The adventurers’ guild hall was quieter than usual. The aroma of roasted meat coated the air, blending with the faint trace of old parchment from the nearby quest board. Near the register, at a small wooden table, two mages sat side by side. One of them, a woman with brown hair and unreadable eyes, slowly picked at her meal while flipping through a grimoire with her free hand.

  “You’re barely eating,” she remarked without looking up. “What’s wrong?”

  Arthur exhaled sharply, as he stabbed his fork deep into the meat. “You spent the last of our coins on that useless trinket you bought yesterday, Master Amelia.”

  Amelia took another bite, completely unbothered. “God, you don’t have to worry. We’ll take on a few jobs with high pay. Happy?”

  Arthur didn’t answer.

  “Just finish your lunch,” she continued. “We’ll take a quest with the highest pay… or the easiest…”

  Arthur sighed, moving the food on his plate but making no real effort to eat it. He’d long since gotten used to Amelia’s spending habits, her vague statements, and the fact that he never really knew where they were going next. She expected him to follow, and he always did. Sometimes, she gave him a reason. Sometimes, she didn’t.

  She suddenly pushed her plate aside and stood up. “I’m ordering another serving.”

  Arthur gave her a deadpan look. “With what money?”

  Amelia grinned, waving a hand dismissively. “Never underestimate a mage~”

  “You mean stealing,” Arthur muttered.

  “God, you're such a mood killer, I’ll take some from my savings,” she corrected, already walking away. “Besides, you should be grateful, I’m paying for all of these meals.”

  Arthur didn’t respond. And had begun eating, his attention fixed on his plate.

  At the guild’s entrance, boots hit the wooden floor and muffled conversation filled the air as a group of adventurers turned in a completed mission to the guild receptionist. Their voices blended into the background, just another part of the guild’s usual noise. Arthur didn’t care, so he kept eating.

  “We’re done with this mission,” one of them said, handing over a help-wanted sign to the guild receptionist.

  The receptionist nodded, counting the reward coins carefully. “Here you go, thirty silver and thirty bronze silver coins.”

  The clinking sound of coins exchanging hands barely registered in Arthur’s mind, he was more focused on his meal—until he felt eyes on him. Across from the reception, an adventurer had been glancing in his direction. As Arthur subtly shifted his gaze, the person quickly looked away, pretending to be engaged in conversation.

  As his gaze swept over them, he had subconsciously analyzed their gear, well worn, with faded emblems and scuffed armor. They weren’t amateurs. He shook his head and continued eating.

  Just from across from the reception, muffled whispers could be heard among the group of adventurers.

  “Look, he’s exactly what we need,” the shortest male murmured.

  “I agree, mages are rare. This will make our team stronger,” the tall man added.

  “Alright, so it’s settled? I’ll go ask him,” the medium-built man said, with determination.

  While the group whispered among themselves, Amelia returned, balancing her plate effortlessly.

  “Look at the size of this meat!” She grinned, plopping down across from Arthur. She held up a thick juicy slab. “After this, I promise we’ll check the quest board and take one of the high-paying jobs.”

  Without another word, she shoved a large bite into her mouth, completely unconcerned.

  As Amelia stuffed her face, and Arthur looked at his master in disgust, the medium-built adventurer from the group slowly walked toward their table. He stopped beside their table, leaning forward slightly.

  “You’re a mage, aren’t you?” he asked, with a clear curiosity in his tone.

  Arthur blinked, confused by his sudden approach.

  “...Yes?” He responded

  The man raised his hands slightly in apology. “Sorry, sorry. I saw you sitting with that mage, so I figured…” He glanced at Amelia, then back at Arthur. “You two got that ‘wandering scholar’ look.”

  Arthur remained silent, uninterested.

  The man pressed on. “We need one more member for our team, and we were wondering if you’d like to join our party.”

  Arthur stared at him, his gaze drifted past the man to the two strangers behind him.

  He let out a slow sigh. “Sorry, but I’m not an adventurer.”

  The man grinned, undeterred. “Everyone says that… until they become one.”

  Arthur, still withholding his decision, shook his head. “Sorry, but my answer is still no.”

  The man, looking discouraged, made one last attempt. “Are you sure? We only need one more person.”

  Before he could refuse again, a familiar voice cut in.

  “It must be a quest that requires four members, huh? Tell me, what quest are you taking?” Amelia asked, suddenly interested.

  The shortest man in the group answered before his leader could. “We’re going to kill the Titan of Finality.”

  Amelia froze mid-bite, nearly choking on her food before hastily swallowing a mouthful of water. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, eyes narrowing slightly. “Kill the Titan of Finality? Isn’t that one of the three corrupted Titans?” She asked.

  “Yes… but we’re confident that if we improve our skill hard enough, and with his help, we’d definitely achieve it,” the shortest man in the group replied.

  Amelia thought deeply about the short mans’ answer. “Hmm… This could be good for Arthur… Alright, I’ll lend you to him—but make sure to take care of him.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Arthur gave a death glare at her, after hearing what she had said. “...What? I’m hoping you’re joking, Master Amelia.”

  Amelia waved a hand lazily. “Look, this is a good learning experience, plus you need to make friends. No more wandering with just me.”

  Arthur’s eyes narrowed, his voice edged with disbelief. “That is the worst reason, I’ve ever heard. Now say that you’re joking, Master Amelia.”

  Amelia sighed, stabbing her fork into her food. “You're acting like I’m gonna die by the time we meet again.” She gave him a casual glance. “Think of this as a mission. ‘You’ll thank me once you realize it.’ That’s what my master said when she sent me off, too.”

  She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully before adding. “And to this day, I’m grateful she did.”

  Arthur opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, the man extended his hand towards him. “Welcome to the team! I’m Aengus Whitmore. The big guy is Bartholomew Hensley, and this is Alaric Moreau.”

  Arthur stared at her, mouth opening to argue—only to close it again. “You can’t be serious.”

  Amelia didn’t even glance at him. She simply picked up another bite of food. Arthur exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. He had lost before he even started.

  “He’ll travel with you tomorrow at rising dawn. Right now we have to earn some money.” Amelia said.

  Aengus’s expression beamed with excitement. “Alright, we can wait that long. Then we’ll see you tomorrow at the steel’s first gleam.”

  After completing a grueling mission, Aengus and the others left the adventurer’s guild to rest for the evening.

  For what felt like an eternity, Amelia continued eating. Only after nearly twelve minutes did she finally sit back, satisfied. She stretched for a few seconds before she said anything to Arthur. “Alright, let’s pack up. Once we’re done, we’ll check the quest board.”

  Arthur let out a deep sigh but didn’t argue. The two calmly gathered their belongings before making their way to the quest board, their eyes scanning the available jobs, as Arthur shifted his gaze through the worn notices, a sudden sharp tear of paper caught his attention. He turned toward the sound, finding Amelia holding a freshly torn job request.

  “How about this one? ‘Giant boar, wandering around the woods.’” She said, showing him the paper.

  Arthur frowned, scanning the request multiple times. “I don’t know… this seems too good to be true. We should probably be careful.” He exhaled sharply, tapping the paper with his finger. “Remember that one request we accepted? We almost got robbed.”

  Amelia waved a dismissive hand. “Come on, I’m sure this is the real deal.”

  Arthur remained unconvinced. He knew that he and Amelia would end up falling into yet another trap—by now, it had become a routine part of their daily lives.

  “We should check it first.” He said.

  Amelia sighed but relented. “Alright, alright. Let’s ask the receptionist.”

  The two walked over to the front desk, where the kind receptionist greeted them with a subtle look of surprise.

  “Oh… this quest? It was submitted by a group of farmers. They say that the boar trampled over their field and was disturbing the animals living on the farm.” The receptionist explained.

  Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly. “And you’re sure it’s legitimate?”

  The receptionist hesitated for a second before nodding. “Yes, I believe so. May I ask why you’re asking for details?”

  Amelia offered an awkward expression. “Ah… well, last time we almost got robbed, so we just wanted to be sure…”

  The receptionist chuckled softly. “Understandable. But yes, this one is completely legitimate.”

  With that, Arthur and Amelia signed off on the job request and returned to the table to retrieve their bags, before setting off.

  Outside the guild, the town bustled with life. Market stalls lined the streets, merchants shouting deals while travelers from afar and townsfolk wove between the crowd. All races, whether humans, elves, dwarves, and Halflings moved through the busy roads, some haggling whilst others passed by.

  As Arthur and Amelia walked toward the town gates they fell into idle conversation, their pace slow and calm.

  Amelia suddenly turned to him with a smile. “You know, this is our last quest together. Why don’t you throw away that wand? It’s time for you to have a staff.”

  Arthur frowned, confused. “Why? This wand still works perfectly fine. I don’t see a point in buying a staff. Besides, carrying one is such a hassle.”

  Amelia scoffed, shaking her head. “Ah… but my simple-minded apprentice, let me enlighten you.”

  Arthur raised an eyebrow. “...Enlighten me?”

  Amelia gave a warm and calm smile. “Mages have a tradition, one passed down from master to student. When a mage is ready to take their first step into true mastery and independence, they discard their wand and take up a staff.” She replied. “At least, that’s what my master told me.”

  Arthur looked at her skeptically. “...And what if I don’t want to carry around a glorified walking stick?”

  Amelia pointed toward a nearby garbage bin before responding. “A staff isn’t just a glorified walking stick. It strengthens your power, improves aim, and control of magic, and helps prevent your mana from ‘leaking’.”

  Arthur, now curious, repeated the last word. “‘Leaking’?”

  Amelia nodded. “Yes. You know how long we’ve suppressed our mana. Every time you cast a spell, that suppression gets disturbed, causing fluctuations.”

  Arthur went silent, considering her words as they approached the town gates.

  Nearby, a small mage shop stood between larger buildings, its wooden sign gently swaying with the breeze. As they stepped inside, the air was thick with the rich scent of herbs. Shelves overflowed with old grimoires and delicate scrolls, their spines worn from years of use. Glass bottles, meticulously labeled in intricate handwriting, lined the walls—each containing potions and magical artifacts, their purposes carefully inscribed.

  At the front of the counter, a kind-looking woman greeted them with a warm smile. “Hello, welcome to the mage’s shop.”

  Amelia gave a polite nod. “Hello, we’re here to buy him a staff.”

  The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Ooooh… I see. It seems your student is graduating, yes?”

  Amelia chuckled. “Ahaha, yes. The era of humans is catching up quickly. I fear they may surpass the previous generations of mages.”

  The shopkeeper nodded thoughtfully, rummaging through a nearby chest of wooden boxes. “Ahh… yes, the era of humans has indeed grown far and wide.” After a moment, she pulled something out and turned to them with a smile. “Here. How does this look?”

  As they both studied the staff intently, Amelia turned her head toward Arthur, curious about his thoughts. “What do you think? Do you like this one? If not, we can stay longer.” She let out a small chuckle before adding, “That's what happened when Master Maevis bought me this staff.”

  Arthur let out a small, disappointed sigh. “Sorry, I’m not feeling it with this one…”

  The kind shopkeeper chuckled softly. “No need to worry. You’re not the first to say that.”

  With a knowing smile, she returned to rummaging through the chest, carefully sorting through the staff. One by one, Arthur dismissed each option, shaking his head at every choice. Then, after what felt like an eternity of rejection, he finally found one.

  Arthur’s eyes widened slightly, intrigued. “I like this one.”

  The shopkeeper’s smile softened, satisfied. “That’s good to hear. Will that be all, or are you both still looking for something else?”

  Without hesitation, Amelia spoke up. “Yes. I’m looking for a magic diary, one that allows two people to communicate through it.”

  The shopkeeper nodded knowingly. “Ah, I see. I do have one of those. Give me a moment. I’ll fetch it from the storage room.”

  As the shopkeeper disappeared into the back, Arthur and Amelia fell into idle conversation, their voices filling the quiet shop as they waited.

  Arthur, curious, glanced at Amelia. “Why do you need a magic diary?”

  Amelia answered without hesitation. “So we can still stay in contact. You can tell me about your day, and where you are, and if you ever get into trouble, I can guide you.”

  Arthur blinked at her words, a smile tugging at his lips. Even when she wasn’t physically beside him, she ensured he was never alone.

  “It’s nice knowing that you’re still with me,” Arthur replied, before hugging her. “Even without being here.”