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  Chapter 6: The Adventurers Guild And Measuring Device

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  As the door of the Adventurers' Guild swung open, a world unfolded that starkly trasted with the brutish ses ofteed in fantasy. This establishment was not only tidy, but the adventurers seated about the room, though some appeared a tad dishevelled and were indulging in drinks even in the light of day, heless dispyed a certain camaraderie that suggested they possessed honorable character.

  “Ah! Is that… the ‘Eclipse’!”

  Suddenly, among the gathering throng, several adventurers spotted Marlyno and her panioing ied excmations that rippled through the room, drawing the attention of more and more onlookers.

  “The ‘Eclipse’ team has returned!”

  “Quick, someoch a guild staff member!”

  What had begun as casual chatter morphed swiftly into ahusiastic wele.

  “Hurrah! Bow before us! The grand mage of the Crimson Demon Tribe has returned!”

  “How noisy…”

  “Oh dear… I kaking the batrance would be a wiser choice…”

  The members of ‘Eclipse’ bore various expressions, each refleg their owiments about the raucous wele.

  “Hmm? Where are Elyssa and Aris?”

  Marlyno turo gnce behind her, only to find that the six panions, along with a curious little creature, had vanished from sight.

  “…I had a feeling it would go this way.”

  Elyssa surveyed the crowd of advehat now encircled the ‘Eclipse’ team, marveling at her astuteness iing their popurity.

  ...

  “They are indeed well-liked…”

  “It's hardly surprising," chimed in another, “Their strength is at the fifth rank, making them C-Css adventurers; they are but a step away from the more formidable B-Css. For many in this world, that represents a tier of siderable prowess.”

  At that moment, a tall, posed receptionist emerged from the upper hall.

  “I received a message from the guards; you must be the ones here to process your credentials, am I correct?”

  “Ihat would be them. Best of luck, I'm off. You lot, stop l and pay attention!” Elyssa remarked, grabbing Diana by the colr and dragging her away.

  “……Please, follow me.”

  The receptionist maintained her professionalism, leading Marlyno and the others into a private chamber. In the ter of the room stood a crystalline orb—a captivating sphere resting on a dispy device that appeared akin to a magic crystal board.

  “This apparatus is desigo assess your strength and check for any criminal records. Simply pce your hand on the crystal.”

  Upon finishing her expnation, the receptionist turned her attention back to the group.

  “…I’ll go first,” decred Farkonia, stepping up fidently to the orb.

  As her hand made tact, the crystal erupted with blinding light, illuminating the entire chamber.

  “……What!? Seventh rank? An A-Css adventurer!?”

  The receptionist stared at the s beh the orb, the readings unmistakably revealing Farkonia’s impressive status.

  ‘…So I’ve not been suppressing it adequately after all…’

  The truth was, Farkonia’s capabilities far exceeded the dispyed seventh rank. Upon overhearing Elyssa dismissively cssify fifth-tier adventurers as merely strong, she had chosen to ceal her true might. Unfortunately, the sheer power she anded was difficult to suppress, and having misjudged the apparatus's capabilities, she had iently maed as a seventh-rank.

  “Uh, I o sult with the branch chief… No, let’s wait until you all have pleted your evaluations.”

  Rec her posure, the receptionist felt a strong instinct that anyone who travelled with a seventh-rank individual would likely exhibit parable prowess.

  “, I’ll go.”

  Misako raised her hand eagerly. Due to her petite stature, she had to rise onto her toes just to pce her hand upon the orb.

  Again, light burst forth from the crystal, though it was somewhat less intehan what had emitted upon Farkonia's touch.

  “Hmm… Sixth rank… this is harder than I thought.”

  Though Misako appeared to be nothing more than a child, the receptionist’s extensive experience allowed her to maintain her posure. Adventurers e in all shapes and sizes; Misako was simply one among many.

  “I wish to go !”

  With a small cloth cap perched upon her head, Veridith scurried forward, clearly youhan Misako, yet she stood tall without the need for elevation.

  “Hmm, sixth rank as well. Excellent, just one more to go.”

  Taking he receptionist g Aris, the only remaining member yet to be assessed.

  With a subtle nod, Aris approached the crystal orb, emuting the previous measurements, pg her hand atop it.

  “………Is it broken?”

  After a siderable wait, the orb remained unresponsive. Puzzled, the receptionist scrutihe device for any apparent fws.

  “Hmm… it’s funing. So why the ck of rea?”

  It was as if Aris were not a liviy at all; the apparatus showed no sign of aowledging her presence.

  “What’s the issue?”

  “……Ah! The branch chief!”

  The sudden annou caused the receptionist to jolt to attention, snapping a salute to the figure entering the room.

  The newer sported a mane of white hair, uhe naturally silver tints of Elyssa and her panions. The signs of maturity etched upon her face did not diminish the air of authority she anded; it resonated as a testament that her fighting spirit remained undimio uimate her due to her years would be a grave miscalcution.

  “I overheard your s about the apparatus not w, is that correct?”

  “Right.”

  “……Step forward.”

  The branch chief gestured for Aris and the others to join her in the corridor.

  “That device is retively new, so while it generally provide accurate measurements, it struggles with those whose strength deviates too greatly from the norm, or those with special powers. Thus, we’ll have to duct a practical test.”

  She opened a rge door that revealed a training ground beyond.

  “I have a fair breadth of knowledge—attack the target over there.”

  The area she indicated housed a peculiar, tric, red-and-white target marked upoal, glowing with ahereal light.

  “……Am I allowed to use any kind of attack?”

  Aris queried, eyeing the target cautiously.

  “Anything you wish—poison, magic, hand-to-hand bat, reatsword—whatever it is that you excel at.”

  “Very well…”

  Aris approached the metallic target aended a hand, the chill of the metal seeping through her fiips triggering a faint reition from within.

  ‘It feels oddly familiar…’

  Memories sparked back; she recalled her frequent practice against wooden logs and rocky surfaces—a long time ago indeed.

  But such thoughts ignited a moment of inspiration.

  L her ter of gravity slightly, Aris ensured her hand maintained a safe distance from her body as it rested upoal.

  Moments slipped by, and suddenly—

  Boom!!!

  A resounding explosion reverberated through the chamber. The massive metal target shattered, the shattered remnants flying outwards like onballs, creating deep gashes in the surrounding walls.

  ‘It’s been a while siried that. Quite the effective experiment.’

  Aris turo face the branch chief, whose posed visage remained uurbed—but upon closer scrutiny, droplets of sweat the size of peas rolled down her face.

  ‘…That was made from holy light steel, a substance sed only to the light-fed ore, yet it was reduced tments so easily…’

  Holy light steel, while not parable to the formidable light-fed variety, still boasted incredible hardness. Even during her prime, she could not manipute it without due method. To watch it so casually obliterated now invited ption.

  “……Hahe rec device.”

  “Ah, of course.”

  The receptionist reflexively passed the device taining their results to the branch chief, who inscribed fring characters onto the s:

  “Your strength… is at least ninth rank.”