The three days of travel to Lucria were rather uneventful, as expected. Ney found many good uses for the focus his mother had given him, and was pushed away by Velia more than usual due to their forced proximity. Aside from that, the group had plenty of food and water, were comfortable despite sleeping outside, and even welcomed a rapid cooling of the temperature on their second day.

They reached the outskirts of the city as the sun kissed the horizon on their third day of travel. Lucria bathed in a beautiful orange glow that highlighted the tall castle and cathedral found inside its walls. A patrolled stone road led to the main gate, where a few guards were busy checking a merchant's carriage for contraband. In the distance, past the city itself, Ney could see the outlines of a forest, as well as the hills that rolled towards a mountain range. He couldn't help but wonder how many dungeons were waiting for them within those untamed lands.

The teacher let her students take the sights in, but urged them forward after a few moments:

"We need to get passed the gate before nightfall, so better get moving."

The rest of the group didn't resist. While sleeping on the side of the road hadn't been a particularly negative experience for any of them, they nonetheless all craved the comfort of a warm bath and proper bed.

After a short wait near the gate, they went through a very brief inspection, the guards quickly realizing that this was just another group of fresh-faced would-be adventurers and not any kind of criminal operation. Despite this, by the time the students entered the city, the sky had darkened significantly. Tall lamps lined the streets, casting a soft orange glow downward and creating a nighttime atmosphere completely different from what they were used to in Fibela. Thanks to the artificial light, many people were still outside, walking along the well-maintained stone paths or sitting on benches near small patches of grass.

As the group walked towards the local branch of the adventurer's guild, their teacher explained:

"This city is a hotspot for adventurers, so the local lords have been taxing the commissions picked up here for several generations, on top of the trade of monster parts. You'll only be giving up a small amount from each transaction you complete here, but there's enough of us for the city to get plenty of money this way. Most of it goes towards keeping the place clean and comfortable to live in."

Velia thought about it for a moment before asking:

"But I hear the guild also keeps some of the money we make. Isn't it unfair to then be taxed on top of it?"

"It will seem that way, especially at first, but remember that you'll be living here too. The taxes you pay to help maintain the city's public infrastructure end up benefiting you too in the end, and the money the guild keeps from your rewards ensures their continued activity. It's better to let some of it go towards a place to live and a place to work than to try to isolate yourself for the sake of greater perceived rewards."

Another student stepped forward, a boy with black, shoulder-length hair kept neat and tidy, just like the rest of his travel outfit. His name was Borteni, one of the richer kids in the group. His father was an adventurer, so he benefited from advance knowledge about his own future job, allowing him to chime in:

"If you don't like the way the guild handles transactions, there are no laws forbidding you from entering dungeons without picking up any requests, and to attempt to sell whatever monster parts you come across entirely by yourself, without their help. You can't avoid local taxes on those transactions, but you can also try your luck in places where those taxes are lower or nonexistent."

Velia let out a sigh and waved her hand in dismissal.

"Fine, fine, I get it. I'll pay my taxes."

That got the rest of the group to smile, lessening the tension they felt from being in Lucria for the first time.

The closer the group got to the guild, the more adventurers they came across. While many were similar to them, wearing basic gear and carrying mass-produced weapons, some had truly impressive pieces of equipment. A very tall man wearing a pitch-black armor that covered his entire body, eyes included; a sorceress in a multi-layered robe in various shades of blue and decorated with constellations; A person with beast ears on their head running across the rooftops; a dwarf in a suit of armor with glowing magma visible at the seams... Ney felt like, no matter where he looked, there was something new and interesting waiting to grab his attention.

This was also the first time he saw so many non-humans in the same place. While Fibela occasionally received the visit of an elven or dwarven traveling merchant, they remained a rare sight. Here, they were everywhere. He also noticed a few individuals who seemed to be from more exotic people he hadn't heard about yet. He tried not to stare too much, figuring that he would have all the time in the world to learn more about the various races populating this world after becoming an adventurer.

Taking a short break from looking around to take a quick glance at Velia, Ney was happy to see that she had shed her usual serious expression to adopt one of wonder at all of these new sights instead. It was a relief that even someone as cold as her melted a bit upon seeing a city like Lucria.

After a few more turns, the group finally caught sight of a tall building decorated with the crest of the adventurer's guild, a compass containing a sword, a bow, and a staff placed over the shape of a shield. As they approached, the teacher explained:

"It's too late now to go through the registration process, but I'll get you bedrooms for tonight. However, keep in mind that the guild's building isn't meant to become your permanent residence. They'll offer accommodations for a time, and the branches in other cities will be more than happy to grant you hospitality while you travel, but make sure to get yourselves proper homes as soon as you can afford them."

The students nodded in acknowledgement as they reached the imposing building. Their teacher attached the horse to a nearby pole, then pushed the double doors open.

The first floor of the building looked a lot like a restaurant, with wooden tables surrounded by chairs filling the place up. Several adventurers were eating and drinking, talking about their latest dungeon run or planning their next one. People of all races, all classes, and all levels mixed here, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, which further helped by the large fireplace at the center of the floor. To the group's left were a few empty desks, normally manned by the administrative employees, while a counter at the back separated the dining room from the kitchen. The stairway to the upper floors could be found on the right, leading to a balcony overlooking the rest of the room. The smell of meat and sweet gravy assaulted the nostrils of the travelers, who had yet to have dinner.

Seeing her students almost drooling, the teacher said:

"Wait for just a moment, I'll get you rooms and meals in no time."

Without wasting a second, she dashed up the stairs and disappeared from view. While they waited, Velia commented:

"I expected a place full of unruly adventurers to look... well, less organized. This place is truly impressive."

Borteni stepped forward and took a look around before responding:

"Don't be fooled. This place looks great because it's frequented by a ton of adventurers, and is a very common first destination for new adventurers. My dad warned me that, in some of the more remote cities, you're better off pretending the branch isn't there at all. Even the registered adventurers in those places rarely do much to differentiate themselves from common thugs."

"Harsh, but your dad would be the one who knows best about that stuff. I'll see for myself once I have the displeasure of traveling there."

A third student, a red-haired glasses-wearing boy named Perifen, joined in:

"By the time we get there, we'll be strong enough to handle whatever comes our way. So let's focus on what's in front of us and all grow stronger, yeah?"

Nobody disagreed, but this still got Ney thinking. What were the reasons that led to more remote branches being so disreputable? Didn't the guild's central authority enforce some minimal standards for its branches and adventurers? Another mystery to solve in due time.

The group didn't have to wait much longer. Before a new conversation could start, a woman jumped down from the balcony, landing directly in front of them.

"Ah, you must be Jell's students, the kids from Fibela, yeah?"

She was wearing a tight-fitting suit under a black hooded cloak, as well as a mask covering her mouth and nose. Her once-blonde short hair had been invaded by grey, allowing Ney to estimate that she was around his teacher's age. Despite her shady looks, her eyes and voice were warm and friendly.

Before anyone had time to respond, a voice was heard from the stairs:

"I asked you to not just run off and jump like that! You know I can't keep up with you when you pull that shit!"

The students were amused by their teacher's swearing, something she was careful to avoid during classes. None of them had ever managed to be annoying enough to get any colorful language out of her, but this mysterious stranger had effortlessly pulled it off.

The woman turned towards Jell and said:

"Not my fault you rejected all my offers to show you how to do it. Imagine, being able to run across the rooftops under the moonlight, just the two of us... going through all of the city's sightseeing spots in a single night... wouldn't it be the most romantic of dates?"

The teacher finally caught up, shaking her head as she responded:

"As romantic as that sounds, you know I just don't have the stats to pull it off."

As she got closer, her voice turned into a whisper as she added:

"So let's find something else to do while I'm here, okay?"

The students looked at each other in confusion. As far as they knew, their teacher was a single woman who only really cared about her job, none of them had ever imagined her in a relationship. Velia, who looked red enough to be steaming, finally tried asking:

"Are you...?"

Jell, reminded of why she was there in the first place, snapped out of it and responded:

"Ah! Right, sorry. Everyone, this is Cariene, the guildmaster of this branch, and also... my wife..."

Her last words were barely more than a whisper, but astonishment still spread through the group who had heard her just fine. Cariene, amused by the reaction, told her wife:

"What, you didn't tell them about me? I'm sure they'd have been happy to know you're actually fully capable of love."

"Please, stop. I like to keep my personal and work lives separate, thank you very much. I don't need my students to know I'm married to a guildmaster."

"Awww, you're no fun."

With this, Cariene pulled down her mask, revealing the face underneath, and turned towards the students to say:

"Anyway, welcome to the Lucria Adventurers Guild! I'll personally ensure that you have a place to stay tonight, and I'll guide you all through the registration process tomorrow. For now though, follow me, we'll get some warm food in your bellies."

A wave of relief washed over the whole group, who were getting hungrier by the second. As they all walked towards the counter at the back of the room, Velia asked:

"How much is a meal here?"

Cariene took a moment to think before answering:

"Normally, you can get a full meal for ten to fifteen coins, depending on food supplies. We occasionally serve more expensive meals, but as long as you do good work, everything will stay well within your budget. For today, however... It's on me! Just grab whatever you want on the menu."

Velia was surprised by the answer.

"Why be so generous towards us? We just met."

"Anything for my precious Jell's precious students! Don't expect this to become a habit though."

The food wasn't quite as good as what Ney was used to from his mom, but it nonetheless filled him up just fine. After eating, the guildmaster guided him to a very small room on the second floor, barely large enough to contain a single bed.

"Here's where you'll be staying for now. I made sure you could all get private rooms for your first time here, but as you can see, they're quite cramped. You can put your things under the bed though, so it should be just fine to get you started."

Ney walked in and looked around, but there wasn't anything more to it. A window, a bed, and barely enough space to walk around said bed. As he pushed his bag under it, Cariene added:

"It's not inside of this building, but you can find a public bathhouse just next door if you want to get all that dust and grime off before you sleep. Bathroom's at the end of the corridor here, you can also wash your clothes in the room right next to it. I think that covers everything for now, so I'll go take care of your classmates. Have a good sleep!"

She left without making any sound, making Ney wonder for a split second if she had ever been there at all. He shook his head, grabbed a change of clothes from his bag, and headed downstairs to the public bath.

After washing up, he got back to his room and fell asleep almost immediately. He was in a new city, and on the eve of a completely new life, but getting there had tired him too much for any of that to matter at the moment. He would wait for tomorrow before worrying about any of it.