Guild

Close to the Pure Bliss Inn, the Wilfharm Adventurer Guild was bustling with adventurers coming and going. It resembled a busy marketplace, with an unending flow of customers.

Two figures walked in, unintentionally drawing attention. Their presence was markedly different from the usual adventurers, as their clothing was ill-suited for battle. Instead of typical adventurer gear, they wore high-quality leather garments more appropriate for royal gatherings. It was immediately apparent that they were newcomers, as their expressions gave away their unfamiliarity with the environment.

"Over here!" one of the many receptionists called out, directing the two new visitors. "How may I help you?" she asked, flashing a bright and friendly smile. She quickly realized these two weren't ordinary and hoped to make a positive impression—perhaps even charm the more mature of the two if possible.

"My partner and I are new to town and would like to register as adventurers," the older one, with long flowing black hair, said with a warm smile. The receptionist blushed slightly in response.

"You'll need to pay the registration fee," she said. "It's five silver per person, but I can offer you a discount. If you'd prefer, I can charge just eight for both of you. How does that sound?" She winked and tried to act cute. Meanwhile, Luseraph couldn't help but suppress a laugh. In his eyes, she was no more than an insect, making her attempts to charm him seem almost pitiful.

"Come to think of it, I don't have any human currency," Luseraph said telepathically. "Beel, did you prepare for something like this?" Luseraph asked telepathically.

Beel nodded. "I exchanged several low-quality weapons with some humans. They were eager to buy them, and though I don't know exactly how much they gave me, they promised it would be enough to last us for generations." Beel replied telepathically.

With that, Beel stretched out his hand toward the counter, causing a pouch of coins to appear. The display immediately drew the attention of those nearby. Many assumed the pouch was the result of a spatial storage device—something incredibly expensive, with even the most basic type costing hundreds of gold coins.

At that moment, everyone's assumptions were confirmed: these two were likely from noble or royal families, with wealth that was beyond the ordinary adventurer's reach. However, what came next stunned everyone. The coins that spilled out were not the expected silver or gold, but something far more rare: blue chips.

Few had ever seen these chips, and even fewer knew of their existence. The blue chips—more accurately, Platinum Coins—were used for large transactions between kingdoms or large organizations, where dealing in silver or gold would be impractical due to the enormous amounts of wealth involved. Each Platinum Coins was worth 100,000 gold. The pouch in front of them contained several of these rare chips—at least 100, if not more. Wilfharm itself could only dream of possessing such wealth, and the combined worth of the guild could barely amount to ten Platinum Coins.

"Would this be enough?" Luseraph asked, seemingly oblivious to the shock he had just caused. The sudden shift in atmosphere was palpable, Killing intent formed from greed filled the entire guild. Even the guild master, who had been working in his office, stepped out—ready to confront what he assumed was a demon lurking in his guild as that was the most reasonable explanation why his guild were filled with such intent. Technically, he wasn't wrong. There were indeed two demons before him.

"What the heck is this? Who are these two? Are they from the empire? Do they want to buy my guild with that money? I accept!" The guild master said shamelessly, but his words were cut short when he learned they were merely here to register as adventurers—and had brought Platinum Coins as their registration fee.

"Is that so? Forgive my earlier behavior! How about I register you for free, and we can be friends instead?" the guild master said, now trying to salvage the situation. He pushed the receptionist aside and approached them personally.

Meanwhile, the guild members were burning with greed, their eyes bloodshot with desire. They couldn't sense any mana from the two, and many had already made plans to kill them once they left the guild. But one adventurer speculated that they were likely hiding their mana with some expensive artifact. The only way to confirm their strength would be after registration, when they could use a mana detection orb to assess their true abilities.

"I'll go first!" Beel said, placing his hand on the orb in front of him. Under the guild master's guidance, the orb began to glow, emitting erratic black energy. It wasn't the most overwhelming display of power, but it was certainly formidable—calm yet violent, an aura unlike anything the guild master had ever felt before. He could only deduce, based on its color, that this mana was likely from the legends—a chaotic form of mana.

"Seventh order!" the guild master exclaimed. Even though he himself was a seventh-order mage, the mana in front of him felt far more potent than his own. If someone who could casually wield such mana was already this powerful, he could only imagine how strong the older one would be.

Luseraph stepped forward. "It's my turn, right?" he asked, placing his hand on the orb. His face showed the strain as he struggled to replicate Beel's display.

"A rank 1 order?" The guild master muttered, staring at the mana with a disappointed expression. Yet, the aura around it was even more terrifying—rainbow-colored and flowing with divine elegance, exuding a golden hue that made it appear almost divine. It was a legendary aura with affinities to all elements, both basic and advanced—something the guild master had never believed could exist.

But as the orb continued to glow, it suddenly shattered into dust-like particles, making no sense at all. The orb was supposed to withstand at least eighth-order magic before cracking, but this one had shattered like glass. The guild master was left utterly confused.

"Just who are you two?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief. One of them had shown the power of a seventh-order mage, while the other had shattered the orb despite being a rank one.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Seraph, and my friend here is Beel. We're just traveling explorers, here to see what the human realm has to offer!" Luseraph said with a casual smile, though the guild master could tell he was hiding something butbhe couldn't question further, he didn't know the reason.Fear? Or something else?

"Well, I suppose I can't help it. I'll register you both as B-class adventurers—it's only fitting, given your strength," the guild master said, giving them the registration forms.

[---Name: Seraph---

---Order: 1st---

---Specialty: Elemental Mage---

---Class: B---]

[---Name: Beel---

---Order: 7th---

---Specialty: Sword Mage---

---Class: B---]

After filling out the forms, the guild master handed them their guild badges. The other adventurers watched in frustration as the two newcomers were granted B-class status—one of the highest ranks, even though they were clearly inexperienced. It was brutal for most adventurers to start from E-class and work their way up. The grumbles around the guild were inevitable.

Despite their apparent lack of experience, the guild members were already scheming. They believed that, even though Beel was a rank seven mage, the two would soon become their victims. The guild had already formed a party of seasoned adventurers—seven sixth-order mages and ten fifth-order adventurers. They believed that these two newcomers, however powerful, wouldn't stand a chance against their combined might.

"I'll have to warn you," the guild master said, his voice turning more serious. "You've made a lot of enemies. I can only guarantee your safety within the guild, but outside, it's beyond my control. Please, take care." His tone was quiet, but several adventurers overheard, knowing the guild master's words held weight. Violence wasn't allowed within the guild, but outside, anything could happen.

"Thank you for the warning," Luseraph said with a gentle smile. "It's getting late, so we'll be on our way."

The guild master's face fell. He had hoped for a tip, but there was no such luck.

"Ah, Beel! How about you give the guild master a little something for his generosity? After all, he said he'd properly guide and protect us even beyond the guild. We'll be in your care!" Luseraph said, turning back toward the guild master.

The guild master, confused and still reeling from the shock of being about to receive a Platinum coin, watched in slow motion as Beel tossed one of the chips toward him. The guild master fumbled to catch it, his mind clouded by greed.

Before he could fully process what had just happened, Seraph and Beel were already on their way out. All eyes in the guild turned to the guild master. The moment he held the Platinum coin in his hand, it was clear: possessing one of those was like declaring a bounty on your head.