"So, what exactly is this game?" I asked her, as she entered my room, holding a pack of cards. "It's a pretty simple card game, it's a deck of thirty cards, we each hold three cards in our hands at a time. Each card has one of three symbols on it...rock, paper and scissors. We both play one card each turn, and then the rules of rock-paper-scissors apply," She explained, as she sat on my bed, across from me. "Oh, okay, so it's just rock-paper-scissors in card form, then?" I surmised in bemusement. She wasn't kidding when she said that this is a simple game. I suppose it could be a slightly more fun way of playing rock-paper-scissors, but it seems kinda boring, especially for a game that she picked herself. There's gotta be more to-... "Hehehe...come now, who do you think I am? Obviously there's more to it than that! Did you really think I'd waste money on a game that's got nothing more to it that just rock-paper-scissors in card form?" She responded smugly, as she opened the pack an

"Are you ready to get going?" Inquired Ifeus with a smile, as I made my way down the stairs. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess...but, uh, what's with this outfit?" I inquired in bemusement. "That's your gear. It's made of highly durable, but still quite light and flexible, leather. You're about to be a Guild Mage, so you might as well look the part, right?" He grinned with a thumbs up. "Okay, first off...I'm only going to register today, aren't I? So what I'm wearing really shouldn't make any difference either way. And second...I feel kinda exposed," I frowned apprehensively. It's the next day, the 20th of April, 505 PA, which happens to be my birthday, and I was just about to head out to the Guild with Ifeus. Lilac's gonna be tagging along too, while Iris is busy on a Quest in another city at the moment. A few minutes ago, Ifeus handed me this new outfit, to use as battle gear. So, I went back up to my room and changed into it, but, uh...it's kinda missing something. It consist

"Hm...? Oh, hey, Master...g'morning," Yawned the person sleeping on the stairs lazily, sitting up groggily. A little girl? She looks younger than Lilac...but Lilac has previously mentioned that she's the youngest member in the Guild. Maybe this girl's another new member like me? "I thought I told you to stop sleeping down here," Sighed Ifeus in response."But it's so nice and cool down here...," She muttered sleepily, before turning her gaze this way, "Huh? What's going on? Why are there so many people down here?"Hm? Oh, looks like pretty much everyone in the Guild followed us down here. I didn't even notice. "We're holding a duel, you might as well stay and watch. Oh, let me introduce you, Topaz...this is Sapphire Roselle. She's an Apex Mage, specifically an Ice Mage. Sapphire, this is Topaz Oriole, our newest member, an Ascended Mage, a Martial Artist to be specific. Since you're both named after gemstones, I'm sure you'll get along," Remarked Ifeus with a grin. "Come on, that's

I-I'm so...s-so damn cold, I've never been this freezingly cold before... "W-wasn't there a better way of stopping the fight than th-this?" I stuttered as I shivered uncontrollably, my entire body trembling like a leaf. "S-seriously, I-I'm freezing my a-ass off over here...," Mumbled Rex weakly. Since he's an Ascended Mage of the Fire Class, he likely has the Fire Immunity Trait, which means that he can't be hurt by fire or heat. But the downside to that is that it makes him weaker to the cold. Which means that he's feeling it way worse than I am right now...good, serves him right, the asshole. It's a small consolation for the duel ending in a draw. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm glad I didn't unleash that last attack that I'd been charging up. I got way too caught up in the heat of the moment, I probably would've broken a lot more than just my arm if I'd unleashed that attack... "Sapphire, if you would," Ifeus prompted her expectantly. "Ugh, you're giving me way too much work

"I know you can telepathically talk to the creatures you've tamed, but how effective is it? I mean, they have lower intelligence than humans, right, so do they always understand what you tell them?" I asked her, as we followed the Hellhound into the woods. "Hey, I know that I've explained how my Magic works to you, more than once. Grr, you weren't paying attention, we're you?" She frowned indignantly, before adding as she narrowed her eyes at me as I sheepishly averted my gaze, "Fine, I'll explain it again...yeah, I can't hold complex conversations with them, they get confused if I try saying anything too complicated. The most effective application of this Art, Creature Thought Communication, is giving commands.""I see, so like asking them to do a specific action or something?""Yeah, something like that. Of course, they can refuse if I ask them to do something they don't want to. If I've formed a Contract with them, I can force them to do it anyway, but I'm determined never to do t