ELEANOR:
Ugh, there are some days when I truly hate my job. This fool in front of me won't stop flirting while I'm just trying to finish my shift. My dinner is just around the corner and if this damn brute makes me late for it, I will stab someone. If I had to keep giving exaggerated "oohs" and "ahhs"' for a minute longer, I might just quit my job. No, none of that was true. But I wish it was.
Finally, the boorish man was gone. How I pity his party members. Unless they were as annoying as him. If that was the case, may they always wake up with a sore back. I was just about to signal for a replacement at my station when I saw who the next person in line was. Oh my.
He was a man of average proportions and height. He looked to be rather fit with lithe muscles instead of large ones. Shoulder-length auburn hair, smooth skin, and a relaxed expression. All that combined made him a slightly desirable man. But what had really caught my attention was his face. I could only describe it as perfect. It was perfectly symmetrical, all the features distanced from each other. If I didn't know any better, I would assume him to be a vampire or something of the sort, the types of creatures that possessed unnatural beauty.
And his eyes! They were an arresting bright blue. Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes seemed to hold many stories within them. I wondered what valorous deeds he had performed? I forced my eyes slightly down to gauge his equipment. He wore simple clothes, merely a beige cloth shirt, black pants and brown boots. A small bracelet decorated his wrist, made of small wooden beads. His belt held a shortsword on his left hip and a small pouch on his right hip. Were it not for the sword, he would look in place anywhere in the city, or even in a remote village.
The gear he had thus far was rather unimpressive for equipment. Even copper plates started with better items. I would consider him a lost cause were it not for the black cloak wrapped around his shoulders, trailing down his back. It was a tattered thing with uneven proportions and small tears peppered throughout it. Were it not for the strange material, I would think it the cheapest item he possessed. But it didn't look ordinary. The cloth the cloak was woven from was pitch black. It looked like the night sky itself, stripped of its stars, and woven into cloth. A magic item? No, given the rest of his items, he likely couldn't afford one.
Well, perhaps I could help one more customer.
"Hello! Welcome to E-Rantel's adventurer guild. My name is Eleanor. How may I help you?" I asked, internally noticing the difference in my voice when compared to the last man.
"Hey there. I'm actually looking to register with the guild. Is this the right place to do so?" He replied with a nice voice. Not too high, not too deep.
"Of course. Please let me retrieve the correct forms. One moment." I stood up, and walked into the side room of the reception counter. I dug through the file cabinets, knowing exactly where my target was. A rookie, eh? He does look to be on the younger side. I couldn't imagine him being more than twenty years of age. With the papers in hand, I returned to the reception counter
"Thank you for your patience," I said. "To begin with, may I please get your name?"
"Alexander." He answered "No surname."
"I assume you're registering as a solo-adventurer?"
"That's right." He shrugged.
For the first time, I felt a twinge of negative emotion towards him. The casual manner in which he answered that suggested a lot of self confidence. It might have been cruel to think so, but given his equipment, he wasn't anything special. Many fresh-faced adventurers came into the guild confident, with big dreams of becoming legendary figures, only to die not even five jobs in. It never got easier to see.
"Understood. I'd recommend that you find a party that complements your strengths. There are a few inns in town that cater to that exact purpose. We also have a board where many parties put out requests for new members. You should read through them and see if any catches your eye. Many will offer temporary membership to serve as a trial period, so its not a big commitment to join them."
Perhaps I was laying it on rather thickly, but it would be a tragedy for him to die alone.
"I see. I'll keep that in mind, thanks." He sounded genuine enough, so perhaps he wouldn't simply dismiss my words. I'll take it.
"And, speaking of your strengths,"I continued. "What manner of combatant are you?"
He had a sword, so clearly he expected close combat. A severely under equipped fighter, perhaps?
"I'm something of a swordsman, but I can wield a few spells in a pinch."
A spellsword then. There were upsides and downsides to treading two paths at once. One could possess a wide variety of skills, capable of dealing with several different situations. The downside was that with their attentions divided between practicing multiple vocations, they were often half-baked in their chosen paths, unable to reach the heights they would reach if they had chosen one path and stuck to it.
"Very well then. Can I get your signature right here?" I asked, indicating the line towards the bottom of the paper.
He grabbed a pen, dipped it in the ink and moved the page. Instead of writing his name, he paused.
"Er, does it have to be a specific language?" He asked.
"While the script of the kingdom or empire would be preferred, the script of the Theocracy or Holy Kingdom also works." I answered.
"I'm afraid I don't know any of those."
"In that case, I can sign for you with a witness present. Please wait a moment while I go retrieve someone."
"Gotcha, thanks for your help."
Now that I noticed it, the words he spoke didn't match his lips. A foreigner? His willingness to write suggests he was literate in at least one language, but not any of the ones present around the area. If he had traveled such a distance, perhaps he was rather competent. Maybe that strange cloak was a magic item after all.
I returned with one of the seniors and signed his name in the Re-Estize script. The senior had offered to take the paper and file it away for me. How kind.
"It'll likely take until noon tomorrow before your plate is prepared. Are there any other questions I can answer for you?"
I hadn't realized the mistake I made. He quickly launched a series of questions at me, asking about all manners of subjects related to the area. Notable monsters, average party compositions, the notable members of the E-Rantel guild and their capabilities, and more. It was a little overwhelming. While answering one of his questions, a genius idea struck me.
"Say, Alex, my shift is ending soon. Would you care to join me for a meal? I know of several good restaurants around the area. Surely a conversation over a meal would be more comfortable than over this counter"