After finishing their gathering, they returned to the guild to turn in both quests. The crate retrieval earned them 5,000 Peri and 50 RP, while the herb gathering added a modest 400 Peri and 10 RP. While the Reputation Points were granted to each participant individually, they split the gold as previously agreed: Arsha took the payment for the crate retrieval, and the other two kept the earnings from the herb gathering. They were just finishing the transaction when Enya’s voice rang out across the hall. “Mr. Dain! Ms. Eira! Welcome back!”

  Eira waved cheerfully.

  “Come here, quick!”

  The three approached Enya’s desk.

  “Take a seat, please,” Enya instructed, her expression unusually bright. She cleared her throat dramatically. “Ahem! CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are now promoted to Silver Rank!”

  “Huh?!!” Dain and Eira stared, both shocked.

  “Zenith Prime’s mission has concluded. The details are confidential, but… the guild recognizes your participation. Ms. Marin personally confirmed your involvement in subduing the Goblin Emperor, so we are rewarding you with 1,000 RP!” Enya explained cheerfully.

  “Yippee!” Eira jumped from her seat, unable to contain her joy.

  “Silver already, huh?” Dain said, remaining calm as usual, though a faint smile touched his lips.

  “Congratulations to both of you!” Arsha said, embracing them with a wide grin. “We have to celebrate! Meet me at the tavern tonight.”

  Eira nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Master!”

  Arsha smiled warmly and took her leave.

  Enya took their bronze badges and replaced them with gleaming silver ones.

  “Ahem, Ms. Enya,” Eira began, her excitement shifting to purpose. “I wanted to ask you about the seminary.”

  “Oh? So you’re giving up on being a mage to become a full cleric?” Enya teased.

  “Hehe,” Eira smirked. “Not really. Master is teaching me to be a mage, but she can’t teach me how to be a healer in a party. I want to improve those skills, too.”

  “Is that so? The Church accepts new aspiring Priests and Clerics every January and July. The seminary lasts for five months. During that time, seminarians are not allowed to leave the Church grounds unless it is for training purposes. You would be living at the Church or its affiliated facilities for the entire duration,” Enya explained.

  “Does that mean… quitting being an adventurer?”

  “No,” Enya answered immediately. “After the five months, you can decide whether to continue serving the Church or return to being an adventurer. Healers who graduate from the seminary are in high demand. Large groups and top clans are always seeking to recruit them.”

  Eira’s eyes widened and she grinned brilliantly. “That sounds great!”

  “Even though the seminary itself is free, you still need to pass their entrance examination. You’ll also need to save enough money for your living expenses during those five months,” Enya added.

  “I see,” Eira said, her tone turning serious as she calculated the costs.

  “There are still four and a half months until the January batch begins, so you have plenty of time to prepare,” Enya said, offering an encouraging smile.

  After their consultation, Dain approached Senda to collect the payment for the Goblin Emperor’s magic crystal.

  “Only 15,000 Peri?” Dain questioned, his shoulders slumping.

  “Yeah, sorry if you were expecting more,” Senda said apologetically. “The appraiser said the magic conduction within this stone isn’t as good as a high-purity one.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “So…” Dain sighed, sounding deflated.

  “That’s alright, Dain. We still have the money from our quests,” Eira said, patting his arm.

  “Let’s go deliver these herbs to Zowell and Celica,” she said, her excitement returning.

  Dain nodded.

  “I wonder how much progress Zowell has made with his research,” Eira wondered as they walked.

  “You can ask him,” Dain suggested.

  But upon arriving at Soteria Apothecary, they found the shop closed once more.

  “Mr. Zowell!” Eira called, knocking firmly on the door.

  After a moment, the door cracked open, and Celica peeked out.

  “Celica? Is Zowell here?” Eira asked.

  “Hello, Ms. Eira. I’m sorry, but Master isn’t here. He left early this morning and said he had something important to do,” Celica explained.

  “Are there any herbs he needs for his experiments?”

  “He didn’t mention any details.”

  “I see. Well, can you please give this to him?” Eira handed over the bag of assorted herbs and flowers.

  “What’s this?”

  “Just a gift,” Eira said with a warm smile.

  “Well… thank you so much, Ms. Eira,” Celica replied, returning the smile before closing the door.

  “I wonder where he went…” Eira murmured as they walked away.

  “It’s still early afternoon. Let’s go back to the apartment and rest for a while before meeting Arsha at the tavern for our celebration,” Dain suggested.

  “Hmm,” Eira agreed, her mind already drifting to the future, a Silver badge on her chest, and the path of a healer waiting just a few months away.

  Eira and Dain returned to their apartment to rest, but Eira’s mind refused to settle. The mysterious illness and its possible causes swirled in her thoughts—a puzzle she couldn’t solve. Frustrated, she turned to magic, hoping to lose herself in its complexities.

  She sat at the small wooden desk, scribbling scripts and formulating a new spell, attempting to replicate the devastating area-of-effect strike she’d seen Marin use. In her mind’s eye, she could visualize the lightning crashing down from the heavens, but the mechanics of shaping a spell to affect an area, rather than a single point, eluded her. The principle of Arsha’s Lightning Bolt—a single origin and a single end didn’t scale. The more she thought, the more her frustration grew, the unknown illness and the elusive spell tangling together in her mind.

  Finally, she pushed her notes away and decided to check on Dain. She found him in the main room, meticulously sharpening his blade. But his movements were unusual; he wasn’t just honing the edge. He was swinging it experimentally, his brow furrowed as if the weapon felt foreign in his hands.

  “Is there something wrong with your sword?” Eira asked, walking downstairs.

  “It just doesn’t suit me. It’s too light,” Dain answered, stopping his practice swing with a sigh.

  “Yeah, compared to your greatsword, that looks tiny,” Eira commented. “How about buying a new one?” she offered. “I also need to look for a rod, as Master Arsha recommended.”

  “It will cost us a lot of money,” Dain said, a practical frown on his face.

  “Don’t worry about the money; we can earn it back,” Eira countered, her voice bright with optimism. “If we can fight better, we can take on better quests, too.”

  “You’re right,” Dain conceded, a plan forming. “How about we take the day off tomorrow? You’ve been wanting to explore the city, right?”

  Eira nodded enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Yehey!!”

  Night had fallen by the time Eira and Dain arrived at the bustling tavern. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, spilled ale, and the loud laughter of adventurers. Arsha spotted them immediately, waving them over with a sloshing mug of beer in her hand.

  “Everyone!” Arsha announced, her voice cutting through the din. “These are our rookies, Eira and Dain, freshly promoted to Silver! Tonight, we celebrate!”

  Eira and Dain offered humble, slightly awkward bows to the room. “Hello.”

  The crowd erupted in a cheerful roar, mugs raised high in a unified salute.

  Fina guided them to a table Arsha had reserved, already laden with platters of food and pitchers of drink. “Come on, you two! This is my treat,” Arsha declared.

  “Thank you, Master,” Eira replied, her shyness returning in the crowded space.

  As they began to eat, snippets of conversation floated their way from nearby tables.

  “Promoted to Silver in just a few days?”

  “Amazing.”

  “Dain looks strong.”

  “Eira is so pretty.”

  Soon, they were approached by two women. One wore a slim leather suit, her hair pulled into a ponytail; the other was dressed in a flowing, elegant dress. Their attention was fixed squarely on Dain.

  “Do you two have a clan yet?” the woman in leather asked.

  “You’d be welcome in Blue Blade. We’re always looking for a fine warrior,” the other added smoothly.

  Before Eira could even form a reply, a muscular man with a bandana tied around his head stepped forward, interrupting them.

  “So, you’re the swordsman who slew a Goblin Emperor?” the man asked, his gaze locked on Dain.