The ponytailed receptionist didn't say another word. She simply turned around and made her way towards the large iron door that led back to the first floor, leaving the two children behind.
There was nothing else for her to add, anyway. It was clear that Sylvie had run out of arguments, and despite the young girl's defiant glare, her silence clearly meant she acquiesced to her assessment.
Cyrus just stood there, too.
He had always thought he'd be able to reach the level of an Ironbound warrior with enough training. If he shed enough blood, sweat, and bitter tears, he'd eventually catch up to the guards of the Red Arena and their terrifying strength. If he was born with no talent, he'd just have to work harder to make up for it, that's all. Sure, it wasn't going to be easy, but living in the Red Arena had never been easy in the first place. And yet, the receptionist's merciless words had crushed even that desperate hope of his.
Cyrus stared at the young woman's back for a few moments, watching as she was about to step past the iron door and return to her counter. Her footsteps echoed softly through the open area, as if dancing rhythmically to the rustle of the violet leaves around them.
Surprisingly, however, right before she stepped through the door, the receptionist paused and turned to glance back at him
"Whenever you're ready" she said evenly, "come see me to complete your registration. You still passed the test, after all. You're entitled to your guild token… and that gold coin."
Then, she stepped through the doorway and vanished in the cacophony around her.
Sylvie stood in front of Cyrus, her eyes filled with worry. She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated before closing it again. She clearly didn't know how to comfort him... or if comfort was even possible at this point.
But surprisingly, Cyrus didn't need it.
He let out a deep breath he didn't even realize he had been holding, and turned to the red-haired girl before he said quietly
"Let's go."
"But..." Sylvie faltered, a look of hesitation still plastered on her young, round face.
However, Cyrus just shook his head and continued
"We got what we came here for. Let's finish the registration and find a place to sleep."
When she heard this, Sylvie didn't argue further despite her reluctance.
As the two of them walked towards the iron door, though, the red-haired girl didn't seem to notice Cyrus's fists that were clenched tightly under his tattered clothes.
So what if I don't have a divine relationship? I knew I was born with no talent so this isn't that surprising! There's no reason to give up! Even with no divine affinity, I still managed to increase my strength, speed, and endurance this much in just 3 years! I don't know exactly how strong Ironbound warriors are meant to be, but as long as I train hard enough, I should be able to reach that level, too! Even if I can't... I'll still get strong enough to make sure I'm not completely helpless against them!
Cyrus didn't even realize when he'd arrived back at the Registration Hall, or how long Sylvie and the ponytailed woman had been looking at him for. The receptionist stared at him in silence for a few more moments before eventually handing him a small bronze token. It was cool to the touch, with the Adventurers Guild's insignia etched into the front — an open hand gripping a sword. Beneath it, engraved in fine letters, were the words:
Name: Cyrus Veltharion
Rank: Uninitiated
Cyrus's eyes focused on the last two words, before the young woman finally spoke
"Don't overthink it. You won't be able to take on most missions, but there are still plenty of low-tier tasks suitable for unawakened adventurers. Enough to keep you fed, at least. Most of them aren't too dangerous either, so you won't have to worry about your life."
The young woman then proceeded to explain the guild's basic structure, how missions were ranked, and how the other halls worked, what rules needed to be followed, and how most adventurers often formed small companies to increase their odds of success.
"Keep in mind that small scuffles between adventurers are quite common as well, so try to keep your head low whenever you are on a mission. Of course, it's against the rules to maim or kill another guild member, so you don't have to be worried, but you should still be careful since you just became a member!"
The woman proceeded to explain the rest of the rules, but other than the 'no killing or injuring other members' policy, the guild was quite lenient and didn't put a leash on its adventurers. Thankfully, the receptionist seemed to have noticed how worn down Cyrus and Sylvie were so she kept her explanations brief.
Once the process was complete, she handed Cyrus a small leather pouch. The gold coin inside made a soft clink as it landed on the counter.
Cyrus stared at the sparkling piece of gold for a while without saying anything. Even an orphan kid knew how valuable a single gold coin was. Back in the slums, this was enough to feed a family of 4 for at least a month!
Cyrus gave the receptionist a quiet "thank you" and turned around, before realizing he'd forgotten to ask her one very important question.
As he looked past the numerous windows that filled the first floor, he asked
"Right. Are there any safe inns nearby?"
The woman raised an eyebrow at the question, a faint smile eventually touching her lips
"This is Novera" she answered calmly. "Every inn is safe here. No exceptions."
She paused, then added in "There are a couple of inns not far from the guild. The closest one is just a few dozen meters to the north. You can't miss it even if you want to."
Outside, the afternoon sun had just reached its peak as Cyrus and Sylvie crossed the wide stone steps of the guild's entrance and blended into the crowd, heading straight for the north of Novera.
Exhaustion was already battering at their weary bodies, and Cyrus could tell that neither he nor Sylvie could stay up for much longer.
Thankfully, it only took a minute before they arrived in front of a large, spacious wooden building that one could see, even from a distance away. Just as the receptionist had said, the 'Bronze Coin Inn' was very close to the Adventurers' Guild.
Cyrus stood in place for a moment, staring up at the wooden beams and the weathered sign above the inn's door. Then, without a word, he entered inside.