Chapter 2: "Wait… Who Did I Just Give Advice To?"

Guild of Asteron – Ten Minutes Later

"ELDRIC!"

I barely had time to react before Myra, the guild's receptionist, slammed a parchment onto the counter.

I blinked. "Uh. What?"

She gave me a deadpan look, ears twitching in irritation.

"You met someone near the fountain just now, didn't you?"

I frowned. "Yeah. Some beginner mage. She was struggling, so I helped her out."

The entire guild went silent.

I glanced around.

Every adventurer in the building was staring at me like I had just insulted the royal family.

Garret's party had stopped mid-drink, frozen in shock. One guy actually dropped his beer.

Even the rowdy veteran adventurers—the ones who usually ignored everything—looked horrified.

Someone coughed awkwardly.

Then, Garret let out a wheezing laugh.

"Oh gods—oh my gods—he doesn't know!"

Know what?

I turned back to Myra, still confused. "…What?"

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Eldric. That 'beginner mage' you just 'helped'—that was Seraphina Astralis."

I blinked. "Who?"

"SERAPHINA ASTRALIS!" Myra repeated, slapping the parchment against my forehead.

I gave her a blank stare.

She groaned. "The SSS+ Rank adventurer! The Mystic Star of the Capital! The strongest mage of our generation!? The leader of the all-female Silver Valkyries!?"

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

The realization hit me like a cart full of bricks.

The silver hair. The golden eyes. The ornate spellbook.

The same girl who had just asked for my advice like a lost beginner.

The same girl I called a weakling.

I froze.

Garret exploded into laughter.

"You—you thought Seraphina Astralis was a NOVICE!?"

The guild roared with laughter.

I stared into the distance, soul leaving my body.

"She—she let him call her a beginner!" one adventurer howled.

"Hey, Eldric, did you give her some good pointers?" another teased.

"Maybe she'll promote you to E-Rank!"

I wanted to disintegrate into the floor.

"Wait," I muttered. "Why… why didn't she say anything?"

That's what didn't make sense. If she was so famous, why didn't she just correct me?

Myra sighed. "Probably because she found it funny."

That made my situation so much worse.

I buried my face in my hands.

Oh no. She's gonna tell everyone.

I'll be the idiot who gave 'advice' to an SSS+ rank prodigy.

---

Meanwhile, at the Silver Valkyries' Private Lounge

Seraphina Astralis sat calmly at the large circular table, flipping through the pages of her spellbook.

Her party, The Silver Valkyries, stared at her like she had grown a second head.

"…Let me get this straight," one of them, a tall, blonde knight named Reina, said slowly. "You—Seraphina Astralis, the youngest SSS+ rank in history—got advice from Eldric Vayne."

Seraphina sipped her tea. "Correct."

Silence.

Then absolute chaos.

"You're JOKING, right!?"

"He called you a beginner!?"

"And you just let him!?"

Seraphina calmly set her cup down.

"It was amusing," she said.

Her rogue, a petite elf with twin daggers, choked on her drink. "H-He thought you were a rookie! And you just—went along with it!?"

Seraphina smirked.

"It was… refreshing."

The tank of the group, a muscular woman with tanned skin named Kara, slammed her fist on the table. "Wait. WAIT. Are we not going to talk about how you're SMILING while talking about him?"

Seraphina tilted her head. "Am I?"

Reina looked haunted.

"Oh no," she whispered.

The rogue frowned. "What? What's wrong?"

Reina sighed dramatically.

"Seraphina's found another weird person to admire."

The Silver Valkyries groaned in unison.

---

Later That Evening – Guild of Asteron

I had finally managed to escape the worst of the teasing when the guild doors swung open again.

And in walked Seraphina Astralis.

The guild fell dead silent.

The usual rowdy, beer-drinking, overconfident adventurers? Gone.

The veterans who never cared about drama? Tensed up immediately.

Even the guild receptionist, Myra, froze mid-paperwork.

She was as composed as ever, hands folded behind her back, golden eyes scanning the room with a regal calmness.

Her silver hair shimmered under the warm light of the guild's chandeliers, her mage robe flowing gracefully behind her with every step.

And behind her, The Silver Valkyries followed, each one grinning like they were about to witness the greatest spectacle of the year.

I was still frozen in horror.

She was looking for me.

Why? Why!?

Seraphina walked straight to the counter—right next to where I was sitting.

She didn't hesitate. Didn't glance at anyone else.

Her golden eyes locked onto mine.

I could feel the weight of every stare in the guild pressing down on me.

She smiled slightly.

"Ah," she said, voice smooth, unfazed by the dozens of eyes watching us.

"We meet again."

Oh. No.

I did not like where this was going.

"Uhh… hi?" I tried, my voice coming out more like a dying frog.

The guild was completely silent.

A single glass clinked in the background. Someone coughed.

Then, Reina—her knight—grinned like a troublemaker.

"So, Eldric," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Are you gonna give our leader another lesson in magic?"

The entire guild burst into laughter.

Some people slammed their mugs onto the table, roaring.

Others fell off their chairs, wheezing.

Even Myra, who usually tried to help me, had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.

I wanted to die.

Seraphina tilted her head slightly, observing me like she was analyzing a rare species.

Clearly enjoying my suffering.

"Actually," she said smoothly, "I was hoping to ask Eldric something."

The laughter immediately stopped.

Everyone leaned in, waiting.

Even I was confused now.

Seraphina tapped a finger on her spellbook.

"I have another dungeon raid soon," she said.

I gulped. Oh no.

"And I was wondering…" she continued, golden eyes gleaming.

I gripped the counter. Oh no no no.

"Would you give me another one of your 'motivational speeches' before I go?"

The entire guild exploded into chaos.

"WHAT!?"

"IS THIS A JOKE!?"

"Eldric—THE Eldric—THE FOREVER-F-RANK—is her personal mentor now!?"

Garret was laughing so hard he fell out of his chair.

I dropped my head onto the counter, utterly defeated.

Seraphina took a sip of her tea (where did she even get that!?) as if nothing was wrong.

Her party? Dying of laughter behind her.

Her rogue, the petite elf with daggers, wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh gods," she gasped between laughs. "She's serious. She actually wants another speech."

Reina nodded sagely. "A very rare case of SSS+ Rank Genius Syndrome. She's fascinated by the weak."

Kara, the tank, leaned in toward me.

"Eldric, buddy," she whispered. "How does it feel to be the spiritual guide of our strongest mage?"

"I AM NOT HER SPIRITUAL GUIDE!"

The guild only laughed harder.

Seraphina, however, remained calm, looking at me expectantly.

She wasn't joking.

She really wanted another speech.

My suffering had just begun.

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