Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Engagement Is Set, and Kaya’s Warning
“Fina, come with me.”
Ryan brought Fina to his room.
The moment Fina saw Ryan leading her inside, her cheeks immediately flushed red.
But she did not say anything.
Her heart already belonged to Ryan. No matter what he wanted to do to her, she was willing to accept it.
Ryan did not notice her expression.
“Fina, do you remember that before we fought the Beastfolk, I said there was something I wanted to tell you?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Good.”
Ryan went to the table, took out an exquisite box from underneath it, and then walked back over to Fina.
He held the box out to her and said softly, “Fina, open it.”
Seeing how solemn he was being, Fina opened the wooden box with a puzzled look.
The instant it opened, an icy blue radiance shone through the room.
“Wah!”
Fina let out a cry of surprise when she saw what was inside.
Inside the wooden box was the ring Ryan had asked Mark to buy for him.
In this world, giving a ring to someone of the opposite sex carried the meaning of a proposal.
If the other person accepted it, it meant a betrothal had been formed between them.
At that moment, Fina was overwhelmed with joy when she saw Ryan take out the ring.
She had never imagined that Ryan had prepared so much for her.
“Ryan, this is...?”
“This is the ring I asked Mr. Mark to buy for me before. The Magic Crystal set in it is ice-attribute, so it suits you very well. I want to give it to you.”
“Fina, will you marry me?”
“Wuu... mm... mm...”
Fina’s eyes reddened with tears as she nodded again and again.
Ryan reached out, took her hand, and slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.
“Now that our betrothal has been made, even if you go to the Mage Academy, the bond between us will not be broken. Let this ring stay by your side in my place.”
“Ryan, I love you!”
Fina was so moved that words failed her, and she threw herself into his arms in excitement.
Ryan and Fina gazed into each other’s eyes, and the distance between them drew closer and closer.
At last, the two lovers who cherished each other shared their first kiss.
“Ahem... Ahem...”
Just then, a coughing sound came from nearby.
“Ah!!”
Like a startled bird, Fina hurriedly shoved Ryan away and ran back to her own room.
Ryan could only smile helplessly at the sudden interruption.
He had forgotten.
This was still the boys’ dormitory.
He was not the only one resting here. There were many other children staying here as well.
Even if he wanted to do something, he still had to be mindful of the setting.
Ryan shook his head and prepared to wash up and go to sleep.
A great deal had happened today, and he was already utterly exhausted.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Ryan and Fina went together to Kaya’s office.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Come in.”
Ryan and Fina entered the office hand in hand.
“Ryan, Fina, you’re here. Did you rest well last night?”
“Aunt Kaya, we slept very well.”
“Hm? You two are...?”
Only then did Kaya notice that Ryan and Fina had walked in holding hands, and she asked about it.
“Aunt Kaya, Ryan and I have already entered into a betrothal. Once I graduate from the Mage Academy, we’re going to get married.”
“Wow, really? Congratulations to you both!”
A look of delighted surprise appeared on Kaya’s face, and then she shot Ryan a glance that clearly said, So you really are capable.
It was obvious that after Kaya had told Ryan about her own experience, he had taken action without hesitation.
She had watched both Ryan and Fina grow up.
Seeing the two of them end up together made her genuinely happy.
“I’m very happy that you two have entered into a betrothal. I used to wonder what kind of man a girl as outstanding as Fina would marry in the future.”
“In the end, you still chose Ryan. That really doesn’t surprise me.”
“Hehe.”
Fina smiled as she held Ryan’s hand.
But the tail behind her was swaying back and forth, fully revealing how excited she was.
“So, what are your plans for the future?” Kaya asked.
“Aunt Kaya, I’ve already discussed it with Fina.”
“Fina will study at the Mage Academy for four years, and I’ll travel across the continent and go on adventures. During her breaks, I’ll go visit her. When she graduates from the Mage Academy, we’ll officially get married. When that time comes, I hope you’ll attend our wedding.”
Ryan spoke with a smile.
“Yes, that arrangement is very good.” Kaya nodded. “Ryan, you’ve always been a clever child. I believe that in the future, you will definitely be able to make Fina happy. Congratulations on your betrothal.”
“Since you plan to travel and seek adventure, Ryan, let me tell you a few things you should pay attention to.”
“All right, Aunt Kaya.”
“If you want to travel and go on adventures, then it would be best for you to register as an adventurer at the Adventurers’ Guild. That way, when you take on different kinds of jobs, you’ll also get to experience the customs and culture of different places.”
“An adventurer?”
Ryan had heard of adventurers in the comics from his previous life.
He simply did not know how the adventurers of this world differed from the ones in those stories.
So he quietly listened to Kaya’s explanation.
This would be of great help to the road he would walk in the future.
“To put it simply, an adventurer is just a profession where you take on jobs and earn money. Whether you’re a Mage or not, you can still become an adventurer.”
“The jobs adventurers take are also extremely varied. There are all kinds.”
“They include escort work, searching for people or lost items, hunting monsters for monster materials, and more. As long as someone can pay, anyone can post a job.”
“The place where jobs are posted and accepted is called the Adventurers’ Guild. There, you can register as an adventurer, take on jobs, complete them, and collect your reward.”
“Even though you don’t lack money right now, Ryan, an adventurer's identity will be very convenient for your travels.”
“An adventurer...”
Ryan murmured to himself.
Seeing that Ryan had fallen silent in thought, Kaya said nothing more and gave him plenty of time to consider it.
She believed that after hearing everything she had said, Ryan would definitely make a sensible choice.
“Aunt Kaya, I understand. I’ll register as an adventurer first.”
After thinking for a while, Ryan raised his head and answered.
From Kaya’s explanation, he realized that the adventurers of this world were not much different from the adventurers in the comics from his previous life.
As long as there was a reward, adventurers would take on the job no matter what it was.
Of course, jobs like murder and arson were definitely not allowed.
After all, the Adventurers’ Guild was an official institution of the kingdom.
However, Kaya had also mentioned one thing.
Where there is light, there is darkness.
In the shadowed corners of every town, there would be a Dark Guild.
The jobs in the Dark Guild were completely different from those in the Adventurers’ Guild.
In the Dark Guild, murder and arson were commonplace, along with kidnapping, extortion, poisoning, and the like.
Nearly every job that violated the kingdom’s laws could be found there.
As for that kind of Dark Guild, the kingdom had never truly intended to wipe it out.
The reason was simple: powerful figures among the kingdom’s upper ranks were backing it from behind the scenes.
And besides, destroying one would only lead to another Dark Guild appearing.
So the upper echelons of the kingdom chose to leave it in place.
At the very least, that way the Dark Guild remained under the kingdom’s watch.
Ryan did not react much after hearing about the Dark Guild.
That sort of thing was like a malignant tumor.
Destroy one, and another would always appear. It could never truly be eradicated.
What Ryan did not know yet was that, in the future, he would often have dealings with the Dark Guild.
For now, his only thought was to register at the Adventurers’ Guild and begin his journey.
“Yes, that’s a wise choice.”
“Adventurers are divided into five ranks according to strength, just like Mages. From weakest to strongest, they are D, C, B, A, and S.”
“An adventurer’s promotion does not depend on talent, only on ability. In other words, even if you are not a Mage, you can still rise to become an S-rank adventurer.”
“Before I came to Lute Town, I was a B-rank adventurer myself!”
“That’s all the information I can give you about adventurers. I hope it helps.”
Kaya said this with a smile.
“Thank you, Aunt Kaya. What you told me is very helpful.”
Ryan immediately bowed to thank her.
“And one more thing... even though the two of you are engaged now, while you’re still at the Orphanage, try to restrain yourselves a little and don’t disturb the others.”
At first, Ryan did not understand what Kaya meant.
But when he saw how red her face had turned, he understood at once.
Fina also understood Kaya’s meaning, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
“Uh... I understand.”
Ryan nodded.
Fina did not speak, but the deep red of her ears was enough to prove how embarrassed she was.
She had not felt shy when she took the initiative to kiss Ryan last night, but after being reminded by Kaya to pay attention to appearances, she suddenly felt unbearably shy.
“Even though you may have more than one wife in the future, Ryan, you must treat Fina well. If I ever find out that you’ve neglected her, then no matter where you are, no matter how far away you may be, I’ll come straight to you and give you a severe scolding!”
Kaya spoke sternly.
Kaya had always carried the image of a gentle woman.
Now that she had suddenly become so serious, Ryan found himself a little unaccustomed to it.
But after hearing her words, he also felt rather helpless.
Whether it was Fina or Kaya—
why did both of them seem so convinced that he would have more than one wife in the future?
Could he not be a devoted man?
Of course, it was not as though Kaya and Fina were entirely wrong, either.
Now that he had come to another world, he definitely wanted to see for himself what made each race different.
“Please don’t worry. Fina and I have a very good relationship. I absolutely won’t neglect her in the future.”
Ryan could only swear again and again.
Fina watched him making his solemn promises with a smile on her face.
She did not believe Ryan would neglect her in the future.
She had confidence in him.
“Then, Ryan, Fina!”
“Aunt Kaya, we’re here!” the two of them answered in unison.
“I wish the two of you happiness in the lives that await you!”
“Thank you!”
Ryan and Fina replied together.