Chapter 3: The Demon Lord Walks into a Guild… and Immediately Regrets It

If there was one thing I had learned about this ridiculous era, it was that everyone in this world had a talent for wasting my time.

Take, for example, the Adventurer's Guild.

A place meant to gather warriors, mercenaries, and mages—one would expect an establishment filled with powerful individuals worthy of my attention. Instead, I was greeted by a rowdy tavern-like hall packed with muscleheads, drunks, and loudmouths, all boasting about how many goblins they'd slain.

Pathetic.

And yet, here I was, following Finn Eldor, the hero's idiot descendant, as he led me straight to the guild's front desk.

"C'mon, Leo! If you're gonna make money, this is the best place to start!" Finn grinned, slapping me on the back like we were old friends.

I ignored him. My eyes were locked onto the girl standing behind the counter.

She looked about seventeen, with shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair tied into a loose ponytail. Her deep blue eyes radiated suspicion, and the way she tapped her fingers against the wooden counter told me she was already tired of my existence.

She wore the standard **guild clerk uniform—**a neat white blouse, a fitted navy vest, and a short, pleated skirt. Judging by her sharp glare, she wasn't here to play nice.

"Another one, huh?" she muttered, giving me a once-over. "Let me guess. Runaway noble?"

I blinked. "What?"

She folded her arms. "You've got the look. Fancy hair, stupidly pretty face, arrogant attitude. Either you're here to 'experience commoner life' for fun, or you got kicked out of your mansion for being useless."

I scoffed. How dare this peasant?!

"I am neither of those things," I said, straightening my cloak. "I am—"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Listen, buddy, if you're looking for easy work, this isn't a charity."

Finn laughed. "Haha! You got him all wrong, Aria! Leo's just looking for a job"

Aria, was it? I narrowed my eyes at the girl. A human with an attitude problem.

She let out a long sigh. "Uh-huh. That's what they all say." She grabbed a stack of papers and slammed them onto the counter. "Alright, Mr. Totally-Not-A-Rich-Guy, let's see if you actually qualify."

I arched an eyebrow. "Qualify?"

"Yeah. Y'know. The application process? We don't just let random weirdos join the guild."

Weirdos?

I clenched my fist. I had conquered kingdoms. I had shattered entire realms. And this mere girl dared to call me a weirdo?!

Aria smirked. "What, don't tell me you can't read?"

I nearly vaporized the counter.

Finn stepped in, laughing nervously. "Hahaha, okay! Let's, uh, get started!"

I exhaled slowly, grabbing the cursed paperwork. Fine. If this was the nonsense I had to endure before claiming my rightful power, so be it.

Step 1: The Application Form

The form was filled with idiotic questions.

"Name?"

I wrote: Leonard Nightfall.

Aria glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "Pffft. Leonard?"

"What."

"It's just… kinda old-fashioned, isn't it?"

I scowled. This girl was testing me.

"Age?"

…Hmph. Unknown. I had long lost track after centuries of conquest.

I scribbled down a random number. 

"Combat Experience?"

I hesitated.

Should I write "Ruler of a Demon Army"? No, these fools wouldn't believe me. I needed something believable.

I scribbled: "Extensive."

Aria squinted at my handwriting. "This is the most vague, suspicious application I've ever seen."

I grinned. "Then you must not see very many great men in your lifetime."

She sighed. "Alright, Leo. You need to pass the combat test before we process this."

Step 2: The Combat Test

The moment Aria announced the combat trial, the entire guild perked up.

"Combat trial?" one adventurer laughed. "This noble-looking guy's gonna get wrecked in first 3 seconds."

"Hah! Bet he can't even hold a sword properly!"

"Maybe he'll cry and run home to his butler."

I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly. These insects…

A cocky-looking C-rank adventurer stepped forward. He was a tall, muscular man with a huge greatsword strapped to his back.

"Hey, Aria! Let me test the newbie!" he smirked. "Gotta make sure he's tough enough, right?"

Aria shrugged. "Fine by me."

Finn patted my back. "Go get 'em, Leo!"

I rolled my shoulders. Hmph. Fine. If these people needed a reminder of true power, I would oblige.

We moved to the training grounds outside the guild. A crowd gathered.

The cocky adventurer grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, noble boy. Try not to cry."

I blinked.

Then—

He charged.

Pathetic.

I took a single step to the side.

His massive sword whooshed past me, missing entirely.

The crowd went silent.

The adventurer blinked in confusion. He swung again.

I casually tilted my head. His blade missed. Again.

"…The hell?" he muttered.

I sighed. This was a waste of time.

I raised a finger—just a finger—and lightly tapped his shoulder.

BOOM.

The adventurer was sent flying across the training yard, crashing straight into a wooden fence.

The entire guild erupted in shocked gasps.

Aria dropped her clipboard.

Finn cheered.

The adventurer groaned from the dirt. "…H-How…?"

I flipped my cloak dramatically. "Hmph. Weak human."

Final Step: Guild Rank Assignment

After several stunned moments, Aria cleared her throat.

"W-Well," she muttered. "That was… something."

She stamped my application and handed me a guild badge.

"Congrats, Leo. You're officially an adventurer… at F-Rank."

I stared.

"…Explain."

"Well," Aria said, smirking, "since you have no record, no past quests, and no experience, you start at the bottom."

"…You mortals are insufferable."

Finn laughed. "At least you're in! Gotta start somewhere, right?"

I clenched my jaw. This was humiliating.

But fine.

If these fools wanted to underestimate me, I'd let them.

For now...