The Adventurers' Guild was already awake when they arrived.
News traveled fast in cities like this—especially when an inn exploded overnight.
Whispers followed them as they stepped inside. Curious glances. Cautious ones. Some outright disbelief when people noticed the faint frost still clinging to Iris's boots.
Arelion approached the reception desk, placing his adventurer card down calmly.
"We're here to submit a report," he said."Regarding last night's incident."
The receptionist—a woman with tidy hair and practiced eyes—picked up the card.
Her gaze flicked to the rank.
"…F-rank."
She paused.
Then looked up at them.
"Elaborate."
Elayne stepped forward, posture straight, voice composed.
"A B-rank monster breached city limits. Mana Overload type. It attempted self-detonation inside an inhabited district."
The receptionist's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Inside the city?"
"Yes," Elayne replied. "It was eliminated before detonation completed."
A murmur rippled through the guild hall.
The receptionist exhaled slowly, then nodded.
"I'll log the incident."
Arelion leaned in just enough to lower his voice.
"In that case," he said quietly, "would this be enough to adjust our rank?"
The receptionist didn't even hesitate.
"No."
Arelion blinked. "…No?"
She shook her head, tone professional.
"Rank adjustments require completion of registered guild quests. Last night's incident was not an active assignment."
"But it was a B-rank threat," Arelion said.
"I understand," she replied. "But procedure is procedure."
For a moment, Arelion simply stared at her.
Inner thought:So saving people isn't currency here.Only paperwork is.
He leaned back, lips pressing into a thin line.
"Meaning," he said flatly, "if we hadn't been there…?"
The receptionist met his gaze evenly.
"…That's not a question I can answer."
Silence stretched.
Then she turned slightly and gestured toward the massive board behind her.
"Please select quests appropriate to your current rank."
Arelion followed her gesture.
At the very bottom—
F-Rank Quests.
Courier work.Pest extermination.Herb collection.
His eye twitched.
Inner thought:I command a kingdom's worth of wealth.And I'm being told to hunt rats.
He turned away, clearly ready to leave—
"Elayne."
Her voice was calm, but firm.
She looked at him steadily.
"This is the fastest route."
"…To what?" Arelion asked.
"Access," Elayne replied. "Information. Cities. Restricted regions. Guild cooperation."
She didn't soften it.
"Rank opens doors. Pride does not."
Arelion stared at the board again.
Then sighed.
"…Fine."
The moment he said it—
fwsh.
Several quest papers vanished from the board.
Arelion turned sharply.
"Iris."
She stood there, arms full of parchment, looking genuinely confused.
"What?" she said. "You said fastest."
"That's—" Arelion stopped, then rubbed his forehead."That's too many."
Iris grinned."If one quest raises rank slowly, then many quests raise it faster."
Elayne stared at the stack. "…You took all of them."
"They were available," Iris shrugged.
The receptionist blinked. Once. Twice.
"…Please don't die," she said automatically.
Arelion looked at the pile.
Inner thought:So this is my party.A knight with sense—and a walking disaster with ice magic.
Still…
As he reached out to take the first quest sheet, something stirred again.
That faint, subtle shift.
Not strength.
Not danger.
Contribution.
Effort.
Movement.
Inner thought:So you don't measure glory…You measure progress.
Arelion straightened.
"Alright," he said. "Let's work."
Iris laughed."See? Being F-rank isn't so bad."
Arelion glanced at her.
"…Don't push it."
But as they turned away from the counter, one thing was clear—
This city had tested them.
And the guild?
It had just underestimated them.