The Dark Elf senses something is wrong and rushes to the dungeon to find L'arc. She frantically searches multiple floors and finally locates him on the fourth floor. As she approaches, she sees a colorless shield protecting him from a trio of monsters. She swiftly defeats them and walks over to L'arc, immediately noticing the black flame on his eye. Sensing his mother’s presence, he no longer feels threatened, and the shield dissolves. Now able to reach him, she picks him up and carries him to safety.

  She uses her magic in an attempt to heal him, but he does not wake right away, possibly due to the immense magical energy he exerted. Several days pass before he finally awakens, greeted by his mother's loving smile. His first words are, “What happened?” She replies, “I don’t know. I felt a huge surge of magical energy and rushed to find you, only to discover you unconscious with a shield around you and a strange mark on your eye.” Concerned, she quickly asks if anyone else was in the dungeon at the time. He responds, “Not that I’m aware of. What do you mean, a mark on my eye?” She thinks to herself, “Could that have been his magic?” More worried about what happened, she neglects to answer his question and asks instead, “What do you remember before you passed out?” He replies, “I was fighting three furry enemies; they were about to kill me, and I was overcome with dread. The next thing I know, I’m waking up to your smile.” She grabs his shoulders firmly, yet with a smile, and says, “I think we were wrong; you might have magic after all.”

  Unanswered, L'arc walks over to his mother’s mirror and notices the prominent mark on his eye, exclaiming, “Whoa, where did that come from?” Curious about his new feature, he asks, “Mum, what is this?” The Dark Elf, equally puzzled, replies, “I have no idea; it was just there when I came to get you.”

  The next day, L'arc's mother forbids him from going into the dungeon for now, stating it's best to investigate this “power” and “mark.”

  Taking more interest in swords than magic, she admits her magical knowledge is insufficient and suggests they seek help from her grandfather. However, she hesitates to mention that she was exiled from the village for becoming an adventurer, as killing monsters—no matter how vicious—is seen as going against nature, which is what they strive for.

  After a day of preparation, gathering herbs from the forest and meat from the dungeon, she uses her magic to collapse their house, and they set off toward the Dark Elves'

  forest. As they venture far from her home, she explains it will take some time to reach their destination, suggesting they take on jobs along the way to make ends meet. Their first stop is Kaze City, not far from where the Dark Elf created their hut. Here, she sees an adventurers' guild and thinks it would be a good idea to register L'arc as an adventurer, as it serves both to earn money for their journey and to help him become self-sufficient. L'arc agrees, having always looked up to his mother, who is also an adventurer—though he is unaware that she holds the highest rank attainable.

  They ask a city guard for directions to the guild. The guard replies, “Take a left at the end of this street, and you’ll see a big building with a sign that says 'Guild.'” She puts up her hood, thanks the guard, and heads in the indicated direction. Upon approaching the guild, they notice several groups discussing missions. Inside, they are greeted by an eccentric clerk who shouts, “Hi! Are you here to take a mission or to register?” The Dark Elf, ensuring her hood is still up, responds, “I’d like to register the boy.” The clerk informs them, “The boy will have to undergo a preliminary exam. Is that okay?” L'arc takes the initiative and replies, “Yeah, that’s fine.”The clerk pulls out a form and states, “First, we have to pre-register you, then we can proceed.” L'arc gets pre-registered and moves on to the exam hall.

  The exam consists of a mock fight with one of the guild representatives. Having only fought his mother before, L'arc is taken aback by the prospect, especially since his opponent is human. His mother whispers, “Don’t let your emotions get the better of you; remember, you’ve fought me, and this man may as well be a kitten.”

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  Encouraged by her words, he steels his resolve and confronts the examiner directly. The man towering over L'arc wields a sword that would make anyone question the examiner's self-esteem. He addresses L'arc, saying, “I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a kid.” L'arc scoffs and replies, “I’m 12; I’m not a kid, and I’ll make you eat those words.” Amused, the man retorts, “Have you seen my sword? What could your pigsticker possibly do against this?” Unfazed, L'arc lunges at him, declaring, “Let’s get on with this; I want to go on my first mission.”

  The man's anger flares at L'arc’s assumption of victory as he swings his sword overhead, getting it stuck in the floor. L'arc easily dodges and circles around him, delivering a swift kick to the man's back, sending him rolling forward without his sword. Not wanting the fight to end so easily, L'arc demands, “Pick up your sword; this isn’t over.”

  Growing increasingly annoyed, the man shouts, “Don’t tell me what to do,” and returns to retrieve his sword. The moment he does, L'arc lunges forward again, aiming for the man's neck to force him into submission. However, the man uses his massive sword as a shield, deflecting L'arc's attack. L'arc quips, “So that big hunk of metal has a use after all.” The man snaps back, “Silence,” and begins making erratic swings, pressing L'arc, whose weakness lies in chaotic movements.

  Feeling he has the upper hand, the man taunts, “Where has all your bravado gone, little boy?” L'arc responds, “You call that swordplay? How are you even a C-Rank?” He hides the fact that he’s actually struggling. The man, unaware that his erratic strikes are the only reason he’s gaining any ground, presses his luck with the same swing he made at the start of the match. This time, his sword does not get stuck, but L'arc dodges again and thrusts his sword toward the man’s neck, declaring, “This match is over.”

  As the man tries to refute him, a figure in the crowd, wielding a sizable sword of his own, interrupts, saying, “Enough of this farce. Stop embarrassing yourself; the boy is clearly the winner.”

  The examiner, a sore loser, insists L'arc cheated and refuses to pass him. At that moment, his mother steps forward and reveals her face. The man's complexion pales as he recognizes her and begins to grovel at her feet. She demands he retract his statement and not reveal her identity to L'arc.

  After the exam, L'arc approaches the guild counter to inform the clerk of his success in passing the exam and defeating the examiner. The clerk gasps and asks, “Did this boy really beat you?” The assessor reluctantly admits, “Y...y...yes,” then rushes into the back to escape his embarrassment. The clerk turns to L'arc and explains, “I’m sorry, but even though you may have beaten him, all adventurers start at F-Rank.” L'arc replies, “That’s okay; I’m fine with that.” The clerk completes the paperwork and hands L'arc his armband.

  All adventurers receive an armband that records their mission experience and monster kills, generating points that can be used in the adventurers' association for various purposes, such as leveling up their rank, purchasing items like potions, and unlocking new armband features.

  Excited to be an F-Rank adventurer, L'arc decides to take on his first job. However, his mother insists he look for an escort job to the next town. Unsure of her demanding tone, he concedes and searches for an escort job that matches his rank. Unable to find one, just as he is about to share the bad news with his mother, a spectator from his exam approaches him and says, “Boy, your swordsmanship was magnificent! Where did you learn it?” L'arc responds, “I learned it from my mother.”

  Irritated by the answer, the man presses, “Are you trying to make a fool of me? Where did you really learn it?” Again, L'arc replies, “My mother.” Unhappy with the response, the man decides to follow L'arc until he reveals the truth. Initially, L'arc tries to refute him but recalls seeing a job for an escort that would accept an F-Rank if accompanied by someone D-Rank or higher. He agrees to let the man follow him, as long as they appear to be “just two adventurers on the same mission” and not mention anything to the “lady” he is with. The man, thinking nothing of it, agrees.

  They both conclude that resting at the inn is the best course of action. L'arc reminds the man to act as if their meeting were purely coincidental. He rushes to his mother and informs her that he has accepted a mission, but it’s not until the next day. She suggests they go to the local inn. Stepping out of the guild, they ask for directions from the same group they saw earlier. A man from the group says, “You walked past it when you entered the city; it’s right near the gate.” The Dark Elf thanks the man, and they head off toward the inn. After getting a bite to eat, she tells L'arc to turn in for the night while she proceeds to enjoy a beer—or twenty.