Published: February 1, 2026
Surrounded by the bustling noise of the guild, the man’s eyes were fixed on the presence before him.
“My rank, you say?”
His calm features were refined, and his gentle voice, contrary to its impression, strongly drew people’s attention. The smile he wore was pure, yet carried a pride that belied his appearance.
His lips slowly parted, and as expected from his smile, he spoke with confidence.
“Rank B.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“Hmm… well, it’s subtle… ugh, it’s hard to be surprised.”
It was impressive, yes, but not enough to be utterly amazed. Rather, it seemed difficult to accept, given the calm man’s commanding presence didn’t quite match.
His puzzled expression made it even more unsettling.
The story began a little while ago. Rizel and the others had returned to the guild from the labyrinth after completing their usual quest that day.
The three of them passed through the guild’s doors, each catching their breath. The journey back was crowded, not only because they returned late but also because of the labyrinth’s location.
“Today’s labyrinth was tough, wasn’t it?”
“Trap disarming was a must — what a hassle.”
“Better than getting minced up, though.”
The large-scale “mechanical labyrinth” featured exposed giant gears and metal parts. Watching it was nostalgically enjoyable, but the difficulty of disarming traps rose with its scale.
Jill once tried to brute force stop the gears, but the labyrinth didn’t cooperate—it demanded a proper strategy. It’s a labyrinth, after all.
“As expected, it’s busy at this hour.”
“The real challenge starts now.”
“The counter’s free, so it’s fine.”
Adventurers, having had their share of action, seemed eager to finish the tedious procedures quickly.
Most adventurers in the guild had completed these steps already, either waiting for their rewards or chatting about where to drink tonight. Rizel was still impressed by how quick adventurers moved.
“Shall we go drinking today?”
“Oh, sounds good.”
While lining up in front of Stud, Rizel and the others talked. If they lined up elsewhere because this line was empty, Stud’s gaze would blatantly follow them.
The line only had one group ahead, so their turn would come soon.
“Don’t drink, you.”
“I won’t.”
“Still reflecting on what happened?”
“I am reflecting, but even without that, I won’t drink.”
Though she didn’t seem down, her words were sincere, and Jill and the others accepted it. They thought she was overthinking it, but if she couldn’t forgive herself, there was no helping it.
They also knew her reasons weren’t only about inconveniencing the client or lowering the guild’s reputation.
“It wasn’t a solo request but a party one.”
She surprisingly cared about this.
She disliked others’ opinions of her dropping because of her actions. Rizel knew she evaluated them fairly and quite highly without bias.
Jill sighed, and Eleven cheerfully raised his lips as he looked at Rizel.
“Well, if you say it’s responsibility as leader, that’s not totally off.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
Squinting his eyes in a gentle smile, Eleven revealed sharper teeth than Yuito as he spoke.
“Do you think you’re such a nobody that you’d lose all value over something like that?”
His aggressive smile and teasing deep voice made Rizel only laugh gently.
Reaching out to Eleven’s cheek, she traced his scales with the back of her fingers once. Instantly, his provocative face relaxed, and he stepped back.
“I know you’re not bothered by it at all, and it was just me feeling bad because of what happened.”
“Do as you please then.”
“That’s what I intend.”
Not wanting to annoy Jill and the others too much, Rizel was moderately reflecting.
“By the way, leader, if it was a solo request, would you not care about mistakes?”
“I do reflect, but I don’t dwell on it much.”
Watching the party negotiating rewards hesitantly with Stud at the counter, Eleven said in surprise.
Rizel was also careful; if they failed a quest, they’d investigate and feel sorry for the client, doing all possible follow-up. But she switched gears quickly and didn’t stress too much.