Davis arrived at the adventurer’s guild with Skye by his side, his eyes scanning the open space inside the building. Most adventurers had been sent out to assist with the aftermath, while others were out handling guild commissions.

"Hello, Sir. How can we assist you today?" The receptionist at the front desk called out as Davis browsed the commission board.

Davis turned, offering a soft smile. "Yes, Instructor Ryan invited me." He handed her the invitation.

Recognizing the crest, she immediately stood up. "Please, right this way, Sir." She gestured for him to follow and led him upstairs to a room where a familiar face awaited.

With a quick wave to the receptionist, Ryan led Davis deeper into the guild hall. They passed through the grand door into a spacious room adorned with finely crafted tapestries. Seated at the far end, a man dressed in exquisite clothing awaited them, his posture relaxed yet commanding.

The man rose gracefully as they approached, his face breaking into a warm, welcoming smile. "Ah, the great hero of the town! How honored I am to meet you at last," he said in a blissful tone, his voice rich with sincerity. Every word felt like a gracious compliment.

The man’s features were as refined as his attire. Slicked-back black hair framed a noble, striking face. His near-black eyes gleamed with happiness and a hint of amusement. Though stout, he carried himself with quiet confidence, his scar—a pale slash from his temple to his jaw.

"Guild leader," Ryan greeted with a respectful bow to the young man, acknowledging his authority despite his age.

"Thank you, Ryan, for keeping this town safe," the guild leader said, his tone warm before turning to Davis. "And to you, hero, my deepest gratitude for protecting this lovely town of mine." He bowed deeply, then gazed out the window toward the bustling street below.

"I grew up in this very town," he continued, voice rising with emotion. "If it weren’t for being stationed at the main branch in the city every day, I would never have allowed such... atrocity to befall my home."

Ryan shook his head gently at the guild leader's words. "I'll take my leave, Guild leader," he excused himself, stepping out of the room.

The guild leader nodded and gestured toward Davis. "Please, young hero, sit. I cannot bear to see the savior of my hometown standing while I lounge around."

Davis chuckled and sat down. "I don’t mind at all, Sir. Haha!" But as he settled in, his gaze lingered on the guild leader, studying his every move. "What does he want? Davis thought. Is he an ally... or a threat? His mind raced. How should I use this opportunity?"

As Davis mulled over his thoughts, another question surfaced. "Have I always been this deep in thought during conversations?"

Mistaking Davis’s silence for discomfort, the guild leader smiled, putting on his friendliest expression. "There’s no need for formality between us. I owe you for helping my town."

He laughed, pouring tea into two cups. "Please, enjoy, Davis. My name is Kaelen Drystan, the eleventh guild leader of the Adventurers Guild. I hate to ask this, but..." He sighed, frowning at the desk. "As much as I’d love to reward your bravery now, I need you to recount the events of that night for my report. I hope you understand."

"Of course, Sir Kaelen. I don’t mind at all," Davis replied calmly.

Kaelen smiled, relieved. "I’m glad you and your friend from that night are reasonable. So many people nowadays are wrapped up in pride and ego." He sighed again, pulling out a pen and paper.

"Whenever you’re ready, Davis. Please tell me what you saw that night." Kaelen listened calmly, jotting down every detail as Davis began his account.

Back at Celestia, in the Veltis family*

"Sir, Miss Amy has reported that our operatives trailing Mr. Davis have met a gruesome end during their mission," Kane said, standing before Garrick in his workroom.

Garrick's eyes lifted from the documents on his desk to meet Kane’s gaze. "Is that so? How?"

Kane nodded. "According to her letter, they were killed by slashes. There was also a strange monster that wiped out nearly half the town, so she deduced the monster might be responsible—"

"Hahaha!" Garrick interrupted with a booming laugh. "Old friend, you don’t seriously believe that, do you?" He leaned back, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Our family's best trackers, killed by a mere monster during a protection mission? No. This is a message!"

"A message? From the other Pillar?" Kane asked, surprised. "But in her note, she mentioned dead members from the other Pillars as well. Could there be conflict among them?"

Garrick shook his head, still chuckling. "No, not from them. It’s from our target—Davis." He smiled, clearly pleased. "By doing this, he's sending us a very clear message."

Garrick's grin widened. "He doesn’t like being watched."

Kane frowned at the thought, speaking with a hint of awe. "But still... killing the Empire’s leading family’s people on their turf—he sure is brave!"

"He’s always been brave, remember?" Garrick replied with a chuckle. "The day he arrived in the Empire, he came straight to us and challenged our authority. And even when he lost, somehow, he turned the situation to his advantage."

"Smart, brave, talented..." Garrick listed, grinning with glee. "And now he's traveling with someone he calls Master. The curious part? This 'Master' seemed to appear out of nowhere—no one knows who he is, where he came from, or just how powerful he might be. But I reckon..." Garrick rose from his seat, strolling past Kane. "He's at least stronger than his student."

Garrick continued with a satisfied tone. "But here’s the best part. Davis didn’t just kill our men; he took care of the other Pillars' people too. So, technically, we’re now the closest to him!" He laughed to himself as he strolled toward the door. "Come, Kane. We’ve got family matters to attend to. And call Amy back—we shouldn't push this any further."

Kane silently followed as Garrick exited the room.

At the Royal Palace*

In a lush, green garden, Princess Rachel sat in the pavilion, sipping her tea as she read a book. A bright smile spread across her face as her bodyguard, Karla, relayed the same news.

"I see... Thank you, Karla!" Rachel smiled elegantly. "So, they didn’t perish by the monster," she said with a knowing smile, arriving at the same conclusion as Garrick.

"What about my father? Knowing him, he’d have figured it out as well," Rachel asked curiosity in her voice.

Karla bowed slightly. "His Majesty seems to have reached the same conclusion, Your Highness." She glanced at Rachel with a worried look. "But, Your Highness, they could be a threat if they dared to slay people under the protection of the royal family."

Rachel gave a reassuring smile. "There's no need to worry, Karla. Mr. Davis isn’t a threat to us... at least, not for now."

Karla hesitated before continuing, "And what about his young teacher, the one Your Highness has been head over heels for ever since—"

"Karla!" Rachel snapped, shooting her a glare. "It’s not like that!" she quickly retorted, her cheeks flushing.

Karla chuckled softly at Rachel’s reaction and kept teasing. "Oh really, Your Highness? If I recall correctly, you once had a brush with death, only to be a damsel, saved by a knight in shining armor!"

"KARLA!" Rachel stammered, her face burning with embarrassment. "It’s not—I... you... never mind! I’m not talking to you anymore!" She hurriedly made her escape from the pavilion, her face still red as Karla’s teasing laughter echoed behind her.

s Rachel hurried off, Karla smiled and let out a sigh. "What sorcery did he use to capture our sweet princess’s heart?" she mused, then quickly followed with a mischievous grin.

Meanwhile, the news was reported to the other two Pillars, each reacting differently. One thing was clear: they agreed not to send more spies, as the situation in the city was already too delicate. The balance between maintaining control over their territory and gaining favor with the citizens was becoming increasingly strained as each of them was trying to outdo the other.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Back at the adventurer’s guild*

Davis finally finished recounting his story, his eyes watching as Guild Leader Kaelen diligently took notes.

"Sounds like you had quite an eventful night, Davis. I hope your friend is doing alright," Kaelen said, looking up as he finished writing.

Davis chuckled awkwardly, thinking back to the morning. "You don’t need to worry, Sir Kaelen. He’s fine..." He added in a softer voice, "Though he’s already a pain in my ass!"

Kaelen laughed at Davis's remark. "Right. Well, everything checks out. I’m honored to welcome you into our guild, and I think—" He paused, correcting himself. "No, I know you’re destined to achieve great things in the future."

Kaelen took out two adventurer bracelets each one adorned with two lion carvings on both sides, the adventurer guild’s symbol, and handed them to Davis. "You've been a great help to us, and with some encouragement from Instructor Ryan—and a bit of favor from me—I'm happy to bestow upon you this silver-rank bracelet"

There were two bracelets: one silver and the other bronze.

"Although Instructor Ryan wished for both you and your friend K to be promoted to silver, after some consideration, we felt your friend's contributions to the recent events were somewhat limited. I must apologize, but we can’t promote him to gold just yet. I hope you understand, Davis," Kaelen said sincerely.

Davis accepted the bracelets with a reassuring smile. "No need to apologize. I’m sure he’s perfectly fine with it," Davis replied, his tone lighthearted.

Davis took the bracelet and excused himself. "Thank you for your encouraging words, Guild Leader. I don’t want to take up any more of your time than I already have."

"Ah yes, of course. Let me walk you out," Kaelen replied, rising to accompany Davis to the door. "Best of luck to you, Davis!" He waved goodbye and closed the door behind him.

Kaelen smiled to himself as he returned to his desk. "He’s a good kid," he murmured. Then, with a knowing smirk, he turned toward the two empty chairs in the corner of the room. "I trust you found what you were looking for, detective."

The space on one of the chairs shimmered, gradually morphing into the shape of a woman. "Yes, I did," a voice replied as the translucent form solidified, revealing a woman sitting casually in the chair.

"Thank you for agreeing to my request, Master Kaelen," Miya said with a respectful bow. "I had hoped to see both the master and the student today, but this will suffice." She rose gracefully and took the seat where Davis had sat moments before.

Kaelen leaned against the door, raising a brow at Miya. "What exactly did he do to catch the attention of the infamous Miya Lyris, the unorthodox detective of Celestia?" he asked with a mocking laugh.

Miya chuckled softly at his words. "It's more about what I don’t know!" She smiled, her tone teasing. "Thank you again, Master Kaelen, but I won’t take up any more of your time." With a wave, she disappeared into the light.

Once she was gone, Kaelen chuckled to himself, visibly intrigued. "Something even our unorthodox detective doesn’t know? Fascinating. What have you gotten yourself into, Davis?" he muttered, amused.

As Davis descended the stairs from the second floor, a familiar laughter was heard, followed by the sound of a dog barking. It only took a moment for Davis to recognize who it was, and he leaned out to confirm that, indeed, K was downstairs.

"Yes, yes, darling. She’s a good girl, isn’t she? But second only to you!" K’s voice grew louder as Davis made his way down the stairs, hearing laughter from the front desk area.

As Davis reached the ground floor, he found Skye happily darting around, while K leaned casually on the front desk, flirting with both of the guild’s receptionists.

"Ahh, there he is... the town’s hero!" K called out gleefully, his voice brimming with amusement.

K laughed, gesturing toward Davis as though presenting a prized trophy. "Ladies, this handsome fellow could probably give a drake a run for its money!" he joked.

Skye, standing on her hind legs, pushed up against Davis’s stomach, her tail wagging furiously. "Dad!" she barked happily.

Davis gave a polite nod to both the receptionists and K before turning his attention to Skye. "Hey, Skye. Did you enjoy your time here?"

Skye barked again, her enthusiasm unmatched. "Yes! Everybody loved Skye. Uncle K promised to take Skye for delicious food afterward, too!" she replied, her excitement unmatched.

"Uncle K, can we go now?" Skye pleaded with a bark, her eyes wide and hopeful.

The receptionists giggled at the sight of Skye’s adorable plea. "Aw, she’s so cute when she barks!" one of them cooed, smiling in infatuation. Then, gathering her courage, she shyly asked K, "Mr. K, I was wondering… would you like to come by sometime? You could tell me more of your stories."

Davis turned to K, a look of surprise on his face. “Did he just seduce another one?” he thought.

K chuckled warmly, handling the situation with his usual charm. "Hahaha, I’d love to, my dear, but you see, my friend Davis and I will be leaving town soon. But I promise you this—if our paths ever cross again, I wouldn’t mind sharing a romantic meal with someone as gorgeous as you."

The receptionist blushed at his graceful rejection.

K turned back to Davis and Skye, giving the receptionists a final wave. "Please excuse us, darlings, but my companions and I must depart. Au revoir, chérie," he said with a playful wink, walking away from the front desk.

"Come now, Davis. Let’s not keep our dearest Skye waiting too long" K continued cheerfully, pulling Davis and Skye along. "We should converse at somewhere more familiar!"

"Yay, dinner time, dinner time!" Skye joyously chants as she follows them along.

As they walked, Davis couldn’t shake his curiosity and turned to K with a puzzled expression. "K, I’ve been noticing something for a while... Is Skye speaking?" He glanced at Skye, who trotted happily beside him.

K let out a loud, exaggerated laugh. "Hah! Very funny, my dear friend," he said, brushing it off with a wave.

But Davis persisted. "No, I’m serious. Is she speaking or not?"

K raised a brow, studying Davis for a moment. Then, with a grin he turned to Skye. "Skye, who do you like more—me or your father?"

Without hesitation, Skye barked, "I love Dad and Uncle... and—and food… and walks… and—" She continued listing her favorites enthusiastically.

K smirked and turned back to Davis. "Did you hear that?" he asked playfully.

Davis just nods to his question.

"There you go! Glad I could help!" K laughed, clearly enjoying the joke. "Ahh! Look at that, we have arrived" They arrived at a restaurant with a decent number of customers. "After you!” K helps the door open for them with a smile.

Seated across from K with Skye by his side, Davis brought it up again. "I can hear her just fine, K." He scratched Skye’s head affectionately. "But I want to know—can everyone else understand her, or is it just us?" he asked in a hushed, slightly exasperated tone.

K, casually browsing the menu, barely glanced up. "Oh, that... Have you ever noticed anyone else talking to their animal companion as much as we do?" he asked nonchalantly.

Davis let out a frustrated sigh. "Can you just get to the damn point already?"

K scoffed, amused by Davis’s impatience. "Normally, no—you wouldn’t be able to understand her," he said, finally closing the menu and meeting Davis’s eyes. "She’s not old or strong enough to use telepathy yet, so most people just hear regular barking."

Skye, however, was completely distracted, her gaze fixed on a cat napping in the back of the restaurant.

"So... I’m not normal?" Davis asked, raising an eyebrow.

K tapped his chin thoughtfully, pretending to ponder. "Hmm… if waking up every morning to the magnificent sound of a demon prince of hell singing captivatingly while he makes breakfast is considered normal, then... yes, yes you are!"

"Need I continue?" K asked, his head tilted slightly as he leaned on his hand, flashing a mischievous grin.

"No, I think I’m good," Davis replied, waving in reluctant defeat.

Their food soon arrived, and they settled in to eat. But after taking a bite of his steak, K’s expression soured. "Is this a steak or a wooden stake?" he grumbled. "I asked for a good steak, and they gave me a good stick!"

Davis just smirked, silently enjoying K’s dramatic reaction. Turning to Skye, he asked, "How’s your food, Skye?"

“Mhm—Mhm,” Skye nodded enthusiastically, her mouth stuffed full of food.

Davis chuckled, unable to resist a smile as he pulled out two adventurer bracelets. "K! Look, these are our ranks." He places them on the table.

Still frowning at his plate, K glanced up. "Huh? And I’m guessing the bronze one is mine?" Davis nodded, confirming it.

K inspects both bracelets, turning them over in his hand. "I see... Any other colors of the rainbow I should know about?"

Davis stared at him, unimpressed by the remark. "There are five in total: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Crystal, and Diamond," he explained. "The system was established by the founder of the guild. He was part of one of the first groups of heroes summoned to this world, long ago."

"I see! So, the gods are still playing doing that?" K nodded thoughtfully, before whispering under his breath, "And they Isekai’d a damn gamer from Earth." He shook his head and laughed. "This is ridiculous!"

Slipping the silver bracelet onto his wrist, K raised an eyebrow. "Alright, so what does Silver mean?"

Davis grinned, clearly proud. "Silver means you can hold your own in the field and are more reliable. Only a small number of bronze-ranked adventurers get promoted to higher ranks each year."

K grinned mischievously. "Alright then! If any problem arises, I'll be sure to call upon our great and mighty silver-ranked adventurer, Davis Edwelt of Avalom!" He laughed, playfully pushing the bracelet toward Davis.

Davis joined in, laughing as he slipped the bracelet on. "So, where to next? I noticed a paper missing from the board back at the guild. I assume you're the one who took it?"

K’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise, his smile growing even wider. "Not bad, Davis. Not bad at all!" He stood up, adjusting his clothes with a casual flair. "I've finished my meal, and I'm off to find us a ride."

Turning back to Davis and Skye, K added cryptically, "Get ready, because next stop—bird hunting!"

With that, K left as quickly as he'd appeared at the adventurer’s guild. Davis and Skye followed soon after, finishing their meal. Their destination? No idea!