Hera woke up a few hours later. She was feeling much better. Looking at her wounds, most of the cuts and nicks she had were closed, with just the deeper ones still bandaged. Her arms and legs were fine. She wasn't feeling any pain even when moving them around. Her ribs were still sore, and there was still a large purple spot on her side, but it was much smaller than when she arrived.

  She pushed herself up, trying to sit on the bed, groaning a bit as she moved. With the noise, Enrica opened the curtain.

  "Wow, what are you doing? You can't get up now."

  "Sorry, I was just trying to sit. What time is it? Actually, what day is it?" Hera asked.

  "You were sleeping for a good ten hours. Don't worry, it's a normal reaction to the treatment we gave you. Today Wednesday, and it's about 7:40 AM," Enrica talked as she helped Hera to adjust herself.

  "10 hours? Are you sure? I could have sworn that I left the test room in the middle of the afternoon," Hera said.

  "Pretty sure. I'm on call with Gérard today, and we have a 15-hour shift. We wouldn't mess up the time it will take before we can go home," the assistant laughed.

  Hera stayed a few more hours under observation. Gérard showed up and used a different potion to help her heal. This time she was supposed to drink it while he used his magic to clear out her bruises. By the time their shift had come to an end, Hera was discharged from the infirmary.

  She would still need to take a potion every day for a couple of weeks until her bones were healed, but she could leave. Hera was wearing a regular tracksuit from the Guild since her clothes were unusable.

  She walked toward the reception in front of the doorway and saw Carol. They exchanged greetings, and Hera completed the mission.

  "Great! Congratulations on finishing your first mission. Let me see here. You are all good. Completing the quest and getting a passing grade on the written exam, you are all set to be an Explorer. There are just two things we need to do. Some paperwork and the interview," Carol said.

  "What interview?" Hera asked.

  "Greyson didn't tell you?"

  Hera shook her head.

  "Fucking hell, ok. The interview is something that we use, so anyone interested in forming a party with you or any group that is interested in hiring can get a glimpse of who you are. Don't worry. It's nothing complicated. Just some general questions like, why did you become an Explorer, what are your strengths and values, stuff like that. Since your role is Explorer, let me call one to talk to you. That way, someone who knows what is expected of you can ask the right questions," the clerk explained.

  A few minutes later, Carol sent Hera to a small office on the second floor of the Guild. Apparently, the only Explorer available for the interview was the Guild Master's assistant. Hera stood in front of his office door, nervous about making someone so important waste time with her. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

  "Come in," a voice said from inside.

  "Excuse me," Hera said as she opened the door.

  Contrary to her expectations, the assistant was an older man. He had long black hair with gray stripes and a full beard that grew to a point reaching his chest. He was wearing a green dress shirt with a teal overcoat. Oddly enough, the man was using a quill to write while he was using a calculator with his right hand.

  "Please have a seat. I will be with you in a moment," the man said.

  Hera sat on the chair in front of him. He had a solemn voice, but it wasn't as imposing as his looks implied. The man worked fast. His fingers never stopped pressing buttons on the calculator, and the quill was moving continuously. Curious about what he was doing, Hera glanced over and saw a long spreadsheet filled with numbers. It looked like when her dad was checking his store's finances.

  "Ms. Kingsley," as the man spoke, Hera jolted in her chair, straightening her posture, "I apologize for making you wait. I wasn't expecting to perform an interview today."

  "No, I'm sorry. I had no idea I would cause so much trouble. If you are too busy, I can come back another time, Mr....." Hera froze. She had no idea what his name was.

  "Adam, and no mister, please. It makes me feel older than I already am."

  Hera nodded, trying to be polite to the man she was disturbing, but her eyes kept shifting to the quill. It was such an odd thing to see these days. And there were no ink bottles on the table. The quill itself was beautiful. It was a long white feather that curled at the end. It had such elegance to it that it seemed to be a relic from an old kingdom.

  "I see this piqued your interest. It was a gift from the Guild master. This quill never runs out of ink, well, to be more accurate, it turns mana into ink. Even after all these years, I'm still amazed by what our crafters can do," the man said while staring at the quill.

  "I know, right? Sometimes I feel like a kid, but there are so many amazing things that we can do because of magic and the maze. Even everyday stuff like the bracelets or the lamps on the street."

  "Sorry, I know we are not here for this," she said.

  "Don't worry. This is good for the interview. It is not simply about your qualifications, but also about what type of person you are. Now, let's begin."

  Adam asked her about the skills she had and how the test went, as well as her hopes and dreams for the future. Hera answered the questions one after another, even stating that she just wanted to explore and didn't have any bigger goals than that. At least, not right now. Adam asked about the role skills she wanted to learn, but Hera wasn't able to make up her mind. She wanted to learn five of them, but [Learn] [Blueprint] and [Assassinate] were the ones that interested her the most.

  "Why, Assassinate? You don't give me a very assassin feeling," Adam asked.

  "The test showed me how valuable it is to be able to sneak around unnoticed. I was not successful in doing so, but I was attacked by monsters who were good at it. I think that learning Assassinate will improve my knowledge of how to hide effectively, and if I know how to hide, i know what to search for to see if something is hiding around me," she explained.

  Adam sat back in his chair, placing two fingers in front of his lips as Hera talked.

  "By that logic, wouldn't Hunt be a better choice? Our best trackers are hunters," Adam said.

  "I imagine they are, but I was told that an Explorer can't get all the skills. If I have to prioritize, I will be better at hiding than finding hidden enemies. Besides, my relic has a proximity alarm of sorts. I think that will be enough for now."

  "Is not that an Explorer can't get all the skills. It is just hard to do so, and the results are not as great as one would expect. I know a couple of Explorers who have all the role skills, but they regret wasting so much time learning them all."

  Hera kept answering questions until Adam started asking about the people she met inside the test. The way he was phrasing the questions made it seem like he wanted to know about Peaches, but Hera was never entirely sure if it was that or if it was someone checking if the test is working as it should. After a few minutes of back and forth, Adam let out a sigh.

  "Just one moment if you will," he said as he picked a golden coin from his pocket.

  He typed something on his tablet and kept staring at the coin. After a few moments, he flipped the coin and looked at the result. Hera glanced at it and saw the image of a skull on the coin.

  "Very well, I guess I can miss another one if needed," Adam whispered, "Let me be blunt, Hera, did the guide gave you a skill?" he asked.

  Hera's eyes went wide. Did he really ask that? What if she didn't know? Why would he risk something like that for a recruit who didn't get his hints?

  "Considering I didn't freeze, I'm going to take that as a yes. Before you think I had someone spying on you, let me explain. My relic allows me to ask a question, and it will reply with a simple yes or no. It's not omnipotent, but it works most of the time," he explained.

  "Ok... I'm sorry for making you use the relic. I wasn't sure if your questions were about the skill or about how the test is working," Hera said.

  Adam made a surprise expression before chuckling a bit.

  "My apologies, I didn't expect you to think that. But I can't blame you either. Now, you do have the Local Guide skill, yes?"

  "Yes, I have it. Peaches gave it to me," Hera replied.

  "Peaches, I hope he is doing well. I will make a note of your interview with a code we use. If you need to confirm if an Explorer has this skill, ask them this. Have you found the viridescent malus sieversii? If they reply, it was atop of its rivulet obelisk under the solis. They have the skill. It's a mouthful, I know. But that way we can avoid any problems. Also, be careful, very few Explorers have that skill."

  Hera felt some of her worries go away. When she read the skill, she kept thinking about ways she could mess up the questions. Having a password of sorts made all those problems disappear.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Thank you very much, Adam."

  "I thank you. It's been almost a year since the last time I shared this code. In the future, I hope we can count on you to perform this interview with other recruits. For obvious reasons, we try to have Explorers with that skill doing these. I'm not asking you to lose your last chance, of course. But if you still have all three, would you be willing to help?"

  Hera thought for a moment. She was terrible at that. But it was the least she could do, even if it cost her one of her three chances.

  "I can try. I'm just not very good at this type of thing."

  "That is not a problem. We have a series of control questions. Although, as you proved now, sometimes they don't work. Now, your interview is over, and it is already in our system. The last thing you need is some paperwork. There is someone outside that will help you with that. You can go now, I apologize for the rush, but I still have many errands to deal with."

  Adam said, gesturing at the door. Hera thanked him again and left the office. Before even closing the door, someone hugged her.

  "Congratulations, sweetie! I knew you would pass the test on the first try." Helena smiled and let Hera go, pulling out her own tablet and starting to finish the paperwork. Adam eventually asked them to move to a somewhere else as they were standing in front of his door. The pair quickly left as there was a lot to go through, but eventually, they reached the end.

  "Okay, the last thing we need is... Oh, right. This is a bit grim, but in the event that you meet an unfortunate end. Who is the next of kin we should contact?" Helena asked.

  "I guess it would be my dad. Eridan Kingsley, he lives in Burtois," Hera said.

  "All done then. Do you have any questions?"

  Hera thought for a moment.

  "Yeah, a few. The healthcare plan you mentioned, it will last for how long?"

  "Three months, or until you go to the second layer of the MAZE. During that time, feel free to visit any Guild infirmaries to get healed or do a check-up. Although you can use only basic services from healers. If you want to go to the doctor, then you need to come outside. In that case, you can pay with your own money, and the healthcare will refund part of the expenses. Other plans can take care of everything, but it's better to think about it when you come back," Helena explained.

  Hera just nodded. It was like the healthcare she had in the bookstore. Since her paycheck wouldn't be consistent like it was before, she needed to earn money first, and then think about where to spend. She used her tablet to check her bank account. It would be tight, but she saved enough money to pay this month's rent.

  "Good thing I saved some gold," she mumbled.

  "Oh! That's right. You’re renting your place, right? Send this month's bill to the Guild. We will take care of that," Helena said.

  "The Guild is going to pay my rent?" Hera asked.

  "Yes, but you are going to have to pay us back. We know that new Explorers might be tight on gold when they are just starting. So we pay your rent so you won't have to pay the late fee. But we deduct that payment from your first few missions until you pay back the money you borrowed."

  "Can I pay part of the rent back right away? I could pay the rent myself, but it could help to have some gold on hand," Hera asked.

  "Of course you can, sweetie. I was about to suggest that. You might want to buy potions, gear, and even some rations in Brinefront. Since it's the first layer, the city has a pretty good variety of shops and the general price is not that different from things here," Helena said.

  "Do you recommend any specific store?" Hera took a sip of the water that she got. There was a vending machine in this break room.

  "I do, but we'll talk about that later. We still need to update your card."

  Hera gave her level card to Helena. The card would work as a sort of badge that she could use to prove she was an Explorer. Inside the MAZE, it was really helpful. She could get discounts in shops, accept quests from the Guild, and use it to enter and exit cities that had a more strict policy.

  Helena took the card and placed it inside a square case. A soft red light started to emanate from inside it. Helena took Hera's card from the case. The previous white plain frame turned to a shiny bronze, and the Guild's symbol was engraved on the back. Hera stared at it for a moment. It was a doorway with the doors open and the skyline of a city inside it. The design was simplistic but elegant. She picked the card and turned it to the other side. Her name was engraved, as well as her role. On the left side, her level was on display.

  This was her Explorer card. The one thing she dreamed about getting ever since she knew how to dream. Now, it was hers. She was an Explorer. And as long as she didn't become a criminal, no one could take it away from her.

  Helena gave the girl a moment. It was clear that this was a big thing for Hera. The attendant could understand why. She had heard the whole story during the last month. It seemed so mean. Hera wanted this her whole life, just for the Guild to reject her. It wasn't fair. The status rule could be there to protect people, but it turned the Guild into an elitist group. Still, there wasn't much the mage could do about it.

  "Hera, did Calvin explain why the cards are bronze?" Helena asked.

  Coming back of her moment, Hera replied.

  "Yeah, he said that it shows how good and strong of an Explorer you are."

  Helena rolled her eyes.

  "C'mon, Calvin. You are better than that,” Helena complained, “This means how much the can Guild trust you. As you complete missions and prove that we can trust in you, the Guild will start offering more important quests. When we trust you enough, you can change your card to a silver one and then gold. With that, you can get quests that are more rewarding but might require more finesse. For instance, a bronze mission might kill some monsters. A silver one might protect crops from a monster attack. A gold one would be escorting a caravan filled with medical supplies."

  Hera stared at Helena, "I'm not sure I understand why those are that different."

  "Killing a monster is not something urgent. We might need to control the population, or just some gather materials. It is not something vital if it fails or someone gives up the quest. When protecting crops, we need someone who wouldn't run away at first sight of danger. We need that food. It's not something that we can just ask anyone, and if they fail, we will have some problems but nothing unmanageable. Now, the medical supplies can be worth more than the mission reward itself. Imagine if there is a hospital in dire need of equipment, and we send someone who will steal the goods and sell them, wanting to make more money. That is why we have this rating. Sure, gold card holders usually are stronger, but that's because of the number of missions they completed."

  "Got it, so it's more like your clearance level," Hera said,

  "Yes, although we are not a spy agency."

  "Are you sure? We know things most people don't know. We have an underground lab, and most of our work is done away from public eyes," Hera replied with a playful smile.

  Helena stared at her friend for a moment.

  "Holy crap, are we spies? No... but we even have codenames... Are we spies?!" Helena gasped.

  "I guess we should start ordering martinis," Hera said.

  They both stared at each other for a moment and said at the same time, "Shaken, not stirred," before laughing.

  "All joking aside, there is one more tier of cards, the custom ones. If you are not only trusted by the guild but have a fantastic accomplishment, the guild might issue you a custom card. They will ask for your input and make something extraordinary. Undine had a flaming red card with a ring of fire around it. Sure, it was just an illusion, but it is so pretty. Today, most of the top explorers have one," Helena explained.

  "Do you have one?" Hera asked.

  "Not yet, maybe someday, although scholars tend to have more difficulty to get one."

  "Why is that?"

  "Well, it is harder for the guild to consider research something extraordinary. Most explorers who have the custom cards saved a town or stopped a landslide or something brainless like that. For researchers, they won't discuss the accomplishment unless you make something that will affect the world on a larger scale. My research, for instance, is not considered valuable, even though it would help all explorers become stronger."

  As Helena spoke, Hera could see she was bitter about the guild's decision. It was understandable. Very few scientists were given the acknowledgment they deserve. Almost no one could name the person who discovered antibiotics, but everyone knew at least one famous boxer.

  "Anyway, you are all set. But you need to wait until your graduation on the Sunday after the next before going inside the MAZE," Helena said.

  "We are graduating?"

  "Of course, sweetie. The guild loves its traditions. We have a small ceremony celebrating your success and the final registration in front of the doorway. Then a small gathering with a few scouts for the groups and companies to meet you all. It's just a way to introduce you all to the rest of the explorer world. I promise you it is not as dull as it sounds, and there will be free food."

  Hera smiled, "Ok. Since there is going to be food, I'll go."

  "Great! Even if you didn't have a choice in the matter. Now, the ceremony starts at 4 PM. If you get here around 10 in the morning, we will have more than enough time."

  "Time for what?" Hera asked.

  "For my gift to you, silly. You don't expect me to let such a big moment pass without giving you something to celebrate, right?" Helena said with a big smile.

  Hera tried to refuse any gifts, but the attendant was adamant. With the paperwork done, the former recruit went home. Stopping at a diner on the way home, Hera ordered some takeout. She wasn't in the mood to cook or to eat out.

  She wanted to rest, but first, she needed to talk to her dad. Sending a text to both him and her grandma, she also attached a picture of her brand new card. Before waiting for their reply, Hera went to the bathroom to take a well-deserved shower.

  Deciding to pamper herself today. She washed her hair and used the papaya conditioner that Alex had recommended earlier that month. She was in the middle of a bath when her phone rang. Quickly washing the soap from her eyes, Hera wrapped herself in a towel and saw the caller ID.

  "Hey, Dad! I did it!" she said, picking up the phone.

  "Did it? Did what, young lady? Spent an absurd amount of money that could have helped your father's business on a pipe dream? What were you thinking? How did you get enough money for a level up? Do you think you will ever work enough to make that money back?"

  Hera's mood changed the second her mother's voice came out of the speaker.

  "It was a prize. I didn’t pay for the level up. And I'm an explorer, Mom. And I'll make more money," she replied.

  "What? You are going inside the MAZE? Stop daydreaming. That little card might say you are an explorer, but we both know that you are too scared to be doing something like this. I bet that if anything doesn't go your way, you will be home crying just like on your 18th birthday."

  "Stella!" Eridan's voice rang in the background.

  Hera was clenching her fist. The only reason she cried so much that day was that her mother was the first one to start teasing her about her stats. She heard her parents arguing about something before her dad picked the phone.

  "Hey, Goldilocks. Ignore what your mother just said. I'm really proud of you even if I'm terrified of you getting hurt."

  "Thanks, grumpy bear," she said as she loosened the grip on her hand.

  "Listen, I'm going to try to calm your mother. You can ignore what she said. I know you will do great. You are the strongest person that I know. And promise me that you will call me before going on any adventures, ok?"

  "Ok, I will. Thanks," Hera said, being cut off in the middle of the sentence as her dad turned off the phone.

  Hera kept staring at the screen. This was how it always went. Eridan always acted like her mom was the one suffering. What about her? She was the one always hearing mean things being said about her. Stella was even the one who told her entire school that she was rejected from the guild.

  Feeling the soap drip near her eyes, Hera went back to the shower. Tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

  "It's just the soap," she told herself.

  After leaving the shower, her grandma had replied to the text, asking Hera to call her. She did it right away. Unlike her parents, Grandma Triss was really excited. She always loved adventures. Hearing her granddaughter tell the tales of her exploits was more interesting than any movie. Hera told everything about the test, from the skeletons to the giant slime she fought. Those were all things she could talk about according to the documents Helena made her sign.

  She was about to talk about Peaches when she realized that it could count as her breaking the rules. Apologizing to her grandma, she said there were a few things she couldn’t talk about. By the end of it, they had spent two hours talking.

  Looking at her texts, she noticed that Bonnie had left her test as well. The girl was now a researcher. During the next few days, Hera decided to be on holiday. She talked to her friends, went out for a few drinks, and stayed home watching TV and reading. It was good that it would take about 10 days before she could go to the MAZE. That should be enough time for her bones to heal thanks to the potion she was going to drink daily.

  Even so, she couldn't wait for her graduation.

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