Heavy Metal

For a moment, silence fell over the spacious guild building. All eyes were fixed on a large armored man and the strange silver ant perched on his shoulder. Time seemed to stand still as countless gazes bore down on the peculiar duo. But soon enough, people began turning away. A man in armor with a monster on his shoulder wasn't such an unusual sight in these parts. Even now, several other tamed beasts roamed the area, some being registered at this very moment. 'Rusty, start moving. You don't want to stand out.' Alexander whispered, his glowing orb located in the chest cavity and hidden away by thick cloth to not shine through his armor. 'Ah, sure…' Rusty hesitated, momentarily stunned by the attention. For an instant, he feared his identity had been exposed and considered making a run for it. Before entering the guild, he had Aburdon scout for possible escape routes and hiding spots in case something went wrong. If he was discovered, he would simply execute the same strategy as last time. Gleam was small enough to slip between buildings, and he could hide on her head. As long as his helmet remained intact, he would survive. But the moment passed, and the guild returned to its usual clamor. Conversations resumed, and adventurers turned back to their drinks, food, and quests. Rusty quickly stepped toward the reception desk, his boots clanking slightly against the wooden floor. As in other guilds, a line had already formed. While waiting, he glanced at the notice board, curious about the available quests. As he scanned the parchments and monster illustrations, Gleam shifted slightly on his shoulder. Like him, she was still young, and this was her first time inside an adventurer's guild without being confined to a cage. Rusty could sense her unease - after being locked up for over a month, she wasn't exactly thrilled to be in a similar place. He felt the tension in her tiny body, but registering her with the guild was necessary to make their team official. On the board, he spotted drawings of orcs alongside the faces of humanoid beings that resembled humans. One, in particular, caught his attention - a bald man covered in tattoos and scars, with a bounty of several gold coins. It appeared to be a wanted poster, likely for a criminal or perhaps one of the barbarian leaders roaming the mountain range. The rewards here seemed higher than in the previous city, but that also meant the quests were likely far deadlier. He approached the reception desk and waited for his turn. The guild worker, a woman with short auburn hair and sharp eyes, finished dealing with the previous adventurer before turning to him. Her expression was one of mild disinterest, likely used to dealing with all sorts of odd adventurers on a daily basis. "Next. What do you need?" Rusty focused on his possession skill, the head within his armor was still hidden from view but he was ready to identify himself to this woman if the need arose. "I need to register my tamed monster under my adventurer card." The receptionist's gaze flickered to Gleam, eyes narrowing slightly before she reached for a small stack of forms. "What species is it?" "A rare dungeon variant. Found her in the depths of an unexplored cavern…" He tried keeping it vague as he did not wish to reveal Gleam's true identity. He knew that she was a rare type of monster that could potentially entice thieves. The woman gave him a skeptical glance but didn't press the matter. Instead, she took out a magical item, a pair of large square glasses, and put them on. A faint glow flickered across the lenses as she studied the small ant-like creature perched on Rusty's shoulder. "I see… It seems to be a docile creature, please wait a moment, I'll begin the registration, I'll need your adventurer card." "Of course, here." Rusty handed over his new adventurer card that used to belong to Edmund the E-rank adventurer. After she confirmed that the card was real she started filling out some paperwork which she handed soon after. "Please go through that door and give this document to the person there." "Ah, thank you." It seemed this wasn't quite over, but things were going smoothly. His identity remained intact, and it was clear that security here wasn't as strict. The woman hadn't attempted to verify his identity or confirm whether he was Edmund. It was apparent that people in this guild didn't concern themselves much with the possibility of a low-rank adventurer's identity being stolen - or perhaps they simply had more important matters to deal with. After stepping away, he followed the receptionist's directions and walked toward the door she had pointed out. Above it, an emblem resembling a wolf was carved into the wood, likely indicating that this area dealt with beasts and pets. Rusty pushed the door open, revealing a smaller, more private room. Inside, a man sat behind a desk piled high with stacks of parchment and ink bottles. His long gray hair was tied back into a messy ponytail, and his round spectacles rested slightly askew on his nose. "( ˶°ㅁ°) !!" Rusty felt Gleam shiver the moment she saw the man. It seemed he reminded her of the one who had kept her locked up in the other adventurer guild. He gently patted her abdomen, trying to reassure her - she needed to go through registration, whether she liked it or not. "Ah… Monster registration? Do you have the papers?" The man identified the issue rather quickly and instantly asked for Rusty to hand over the parchment that the woman had given him earlier. Rusty nodded and placed the parchment on the desk. The old man adjusted his glasses, muttering something under his breath as he picked up the document and skimmed through the details. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the wooden desk as he reached for a quill and began writing on another form. Gleam remained tense, her small legs gripping Rusty's shoulder a little tighter than before. After a moment of scribbling, the man finally looked up and gestured toward a small stone platform in the corner of the room. "Place your monster there. I need to perform the alignment." "Alignment?" Rusty asked, not really knowing the procedure. Alexander informed him before that some type of magical device would be used but he didn't know how exactly it functioned. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Is this your first time registering a monster?" "Yes," The man pointed to a metallic plate on the ground, etched with strange magical runes and circles. Gleam didn't seem too happy about the idea, but the old man quickly explained. "Don't worry. This process links your monster's mana marker to your adventurer card. It's a simple spell - once complete, your card will emit a small chime whenever it's touching the monster's body." It was a straightforward explanation and an interesting system for identifying bonded creatures. Since it only attuned Gleam to his adventurer card and nothing more, Rusty saw no reason to refuse. After handing the man his adventurer card he looked to gleam who didn't seem too happy about the idea. "Ah, that's interesting… It won't hurt, right?" "Hurt? No, it's perfectly safe." The old man reassured him while taking the card and placing it in a special card-outlined slot on the same plate. Rusty carefully lifted Gleam from his shoulder and placed her onto the metallic plate. The small ant creature hesitated, her legs twitching as she tested the surface, but she remained still. The old man adjusted his spectacles and muttered an incantation under his breath. A faint blue glow emanated from the runes, forming a shimmering arcane circle beneath Gleam. The magic circle pulsed softly, casting shifting patterns of light onto the walls. Gleam tensed, her antennae twitching as the energy wrapped around her, but true to the old man's word, there was no pain. The glow coalesced into thin lines that snaked up toward Rusty's adventurer card, fusing into it with a soft chime before fading away. "There. It's done." The old man adjusted his glasses again and took the card, giving it a once-over before handing it back. "Your tamed beast is now officially registered under your adventurer card. As long as you have that card, it'll confirm your ownership should anyone question it. But remember, the monster is registered to your card, if anything happens to it, you'll have to report it. But, as long as you have that card, it'll confirm your ownership should anyone question it." Rusty nodded, recognizing this as both a crucial part of the system and one of its glaring flaws. If someone stole his adventurer card, they could, in a way, claim ownership of Gleam. While bonding and taming contracts existed, there were also items - like the ones he had acquired from the auction house that could dissolve them. It was reassuring to know he could quickly report a stolen card to prevent Gleam from being registered under someone else's name. However, he had no intention of ever giving her up willingly. If such a situation arose, he would risk his life to protect her. Rusty accepted the card and glanced at it. The faint outline of a small creature, vaguely resembling Gleam, had been etched into the corner. He assumed that was the confirmation mark. "Thank you." The old man nodded absently, already moving back behind his desk. Once there he scribbled something again and handed him a note. "This is?" "It's your registration fee, please pay it before you return, and don't forget to renew the registration every year, the enchantment will dissolve by then." 'Hah, these people sure love scamming adventurers. Are you sure they aren't demons in disguise?' Aburdon's cackling echoed within Rusty's chest, a sound only he could hear. 'They're just worried that after a year, the monster could become dangerous. Luckily, Gleam is a docile variant, so this went smoothly' 'Sure, keep telling yourself that hero, we both know the true nature of these adventurers and your so-called allies.' Rusty simply took the note. The registration fee was four silver coins - a hefty sum, considering a night at an inn only cost a few copper coins. He wondered if these steep fees were one of the reasons so few adventurers had tamed beasts. It seemed the stronger the monster, the higher the fee and the stricter the restrictions placed on its use. 'Don't worry Rusty, once you become a B-rank adventurer, the guild won't take any more fees for such things.' 'Oh?' Rusty picked up Gleam and listened as Alexander explained while they walked outside. It seemed that once an adventurer reached a certain rank within the guild, they were treated differently. B-rank adventurers, in particular, were considered strong enough to receive special privileges. In his current state, Rusty figured he could probably reach D-rank soon. With his enhanced stats and sturdy armor, he was confident he could meet the requirements. However, it was better to advance naturally. If the dungeon had enough monsters inside, he planned to return to the grind - just like in the past. And this time, with Gleam by his side, he had someone to level with and rise together. Once outside the room, he headed over to one of the booths to pay the fee. Just like in the other guild it was behind some bars and he needed to drop the coins into a special shelf on the side. After parting with his silver coins he left the guild building, his adventurer card now carrying the official registration mark for Gleam. The process had been relatively smooth, and he was relieved that no one had asked too many questions about his identity. With that task done, he turned his attention to his next objective - the town hall. If he was to establish himself in Ferndale, he needed a place to make his lair. A smithy would provide a good cover for his operation. A smithy would also provide a stable source of income and resources, allowing him to sustain himself and, more importantly, grow stronger. The adventurers' guild was positioned close to the market, which made sense. Most adventurers would need supplies before heading out on quests, and having the guild nearby made it easier for them to pick up what they needed. The town hall, according to the directions he had picked up from the guards earlier, was farther west, situated in a slightly cleaner and more structured part of the settlement. 'This side looks a bit cleaner than the rest…' He could instantly tell that this place was better defended and cleaner than the area around the adventurers' guild. It seemed that merchants were living here, near city hall, who were better off than most but not wealthy enough to reside in the higher district alongside the influential elites and noble leaders. Rusty adjusted his helmet as he made his way through the cleaner streets, his heavy boots clanking against the cobblestones. Gleam remained perched on his shoulder, her antennae twitching as she observed their surroundings. The buildings here were taller and better maintained, some bearing signs of businesses - tailors, scribes, and merchants dealing in rarer goods. Compared to the chaotic and grimy adventurer's quarter, this part of Ferndale had an air of quiet order. He spotted the town hall up ahead - a large stone structure with wide double doors and a small set of stairs leading up to the entrance. The building had an aged yet sturdy appearance, with banners hanging from its sides displaying the town's emblem - a stylized oak tree entwined with a sword. Two guards flanked the entrance, wearing polished steel armor that marked them as part of the city's security force rather than simple mercenaries. 'That emblem, I think I've seen it before…' Alexander remarked as he inspected the banner. The emblem on it belonged to the noble family responsible for this area and represented them. 'Who does it belong to?' Asked Rusty but Alexander didn't seem able to collect his memories to get an answer. 'I'm not sure but I have a bad feeling about it…' Rusty didn't like the sound of that, but he still needed to get into the building. The guards at the entrance eyed him with interest, and as he stepped forward, they blocked his path by crossing their spears. "What do you think you're trying to do, lowly adventurer?" "Um?" He wasn't sure what this was about, but their tone was anything but pleasant. "Are you new here? Do they let just anyone in now? Look over there - use the rear entrance. Your kind is forbidden from using the main entrance." It seemed there were rules here he didn't fully understand, but he had no desire to cause trouble. With a nod, he turned and made his way toward the side of the building, where a dimly lit alleyway stretched ahead. There, he noticed a small line of people of various races, shapes, and sizes waiting. It seemed he'd have to wait even longer before his business was concluded.