Tyrus's eyes slanted as he observed the room. A throng of adventurers encircled him, gazing upon him with an array of emotions, the majority displaying a mix of perplexity and enthusiasm. He felt as though he were a horned squirrel hemmed in by a pack of lesser hounds.

Of all these lesser hounds, one person stood out the most with an intense pressure radiating from them. If Tyrus were to designate a beast to the man ahead of him, labeling him as a drake would be a gross injustice.

Standing tall and resolute in front of him was a man a few heads taller than him; just to meet with him at eye level, Tyrus had to crane his neck upward. Although his features were strangely reminiscent of Selena, his eyes projected a chilly but commanding presence. At first sight, it was evident that the man possessed great strength. His strength was likely superior to Selena's, even if he wasn't actively showing his mana.

Tyrus swallowed back a wad of saliva as he stared at the man. He made no movements, standing as still as a statue as he watched with an unreadable expression. It felt like an eternity as Tyrus waited for him to make a move.

Retracing his path appeared to be a good option currently, but the red-haired man's aura hindered him from doing it. Tyrus felt trapped in mud, unable to pull out his feet as a predator waited for him to waste his energy in struggling. If he were to take even a single step, how would the man react?

During their stare down, the spectators would speak amongst themselves in hushed whispers. Though they were mostly background noise, he picked out a few that stood out to him among the rabble.

"That the same kid back then when Selena was showing off out back? Don't tell me he's thinking about becoming an explorer..."

"With all those scratches, tears, and dirt all over him, you'd think a thorn bear had its way with him. Nasty things, I tell ya."

"What I want to know is why the family head isn't budging an inch. He walked past us like we're mere insects, but here he is staring at the kid."

I can hear you guys quite fine, Tyrus thought. It was surprising that they remembered him from a few days ago. He doubted he left such a lasting impression on them, considering Selena caught their attention with her impressive control of fire magic. Thinking back, he was sandwiched between Fiona and the others, his presence lackluster compared to theirs.

As for his appearance, it was the culmination of his battle with the rock spiders and his escape from imprisonment. For the few tunnels that were laid out in front of him thanks to the cave worms–beasts he luckily didn't encounter during his time down there–the third one he entered proved to be the correct one.

The first tunnel yielded no results, whereas the second led to a cave filled with blood-sucking bats, despite its needless length. Though he could easily handle a few of them, when they all swooped down from the ceiling, coming out unscathed was only a dream.

His attire was tattered from the experience, and he had to use many Healing Touch spells to seal his wounds. Since he was also using Illumination to light the way, his mana drained a lot more quickly, which elicited a lot of much needed breaks to recuperate.

When things were looking bleak as he entered the last tunnel, his worries were for naught as the tunnel gradually began moving upward, which was already a good sign. The lackluster mana he felt all that time was increasing in quality and quantity the higher he climbed.

As his sweat dripped onto the sediment and his hands turned into a mix of black and brown, breathing became noticeably easier for him. The scent of flowers and grass that was nonexistent before came in droves, the smell almost overloading his senses. Then, as in what felt like days, a speck of light burst through some cracks.

Frankly, his time underground was nerve-wracking. Each hour was spent thinking about how much time had passed and whether he had missed the monthly exam. There was a moment where he believed he would perish in solitude, as there seemed to be no escape. The tunnel he was flung into was shut, hence trying to tunnel through it was not an option. But fate itself had other plans for him, and his time to die wasn't there and then.

Immediately upon exiting, he bolted out of Wildwood, his thoughts preoccupied with the fear of failing to meet the deadline. In a short amount of time, he put on his hat and tried tucking his tunic into his pants. It was a shabby attempt at concealing his tail, and the results weren't too great. Although he concealed it, others would notice a bump around his waist if they took another look.

After everything that happened, Tyrus carefully navigated through Valis and waltzed right into the guild, hoping for Fiona or her friends to be there. But instead of meeting people he knew, an oppressive figure blocked his way. His mana gave off the same vibe as Selena, and even Fiona if he stared hard enough. Despite holding back immensely, his aura remained the most suffocating sensation he had ever known.

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Considering the time pressure, Tyrus cleared his throat. "U-Um, excuse me, but–"

A frigid shiver ran down his spine the moment the man before him lifted a finger. His body had unconsciously responded to the mana surge forming at the tip, triggered by a seemingly insignificant action in his eyes. Time slowed to a crawl as Tyrus ducked his body. Simultaneously, the man gestured towards his head, followed by a flash of light that propelled forward akin to a cannonball.

Looking closely, it was a flame as small as a nail that was emitted. Usually, that wouldn't be a problem, but it was the impressive amount of mana used to bring the spell to fruition. Shortly thereafter, the spell whizzed perilously close to his hat, hurtling through the atmosphere as it was poised to collide with the guild's door, but was rescued by a timely explorer who opened it just in time. The spell soared past their cheek, almost grazing it as the magic fizzled into the air.

Right as Tyrus shifted his attention back to the attacker, the man was no longer in his previous spot. Alternatively, he overshadowed Tyrus, maintaining the same chill expression. In one quick motion, he brought down his hand and removed his hat. His ears popped right out, turning as rigid as a stone.

"A spy sent from the Beastfolk Kingdom to infiltrate the capital?" said the man. "No… Murus is smarter than that. This one must be undergoing Skaura as well." Shaking his head, he stepped back and lit the hat aflame, transforming it into a lump of ashes. Tyrus stared daggers at the man.

What kind of person uses fire magic–not to mention silent casting–and burns someone's hat without a care in the world? The action caught him so off-guard that he hadn't even thought of hiding his ears. Additionally, his tail escaped from the sudden movement and was twitching; ears included.

"That kid is a Demi-human! One with Beastfolk blood, too!"

"Then the family head attacking him makes sense, given the tension with the Beastfolk Kingdom."

"Isn't that going too far, though? It's not like the kid attacked the family head…"

"So? Those mongrels are the ones who acted first against Lethos. Serves him right for showing his face in the imperial capital, of all places."

Tyrus glanced at the crowd once more, unsure of their reaction. Though he expected harsh words, it was weird there were some people who seemed like they were on his side. Then again, that meant nothing when he felt dagger-like stares piercing his skin.

He wanted to turn and run out the doors, but something deep down told him to stay put. It was as though the message was instructing to always keep an eye on the red-haired man and avoid any interaction. If he were to use a spell or try to run, he'd be dead in an instant.

Nevertheless, after a moment, the thunderous footsteps from the building's corner seized the notice of everyone except the man. Running down the stairs was the receptionist Celeste, and behind her was Fiona, Selena, and another redhead. Why was that particular hair color so prevalent today?

"Kleine!" Selena shouted as she strutted forward. "What in Sthito's name do you think you're doing in my building?"

Kleine, the one referred to, shifted his eyes away from Tyrus and locked them onto Selena. He glanced at Tyrus once again before striding past him. In no time, he vacated the premises, leaving a flabbergasted crowd in his wake.

Selena shook her head and sighed. "Leaving without an explanation… I'll give you hell later."

While taking her robe off, Fiona rushed forward and threw it at him. "Branch Leader Selena, do we have your permission to use one of the spare rooms? I think he needs medical attention."

"Go right ahead, Fiona. In the meantime, I'll clean things up here." She tilted her head at the unmoving explorers. Fiona nodded and brought Tyrus closer to her, shoving through the throng as they made their way up the stairs.

I think I made a terrible mistake, Tyrus thought. Now that his identity is revealed, what will happen to him? Never in a million years did he expect some random man to come out of nowhere and burn his cap. Because of him, more people knew about him, and judging by the negative reactions he received, it was highly likely they would tell others about the events that had just happened.

Even he knew that if something interesting were to happen, it would be hard to keep their mouths shut. The entire reason for hiding his ears and tails was to prevent himself from being a target. Now that plan went out the window. It wouldn't be long before every explorer in the guild was informed. In his haste to arrive, another roadblock had turned up. He had to figure out what to do next…

"Sorry for my father's actions," Fiona said suddenly as they stopped in front of a door. "He does as he pleases towards those he considers inferior to him. Typically, he disregards those who hold no significance to him. He must have discerned something when he laid eyes upon you."

Father? So that man really is related to Selena; no wonder they looked similar.

Tyrus hung his head. "It wasn't your fault, but partly mine. I should've come at a better time or waited somewhere nearby until you or your friends appeared. It's just… a lot has happened when I was in Wildwood, and I lost track of time."

"Wildwood? What the hell were you doing in there?" Pausing for a moment, she gasped. "Wait, that means you completely disregarded my warning! Bah, forget it, at least you're here in one piece. What I want to know is why did you arrive in tatters?"

Before he could retort, Tyrus's ears pricked up at the noise of shuffling by the stairs. When he rotated, he realized that the boy from earlier was walking towards him with a frown.

Must be another relative of Fiona and Selena. Why is he looking at me like that?

The scarlet-haired boy came to a stop in front of Tyrus with his hands planted on his hips. Judging by his appearance, he appeared slightly taller than him and projected an air of confidence that didn't match his slender build.

From top to bottom, he inspected Tyrus, his lips curling in the corner. "Hey, commoner. What's your name?"