Chapter Twenty Four: Back In The Guild, Reluctant Party, First Quest

Fumiko and Nariko made it back to the guild. Nariko trying to get to know Fumiko and talk to her and actually trying to get the position of 'friends' inside of Fumiko's mind.

Meanwhile Fumiko just ignored her, well tried to. She paid attention to what Nariko was saying, but just didn't respond and only hummed at questions or what she was saying.

When they made it back to the guild the guy behind the counter was gone and in his place was a woman in his place.

They went up the counter and she began her greeting to all the people that came up to her. "Welcome to the adventurers guild. Are you to-."

She was cut off by Fumiko speaking over her. "I'm here to become an adventurer." Fumiko wasn't willing to sit through a whole speech, or to see if this girl was like the guy from before.

Nariko had an embarrassed look as Fumiko interrupted the woman. "Sorry about that, she's just had a bad day." Fumiko looked at Nariko with a raised eyebrow, bad wasn't the word she would use. It was more so along the lines of annoying. "But, yes, both of us are here to become adventurers."

The woman behind the counter just shrugged off the interruption and got out some papers from underneath the table. "You'll need to sign these papers, and while you guys do that I'll check your ID cards."

Both Fumiko and Nariko handed up their ID cards, Fumiko glad it was going smoother than before and that she didn't feel the need to beat anyone up right now. And Nariko was glad she didn't have to stop another fight from happening in the guild, although the first one didn't happen, it was close to.

Nariko started to look over the sheets of paper that were given to her, it was mostly rules and regulations of the guild, and that the guild would protect its members unless proven of a crime while under their protection.

The guild was basically a place where some found redemption. It didn't matter if you had a criminal record before coming here, the guild would trust that you joined them to change, but if you didn't and betrayed that trust then the guild would personally set a bounty on that person.

Nariko didn't like the idea of bounties being up for people, but she understood it, and although she didn't like it she did agree with it. People came here to redeem themselves, and if you betrayed that trust then you got what was coming to you. And besides, the bounty didn't say you had to kill them, although it was an option, it was preferred that you brought them back in alive. Only the most dangerous people have an 'Kill on sight' bounty, which Nariko assumed was rare.

Nariko then saw the final thing in the papers, and she looked at it with a raised brow. She wasn't told about it by Gazef or the King, but then again they wouldn't know everything. And looking over at Fumiko, and seeing her already signing the papers, Nariko signed them as well.

Fumiko only scanned over the papers, she didn't care for most of the rules, they wouldn't apply to her when she got to the top or proved her strength here, but she needed to know the basics for when she was at the bottom, which was now.

The rules were simple, and easily forgettable, but they were common sense in her opinion on how to act around the guild and with mission.

And then the final page was just useless information which she didn't need to read or look at, so she signed it without hesitation.

After that Fumiko pushed the papers a little bit away from her and put her pen down with the papers.

The girl then came back a few seconds later with their Adventurer Guild Plate. It was like their ID, but wasn't because they got the ID back separately, and didn't have as much information as their ID but held their rank, number of missions taken, number of missions successfully completed, number of missions failed, as well as a spot beside their names for a sobriquet.

"Well, now you're both officially adventurers. Congratulations!" The woman said, giving them a small clap. Nariko looked away a little embarrassed at that, while Fumiko just nodded her head. "The mission board is over there, and after completing a few missions the guild will decide when you can rank up, of course you can refuse… but I don't see why you would."

Fumiko and Nariko could see the reason. If you thought you were at your limit and couldn't get any stronger then there was no point in ranking up and getting harder missions, it would be guaranteeing your death. Although, there was no reason not to rank up when you're only starting out.

Before Fumiko could turn around and go, Nariko grabbed her arm, while Fumiko looked at her questionably. It wasn't a tight grip, and she could get out easily, which was probably the reason why Fumiko didn't. Nariko probably knew that if she had a tight grip then Fumiko would definitely go, but a light grip which she could escape from easily wasn't threatening and could be taken by Fumiko as a sign that Nariko wanted something without saying anything.

And then the woman behind the counter continued speaking, and Fumiko looked at her in confusion and a rising annoyance as her words were spoken. "Now, all you need to do is find a party for yourself, of course we have a few options which the guild provides everyone to get to the next rank and find a party easier. But since you two signed up together, I assume you're both going to be in a party together."

"No." "Yes."

Both newly appointed adventurers looked at each other in confusion as they spoke contradictory statements.

"No." Fumiko said slowly, making sure that she was heard right. "I don't need a party, I'm a solo adventurer."

Nariko just looked at Fumiko with a bit of her knowing that Fumiko didn't read the final bit of the clause they had signed. But another part wanted to believe that she had read the whole thing and was just choosing to ignore it, maybe in hopes of them allowing her to go at it alone. It seemed like something Fumiko would do, Nariko hadn't known her for a long time, but she just seemed to do everything alone. Nariko wasn't sure if the former or the latter was the better thing for Fumiko to be doing.

The guild employee just scratched the back of her back with a slightly wryly chuckle. "I'm sorry, but you can't do that. It's in the agreement you signed when you joined the guild." She took back out the papers, and Fumiko leaned over to see it as well, with Nariko following her moments.

The guild employee got the page and read it out while showing it to Fumiko. "Here it says, 'New Adventurers must be part of a party until they reach the rank of Diamond'. And right now, you're only a Bronze ranked adventurer."

Fumiko just rubbed one of her temples as her other hand drummed on the counter in front of her. "What about a test? Isn't there a test or something to rank up fast?" Fumiko questioned.

"No. You have work yourself up the ranks."

Fumiko clicked her tongue in annoyance as she pushed herself off the counter.

"Hey." Nariko said gently to Fumiko. "It's not that bad. If we work hard we can rank up fast, then… you won't have to stick to me."

The guild employee wanted to say that it would probably take awhile, but didn't say anything.

Fumiko knew that. She could tell Nariko was strong, and her chances of ranking up fast was better with her then with anyone the guild would provide if she went without Nariko. "Stop treating me as if I'm a kid." Fumiko spat out, finding it somewhat annoying. But a part of her… a part of her that she crush's down whenever it chooses to try and rear its weak head back up, enjoys the feeling of someone being kind and friendly with them. The only person she allowed to see such a side, even then it was subdued, was Meld.

Nariko cringed at that, only realising that she sort of was when Fumiko mentioned it. "... sorry."

Fumiko then stayed silent for a few seconds, before speaking again. "Okay… I'll join you in a party." She said begrudgingly.

"Great!" The woman behind the counter said. This was taking too long in her opinion but if she said anything the black haired girl might just attack her. She seemed aggressive and annoyed most of the time, and she had definitely seen the interaction with her and the other guild employee. Although she knew him to be an asshole as well, so she couldn't really blame her. "Well, now all that's left is a name for your party."

Both of them looked at each other, and the girl realised that neither of them had thought of a name, although it also seemed like that before she had mentioned it, neither of them knew that they would have to work together. "You know what? You can decide that later, so long as I know your both in a party together, then the guild rule will have been satisfied."

"You can also now choose to take a mission if you want." She added on quickly, before walking away.

Fumiko swiftly walked over to the quest board and looked at the quests they could take. To say she was dissatisfied with them was an understatement. These were menial tasks. They took a long time and paid next to nothing, at least from what she could see from the other jobs and what she knew about the currency in this world.

Nariko was having similar thoughts, the quests would help people, that's for sure. But they weren't exactly something she had expected to be doing when becoming an adventurer.

"I don't know about you, but… I expected to be fighting weak monsters when I signed up." Nariko said quietly to Fumiko.

Fumiko nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I'm also not happy that the first quest I'm going to do is along the lines of," she looked at the quests and picked one that caught her eye, "finding a missing cat."

"Cat?" Nariko asked.

Seeing that Nariko was interested Fumiko handed her the quest, while she went to look at the quests for the next rank, just to see what… they… would be dealing with when they ranked up.

It still felt weird, thinking that she would be working in a team. She didn't like the idea, and Lord Zerad had once planted the idea in her mind that 'only weak people work together' and then as a side comment he said 'like the Hero'. Which ironically she technically was, but she wasn't working for the humans- No, they betrayed her, Lord Zerad had told her so, and now she was the Demons Hero to get back at them.

The only reason she was even tolerating the idea of doing quests for humans was because in the long run it would benefit Lord Zerad.

Lost in thought, Fumiko didn't notice when Nariko started speaking to her. "-ey." And when a hand on her shoulder suddenly appeared, Fumiko jumped back startled.

The sudden commotion drew the attention of a few curious people in the guild, but was dismissed quickly.

Nariko put her hands up as a sign of peace. "Sorry, you just spaced out." Nariko told her, and of course Fumiko realised that.

Fumiko let out a breath she was holding as her muscles went back into a relaxed state. "What is it?" She asked irritably from the sudden startle.

"Well…" Nariko showed Fumiko a quest sheet, it being the quest to find the missing cat. "I think we should take this one."

Fumiko looked at Nariko in a questionable manner, and Nariko could swear it was almost like Fumiko was doubting her sanity. "Why?"

A blush grew on Nariko's face as she spoke. "... I like cats."

'So do I', was something her mind said, but she knew that wasn't the type of cats her mind was thinking about. Instead she took the quest and went back to the counter, where they had to go to get the quest registered so they could actually get paid for it after they finished it. "Dogs are better." She said finally.

Nariko went up to her as she handed in the quest with a shaking head. "No, cats are."

Fumiko could only prepare for what was going to be a long debate session between the two.

And Nariko could see Fumiko get her points for her side ready. And Nariko enjoyed that, it just showed that they were already becoming friends. They didn't hate each other, they weren't strangers, and people who weren't friends didn't argue about whether cats or dogs were better.

So yes, in Nariko's opinion, they were friends.