Noah's POV
Morning light filtered through the small hole in the tent, rousing us from sleep. I blinked groggily, squinting against the rays as they pried me from slumber. One by one, the others stirred, stretching and wiping sleep from their eyes. We quickly washed our faces and grabbed a bite to eat, the minimal breakfast enough to energize us for the day ahead.
Once we finished, we set off toward the guild to submit the quest the Guild Master had assigned us. Despite the early start, the journey was far from uneventful. We encountered several monsters along the way, each more than a match for the average adventurer. But for us, it was almost routine now. Everyone had grown significantly since our return from the dungeon. We handled each encounter with confidence, their challenge now more of a formality than a true threat.
Upon reaching the guild, I approached the receptionist. "Please inform Guild Master Gerald Ashvale that we've completed the quest."
With a polite nod, she disappeared behind the counter, and we took a seat in the waiting area, sipping on the tea that had been offered to us. The warm steam provided a moment of peace before the inevitable meeting.
It wasn't long before Gerald Ashvale walked in, his heavy boots thumping softly on the wooden floor. His sharp gaze swept over us before he took a seat, and we followed suit. He leaned back in his chair, eyeing us with interest.
"So, have you completed the quest?" he asked, his tone casual but probing.
"Yeah," I replied, leaning forward with a grin. "But it wasn't exactly a walk in the park, so you better reward us generously."
Layla, always at my side, added her voice, "It took us nearly an entire day to finish this. You owe us big time, Gerald."
The others chimed in with their support, all of us echoing her sentiment.
Gerald's gaze shifted from me to the girls, a smirk tugging at his lips as if he understood more than he let on. "Well, it depends on the report. Tell me everything you've encountered."
I recounted our journey, from the dungeon's depths to the shadow demons we'd faced. I kept the rewards to myself, though. No need to mention those just yet.
"Hmm," Gerald murmured after I finished. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, his expression serious. "A dungeon and demons—this was more than we expected. You all did well."
He paused, then leaned forward, a gleam of approval in his eyes. "As the Guild Master, I hereby promote all of you to C-Rank adventurers. No need to take the test; your actions speak for themselves."
The words sunk in, and a rush of pride surged through me. C-Rank. It was official.
Gerald's gaze lingered on us, then his expression softened a little. "And as a reward, I'm giving you 100 gold coins. Consider it for your efforts—without a group, you could have easily died out there."
"Thank you, Guild Master," we all said in unison, gratitude evident in our voices.
"You've earned it," he replied with a smile. "Oh, and I noticed that one of you has some rather... worn-out daggers. If you're in need of new weapons, we have an excellent blacksmith in-house."
He leaned back in his chair and gestured toward Nyami, the cat receptionist who'd been hovering nearby. "Ask Nyami; she'll take you to him."
"Thanks, we'll check it out," I said as we rose to leave his office.
"Nya~ Here you go, Noah!" Nyami's voice rang out with an unusually loud enthusiasm as she handed us our new guild cards and a small pouch of gold coins. "Your C-Rank cards and 100 gold coins, nya~"
Her cheerful voice had caught the attention of several nearby adventurers, and they stared, wide-eyed, at the sudden attention. It was only natural—after all, it hadn't been long since we'd arrived at the guild, and our progress was almost unreal to those who had been around longer.
But they didn't know the half of it. We weren't just fast learners; we'd been honed by some of the harshest training imaginable.
"Thanks, Nyami," I said with a grin, tucking the gold coins into my pouch. "Guild Master said you could take us to the blacksmith?"
"Mm-hmm, I'll show you," Nyami purred, her tail swishing happily behind her as she led the way.
As we followed her through the guild, I couldn't help but notice how different the interior was from what I expected. The clean, functional space gave off a no-nonsense vibe. After a short walk, we arrived at a workshop that looked more like a cave than a forge.
Cang! Cang! The rhythmic sound of hammer striking metal echoed from within.
"This is the place," Nyami announced with a grin, knocking on the door.
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Is this really the place?"
"It looks like something out of the Stone Age," Layla remarked.
Lyra, ever the realist, shook her head. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
"She's right," I added, giving the girls a knowing look. "Let's see what's inside."
The door creaked open with a long, drawn-out groan. The man who appeared on the other side looked like a dwarf, though taller and more human than most. His brown hair was a mess, and his bushy beard covered much of his face. His muscular arms were covered in burn marks and calluses—evidence of years of hard work.
"Oh, you little kitty," he grumbled at Nyami. "What do you want?"
"I'm not little! I'm twenty!" Nyami huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "And these adventurers wanted to meet you!"
The blacksmith turned his gaze to us. "Ah, customers. Welcome. Name's Rigurd. You've got quite the company there, young man."
"Hello," I replied, stepping forward. "I'm Noah, and these are my companions—Scarlett, Layla, and Lyra. We're here for new weapons."
Rigurd gestured for us to step inside. "Come in. Take a look around, but don't touch the hot metal."
We stepped inside, and the heat hit us immediately. It must've been at least 60°C, if not more. Lyra's ice mist magic helped us bear the temperature as we made our way further into the workshop.
"So, what kind of weapons do you want?" Rigurd asked Lyra first.
"A lance," she replied.
"Ah, a lance," he mused. "And you?" he turned to Scarlett.
"I need my daggers repaired. They're worn out from all the fighting," Scarlett said, holding them up.
Rigurd examined the daggers. "I can fix them up for you, and maybe even enhance them."
Then I stepped forward, showing him the axe-hammer we'd found in the dungeon. "Is it possible to melt this down and use it to create a lance for Lyra?"
Rigurd took the weapon in hand, inspecting it with keen eyes. "Not bad, but it's corrupted. Making a weapon from it would be a mistake."
"That's not a problem," I said, touching the axe-hammer. "Purification."
A soft glow enveloped the weapon as I channeled the magic, purging the corruption from it. When I finished, Rigurd's eyes widened.
"Purification shouldn't work that well on metal. You've removed all the impurities. This is now comparable to an S-rank weapon. It's a fine piece. It's a shame you're not using it yourself," he said, impressed.
"Don't worry about it," I replied, grinning. "We're more interested in getting weapons for our friends."
The conversation continued as we discussed the details of the weapons Rigurd would craft for us. Layla, as expected, wasn't interested in anything. She proudly displayed the scythe I'd given her, teasing Rigurd, "My man gave me this. It's the best weapon for me."
Rigurd raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed but silent on the matter.
"Alright, I'll have everything ready for you by tomorrow," Rigurd said with a nod. "Come back then, and I'll have your new weapons waiting."
"And Nyami," he added, with a chuckle, "you're still just a little cat."
Nyami, clearly annoyed, puffed her cheeks. "Shut up, old man!" she snapped, but it was hard to take her seriously when she looked so cute.
We all laughed as she stormed off, leading us out of the workshop.
It had been a good day.
"Hey, Noah," Layla chirped, her arms wrapping around me from behind. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."
Sighing, I lifted her up effortlessly, carrying her on my back. "What would you do without me?" I asked, shaking my head as we made our way back to the guild.
"Probably starve," she grinned.
"Yeah, probably."
"Hehe~"
-to be continued..