Unleash the Chuunibyou!

Chapter 12: Adventurers Guild

Being a rather square building in shape, Algus's branch of the Adventurers Guild had what appeared to be an office that had an attached tavern and living quarters added onto it. And while most of the building was dominated by a drinking area with doors leading to separate rooms clearly visible on the second level seeing as the entry room was opened up and combined the majority of both floors while making it seem as if the building just had a high ceiling, there was still enough space by the front doors for a pair of bulletin boards with the space on the far wall from them holding a pair of desks where two receptionists were waiting to help anyone that needed it. Though, one of those receptionists was currently occupied and even the drinking area was completely silent despite it being full as everyone watched the scene that was happening before them.

"Ku ku ku. I am she who has fallen into the icy abyss and returned stronger. I am Kagome Fumiko, Master of Magic and Seeker of Hope!" Fumiko announced, causing the entire room to go quiet as Hani buried her face in her hands beside her. However, while she'd expected some kind of reaction, she hadn't been expecting the entire building to suddenly erupt in laughter as all of the adventurers that weren't on a quest that had gathered there laughed at her. And even the receptionist that had asked for her name seemed to be uncomfortable before she coughed in her hand and adopted the same smile that she'd had before in a practiced fashion.

"Watch out everyone, the 'Seeker of Hope' is here to become an adventurer!" A loud man from somewhere nearby teased.

"Master of Magic? You may as well be the Master of Toenail Clippings for what good that'll do you against a monster!" Another added and the laughter in the room doubled from the man's joke.

"Fu, let's just get out of here. These people don't deserve you." Hani suddenly became angry as she grabbed the small girl's shoulder. However, Fumiko refused to back down now even in the face of such ridicule. After all, this was nothing that she hadn't been through before.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but you must be at least ten-years-old to be an adventurer." The receptionist, a woman in a white and brown dress while sporting her red hair in a bun at the back of her head, finally responded after the room had quieted some.

"But I am ten-years-old! Don't you have any way to test that I'm telling the truth?!" Fumiko asked while appearing desperate.

"I'm sorry, but I can already tell just from looking at you-"

"There isn't?" Fumiko forced her eyes to start watering as she looked up at the receptionist, who appeared to have been struck by some kind of invisible lightning bolt as the woman recoiled.

"W-well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to allow you to at least try to prove yourself. But just the scan will cost you one silver coin." The woman bashfully replied while adjusting her glasses.

"A silver coin? Just for a scan that you're making her take?!" Hani asked in shock. "That's outrageous!"

"If she's proven correct, then I'll personally refund the coin." A large old man in a tattered muscle shirt suddenly casted his shadow over them as the nearly two-meter-tall giant set his stern gaze on Fumiko.

"Thank you! I promise that I'm not lying, and I'll do my very best as an adventurer!" Fumiko now acted confident with her earlier watery eyes seeming to disappear almost instantly.

"Why let her waste her money, old man?" One of the other adventurers asked. "She's probably not even seven!"

"Rude! I really am ten, I'm just... I'm just small for my age!" Fumiko complained as she turned towards the man, though she soon had to turn towards the desk again as the receptionist returned while holding a small purple orb. And as she returned, Fumiko dug into her satchel and eventually placed a single silver coin on the counter before the receptionist placed the orb close enough to the counter's edge so that even Fumiko could touch it seeing as she was short enough that she couldn't even see what was on the counter.

"Just reach out and touch the orb, and afterwards, it will give us all of the information that we need to register you as an adventurer. Should your age pass, that is." The receptionist instructed before Fumiko reached out and did as she was told. And immediately after touching the orb which surface felt like glass, it shined for a split second before the receptionist withdrew it and did something that Fumiko couldn't see due to the infernal counter. Though as the woman held a small card up to the light, her eyes widened slightly before she turned towards Fumiko and bowed deeply.

"I am so sorry that I didn't believe you! You're age has been cleared and you're free to apply to the guild if you still want to!" The receptionist apologized while the old man smirked slightly before walking away.

"No way, she's really ten?!" One of the adventurers asked.

"Oy, old man! You're not really going to let her join, are you?!" Another complained.

"Yeah, I am. She's of proper age and I'm not going to stop her if she wants to join." The old man that had helped before suddenly stopped and turned a glare towards them. "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

"But... she's so small..." Another stated in what almost sounded like worry before the old man grunted to himself and turned towards Fumiko. "Hey girl, can you fight at all?"

"I am a Master of Magic, a witch capable of seeing through the ethereal light who has crossed the line between dimensions countless-"

"Can you fight for not?" The old man squinted his eyes as he interrupted her.

"Yes, I can fight." Fumiko pouted as he hadn't let her finish her line.

"Good, then why don't we give you a little test to see if you can defend yourself." The old man asked.

"I'll test her!" One of the adventurers that had called out before volunteered, making Fumiko slightly irked as they really didn't want her to become an adventurer for some reason.

"Good, then both of you move out back." The old man replied before turning to Fumiko. "Follow me."

"Fu, are you sure that you're going to be alright?" Hani asked in concern as the man that she was supposed to fight against was a giant. Not as giant as the old man, but still taller than even Hani as he smirked towards her. Though right as she was having evil thoughts about what she would do to the man in order to get them all to shut up, Fumiko suddenly heard a whisper behind her until she turned her head to see that it was the receptionist.

"Listen... Fumiko, right?" The woman asked. "I'm not sure how good at combat you are, but please don't blame the men here too much. You see, being an adventurer is a dangerous job and they often do this to try and frighten away anyone that they think looks too weak from doing it so that they dont get themselves killed."

"So it's like that..." Hani stated thoughtfully.

"So they were just worried about me..." Fumiko smiled as she spoke to herself before that smile turned upside down as she gave a look of absolute determination. "However, they insulted my title as a Master of Magic, and thus they must be punished."

"Fu... Please don't go overboard and use what you did on that tree, alright?" Hani suddenly became worried for an entirely different reason.

"Ku ku ku. By the time I'm done with him, he's going to wish that he'd been that tree." Fumiko replied with an evil smirk.

"Okay, but hand over Buru first." Hani suddenly became serious herself.

"Huh? Why Buru?" Fumiko asked.

"Because I'm not going to let you run him over like you did those sabre cats." Hani replied.

"Wait, those things were sabre cats? They looked nothing like cats though!" Fumiko replied.

"Buru." Hani persisted, and seeing as they'd already walked through the back door and were heading towards some kind of roped-off sparring ring, Fumiko reluctantly handed her transport over as she was guessing that her 'friend' wouldn't allow her to continue with it on. "Fine. But if I find it in another river, then what's about to happen to this guy will be the least of your worries. Ya' got me?"