Aldoria: Am I a hero...or not?

{{Town – Guild House}}

Kael wandered through the lively streets until his eyes landed on a large, rugged building, its sign creaked in the wind.

[Ironclad Adventurer's Guild]

Curious, he stepped inside.

The moment he entered, the noisy hall fell silent.

Dozens of adventurers turned to look at him. Their gazes weren't welcoming, some were wary, others openly hostile.

"Isn't that the Valor brat?"

"What's he doing here?"

"A Tier -1 wants to be an adventurer? Hah! He won't last a day."

Kael ignored the whispers and walked straight to the front desk, where a woman in her mid-twenties greeted him. She had sharp brown eyes, short auburn hair, and a professional yet slightly amused expression.

"You lost, noble boy?" she asked, leaning on the counter.

Kael met her gaze. "I'd like to sign up."

The room filled with muffled laughter.

"Sign up? You?" someone sneered. "Just because your family owns this land doesn't mean you can survive out there."

Kael exhaled through his nose and looked back at the woman. "Can I or not?"

The woman smirked. "Of course you can." She placed a registration form on the counter. "Name?"

"Kael Valor."

The moment he said it, the murmurs grew louder.

"Valor? Heh, and the bastard son at that."

"Hope he doesn't die on his first quest."

Kael ignored them, filling out the form.

The woman, Ann, took the paper and pass it over. "Alright, you're now a Copper-ranked adventurer." She handed him a small bronze medallion. "Welcome to the Ironclad Adventurer's Guild."

Kael took it and nodded.

"Quest board's over there," Ann said, pointing to a wall covered in parchment. "But as a Copper-ranked adventurer, you can only take basic gathering requests."

Kael walked over and scanned the quests:

Goblin Hunt – (Silver rank and above)

Merchant Escort – (Iron rank and above)

Dungeon Investigation – (Gold rank and above)

Flower Gathering – (Copper rank)

Weed Removal – (Copper rank)

Kael frowned. "...Seriously?"

Ann chuckled. "Everyone starts somewhere."

Resisting the urge to sigh, Kael took the Weed Removal quest.

Ann stamped it. "Alright. Just don't wander into the forest while picking weeds, monsters roam there."

{{Grasslands – Afternoon}}

The sun hung high as Kael plucked weeds from the soft earth. It was dull work, but he reminded himself that this was only the beginning.

Rustle.

Kael stiffened.

The grass trembled. Then—

A blur of white fur lunged at him.

A rabbit? No. Its claws were long and sharp, and its teeth glistened with saliva.

A Razorfang Rabbit.

Kael barely had time to react. He grabbed a sturdy stick from the ground and swung.

The rabbit dodged.

It moved fast. Too fast.

Kael's heartbeat pounded as the creature pounced again. He blocked with the stick, but the impact sent pain jolting through his arms.

He gritted his teeth.

Adjusting his stance, he remembered the techniques the system had implanted into his mind. He sidestepped the next attack and brought the stick down hard.

Crack!

The rabbit twitched… then stilled.

Kael exhaled sharply, sweat dripping down his brow.

Then—

A scream.

His head snapped toward the forest.

Someone was in trouble.

His body trembled. Fear crept up his spine.

But…

He clenched his fists.

Ignoring Ann's warning, Kael sprinted into the forest.

{{Deep inside the forest}}

The scene before him made his stomach twist.

Four adventurers lay on the ground, injured. Their weapons were scattered. Deep claw marks marred the trees.

Kael hesitated. "What happened?"

One of the adventurers, a man with a wounded leg, gasped. "A… Shadowfang Bear… It attacked us out of nowhere…"

Kael's blood ran cold.

A Shadowfang Bear was a Rank D monster. Far above anything a Copper adventurer could handle.

But the bear was nowhere in sight.

Kael didn't waste time. He pulled one of the injured men onto his back and carried him toward the exit. Then he ran back for the next.

One by one, he dragged them out of the forest.

By the time he carried the last person, his legs burned, and his arms felt heavy.

But he wasn't done.

Ignoring the pain, he sprinted toward the guild.

{{Guild House}}

Kael burst through the doors, gasping. "Help! Injured adventurers in the forest– one's in critical condition!"

The room erupted into motion. Healers rushed past him. Guild staff followed.

Kael leaned against the wall, his vision swimming.

Minutes passed. Then…

Ann approached, her expression grim.

"One of them didn't make it."

Kael's stomach twisted.

His first quest. His first time as an adventurer. And already, he had witnessed death.

He clenched his fists.

A bitter resolve hardened in his chest.

Kael decided to go home, after a tiring day.

{{Training Grounds – Afternoon}}

Kael stepped into the training grounds, his body still sore from his first adventure. The clashing of wooden swords echoed across the yard.

His eyes landed on Kyle, locked in a sparring match with one of the knights. Kyle's movements were aggressive, but his footing was unstable, and his aura fluctuated wildly.

Ding!

[ Observing Target... ]

The system's voice rang in his mind.

[ Target's technique is inefficient. Aura control is unrefined. Movements lack precision. ]

Kael crossed his arms.

Kyle eventually landed a hit, knocking the knight back. With a smug grin, he turned, and spotted Kael watching. His smirk faded.

"Tch. What are you doing here, weakling? Gonna write about swordsmanship instead of actually learning it?"

Kael yawned. "Just watching you flail around. You sure you're ready for the academy?"

Kyle's expression darkened. "What did you say?"

Kael shrugged. "Nothing."

Kyle grit his teeth. "You!! How about you prove yourself, then? Spar with me."

The gathered knights murmured. A match between the two youngest Valor brothers? This was rare.

Kael sighed.

But then he glanced at Luke, his trainer. The knight met his gaze and gave a slight nod. Kyle's trainer did the same.

"Fine," Kael said, stepping forward. "Let's get this over with."

{{Training Grounds – Sparring Ring}}

The wooden swords were handed to them. Kyle smirked, already gripping his tightly.

"Try not to embarrass yourself, little brother."

Kael ignored him, rolling his shoulders. He could already see the flaws in Kyle's stance.

The moment the match began, Kyle lunged.

Kael sidestepped effortlessly.

Kyle swung again, too wide.

Kael ducked under the attack and jabbed the wooden sword against Kyle's ribs.

"Your stance is too open."

Kyle growled and attacked again, but Kael was faster. He struck Kyle's wrist, making him flinch.

"Too much strength in your grip. You'll tire out faster."

Kyle gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance, but Kael had already predicted his next move.

Strike—parry—counter.

Within moments, Kael disarmed Kyle, sending his wooden sword flying. He placed his own blade against Kyle's chest.

Silence.

The knights watching were stunned. Even Luke's jaw twitched slightly.

Kael exhaled, lowering his weapon. "You're sloppy, Kyle."

Kyle stared, still processing what just happened.

Kael turned away. "Unlike you, I've been doing actual work instead of just showing off."

And with that, he walked off toward the manor, leaving Kyle fuming.

From a balcony above, a shadowy figure watched with interest.

Their lips curled into a smirk.

"Interesting."