It was only when Leo was walking down the street flanked on either side by his party members that he began to feel awkward and uncomfortable. The heated gazes and glares directed his way because of his beautiful companions.
Lily and Rachel seemed to be totally in their element as they looked to be utterly relaxed, despite the envious and awe filled gazes of the other players. Luna and Aria seemed to be a bit on edge but were polar opposites of each other at the same time.
Luna was glaring at anyone who gave any of the girls or her brother a dubious look while Aria looked like she wanted to hide away from the crowd, most likely because she didn’t want others to find out her real identity.
Leo’s ears twitched as he heard the whispers
"How are they already Level 9? Most people are struggling to hit Level 4!"
"Where’s Ouroboros? Did the party break up?"
"I heard the blonde is actually a boy...but seeing them up close, I am calling BS. There’s no way that is a boy!"
Leo lowered his gaze slightly, hoping the crowd would lose interest soon. Every step forward made him feel more like a display piece than a person. His sleek armor shimmered subtly in the morning light, hugging his form in a way that drew far more attention than he was comfortable with.
Rachel walked beside him with the air of someone on a fashion runway, utterly unfazed by the staring. She even gave a little wave to one of the gawkers, who immediately blushed and nearly tripped over their own feet. Lily had a lazy grin on her face as she walked with Moku hugged to her chest.
"Doesn’t this bother you?"
Leo muttered under his breath.
Rachel glanced sideways.
"Nope. I look great. You look great. Let them stare."
"I don’t want to be famous for having a pretty face."
"You’re not. You’re famous for being pretty and overpowered,"
she replied with a wink which earned an exasperated shake of his head.
’I hardly feel overpowered...’
Meanwhile, Luna was in full threat-detection mode. Every time someone lingered too long with their gaze, she stared them down until they looked away. Her expression promised violence to anyone who dared get too close.
Aria, in contrast, seemed to shrink smaller with every step. Her wings puffed up and were lifted slightly to help block people from seeing her face but there were still some who managed to catch a glimpse here or there as they walked.
"Can we go somewhere less... visible?"
Leo asked, ears folding slightly as the comments began to become bolder and aggressive with each passing moment.
"Almost there," Rachel said, flicking her hair back and pointing ahead. Leo’s eyes widened in slight surprise as the building was surprisingly ornate for such a small village.
’How did I not notice this until now?’
A pair of wide stone pillars framed the entrance, each etched with faded engravings that shimmered faintly with residual magic. The dark oak double doors were polished and well-maintained, decorated with a silver crest depicting a sword and quill crossed over a starburst. Carved into a wooden plaque above the entrance were the words Guild Branch: Beastkin Beginner Village Branch
Leo stared at the plaque for a moment, then turned his head slightly.
"They didn’t try very hard with the name, did they?"
Rachel gave a small laugh. "I think subtlety dies somewhere around ’Beginner Village.’"
Lily stepped up beside him, resting Moku on her shoulder like a squishy green parrot. "Bet they ran out of budget for naming creativity after carving those pillars."
"I think it’s nice," Aria said softly, still half-hidden behind her wings. "Feels like a place that takes itself seriously, even if nobody else does."
Luna reached forward and pushed open one of the doors with a quiet grunt. "Let’s go. The longer we stay out here, the more I want to start hitting people."
Inside, the air was calm and noticeably cooler. The hum of magic crystals embedded in the walls gave the space a soft, ambient light. The interior was cleaner and more polished than Leo expected. Marble tiles lined the floor, and soft rugs muffled their steps. Several desks were spaced evenly across the main hall, each staffed by NPCs dressed in matching charcoal uniforms.
A few players stood in line at the far counter, but none seemed to recognize them yet. Leo let out a small sigh of relief. Finally, some breathing room.
A young woman with fox ears and auburn hair approached them with a warm voice from behind a nearby desk. She held a crystalline tablet in one hand and offered a professional smile.
"Are you here to Register your party members to be an Official Party or are you here for the creation of your own Brigade or Guild under the jurisdiction of the Adventurer’s Guild?"
Luna grumbled as none of that made any sense to her.
"What’s the difference?"
The fox eared woman tilted her head and calmly replied
"While you are able to interchange an informal party rather easily, it lacks the structure and the trustworthiness some clients require when they put in a request through us."
"So essentially, if someone puts out a request to you, they may reject us if we are not an ’Official Party?’"
Lily had a frown on her face as the woman faltered for a second yet still nodded after recovering from being interrupted.
"Alternatively, you could also register your party as an official Brigade or even as its own Guild depending on your budget."
Leo glanced at his party members who were all starting to give this all too professional woman annoyed gazes. The woman seemed to also notice this and faked a cough before continuing with a smile that was beginning to crack a bit.
"Umm. The quick notes version is as such. Brigade equals cheap but effective. Want to add more members, form another brigade and merge. Forming a Guild is expensive, Luxurious and the most convenient overall."
Leo could feel the gazes shift towards his back as everyone wordlessly told him what they wanted. With a short sigh he replied
"Then we will have to choose the Create a Guild Option."
"Splendid. The Fee is 20 Gold!"
Leo’s expression froze when he heard the amount
’20 what? 20 Fold? 24 goals?’
He scratched his head and sheepishly asked
:"Could you repeat that? I think I may have misheard..."
"Not a problem. Creating a Guild will cost 20 Gold."
Leo balked, after risking his life several times, the most amount of gold that he had personally acquired was 3 gold! How was he supposed to gather 17 more gold at a moment’s notice?!