and I could barely see the other side. I grabbed Ari’s hand and Aizen grabbed mine. 

“Eh!” A high-pitched voice came from somewhere… Then a receptionist hurriedly ran in front of us. 

“Could you girls come with me?” Seeing it was a receptionist's trouble face we just nodded. 

She guided us to the Adventurers' Guild. People stared at us and the guy from before flinched for some reason. I guess turning into a statue is quite weird… Although I wonder why do people try to attack us in the middle of the guild. Hmm… 

The receptionist guided us to the second floor and into the Guildmaster room. We took a seat on an available sofa and patiently waited. 

“Why are we even here?” Aizen asked as always. 

“Well… I don’t really know either, but seeing it’s our only way to make money, I think it’s fine to follow the receptionist to somewhere like this…” I silently answered Aizen. Ari nodded along with me. So Aizen just decided absentmindedly look at the ceiling. 

“Hey Ku-Yami. Why did you throw something at me back then? I think I know the answer, but I want to hear your reason.” 

“Aizen… We cannot have you claim to be a dragon in front of people…” 

Aizen nodded. “I figured…” 

Ari just sat there looking at the table. Not really saying anything. We waited and waited. A few minutes went by and the door opened. There stood a somewhat tall and slender man with green eyes and blonde hair, he also had golden-framed glasses and pointy ears. It was an elf with a bit of a secretary vibe, he was also carrying some documents 

He scanned the room. as soon as he noticed us he flinched. We tilted our heads due to the weird behaviour he displayed. He awkwardly left the room and I heard hurried steps and some door opening on the hallway. Then he came back with a sweaty forehead and sat down in front of us, he started reading documents. 

“Aizen and Yami correct?” We nodded. “So, this other girl isn’t an adventurer?” We nodded again. “I see. Well, looking at these documents. It seems you girls registered as adventurers about a week ago in Mirl. But, we don’t have documents for anything else about you. You know like family and such…” Well of course. I kind of just found myself here with my inventory… 

“I cannot intervene in you girls’ circumstances so I won’t pry about documentation. However, what I am here today is to discuss.” he paused. Discuss what? “You see, your group is very peculiar. Taking into account the fact that you girls registered recently, taking zero requests of your rank. Taking a horned-dragon subjugation and a blue escort request in which everyone died but you.” He narrowed his eyes. “That’s very suspicious.” 

“Get to the point,” Aizen said in a somewhat annoyed tone. 

“Well, we believe you girls are either experienced adventurers and registered again, which is against the guild rules. Or there is something else. So, we would like to confirm your status with an appraisal stone.” 

“Denied.” I firmly said. 

“You cannot refuse or the guild will take measures.” 

“Well, you have been refused elf. We are not experienced adventurers and showing our status would be bad for all of us.” Aizen nonchalantly informed him.

The elf hearing this raised his brow. 

“Why would it be bad for all of us?” 

Aizen thought for a second before nodding. “Well. What would happen if someone had an outrageous status? Higher than a Mithril ranked adventurer?” Aizen asked. Ari had a sour face, I did not say anything. However, the elf just chuckled. Aizen displayed a smile hearing him chuckle; she had planned to ask something that dumb. 

“That’s impossible. After all, we know all of the strong people in the kingdom.” 

“Then there is no problem. I just want to ask — with the appraisal stone. How much of our status will it know?” 

The elf pondered for a second. 

“It should only be able to see your level and classes,” he said with a smile. 

“And once you know that, what will you do?” Aizen continued questioning. 

“Either reassign your rank, or let you go.” 

“I see… Just bring the stone, I will be the one that places her hand.” 

“Wait, Aizen?!” I looked at her in disbelief. 

“Don’t worry K-Yami, your classes are safe with me.” She gave me a bitter smile. I couldn’t help but look at the ground. I was upset. The elf left the room and brought a red stone when he entered again.  He looked at Aizen. 

“Please, touch the stone…” 

Aizen slightly flinched but proceeded to touch it. Then she shivered and retracted her hand. The elf took the stone and placed it over a paper, said paper shone and stuff began to be written on the paper. I only saw two lines be written. He then took the paper and read it and his eyes went wide-open. 

“Is that what you wanted?” Aizen asked. 

“H-How,” Aizen flinched as she was going to open her mouth the elf frantically shook his hand in a hurry. He seemed panicked. 

He breathed in and out for a while until he finally calmed his rushing heart. He sighed. “I can see why you girls were reluctant about this whole ordeal. Especially looking at missy over here, those eyes have seen the death of thousands after all…” He was looking at Aizen, Aizen flinched from the weird comment. 

“Seeing the peculiar situation I will just pretend as if nothing happened.” He tore the sheet of paper and broke the stone by smashing it into the table. “I would rather stay alive than pretending to follow rules… To believe I would find the rumored dragon girl…” 

“Dragon girl?” Ari and I asked. 

“Well… There was a time in which a lone girl single-handedly destroyed around three kingdoms using forbidden magic. While she claimed to be the all-grand and only king of dragons. One of the survivors confirmed her status, and now we are here. It has been a few decades since it happened, most people forget, but us elves don’t… So, I would rather live. I am still too young.”  He calmly explained himself to us with sweat dripping down his forehead. 

I nodded, Ari paused and glared at Aizen who was scratching her cheek. 

“Any other reason to why we were here?” I asked. The elf flinched and then averted his gaze. He started mumbling something to himself. 

“Actually… You were scheduled for a promotion to silver rank… But, I thought it was too suspicious despite the orders coming from the guildmaster himself. I as the vice-Guildmaster had to confirm…” Aizen gave him a death-glare. To be fair I would be upset too.

“I see. Come closer please.” Aizen gestured with a cold voice. The elf gulped and got close to her. Aizen grabbed his head and then he fainted. She let the elf’s limp body rest on the sofa. 

“Umm… Aizen, what did you do?” 

“It’s better if he forgets everything, no?” I nodded… Ari nodded… 

“Ughh…” The elf groaned and looked at us. Then at his documents. He quickly recovered and looked at all of us. 

“You girls are suspicious, I will need to test you…” He said as he held his head in pain. 

“That’s a lie, the Guildmaster told me why we were here.” Aizen coldly commanded the elf with a lie. The elf staggered hearing her as if having his plan exposed. Well, Aizen’s ability is quite useful here. Better to not have people know about us. The elf thought for a second and read his documents once again. 

“Well… the guildmaster did say to promote both of the adventurers in this room…” He was muttering while looking at the ground. I managed to hear everything. He looked at the shattered table stone. 

“What’s that stone?” 

We froze… Aizen, on the other hand, had a smirk plastered on her face.

“It was an appraisal stone that you broke, that’s why you fainted.” The elf looked at it in doubt and then let out a gasp. 

“I can’t believe I forgot about the fact that I brought it into the room... Then I woke up after the shock from breaking it… No wonder why I was so confused. Thank you girly.” He then left the room. 

I looked at Aizen with doubt etched on my face. This couldn't be just making someone forget something...

“Are you sure that’s not brainwashing?” Ari staggered hearing me and looked at Aizen in fear. Aizen looked back at me to try to deny it, however, her gaze landed on Ari; she was looking at her as if she did not know her. Aizen realized this and froze.

“No it isn’t, well it is, but it isn’t...” Aizen held her head in pain as she tried to deny it but admitting it at the same time. She seemed flustered. After a few seconds, she lifted her head and looked over to Ari. “I am not what you think…” she said with an extremely disappointed tone. Ari grew nervous as well. 

Wait, did she react like that because of Aizen’s ability? How unexpected. Aizen is afraid of Ari not wanting to interact with her… Well, it is something I had already guessed. It was kind of the same for the Ari too. She looked at Aizen and then nodded. 

“I will forgive you, this time… just don’t brainwash people. It’s evil...” Ari softly informed her.

“Thank you…” Aizen rushed to Ari and hugged her. She had red eyes as she tightly hugged Ari. Well, I guess that solves the slight problem. 

The elf entered the room and then paused as he saw two girls hugging each other. He saw me and then sat down. 

“Ehem… I hate to interrupt you. But, here is your new rank.” He handed me two adventurer tags ⁠— they were silver colored with a lot of engraving and stuff. They looked way cleaner and better compared to the copper ones. The elf stood up and headed towards the door, which made me look at him. 

“You aren’t going to take the Copper ones?” The elf chuckled as he turned towards me. 

“No, you can keep them as a souvenir. Your information has been updated, so it’s not like you can use them. We have everything documented. Just keep that in mind.” He left after saying that. 

I sat there, watching Aizen hug Ari. Ari was patting Aizen, I think she was whispering something at Ari earlier but I did not hear it because I was paying attention at the elf. Oh well. Silver ranked adventurer now… At least we are still not high-ranked. I don’t want people coming over to me and praising me. Especially because everyone seems to try to show what rank they are constantly. It seems troublesome… 

I gave Aizen a few more minutes before standing up and looking at both of them. 

“We have to go…” 

““... Nn…”” They reluctantly nodded.

I handed Aizen her tag. We left the room and met the elf again there. He waved at us as we left. 

Alice.