The events that led Kael to the Adventurers Guild.
The royal capital. The royal palace. The heart of Grimholde.
In the dimly lit corridors of the royal palace, the metallic clang of Kael Thorne's boots reverberated like the relentless beat of a lone war drum, each step an ominous echo against the cold stone walls. Pride and confidence emanated from him like an unyielding flame, while the air around him held the faint, unsettling scent of iron. His presence alone seemed to promise peril, a living harbinger whose very existence instilled trembling among the guards. The stories about Kael were well-known: the strongest man in the kingdom, yielding to no authority—not even the king. It was whispered that if he so desired, he could lay waste to Grimholde itself.
It wasn't just a rumor. It was fear. And that fear made the king tread carefully, fulfilling every one of Kael's whims to keep him from leaving or worse, joining the kingdom's enemies. The kingdom's stability was fragile, and neighboring nations watched eagerly for any sign of weakness or dissent. One wrong move and Grimholde could find itself surrounded by potential threats, waiting to exploit a crack in its defenses.
He was heading toward the audience chamber when he overheard voices below.
Guard 1: "Hey, shift's up. Switch up."
Guard 2: "Took you long enough."
Guard 1: "You won't believe what happened at the guild today."
Guard 2: "Oh yeah? Spill."
Guard 1: "Some adventurers just arrived. Total unknowns. But get this — the girl, she's got affinities for all elements. And they are maxed out, too."
Guard 2: "Bullshit. No one has every elemental affinity. Not even the hero's that broken."
Guard 1: "I saw it myself..."
All elemental affinities? That's impossible. Only the prophesied Hero should have that kind of power… Kael thought to himself. He clenched his gauntleted fists, a wicked grin spreading across his face as the possibility excited him into motion.
Determined to verify the rumors for himself, Kael resolved that if the stories were true, such power could not be left unchecked. Without hesitation, he vaulted from the corridor balcony, landing with a thunderous crash that sent the guards scrambling backward, their eyes wide with alarm.
"Hey," Kael growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell me everything you know about these adventurers," he said as he laid his hands on one of the guard's shoulders, blatantly intimidating him to talk.
CUT TO THE GUILD—
A heavy silence settled as the front doors creaked open.
Kael stood at the entrance of the Adventurers Guild, and the entire hall froze. Conversations died. Even the clatter of mugs and boots halted. No one dared to move a muscle.
Sel glanced around, unfazed by Kael's presence. She exhaled.
'Ah. One of those types. Every world's got 'em. This guy is going to be a pain in the ass.' she thought to herself.
"Who the hell is this slab of meat blocking the doorway? You're sucking all the fun out of the room," she said flatly.
"Sel," Reiji whispered in a panicked tone, "see how huge he is? Don't piss him off…"
Kael stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Sel and fixing her with an intense stare.
"You're the one they call Sel?" he said, with a heavy voice. "Not what I expected, but whatever. You're coming with me." He said, his eyes scanning Sel with a thoughtful appraisal as he rubbed his chin, as if measuring potential rather than intimidation. The way he regarded her was unsettling, suggesting motives beyond the simple words he spoke.
"Huh? Why would I do that?" Sel tilted her head. "We're busy, Meat Wall. Go find someone else to talk to."
Kael's lip curled. "You've got a way of talking, with that mouth of yours, don't ya. I like that. Most people with your build would be hiding behind others… but maybe I was wrong about you."
He said, leaning in too close for comfort.
"But I wasn't asking," he added.
Seeing this, Reiji stepped forward. His legs trembled with nausea, each step feeling like a battle against the invisible chains of terror holding him back. His throat tightened painfully as if trying to suppress a scream that threatened to escape. Every instinct, every atom screamed at him to flee from the guild.
His mother's voice began to echo in his head. "Reiji, promise me… if you're ever in danger, run. Don't look back."
'But… this wasn't that moment,' he thought to himself.
"There are times," He muttered, as he began to walk, "when what you're fighting for matters more than just fear."
His body began to feel lighter, like the crushing weight had vanished. Or maybe he had just stopped carrying it.
Kael scowled. "What are you babbling about, punk?"
Sel's expression changed. She was… smiling? Why was she smiling?
Seeing Sel's smile stirred something within Reiji—a blend of nervousness and determination he had not felt before.
I said, I shouted, THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, YOU PIECE OF MEAT! To Reiji, the world seemed to decelerate dramatically, as if every moment had stretched into minutes. Just as that thought echoed in Reiji's mind, Kael moved instantly, a blur of muscle and rage as his fist rocketed towards Reiji. It was too fast for a mere human to even perceive its movement.
'I... can't..dodge in time,' Reiji thought to himself as he saw the fist rocketing towards him at incredible speed, but his body could not move in time to even turn sideways.
In a blink, Kael was on the ground, coughing as blood began to seep from his mouth, his face bruised as if he had been punched square in the face. The air between them still rippled as if charged with the aftermath of a powerful force, hinting at the speed and strength of the unseen blow. It left Kael dazed, struggling to comprehend the source of the strike.
"What…? Did I… do that?" Reiji stared at his hands. "I didn't move. Sel…?"
Sel still wore that smile as she stood there, calm and quiet as if watching a comedy show.
'Was that her? But I didn't even see her move…' Reiji thought to himself.
But before he could ask, Kael stood up, and he was extremely furious.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?! I'LL KILL Y—"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, KAEL.... STAND DOWN."
A commanding voice cut through the tension like a blade.
And Kael froze.
A figure stood at the entrance to the guild.
Clad in radiant armor that gleamed under the guild's light, he stood tall—exuding charisma and the quiet authority of someone used to leading others.
'So that's the hero, huh?' Sel thought as she narrowed her eyes, sizing him up. 'He seems… alright, I guess.' She added, seemingly uninterested in the hero as well.
The suffocating tension in the guild began to ease as whispers buzzed through the crowd of adventurers.
"That's him, isn't it?" – Adventurer 1
"Yeah, that's the hero." – Adventurer 2
"No way… is he gonna fight Kael?" – Adventurer 3
"A showdown between Kael and the hero?" – Adventurer 4
Kael's eyes narrowed as he recognized who stood there.
"How dare you stop me, Ren?" he growled.
"You're causing a scene," Ren replied calmly. "The king heard about what was happening at the guild and sent me to deal with the situation."
"I do what I want," Kael scoffed. "What, you want to fight?" His lips curled into a grin.
Ren's tone stayed cool, but his eyes were sharp. "If you want a fight, I'd be happy to oblige… but are you sure now is the time?"
Kael's grin twitched.
He's right...I'm still recovering from whatever just happened... He isn't someone I can take down without my full strength.' Kael thought to himself. 'Even I couldn't react in time; everything hit like a blur. Was it… her? There's more to this group than I thought. Whatever, it's not worth pushing further right now.' He added to his thoughts as he glanced at both Sel and Reiji.
Kael shrugged, walking towards Ren, who was standing at the entrance of the guild.
"Tch. Scared? Heh. Whatever. I don't waste time on weaklings."
He said as he strode out, still wearing a smug expression. The oppressive weight in the air vanished as the door shut behind him.
Ren turned and gave a slight bow. "Are you two alright? I apologize for his behavior. He can be… difficult at times."
"N-No, we're fine," Reiji said quickly. "Nobody got hurt, so... yeah. We are all good."
Ren straightened, offering a gentle smile. "I'm Ren Kazuki—the Hero of Grimholde. A pleasure to meet you both. Are you new to the kingdom?"
'Wait—Kazuki? That's definitely a Japanese name. Is he Japanese, too? He did say he was the hero…' Reiji thought to himself as he heard the hero's name.
"I'm Reiji. This is Sel, she's my… uh… uh—"
Ren's eyes lit up. "Wait. Reiji? That's not a name from around here… are you Japanese, by any chance?"
'Crap.' Reiji thought as alarm bells started to ring in his head. 'Nope, this is a bad idea. Let's not hand out isekai cards just yet.'
"Ja…pan…ese?" Reiji tilted his head, faking confusion. "What's that?"
Ren studied Reiji for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Ah. My mistake, don't pay what I just said any thought." He said, turning to Sel. "And how rude of me. It's nice to meet you, Lady Sel."
'Phew, I dodged that one,' Reiji said internally. 'What a smart guy, he wasn't going to out himself to anyone who didn't already know the truth of his origin. That meant he was playing it safe, too. That's good to know. The fewer people who know we aren't from this world, the better.' Reiji thought as well.
"Well then," Ren said as he turned towards the door, "I should head back to the palace and report to the king. I hope we meet again, Reiji. Sel," he said with a smile.
With that, the Hero vanished into the light beyond the guild doors.
After all the madness had settled, Lyra handed both Sel and Reiji a small metallic card etched with intricate runes.
"These are your guild cards—also used as formal identification. Please take care not to lose them." She said, then paused, and turned to Sel with an almost apologetic smile.
"Oh, and Sel? The Guild has decided to assign you a provisional Rank B status. We're sorry we can't place you higher. Honestly, we wanted to make you Rank S outright, but without a formal record to go by, B is the best we can offer for now until you build up some experience and trust with the guild."
Sel took the card with a calm nod.
"That's fine. It's no big deal." She said.
'Not that I care about ranks either... we just needed identification, and a source of information. That's all.' Sel thought to herself.
"Wow, Sel. Rank B, huh?" I said, smiling at her. "That's super impressive. You'll hit S-rank in no time, I bet."
He said to Sel before he turned to Lyra, puffing out his chest a little.
"So, uh… what about mine? What's my rank?"
He grinned widely, already dreaming of B-rank status as well.
Lyra blinked.
"You're... Rank D."
…Huh?
"Well," she continued with a businesslike tone, "you should technically be Rank E, but because you're in a party with Sel and considering that little stunt you pulled earlier, we figured D would be… generous."
Reiji stared at the card Lyra handed him with a blank-eyed expression.
'So I only got bumped up because I know Sel? Seriously?' He began to think to himself. 'Well… okay, I guess staying under the radar isn't such a bad thing.'
"Wait, did you say… party?" Reiji asked; only now had Lyra's words made sense to him. "Sel and me?"
Lyra tilted her head, eyes wide in innocent confusion.
"Oh?... Was I mistaken? You two arrived together and seemed close, so I assumed you wanted to register as a party. If that's wrong, I can fix it—"
Reiji looked at Sel.
She was already smiling at him, with that soft, knowing smile again.
Reiji sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"No. You're right. We're a party."
And just like that, it was official.
They were now registered adventurers of the Kingdom of Grimholde. A Rank B goddess and a Rank D nobody. Still, Reiji couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. The card in his hand felt like a ticket to something bigger. This world was opening up before him.
But if he had been paying more attention, he would've seen it for what it was:
The beginning of chaos.
Yet, as the first hints of stability emerged, an undercurrent of impending turmoil quietly took root—signaling that their journey was about to descend into unforeseen chaos.