The rules of the academy weighed heavily on Rei’s mind. Every knight-in-training had to join a guild. Not only that, but each guild could only have one of each role: a mage, a picklocker, a warrior, and so on. And no knight was allowed to go into a dungeon solo; they needed the support of their guildmates.

  But that was the least of Rei’s worries. He still didn’t know what weapon he was supposed to use. He had always been interested in swords, so he figured a long sword might be the best choice, but it was hard to be certain. He gnced over at Kaja, his annoying first-year escort. Kaja was already talking excitedly about their next steps, but Rei wasn’t sure if they would be in the same guild, considering they’d need to fill different roles.

  “Hey, Kaja,” Rei said, dragging his feet as they walked through the academy grounds. “I don’t think we can join the same guild. They need to have a mage, picklocker, and all that... different roles. And, well... you know, we can’t both be knights.”

  Kaja blinked in confusion, then scratched his head. "Huh? What do you mean? Oh, wait... I never told you what weapon I use, did I?" He grinned. “I use a whip! A really cool whip! It's perfect for disarming and stunning enemies from a distance. I definitely didn’t mention that, huh?”

  Rei’s eyes widened in surprise. He had assumed Kaja would just use a sword or something simir. “A whip...?” Rei muttered to himself, a little unsure of how to react.

  Kaja smiled broadly. “Yep! It’s super fun! Trust me, it works wonders.”

  Rei nodded slowly, still processing that information. So Kaja was set with a weapon, and now it was up to Rei to figure out his own. They had to find a guild soon, though. The academy wasn’t going to wait around forever.

  As they walked through the vilge, they noticed a few small signs pinned to posts and buildings. Most of them were recruiting for guilds. Rei took note of one that caught his eye.

  The sign read: "Guild Forming! We Need 3 More Members!"

  Rei and Kaja shared a look. “Guess this is it,” Kaja said with a grin. "Let’s check it out."

  They made their way to the location on the sign—a small but cozy building in the heart of the vilge, the doors already wide open to welcome potential recruits.

  Inside, the space was bustling with energy. At a table sat two people, a cat girl and a blonde elf. They were discussing something in low voices, but when they saw Rei and Kaja approach, they immediately looked up.

  The cat girl stood up eagerly, her bck hair bouncing as she moved. Her eyes were a striking yellow, and she had a pyful grin that made Rei feel a little uncomfortable. “Oh! New recruits! Come on in!” she said, her voice high-pitched and enthusiastic. She was practically bouncing with excitement. “We’re looking for more members, just like you two! You know, this pce is gonna be so much fun!”

  Rei took a step back, unsure of how to respond to her sudden burst of energy. Kaja, on the other hand, grinned. “Sounds great! We were actually looking for a guild to join, and this sign seemed perfect!”

  The elf girl, sitting quietly next to the cat girl, looked up at them but didn’t say anything. She had a soft, almost ethereal presence about her. Her blonde hair fell in straight locks around her shoulders, and her pale blue eyes barely met their gaze. Rei couldn’t help but notice that she was keeping to herself, not really engaging much.

  “I’m Rika,” the cat girl said, her ears twitching as she looked over at Rei. “And this is Eryan,” she gestured to the elf girl beside her, who nodded faintly. “We’re forming a new guild and need three more members to make it official. Right now, we’ve got me as the picklocker and trap-disarmer, and Eryan is our mage. So, we just need one more member... and then you guys!”

  Rei raised an eyebrow, looking over at Kaja. “So... that’s it? We join you, and we’re good to go?”

  Rika grinned mischievously, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Yep! But there’s just one thing... we need one more member to fill the fifth spot.”

  Kaja thought for a moment, scratching his head. “Alright... where are we gonna find someone else to join up?”

  Just as the question left his mouth, the door to the building smmed open with a loud bang.

  “Hah! I see a guild needs one more member, huh? Worry not, for Regulus Xaler the 3rd is here!” a voice boomed from the doorway.

  Rei’s eyes widened as a man strutted into the room, his posture exaggerated and his confidence oozing out of him. He had grey-yellow hair and wore an ornate set of clothes that looked like they belonged to someone much wealthier than the average knight-in-training. The way he carried himself made it clear that he was used to attention.

  But then, in an instant, Regulus slipped on the slick floor and went crashing to the ground, nding in an ungraceful heap.

  “Ow... Ugh!” he groaned, scrambling to his feet, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Uh, that was totally on purpose. Yup. Just showing off my skills. Totally meant to do that.”

  Rei couldn’t help but stare at the guy, utterly perplexed by the dramatic entrance followed by such a clumsy fall. Kaja ughed, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, you definitely meant to do that,” Kaja said sarcastically, trying to hide his amusement.

  Regulus dusted himself off and finally looked around, spotting the sign on the table. “So, I’m here, and I’m ready to join your guild! I’m Regulus Xaler the 3rd, by the way. I’m an expert in axes—massive axes. You won’t find a better warrior with a weapon like mine!” He gave a confident grin, even as he continued to shake the embarrassment off from his fall.

  Rika’s eyes lit up at the mention of axes. “Well, well! You’re exactly what we needed! Massive axes? Yes, please!”

  Kaja, Rei, and Eryan exchanged looks, and then Kaja cpped his hands together. “Well, I guess that makes five! We’ve got a full guild now, huh?”

  Rei sighed, still trying to get his head around the odd combination of people in the room. “I suppose so…”

  And just like that, the guild was formed. Rei wasn’t entirely sure what he had gotten himself into, but the group was together. There was the picklocker and trap-disarmer, Rika. the mage, Eryan and whip-wielding knight, Kaja, the long-sword knight, Rei, and now, the axe-wielding warrior, Regulus.

  It seemed like an odd mix, but maybe that was the way things worked in the world of dungeons and guilds.