Belle woke up to the golden glow of dawn filtering through the wooden shutters of her inn room. The faint murmur of townsfolk preparing for the day reached her ears, a stark contrast to the eerie silence of the Forbidden Forest. Sitting up, she stretched, the soft fabric of her new outfit rustling against her skin.
After her encounter at the town gate, the merchant she had saved from the bandits had not only gifted her this outfit but had also arranged her stay at the inn. Now, instead of her tattered school uniform, she wore a black, fitted top with a high collar and silver lining, a short, pleated mini skirt in dark navy blue paired with thigh-high stockings, a lightweight black jacket with silver accents and cropped just above her waist along with a pair of sturdy boots, fit for travel and exploration. It felt strange wearing something so different from her usual attire, but at least she no longer looked like a wandering vagrant.
With a deep breath, Belle stood and stepped toward the small mirror mounted on the wall. Her silver eyes studied her reflection. The past few days had changed her—her once frazzled, fear-driven self was slowly adapting to this world. Yet, there was still so much she didn't understand.
After gathering herself, Belle made her way downstairs. The scent of fresh bread and roasted meat greeted her as she entered the common area of the inn. A few adventurers were already up, eating and chatting about upcoming quests. As she scanned the room, a familiar voice called out to her.
"Morning, newbie. You sleep well?"
Kai leaned against the bar, arms crossed, his usual confident smirk in place. Gale sat beside him, far more composed, sipping from a metal cup.
Belle nodded, approaching them. "Yeah. It was… nice to sleep in an actual bed for once."
Kai chuckled. "Get used to it. If you're planning to stick around, you'll need more than just a bed. You're gonna need coin, and for that, you need to work."
She tilted her head slightly. "Work?"
Gale set his cup down. "The Adventurer's Guild is where most travelers like you make their living. You'll want to register soon if you're thinking of staying in Dawnstead."
Belle filed that information away, but before she could respond, another presence entered the inn. The moment the doors swung open, a hush fell over the room. The man who stepped inside carried an aura of authority, his presence commanding instant respect.
He was tall, with broad shoulders and a well-kept beard, his steel gray eyes sharp yet calm. Clad in an armored coat bearing the insignia of the Dawnstead Knight, he walked with the confidence of a seasoned warrior.
"Captain Roderic."
Gale was the first to rise, his demeanor instantly shifting to something more formal. Kai, however, merely turned his head and nodded in acknowledgment.
Roderic's gaze swept the room before settling on Gale. "Come with me. We need to talk."
The Vice-Captain nodded, following his superior outside. Belle exchanged a glance with Kai before trailing behind them at a distance, curiosity getting the better of her. She stopped near the inn's entrance, just close enough to overhear their conversation.
"This is the third time this month," Roderic muttered, his voice carrying a grim edge.
Gale sighed. "I know. The creatures are getting bolder. That bear-like beast at the gate yesterday… it wasn't natural."
Roderic's eyes darkened. "I've seen my fair share of monsters, but that thing was different. It was affected by something—corrupted."
Gale nodded. "Miasma."
Belle's breath hitched at the word. She had heard it mentioned before at the town gate but had yet to understand its significance.
Roderic exhaled heavily. "If this continues, we may have more than just stray monsters to deal with. I'll speak with the guild master. We need to investigate this before it becomes a real threat."
Gale's jaw tightened. "You think it could be leading to something worse?"
Roderic gave a slow, deliberate nod. "I don't believe in coincidences, Gale."
Belle turned away, her mind racing. Something unnatural was happening in this land. And somehow, she felt like she was right in the middle of it.
After parting ways with Gale and Captain Roderic, Kai led Belle through the bustling streets of Dawnstead. The town was alive with the chatter of merchants, blacksmiths hammering away at their forges, and adventurers clad in armor walking with confidence. Belle kept her gaze forward, trying to absorb as much as she could without drawing too much attention to herself.
"We're almost there," Kai said, jerking his head toward a large, sturdy building ahead. Unlike the other wooden structures, the guild hall had reinforced stone walls, massive wooden beams, and a crest of crossed swords and a shield above the entrance. Even from outside, Belle could hear the raucous laughter, the clinking of tankards, and the occasional clash of weapons from inside.
Kai grinned. "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, newbie."
The moment they stepped inside, Belle was met with a scene straight out of a fantasy novel. The spacious hall was filled with adventurers of all shapes and sizes. Some sat at long wooden tables, boasting about their latest exploits, while others huddled over mission boards, studying requests. The air smelled of ale, roasted meat, and a hint of metal from the countless weapons that hung from adventurers' belts.
At the far end of the hall was a long wooden counter where guild staff processed missions and payments. Behind it stood a young woman with long wavy platinum blonde hair tied into a loose side braid with a few strands framing her face, gentle violet eyes, and a professional demeanor.
She wore a fitted navy-blue uniform with the guild's emblem embroidered on her chest. Despite the chaos around her, she carried herself with grace, stamping documents and addressing adventurers with ease.
Kai leaned against the counter with a smirk. "Busy as ever, huh, Alina?"
The receptionist, Alina, didn't even look up as she continued writing. "You're late on submitting your last report, Kai."
Kai chuckled. "Come on, don't be so cold. I brought a new recruit." He gestured toward Belle.
Alina finally glanced up, her sharp gaze settling on Belle. She scanned her from head to toe, taking in her new attire and, more importantly, her lack of any visible weapons or armor.
"You don't look like an adventurer," Alina remarked. Her tone wasn't rude, just observational.
Belle hesitated, unsure how to respond. "I... just arrived in Dawnstead."
Kai clapped a hand on her shoulder. "She's got potential. Thought I'd show her the ropes."
Alina sighed. "You're not planning to throw her into danger right away, are you?"
"Relax. I know what I'm doing," Kai said, then turned to Belle. "Before anything else, you need to register."
Alina nodded and pulled out a parchment and a quill. "Let's start with the basics. Name?"
"Belle," she answered.
"Just Belle?"
Belle hesitated. She hadn't thought of a surname for this world. "Yeah, just Belle."
Alina arched an eyebrow but didn't push further. "Alright. Any combat experience?"
Belle glanced at Kai, then back at Alina. "A little."
Kai snorted. "More than a little."
Alina frowned slightly but continued writing. "We'll have to assess your abilities before assigning a rank. Since you're new, you'll start as an F-Rank adventurer, which means you can only take the lowest-tier requests until you prove yourself."
Belle nodded. She didn't mind starting at the bottom—it was the safest way to gather information without drawing attention to herself.
Alina tapped her quill against the counter while filling out Belle's registration form. "Alright, next we need to determine your elemental affinity. Place your hand on the crystal."
She turned and retrieved a translucent orb from a secured compartment behind the counter. The crystal had a faint glow, its surface swirling with mist-like energy.
Belle hesitated. Affinity? She didn't fully understand magic in this world, but something about this test made her pulse quicken.
Kai, standing beside her, smirked. "Don't think too hard. Just touch it. It'll show us what kind of magic you're best at."
Belle inhaled slowly, then placed her hand on the cool, glassy surface.
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then—a deep hum resonated from the crystal, causing the very air around it to ripple.
The mist inside the orb erupted into a swirling tempest of colors and energy, shifting between a burning crimson, a crackling electric blue, and an eerie, flickering violet hue that carried a strange, otherworldly presence.
A gust of wind burst outward, rattling the hanging lanterns. Papers scattered from the counter. The nearest adventurers instinctively stepped back as the crystal's glow intensified, bathing the guild hall in an unnatural radiance. The sheer pressure of mana pouring out was enough to make even seasoned magic users uneasy.
A sharp gasp escaped Alina as her quill slipped from her fingers, clattering against the wooden surface.
A heavy silence fell over the guild.
"What the hell was that?!"
A burly warrior, mid-drink, nearly choked on his ale, slamming his mug down. More adventurers turned, eyes narrowing in confusion and disbelief.
A mage in ornate robes furrowed his brow. "No… that can't be right. The crystal must be malfunctioning."
Belle pulled her hand away, her own heart pounding. "I-Is that bad?"
Alina barely heard her. She was still staring at the orb as though she had seen a ghost. With trembling hands, she snatched a ledger from beneath the counter and began flipping frantically through its pages, her eyes scanning for something—anything—that could explain what she had just witnessed.
"This shouldn't be possible," she muttered under her breath.
Kai, who had expected something big, still seemed taken aback. He ran a hand through his hair, staring at Belle with an expression caught between awe and exasperation. "I was prepared for something crazy, but… Three affinities? That's just broken."
A tense murmur spread through the hall.
A rogue leaned against the bar, eyes narrowed. "Wait, did I hear that right? She has three affinities?"
A heavily armored knight scoffed. "Bullshit. Normal people can only wield one. Even high-ranked adventurers struggle to awaken a second. Three? That's unheard of."
"Wait—what did the colors mean?!" another adventurer asked.
Alina, snapping out of her daze, took a steadying breath before answering. "Fire. Lightning. And…" she hesitated, her grip tightening around the quill. "A third element that… isn't documented."
That made the room erupt into chaos.
"What?! A third element that doesn't exist?"
"That's impossible!"
"No one has had three elements before—except—!"
The mage from before turned pale. "Except for the Archmage of Legends…"
At that name, the room fell into stunned silence once more.
The Archmage of Legends. A figure so steeped in myth that their existence was debated, but every scholar agreed on one thing—they had wielded three elemental affinities, and their power changed the course of history.
And now, a newcomer, some unknown girl, had displayed a similar phenomenon.
The stares that locked onto Belle had shifted. No longer just shock—now, they carried awe, curiosity… and fear.
A few adventurers exchanged wary glances. Some looked intrigued. Others? Uneasy.
"Wait, wait, hold on!" a younger warrior laughed, though his voice was tinged with nervousness. "This has to be a fluke! Maybe the crystal's broken!"
"I-it's not," Alina confirmed, shaking her head. "Affinity crystals never malfunction. What we just saw was real."
The murmurs grew louder, the weight of the revelation spreading like wildfire through the hall.
Some looked at Belle with admiration, whispering about untapped potential and what kind of magic she could unleash.
Others weren't so welcoming. Envy, caution, even suspicion flickered in a few gazes. "No one should have that kind of power."
The veteran mage, his voice grave, cut through the noise. "Kid. You have no idea what this means, do you?"
Belle clenched her fists, her instincts screaming at her that something had changed. The carefree chatter of the guild was gone. She wasn't just a new adventurer anymore—she was a phenomenon.
Alina straightened, her expression now serious. "Belle, I strongly advise that you don't flaunt this. If the wrong people hear about this, you will be targeted."
Kai crossed his arms. "Yeah. People would kill for this kind of power. Literally."
Belle swallowed hard. She had wanted to keep a low profile. But fate had just painted a massive target on her back. What would happen to her next?
Her mind racing in a deep thought. How can I have three magics now? There is only Fire and Lightning. Does my draconic power count as magic too?
End of Chapter 11