Rudy originally wanted to say that he hadn't planned to take on the "Stray Dragon" mission either. He had come here for other reasons, so it didn't matter.
But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zenith beside him, and Paul placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stop talking.
"May I ask who you are?" The person who had previously entrusted the mission at the Adventurer's Guild was "Mud," said to be a powerful solo adventurer. So, the guild receptionist was clearly unsure how to respond to Zenith and Paul, who had just interjected.
"Don't worry, young lady, we're not suspicious people. If you don't believe us, you can check. We're also adventurers. I'm Paul Greyrat, the leader of 'Black Wolf's Fang,' and this is my wife, Zenith Greyrat."
Seeing the receptionist's doubtful expression, Paul naturally revealed their identities.
After a quick check, the receptionist's gaze shifted from suspicion to respect. She discovered that there was indeed an adventurer team called "Black Wolf's Fang," led by Paul Greyrat, and that this team was an extremely powerful and rare S-rank group!
"What would you like to ask, Sir Paul and Lady Zenith? Even if it's not about an apology to 'Mud,' I won't hide anything from you as long as I know it."
The status of adventurers might not be particularly high, but once they reach S-rank, it's a different story. Among all adventurers, very few can attain this level. After all, those with such strength could easily enjoy better treatment by becoming guards or knights in any kingdom rather than taking on dangerous adventurer missions.
Thus, the Adventurer's Guild grants certain privileges and respect to these rare S-rank and above adventurers.
"About two days ago, was there a blond boy who brought a few wyvern corpses here? Where did he go afterward?"
Seeing the receptionist's admiring expression, Zenith got straight to the point.
Generally, the Adventurer's Guild is obligated to keep the whereabouts of adventurers confidential, as there's no way to know if the inquirer has ulterior motives. Knowing this rule, Zenith had interrupted Rudy earlier, using the guild's apology to pressure them into revealing Wood's location.
Paul and Zenith, with their extensive adventurer experience, understood this, but Rudy was completely unaware.
When asked this question, the receptionist, who had been eager to share information earlier, now wore a troubled expression. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke:
"I'm sorry, but I can't disclose any information about that person. As for the apology to 'Mud,' we will compensate in other ways."
Both "Black Wolf's Fang" and "Mud" were powerful adventurers of S-rank and SS-rank, respectively. If possible, the receptionist naturally didn't want to offend them. But the information they were asking about was also quite sensitive—the person in question was currently the only SSS-rank adventurer in the guild!
SSS-rank adventurers had always been thought of as legends, but when Wood showed his guild card and casually tossed down a few wyvern corpses, the receptionist was utterly stunned.
Adventurer Guild cards above S-rank are made of special materials, and the SSS-rank card is crafted from an ultra-rare metal that cannot be corroged or forged. So, when Wood presented his guild card, the receptionist was completely shocked.
"The reason you can't tell us about that adventurer is because his rank is higher than ours, right? And his title is 'Golden Flash,' isn't it?"
Don't misunderstand—this "Golden Flash" isn't the blond guy who likes to use three-pronged kunai. It refers to Wood.
When Wood first registered as an adventurer to make a living, he needed a team name. Being terrible at naming things, and considering his own blond hair, he impulsively chose this name.
Later, when Wood would recount his adventures to his two sisters, Zenith would sometimes listen in with a gentle smile. So, she knew very well that Wood's adventurer title, or rather his team name, was "Golden Flash."
When Zenith mentioned this, the receptionist's expression turned to one of astonishment. "Golden Flash" had disappeared from the adventurer scene several years ago. If she hadn't seen him with her own eyes this time, many would have thought the legendary SSS-rank adventurer was just a myth. She never expected that these people would know "Golden Flash."
"Even if you know 'Golden Flash,' it's still not allowed. This is the guild's rule—we can't disclose the whereabouts or information of our adventurers to others. Besides, even if you know 'Golden Flash,' you can't prove your relationship with him. How do I know you don't mean him harm?"
The receptionist was clearly a principled person. Not only had she been completely captivated by Wood's looks earlier, but as the only SSS-rank adventurer in the guild, she couldn't possibly reveal even a hint of information to Zenith and the others.
"You want us to prove our relationship with him? Fine. Rudy, come here. We need you to prove what our relationship with Wood is."
Rudy, known as "Mud" in the adventurer world, wasn't widely recognized by his face. This was because he always wore a hooded mage robe during missions, and his signature "mud magic" and staff, "Arrogant Water Dragon King," were his defining features.
So, when Zenith pulled back Rudy's hood, revealing his face, the receptionist was completely dumbfounded. She never expected that the SS-rank adventurer "Mud" would have the exact same face as the SSS-rank "Golden Flash"!
"How about that? I think there's no more convincing proof than this. As you can see, the 'Mud' you speak of is the twin brother of 'Golden Flash.' And we are his mother and father. He's been missing for two years, and we just want to find our child. We know this goes against the guild's rules, but please, help us."
The receptionist was utterly stunned. From the moment these three had walked in, they had been dropping one bombshell after another, but this latest revelation was by far the most shocking.
She never could have imagined that the S-rank "Black Wolf's Fang," the SS-rank "Mud," and the SSS-rank "Golden Flash" were all part of the same family!
This family was full of monsters! Every single member was S-rank or above!
"I apologize for my earlier rudeness. I had no idea you were 'Golden Flash's' family. I'll tell you everything I know."
The receptionist didn't doubt Zenith and the others' identities. The guild cards couldn't lie, and if anything went wrong, Zenith and the others wouldn't be able to escape responsibility. Besides, she had overheard Wood muttering something about looking for his family earlier.
Both sides were searching for their family, and "Mud" and "Golden Flash" did indeed have identical faces, with the only difference being the placement of a beauty mark—one on the left and the other on the right. Wood's handsome face had left a deep impression on her, so she was confident she hadn't mistaken him.
As Zenith, Paul, and Rudy left the Adventurer's Guild, their expressions were a mix of overwhelming joy and slight disappointment.
From the guild receptionist, they had learned that Wood was also searching for them. This meant that, whether Wood had become an undead or truly come back to life, he still retained his sanity and memories of the past. He hadn't forgotten them and was actively looking for them.
The slight disappointment came from the fact that the receptionist didn't know Wood's exact whereabouts—only the direction he had headed in. The world was vast, and knowing only the direction made finding him akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
However, no matter how difficult it might be, Zenith and the others were determined. They would find Wood again, no matter what it took.
Compared to the pain of losing Wood, Zenith felt that nothing could be harder to bear. At least now, there was hope of finding him again.
"This is great news. If Norn and the others hear about this, they'll be overjoyed."
Paul was also thrilled. After Wood's death two years ago, the two little girls in the family would often talk about their "Big Brother Wood," and no matter how much Paul tried to comfort them, it never seemed to help.
Rudy was equally happy about the news. He had even considered dropping out of the Ranoa Magic University. After all, compared to his family and his sisters' forgiveness, his studies seemed trivial. Besides, after two years, he had already reached the pinnacle of the magic academy, so continuing his studies didn't hold much meaning anymore.
Since Wood was no longer in the Red Dragon Mountains, Zenith felt there was no point in staying. The Greyrat family decided to move once again.
To be more precise, the Greyrat family was now embarking on a nomadic adventurer lifestyle, determined to find Wood.
When they returned home, Norn, who had been crying earlier, had been found by Aisha and Lilia and had been persuaded to come back. When Zenith and Paul shared the news that Wood might have "come back to life," the little girl immediately stopped crying and even urged the family to set out quickly so she could find her "Big Brother Wood."
Upon learning from Zenith and Paul that Rudy's efforts had led to the discovery of Wood's whereabouts, Norn and Aisha's attitudes toward Rudy softened considerably. While they didn't immediately return to a normal sibling relationship, they were no longer as hostile toward him as before.
Upon hearing that Wood had come back to life, the Demon Wolf King let out a howl that sent shivers through the forest, causing countless magical beasts to tremble in fear. A large number of wolf-type magical beasts quickly gathered around the Greyrat family, acting as their escorts.
Soon, a new hot topic emerged in the Red Dragon Mountains: a large number of wolf-type magical beasts had left the Demon Forest and were now accompanying a group of humans as they traveled across various countries.
Meanwhile, Wood was completely unaware that the entire Greyrat family had embarked on an adventurer's life to find him. He was still on the road, making his way from the Red Dragon Mountains to the Holy Kingdom of Millis.
The journey wasn't particularly short, and as he traveled, Wood took the opportunity to learn about what had happened in the world during the two years he had been "dead."
To his relief, aside from the "Great Teleportation" incident that had occurred before his death, nothing major had happened in the central continent over the past two years. While conflicts between nations were constant, they were relatively minor.
It seemed that after encountering the Dragon God Orsted, the "Human God" had become more cautious and hadn't caused any major disturbances during this time.
The Holy Kingdom of Millis was a theocracy, distinct from other kingdoms in that the highest authority was the Pope rather than a king. However, due to internal strife within the church, the kingdom was in a state of chaos. The aging Pope wanted his grandson, Cliff Grimoire—Rudy's close friend at the Ranoa Magic University—to succeed him as the next Pope.
But Cliff, though talented and intelligent, was still too young and inexperienced. As a result, the Pope's decision faced strong opposition from within the church.
To protect his grandson, the Pope had sent Cliff to study at the Ranoa Magic University. On one hand, he hoped Cliff would grow and mature there; on the other, it was a way to keep him safe.
What the Pope hadn't anticipated was that the rebellious factions within the church had decided to make a bold move. They weren't willing to wait for Cliff to grow up or give the Pope any more time. Instead, they planned to seize control of the church while the Pope was still alive but too old to resist.
To achieve their goal, they used secret potions to lure magical beasts and orchestrated a series of events, ultimately causing a massive beast wave to attack the Holy Kingdom of Millis!
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