Ye Chui and Debbie were now undeniably the two most fearsome figures in Stan Town. The leaders of two major guilds, along with dozens of their experts, had fallen to them. No one dared to see them as novice mages or a young summoner anymore.
After driving off Abby and his group, the mercenary guild hall erupted in cheers. The mages and swordsmen who frequented the guild were often looked down upon by members of larger guilds. Seeing Abby and his crew humiliated by Ye Chui and Debbie felt deeply satisfying.
Shelith, holding her swollen cheek, looked at Ye Chui with gratitude. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It’s nothing. Is your face alright? Do you need Debbie to summon the all-purpose butler to heal you?”
Sure, Aphra’s healing only required touch, but she often preferred kissing. The thought of her kissing Shelith’s cheek was, well, quite thrilling.
Shelith smiled and shook her head. “No need. It’s not that serious.”
She nodded her thanks again, then noticed Jiji, who was curiously looking around like an inquisitive child. Debbie explained Jiji’s identity, and upon hearing she was a heroic spirit, the surrounding crowd let out gasps of amazement.
Then Shelith learned why Ye Chui and Debbie were at the guild.
“You’re here for a mission? You’ve come at the perfect time,” Shelith said, returning to the counter and pressing a cool, damp towel to her face. She smiled. “There’s a great mission I haven’t posted yet. Since you’re here, it’s yours.”
“What’s the mission?” Ye Chui asked eagerly.
“Clearing out bandits,” Shelith explained. “Two hundred miles southwest of Stan Town is Southwind Outpost, a former military base from wartime, now abandoned and often occupied by bandits who rob merchant caravans on nearby trade routes. Every so often, merchants band together to issue a bandit-clearing mission. You’ve arrived just in time for the latest one.”
“Wow, what’s the reward?” Debbie asked, eyes wide.
“Twenty gold coins, with five payable upfront,” Shelith replied, a generous sum for a mission. She added, “It’s a three-star mission. There might be some skilled fighters among the bandits, but I doubt they’ll be a problem for you two.”
Ye Chui and Debbie were visibly excited. The mercenary guild was an organisation spanning the entire Castro Continent, present in nearly every town, with a unified star-rating system. Ten-star missions could shake nations, while one-star tasks involved simple things like finding lost items or delivering messages. The wolf-rat mission they’d tackled before was two-star. A three-star mission was riskier but offered richer rewards, rare for Stan Town’s guild.
Onlookers showed envy when Shelith assigned the mission to Ye Chui and Debbie, but none dared to compete for it.
“We’ll take it!” Ye Chui decided instantly.
“Good,” Shelith nodded, pulling a yellowish-brown mission scroll from behind the counter. She paused, a troubled look crossing her face. “Oh, I forgot. This mission is only for registered mercenary bands or magic guilds.”
Ye Chui frowned. “What’s needed to register a magic guild?”
They’d just discussed forming a magic guild, and it seemed the time to act had come.
“A magic guild needs at least three members, all mages, summoners, or believers. You can register here,” Shelith said, her eyes brightening as she looked at Ye Chui. “Are you planning to start your own?”
“Exactly!” Ye Chui nodded, glancing at Debbie.
Debbie, full of enthusiasm, said, “We’ve got three people right here. It’s settled.”
“Great, I’ll register you,” Shelith said, pulling out another scroll, a quill, and ink. She began filling it out at the counter, asking for details like names, ages, and roles. When she asked about Ye Chui’s grimoire attributes, he smiled and said, “All attributes.”
Shelith’s hand trembled at the answer.
The onlookers froze as well.
All attributes, mastering all nine schools of magic… Could this kid be any more outrageous?
The registration was quickly completed. Ye Chui became the guildmaster, Debbie the deputy, and Green took on every other role as the sole additional member. The final, crucial step remained.
“What will you name your magic guild?” Shelith asked, dipping her quill in ink.
“Something casual,” Ye Chui said.
“Are you sure?” Shelith blinked.
“Yep,” Ye Chui said with a smile. He was pretending to be nonchalant, but he’d already thought up a list of impressive names to showcase his naming genius: Heroic Spirit Alliance, Magic Glory, Summoner Vanguard. He couldn’t decide which was best.
He looked at Debbie and Green, ready to share his ideas for their input, when Shelith said, “Alright, I’ve filled it in.”
“Huh? Filled in what?” Ye Chui asked, confused.
Shelith put away the quill. “The name ‘Casual.’ Congratulations, the Casual Magic Guild is officially formed.”
Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green stared in shock. A guild name that casual!?
Shelith realised her mistake and covered her mouth in surprise. The registration scroll had a special effect, making changes impossible without destroying it. “If you destroy this scroll, it’s like dissolving your guild. To restart, regulations require a one-month cooling-off period.”
What kind of rule was that?
Amid groans, Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green reluctantly accepted the absurdly casual guild name. The mission was the priority, and they could change it after a month.
With that settled, Ye Chui, as guildmaster of the Casual Magic Guild, officially accepted the three-star bandit-clearing mission and the five-coin advance.
“Good luck with the mission,” Shelith said, sweating, to the trio.
Leaving the guild, Ye Chui announced a half-day rest, with departure set for dawn.
“Our adventure starts now?” Green asked, buzzing with excitement. “What do I need to prepare?”
“Definitely,” Debbie, the deputy guildmaster, nodded seriously.
Green looked expectant.
“Pots, pans, dishes, tea, rice, oil, salt, maybe two tents and bedding. Oh, and don’t forget clean water,” Debbie said, sounding experienced.
Green was stunned. “Are we going on a mission or a picnic?”
“It’s a two-hundred-mile trip. This mission will take three or four days. Outside town is the Elf Prairie, and waystations aren’t everywhere. What’s your plan if we can’t find a place to stay?” Debbie countered.
“Fair point…”
Green was instantly won over by her professionalism. As the guild’s only member, he hurried off to prepare. Ye Chui flicked him a gold coin with a “pop” for guild expenses, Green also being the treasurer.
Ye Chui and Debbie then took Jiji home, discussing their upcoming adventure.
Just before reaching home, a tall girl suddenly passed by, brushing past Ye Chui.
Ye Chui frowned and turned to look at her.
Debbie noticed and stopped. “What’s up? Someone you know?”
“No,” Ye Chui shook his head seriously. “When her skirt lifted in the breeze, it looked like she wasn’t wearing trousers. Those long legs…”
Though this world wasn’t as restrictive as the medieval era Ye Chui knew, certain customs were strict. Women’s attire couldn’t be too revealing. Even in summer, thin trousers were worn under long skirts. Ankles and calves, second only to hips and chests, were never to be shown.
But Ye Chui had clearly seen the woman’s skirt lift, revealing bare, slender legs and ankles. It was akin to a short skirt in his old world, utterly bold for this one.
Even women in less reputable professions weren’t that daring!
“You pervert!” Debbie, realising what he was staring at, fumed and kicked his shin.
They started bickering.
Moments later, when Ye Chui looked again, the girl was gone.
It wasn’t just her legs he noticed. She seemed familiar… maybe someone Wade knew?
The girl, now far off, wore an irritated expression.
“Hmph, he didn’t even recognise me…”
