Cyrus didn't know much about the Adventurers' guild, if he were honest. Just bits and pieces of information he had overheard from some of the other prisoners back in the Red Arena.
However, if the things he had heard were true, it wouldn't harm paying a visit to the place. At the very least, it would beat sleeping out on the streets.
Unlike him, however, Sylvie wasn't the type to remain quiet. Ever since they'd reached the Amethyst Forest, the red-haired girl had turned a lot chattier— something that Cyrus assumed was probably her real character. She'd only spent a few days in the Slaves' Pen, so the effect it had on her personality was clearly minimal. The moment the young girl got back in the outside world, she seemed to find her cheerfulness again.
"Ah, which guild were you talking about? Is it the Adventurers' guild or one of the others? I know where most of them are, so I can take you there."
Right! Sylvie was originally a resident of Novera! It was only natural that she would thus know the location of most of the prominent guilds.
Without any other choice, Cyrus could only indulge the girl,
"It's the Adventurers' Guild. You know where it is?"
The red-haired girl smiled, and despite the dirt smeared on her face and the condition of her nearly tattered clothes that could easily contend with some of the older street beggars, her dazzling smile stunned even some of the onlookers as she answered matter-of-factly
"Of course! It's the biggest guild in Novera! How could I not know about it?"
Pulling Cyrus's arm, it was her turn to lead the way again, as the young girl pulled him through the incoming traffic, heading straight for the heart of the city.
Cyrus had to admit, he was somewhat curious about the girl. Unlike him, Sylvie wasn't an orphan and even had family in Novera. Her father was even supposed to be a bigshot among Bloodsworns, from the looks of it. Just from the way she handled that guard at the city gates, Cyrus could tell that Vorilys Thyen was not your run-of-the-mill Bloodsworn. Otherwise, the guard wouldn't have referred to him as Lord. And yet, she didn't seem that keen on returning home?!
Still, Cyrus could tell that, for whatever reason, this was Sylvie's secret. She had shared with him plenty of things during their stroll in the Amethyst Forest, but refused to touch this subject. Since she avoided talking about her family, though, Cyrus wasn't going to push this issue, either. It didn't matter much to him anyway.
…
The smell of roasted nuts and freshly baked food filled the air of Novera as the two kids strolled through the bustling streets, taking in the sound of the street peddlers who'd just opened their shops for the day. Cyrus could instantly feel how out of place he was here, too. It had been a few years since he'd lost his parents and ended up as an orphan, yes, but he had never been treated like this in Morwyn. With people throwing disgusted glares at him and even making sure they stayed as far away from him as possible. It was a… new experience.
"Ah, I guess dirt and bruises don't exactly scream 'tax-paying citizen'... huh?" He thought to himself in self-mockery as he continued to walk.
Still, he didn't mind this too much. He could tell that these glares were mostly directed at his current condition, anyway.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that he probably stunk quite badly. The guards of the Red Arena weren't exactly heralds of cleanliness, and since the slaves were bound to get dirty anyway, there was no point in having them clean themselves. Even more so when they had to sleep barely a few meters from the place they defecated.
Their only job was to fight.
To entertain the spectators who came to see them shed their blood.
…
Novera was a massive city, with a population that easily reached the ten-million mark. It wasn't the largest city in Astrea by any means, but it was still called the city of Adventure for a reason. Warriors and mages from all over the kingdom, as well as alchemists with their fancy coats and runic masters who traced runes into reality, they all found their way to the giant city perched on the edge of the Amethyst Forest.
With Sylvie leading the way, it only took Cyrus an hour to reach the eye-catching two-story building that looked more like a noble's mansion than a guildhall for crude adventurers.
"We are here…" Staring at the marble columns and the imposing entrance that seemed to deter anyone weak enough from approaching it, Sylvie whispered hesitantly before she turned around and glanced at Cyrus.
The red-haired girl seemed like she had more to say as she took in the sight of all the cloaked and armored figures coming and going from the guild's entrance, most of them with weapons strapped on their waists or backs. In the end, though, she just fiddled with her fingers for a while before she continued
"Are you sure you want to go in? I've heard that the test to join this place is very strict. If you are not… special, you have to be very strong to pass."
Cyrus glanced at the tentative girl before nodding in silence, his gaze now fixed on the large marble signboard with the words Adventurers' Guild carved above its entrance. He understood very clearly what Sylvie meant by the word 'special'. It was those blessed by the gods. The children favored by the world itself.
In fact, most people carried the blessing of a God from birth. Those 'chosen' weren't that special. Even people with a weak divine affinity were a dime a dozen out there, most of them working normal jobs, like clerks, farmers, or even spell assistants.
Not everyone was suited to become an adventurer or a warrior. It was only those with above-average divine affinity that could truly be called 'blessed'.
Still, Cyrus's daydreaming only lasted for the briefest of moments when a rough voice rang out behind him, snapping him out of his reverie
"Alright kid, move it. Either go in or leave. Stop blocking the way."