The events that led Kael to the Adventurers Guild.
The royal capital. The royal palace. The heart of Grimholde.
Kael Thorne walked the palace corridors with a smirk carved into his face — pride and confidence radiating off him like heat. Guards stiffened as he passed, some trembling outright. Stories swirled about Kael — that he was the strongest man in the kingdom, that he obeyed no one, not even the king. That he could, if he chose, destroy Grimholde entirely.
It wasn't just a rumor. It was fear. And that fear made the king tread carefully, fulfilling every one of Kael's whims just to keep him from leaving… or worse, joining the kingdom's enemies.
No one challenged Kael. No one dared.
He was heading toward the audience chamber when he overheard voices below.
Guard 1: "Hey, shift's up. Switch up."
Guard 2: "Took you long enough."
Guard 1: "You won't believe what happened at the guild today."
Guard 2: "Oh yeah? Spill."
Guard 1: "Some adventurers just arrived. Total unknowns. But get this — the girl, She's got affinities for all known elements. And maxed out, too."
Guard 2: "Bullshit. No one has every elemental affinity. Not even the hero's that broken."
Guard 1: "I saw it myself..."
All elemental affinities? That's impossible. Only the prophesied Hero should have that kind of power…
Kael's face twisted into a wicked grin.
I need to verify this. If it's true… I'll have to claim her for myself.
He leapt from the corridor balcony, landing with a thunderous crash that made the guards scramble back, wide-eyed.
"Hey," Kael growled, voice low and dangerous. "Tell me everything you know about these adventurers."
CUT TO THE GUILD
The front doors creaked open.
Silence.
Kael stood at the entrance of the Adventurers Guild, and the entire hall froze. Conversations died. Even the clatter of mugs and boots halted. No one dared to move.
Sel glanced around, unfazed. She exhaled.
(Ah. One of those types. Every world's got 'em. What a pain.)
"Who the hell is this slab of meat blocking the entrance? You're sucking all the fun out of the room," she said flatly.
"Sel," I whispered, panic rising, "do you see how huge this guy is? Maybe don't piss him off…"
Kael stepped forward, eyes locked on Sel.
"You're the one they call Sel?" he said, voice heavy. "Not what I expected. Whatever. You're coming with me."
"Huh? Why would I do that?" Sel tilted her head. "We're busy, Meat Wall. Go lurk under a bridge or something."
Kael's lip curled. "You've got a mouth on you. I like that. Most people with your build would be hiding behind others… but maybe I was wrong."
He leaned in close — too close.
"But I wasn't asking."
I stepped forward, legs shaking. My throat tightened. My mind screamed run. Every instinct I had was telling me to bolt.
This is fear.
My mother's voice echoed in my head. "Reiji, promise me… if you're ever in danger, run. Don't look back."
But… this wasn't that moment.
"There are times," I muttered, "when what you're fighting for matters more than logic or odds…"
My body felt light — like the crushing weight had vanished. Or maybe I'd just stopped carrying it.
Kael scowled. "What are you babbling about, punk?"
Sel's expression changed. She was… smiling? Why was she smiling?
That made me feel strange. But also — stronger.
"I said…" I shouted, "THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, YOU PIECE OF MEAT!"
Kael moved instantly — a blur of muscle and rage. His fist rocketed toward me.
Too fast.
I can't dodge—
In a blink, Kael was on the ground — coughing, blood dripping from his mouth, his face bruised.
"What…? Did I… do that?" I stared at my hands. "I didn't move. Sel…?"
Sel still wore that smile, calm and quiet.
Was that her? But I didn't even see her move…
Before I could ask, Kael stood up, furious.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?! I'LL KILL Y—"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, KAEL. STAND DOWN."
A commanding voice cut through the tension like a blade.
And Kael froze.
A figure stood at the entrance.
Clad in radiant armor that gleamed under the guild's light, he stood tall—exuding charisma, resolve, and the quiet authority of someone used to leading others.
(So that's the hero, huh?) Sel narrowed her eyes, sizing him up. (He seems… alright, I guess.)
The suffocating tension in the guild started to ease as whispers buzzed through the crowd of adventurers.
"That's him, isn't it?" – Adventurer 1
"Yeah, that's the hero." – Adventurer 2
"No way… is he gonna fight Kael?" – Adventurer 3
"A showdown?" – Adventurer 4
Kael's eyes narrowed as he recognized who stood at there.
"How dare you stop me, Ren?" he growled.
"You're causing a scene," Ren replied calmly. "The king heard about it and sent me to deal with the situation."
"I do what I want," Kael scoffed. "What, you want to fight?" His lips curled into a grin.
Ren's tone stayed cool, but his eyes were sharp. "If you want a fight, I'd be happy to oblige… but are you sure now is the time?"
Kael's grin twitched.
(He's right... I'm still winded after whatever just happened. Even I couldn't react in time—everything hit like a blur. Was it… her? There's more to this group than I thought. Not worth pushing further right now.)
Kael shrugged, turning his back to the guild.
"Tch. Scared? Heh. Whatever. I don't waste time on weaklings."
With that, he strode out, still wearing that damned smug expression. The oppressive weight in the air vanished the second the door shut behind him.
Ren turned and gave a slight bow. "Are you two alright? I apologize for his behavior. He can be… difficult."
"N-No, we're fine," I said quickly. "Nobody got hurt, so... yeah. All good."
Ren straightened, offering a gentle smile. "I'm Ren Kazuki—the Hero of Grimholde. A pleasure to meet you both. Are you new to the kingdom?"
Wait—Kazuki? That's definitely a Japanese name. Is he Japanese too? He did say he was the hero…
"I'm Reiji. This is Sel, she's my… uh… uh—"
Ren's eyes lit up. "Wait. Reiji? That's not a name from around here… are you Japanese, by any chance?"
Crap. Alarm bells started ringing in my head. Nope. Bad idea. Let's not hand out isekai cards just yet.
"Ja…pan…ese?" I tilted my head and faked confusion. "What's that?"
Ren studied me for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Ah. My mistake. Never mind." He turned to Sel. "And how rude of me. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Sel."
Phew. Dodged that one.
Smart guy. He wasn't going to out himself to anyone who didn't already know the truth. That meant he was playing it safe too. Good. The fewer people who knew we weren't from this world, the better.
"Well then," Ren said, already turning toward the door, "I should head back to the palace and report to the king. I hope we meet again, Reiji. Sel."
With that, the Hero of Grimholde vanished into the light beyond the guild doors—leaving behind questions, relief, and the faint scent of something much, much bigger.
Lyra handed us each a small metallic card etched with intricate runes.
"These are your guild cards—also used as formal identification. Please take care not to lose them." She paused, then turned to Sel with an almost apologetic smile.
"Oh, and Sel? The Guild has decided to assign you a provisional Rank B status. We're sorry we can't place you higher. Honestly, we wanted to make you Rank S outright, but without a formal record to go by, B is the best we can offer for now until you build up some experience."
Sel took the card with a calm nod.
"That's fine. It's no big deal."
(Not that I care about ranks either... we just needed identification, and a source of information. That's all.)
"Wow, Sel. Rank B, huh?" I said, smiling at her. "That's super impressive. You'll hit S-rank in no time, I bet."
Then I turned to Lyra, puffing out my chest a little.
"So, uh… what about mine? What's my rank?"
I grinned wide, already dreaming of that sweet B-rank status.
Lyra blinked.
"You're Rank D."
…Huh?
"Well," she continued with a businesslike tone, "you should technically be Rank E, but because you're in a party with Sel and considering that little stunt you pulled earlier, we figured D would be… generous."
I stared at the card she handed me like it had personally insulted my bloodline.
So I only got bumped up because I know Sel? Seriously?
Well… okay, I guess staying under the radar isn't such a bad thing. No pressure. No expectations. No getting stabbed in the face by 'Kael'.
"Wait, did you say… party?" I asked. "As in me and Sel?"
Lyra tilted her head, eyes wide in innocent confusion.
"Oh? Was I mistaken? You two arrived together, so I assumed you wanted to register as a party. If that's wrong, I can correct it—"
I looked at Sel.
She was already smiling at me.
That soft, knowing smile.
I sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
"No. You're right. We're a party."
And just like that, it was official.
We were now registered adventurers of the Kingdom of Grimholde. A Rank B goddess and a Rank D nobody. What could possibly go wrong? Still, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. The card in my hand felt like a ticket to something bigger. This world was opening up before me.
But if I'd been paying more attention—really paying attention—I would've seen it for what it was:
The beginning of chaos.
Because, of course, the moment things started going right…
It meant everything was about to go very, very wrong.