Congratulations, Mr. Raven

Nia casually set the thing down on a cluttered table, then raised a hand and rubbed her dust-covered face. Her once-exquisite makeup immediately turned her into a little tabby cat.

"What is this?"

Lance leaned closer and asked curiously.

At the Adventurers' Guild, there were usually several established ways for newcomers to register.

The most common were being guaranteed and recommended by a high-ranking adventurer, or directly finding a qualified instructor to take the test and obtain proof of eligibility.

Lance did not know any high-ranking adventurers, so he could only choose the latter.

He had originally explained his requirements to Nia: low-profile, low-profile, and low-profile.

He had meant for her to introduce him to an instructor who could keep a tight lid on things and was worthy of trust.

After all, he had heard plenty of shady stories. Some newcomers had stumbled upon rare materials through incredible luck in dungeons, only to have the instructor in charge of testing them sell their information. In the end, they were murdered for their treasures.

For adventurers at the bottom, finding someone trustworthy was crucial.

Many guild receptionists had their own relevant connections, and Nia was no exception.

But Lance had never expected that, after hearing his requirements, Nia would dig out such an antique.

"This is Aredia's Ember."

Nia dusted off her hands and said it casually.

Hearing that name, Lance froze.

Of course he had heard of it.

But it should not have been the name of an object. It was a fairy tale known throughout the world.

Legend said that, a very long time ago, the world had suddenly fallen into eternal darkness.

The despairing people, like frightened beasts, hid in cold, damp caves and trembled.

Until a young man stepped forward.

He slung a pack over his back and told the people whose eyes had lost their light:

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. As long as I keep walking west to find the lost sun, I can bring hope back."

However, when he truly entered that boundless wasteland, he quickly lost his way in the darkness.

Then, the goddess Aredia descended.

She placed an unlit lantern in the young man's hands.

"Carry it. It will guide you through this darkness and help you find tomorrow."

The young man gripped the lantern tightly and stared at its lifeless wick, confused. "But it has no light. I cannot see the road ahead."

Aredia merely watched him with a smile.

"This spark does not burn wood. It burns courage."

"It is not because you see the light that you find the direction to move forward. It is when you take that step that the light appears."

The young man only half understood.

But he still gathered his courage and took his first step into the unknown darkness.

A miracle happened.

The stone inside the lantern truly lit with a faint red glow, illuminating only the small patch of ground beneath his feet.

As his steps became more and more resolute, that light grew fiercer.

When he finally stopped hesitating and ran boldly through the darkness, the ember in his hand became a blaze that tore apart the long night.

That was the first dawn in this world.

And that young man became the world's first hero.

The fairy tale ended like this:

[So, children, do not fear being unable to see the future]

[As long as you dare to move forward, the light is in your hands]

"So... the fairy tale was actually real?"

Lance stared at the dusty base on the table, his eyes full of shock.

Just as he was immersed in that epic romance,

Nia gave him a strange look from beside him and mercilessly poured cold water over him.

"What are you thinking?"

"Of course the fairy tale is fake."

She began to explain.

"This is a standard tool issued uniformly by headquarters whenever an Adventurers' Guild branch is established in a region. It is specifically used to test whether newcomers qualify for registration."

"Its function is actually very simple. It can sense the user's strength."

"As long as someone possesses a Proficient Level combat skill, it is enough to trigger its faintest red glow."

It could sense strength? What kind of magical high-tech nonsense was that?

Lance made a small sarcastic remark to himself.

Nia pointed at the base.

"Just like the fairy tale says, once you make up your mind, this light symbolizes that you have the courage to take the first step."

"Then why..."

Lance had just wanted to ask why the guild still went through the trouble of promoting manual testing when such a convenient and objective tool existed.

But before he could finish, the answer flashed through his mind like lightning.

It was because of the instructors.

"Looks like you already figured it out."

Nia shrugged and spoke with some helplessness.

"From the very beginning of the Adventurers' Guild, it needed a way to provide for veteran adventurers who had rendered great service but had to retire because of injuries or illness."

"So the guild specifically established the instructor certification system, allowing them to handle the assessment and recommendation of newcomers, thereby securing their livelihoods in old age."

"It has already formed a fixed chain of interests."

"So later, although Aredia's Ember was still distributed as usual, it was basically tossed into warehouses to gather dust."

At that point, Nia winked at Lance.

"When I heard your requirements just now, I remembered that this thing could perfectly avoid everyone and suit your strange obsession with keeping things quiet."

"Come on, give it a try."

Nia pushed the base in front of Lance. Then, like a little cat waiting to pounce on prey, she gripped the edge of the table with both hands, rested her chin on the backs of them, and stared unblinkingly at the stone.

Lance took a deep breath and extended his right hand, gently placing his palm over the translucent ore.

Instead of the coldness unique to minerals, it felt warmly smooth beneath his hand.

The next second,

Nia's cherry-red lips parted slightly as she stared at the scene before her in surprise.

Within the previously dim stone, threads of orange-red light suddenly flared to life.

The light was not dazzling, yet it carried vigorous vitality, like embers rekindled red by a cold wind.

"It lit up..."

Nia watched the steady glow.

"You really met the standard."

Although Lance had spoken with complete confidence before, seeing the result with her own eyes still felt unbelievable to Nia.

After her brief surprise, an exceptionally radiant smile blossomed across her face. She was sincerely happy for Lance.

"Looks like I'll have to call you Lord Adventurer from now on."

She quickly returned the tool to the depths of the cabinet and hid it away. Then she took an adventurer registration form from her shoulder bag and began filling it out with swift strokes.

In the "Testing Method" field, she solemnly wrote [Aredia's Ember].

"What should I put in the adventurer name field? Should I still write Lance?"

Nia looked up, her quill hovering above the parchment, and reminded him seriously:

"Although the guild's internal records must use your real name, I suggest that you choose an alias for public display."

Lance nodded in deep agreement.

He understood that principle all too well.

He absolutely needed an identity to hide behind, and it had to be wrapped up tight.

He thought of the Talents he possessed, all of which came from Norse mythology.

"Call me Raven."

In Norse mythology, ravens were not only Odin's eyes and ears, but also symbols of messengers.

The original owner of this body had helped adventurers write letters, and when Lance worked as a scribe, he had also helped deliver notices of death in battle.

There could not have been a more suitable alias.

"Raven?"

Nia tilted her head and repeated it, then smiled.

"It does sound rather fitting for someone as low-key as you."

In the "Name" field, she neatly wrote those two words.

"Ta-da!"

Nia pinched the top corners of the form with both hands and held it up before Lance like a certificate, smiling as brightly as a flower.

"Congratulations, Mr. Raven. From this moment on, you are a true—"

"Grrr—grumble—"

A sudden, loud rumble of hunger echoed through the quiet warehouse, bluntly interrupting Nia's congratulatory speech.

Nia's smile instantly froze on her face.

Her stomach was protesting.