Paths of Creation

Akasha entered the guild, ignoring the people who watched them come in. Yara followed behind, somewhat intimidated by the number of adventurers looking at her.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Yara asked Akasha as they walked toward the reception desk.

Akasha hummed while responding. "They think we'll die as soon as we enter the dungeon," he said as he stopped in front of a half-elf receptionist.

"Good afternoon, miss. My friend and I would like to register," Akasha said to the receptionist. At first glance, she seemed strict and took her job very seriously.

The receptionist looked at Akasha and Yara evaluatively, and soon her face turned annoyed as she placed her hands on her desk.

"You want to become adventurers? Is that why you're here, to die? Do you even know you'll die as soon as you enter that place? It's obvious you've never held a weapon in your life!" the receptionist said, her voice rising with each word, almost shouting by the end.

Akasha looked at her without saying a word. 'Losses, such an attitude is only from someone who has seen many people die,' Akasha thought. But even then, he didn't like the tone she used.

With a wave of his hand, several silver chains appeared in the air and wrapped around the receptionist, preventing her from moving, and another chain wrapped around her mouth.

Everyone in the lobby was stunned to see the chains appear out of nowhere, but Akasha's voice snapped them out of their stupor.

"I understand your thoughts. Watching the people you work hard to care for not return at the end of the day, seeing how every effort you make isn't enough to save them from death," Akasha's voice was strangely serene, showing empathy, something rare for him.

The receptionist opened her eyes but couldn't say anything because of the chain binding her. She listened as Akasha continued speaking, his eyes turning red.

"But it's not your fault. Everyone has a destiny. From the moment they're born to the moment they die, everything is written. That they died at that moment was their destiny, and blaming yourself won't change anything," Akasha said, shaking his head.

"You should try to change the destiny of those who come to you after them. Even if you fail, try again and again. One day, you'll find someone who, thanks to your help, will survive, who thanks to you will escape the embrace of death," Akasha finished speaking, leaving everyone speechless.

Even Yara looked at him in awe at his words. But Akasha ignored them all, and the chains binding the receptionist retreated before disappearing, causing the receptionist to stagger before regaining her balance.

Tears streamed down her face, but the receptionist ignored them as she looked at Akasha. Her eyes showed complicated emotions; she didn't know how Akasha had seen through her.

"Please... follow me to a private room to register you," the receptionist said softly, a sad smile on her face. Akasha nodded without saying a word, and Yara did the same.

Soon they arrived at the room. The receptionist's expression was better than before after washing her face. She sat down across from Akasha and Yara.

"I would like to apologize. Today... the adventurer I was advising died, and I didn't react in the best way," she said before introducing herself. "I'm Eina Tulle, a guild receptionist, and I hope to give you good advice."

Akasha nodded with a smile on his face. "Don't worry. I hope we can get along well," he said, gesturing to Yara.

Yara caught on and nodded as well. "Don't worry, Miss Tulle. I hope we can get along," she said with a silly smile.

Eina sighed in relief and placed several papers on the table. "Alright, let's begin the registration."

---

They spent almost two hours registering and left the guild late at night. They exited the guild with Yara by Akasha's side, while Eina spoke with him about things Yara didn't understand.

"Remember to find a familia to join, Akasha, Yara. Then come back so we can allow you to enter the dungeon," Eina said with a smile as she bid them farewell.

Akasha nodded in agreement as he walked away with Yara. As they walked through the streets, they noticed they were more crowded.

"The streets are more crowded; it must be because of the adventurers coming out of the dungeon," Yara said while examining the adventurers' swords, finding most of them boring.

Akasha glanced at her. "What, don't you like them?" he asked as they walked.

Yara nodded, disappointed. "Most are just normal weapons; some are good but nothing outstanding. I thought I'd see something better in the famous city of Orario," she said, and then her stomach growled, making Akasha look at her with amusement.

Yara blushed and looked away. "What are you laughing at, huh? I haven't eaten anything all day; I'm hungry," she said with a childish pout.

Akasha smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's find a place to eat."

Yara nodded like a chick pecking at rice, her eyes sparkling with stars.

---

Half an hour later, they found a tavern with the name "Hostess of Fertility" on its sign.

"Interesting name," Akasha commented as he looked at the sign. Yara beside him was equally intrigued, blushing at the word "fertility."

Just as he was thinking about finding another tavern to eat at, a half-human girl in a waitress outfit opened the doors with a smile.

The girl had chestnut hair, brown eyes, cat ears, and a tail of the same color, along with a green and white waitress dress. She was a pretty young woman.

"Hello! Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility, I'm Anya Fromel, nya! Please, come in and sit at a table, come, come!" Before Akasha and Yara could say anything, she dragged them into the tavern.

Upon entering, they noticed it was packed, and many eyes turned to them, something Akasha ignored while Yara hid behind his back. They quickly sat at a table, and Anya brought the menu.

"Here's the menu, tell me what you'll have, nya!" Anya said.

Akasha looked over the menu and finally ordered fried fish with rice and salad, accompanied by a glass of beer.

"And you, Yara, what will you have?" Akasha asked, seeing her indecisive.

Yara stayed silent for a moment and looked at Anya with a smile. "I'll have the same as Akasha, including the beer."

Anya nodded and was about to leave when Akasha stopped her. "The food is fine, but change the beer to juice."

"Hey! That's not fair. You ordered beer; why can't I?!" Yara shouted indignantly while Akasha ignored her and gestured for Anya to leave.

"You're in your growth phase; drinking alcohol will stunt your growth," Akasha said with a smile. Mentioning her height only made her angrier.

"You... that's a low blow! I know I'll grow; I still have time. You're so insensitive, hmph!" she huffed while a laugh escaped her lips.

A small smile appeared on Akasha's lips as he looked around the tavern. 'It's definitely famous,' he thought, seeing the place so crowded.

Minutes later, Anya returned with a glass of juice and one of beer. "Your food is being prepared; in the meantime, have some house beer, nya!" she said as she placed the beers on the table.

Akasha saw that she wanted to ask something, so he spoke. "Do you have something to say, Anya?" he asked.

"Where are you from? I can tell by your clothes, at least yours, that you're not ordinary people. Why did you come to Orario? Nya!" she asked, looking at them with curiosity.

"I come from a faraway place, and my companion isn't from here either. We came to Orario to become adventurers," Akasha explained as he took a sip of beer. 'Not bad,' he thought.

After hearing that, Anya stopped asking questions. "I see, but you must be careful in the dungeon. Many people don't come back, and I like you, nya!"

Akasha tilted his head, somewhat curious. "We've just met; how can you like us, Anya?" he asked, his voice betraying confusion.

Anya didn't even think about her answer. "Instinct, nya!"

"Now I'll go before Mama Mia scolds me, nya! Enjoy your meal," she said as she left, and a young woman with silver hair and the same waitress uniform brought their food.

After placing their plates on the table, she looked at Yara with a smile for a few moments before turning to Akasha and freezing in astonishment.

Akasha raised an eyebrow at the waitress's action but said nothing as he nodded. "Thank you for bringing our food," he said in his indifferent tone.

The waitress reacted and stepped back reflexively before composing herself and bowing. "I apologize, it's... it's just that I've never seen such a beautiful man before," she said, blushing deeply.

Akasha just looked at her with some amusement in his eyes and shook his head. "It's fine; it happens often," Akasha said serenely.

The waitress sighed in relief and nodded. "My name is Syr, Syr Flova. It's a pleasure to serve you, hehe," the waitress, Syr, introduced herself.

Yara lifted her face from her plate of food and smiled innocently. "Likewise, Miss Syr. I'm Yara," Yara said before leaning in and whispering. "Your food is really good; I'll come back more often with Akasha."

Syr smiled and nodded several times. "Of course, I'd love for you to come back. It would also help with my salary," she said, laughing softly.

Akasha nodded in agreement after tasting the food and taking a sip of his beer. "The food has satisfied me; we'll come back every day to eat here. How does that sound, Yara?" Akasha asked Yara, who had already finished her meal.

Yara nodded with a smile, and the waitress Syr smiled as she watched.