The next morning, after classes ended and the sun was dipping behind the academy walls, Kazuto stretched his arms wide and yawned.
"Ahhh… another day of being the weakest F-class student. Btw, about yesterday I wasn't too late to come back. Pheww... I thought I was gonna killed by Arisa for being late."
He glanced at Arisa, who was busy packing her books into her bag. An idea struck him like lightning.
"Hey, Arisa. Quick question. Is there… like, a guild in this town? You know, the adventurer kind?"
Arisa paused, blinking at him.
"Yes, there is. It's one of the biggest ones too… but why are you asking?"
Kazuto slapped his fist into his palm.
"Perfect! I just had the best idea. Since I can't really use magic, I'll train by doing guild quests! That way, I'll be both an adventurer and a student. Double grind! Max XP! This can be also help for the PvP tournament as a training, right?!"
Arisa frowned, her brows knitting in concern.
"That's reckless, Kazuto. You're already struggling in class. If you pile on dangerous quests on top of that, what if something happens to you?"
Kazuto crossed his arms, puffing out his chest dramatically.
"Heh. Danger is nothing just a word if you are not scared! Besides, this is my chance to level up and catch up to everyone. I mean, come on, Arisa, what's the worst that could happen?"
Arisa sighed, clearly not convinced. She stepped closer and, before Kazuto could react, she gently took his hand.
His brain froze.
"… …"
Processing… Processing… ERROR.
"Kazuto. If you're going to join the guild… then I'll join too."
Kazuto blinked at her, his face turning red.
"W-wait, hold up. You're saying… we're gonna become adventurer partners? Like… a duo? A partner??"
We are gonna be absolute duo!!
Arisa smiled softly.
"Yes. If you're reckless enough to do this, then I have no choice but to make sure you're okay."
Kazuto nearly broke the fourth wall right there.
"Ladies and gentlemen, do you see this? Do you? A girl just willingly joined me on my reckless adventure just for worrying about me."
Arisa tilted her head, confused at his muttering. Kazuto quickly coughed and tried to look cool.
"Alright then. Let's go register!"
The Guild Entrance
The town was alive with chatter and the smell of fresh bread from street vendors. Arisa and Kazuto walked side by side until a massive stone building came into view. A giant sign hung above the doorway, reading Adventurer's Guild.
Kazuto's eyes sparkled.
"This is it… the gateway to epic quests, grinding mobs, and finding loot rarer than my chances of passing magic class!"
Arisa rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"You're oddly excited for someone who failed to cast a spark."
"Hey! Don't bully the reincarnator, Arisa."
They stepped inside, and Kazuto's jaw dropped. The place was filled with armored warriors, robed mages, and hunters polishing their bows. The smell of roasted meat filled the air, and rowdy laughter echoed off the walls.
"Yessss. This is exactly how every anime guild looks. They really nailed the atmosphere here."
Arisa tugged him toward the counter, where a receptionist in uniform greeted them.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. Are you here to register?"
Kazuto puffed out his chest again.
"Yes, we are!"
The Crystal Test
The receptionist placed a glowing crystal ball on the counter.
"Please place your hand on the crystal. It will measure your abilities, rank, and potential, and mana."
Arisa went first. She placed her hand on the crystal, and it glowed faintly blue. Numbers appeared on a floating screen:
Magic Power: Average
Swordsmanship: Low
Mana Pool: 350
Rank: D
The receptionist nodded approvingly.
"A good result. D-rank is respectable for a first-timer."
Arisa let out a small relieved breath.
"That's… not bad. I'll work hard from here."
Kazuto clapped for her like an overexcited cheerleader.
"Woo! Go Arisa! My partner is officially a D-rank adventurer! Now, step aside, everyone—it's the reincarnated protagonist's turn!"
He slapped his hand dramatically on the crystal. The orb glowed faintly… then sputtered like a dying candle.
On the screen:
Magic Power: None
Swordsmanship: Average Potential
Mana Pool: 0 (??? ERROR)
Rank: F
The guild hall went quiet for a second—then erupted in laughter.
"Pfft! F-rank?! That's worse than a goblin!"
"At least he has HP."
"Zero mana?!"
Kazuto's soul cracked like glass.
"… …"
He forced a smile, giving a thumbs up.
"Yup. Totally expected this result. Definitely didn't shatter all my dreams in one second. I'm fine. Absolutely fine."
POV: God
Far above, the God who reincarnated Kazuto was watching the scene unfold while munching on popcorn.
"Oh no… they're laughing at him… this is painful to watch."
He facepalmed.
"I can't believe I actually forgot to give him mana. I'm literally the worst god in the reincarnation business."
He sighed.
"Well… at least he's funny. Entertainment: S-rank."
Back at the Guild
Arisa quickly grabbed Kazuto's arm, glaring at the laughing adventurers.
"Don't listen to them. F-rank or not, you're still my partner."
Kazuto blinked at her words, his chest tightening a little.
"Arisa… I'm seriously going to cry right now. But in a cool manly way."
The receptionist cleared her throat awkwardly and handed them both shiny bronze guild tags.
"Registration complete. You are now officially adventurers. Please check the quest board for available jobs."
Kazuto held up his tag dramatically.
"At last! My bronze guild tag! With this, I've unlocked side quests, fetch quests, escort missions, and probably rat-slaying quests. Truly, I have ascended."
Arisa tugged him along toward the quest board.
"You're way too happy about menial labor."
The Quest Board
The board was filled with papers: monster exterminations, herb gathering, and delivery requests. Kazuto squinted at them.
"Alright, Arisa. Let's find something suitable for us noobs. Preferably not 'slay a dragon' yet."
Arisa scanned the board, then pointed to one.
"Here. Goblin extermination. Low risk, suitable for beginners."
Kazuto's eyes lit up.
"Goblins, huh? Classic starter enemies! This is literally Level 1 grinding content!"
He snatched the paper dramatically.
"Hear me, adventurers of this guild! Today marks the beginning of Kazuto the Mana-less Swordsman's rise to greatness!"
The guild hall ignored him. One guy burped.
Kazuto sighed.
"Tough crowd."
Arisa chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"Let's just go turn it in and start preparing."
Kazuto grinned at her.
"Right! Partner, let's do this. We'll show them the power of absolute duo!"
As they walked to the counter together, Kazuto glanced at the readers.
"Yeah, laugh all you want. Next time you see me, I'll be dual-wielding swords, climbing rank faster than anyone else. Chapter 6 is gonna be hype and funny trust me."