The dust hadn't even settled.
Raelus was still brushing specks of wind from his coat when a hush fell over the courtyard.
And then—
The crowd parted.
Boots echoed.
A presence sharp and magnetic cut through the tension like flame through silk.
And she appeared.
She was tall—statuesque even—her curvy figure wrapped in a sleek coat lined with royal blue, trimmed with lightsteel chain mail that shimmered with spellwork. She wore a pair of blue trousers that matched her coat as well as a white silk shirt. Her dark, waist-length hair was tied in a loose braid, swinging with each step, and her amber-gold eyes sparkled with something far more dangerous than curiosity.
Amusement.
"You're the one who bent an A-ranker like a willow branch," she said, stepping into the ring with a sway in her hips and a subtle grin.
Gasps swept through the watching adventurers.
"That's the Guildmaster…"
"She never fights…"
"She's S-rank. One step from being a legend."
"Why is she smiling like that?"
Raelus tilted his head.
"You're very sparkly," he said, wide-eyed. "I like your earrings."
She blinked.
Then grinned wider.
"I like you already."
⸻
She stopped a few paces from him and gave a theatrical bow.
"Guildmaster Serelienne Kaelis. S-rank adventurer. Mistress of the Twin Sword Arts."
"Hi! I'm Raelus. I like banana muffins, shiny things, and dodging politely."
Serelienne laughed—a melodic, almost teasing sound.
"I'm sure you do. But how about you dodge me?"
⸻
Round Two Begins
⸻
Serelienne didn't wait.
The moment Cedric raised his hand, she blurred forward—drawing twin blades from behind her back: one curved and burning red, the other silver and crackling with wind.
Her strikes came in elegant arcs, meant to probe, tease, test.
Raelus dodged the first two without moving his feet.
He leaned. Shifted his weight.
Let her pass by like a breeze.
"Pretty," he said.
"Which one?" she asked, swinging again.
"The sword—or you?"
Serelienne faltered for half a second.
Then redoubled her assault.
Steel sang through the air.
Sparks danced.
Magic weaved in sharp bursts.
Serelienne's wind blade unleashed a gust that tore open the arena floor. Her flame blade left trails of fire in perfect, crescent-shaped arcs. She twisted, spun, kicked off the air itself with runic boots and came down in a blazing overhead slash.
Raelus caught it with two fingers.
And smiled.
"That was really good! You're fun."
Serelienne's eyes narrowed.
"You're not even trying."
"Oh, I am," he said cheerfully. "Trying not to ruin your pretty outfit."
The smile faded from her lips—not out of anger, but necessity.
Serelienne's next move changed the air.
She spoke a word in an ancient tongue, and the wind howled. Her flames turned white-hot. Her aura thickened—elegance becoming pressure. Power curled around her like a storm given form.
"You're not the only one full of surprises," she said.
Raelus tilted his head, delighted.
"Ooh, yes please. Let's go!"
She launched herself into the air, creating a cyclone ring mid-jump. Fire spiraled into the vortex, forming a burning halo.
She descended like a shooting star, blades igniting the sky.
This time, Raelus moved.
A step.
One.
The world warped.
And suddenly he was behind her.
He didn't strike.
He just tapped her shoulder.
She spun—
Too fast.
She tripped.
She stumbled midair, momentum off-kilter.
Raelus caught her.
One arm wrapped around her waist, the other gently steadying her back.
They didn't move.
Her face was inches from his chest.
She blinked up.
And froze.
Because now, up close…
She saw it.
The faint shimmer of celestial veins under his skin.
The gentle heat that rolled off him like late summer sun.
The soft curve of his lips, the kindness in his mismatched eyes.
"You're… beautiful," she whispered.
Then turned bright red.
"I—I mean—strong! You're strong!"
Raelus beamed.
"You're really soft."
"W-what!?"
"Like your mana! And your armor lining! What? What did I say?"
She broke away in a flustered flurry of motion.
"Okay—time out. Time. Out. I need a minute."
Raelus blinked.
"Did I win?"
Cedric was leaning on the railing, stunned.
"I don't even know what game you're playing."
The crowd lost it.
Cheers, laughter, chants of Raelus's name.
Serelienne stood at the edge of the ring, one hand on her face, muttering, "I was not prepared for this."
Raelus waved cheerfully.
"Can we be friends?"
She looked back, cheeks still flushed.
"You're lucky you're adorable."
⸻
The cheers still echoed.
The training field slowly emptied—
adventurers dispersing with wide eyes, stunned mutters, and backward glances.
Some shook their heads in disbelief. Others just stared at the smiling boy who had treated an S-rank duel like it was a warm-up stretch.
Raelus, blissfully oblivious to the awe swirling around him, was crouched beside a rock in the arena.
"You did so good," he whispered, gently petting the dazed butterfly perched on his sleeve. "We were in danger together. You're basically a veteran now."
The butterfly twitched its wings like it agreed.
Raelus nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I know. War changes us."
⸻
Serelienne stood near the guild's entrance, arms crossed. Her earlier fluster had faded, replaced by something more measured.
Curiosity. Respect. And a pinch of nervousness.
She studied Raelus like he was a puzzle she hadn't been trained to solve.
Then she approached.
Raelus looked up and waved cheerfully.
"Oh hey again! Did you need something? Or do you want a rematch? I promise to use only half a smile this time."
Serelienne smirked despite herself. "Gods help me, no."
She stopped a few steps away and extended a hand—voice steady, but laced now with formality.
"Serelienne Kaelis. Guildmaster of the Elderglen Adventurer's Guild. Member of the Twin Blade Order. Licensed S-rank combatant."
Raelus blinked. Then took her hand without hesitation.
"Raelus. Traveler. Muffin enthusiast. Possibly part dragon. Still workshopping a title."
She paused.
"…Wait. Just Raelus?"
"Yep."
"You're not registered to any noble house?"
"Uhhh…" He scratched his head. "Does being raised by sixteen Divine Beasts count?"
Her hand froze mid-shake.
"…I'm sorry—what?" She laughed
She ignored what she thought was a weird joke, then reached into her coat and pulled out a small, rune-etched case.
Inside were two crystal badges.
One shimmered like firelight—an amber-gold prism etched with the official S-rank sigil: a pair of wings wrapped around a blade.
The other was simpler. Clear crystal, shaped into a standard C-rank badge, bearing the guild's neutral crest.
"This," she said, holding up the S-rank, "is your official adventurer designation. Made of flameglass crystal—enchanted and recognized across all 16 kingdoms."
Raelus's eyes sparkled. "Pretty."
"And this," she added, handing over the simpler one, "is your alternate badge. If you ever want to avoid attention—take minor jobs, travel without fanfare—use that instead."
Raelus accepted both like sacred treasure.
"Thank you. These are amazing."
"You earned them. Somehow." She gave him another once-over. "Speaking of… how old are you, exactly?"
"Sixteen!"
Serelienne blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…You mean six-teen. As in years."
"Yup!"
"Not decades. Not cycles. Years."
"Mhm!"
She stared.
Then turned away slowly.
"…I'm going to need something stronger than a drink."
⸻
Raelus pocketed the badges, then glanced up at the sky, spinning once as he took in the rooftops and the rustling wind.
Then turned back to her.
"Soooo… where am I?"
Serelienne froze mid-step.
"…I'm sorry?"
"Like, what's this town called? And what kingdom is it in?"
"You… don't know?"
"Nope! First day out of the sanctuary. I followed the smell of bread and friendly people."
She stared at him.
Then slowly walked back and looked him in the eye.
"Raelus. You're in Elderglen—a frontier town on the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Virellia. Two weeks from the capital. A week's ride from the Greenwood Range."
"Oh, neat!" He beamed. "Is that near any big mountains?"
"Several. Why?"
"One of my dads is a mountain."
She blinked.
"…You're not being metaphorical, are you?"
"Nope!"
She sighed. Long and deep.
"You are going to be an international incident."
Raelus grinned. "I really hope so."
⸻
End of chapter 15 "The Guildmaster's Gamble"