Chapter 7 Virtue City

Chapter 7

Arrival at Virtue City

The stone road finally ended.

After three more days of walking through the forest, the trees began to thin out. The fog cleared away. Sunlight poured down on them like warm honey.

Nya stopped and stared ahead with wide eyes.

"Wow..." she whispered.

In front of them stood massive stone walls that reached toward the sky. The walls were so tall that Nya had to bend her neck all the way back to see the top. Large gates made of iron and wood stood open. Guards in shiny armor stood on both sides of the gates.

Beyond the gates, Nya could see buildings everywhere. Some were made of stone. Others were made of wood. There were tall towers with colorful flags flying from them. The streets were crowded with people, carts, and animals.

"Welcome to Virtue City," Kenji said with a small smile. "The biggest city in the eastern lands."

Owl adjusted his staff and looked around carefully. "It's much larger than I expected."

Nya's tail swished back and forth with excitement. Her ears twitched at every new sound. There were people shouting. Merchants calling out to sell their goods. Children laughing. Horses neighing. It was so different from her quiet village.

"Stay close," Kenji warned. "Big cities have pickpockets and thieves. Don't wander off."

"I won't!" Nya said quickly. But her eyes were already looking at everything around her.

They walked through the gates. The guards barely looked at them. Nya realized that many different races walked through these streets. There were humans, elves, dwarves, and even some beast-folk like her. She saw a lizard person carrying a huge sword. She saw a bird person with beautiful feathers selling flowers.

"Everyone is so different here," Nya said with wonder.

"That's what makes cities special," Owl said. "People from all over the world come here to trade, work, and live together."

Kenji led them down the main street. The road was paved with smooth stones. Shop signs hung from every building. Nya saw a blacksmith hammering metal. She saw a bakery with bread in the window that made her mouth water. She saw a clothing shop with beautiful dresses displayed outside.

"First, we go to the Adventurer's Guild," Kenji said. "That's where adventurers register, take quests, and get paid. Without guild registration, you can't legally work as an adventurer."

"What happens if we don't register?" Owl asked.

"You get arrested," Kenji said simply. "The guild makes sure adventurers follow rules. They also protect us.

If an adventurer dies on a quest, the guild helps their family."

Nya nodded seriously. She wanted to be a real adventurer, not a fake one.

They walked for about ten more minutes. Finally, they reached a large building that stood three stories tall. A sign hung above the door with a sword and shield painted on it. Words were written below in big letters: ADVENTURER'S GUILD.

"Here we are," Kenji said. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors.

Inside, the guild hall was loud and busy. Adventurers sat at wooden tables, drinking and laughing. Some wore heavy armor. Others wore leather or cloth. A large board covered one whole wall. Papers were pinned all over it. These were quest notices.

In the back of the room, there was a long counter. Three people stood behind it. They were guild receptionists. One was a young woman with glasses. One was an older man with a gray beard. One was an elf with long silver hair.

Kenji walked up to the counter. Nya and Owl followed close behind.

"I'm here to register two new adventurers," Kenji told the young woman with glasses.

She looked up and smiled. "Of course! Names, please?"

"Nya Flames," Nya said nervously.

"Owl," Owl said calmly.

The receptionist wrote their names in a big book. "Race?"

"Demi-cat," Nya said.

"Furlyn," Owl said.

"And your class awakening?" the receptionist asked.

Nya hesitated. "Um... I awakened as a Assassin. Pathwatcher type."

The receptionist's eyes widened. She looked up at Nya with surprise. "A Assassin? That's very rare! Especially a Pathwatcher. You can sense danger to others, correct?"

"Yes," Nya said, feeling a bit embarrassed by the attention.

"Fascinating," the receptionist said. She made notes in her book. "And you?" she asked Owl.

"Battle Mage," Owl said. "Fire specialization."

"Excellent!" The receptionist smiled. "You two will make a good team. Now, I need to explain the guild rules."

She pulled out two small metal cards. They were blank.

"These are your guild cards," she explained. "When you complete quests, we record it on your card. As you complete more quests, your rank goes up. There are six ranks: F, E, D, C, B, and A. You start at F rank. You can only take quests at your rank or one rank higher. Do you understand?"

Nya and Owl both nodded.

"Good! Also, if you fail a quest three times, your rank goes down. If you break guild rules, you can be suspended or expelled. Always be honest in your quest reports. Never steal from quest givers. And most importantly..." She looked at them seriously. "Never abandon your party members. Adventurers work together and trust each other. Breaking that trust is the worst crime."

"We understand," Owl said firmly.

Nya nodded. She thought about Kenji and Owl saving her life. She would never abandon them.

The receptionist placed the two cards on a magical circle drawn on the counter. She whispered some words. The cards began to glow. When the light faded, Nya saw her name was now written on one card.

"Here you go!" The receptionist handed them their cards. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild! You are now officially adventurers!"

Nya looked at her card. Her name was there. Below it said: RANK F.

She felt a warm feeling in her chest. She was really an adventurer now. Just like she always dreamed.

"Thank you!" Nya said happily.

Kenji patted her head. "Congratulations. Now the real work begins."

As they turned to leave, a loud voice called out from across the room.

"Well, well! If it isn't Kenji the Red Blade!"

A large man walked toward them. He was incredibly tall and muscular. He had a big scar across his face. He wore heavy armor and carried a massive axe on his back.

Kenji's face became serious. "Marcus. It's been a while."

"Two years!" Marcus laughed loudly. "I heard you were dead! Got eaten by a dragon or something!"

"Obviously not," Kenji said flatly.

Marcus looked at Nya and Owl. "These your new party members? They look weak!"

Nya's ears flattened against her head. She didn't like this man.

"They're beginners," Kenji said. "Leave them alone."

"Beginners?" Marcus laughed again. "Hey everyone! Kenji is babysitting kids now!"

Some adventurers at the tables laughed. Nya felt her face turn red with embarrassment.

Owl put a gentle paw on her shoulder. "Ignore him," he whispered.

But Nya's blood was boiling. This man was making fun of them!

"We're not weak!" Nya shouted suddenly. "I already awakened my class! I'm a Sentinel!"

The room went quiet.

Marcus stared at her. Then he burst out laughing even louder. "A Assassin? This tiny cat girl? That's the funniest joke I've heard all year!"

Other adventurers started laughing too.

Nya's hands clenched into fists. Tears formed in her eyes, but she was too angry to cry. She wanted to prove herself. She wanted to show them she wasn't weak!

Kenji stepped forward. His hand moved to his sword. "Marcus. That's enough."

Something in Kenji's voice made Marcus stop laughing. The big man looked at Kenji's eyes and saw they were cold and serious.

"Relax, relax!" Marcus said, stepping back. "I'm just joking around! No need to get violent!"

"Your jokes aren't funny," Kenji said. "Let's go."

He put his hand on Nya's shoulder and guided her toward the door. Owl followed close behind.

As they left the guild hall, Nya could still hear some adventurers laughing.

Outside, Nya wiped her eyes quickly. She didn't want Kenji and Owl to see her cry.

"Don't listen to people like that," Kenji said. "Idiots like Marcus judge others by appearance. They don't understand that real strength comes from here." He pointed at Nya's chest, where her heart was. "You've already proven your strength. You moved when you were afraid. That's harder than swinging a big axe."

Owl nodded. "Marcus is all muscles and no brain. You're worth ten of him."

Nya sniffled and smiled a little. "Thanks."

"Now," Kenji said, "we need to find an inn to stay at. Then we'll look for an easy F-rank quest for you two to try."

"Okay!" Nya said, feeling a bit better.

They walked down the street. The sun was starting to set. The sky turned orange and pink. Nya looked around at the city with fresh eyes. This was her new life now. She was an adventurer in a big city. She had friends by her side. And somewhere out there, her mother and Brownie were waiting to be found.

"I'll get stronger," Nya promised herself quietly. "I'll become a great adventurer. And I'll find everyone I lost."

Kenji glanced at her and smiled slightly. He didn't say anything, but Nya felt like he understood.

They found a small inn called The Sleeping Dragon. It was cheap but clean. Kenji paid for three rooms. After putting their bags away, they met in the common room for dinner.

The food was simple but delicious. Nya ate bread, soup, and roasted chicken. She was so hungry that she finished everything quickly.

"Slow down," Owl said with amusement. "The food isn't going to run away."

Nya blushed. "Sorry. I was really hungry!"

After dinner, they went to their rooms to sleep. Nya lay in bed and looked at her guild card one more time.

"I'm really an adventurer now," she whispered to herself.

She held the card close to her chest and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would bring new adventures. She couldn't wait.