Chapter 13: The Early Days

Ryuto could hardly contain his excitement as he adjusted the guild badge pinned to his chest. It still felt surreal, being an official adventurer after everything that had happened with the King, his father, and the guild. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions, responsibilities, and growing expectations. But now, standing outside the bustling adventurers' guild with the sun rising in the sky, Ryuto felt a sense of freedom he hadn't experienced before.

"Alright, first real quest," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his messy hair. His heart was racing. He wasn't facing a dire beast or being summoned by the King this time. Just a simple fetch quest. Nothing to worry about. Easy.

As he stepped inside the guildhall, the familiar hustle and bustle of adventurers preparing for their own quests greeted him. Most were older, more experienced, but that didn't bother Ryuto. He had something they didn't, magic that could obliterate anything in his path. That, of course, was also a problem, given that his magic had a tendency to get… out of hand.

He made his way to the quest board, where dozens of requests were posted. Everything from delivering packages to hunting down low-level monsters. His eyes scanned over the options, looking for something manageable.

"Hey, Ryuto!" a familiar voice called from behind the counter.

Ryuto turned to see Elena, the guild's quest handler, smiling brightly at him. "Ready for your first quest?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I figured I'd start with something simple."

Elena nodded, flipping through the requests until she found the one she'd prepared for him. "Here we go. Your first official assignment." She handed him a scroll. "It's a fetch quest. You'll need to gather Golden Leaf flowers from the Lushwood Forest. They're used in alchemical potions, so we get requests for them all the time. Simple enough, right?"

Ryuto took the scroll and opened it, scanning over the details. Golden Leaf flowers were common, and from what he knew, the forest was only an hour's walk from the guild. He smiled, relieved. "Looks good. I'll get it done by the end of the day."

"Just be careful," Elena added with a wink. "Even a simple fetch quest can have its surprises."

Ryuto chuckled, tucking the scroll into his bag. "I think I can handle a few surprises."

Ryuto's walk to the Lushwood Forest was peaceful, with birds chirping in the trees and the sun warming his back. The air was crisp, and the scent of pine filled his lungs as he made his way down the narrow dirt path. He couldn't help but feel at ease. After everything he had been through, fighting the Forest Behemoth, being summoned by the King, and having his powers revealed, it was nice to do something… normal.

The entrance to the forest appeared up ahead, the trees growing denser as he stepped off the path and into the cool shade. The ground beneath his boots softened, and the sound of a nearby stream trickled in the distance. Golden Leaf flowers usually grew near water sources, so Ryuto followed the stream deeper into the forest.

As he walked, his mind wandered back to the events of the past few days. His encounter with the King had been a turning point, and while the attention and expectations weighed on him, part of him was excited. He had always dreamed of being an adventurer, and now he had the chance to prove himself. But there was another side to that dream, the part that worried him. His magic, while powerful, was still something he couldn't fully control. The thought of accidentally overdoing it in front of the wrong people… it kept him on edge.

"Focus, Ryuto," he muttered to himself, shaking off the thoughts as he spotted a patch of Golden Leaf flowers growing by the stream. Their golden petals shimmered in the sunlight, standing out against the green foliage.

He knelt down and began carefully picking the flowers, placing them into a small pouch. The task was calming, almost meditative, and for a moment, Ryuto felt like he was truly becoming part of the adventurer lifestyle. No monsters. No danger. Just a peaceful day collecting herbs.

But just as he was about to finish, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

A rustling sound came from the bushes nearby, followed by a low growl.

Ryuto froze, his hand still hovering over the last flower. His heart rate spiked as he slowly stood, scanning the area. The growl grew louder, and then from the underbrush, a pack of forest wolves emerged, their eyes glowing with hunger and malice.

"Of course," Ryuto muttered under his breath. Elena's warning echoed in his mind: Even a simple fetch quest can have its surprises.

There were four wolves in total, their sleek forms moving through the trees with deadly grace. They fanned out, circling Ryuto, their growls low and threatening.

Ryuto clenched his fists, feeling the familiar surge of magic rise within him. He hadn't wanted to use it, not for something like this, but it seemed he didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright," he said, his voice low and steady. "Let's get this over with."

The wolves didn't wait. They lunged at Ryuto, their fangs bared. He dodged the first one with ease, his agility keeping him just out of reach. The second wolf came from the side, its jaws snapping inches from his arm. Ryuto ducked and rolled, coming up just in time to avoid another swipe from the pack leader.

They were faster than he had anticipated, and their coordination made it clear that this wasn't their first hunt. Ryuto could feel the adrenaline kicking in, but with each passing second, his frustration grew. He didn't want to use his magic, not here, not for something so small, but the wolves weren't giving him much of a choice.

A third wolf charged at him, its claws scraping across the dirt as it leapt. Ryuto reacted on instinct, summoning a blast of wind that sent the creature flying back into the trees with a yelp. The other wolves hesitated for a moment, watching as their packmate struggled to stand.

"That's right," Ryuto muttered, raising his hand. "You want more?"

But the hesitation didn't last long. The wolves regrouped, snarling as they prepared for another attack.

Ryuto sighed. "Guess I've got no choice."

He focused, feeling the magic surge through him. Flames erupted from his fingertips, swirling in the air as he prepared to unleash his spell. The wolves charged once more, and with a quick flick of his wrist, Ryuto sent a roaring fireball into their midst.

The explosion was immediate. Flames engulfed the wolves, their howls of pain echoing through the forest as they were reduced to charred remains in a matter of seconds.

Ryuto stood there, breathing heavily as the smoke cleared. The area around him was scorched, the once peaceful clearing now littered with burnt bodies and singed grass. He stared at the aftermath, feeling a mix of guilt and relief.

"Well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That escalated quickly."

Ryuto stood in the middle of the charred clearing, his breath slowly returning to normal. The forest wolves were nothing more than blackened remains scattered across the scorched earth. He had hoped to avoid such a display of power, but when faced with danger, his magic had once again surged beyond what he intended.

"Overkill, as usual," he muttered to himself, looking down at his hand, still crackling faintly with magical energy. His control was better than it had been, but clearly, he had a long way to go before he could handle his magic with precision.

With a sigh, Ryuto crouched down beside one of the wolf corpses, inspecting what was left. The claws and teeth seemed intact, despite the flames that had consumed most of the body. The guild usually paid for monster parts, and after that display, he figured he might as well make some extra coin.

One by one, he began collecting the remains, carefully placing the claws and teeth into his satchel alongside the Golden Leaf flowers. The air still smelled of smoke, and the forest was eerily quiet now that the battle was over.

As he stood, Ryuto glanced around at the scorched clearing, a pang of guilt tugging at him. Celeste's warning echoed in his mind: "You're too powerful for your own good." It wasn't just about the monsters he faced. It was the way his magic could so easily spiral out of control.

"I'll figure it out," he muttered under his breath, slinging the satchel over his shoulder. "One step at a time."

With the flowers and monster parts secured, Ryuto made his way back through the forest, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound in the stillness. The excitement he had felt earlier had been replaced by a quiet determination. This was his first real quest, and he had completed it, maybe not as smoothly as he'd hoped, but it was done.

The adventurers' guild was lively as always when Ryuto returned later that afternoon. The sound of clanking armor, raised voices, and the crackling of the fireplace filled the hall, giving it a warm, bustling energy. As Ryuto pushed through the door, a few adventurers glanced his way, though most quickly returned to their own business.

Ryuto approached the counter, where Elena stood, her bright smile already in place.

"Back so soon?" she teased. "How'd your first quest go?"

Ryuto gave her a wry smile, pulling the satchel from his shoulder and placing it on the counter. "It was… eventful."

Elena raised an eyebrow as she opened the bag, first pulling out the Golden Leaf flowers. "Looks like you found the flowers with no problem." Then she dug deeper, her hand brushing against something hard. She blinked, pulling out one of the charred wolf claws.

"Wait, what is this?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Ryuto shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Ran into some wolves. Took care of them."

Elena's eyes narrowed playfully. "Took care of them? Ryuto, these are practically cooked."

"Well, I didn't exactly plan for that to happen," Ryuto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Things… got a little out of hand."

Elena stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You really are something else, Ryuto." She carefully sorted through the wolf parts and flowers, tallying up his rewards. "Not only did you finish the quest, but you brought back monster parts as well. The guild always pays extra for those."

She scribbled down the final numbers on a piece of parchment before handing Ryuto a small pouch of coins. "Here's your payment for the flowers and the wolf parts. You've also earned 300 experience points."

Ryuto blinked, pleasantly surprised. "300? I didn't think a simple fetch quest would be worth that much."

Elena smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, it wouldn't have been if you'd just brought back the flowers. But those wolf parts add up, and let's just say your... unique method of handling them has the guild curious."

Ryuto accepted the pouch of coins and the update on his experience points. He now had 300 points under his belt, with 700 more to go before he could rank up to E-rank adventurer.

"Not bad for your first day," Elena added with a wink. "Keep this up, and you'll be climbing the ranks in no time."

With the quest complete, Ryuto left the guild and began the walk back to the Velclair estate. The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the cobblestone streets. Ryuto's mind was still buzzing from the events of the day, his first official quest, the unexpected wolf attack, and the realization that controlling his magic was going to be harder than he thought.

As he walked, he pulled out his smartphone, glancing at the progress bar on his screen. The number 300 blinked back at him, showing how far he'd come, and how far he still had to go.

"700 more points," Ryuto muttered, pocketing the phone. "I can do this."

But even as he thought about the next quest, a part of him couldn't shake the memory of the wolves. He had held back as much as he could, and yet his magic had still been too much. What would happen if he couldn't control it the next time? Or if the enemies he faced weren't just wolves?

As the Velclair estate came into view, Ryuto pushed those thoughts aside for the moment. He had made progress today, and for now, that was enough. But deep down, he knew that his path as an adventurer would only get more difficult, and more dangerous.