Nicholaus studied Virel for another long moment. The creature shifted in my palm, responding to my thoughts, before I pulled it back into my skin. The black matter flowed up my arm and disappeared.

  "A symbiotic bond," he said finally. "That's what I'll put in the official record. A rare tamed monster with transformation capabilities."

  "Thank you."

  "Don't thank me yet." He pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing. "This buys you time, but it won't stop everyone from asking questions. Some people will want to see it for themselves. Test its limits."

  "I can handle that."

  "I'm sure you can." He finished writing and set the pen down. "The Crown Guild's responsibility is maintaining the status quo, keeping peace among mages. As long as you're not causing problems, your secrets are your own."

  Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door.

  "Enter," Nicholaus called.

  A young man stepped in, dressed in the formal attire of a guild secretary. He bowed slightly. "My lord, the Adventurers Guild master has arrived."

  Nicholaus nodded. "Show her in."

  The secretary stepped aside, and a woman entered the office.

  She was middle-aged, maybe in her forties, with long blonde hair pulled back in a practical braid. But what caught my attention were her muscles. This woman was built. Her arms were thick with defined muscle, visible even through her sleeves. Her shoulders were broad, her stance solid and grounded like she could take a hit and not budge an inch.

  She looked like she could snap me in half without breaking a sweat.

  "Guild Master Renna," Nicholaus said, standing. "Thank you for coming."

  "Nicholaus." She nodded at him, then her eyes shifted to me. Sharp, assessing. "So this is the one everyone's talking about."

  I stood up awkwardly. "Uh, hello."

  "Sit down, girl. You're making the room nervous." She pulled out the chair beside me and sat, completely at ease. "Renna Vos, guild master of the Adventurers Guild, Southern Branch. You're Vera Demecillo, correct?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Don't call me ma'am. Makes me feel old.." She leaned back, studying me like I was a piece of equipment she was considering buying. "Heard you killed Gorvain the Butcher. That true?"

  I hesitated. "Yes."

  "Impressive. He was a nasty piece of work.” She crossed her arms. "And you took him down. An E-rank."

  Nicholaus remained quiet, letting her lead the conversation.

  "I'm here about your rank," Renna said, getting straight to the point. "The Adventurers Guild operates separately from the Crown Guild. We handle quests, monster subjugation, escort missions, that sort of thing. Nicholaus here keeps mages in line." She gestured vaguely. "But your performance during the attack falls under our jurisdiction."

  "Okay," I said slowly.

  "You saved this town. Killed multiple Drakmoor soldiers. Took down their commander. Protected civilians." She ticked each point off on her fingers.

  "The guild has reviewed your actions," Renna continued. "We're offering you advancement to C-rank."

  "C-rank?"

  "As much as I'd love to give you A-rank for what you did, the guild doesn't allow it. Rules are rules." She shrugged. "And frankly, killing Gorvain, while impressive, isn't quite enough for that level. A-rank adventurers have years of experience, documented kills, proven track records across multiple high-level threats."

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  I blinked. "A-rank?"

  "You killed a notorious commander with a body count that would make most veterans nervous. Saved an entire town from being wiped off the map. Yeah, I'd say that warrants consideration." She tilted her head. "But the guild has procedures. Can't just jump someone from E-rank to A-rank, even if they deserve it. Would set a bad precedent."

  "I understand," I said. To be honest, I wasn't even expecting to get promoted. I mean, it didn't even cross my mind at all. I'd just been trying to survive, to keep people alive. The thought of rank advancement never occurred to me.

  "It's more than enough," I continued.

  She reached into her coat and pulled out a small wooden box, setting it on the desk between us.

  I stared at the box.

  "This is your new badge. Give me your old badge."

  I fumbled with the bronze badge pinned to my shirt.

  I handed it to Renna. She took it, examined it briefly, then pocketed it.

  "Open the box," she said.

  I lifted the lid. Inside was a silver badge, the metal polished and gleaming. The design was more intricate than my bronze one, with detailed engravings along the edges. The letter C was prominently displayed in the center.

  "That's yours now. C-rank, officially recognized by the Adventurers Guild." Renna leaned back. "Wear it. It'll save you headaches when taking quests or dealing with other adventurers."

  I picked up the badge, feeling the weight of it. Heavier than bronze. More substantial.

  "Thank you," I said, not quite sure what else to say.

  "Don't thank me. You earned it." She crossed her arms. "Now, since you're C-rank, there's something I need to discuss with you."

  I looked up from the badge. "What?"

  "A quest. C-rank level." She glanced at Nicholaus. "We've been getting reports of increased monster activity in the northern woods. Nothing the town guard can handle. We need experienced adventurers to investigate and clear out whatever's causing the problem."

  "When?"

  "Soon. Within the week." Renna's expression turned serious. "The town's still recovering from the attack, but we can't ignore threats in the surrounding area. People need to feel safe again. They need to know the roads are clear, that they can travel without worrying about monsters."

  I turned the badge over in my hands. "And I have to take this quest?"

  "You're C-rank now. This falls under your jurisdiction." She leaned forward slightly. "Look, I know the timing isn't great. You just fought off an invasion, you're probably exhausted. But we're short on capable adventurers. Most of our C-ranks are either injured or already deployed elsewhere. You're the only one available who can handle this."

  "What if I say no?"

  Renna's expression didn't change. "Then you'd be refusing a direct guild assignment. Which is your right, technically. But it would raise questions about whether you're actually ready for C-rank responsibilities." She paused. "And frankly, we don't have anyone else. If you don't go, no one does. And people will die."

  There it was. Not a choice at all, really.

  "What kind of monsters?" I asked quietly.

  "Unknown. That's part of the problem. Scouts have reported sightings but nothing concrete. “

  She pulled out a folded map from her coat and spread it on the desk. "The activity is concentrated here, about a day's travel north. Small farms have been attacked, some livestock killed. No human casualties yet, but it's only a matter of time."

  I studied the map. The area she indicated was dense forest, far from any major settlements.

  "Will I be going alone?"

  "You can form a party if you want. Take other adventurers with you." Renna folded the map back up. "But ultimately, you're in charge. This is your quest."

  My quest. My responsibility. My problem if it went wrong.

  "When do I leave?"

  “As soon as possible.”

  She stood up. "Come by the guild hall before you leave. I'll have the full details ready,

  I nodded slowly, pinning the silver badge to my shirt.

  "One more thing," Renna said, moving toward the door. "If you bring others along."

  She met my eyes.

  "Don't get them killed."

  "I'll do my best."

  She left, closing the door behind her.

  Nicholaus cleared his throat. "Congratulations. And condolences."

  "Yeah," I said. "That about sums it up."

  I stood up.

  "Is there anything else?"

  "No. You're free to go." Nicholaus gestured toward the door.

  I left his office and made my way down the stairs. The mage who'd escorted me earlier was gone, so I walked out of the Crown Guild building alone.

  The streets were still busy with reconstruction. People hauling debris, hammering boards, calling out to each other. The town was slowly coming back to life, but the scars of the attack were everywhere.

  My thoughts shifted to Emil and Jorik.

  I wondered where they were now. If they were safe.

  I shook my head, trying to focus. They were fine. They had to be fine. Worrying about them wouldn't change anything, and I had my own problems to deal with.

  Like this quest.

  Renna had said I could take others with me, and going alone into unknown territory seemed like a good way to get killed. But who could I even ask?

  I barely knew anyone.

  Aditya came to mind first. She was capable, brave, good in a fight. But she was E-rank. And as much as I hated to think of it, she'd be a liability on a C-rank quest. The gap between E-rank and C-rank wasn't just about skill. It was about experience, about the kind of threats you could handle. Bringing her along would mean constantly watching out for her, making sure she didn't get overwhelmed.

  I couldn't afford that. Not on a quest where I didn't even know what we'd be facing.

  I had my monsters, at least. Virel, Nox and Fei were strong, reliable.

  And then there was my wild power.

  Three charges.

  But I had no plans to use them yet. I was saving them for my next monster.

  The last thing I needed was to waste wild power on something I'd regret later.

  I sighed, stopping in the middle of the street.

  And here I thought I could rest after all this.