CHAPTER 57: GUILD REGISTRATION

Their reunion with Derek had been brief but warm.

Derek looked nothing like the noble from Starfall Kaelen faintly remembered at age five.

Now a tavern owner on the outskirts of Frahein who was always busy with work.

Gone were the robes of authority. In their place was a broad-chested man with calloused hands, sunburnt skin, and a laugh deep enough to shake walls.

But that was only half the story.

Because by day, Derek was also a licensed Adventurer Trainer, one of the few in Frahein allowed to vet and fast-track parties.

He had taken them to town with a promise: "Eat, drink, and walk in the streets for now. Enjoy the day"

Then walking away he waved his hands shouting at them.

"And meet me later at the guild, Alira knows the way"

They parted ways just like that.

The scent of grilled meat and fresh bread filled the air. A breeze danced along cobblestone streets as colors swirled through merchant banners, fruit carts and fabric stalls.

The sound of children laughing, street bards playing lutes and the occasional clash of blacksmiths at work reminded them that they were no longer inside the carefully monitored confines of the Dawn Academy.

They were back in civilization.

"By the Gods," Kaelen muttered, biting into a roasted plum skewer. "I forgot what real food tasted like."

At the academy they had to prepare their own food and it was nothing like the one they are eating right now. They had no seasonings, no proper vegetables or fruits.

It was a really tough life.

But by the second year the academy was fully independent. The students had learned how to make clothes, spices, weapons, etc. everything they use on a daily basis were all manufactured inside the academy by students.

And life became better during the second year and some started learning how to farm and the long process of farming were all shortened using magic.

But still the food they eat in the academy still falls short compared to the food made in the outside world.

They had better quality meats and fruits in the academy but when it comes to taste it all depends on the cook. And some snotty teenage brat will never be better than the age old seasoned cook who spends their entire life cooking.

Kaelen’s eyes, black and calm, wandered across the people. There were no aura flares, no mana reinforced strikes in the streets, no tactical battles or spatial disruptions.

Just a normal simple life which he remembered as a kid.

"Frahein," Neal said beside him, his blue eyes scanning the surroundings and taking a deep breath. "Not bad for a place to settle."

Alira nodded her head then with a sad smile. "If only Starfall kingdom still existed"

Kaelen didn’t answer. He just quietly clenched his fist in his cloak.

Later that evening at the Adventurers Guild.

Janor City Branch, Frahein empire.

The building was huge—three floors tall, with mounted wyvern skulls along the interior arch and crystalline lamps floating between floors. Bronze, silver, and gold rank awakeners moved up and down in teams of two to six. Some wore plate armor. Others robes or beast-hides.

They were the adventurers of this town.

And every single one of them turned their heads as the Juggernauts walked in.

Silence fell.

It wasn’t the kind of hush that screamed power.

It was the kind that asked, "Who the hell are these kids?"

A gruff man in uniform approached, guided by Derek’s nod. "You here to register?"

Kaelen raised a hand. "Yup. Team Juggernauts."

"...you serious?"

"Do we look like we’re joking?"

The registrar scanned their aura tags. His eyes widened immediately.

The man stuttered."Go..go go gold ranks."

"Where are you kids from?"

Then Kaelen just flashed him his academy tag.

"Graduates from Dawn Academy? You cleared gold dungeons already?"

"thousands," Neal replied, voice calm. "Solo clears included."

The man rolled his eyes at them thinking.

Cocky bastard, acting tough just because you graduated from dawn academy.

Whispers spread through the floor like wildfire. The phrase Dawn Academy was like a flame to dry parchment. Everyone had heard the rumors—about the elite institution where even failure meant being better than 99% of adventurers in the world.

"Get the Senior Registrar," the man muttered.

Within ten minutes, the team was called into a private office.

A tall woman in deep blue robes adjusted her spectacles. "Dawn Academy students are fast-tracked to A-rank Adventurer teams. You’ve likely heard this already. It is the highest classification allowed without external verification or proven fieldwork outside of Academy jurisdiction."

Kaelen raised a brow. "Just A-rank?"

"That is the standard," she replied. "Adventurer rankings are not only based on personal strength, but field experience, confirmed dungeon clears in unsupervised territory, and social conduct."

"And if we do have that strength?" he asked, leaning in.

She blinked. "Then prove it."

Kaelen scoffed and stood. "This system’s a joke."

"Kaelen," Derek interrupted with a laugh from the back, arms crossed. "How about this?"

He walked forward and clapped Kaelen on the shoulder. "There’s a silver dungeon on the outskirts of Ironpine Forest. It’s been active for fifteen years. A real one. Seasoned. You clear that one within an hour, as a full team, I’ll personally recommend you for S-Rank evaluation."

Neal arched a brow. "You can do that?"

"I’m an S+ adventurer myself," Derek replied casually. "I trained half the S-ranks in this part of the empire. I know how to pull strings."

Kaelen grinned. "Then I guess it’s time to slap the higher-ups in the face."

The registrar’s face twitched.

As they exited the guild, Kaelen glanced at the ranking chart etched in stone:

SSS – Reserved for Epic-rank Adventurers.

S+ – 100+ gold dungeon clears.

S – 10+ gold dungeon clears in real field conditions.

A/B – High-caliber silver dungeon clearers, or graduates from elite institutions.

C/D – Mid-tier.

E/F – Herb gathering, scouting, general labor.

Neal muttered, "You know... it makes sense."

"Hmm?" Kaelen said.

"The world outside the Academy is vast. They don’t care how strong you are if you haven’t bled outside their walls."

Kaelen nodded slowly. "Then I’ll bleed. And I’ll make them watch while I rise."

As they walked back toward the tavern, Derek continued explaining.

"The reason dungeons in the Academy seem easier is because they’re regulated. Old ones are simply too dangerous. They’re removed or destroyed by the instructors before students get near them. You were training in a sterile war zone."

"But outside..." Neal muttered.

"Outside," Derek said, "a dungeon might spawn under a temple, in a forgotten cave, even inside a lake. Some never get found. And when they erupt—it’s like releasing a plague."

Alira spoke softly. "How do people survive?"

"They don’t," Derek said bluntly. "That’s why we have epic-rank councils. They search for hidden dungeons. You gold-rankers? Your job is to take care of the ones in plain sight. You are humanity’s frontline. While they are the hidden guardian."

As the sun set, and the city lights glimmered like starlight, the five of them stood on the balcony of Derek’s tavern.

They held their new adventurer tags.

[A-Rank Adventurer Team: Juggernaut]

"I still think we deserve S rank," Kaelen muttered.

Derek Laughed. "Then go earn it tomorrow."

"I will."