Technology x Magic x Fantasy

***Vier Point of View (POV)***

After arriving at the Adventurers Guild, the thing we need to do first is to choose some quests on the quest board. Next is to update our Art-Phone and occasionally read some news posted on the notice board.

"Mifumi-sama, Felin, please decide on our quests for today, I'll go to Sakura-san's counter to update our Art-Phone."

""Mhm!!""

Mifumi-sama handed our group's Art-Phone to me then I left her and Felin in front of the quest board and went to the appraisal room which is just besides the receptionist counter.

When I entered at the appraisal room I found Sakura-san at her usual counter. She then greeted me with a welcoming smile and asked for my inquiry.

"Good morning Sakura-san, can you please update our Art-Phone."

"Do you also want to erase the previous update?"

"Please erase it then Sakura-san."

"Okay. It will take some time so please have a seat."

I handed our Art-Phone to Sakura-san, she then brought out a Mana-Tech called Art-Tablet. After the screen part of the Art-Tablet lights up, Sakura-san puts it lying down on the counter and then puts our Art-Phone at the top of the Art-Tablet.

A few seconds later, lots of weird images and symbols were projected in the air above the Art-Tablet and the Art-Phone. Sakura-san then started updating our Art-Phone by rearranging those weird images and symbols.

It was really weird that Sakura-san could touch those images and symbols even though those were only being projected and not actually real objects.

"By the way, have you figured out how the Art-Phone's Magic-Circuit and Mana-Crystal work, Vier-chan?"

While working on the update, Sakura-san is casually chatting with me.

"If you would allow me to just disassemble at least one then..."

"I told you before, if you forcefully open this, the security Spell will burn the Magic-Circuit along with the Mana-Crystal."

"And I would be penalized by the Adventurers Guild, right?"

"Hmmm... Probably."

"Then how are you expecting me to know how it works?"

Of course, I want to know how the Art-Phone works.

The only thing I know about the Art-Phone is that everything that it can do is because of the Magic-Circuit and the Replicated parts of the Smart-Phone Relic inside of it.

The Artifact-Phone or Art-Phone is the latest Mana-Tech release by the Adventurers Academy in collaboration with The Academy of Magic and it is based on a Relic of the 2nd-World called Smart-Phone.

However, they're still unable to replicate the Smart-Phone whole function, especially the communication function that I always see in my dreams of Memory-Fragment about the Smart-Phone.

Although, the Art-Phone can do many amazing things. It can capture and show many colored images and you can read news and information updated by the guild on the Art-Phone.

I want to disassemble at least one Art-Phone and see what the inside looks like but intentionally disassembling it is against the Adventurers Guild Law.

"Vier-chan, are you okay? You suddenly got quiet."

Sakura-san asked me with a puzzled look while keeping her work with the update.

"I'm fine Sakura-san. I just lost my thought thinking about the Art-Phone."

I just hope that I don't look like a cat staring into something unseen while I'm monologuing about the Art-Phone.

"You're smart and clever Vier-chan. I'm sure you can figure it out. And if you're interested, you can just enroll at The Academy of Magic."

"Your real intention is to bring me to the side of The Academy of Magic, right Sakura-san?"

"Huh?... I don't know what you're talking about, Vier-chan."

Sakura-san tries to play innocent and confused about what I said but I'm sure that is just an act.

"I'm not buying that acting Sakura-san, and you're expecting too much from me."

***Mifumi POV***

After Vier-chan left to update the Art-Phone, me and Felin-chan decided on what quests our group would be doing today.

"Mifumi-sama, Let's hunt Crazy-Rabbit and Horned-Boar again."

Those monsters that Felin-chan suggests are Rank-0 monsters. There's always a quest for their extermination in the forest plus their meat is edible so we could sell those.

"Then let's fight those Shade-Wolf, Mifumi-sama."

Shade-Wolf is a Rank-1 monster, we should have no problem fighting a herd of them as long as the three of us are together.

"Then let's take the quests for those monsters, Felin-chan."

"Mhm!"

After taking those three quest posters on the quest board, we went to the receptionist counter to check out the quests.

"Good morning Heleen-oneesan."

"Good morning Heleen-san, We would like to take these quests for today."

Heleen-san is the Guild receptionist who was assigned to our group. Being our assigned receptionist, Heleen-san handles all the documents related to our group.

"Good morning Mifumi-sama, Felin-chan... Huh?... Where is Vier-chan? Is she not with you today?

"She went to Sakura-san to update our Art-Phone."

"Sheesh. Vier-chan is avoiding me, right?"

"Why would Vier avoid you, Heleen-oneesan?"

Felin probably doesn't know but Heleen-san is always nagging Vier-chan to submit our Adventurers-Party name. Vier-chan said that she would think of a cool name but she still hasn't submitted any yet.

"Sigh... Anyway, about your quest for today, how about taking this Guild request for a change, Felin-chan, Mifumi-sama?"

"What's a Guild request, Heleen-oneesan?"

"It means a quest made by the Guild, Felin-chan."

Guild request's reward is quite high. Even if we combine these three monster extermination quests we had, the reward won't come close to it. Also, it will give us more points for our ranking.

"Are you sure we're qualified to take a Guild request, Heleen-san?"

"Don't worry Mifumi-sama, I already verified the request, your group should be capable of handling this request."

"Then we'll take it, Heleen-san."

"Mhm! We'll take it, Heleen-oneesan!"

***Vier POV***

"Good morning Sakura-san. Vier-chan, we're done picking up the quest."

"Good morning Sakura-oneesan."

"Good morning Mifumi-sama, Felin-chan."

Just as Sakura-san finished updating our Art-Phone, Mifumi-sama and Felin entered the appraisal room.

"Here's the Art-Phone Mifumi-sama."

Sakura-san handed the Art-Phone to Mifumi-sama. Mifumi-sama took it and stored the Art-Phone in her Item-Bag, a Magic-Item that has storage-skill.

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

"There's new information that might interest your group so enjoy reading the news on the Art-Phone."

"""Thank you Sakura-san/-oneesan."""

We said goodbye to Sakura-san and left the appraisal room.

Sakura-san is the only Guild staff member who was in charge of updating the Art-Phone. She also handles the Appraisal Magic-Item for appraising any Monster-Cores and Monster-Materials brought by the adventurers into the Guild.

Even though she's working at the Adventurers Guild, she is not actually an adventurer herself. She's a Spellcaster assigned by The Academy of Magic to support and probably monitor the Adventurers Guild in anything related to Magic-Item, Mana-Tech, and Dungeon-Artifact.

In other words, she's a spy from The Academy of Magic. Mhm! That's probably true...

"Vier, you look weird again."

"Ehh?"

Felin is looking at my face intently. It's kind of awkward to be stared at like that actually... Wait... Am I doing the cat-staring face again?

"Did Sakura-san try to invite you again, Vier-chan?"

Mifumi-sama is anxious about Sakura-san inviting me to enroll at The Academy of Magic. She's probably worrying that I might accept Sakura-san's invitation.

But she doesn't have to worry about it, I made a promise to her after all. Besides I can't use Magic very well so it will be tough for me to study at The Academy of Magic.

"She's a student of The Academy of Magic and a Spellcaster so she wants to gather more students to their side."

I casually replied to Mifumi-sama's question so she won't get anxious anymore.

"Then why won't she invite me and Felin-chan as well?"

"Felin is not that into other Magic except her own Sub-Spirit Magic, and she probably knows your circumstances since she's from our town as well."

"Well, you're right. I won't change my decision even if she invites me as well."

Mifumi-sama decides to become an adventurer because she has a goal that she needs to accomplish. Being an adventurer and studying at the Adventurers Academy will allow her to accomplish her goal compared to being a student of The Academy of Magic.

"What kind of Class is a Spellcaster Vier, Mifumi-sama?"

While Mifumi-sama and I were talking about Sakura-san, Felin, out of nowhere suddenly became curious about the Spellcaster Class.

"Hmmm... Magician or Mage can use magic using Sub-Spirits, Sorceress like me uses Monster-Core, and a Spellcaster makes Magic-Circuit to be able to use magic."

Mifumi-sama explained the different Classes that specialized in Magic. However, it's not actually Magician or Mage that has Sub-Spirit but Demi-Humans. It's just that the Class of Magician or Mage is only given to Demi-Humans. Also...

"Magic-Circuit came from studying how Dungeon-Artifact works. So technically, Spellcaster uses Dungeon-Artifact or Magic-Item to use Magic."

"Sheesh. That's wrong Vier-chan."

"Ehh? Isn't that the same, Mifumi-sama?"

"If you really believe that, go back to Sakura-san and tell her what you just said."

Mifumi-sama said those while pointing back in the appraisal room to where Sakura-san's counter is.

"Okay, I go back and ask Sakura-oneesan."

"Wait, Felin!"

I immediately grab Felin's hand so she won't be able to go back to Sakura-san.

Spellcasters like Sakura-san don't like the concept that their Class only uses Dungeon-Artifact or Magic-Item to use Magic. If Felin ever told Sakura-san about what I said earlier, I'm sure Sakura-san would give me the beating that I need and deserve.

"We need to go now so we don't have time for that, Felin."

"Okay, I will ask Sakura-oneesan next time."

Please don't Felin. Just forget about this, please. Let's change the topic and forget all of this.

"So what kind of quests did you take, Felin, Mifumi-sama?"

"It's an escort quest, Vier!"

Felin said those with a big smile and a delighted look. It's not like this is our first time doing an escort quest so I'm wondering what made her so excited.

"The Guild recommended an urgent request to escort some people and pick up something at Neem village."

"Ehh? That's a half-day ride by carriage, we'll be forced to stay at the village by night, Mifumi-sama."

Why did Felin and Mifumi-sama accept something like this?

"We're not sleeping there Vier, will be moving back at night."

So this is why Felin is excited. We never did an overnight quest before so it's something new and exciting for her. However...

"That will be tiring Felin, It will be past midnight by the time we make it back to town."

"Don't worry Vier-chan, we're not the only group doing this quest."

"So it is a group collaboration quest? Who are the other groups then?"

"The leading group for this quest will be the Iron-Rank Adventurers-Party Dryad-Guardian."

"Ugh!... That's Mr. Nach's group."

Just hearing the name of the other group made me feel uncomfortable already. It's not that it is an unpleasant group, in fact, the other three members of that group are good people. It's just that there's a guy in that group that is really annoying.

"I know you don't like Mr. Nach, but this will be a good opportunity to work with an upstanding group like them, Vier-chan."

"Mhm! Nymh-san is there too. I want to see her fight."

"Well, you're both right, Felin, Mifumi-sama. Is there any other group?"

"I'm not sure about the other group but they are also Copper-Rank adventurers like us."

"Then at what time do we need to leave?"

"The departure time is at noon so we at least have two hours to prepare. I already asked the guild staff to tell our house that we will take this quest, so we only just need to gather our supplies and meet them at the east gate."

"Are you really sure about this quest, Felin, Mifumi-sama?"

"Mhm! We're sure, Vier!"

"This will be a good experience for us after we leave our town and head to the Adventurer Academy in the Floating Island of Liber."

"Okay, let's go then."

""Mhm!!""

__________________________

***PoruShark Writer's Note***

Here are the characters' concept designs for The Guild staff.

Look at the comments.

•Sakura-san

•Heleen-san