17 | Farewell Requirements

Keen hands down the gold ring with three ruby embellishments to Vi.

Although surprised for his generosity, she is equally curious for the reason that Lion's Den guild is so eager to find that item.

Her curiosity may have been so transparent that Keen laughs as he drops the item on her palm. "It increases all your attributes. It's quite useful. The 5% increase in Stealth should also improve your assassination attempts by harmonizing with your passive skill."

Vi stares at the ring for a few seconds, wondering if she would have preferred that he put it on her finger. Realizing how revolting that would be, she quickly puts it on her forefinger. "How do you know all these things? Do you have appraisal skills as well? And it's called Clone Ring."

Keen remembers that Elise was also quite surprised when he mentioned that he knows that the acacia tree in the Northern Forest where he left Vi alone was capable of concealing the presence of humans underneath its shade. He can clearly see the attributes and characteristics of inanimate objects and items if he focuses his attention to them.

'Maybe it's also due to this System accompanying me.' He hums.

"What did you say?" Vi glances at him with one brow raised.

"You can say that. It will be a hassle if we would need to find someone capable of the <Appraisal> skill every time we collect items," he shoots back without a suspicious variation in his tone.

She frowns with her curiosity not being answered. "Then why is it called Clone Ring? I don't understand why the Lion's Den guild was so desperate for this item."

He gestures a forefinger upwards like a teacher emphasizing an idea. "It creates five clones with half the attributes of its wielder. It will serve as a great decoy."

Vi shows obvious enthusiasm to the item's special effect. With no active skill to use, having clones would actually be useful for her in the future.

When the two reach the Guild Hall, a receptionist Keen barely even remembers noticing before greets them with as much energy as she can muster.

She has a pale complexion and reddish brown hair pulled back to a bun just above her nape. Her attire is a blue and white overbust with gold accent lines and white, long-sleeved cotton dress underneath. Her top is finished with a yellow frilly ribbon with the golden phoenix crest of the Guild Hall. Her blue A-line skirt reaches just below her knee. She is wearing one inch high-heeled shoes.

"My name is Cassandra. Are you looking for a mission?"

Keen glances at the Quest Board near the stairs where many Transfers are crowding about. "I'd like to inquire about being a Traveling Adventurer."

Despite an obvious shock, Cassandra manages to give a cheerful response. "Ah, that! You'd need to secure four permits first from the different areas in Esprit before you can do that."

Vi pushes both hands on the guild hall's receptionist desk. "Four permits?"

She looks at Keen, who is just standing silently with a thumb brushing his chin.

The receptionist seems eager to see his face as well, as she keeps on leaning her head slightly forward to try and see the red-clad's face from underneath the hood. This man is rumored to have captivated the heart of Elise, the promising apprentice of the guild hall's medical experts, who has turned down all suitors throughout her stay in Esprit.

"Let's hear them all." Keen clears his throat.

◎◎◎

The duo head northward to the military headquarters called Warforce. Vi smiles while remembering that Keen simply jumped over this place when they were heading for the Northern Forest on their first night in Esprit.

She shakes her head. "Why am I even thinking about that?"

Keen leans his head closer to her. "Thinking about what?"

She pushes his head away with a frown. "Nothing! Just focus on how you will be convincing Topsy Town's commander that you are above level twenty without revealing your true power."

"Of course, there's only one way," he shrugs.

Keen doesn't want to use the Gemstone that will measure his level. He is aware of so many familiar tropes among books, manga, manhua, and animations where the main character attracts so much attention after his or her power level is measured. Power meters exploding, showing infinity, displaying an immense aura, et cetera.

He doesn't want that kind of attention, especially after declaring to belong in the assassin class. If more human enemies try to attack him or Vi like the Lion's Den, the mystery of his actual power is necessary as an element of surprise.

According to Cassandra, the military's requirement would be that the guild needs to have at least one member with a level of twenty or higher before being granted their official permit. The commander of Topsy Town's warforce is the only one who can give it.

"Your methods are too upfront," Vi yawns.

"You should rest, even for a bit. I don't feel the need to sleep and eat, but you do," he tries to pat her head, but she evades by stepping sidewards without even looking. In reply, he uses <Double Step> to catch up and still end up touching her hair.

She looks at him with a frown. "You're treating me like a pet."

He bursts into laughter.

"What is your business with the Warforce?" One among the group of five armored knights with spears blocking their path steps forward.

"A recommendation from the Guild Hall," Vi hands them the scroll given by the Guild Hall as a symbol of their application for being Traveling Adventurers.

The knights soften up in seeing a elegant presence of the lady accompanying the seemingly arrogant red-clad who doesn't even bother to show his face to them.

"Forgive us, milady. Let us assist you in your way to Sir Albert," all of the knights exclaim in unison.

As the knights lead the way, one of them explains that the fortress walls are made of reinforced dragon skin and impenetrable by lower tier magics and all physical attacks. Projectile and artillery weapons are also stationed at frequent and regular intervals all around the Warforce headquarters.

'Dragons? So they really do exist here.' Keen muses.

"That's reassuring. But has there been any attempt of breach from the monsters residing just outside Topsy Town?" Vi ignores Keen's presence and briskly follows the knights trying to please her.

The knight in the middle who is a little bit thinner than the others turns around to face the rare visitor with a beautiful face. "Of course! We need to be more vigilant during the night when the monsters are more aggressive. Quests are normally assigned to Transfers in daytime, so our time to shine is during the night."

"I see what you did there," the knight on his right elbows him, and they all laugh.

"Although there was a group that succeeded in defeating the Beast of the Lake last night," another knight argues.

All of them sigh.

"They're too strong. I'm beginning to think we are not needed in this town anymore," the knight on the furthest right whines.

The man in the middle reclaims his posture, then clears his throat. "Anyway, Miss Vi, your plan to take the Traveling Adventurer exam surely is surprising. I wonder how strong your fighting skills are."

She smiles briefly, but not proudly. "Oh, that. I'm on a rush to get out of this damn game taking me as a prisoner. This is the fastest way I can do to achieve that."

'Prisoner?' Keen notes.

"Ah..I see. All Transfers we encounter always say that this is a game." One of the knights looks at her, then to Keen.

After taking about fifteen minutes walking slowly on the cemented pathway, they enter a wooden double-door and introduces the Warforce training grounds. It is a large area containing mountains, rivers, plains, valleys, and even a volcano on a farther end.

The duo's eyes widen in awe.

"It's a spatial magic that is the masterpiece of Warforce's great mages." A well-built man standing nearly two meters tall approaches them with a red helmet tucked in one arm. His hair is long but fixed behind in a ponytail. He doesn't appear to be strict at face value, as his smile is genuinely inviting. "You must be applying as Traveling Adventurers."

"We are." Keen replies without looking up at him.

The commander nods at the two, but then switches his gaze to the five knights who accompanied them. They stagger to put on the best posture they can make, then manage to salute to their commanding officer. He smiles and asks, "Why is there no one left at the entrance?"

All five knights suddenly become tense.

"We're very sorry, Sir Albert! We'll be getting back to our post immediately." All five of them turn around to jog back to the Warforce's rear entrance.

"The military also has magicians and spellcasters?" Vi inquires.

The commander nods. "Of course there are. It's necessary to deal with monsters effectively. And as you can see, a spatial magic is very useful in creating a training ground for our troops."

He points to soldiers in their armors running around and sparring with each other in different environments. Some are training with swords while others do hand-to-hand combat. A few are even practicing spellcasting and magic training.

"Shall we start your exam?" The commander puts on his helmet and conjures a shortsword.

"Now we're talking." Keen conjures his bone lance on both hands.

The other soldiers who notice the impending battle stop whatever they are doing to pray for the safety of the two Transfers who challenged their great commander who has never been defeated in battle.