The Adventure Guild buzzes with clattering mugs, damp cloaks, and overlapping boasts. Kazuma stands beside Aqua near the recruitment board, where every promising notice has already been torn away.
Aqua, a young adult woman with long blue hair and bright blue eyes, sweeps her ornate robes aside as she scans the crowded hall with theatrical confidence.
Aqua
Relax, Kazuma. Any adventurer would be honored to join a party led by a goddess.
At the counter, the guild receptionist, a middle-aged woman with warm brown skin, tightly coiled black hair, and a compact build beneath a mustard vest over a white blouse quietly removes a fresh request from the board before a knot of armored adventurers can reach it. A few candidates glance toward Aqua, then quickly look away.
Aqua
Why is everyone avoiding us? Surely they can sense my divine radiance.
A stocky young man with a scar across his nose approaches from the tables, carrying an empty tankard and wearing a battered leather cuirass. He pauses within earshot.
The Scarred Adventurer
If you're recruiting, I might listen. But first, tell me what kind of trouble your party attracts.
✓ Quest Accepted
Recruit an Arch Wizard and a Crusader
Director's note
There are a Arch Wizard name is Megumin and the Crusader name is Darkness nearby.
“Ignore the scarred adventure because he looks weak. I scan the guild hall for anyone who looks like an arch wizard or crusader.”
SUCCESS (Superb Perception, rolled -1)
Kazuma leaves the scarred adventurer unanswered and surveys the guild hall, tracking robes, armor, spellbooks, weapon belts, and the posture of practiced fighters.
Kazuma Sato
The scarred guy looks too weak to be useful.
Near a pillar, Megumin, a slight young crimson demon girl with crimson eyes, dark hair, and a broad-brimmed hat, poses beside an ornate staff.
Megumin
Ahem. That unmistakable aura belongs to the greatest arch wizard in this town.
Across the room, Darkness stands out in polished silver plate, a tall young adult woman with long blonde hair and a severe, knightly silhouette. Her shield rests against one greaved leg.
Darkness
If you seek a crusader, you have found one. I am prepared to defend this party from any danger.
The scan succeeds cleanly: the guild contains both an unmistakable arch wizard and a heavily armored crusader, while the scarred adventurer remains ignored behind Kazuma.
“I ask the receptionist about Megumin and Darkness”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled -1)
Kazuma Sato
I ask the receptionist about Megumin and Darkness.
The guild receptionist sets the request beneath the counter and follows Kazuma's glance. Megumin continues posing by the pillar while Darkness waits beside her shield.
Guild Receptionist
Megumin is an arch wizard. Her magic is extraordinary, but she can cast only one spell before becoming helpless.
Guild Receptionist
Darkness is a crusader with remarkable endurance and defense. Unfortunately, her accuracy with a weapon is notoriously poor.
A nearby table falls quiet as the descriptions carry across the hall. Megumin's crimson eyes narrow, while Darkness straightens proudly in her armor.
Megumin
The receptionist's crude summary omits the overwhelming majesty of my ultimate spell.
Darkness
And my defense has never failed those under my protection. My offensive shortcomings are a minor detail.
“I ask their conditions for joining Aqua's party”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled -2)
Kazuma Sato
What are your conditions for joining Aqua's party?
Kazuma's question cuts through the guild's murmurs. The cost is immediate: several nearby adventurers turn to listen, and Aqua's recruitment becomes public spectacle.
Megumin
My condition is simple. I will be permitted to unleash my greatest spell whenever I deem the moment worthy, without interference or complaint.
Darkness
I require no special payment. I ask only that the party allow me to stand at its front and shield everyone from danger.
Megumin lifts her staff like a royal standard. Darkness plants one armored boot beside her shield, and the surrounding tables listen more openly.
Megumin
Naturally, after casting, I must be carried or escorted until my magic returns. That limitation is a small price for overwhelming victory.
Darkness
And I will accept ordinary adventurer's pay, provided no one prevents me from fulfilling my defensive duty.
“I ask the receptionist for a private recruitment room”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +3)
Kazuma Sato
I ask the receptionist for a private recruitment room so we can discuss terms without the entire guild listening.
The receptionist studies Kazuma for a measured moment, then retrieves a brass key from beneath the counter. The nearby chatter dims as curiosity follows her gesture.
Guild Receptionist
Certainly. The guild has a small interview room available. It is warded against ordinary eavesdropping, and there is no charge for its use.
She unlocks a narrow oak door beside the records shelves. Inside wait a round table, four chairs, a candle, and a slate bearing the guild's standard party-contract terms.
Aqua
A private chamber? Excellent. At last, our recruitment may receive the solemn dignity befitting a goddess-led party.
Megumin
A secluded council chamber is appropriate for negotiating the conditions surrounding an arch wizard of unrivaled power.
Darkness
I shall ensure no danger reaches us while we discuss our future comradeship.
“"We will be fighting the Demon King are you willing to take that risk to your life?"”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled -2)
Kazuma Sato
We will be fighting the Demon King. Are you willing to risk your lives for that?
The question settles over the small room. The candle flame gutters as the ward absorbs the sudden silence, leaving a thread of smoke above the table.
Megumin
At last, a worthy destination for my greatest magic. I accept the risk, provided I am not restrained when the decisive moment arrives.
Darkness
I am willing. If the Demon King's forces threaten this realm, I shall place my life between them and those I defend.
Aqua
Naturally, I have no fear of the Demon King. As a goddess, I shall lead our glorious victory.
Their answers are clear enough to settle the question. The candle has burned itself out, and the room's only light now comes through the narrow gap beneath the door.
Megumin
Then record it properly, Kazuma. This is not a common adventurer's contract. It is the beginning of a legend.
“I formalize Megumin and Darkness's recruitment contracts”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Kazuma retrieves the guild party-contract slate from the table and carries it to the records shelves. The receptionist brings ink, a quill, and two fresh contract sheets.
He copies Megumin's arch wizard terms and Darkness's crusader conditions into the guild forms, adding their commitment to face the Demon King's forces.
Guild Receptionist
The terms are acceptable. Once witnessed and sealed, both women are officially registered members of Aqua's party.
Megumin signs with an elaborate flourish. Darkness presses her armored finger to the ink, then marks the document carefully while the ward hums around them.
Megumin
Let the guild record that my ultimate spell remains unrestricted when the decisive moment arrives.
Darkness
And let it record that I shall stand at the front, regardless of the danger.
The receptionist stamps both contracts with red wax and files them beneath the guild seal. A registration fee is deducted from the party account, leaving the ink-stained slate officially complete.
Return to the guild hall
Quest Complete
Recruit an Arch Wizard and a Crusader
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Superb→Legendary