Anna is a Blank. Hearing that suddenly caught me off guard. I thought they'd be rarer among people, but this means I can ask Anna for help and advice on getting stronger.
I almost shouted from the shock. The nurse had always said Blanks were rare, but never mentioned Anna was one herself. Still, I needed to stay calm—not to cause Anna any trouble.
Thinking over what to say, I finally whispered, "I'm surprised. After that fight, I never would've guessed you're a Blank."
Anna sighed in disappointment.
"Well, you'd be surprised how many of us there are! Most of the students at our school are Blanks, just like me!" she said.
What kind of school is full of special people? It must be prestigious—if even the Silver Knight goes there.
But that's not what I wanted to hear. I still don't know if I'm a Blank or if I even have a Core. All I know is I need to get stronger. Someone like me wouldn't last long in this world.
"Still, teleportation must be really helpful and powerful. I'm sure many rely on you," I said.
"Teleportation?" Anna asked, confused.
"Yes?" I replied, even more puzzled.
Anna chuckled. "That's not teleportation—that's just my speed," she said proudly, looking confident.
...
I blinked, dumbfounded. Learning she was a Blank was one thing, but this was something else.
Breaking the silence, Anna smirked. "So!? What do you think? Cool, right?"
I simply nodded, with nothing else to say. Thinking back, it made sense—when she first leapt onto the beast and then jumped to save me, it was all thanks to her speed. Anyone seeing that would've thought it was teleportation.
Is that how powerful just one ability of a Blank can be?
"This is shocking and all, but how do you even use it?" I asked curiously.
How she controls it is important to me—I need to find a way to break through and use an ability like that. If that's truly just her speed, she might be the fastest person I've ever seen.
Anna explained, "I channel mana inside me with my Blank to activate it. Saying 'activate' isn't necessary, but it helps me focus and channel more mana, letting me go even faster." She made a circular motion with her index finger.
I didn't get the finger movement's meaning, but I understood most of what she said. I guess saying "activate" encourages herself to focus and channel more mana. Interesting—I'd love to try that someday, if I ever discover I have a Core or a Blank.
I nodded silently, lost in thought. As we walked, a new question came to mind.
"Where are we even going?" I asked while Anna complained about Lucan and her daily life.
Anna looked at me and said, "It's a surprise! But I'm sure you'll like it, given your circumstances."
"Hm…"
A few minutes later, we arrived at a medium-sized stone and wood building. Two windows flanked the front, with a small staircase leading to the entrance. There was writing above the door, but I couldn't read it—it was a different language.
"What is this?" I asked.
"You can't read it? Oh, right. I forgot—you must be from the East," Anna said, clearing her throat.
I never understood what she meant by "East," but I guessed it was a country far to the east of the continent. It reminded me of my old world, where people often called each other Easterners or Westerners based on location.
Anna stood before me, the staircase and wide doors behind her. "Welcome to the Adventurers Guild!" she exclaimed, arms raised proudly.
That reminded me—I told her I was a lost adventurer when we met, but I didn't expect she'd actually bring me here. Maybe I could get some quests to get stronger and learn more?
"Lead the way," I said as she struck a pose.
…
Inside, the guild was crowded and noisy. Tables were full of all sorts of people. Some weren't even human—a man with a bird's face and a human body caught my eye. It startled me for a moment, but they didn't seem dangerous.
I kept looking around as we walked. The place felt like a tavern, with boards hanging near the windows that looked like quest boards. There were more doors leading elsewhere, but they were closed.
We approached the receptionist.
Anna asked, "Now, where's your license?"
"License? For what?" I asked.
Anna looked at me in disbelief, then sighed. "Your Adventurer license—you need it to find your hometown!"
I guessed the main reason she brought me here was to help me find my home. I told her I was a lost adventurer.
How do I tell her I'm not even from this world?
Even if I don't have one now, I'll need a license to do quests and missions. Seeing those boards with quests, I figured I'd have to take them on to get stronger and learn more about this world.
I decided to be honest. If I lied again, it'd only make things worse.
Scratching my head, I said, "I don't have one. Sorry."
Anna, disappointed, asked, "Do you even have anything?"
I shrugged with a slight frown. Noticing, Anna turned to the impatient receptionist and said, "I'll vouch for my friend here. Let him apply for a license!"
The receptionist sighed quietly, adjusted some papers, then locked eyes with me. "You know this isn't how it usually works," she said seriously.
She slid a sheet of paper and pen across the desk to me.
"But since Miss Anna is vouching for you, I'll make an exception. Just this once."
I bowed slightly. "Thank you very much."
I took the pen and signed the corner of the paper as instructed.
Suddenly, what I wrote began glowing. The paper filled with strange but beautiful symbols I didn't understand.
I stared in confusion. Seeing my face, Anna peeked from behind me. "Want me to read it for you? Since you're from the East, you don't understand Aelorian."
"No need," I said. "But could you tell me what it says?"
I worried it might reveal something about my past—like my real hometown—or prove I'm from another world.
Anna replied, "Well…" before the receptionist cut in, "It only includes your name, Core tier, birthplace, and adventurer rank."
Anna pouted. I thought, now I want to know, but it'd be rude to ask her to read it aloud. I'd probably have a low rank anyway—and maybe no Core at all.
The receptionist snapped me out of my thoughts. "If we're done here, take this." She handed me a silver card with writing. "Keep it with you—it'll show others you're an adventurer."
Then she asked for payment. I should've expected that. I pulled out one of the gold coins the Silver Knight gave me and handed it over.
Her eyes widened slightly at the gold coin, but she accepted it, then gave me change—about 15 silver coins and 20 bronze ones. One gold coin must be really valuable.
The receptionist left to help others while Anna and I moved aside to exit.
Before leaving, I asked one last time, "Can I do commissions with this license?"
Anna, unsurprised by my ignorance, said, "Of course! But always take missions fit for your rank."
I nodded. She sounded like she had experience with this stuff.
Outside, standing on the cobblestone street, I said, "I guess this is where we part ways."
"Hey! We can always meet again—no need to look so sad!" Anna said, standing in front of me. "But next time we meet," she smiled wide, flexed her right arm, and winked, "let's both be stronger!"
"Yeah, of course!" I smiled without realizing it. Anna was the kindest person I'd met so far—she risked herself for me and still apologized.
I wished she could stay longer to help me, but she'd already done more than enough.
Anna bowed slightly, then walked away. I waved as she disappeared into the distance.
Even though I was frustrated she had to leave, I couldn't ask for more. She'd done so much—risked herself for me.
Now, it was up to me.
I had to grow stronger.
No more running.
No more hiding.
In this world, it's simple: get stronger or die.