Everything's As....Planned(?)

"Just to be clear—you are aware of the things required to actually be an adventurer, aren't you?" Alab's voice was low and steady, cutting through the crisp morning air. His sharp eyes were fixed on the young man in front of him, who had been merrily whistling until that very moment.

Bagwis' whistling came to an abrupt halt. Adventurer requirements, huh? He inwardly groaned as he combed through his memories. Of course, he knew the basics. No matter how isolated his life had been before, even he had some knowledge of adventurers. He'd once dreamed of joining their ranks, after all.

"I know some," Bagwis said, his voice a little too casual. "Like the age requirement, registration fees, a trial quest... you know, the usual."

"True," Alab responded, his tone heavy with skepticism, "but that's not all. There's a basic skill assessment, and you need to be at least at novice rank. For someone like you who is planning to create a guild, the rank requirement is much much higher."

A cold silence followed.

"...."

"Don't tell me you didn't know that?" Alab said, his tone laced with suspicion.

Bagwis forced out a laugh—one that sounded more like a dying animal than the confident chuckle he was aiming for. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Of course I knew! I just...didn't think it was worth mentioning."

In truth, Bagwis had no idea. He could feel his stomach twisting in knots, and a creeping urge to rip his own hair out almost overtook him. This is bad. His power level was only at novice rank, and without his master's taught arts, there was no way he'd be able to advance his level.

And that wasn't even the most troublesome part—artifacts. He needed them to train for his masters arts, not just any artifacts— the more corrupted they are the better. The kind of artifacts that could only be found in dungeon towers or bought at auctions, both far out of reach for the current Bagwis.

Bagwis let out a mental sigh. Problem one: dungeons. He had no way to survive one right now, not without the proper strength. Problem two: auctions.

If he were any more broke, his debt would have debts. Bagwis shook his head. Not to mention his physical condition. Bagwis flexed his fingers and felt a twinge in his arm. My current body is so flimsy that even a stiff breeze could hurt me.

Despair began to creep in, but Bagwis wasn't one to give up. Think, Bagwis. Think. There had to be a way out of this mess. As the caravan continued on its path, they came upon a crossroads, where a wooden signpost creaked in the gentle breeze.

One arrow pointed toward Balintara, the City of Mana and Iron. The other pointed toward the looming, jagged peaks of the Ironclad Mountains.

Suddenly, it hit him. The Ironclad Mountains. In his past life, his master had spoken of getting lost there and stumbling upon a hidden cave—a cave dungeon.

It wasn't as grand as a full dungeon tower, but it still held treasures, and quite possibly artifacts. Bagwis distinctly remembered his master mentioning an artifact— a sundial he had found there. That's it!

Bagwis couldn't help but smile. What luck! No, this wasn't luck. This was all part of my brilliant plan. Yes, everything was going exactly as he had intended all along.

He would pass through the Ironclad Mountains, find that artifact, and boost his power level where he could handle the adventurer's trials. Everything was falling into place.

Alab shot him a sidelong glance, noticing how Bagwis' face had shifted through about five different emotions in the span of a few seconds. It was like watching someone go from utter despair to sudden enlightenment at lightning speed.

"What's going on inside that head of yours?" Alab asked, his tone flat.

Bagwis snapped back to reality, his face now the perfect mask of calm confidence. "Oh, nothing much. I just think we should take a slight detour."

Alab raised an eyebrow. "Detour?"

"To the Ironclad Mountains," Bagwis said, gesturing toward the rocky peaks in the distance and lied without batting an eye. "Back at the village I've heard whispers of a cave dungeon hidden there, full of artifacts and treasures."

Alab stared at him, his eyes narrowing. "You want to go into the mountains... and enter some rumored cave dungeon... without any proper experience or supplies?"

Bagwis grinned, his expression unreasonably carefree. "Well, I do have you, don't I?"

Alab shook his head in disbelief at the young mans ubfounded trust. "You're insane."

"Maybe," Bagwis admitted with a casual shrug.

As the caravan came to a stop at the crossroads, Bagwis hopped off without hesitation, his eyes set on the misty, foreboding mountains.

This wasn't just about making it to Balintara anymore. He needed that artifact. And he needed it now. If he didn't find something to boost his strength, everything would fall apart before it even began.

Alab followed after him, shaking his head. "You're not trying to get us killed, are you?"

Bagwis laughed lightly. "Trust me, we'll be fine."

They set off toward the mountains, Bagwis practically humming with excitement, while Alab walked behind him, hand resting on his sword hilt, blue flames occasionally flickering at his fingertips.

Despite himself, Alab couldn't shake the feeling that this was a terrible idea.

But Bagwis, ever the optimist walked with no such concern. Everything was going to plan. Or at least... it would go to plan. His eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and something darker. Yes, everything was falling perfectly into place.

And if it wasn't? Well, he'd simply improvise.