Papers

PH1RE'S P.O.V

The office was spacious and filled with shelves overflowing with books, maps, and scrolls. The room smelled faintly of parchment and ink, and the walls were adorned with faded banners from past quests. Godfrey sat behind a large wooden desk that looked as though it had seen better days, with papers scattered all across it.

"Good morning," Godfrey greeted us with a tired but welcoming smile. "Looks like it's time to make this official."

Lydia stood beside him, a stack of forms and documents in her arms, which she promptly dropped onto the desk. I couldn't help but wince at the sight—there were at least a dozen papers in the pile.

"This is... all for us?" Maya asked, eyeing the stack of paperwork with thinly veiled dread.

"Yes," Lydia replied matter-of-factly. "Every new recruit needs to have their documentation in order before they can take on official quests for the guild. Contracts, guild rules, liability forms, health assessments—standard procedure."

Maya and I exchanged glances, already feeling the headache that was about to hit.

"Don't look so down," Godfrey said, leaning back in his chair with an amused grin. "Once this is done, you're officially part of the guild. Plus, you won't have to do this again for a long time."

"That's...comforting," I muttered as Lydia handed us each a pen and the first set of forms.

"Let's get started, shall we?" she said, gesturing to the chairs in front of the desk.

We sat down and immediately got to work. The first document was a basic contract outlining our roles within the guild, the percentage of earnings we'd keep from completed quests, and the general expectations Godfrey and Lydia had for us as new adventures. As I skimmed through the fine print, I couldn't help but notice some of the odd wording.

"Wait, what's this about 'extreme magical mishaps' and 'unforeseen consequences'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Standard adventurer language," Lydia replied without missing a beat. "It basically means that if you accidentally destroy government property, get cursed by an ancient artifact or relic or cause the extinction of certain endangered magical creatures, you can't hold the guild responsible."

Maya snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. "No big deal, right?"

I shook my head and signed the form. "Of course, just another day at the office."

We moved on to the next set of papers, which focused on guild policies. These included everything from proper conduct to how disputes between guild members would be handled. Godfrey explained each section with surprising detail, but his laid-back tone made it feel less like a lecture and more like a conversation.

"Now, about that one time Bryn nearly set the kitchen on fire...," Godfrey said, rubbing his chin in thought. "You'll find there's a rule in here somewhere about not using fire spells indoors. It's an important one," he said, looking at me.

"I'll make a mental note," I responded, giving a nervous chuckle.

"How's your training going anyway? I heard you can only use one spell," he asked, curiosity in his tone.

"It's progressing. There's surprisingly still a lot I can do with just fireball and pure spells. I haven't hit my ceiling yet," I answered.

"That's good to hear," he responded, though there was a strange smile on his face. Lydia seemed to give him a look that I was finding hard to interpret.

Halfway through the stack, Maya let out a groan. "I didn't think being an adventurer would involve so much paperwork. I thought we'd be out fighting monsters, not... writing our names over and over."

I was surprised she was complaining, considering this is what she would've expected if she had ventured into the merchant business. But I suppose this was a case of expecting soda and getting orange juice.

Godfrey chuckled. "It's all part of the job, unfortunately. You wouldn't believe how many adventurers get caught up in legal trouble because they didn't read the fine print."

Lydia nodded in agreement. "And believe me, you'll want everything in writing. It keeps the guild safe, and it keeps you safe."

Maya signed the next form with an exaggerated flourish. "Fine, but once this is over, I'm going to need a break. My wrist is already starting to cramp."

While I haven't been to any other guild, I'm willing to bet they don't have their guild masters wasting away all day signing documents. They probably have people to take care of these legal issues. This must be yet another consequence of the Red Ravens' reputation.

As we neared the final set of documents, Godfrey stood up and walked over to a nearby shelf, pulling down a large, dusty book. "Now, here's the fun part," he said with a grin. "We need to officially register you two in the Red Ravens' log. This is our guild's history—every member, past and present, has their name written in here."

He opened the book and flipped through the yellowed pages, revealing lists of names going back years. Some were scrawled in neat, flowing handwriting, while others were barely legible, likely written by members who weren't particularly fond of paperwork.

"Wow," I said, looking over the names. "This thing must be ancient."

Godfrey nodded. "It's been with the guild since the beginning. You're about to join the ranks of the Red Ravens officially."

He handed the quill to Maya first, and she took it with a small, hesitant smile. "This is kind of a big deal, huh?"

"Just a little," Godfrey said with a wink.

Maya carefully signed her name in the book, and then it was my turn. I hesitated for just a moment, staring at the blank space where my name would go.

With a deep breath, I signed my name, the ink drying quickly on the aged parchment.

"Congratulations," Lydia said, closing the book with a satisfying thud. "You're both officially Red Ravens now."

Godfrey clapped his hands together, his grin wide. "Welcome to the family, both of you."

I couldn't help but smile. Whatever it was, there was something about this guild that made it feel... right.

"Alright," Lydia said, standing up and stretching her arms. "Now that all the boring stuff is done, you're free for the rest of the day. But be ready for training tomorrow. You're both going to need it."

Maya groaned again, but I just smiled.

As we made our way to leave the office, something fell at our feet. "Oh! I forgot one," I admitted, picking it up, but then realized it was a letter.

"What is it?" asked Maya.

"It's a letter, to the guild," I said, extending the letter to Godfrey, who took it from my hand.

He opened the letter and suddenly exclaimed, "It's a request! AN ACTUAL REQUEST!"

Maya and I covered our ears from the shout but smiled, realizing this was a momentous occasion.

"What does it say?" Lydia asked.

"A request from the town of Nidus. They're experiencing a magical beast outbreak and have asked the court for our assistance," Godfrey said, his excitement that of a little child.

"They asked for us specifically?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Godfrey asked with a blank face.

"It seems sketchy," Lydia continued, but softened her strict expression when Godfrey made a sad face. For a grown man, he acts like she's the parent here.

Sighing, she conceded, "I suppose it would be counterproductive to decline a request after all this time."

Godfrey's face lit up with excitement at Lydia's approval. "Excellent! Finally, a chance to prove ourselves again!" he said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Maya, sensing the shift in energy, leaned in closer. "What exactly does this request involve? You mentioned a beast outbreak?"

"Yes, according to the letter, magical beasts have been causing havoc near the town of Nidus," Godfrey explained. "They've tried handling it on their own and even started construction on a wall, but the magical beasts have been impeding the process. The situation has gotten out of control, and they've requested help from a guild. For some reason, they chose us."

"I can't wait to go on a quest after so long! No more—"

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Lydia interjected, cutting off Godfrey's excitement. "We still have to finalize the budget for the month, and there are the usual formalities for undergoing a quest after such a long time. Not to mention, there are still documents to take care of concerning our new recruits." With each word, Godfrey's face grew darker, the enthusiasm draining away.

"But... can't that wait till later?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she replied firmly, avoiding his disappointed gaze.

Turning to Maya and me, she continued, "I hope you're both ready for your first quest. Run along and tell the others. The guild master and I will be too busy to follow you, but we wish you the best of luck."

I glanced at Godfrey, whose head was now buried in his desk in silent despair. A long, exaggerated sigh escaped him, but no words followed.

Lydia, still looking skeptical, folded her arms. "You should both prepare. Even if this seems like a straightforward beast hunt, something about it feels off. Magical beast outbreaks don't happen without reason. Honestly, I would have preferred your first quest to be of a lower rank," she said, her tone cautious.

Maya smiled. "We'll be fine. Your torture sessions have more than prepared us."

Lydia couldn't help but smile in return, the amusement clear on her face. "This is going to be your first quest as Red Ravens. Get some rest tonight—tomorrow, you head out."

We nodded, thanking her before leaving the room. As we walked out, we glanced back at a downtrodden Godfrey, still silently sulking over his lost opportunity for adventure.

"Good luck," Lydia called after us with a small smile, and we waved goodbye, ready to share the news with the others.