“It’s time to talk to Kaito,” Shunjiro said, voice brimming with determination. He glanced at the others. “We want his blessing to get started, right?” Itsuki, hands clasped behind her back, nodded eagerly. “Absolutely. We’ve come this far, it’s worth hearing what he has to say. He might even have advice for us.” Beside her, Yoshinori added. “It’s a necessary formality. Kaito’s had an eye on Shunjiro ever since the exams, so his input might be valuable. Let’s hope this goes smoothly.” Tetsuo cracked his knuckles, grinning widely. “If it means we can get out there and start doing real missions, I’m all for it. I can’t wait to test our mettle as a proper team.” They strode through the winding corridors of the adventurers’ headquarters, leaving behind the lively hum of newly recognized recruits discussing quests in the main hall. With each step, the sound of chatter faded into the background, replaced by the echo of their own footsteps along polished stone floors. Kaito’s office sat in a far corner of the building, separated from the hustle and bustle by a series of heavy double doors. The hallway leading up to it was almost unnervingly quiet, lit only by a few wall sconces that cast flickering shadows across the walls. Finally, they reached a wooden door with a simple plaque reading: Kaito, Gilded Blades. Shunjiro’s stomach did a small flip. He remembered how Kaito had teased him about rising to SSS rank someday, and how the man’s laid-back grin had done little to mask a penetrating awareness. Time to see what he thinks of our guild. Rapping his knuckles on the door, Shunjiro announced, “Kaito? It’s us.” “Come in,” came a low, measured reply from within. Shunjiro pressed down on the handle and stepped inside, the others close behind. Kaito’s office was modest but tidy, with a wide oak desk at the center. Piles of parchment were stacked neatly on one side, while the opposite end held a battered longsword and a few shining medals pinned to a black velvet board, likely mementos from past quests. Kaito himself sat behind the desk, leaning back in his chair with his fingers laced behind his head. He raised an eyebrow when he saw them. “So, you’ve decided to create a guild, huh?” Kaito’s voice was neutral, but there was a slight edge of curiosity behind it. “Yeah,” Shunjiro said, trying to sound confident despite the nervous excitement bubbling inside him. “We’ve all agreed it’s time to make this official. We want to build something strong, something that can take on bigger challenges.” Kaito raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be assessing the group before him, as though weighing their potential. After a long pause, he nodded. “Alright. I approve. But there’s one thing left to figure out.” The room grew quiet as everyone waited. “A name,” Kaito said with a slight smirk, leaning back in his chair. “What do you want to call yourselves?” Shunjiro’s heart sank a little. This was the part that always stumped him. He had no idea. He glanced over at Itsuki, Yoshinori, and Tetsuo, all of whom seemed just as uncertain. Itsuki looked around the room, her fingers tapping on the edge of the desk as she thought. “Any ideas?” she asked, her voice a mixture of optimism and frustration. Yoshinori crossed his arms, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know. Something that reflects our strengths and ambitions. But I can’t think of anything that sounds right.” Tetsuo, always the loudest in the group, suddenly blurted out, “How about ‘The Strongest’?” The room fell silent for a second before everyone erupted into laughter. Even Kaito couldn’t help but chuckle at the sheer audacity of the suggestion. “‘The Strongest,’ huh?” Kaito mused, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing. “That’s bold. Might draw some unwanted attention, though.” Shunjiro couldn’t stop grinning. It wasn’t the most conventional name, but it felt right. There was something about the simplicity of it that appealed to him. “I love it,” he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. “Let’s go with ‘The Strongest.’ It’s perfect!” The group shared a look of agreement, all smiles now, the tension of the decision melting away. Kaito leaned forward, his expression turning more serious. “Alright, then. ‘The Strongest’ it is,” he said, a slight chuckle in his voice. “But be warned, the name might attract some attention. You’ll have to live up to it, after all.” “Don’t worry,” Shunjiro said confidently. “We’re ready for whatever comes our way.” Kaito smiled, his eyes softening slightly. Kaito leaned forward, folding his arms on the desk. “Alright, then. As of now, you’re officially recognized, pending final paperwork. But consider yourself at F rank. That means you’re limited to certain missions and have restricted access to advanced facilities or sensitive information. Earn your stripes, complete quests, and that rank can climb.” Yoshinori’s dark eyes reflected acceptance. “We expected as much.”“Good,” Kaito said. Then he reached for a small ledger and flipped a few pages. “I have a handful of quests you could try. Basic fetch tasks or minor subjugations, stuff that’ll let you coordinate as a team but won’t land you in the grave.” Tetsuo rubbed his hands together. “Sounds like a plan. We’re itching to get out there.” A brief silence fell as everyone’s excitement settled into something more focused. Sensing the moment was right, Shunjiro took a breath and asked softly, “Kaito… have you heard of someone named Takeshi? He’s my older brother.” Shunjiro couldn’t miss the flicker of emotion that crossed Kaito’s face. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a neutral mask. His gaze hardened subtly. “Takeshi,” he repeated, sounding thoughtful yet distant. “Sorry, can’t say the name rings a bell.” But Shunjiro felt the temperature in the room dip slightly at Kaito’s clipped tone. The man’s body language screamed caution, a shift in posture, a tension along his jawline. Why does it feel like he’s hiding something? Uncertain how to respond, Shunjiro simply dipped his head. “Right… thanks anyway,” he managed quietly. With that, he decided not to push further, though a swirl of questions whirled in his mind. Kaito cleared his throat. “If that’s all, you’re dismissed. Good luck with your new guild.” He spoke briskly, turning his attention to the stack of documents on his desk as if the conversation were already forgotten. Shunjiro glanced at the others, giving them a small nod. With that, the four of them left Kaito’s office, stepping back into the hallway’s hush. When the door clicked shut, Kaito paused for a long moment, pages still in his hand. His eyes narrowed, and he let out a low sigh. “So Shunjiro is his younger brother, huh?” he murmured under his breath. “They are nothing alike.” A faint trace of conflict flitted across his features before he shook his head and refocused on his work. But the seed of curiosity, or concern, remained, unspoken. Back in the corridor, Tetsuo, Yoshinori, and Itsuki followed Shunjiro in silence. Itsuki was the first to break it, gently touching Shunjiro’s arm. “Hey,” she said softly, “you okay? I noticed Kaito’s reaction when you mentioned Takeshi. It was… off, right?” Shunjiro exhaled, a knot forming in his chest. “Yeah, definitely off. I can’t tell if he really doesn’t know Takeshi or if there’s something else going on. Maybe it’s just me imagining things.” He paused, shoulders dropping a fraction. “Still, it stings. I want any info I can get, but apparently I’m not getting it from Kaito.” Itsuki’s eyes shone with empathy. “Then we’ll look elsewhere. Let’s find out what we can about your brother’s whereabouts. He’s been gone for five years, right? There must be some record of his activities. Maybe old quest logs or rumors from other adventurers.” That was when Tetsuo cleared his throat, confusion plain on his face. “Uh, sorry, guys, I’m a bit out of the loop. Who exactly is Takeshi? And why are we worried about him?” Shunjiro came to a halt, running a hand through his hair. “Right, I never explained. Takeshi is my older brother. He left five years ago to become an adventurer here in the Kingdom of Radiance. We used to be close, but then he just vanished. Didn’t write, didn’t come home. I’ve been trying to find him ever since.” Tetsuo’s eyes widened. “Oh. Wow, okay. I had no idea. So… Kaito’s reaction back there-“”It might mean something,” Itsuki interjected, “but we’re not sure what. If Kaito knows more than he’s letting on, he isn’t telling us now.” Yoshinori folded his arms, expression level. “At our current rank, we won’t have unrestricted access to advanced guild archives or private quest reports. A lot of that information is sealed off to novices. We need to get stronger and raise our rank. That might give us the leverage or clearance to dig deeper into Takeshi’s record.” Shunjiro looked gratefully at Yoshinori. “So you’ll help me?” Yoshinori gave a single decisive nod. “I’m in this guild, aren’t I? If one of us needs something, we do what we can.” A wave of relief and gratitude washed through Shunjiro. He turned to each of them in turn, Yoshinori, Tetsuo, Itsuki, and felt an upswell of pride in the guild they were about to form. “What would I do without you guys?” he said, voice thick with emotion. “Yoshinori’s brains, Tetsuo’s brawn, Itsuki’s compassion… I really lucked out, huh?” Tetsuo gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. “Darn right you did, buddy.” Itsuki just smiled, a gentle warmth shining in her eyes. “That’s what friends do. We support each other. We’ll keep each other going.” Yoshinori allowed a small laugh to escape. “Alright enough. We’ve got work to do, and I’m sure climbing ranks in this guild is going to keep us more than busy.” Shunjiro’s mouth curved into a broad grin. The heaviness that had settled around him since Kaito’s strange reaction began to lift, replaced by a fresh wave of determination. “Alright, so that’s our plan. We take on quests, build our reputation, climb to higher ranks, and gather all the information we can in the process.” A flicker of excitement danced in his eyes as he led the way down the corridor. “I can’t wait to see how far we can go once we’re officially recognized as ‘The Strongest.’” They reached the main hall again, where the buzz of new adventurers and established veterans alike filled the air with lively chatter. The sight of quest boards, guild booths, and equipment counters waiting to be explored made Shunjiro’s pulse quicken. This was it, the open frontier of adventures, dangers, and stories waiting to unfold. “Let’s do it,” Tetsuo said, rubbing his palms together as though itching for action. “Shall we pick out a potential first mission while we wait for the final approval?” Shunjiro nodded, exchanging a look with Itsuki and Yoshinori. “Absolutely. Let’s find a quest that’ll test our teamwork. Then we’ll keep moving forward, steadily becoming ‘The Strongest’ in more than just name.” A jolt of hope coursed through him as they stepped into the swirl of voices and possibilities. The four of them walked side by side, Shunjiro leading the way, Tetsuo with a confident stride, Yoshinori scanning the posted notices with quiet focus, and Itsuki smiling softly, certain that their combined aspirations would carry them forward.