Chapter 27 – Velderath City (Part 9)

The night grew deeper. Velderath City began to fall asleep. Only the magical lights along the main roads still glowed, casting a dim illumination between the old stone and wooden buildings. Nighttime activity was minimal, except in a few certain areas.

Inside the adventurer's guild, which had grown quiet, the tables had been cleaned, chairs stacked, and the staff had returned to their respective rooms.

However, behind the main desk, two people still remained inside the guild.

Gorath sat leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the seven Nightfang Thornboar corpses had been placed earlier. Even though the carcasses had been stored in the underground vault by the staff, the faint scent of blood and magic still lingered.

Across from him, the elven receptionist girl stood, finishing the last report. But her hand paused several times as she wrote—her thoughts were clearly unsettled.

"Guild Master," she said softly, her voice calmer than usual. "Do you really think they're... just beginner adventurers?"

Gorath opened his eyes and slowly turned to her.

"No," he replied shortly.

The girl looked down. "I felt that too." She resumed writing the last of the report. "Especially the one named Mira… I… I can't quite explain it, but there was a strange pressure coming from her. She even broke our detection tool when we tried to read her level."

Gorath was briefly surprised but quickly calmed again. He nodded slowly, as if he had already suspected it. "But the man is strange as well. I couldn't sense any mana or aura from him. What's his name again? Dyren, right? He looks weak, but… if he's truly weak, then why does that rabbit girl insist on being in a party with him, and why does he seem like the one being followed?"

The two of them fell silent for a few moments. Then Gorath spoke again. "Did you feel the strange mana from the Nightfang Thornboars?"

"Yes," the elf girl answered softly. "There was a trace of dark magic within the monsters' bodies. But... the wounds were too clean. As if cut by a single powerful slash… something far beyond a Rank C adventurer. Maybe even stronger than Rank A adventurers."

Gorath closed his eyes for a moment. He was piecing together the information in his mind. He was the guild master of Velderath. As guild master, he had to protect the city. That was a duty he must never forget.

"Are they spies?" the elf girl whispered.

"I don't know. But one thing's for sure..." Gorath stood, picked up a glass of water from the table, and took a slow sip. "They're no ordinary group. Even that girl... Mara, right?"

"Yes. She's from the Hill family. A minor noble house from the west side of Velderath."

Gorath nodded. "If that's true, her family probably has no idea their daughter is traveling with two mysterious individuals… and slaying Rank A+ monsters without a single scratch. If Lord Arte finds out, he'll probably be worried. Maybe I'll visit him tomorrow."

He turned, gazing out the guild's window that faced the now quiet streets of the city.

"We need to start paying attention to them. But not in a way that interferes too much. Observe them from a distance. We don't know how strong they really are. And we don't know if they're enemies or allies. So be cautious."

The elf girl swallowed and gave a slow nod. "Understood, Guild Master."

Gorath turned back to the table, glancing at the mission report documents. "Starting tomorrow... assign them higher-level missions. Nothing too suspicious. I want to see how far they can go. Falsify the data if needed. We need to gather as much information as possible."

The elf girl looked up. "Are you sure? What if other members take those missions? Party Brakkon tends to take missions greedily." She paused, frowning. "Did you see Party Drakkon? I haven't seen them at all since this morning."

Gorath walked toward the door, waving his hand. "Maybe they're out enjoying themselves at one of the night spots. You know how... perverted they are." Without turning around, Gorath left and closed the door behind him.

The elf girl remained there, watching Gorath with an annoyed look. "He never changes. Always does whatever he wants."

She turned back to her stack of paperwork, wanting to finish it as soon as possible. Before the clock struck nine.

***

Meanwhile, at a modest inn not far from the guild.

Dyren was sitting casually on his bed, legs crossed, flipping a Tharven Gold coin between his fingers. He had earned 300 Tharven Gold today. More than enough. He could live in luxury for a full year without working at all.

Mira sat near the window, staring outside. Her eyes weren't empty, but they also weren't filled—like someone who was on alert, though she didn't look like it. Mira had grown used to being this way because she was once the Demon King. Anyone could come and try to kill her.

Though now, she was no longer the Demon King. Still, the habit had not changed. It wasn't something easily erased when it had become part of her blood.

In the room next door, Mara was fast asleep. Her body still trembled slightly from everything that had happened today. She had originally planned to go home, but the night had fallen. Dyren offered her to stay. He would cover all the expenses.

"What about that mage girl earlier? Are you interested in her? I think we need one more party member so we don't struggle looking again."

Mira said nothing. She seemed lost in thought, still looking outside. She felt something strange, but she wasn't sure what it was. After some time, she turned to Dyren.

"She has talent, but her mentality is unstable," Mira replied.

"Too timid?"

"That's part of it, but more precisely, she doesn't believe in her own ability. That makes her potential hard to draw out."

Dyren nodded. He didn't fully understand a person's talent, but he could tell Mara had confidence issues. He had felt it back in the forest. She often wanted to return rather than continue hunting Thornboars. That was what both Dyren and Mira thought.

Though, that reason wasn't entirely true. Even if they had brought a different mage, the same thing would've happened. Who would dare enter the forest at night? Only the two of them were bold enough to do that. Even Rank A adventurers would rather go home.

"Can you teach her magic?" Dyren asked.

"I'm not the spell-casting type. I fight in close range. But when it comes to mana manipulation, I can teach her. Are you planning to recruit her?"

Dyren paused, thinking. He had a plan to gather stronger party members. At least Rank A level. That would make his life in this world easier. Dyren believed that the only way to return to Earth was by defeating the Demon King.

"How much potential does she have?"

"Probably equivalent to a Rank A adventurer," Mira replied.

Dyren nodded. "Alright, I'll recruit her."