Trouble

It's been two months since Aizen settled into the routine. He asked Pi if she could tutor him in potions, and she was delighted to teach him the art of crafting them. To him, it was like a mix of cooking and chemistry.

Besides that, he went to the Guild, where he took on missions and joined other groups to raid dungeons or complete any tasks he was assigned or chose from the quest board. Sometimes, he helped the villagers with their work, such as in shops, while gathering the knowledge he sought.

This village, located near the border of the Western Kingdom, is called Greenville Village.

He often got hurt during dungeon raids. If it weren't for Pi's potions, he would have died. That was a problem—well, two problems. Pi warned him to avoid taking damage and not to drink too many healing potions or any potions, for that matter.

Because people get addicted to potions, Aizen understands the importance of avoiding damage and has improved his speed in dodging attacks. Another thing he has discovered is that his sword skills have significantly improved.

The more his sword levels up, the better he becomes at wielding it.

He's now a D-ranker. He received his badge upgrade at the Guild, and it fills him with pride to see his progress. The dungeons have been helping him a lot.

Another thing—Pi seems to be sex-crazed or something. Aizen thought their last encounter would be the final one, but after a week, Pi struck again. At first, he didn't notice her flirting or subtle touches, too focused on studying potions and planning for the next day. To put it simply, he missed a lot of her signals.

One day, after finishing his studies, he went to his room to read up on Craft Smith history. Soon enough, Pi followed him and shut the door behind her.

She made sure there was no escape for Aizen before stripping down and tackling him onto the bed.

What she didn't know at the time was that Aizen's system had already warned him before she entered his room and pinned him down. His system had even assigned him a task—tame Pi.

What's up with his system? He feels like he's being baited. Sometimes, the system rewards him with valuable items, and other times, it hands him completely useless junk. He still hasn't touched the keys yet, waiting until he reaches C-rank.

"Hey, Aizen! Wanna join us? We're heading to the woods. Heard there were wolves there."

Aizen looks up from his book to find a group standing beside his table. Right—it's Boris. He's taller than Aizen, with a muscular build, short brownish hair, a mustache, and a beard. He's wearing armor. A very friendly and middle-aged man.

"No, thank you. I'm going to help Shelly with cleaning!"

Boris laughs. "Haha! Go, brother!"

"Man, our boy here has a mission."

"Good luck, Aizen!"

"We won't bother you for a while then. Oh! Tell you what? There's a field of flowers right outside the village, closer to the woods. You can pick some there for your lady!"

"Enough! Let the lad be! Come on, we need to hunt those wolves down!"

Aizen blinks, confused, wondering what they are talking about.

What Aizen doesn't know is that the villagers believe he has a thing for Shelly. He visits her often and is seen talking to her more than usual.

They have known Shelly for a while now. The woman rarely speaks to anyone, so seeing her converse with Aizen and even smile has led them all to assume that Aizen and Shelly like each other.

And as far as they're concerned, Aizen is trying to woo the woman.

In reality, Aizen has been asking Shelly about the area and the Western Border. He wants to go on an adventure once he has enough knowledge, skill, and reaches C-rank. Shelly possesses a crystal ball that she uses to communicate with other Guilds from different kingdoms and exchange information.

Shelly advised him to wait before heading toward the Western Border. She was incredibly helpful with directions and even provided him with a map. While the one he had was similar, hers included additional details—such as camp locations, blocked paths, and the whereabouts of various herbs.

The Western Kingdom had fascinating places to visit, but the main reason Aizen wanted to leave this kingdom was to seek out the Dwarves. He hoped to acquire armor and maybe even a finely crafted sword—any weapon that could aid him on his quests.

He had read about Dwarven craftsmanship in books, and now, he wanted to see and experience it for himself.

As Aizen saw Shelly return to her counter, he placed his book back into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and made his way toward her.

"Hey, Shelly, what cleaning do I need to do?"

"Change of plans." Shelly slammed a paper onto the counter and pushed it toward him. "You have a mission."

He blinked, then picked up the paper and scanned it.

"A quest? It's… a rabbit hunt?"

A screen appears:

New Task

Hunt down 10 rabbits. If you hunt extra, you get +50 points.

**Rewards:** 100 Gems and 50 Points.

---

"Yes, you need to hunt some rabbits. A customer just placed an urgent request," Shelly explained. "You can head over to the woods… try the flower field. Rabbits are usually seen around there."

"Oh, okay. How many should I get?"

"As many as you can. If you catch more than 10, you might get a bonus."

"All right, I'll go right away."

"Wait."

Shelly knelt down, and Aizen paused, watching her. When she stood up, she placed a bow and a quiver of arrows on the counter.

"Here, take these."

Aizen stared at the weapons and then back at her. "Uh… I don't know archery…"

Shelly gave him an unimpressed look. "No better time to learn than today. Besides, these are magic. You'll see what I mean. Just take them and go. Don't waste time."

"Okay…" Aizen sighed, placing his bag on the counter before picking up the bow and arrows. "Watch over my bag. I'll be back."

Shelly took the bag without much enthusiasm. "Whatever. Go."

Was it just him, or was she a little moody today? Nonetheless, he left the Guild and headed toward the flower field.

---

Meanwhile, Pi had just finished making another batch of potions. She looked proud of her work as she carefully stored them away. Once she was done, she cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clothes.

Suddenly, she sensed her crystal ball going off. Without hesitation, she headed toward her room and saw it glowing on her desk. She walked over, placed her hand on it, and spoke.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"Hey, sister!"

"Oh, Gaji! Brother, how are you?"

"I'm doing great! I wanted to let you know I'll be returning home in a few days."

"Really? That's wonderful! Was your mission successful?"

"Indeed, my sister. The mission was easy. I also have gifts for you."

Pi giggled. "That's sweet of you, brother. Of course, come home soon, and I'll bake your favorite dish—beef steak!"

"Yes! Thank you! I'll be home soon! See you, sister."

"See you later, brother."

As the crystal ball's glow faded, signaling the call had ended, Pi's smile slowly turned into a frown. It wasn't that she was unhappy about her brother coming home sooner—it was the fact that she wouldn't be able to have her fun with Aizen.

Her brother was extremely protective of her.

If her brother found out about her relationship with Aizen—oh boy, that would be troublesome. Still, it was her life.

Sighing, Pi rubbed her temples and glanced around her room. First things first, she needed to do some cleaning and then head to the village to buy more groceries.

She also needed to inform Aizen that her brother would be arriving in a few days—just in case. On top of that, she had to ask Shelly if there were any available rooms at the Guild. Yeah, it was better to prepare for poor Aizen in case her brother got… violent.

Oh, alakazam, what should she do?

---

Meanwhile, Aizen had reached the flower field. It was beautiful, and the scent of the blossoms filled the air. However, he wasn't here to admire the scenery.

Gripping his bow and arrow, he spotted wild rabbits grazing near the field. He crouched low, careful not to make any noise.

As he aimed at a rabbit, a blue, box-shaped marker suddenly appeared in his vision, highlighting the creature. Curious, he shifted his aim slightly, and the marker turned red. He adjusted back toward the rabbit, and it turned blue again.

Exhaling through his nose, he released the arrow. It flew swiftly and struck the rabbit dead-on.

Startled, the remaining rabbits scattered. Aizen remained still, staring at his bow.

A screen appeared before him: Magic Bow Level 2.

Ah, so that's what she meant by "magic."

Right—no time to waste. He stood up and resumed the hunt.

Later, Aizen managed to catch all ten rabbits—plus four extra. After securing them in a bag, he glanced at the field of flowers.

Maybe he should pick some for Pi and Shelly as a thank-you for their help.

Staring at the colorful blooms resembling tulips, lilies, and roses, he grabbed a few. He didn't really know much about flowers, so he had no idea what he was picking.

Oh well, it didn't matter. Girls liked flowers, right? That was good enough.

With his task complete, he turned back and made his way to the Guild.

As he entered the village, he immediately noticed something was off. The atmosphere was tense, and villagers whispered among themselves. Their expressions were filled with worry, tension, and unease.

Aizen frowned. What the heck happened?

Ignoring the strange mood for now, he focused on getting to the Guild. However, as he approached, he noticed a large crowd had gathered outside, making him even more concerned.

Pushing his way through, he stepped inside and saw five men standing at the counter where Shelly was.

Aizen blinked. What's going on?

One of the men, who seemed to be the leader, leaned in toward Shelly with a smug grin.

"Listen here, Shelly, we've known each other for many years. You know the kind of business I run around here, don't you? Don't be silly—just accept my offer. I'll make you a queen!"

"Yeah! Our boss is kind, you know!"

"Don't play hard to get, woman. Our boss is strong!"

Aizen frowned and glanced at the guy beside him. "Hey, what's going on?"

Without looking away, the man responded, "That's Scar's group. Their boss, Scar, is a C-ranker. He just returned from a long mission. That guy… I don't even know how to describe his personality. He harasses women and people alike—mostly women. Shelly is his target this time." He scowled. "I need to get Boris. Please, can you distract them?"

"Huh? Ah, sure…"

Aizen watched as the man pushed through the crowd and ran off. Turning his attention back to the group, he sized them up. Scar and a couple of his men were as tall as Boris, while the other three were of average height.

Should he step in?

Shelly didn't seem distressed. If anything, she looked completely unamused, as if she didn't care about whatever Scar was saying. Still, she was a friend, and Aizen didn't like the situation.

Decision made, he stepped forward.

"Hey, Shelly!"

Scar's group turned, glancing over their shoulders to see who had spoken. Shelly's lips twitched when she saw him.

"Aizen! Did you finish the task?"

"Yes, I did."

"Where are they?"

Aizen ignored the group as they instinctively gave him space, stepping up to the counter. He did, however, steal a glance at them—especially their leader, Scar.

The man had a scar running down his cheek, messy black hair, and sharp brown eyes. He was tall and muscular, clad in what looked like goblin leather armor, baggy pants, and boots, with a sword strapped to his waist.

Without a word, Aizen opened his inventory, pulling out a bag of rabbits. "Here you go. I grabbed five extra."

The entire guild fell silent.

Whispers erupted as people exchanged glances.

He has an inventory?

Scar narrowed his eyes. Who the hell is this guy? I've never seen him in the village before... Is he new here?

Meanwhile, Shelly checked the bag, nodded approvingly, and reached beneath the counter, pulling out a small pouch. "Good, you did well… Here."

"Thanks." Aizen accepted the money and casually stored it in his inventory. "So, got any more quests for me?"

"None at the moment."

"What about the cleaning you wanted me to do?"

"No need. I already took care of it."

The group watched in disbelief as Aizen and Shelly spoke to each other like old acquaintances, completely ignoring their presence.

Scar's eye twitched. *Who does this guy think he is? Talking so casually to Shelly…*

His irritation boiled over.

"Hey, beat it."

Scar shoved Aizen.

Aizen stumbled back but held his ground, quickly regaining his footing as he stared at Scar.

"Don't casually talk to my woman."

Shelly scoffed. "Who said I was your woman, dumb face?"

Aizen smiled, his green eyes narrowing as he stared at Scar. "You heard the lady." He tilted his head slightly. "You shouldn't be causing a commotion here, friend."

Scar paused, then burst into laughter, pointing at Aizen. "Oh, look at this! He thinks he's a hero! Haha!"

Aizen blinked. *Bro, I don't like attention. I'm just trying to distract you. What's wrong with this guy's head?*

Scar took a step closer, resting his hand on Aizen's shoulder. "Listen—"

"Scar!!"

The crowd turned toward the doorway to see Boris, his face set in an annoyed frown as he stormed into the guild. He didn't waste any time, marching right up to Scar. "Remove your hand off him at once! And stop harassing Shelly! Don't act like you're doing good deeds. We all know the shady work you do. I won't be surprised if you crawl back to the village to hide from the knights!"

Scar quickly pulled his hand off Aizen's shoulder, his expression shifting as he faced Boris. "Hey, Boris old buddy!"

The tension in the room thickened as everyone waited for what would happen next.

Aizen glanced at Shelly, who was simultaneously relaxed and annoyed. "You okay, Shelly?"

Shelly gave him a brief glance before nodding, her eyes quickly shifting back to Boris and Scar.

Boris's face was a picture of disappointment as he addressed Scar. "Don't make a scene, Scar. If I see you here harassing anyone again… you'll be sorry."

Scar sneered, unphased. "Ooh? How are you gonna stop me? Just because you're a B-rank swordsman doesn't mean you're the boss here."

Boris's smile became sharp, his posture unwavering. "Oh, I'm not the boss, Scar. I never said I was. But the only boss here…" He paused for effect, looking directly at Scar. "…Is Gaji."

The name hung in the air.

Scar's expression faltered, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Boris. "Did you hear he's coming here too? Funny coincidence, isn't it? That you're here, and he's coming too?"

A tense silence stretched out. Everyone in the guild stood still, holding their breath, watching the standoff between the two.

Aizen's mind raced. Gaji..? If I remember correctly, he's Pi's friend, isn't he?

After a long pause, Scar finally backed away and raised his hand in mock surrender. "Harsh." He flashed an unnervingly friendly smile. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Boris raised an eyebrow, his expression cool and unreadable. "Yeah," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Friends."

Scar nodded at his men, signaling them to leave. As they made their way toward the door, Scar shot one last glance at Aizen, his eyes narrowing, before walking past Boris without a word or further glance.

Once the group had left, the tension in the room began to dissipate. People started whispering among themselves, the calmness slowly returning to the guild. Boris sighed, uncrossing his arms and walking over to the counter.

"You okay, Shelly?"

Shelly rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "You guys think so little of me..." She reached under the counter and pulled out a dagger, her smile darkening. "I had a poison dagger. If he had tried anything, I would've slashed him."

A sinister black aura enveloped her as she spoke, her eyes gleaming with a cold amusement. "This poison would've killed him slowly, in agony... Haha... only if he had touched me. I would've had to test it out… what a shame."

Boris and Aizen couldn't help but sweat a little. *What a shame, huh?*

Boris turned to Aizen, his expression turning serious. "You should be careful. I understand you were trying to distract him, but be very careful next time. That man is Scar. He may not have any power here, but he's dangerous."

"Dangerous? He's C-rank, right?" Aizen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, he is. I'm B-rank," Boris replied, his tone serious.

Aizen tilted his head, still puzzled. "I feel like something is missing here."

Shelly's expression darkened as she spoke. "Scar has hired a lot of people from the guild here and other places. Those people he hired mysteriously disappeared... or died. People avoid him like a plague."

Boris clenched his fist, his anger barely contained. "Last time... he got a D-rank female mage. We heard her body was found near the cliff... Her body..."

Aizen closed his eyes, the weight of the situation sinking in. "I see." He didn't need to hear more; the pieces were already falling into place. "Was he punished?"

"That's the problem," Shelly said, her voice tinged with frustration. "There was no evidence he did it. We all believe it was his group, but we don't have the proof to put him in jail, or even put him on trial."

Aizen nodded, understanding the grim reality of the situation. "I see. Don't worry, Boris. I'll take care of myself."

Boris gave Aizen a nod, though his expression still carried a trace of concern. "Just be careful. Scar is more dangerous than he seems."

"That you better," Boris replied, his tone firm. "Anyway, I should get going. Shelly, my group has done the quest. We'll be heading out to the woods tonight and camping there."

"Whatever," Shelly muttered, her attention already elsewhere.

Aizen gave them a nod and began to move away. "I should go as well. See you guys later."

"See you tomorrow, Aizen!" Boris called after him.

"Whatever, bye," Shelly replied, barely looking up.

Aizen waved goodbye, then turned and walked out of the guild. He made his way out of the village, heading towards Pi's place. Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching from the shadows, quietly following his movements. The figure silently disappeared into the distance, heading off to report back to their leader.