Chapter 7 You're an Adventurer Ais

Merlin had left the house and now was walking down the streets of Orario. She made her way towards a workshop. A smoke plum was seen coming from the chimney, showing that the workshop was active. As she walked up to the door, ready to knock on it, she felt the heat coming through the door and could hear the sound of metal hitting metal. 

She wasn't all that bothered by the heat and simply knocked three times on the door. She waited for a short while until the door opened up. A woman with brown skin, long black hair and an eyepatch that covered one of her eyes opened the door.

"Your finally here Merlin! Come inside!"

Merlin walked in and closed the door behind her. She observed the workshop. A blacksmiths forge that emitted an intense heat. Besides the forge were numerous unfinished weapons. 

"You're quite busy Tsubaki. Did you receive a large order?"

Tsubaki nodded as she walked up to a wooden crate. "Yep, and not just me, but most of my familia as well." Tsubaki opened up the crate and pulled out a sword sheathed in a scabbard. She brought it over to Merlin.

"Here you go, one sword made from a wyvern claw. I guarantee it's quality."

Merlin grabbed the sword and unsheathed it. She observed the blade and gave it a few swings. "Perfect."

"Well, I'll be heading out now." Since Merlin had already paid in advance all she needed to do was retrieve the weapon, but before she left, Tsubaki stopped her.

"Merlin, you should be more careful in the coming days."

Merlin raised a brow to her statement. "Why is that?"

"Well, the large order that my familia had received is not a normal order. It was requested by four familia. Loki, Genasha, Astrea and Freya. Other smithing familia and medicinal familia have also received large orders. Something big is going to happen soon."

"I see, I'll be on the lookout."

Tsubaki nodded, happy that Merlin listened. "Also, if anyone asks. You didn't hear this from me. I don't want to get into trouble with Hephaestus again..."

"Well off you go now, I still have a ton of orders to finish! When I'm finished let's go out drinking again! It's not every day I find someone who can compete with me who isn't a dwarf! Hahaha!"

Tsubaki escorted Merlin out then closed the door. The sounds of a hammer clashing against metal resumed. Merlin began her walk home with sword in hand. 

...

"So, this is the guild" Ais said looking up at the grand building that was the guild headquarters. 

"Yep, this is where you will register as an adventurer" Merlin said as she guided Ais. 

Walking inside there were many adventurers. The majority were apart of groups while very few were solo. Merlin looked around before spotting a counter with no line. She walked up to it with Ais next to her, there a beast human was looking through some documents. More specifically a red-haired female werewolf who had a cold gaze. 

"Hello, are you free?" Merlin asked which brought the werewolf out of her focus. 

"Yes" She answered Merlin with a professional tone. She had never seen these two in the guild before, so she assumed that this was their first visit. "My name is Rose, what can I help you with?"

Merlin put her hand on Ais's shoulder and pushed her forward. "This one will be registering as an adventurer!" Rose had a brief look of shock before returning to her poker face. She looked at Ais and estimated that she was around 10 years old. Rose was skeptical about a child becoming an adventurer. 

She looked Ais in the eyes and asked. "Are you sure that you wish to become an adventurer? There are many risks, and the chances of death are high" She warned but Ais didn't falter, only nodding to Rose's question.

"There is no need to worry about her, I trained her in combat and survival! She's even gone into the dungeon already"

"What?! She's been in the dungeon already?!"

"Yep!"

Rose wanted to call Merlin insane for bringing a child into the dungeon. She wanted to turn Ais away and prevent her from becoming an adventurer. However, she couldn't, the guild had no rules concerning age requirements for adventurers. As long as the person had no criminal record, anyone could become an adventurer. Besides, since the child has already been in the dungeon, turning her away will do nothing, what's stopping her from going again. 

With a heavy sigh Rose pulled out some documents that needed to be signed for the registration process. Merlin took the documents and went with Ais to one of the tables off the side. She and Ais spent some time filling out the documents, Merlin hadn't expected that she needed to write out so much information. Finishing up she brought the documents to Rose who began to process it.

She read through the documents but stopped at one blank space. Current Familia. She looked up at Merlin. "You left the familia space blank"

"I know, Ais isn't a part of a familia"

"Will she be joining a familia?"

"Nope"

Rose really wanted to tear up the documents right now. 'Sending a falnaless person into the dungeon is suicide, even more so since she's a child!' Rose thought but remembered that Merlin had said that Ais had already been in the dungeon. Rose didn't know whether that was the truth or not, but yet again she couldn't do anything other than offer advice. She looked at the name written down.

"Ais, you should really consider joining a familia. A falna is very powerful and will greatly increase your chances of survival in the dungeon. Going into the dungeon without one is reckless"

Ais listened to her words and nodded. "I'll think about it" However she had no plans of joining. Her teacher had already said that it was pointless and even pointed out the vulnerabilities that came with a falna.

Rose sighed again, she picked up a stamp and pressed it against the document. Ais was now an adventurer.

...

After finishing their business at the guild, instead of going home they went to their usual training spot and Ais did her daily training. Now back at home, Ais was devouring a monstrous amount of food as well as high quality health potions. 

Knowing how much money those potions were worth, Merlin shed a tear. 

'If only I had this much money in my previous life... The amount of gacha skins and gacha pulls I could buy....'

Another tear fell as she remembered that all her spent money on gacha games and anime merch were now gone forever. 

"Oh right! I almost forgot!" Merlin jumped out of her seat and went into another room. Ais looked over while chugging a potion, she was bit curious of what caused her teacher's reaction. Not long after Merlin returned with a long box. 

"Here Ais, a present from me!" Merlin set the box onto the table after clearing a spot. 

Ais opened the box and saw a sword held inside a beautiful yet simple sheath. She unsheathed the sword and look over the polished blade.

"Do you like it, it was made using the claw from that wyvern you slayed"

She sheathed the sword. "I like it. Thank you, teacher,". Ais said with a bright smile that she rarely ever expressed.