This scene would have been quite a shock to anyone from modern society.
As Suimei took in the scene before him and walked further in, a sound escaped his mouth, though whether it was a sigh or a gasp of surprise he wasn’t sure.
On the benches, a number of people were seated, awaiting their turn. Suimei followed their example, finding a seat at the tail end of the line.
As he took his seat, he noticed a woman by his side, and a rather stunning one at that.
Unconsciously, he sighed at her beautiful appearance.
She had brilliant crimson hair that flowed to the waist, a dignified face with two piercing vermilion eyes, and a calm demeanor that spoke of a noble upbringing. Her armor of predominantly white, dotted with flaming red, hid a soft and slender figure. At her waist, she wore a decidedly unlady-like longsword. Her posture was refined and yet sturdy as a rock. In all, she radiated calm poise. If he were to describe her, she was like a still blade.
Even with his meager ability in swordsmanship, he could tell that she showed no openings. Simply put, this was someone of ability. From her appearance, he judged that she was similar in age to himself, but the impression he got from her felt anything but.
Were he the more flighty type, then he’d already have hit on the girl by his side, but he kept his actions to a light sigh. Because of his line of work, someone as full of secrets as Suimei had never been in a relationship before. Conflicting thoughts crossed his mind. This has nothing to do with me, he thought, even as he remembered all the girls he was acquainted with, who all seemed to be troublesome individuals, but that wasn’t important right now.
As Suimei waited his turn in line, whiling away his time thinking about trivial matters, all of a sudden the girl spoke to him.
“—Excuse me, but can I ask if you’re a frequent visitor of the Twilight Pavilion?”
A surprisingly gentle voice.
Her tone had been neither hesitant nor rude, but was instead remarkably polite, which perfectly fit her image.
Taken aback by the fact that she would speak to him, Suimei almost reflexively replied in his normal manner. Struck by the feeling that that would be inappropriate, however, he answered her with the same polite manner with which she had spoken to him.
“Oh, no, not at all. To be honest, this is my first time here.”
“What a coincidence, this is also my first time coming. I’d been wondering if this was the right line for guild applicants.”
“I believe it is. If you look at those other windows, they seem to be for people accepting commissions.”
As he spoke, he pointed in the direction of the alcohol-serving area. More reception windows like the one before them could be seen there with a collection of guild staff.
“Are you an adventurer as well?”
“Yes. I’m a woman who can’t do anything else but fight. This seemed like the best place to come to earn a daily living.”
The girl lightly tapped her sword as she mocked herself in a lively voice. As expected, she was someone who depended on combat to make a living. Judging by her appearance, she was either a warrior or a knight, so this was natural.
The girl suddenly offered her name.
“My name is Lefille Grakis. If it’s not inconvenient, would you mind telling me your name as well?”
“Huh?”