Rylan walked alone through the streets of Cantavega, wearing his training clothes. One hand rested on the hilt of the sword on his waist. His gaze was clear as he felt the stares. His honed senses picked up on the whispers of the people who were looking at him or walked by his side.

“Hey, do you think the rumors are true? Did he really fight a Fourth Circle Mage and survive?”

“Nah, no fucking way. We’re talking about Rylan Flameheart. It’s more likely for all of that to be made up.”

“But a lot of people have said the same thing…”

“So? It’s Rylan, dude. It can’t be true.”

More voices came from the left.

“Hasn’t it been a while since he last caused trouble? What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know, but it’s better this way. The shopping district has never been so peaceful. If you ignore what happened to Evenon Bled, I mean.”

“Yeah, but still. Something’s off about him.”

Rylan grinned. At least they weren’t cursing him anymore. Letting the whispers be lost in the wind, he walked until he reached the Adventurer’s Guild and pushed the doors open. Hot air and loud conversations hit him in full, but he didn’t mind. As many of the Adventurers stared at him while poking the others, he walked up to the center of the Guild, coming face to face with a smiling William.

“Good afternoon, young master Rylan.”

Rylan nodded at him, then tilted his head. William’s tone was different, as was his gaze. Even though he seemed to be skilled at hiding his emotions, it was an expression that Roland had seen too many times, only to a lesser extent. Wariness was mixed with respect. The reason why was obvious.

“Hi. I’m here to take on another quest. Something more difficult, this time,” he replied, acting as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

“I understand, but before that, there’s something I need to tell you. I was actually waiting for you to arrive,” William’s smile disappeared. “The Guild Leader wants to talk to you.”

His expression was dead serious and his tone carried a certain degree of reverence. Rylan could see how much respect the man had for this Guild Leader, who should be the head of the Adventurer’s Guild in Cantavega.

Took them long enough.

This was a situation that he had fully expected. His fight with Evenon had been obvious and open, which only meant that the news spread throughout the town as fast as possible. Just like Gerard had told him, the Flameheart family had tried its best to contain the rumors, but only succeeded in keeping them somewhat restricted to the town. He knew that Gerard had now followed his advice and taken to spreading nonsensical rumors, but it would take a bit of time to see the results of that. Virtually all of Cantavega now knew about what had happened. Just like William, it was only natural for the Leader to have heard about it.

This might be a bad thing.

He narrowed his eyes. William flinched as he looked into them. No matter what the Guild Leader wanted, he wouldn’t let it affect his family and his future. He nodded after a few seconds.

“Sure. Lead the way.”

William let out a small sigh of relief before pointing to the stairs leading up to the Guild’s higher floors. One Mage stood at each side of the stairs, guarding them.

“Please follow me, young master,” William said.

The two of them walked past several tables as they moved closer to the stairs. Rylan could feel the gazes of the other Adventurers, as well as hear their whispers.

“Wait, he’s going to the second floor?”

“Damn. Does this mean the news are true?”

“Of course not, you fucking idiot. It’s Rylan Flameheart. Something’s weird, though.”

“You’re the fucking idiot. How is it even possible for so many people to say the same thing?”

“And how is it possible for that brat to have changed? After so many years? You’re lying to yourself. I’d sooner believe you found someone who actually wanted you.”

“You son of a—"

Ignoring them, Rylan climbed the stairs with William. Once he reached the second floor, he raised an eyebrow. It was different from the first floor, especially in appearance. Stone made up the main counter, instead of wood. Enchanted candles lined up the walls, alongside a single golden chandelier. There were fewer tables, as well as fewer people. Without exception, all of them turned to look at the two of them as they walked in. The room went silent in an instant.

This must be for higher-ranked Adventurers.

Just like the floor’s appearance, the people looked different as well. They all carried expensive-looking staves or wands, alongside elaborate robes. Rylan could see the leather armor underneath, but there was no way to judge its quality. Unhesitatingly, he walked closer to the middle of the floor. None of the Adventurers said anything, but he could feel their trained eyes running over his figure, trying to grasp his characteristics in an instant. A few of them frowned, before hurriedly returning to the same deadpan expression.

Just as they observed him, Rylan looked at them. The way they sat, the glint in their eyes. Instead of laughing and joking around, their expressions were dead serious as they lay their hands on their weapons. Even though they were in the Guild, it looked as if they were ready to jump into a fight at a moment’s notice. Rylan nodded to himself. These were trained fighters.

William took a few steps forward, nodded at the woman behind the counter – who wore the same uniform as him – and pointed at the stairs leading to the third floor.

“This way, young master.”

This time, many of the Adventurers failed to maintain their calm expressions. Still, none said anything. Rylan captured the entire floor with his gaze one final time before following William. With every step, his concentration surged. If he were ambushed here, what should he do to come out on top? If all of these people turned against him, how should he fight? It was only because of such a thought process that Roland had survived for so long and risen to prominence.

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Finally, at the last step leading to the third floor, William turned to him and bowed.

“This is as far as I can go. You will meet the Guild Leader on the third floor.”

Rylan nodded at him.

“Thank you, William.”

With firm steps and a sharp mind, he walked past the attendant and onto the third floor. It was even more elaborate than the second one. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, burning with blue fire. Engravings lined the columns, and small sculptures decorated the surface of the floor’s only four marble tables. Purple plush chairs surrounded them, adding a regal air to the floor. A smell he didn’t recognize drifted in the air; it was pleasant. The large glass windows proudly showed off the view, allowing him to look at the buildings and houses from above.

Finally, Rylan’s gaze zeroed in on the only other person on the floor, who was sitting on top of one of the tables.

The first thing he noticed was the woman’s hair. It looked as if it was made of pure silver and it glistened in the candlelight in an enchanting fashion. The second was her pointed ears.

An elf?

He couldn’t help but feel surprised. He had no idea that the Guild Leader of Cantavega’s Adventurer Guild was an elf. Of course, that was mostly because he hadn’t cared about anything in the past other than his next fix.

As the woman smiled at him, it was as if the room had lost its light. Only she shone brightly in this dim world. Her serene violet eyes and silver hair only adorned a flawless face. Even though she was sitting down, her head reached his shoulders. There was an atmosphere of dignity around her that was impossible not to notice. She was thin, but her body still looked perfectly proportional, made only more obvious by her tight clothing. An elaborate white wand rested on her lap, with carvings running down its frame.

I guess it’s true that elves are incredibly beautiful.

Still, it didn’t shock him too much. He looked at Sarah every day, after all. Besides, he knew just how dangerous beauty could be. In his past life, far too many warriors had faced their demise because of beautiful women or handsome men. Beauty was a weapon that, like any other, could cause devastating results if wielded well. He didn’t let this woman’s appearance muddle his thoughts for even a second.

“Rylan Flameheart,” she said slowly, pronouncing his name as if it were an incantation. Her voice was as stunning as her looks. It had the power to make any listener feel calmer.

He walked closer to the table she was sitting on. She kept her smile as she took a sip out of a glass of what seemed to be wine with delicate movements.

“I was told you wanted to meet me,” he replied after getting close enough. The smell of alcohol carried with it the traces of something sweet. Was it her scent?

“Of course I did. Don’t you know you’re the only thing that everyone talks about these days?” she said, then chuckled. Her violet eyes stared into his own, curved like crescent moons.

He narrowed his eyes. This woman was trouble. It didn’t matter if she was deliberately trying to seduce him or if she was genuinely interested. He should keep his distance.

“And? What is it that you need from me?”

She sighed.

“Honestly, there’s a lot I could say, but I’ll just get straight to the point,” she raised two of her fingers. “My name is Alfira and I’m the Guild Leader of Cantavega’s Adventurer’s Guild. I’ve heard of the quests you’ve undertaken with your soldiers and how you never failed even once. That – alongside the news about your battle against Evenon Bled – has made me decide to give you two benefits as an Adventurer.”

Rylan raised an eyebrow. Now this was somewhat interesting. It was only obvious that his fight against Evenon was the main reason why this conversation was happening. As an F-ranked Adventurer, he didn’t warrant nearly enough attention from a Guild Leader for something like this.

“And what are those benefits?”

She smiled sweetly.

“The first is the ability to take on quests above your rank. I understand that the restriction only hindered someone at your level,” she replied.

Is this a way to confirm the rumors?

If he succeeded in quests of a higher rank, it would add weight to the news about his battle. This was the Guild’s way of trying to find out more about him and what he was capable of. Naturally, an organization like the Guild thrived on information, both about the monsters and about the Adventurers themselves. He had become an unknown variable in Cantavega’s scenario; learning more about him was something that several different groups were trying to do.

He maintained a composed expression.

“And the second?”

Alfira kept her smile.

“I’ll allow you to progress through the Adventurer ranks faster. I can even talk to the Leaders in other towns to help you with this, in case you move out.”

Rylan raised his eyebrows. He became surer of his guess about the Guild’s intentions. In short, they were trying to see how far he could go. By seeing the limits of his power, they could plan accordingly. However, this plan was flawed.

It doesn’t take into account my improvement.

His training hadn’t stopped. He continued to hone his body and study magic with Gerard daily. Instead of slowing down, his progress would only get faster as he worked on getting the Titles and Skills he knew from his past life. His father was also a powerful Mage who supported him in full. The moment he got rid of his negative Trait, his growth would surpass the Guild’s predictions. Still, it was better this way. He had no intention of allowing any organization to know everything about him. He was still too weak to protect everything he cared about, but this was something he could already do.

He nodded at Alfira.

“Alright, thanks. Since I’m already here, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

She tilted her head. That movement alone was enough to show off her beauty, but Rylan didn’t even flinch.

“Are there any quests about killing Direwolves? Preferably in packs,” he said in a stable tone.

Alfira’s smile collapsed, being replaced by a serious expression.

“…Those are difficult enemies, Rylan. Are you going to hunt alone?”

He nodded.

“I think you should join a team of Adventurers, maybe on the second floor. Direwolves are fast and unpredictable, even when alone. The quest difficulty spikes severely when they’re in a pack,” she continued.

“I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for worrying.”

She would find out that he had tackled the quest alone the moment he handed in the spoils, but there was no need to give her that information right now. The longer it took for others to gauge his power, the more time he would have to grow.

She frowned. Of course, he had already asked Gerard about possible enemies and settled for Direwolves after careful planning. They were famed for their speed and ferocity, unlike trolls, which were slow. He was confident that he would succeed even if he fought against an ogre, but the point wasn’t to become well-known or accumulate achievements; Leveling up also wasn’t the goal, since he was stuck in Level 25 until he underwent Class Evolution. The whole purpose was to train and hone his abilities over the next six months. For that purpose, he needed to face a variety of enemies that would pressure him in different ways.

A few long moments of silence ensued.

“…Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Talk to William. He’ll give you the quest,” she finally said, staring at him.

He nodded.

“Thank you. Then, I’m going.”

As he turned around and started walking toward the stairs, he heard her voice.

“Rylan, did you know? I’m a Fifth Circle Mage.”

He glanced back with a raised eyebrow. Alfira was smiling, but there was a wild edge to it, as if she were a beast baring her fangs. It was an expression that Roland had been intimately familiar with – fighting intent.

“Honestly, I’m tempted to fight you and see for myself whether what everyone’s been saying is true, but that wouldn’t be fitting. I’ve heard too many things about you for all of them to be true, which only made me more curious. Anyhow, I hope you succeed in your quest.”

He smiled. He couldn’t bring himself to dislike someone this honest, even if it was their first meeting. He preferred people like this, who were open about what they thought and felt. In a way, his smile was similar to hers.

“There’s no point in fighting, Guild Leader. You’re not an enemy,” he said. She let out a small sigh.

“I guess we’ll see how powerful you are over time. And Rylan,” her smile lost its edge. Her expression was now much softer. “Congratulations on fighting Evenon and surviving, unbelievable as that may sound to all of the others, including me.”

He shrugged but didn’t reply. Any response would either confirm or deny the rumors.

No more words were exchanged. He reached the stairs and left the third floor. He needed to hunt a few beasts.