A brief moment of tension.

  Vaan resisted the urge to make a break for it and instead calmly turned to face the guard. "Yes, Sir? Is something wrong?"

  The guard scanned Vaan from head to toe. As he did, the guard's expression grew dark.

  Vaan's heart raced. 'Maybe I should run after all...?'

  Before Vaan had to take any drastic measures, the guard sighed and said, "Did your party get wiped out by that dragon, Kid?"

  Vaan blinked. The question was so unexpected that he reflexively answered, "Sorry?"

  The guard sighed and then tossed over a small bag.

  Vaan grabbed it on reflex and checked inside.

  There wasn't much. Just a few copper coins.

  But it surprised Vaan that the guard would do that. So he looked up and said, "What's this for?"

  The guard sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know why those idiots at the adventurer's guild keep letting kids sign up... but I won't leave a kid who needs help alone. It's not much, but it should be enough to cover the night."

  "...Thank you?" Vaan blinked, still confused at the sudden turn of events.

  The guard shook his head and said, "Thank me by taking care of yourself, Kid. I have to retrieve enough bodies as it is... You still remember the way to the Guild Hall right?"

  'Guild Hall?'

  Vaan definitely didn't... but it seemed like the guard was being helpful. So Vaan just shook his head and said, "I don't, actually..."

  The guard sighed. "Of course. That damned witch still hasn't put in a proper orientation, I see..." He clicked his tongue and then pointed with his spear. "Head down the streets and take a right at the first intersection. It's the building with the giant swords on the side. Can't miss it."

  "Okay." Vaan blinked and cautiously walked through the gates. "Thank you."

  The guard shook his head and said, "Just stay safe, Kid. Being an adventurer is good money and a lot of fun. But you only have one life. Even if you manage to climb Babel, you can't do anything if you lose that... so don't. Got it?" He waved his hand and said, "Now hurry up and get sorted. I have to close the gate soon anyway."

  "Alright." Vaan nodded and started walking away, not wanting to give the guard another reason to stop him. But as he did, a thought came to mind. Vaan turned around and said, "A quick question, Sir."

  "Yeah?" The guard gnced over. "What is it?"

  "Did I... come through here earlier today?" If the guard was here, then he must have seen Vaan pass by if Vaan was an adventurer, right?

  "Hah?" The guard raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you get smacked on the head, Kid?"

  Vaan ughed and pyed it off. "Sorry. Still a bit dazed... it was kind of traumatic."

  The guard's expression turned serious. "Then all the more reason for you to get sorted at the guild hall and rest. But to answer your question... No. I haven't seen you all day, and I've been guarding here since dawn."

  "Got it. Thanks again, Sir. Goodbye." Vaan quickly left, not wanting to draw any more suspicion. But as he did, he couldn't help but think.

  The guard said he didn't see Vaan pass through all day. So...

  'Am I not a rookie adventurer after all?'

  The guard asked if Vaan's party got wiped out by that dragon, but the guard also didn't look like he recognized Vaan in particur. He was just talking more in the general sense.

  Which meant that Vaan still didn't have any concrete answers. He sighed and walked down the street, running his hand through his hair. "Might as well check out the Guild Hall like the guard said..."

  If Vaan was an adventurer, SOMEONE there would recognize him. Surely. And if not... well, it was the next best pce to gather information.

  So with that decided, Vaan continued on his way. He felt a bit subconscious about his clothes being tattered and exposing his bare torso... but after looking around a bit, he realized that everyone was dressed odd.

  Vaan wasn't the only one walking around with a bare torso. There were men all over the pce that barely had any clothes on at all save for a pair of shorts. Of course, they also had overflowing and rippling muscles, so that made up for it.

  When Vaan saw them, he instinctively gnced at his own body. It wasn't a fair comparison... but at least he was toned? He didn't have the overflowing bulky muscles that those men had, but at least Vaan wasn't fbby or a complete twig...

  But aside from those muscur men, there were women too. Some were just as exposed, which was... interesting. But most wore proper armor and equipment. Some seemed to be priestesses, wearing flowing white robes and crystal staves with a green cross.

  And as Vaan looked around, he saw that not every guy was a rippling mass of muscle.

  There were quite a few slim men wearing cloaks as well, carrying leatherbound books. Schors... or perhaps mages?

  Whatever the case, it seemed like Vaan wasn't completely out of sorts walking around here. Although...

  As Vaan continued to walk, one woman gnced at him and gave a pitiful look before looking away. And then as he kept walking, more people did the same.

  Eventually, Vaan paused in front of a gss window to check his appearance. "Do I look that bad...?"

  With how everyone had been acting, maybe Vaan cut a tragic figure?

  Vaan frowned and then moved close to the window to check his reflection. And then he froze. 'Oh. That's pretty bad.'

  The reflection showed a young man who had been through hell and back. Soot and dirt covered a pale face. Bright blonde hair was stained brown from matted blood and completely frazzled from wind...

  That itself was pretty bad. But then Vaan saw his clothes... or rather, what was left of them.

  Tattered rags. The shirt was already gone, as noted before. But his pants were completely riddled with holes and scorch marks, frayed at the edges. And although Vaan's body was lean and looked trained... mostly from assimiting the goblin corpses to reinforce it. There was no hiding the scars and stab marks littering his upper torso.

  ...Which definitely confirmed his theory that he had been stabbed and left for dead, at least.

  Vaan sighed and reached up to scratch the back of his head. "No wonder people looked at me like that..."

  It was the sight of a man who looked like he was betrayed, left for dead, and then went through hell and back.

  Which, to be fair, wasn't an inaccurate assessment.

  Vaan just wasn't sure about the betrayed part. Although it made the guard's reaction to him more understandable. Right now, Vaan really looked like someone who had just scraps to his name. The only things that WEREN'T ruined were the shield and sword he had created from darkness... but those were a bit cracked now too. Probably from being exposed to so much heat earlier with the dragon.

  Still, despite all of that...

  "At least I'm not ugly?"

  ...There was a small silver lining.

  Vaan sighed.