The dirt road stretched ahead like a long ribbon, winding through green hills and quiet woods. Birds chirped. Flowers swayed.
And six boys walked down the path with dusty boots and loud opinions.
"I'm telling you," Rick declared, "the moment we get to Timbervale, I'm buying three muffins. One for me, one for Yuuv, and one as backup in case Yuuv eats his too fast."
"I don't eat fast…" Yuuv muttered.
"You eat like a baby cloud who hasn't learned chewing," Iuro laughed.
Yuuv blinked. "Is that a compliment?"
"...Maybe," Iuro shrugged.
Lui walked slightly ahead, scanning the trees. His sword was strapped tight, his red eyes focused. "Eyes open. Towns are safe, but roads in between aren't always."
Izumi nodded, flipping through his travel guide. "According to this, Timbervale has a guild checkpoint, two bakeries, a magic herb store, and an inn named The Sleepy Lantern."
"Nice," Rick said. "I love sleep and lanterns."
They passed a small wooden sign half buried in weeds:"Welcome to Timbervale – Please don't feed the birds muffins."
"…Wait what?" Rick stared.
But before they could ponder bird dietary rules, they saw it.
Timbervale.
A small town with stone paths, mossy rooftops, and colorful banners strung between chimneys. People bustled about—mages, traders, blacksmiths, and families.
And in the middle of the town square?
A tall wooden board with dozens of fluttering papers and a shining silver sign above it:
"Registered Guilds of Timbervale"
The boys stopped to stare.
Each paper had a name, a guild rank, and the number of members.
Izumi pointed at one. "Look—Silver Fangs. B-Veteran. 12 members."
Rick read another. "Sun Owls. C-Novice. 7 members. Motto: 'We hoot with honor.' That's amazing."
Yuuv tilted his head. "Do we get a motto?"
"Let's not rush that," Ishi murmured.
As they walked toward the registry booth, a sharp voice cut across the square.
"Well, if it isn't the baby brigade."
The boys turned.
A group of older teens stood nearby, their matching jackets marked with the symbol of a crescent blade.
At the front was a tall boy with spiky gray hair and a smug grin.
"I know you are kids from Momento. Heard about the guild scroll," he said, folding his arms. "Cute name. Celestars, right?"
Lui stepped forward calmly. "That's us."
"I'm Vayne. Leader of Moonreign. C-Novice rank. Welcome to the real world, kids. Try not to cry when you fail your first mission."
Yuuv stared at him blankly.
Ding~
The bell shimmered lightly.
"…Okay, what is that thing?" Vayne flinched slightly. "Why does it glow when he's being weird?"
"No idea," Iuro said cheerfully. "Maybe it's a sleep-powered secret weapon."
"Or maybe it's just him," Izumi said.
Vayne rolled his eyes. "Anyway, don't get in our way."
He and his guild walked off, leaving behind an awkward silence.
"…I don't like him," Rick muttered.
"I like their guild's name, though," Yuuv whispered. "Moonreign. Kinda cool."
"Yuuv, focus," Lui sighed.
At the registry booth, an older woman with thick glasses smiled down at them.
"Name of your guild?"
"Celestars," Izumi replied.
"Members?"
"Six."
"Magic or knight category?"
"3-Mage-knights and 3-mages," Lui said.
Her eyes widened slightly. "That's rare. Most new guilds barely manage one."
She handed over a parchment and a stamp. "Welcome to the board, Celestars. You're now officially listed. You'll get beginner quests through the mailbox to your temporary town quarters."
"Town quarters?" Rick asked.
She pointed down the lane. "Second building on the left. Free for new guilds—three days max. After that, get your own place."
As they walked toward the quarters, another group passed them—a small guild of girls about their age, dressed in matching white and lavender cloaks.
One of them, with long silver hair, glanced at Yuuv curiously.
"He has a bell?" she asked.
Yuuv blinked.
Ding~
Her eyes sparkled. "That's adorable."
Yuuv simply blinked again and stepped behind Ishi without saying a word.
"They're from Lilac Thorns," Izumi whispered. "I read about them. Ranked C-Novice. Friendly, but… strong."
Rick looked impressed. "Okay, I vote we don't mess with them either."
Once inside their assigned room—a small stone house with bunk beds and a chalkboard—they threw down their packs.
"This place smells like... cabbage," Iuro muttered.
"It's free," Lui reminded.
"Still cabbage."
Izumi pinned their name onto the chalkboard.
Celestars – Room 6
They rested for a while, cleaned up, then gathered for their first official guild meeting.
Lui stood at the front. "We need to pick our first beginner quest tomorrow. They'll be low-rank, but it's a start."
"Let's not pick anything involving birds," Rick said.
"No puddles either," Iuro added.
Yuuv raised a finger sleepily. "And no cliffs?"
"Agreed," Izumi smiled.
They scribbled on the chalkboard:
Goals:
Pick beginner quest
Avoid bird-related danger
Buy muffins
Not die
Their first night as an official guild began with giggles and loud snoring.
And outside, the Timbervale board shimmered quietly with a new name:
Celestars – E-Novice – 6 members
The world was watching.
And the stars had just begun to rise.