After my conversation with the three girls, my companions and I made our way to the counter where Flora awaited us with a worried expression in her eyes. Seeing people like that really left a sour taste in my mouth because, in a way, it's my fault that this is happening. Letting out a discreet sigh, showing my exhaustion, I greeted Flora as I approached the counter.

"Good morning, Flora. About the request I made to you yesterday..."

I asked, keeping my eyes fixed on Flora. Upon hearing my words, it seemed like Flora had understood what I was trying to convey. However, her expression remained serious, not softening in the least. Although I was confused by this reaction, I decided to listen to what she had to say first.

"Well, when he arrived at the guild, I told him that you wanted to speak with him, but... as you must have already noticed, some things are happening. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that he'll have time to talk to you"

Flora explained with a serious expression, conveying the current situation in an apologetic tone. However, I knew it wasn't her fault, and there was no reason for her to feel guilty. In fact, the responsibility fell more on me than on her.

"Don't worry, thank you for listening to my request anyway. I'll wait until he has time to talk to me"

I said with a gentle smile on my face, trying to lighten the situation for Flora. I understood that I couldn't ask for much, given my low rank, or rather, being the lowest of all. It would be strange if he actually made time to see me, considering everything that's going on. With that thought in mind, I turned to sit at one of the vacant tables to wait. However, a shrill voice from behind me caught my attention.

"You don't need to wait. Let's go upstairs, I also need to talk to you"

Turning towards the voice, I found the guild leader standing on the stairs, looking at me with seriousness. It was a quite different expression from the last time we were together when his gaze conveyed relaxation. This scene didn't go unnoticed by the other guild members, who watched us with curious looks. While I reflected on that, Eldric turned to the trio that was standing a bit apart and said.

"Adya, Ikari, Zephyra, if possible, I would like you to come as well"

After his words, Eldric went upstairs again, probably towards his office, leaving us alone on the first floor once more. The first ones to go up were the members of the Dawn Roses group. After instructing my companions to wait for me, I also went up to the second floor of the guild. There, I found the three of them standing in front of the door. After regrouping, we entered the room where we found both Eldric and his wife.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

After me and the girls sat down, we waited for Eldric to begin. His gaze shifted between me and the girls. Eldric's first words, though not lies, truly surprised me.

"Before we start"

Eldric said, breaking the tense silence in the room. His gaze fixed specifically on me.

"Makoto, I have an idea why you want to talk to me... the incident with the horde of monsters... somehow you have some responsibility in it, don't you?"

Eldric asked, directing a serious and insightful look in my direction. The girls, upon hearing Eldric's words, turned to me with doubt and curiosity in their eyes. To be honest, I wasn't much different, my eyes were wide as I looked at Eldric, trying to figure out how he had discovered this.

"You're probably wondering how I found out, aren't you? Well, the answer is right in front of your eyes"

Eldric said, pointing to his wife. As soon as I turned my eyes to her, I realized she was also staring at me. Although I hadn't noticed it immediately, now, as I looked at her more closely, I felt that she saw something more in me. Faced with my confusion, Eldric began to explain what was happening.

"I understand that you're confused, but this is not something strange. Demi-humans are extremely sensitive to mana, more than any other race, although they cannot use it"

Eldric explained. Then he turned his gaze back to me. Even though he was providing all this information, I didn't feel any judgment coming from him. This lack of judgment intrigued me, making me wonder what Eldric's thoughts were on this matter. Turning to the three girls who were in the room with us, Eldric began to speak while at the same time addressing my doubt.

"Now, I've shared this with you knowing that I can trust you not to spread rumors around"

Eldric began, addressing the three girls. After that, Eldric turned his gaze to me again and continued speaking.

"While it is true that Makoto may have some influence on this, it's not as if it's solely his fault. Monsters are drawn to areas with intense mana flow, and Makoto probably has a much larger amount of mana than we can perceive. I believe the reason we couldn't gauge your mana is not because you had none, but because you had an excess of it"

Eldric sighed, turning once again to the three girls and spoke his words.

"As for the real reason I called you three here... I would like to ask you three to help us protect the city. Aside from the boy and his mysterious group, who can surprise us both positively and negatively, you are already relatively famous in the capital as a Rank C group"

Eldric said, maintaining a serious look on his face as he observed the girls.

"Of course, I will do my best to ensure that you receive satisfactory rewards"

Eldric assured, emphasizing his commitment to rewarding the girls' efforts. Upon hearing Eldric's request, the girls exchanged glances for a few seconds and then returned their attention to him. Determination was clearly visible in their gazes, which made a subtle smile form on my face.

"You can count on the Dawn Roses group"

Adya said, fixing her gaze seriously on Eldric, conveying her determination and commitment to the situation.