Wilfharm Adventurer Guild
The usual bustling hall was rather quiet today, a stark contrast to its normal lively atmosphere. In fact, it had been this way for the past three days. A crowd of adventurers had gathered in front of the Guild Master's office, their expressions filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Among them stood Sheon, Beelzebub, and Luseraph.
Sheon, who immediately recognized them from the Rominary Yellow Bandits raid, stepped forward, her curiosity piqued.
"Excuse me, but your face looks a bit familiar. Have we met before?" Sheon asked, tilting her head slightly as if trying to recall.
Beelzebub merely shrugged, not bothering to acknowledge her, while Luseraph responded with a gentle smile.
"I believe we crossed paths in the Forest of Terra. Though, if I recall, it wasn't exactly a pleasant encounter," Luseraph said with a composed demeanor. "Let me introduce myself properly—I'm Seraph, and this here is my partner, Beel. It's a pleasure to meet you." He placed a hand atop Beel's head, ruffling his silver hair.
Sheon raised an eyebrow. "That's an unusual name... You must not be from this part of the continent. I'm Sheon, an A-rank adventurer. The pleasure is mine," she said with a nod. However, she couldn't help but notice Beel's sour expression.
"Forgive me for asking, but your friend doesn't look too happy. Is something wrong?" Sheon inquired.
"It's nothing much. He's just always in a foul mood these days," Luseraph remarked with a smirk, ruffling Beel's hair again.
Sheon glanced at Beel, debating whether to press further, but the sharp look in his eyes made her hesitate.
"You've introduced yourself already, so why don't you scram?" Beel muttered coldly. "You're starting to remind me of that bastard friend of yours."
Sheon stiffened, a chill running down her spine.
Beel's words instantly irritated her. She valued respect, and while she wouldn't have minded if Seraph spoke to her that way, Beel was clearly younger than her. As an A-rank adventurer, she believed she at least deserved a little respect from a B-rank like them. But before she could retort, a booming voice interrupted the tension.
"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why you've been summoned here."
The Guild Master stepped forward, addressing the crowd.
"A mandatory urgent quest has been issued by the Crowned Prince himself for all of our top adventurers. The reward? Over 1,000 gold coins each—"
The hall immediately erupted into an uproar.
1,000 gold coins?!
That was an astronomical sum, and everyone knew it could only mean one thing—danger. While some adventurers were blinded by greed, others, more experienced, grew wary. Only those who had never earned more than 100 gold in their entire careers seemed excited.
Before the chatter could escalate, the Guild Master's voice cut through the noise like a blade.
"Silence!"
The hall fell into a tense hush.
"It's not as dangerous as you might think. It's merely a support mission."
Murmurs of relief spread through the crowd, though many remained skeptical.
"Our kingdom is at odds with Aelfhim, and war is inevitable. As you all know, Aelfhim is the weakest kingdom in the Southern Region, boasting only three Sixth-Order warriors at best. There have been rumors about their princess, but even if they are true, she couldn't have possibly broken through from the Fifth Order to the Seventh Order in mere weeks. At most, we estimate she remains a Fifth-Order mage.
"But even if she did somehow reach the Seventh Order, it would not be a problem. Apart from myself, we have two Seventh-Order soldiers under the king's command… and our newest adventurer, Mr. Beel, who is also at the Seventh Order!"
Silence.
Then, all at once, the room froze.
Sheon felt her breath catch in her throat.
The boy beside her was Seventh Order?!
No wonder he acted so arrogant. If anything, she was the one who needed to show him more respect.
By all appearances, Beel looked no older than fourteen, while she, at nineteen, was only Sixth Order. This level of talent was unheard of—even in the Empire.
The Guild Master continued, "Our objective is not to engage in full-scale battle, but rather to pressure Aelfhim into surrendering before bloodshed begins. With our forces, they will realize they have no chance of winning."
A few adventurers chuckled at the mere mention of Aelfhim. Some went as far as claiming they could defeat the entire Aelfhim army alone.
But amid the arrogance, Luseraph suddenly spoke up, his voice calm yet thoughtful.
"If you ask me, I believe Princess Roselle is far stronger than anyone in Wilfharm."
Beel's expression remained unchanged.
Sheon, who had been quietly listening, snapped to attention.
"Wait… these two know the princess of Aelfhim?" she thought. "Who the hell are they?!"
Her heart pounded as she turned her focus back to Beel, hoping for more clues.
---
"She's still far weaker than me," Beel stated bluntly. "The last time she fought me, she was only as strong as your Guild Master."
Sheon flinched. That's already an incredibly high level!
"But now that she can wield the weapon you had me give her, she should already be stronger than everyone in Wilfharm," Beel continued. "If I had to estimate, she could likely defeat an Eighth-Order warrior and even hold her own against a Ninth-Order opponent."
Gasp!
Sheon audibly sucked in a breath, drawing the attention of those nearby.
"Something wrong?" Luseraph asked, his tone playful yet unreadable.
"N-No! I'm fine!" Sheon stammered before quickly retreating to a corner, her mind spinning.Her fingers trembled slightly as she pieced everything together.
There had been rumors about two mysterious adventurers who had waltzed into the guild carrying a bag of platinum coins just to register. She had dismissed it as a childish tale.
But now… she couldn't ignore it any longer.
"They know the princess of Aelfhim. That means Beel must have fought her—and defeated her effortlessly. At the time, she was already as strong as our Guild Master, meaning Beel is at least Ninth Order… or worse, he has a weapon that makes him equivalent to a Ninth Order."
Her mind raced.
"Maybe it's something like Leonel's Ring… and speaking of Leonel, could he be the 'bastard friend' Beel mentioned earlier? If so, Leonel must know something about them!"
She swallowed hard, gripping her arms as she cast a wary glance at the two figures standing so casually in the middle of the room.
These two… are not ordinary.
And that terrified her.