Dozens of adventurers were rushing toward the guild. All of them B and A-Class. If C and D-Class had been called too, the crowd would have been even larger.
"So many adventurers — and all of them awake at this hour," Metye said, looking around at the crowd.
"They're all here for the reward," Maruls said.
Whenever Daichi made an announcement like this, it meant an emergency quest — and whichever party completed it first would earn a significant reward.
They all pushed inside. The girl who'd been sick yesterday was back at the counter today.
"We asked this morning too — where does that girl from yesterday live? Give us her address," one adventurer said to her.
"He came to the guild to ask for a girl's address. Unbelievable," the counter girl thought to herself.
"Sir, I told you this morning — I don't know anything about her. The Guild Master was the one who brought her in," she said as politely as she could manage.
Every adventurer in the guild was waiting for Daichi to come down. Same as every night, the guild was packed to bursting.
"Asfer, Uni — over here," Metye called out, raising his hand to wave them over.
"Excuse me—" Uni and Asfer made their way through.
"Look — I know you know her. Just give me her address." The same adventurer still wasn't letting it go. He'd left that morning because of Daichi, but Daichi wasn't here yet.
"Sir, if I knew her, I'd tell you. I haven't even seen that girl myself," the counter girl said, trying to reason with him.
The man's anger flared. His hand went to his sword.
"So you won't talk. Is that it?" he shouted, drawing the blade and bringing it close to her neck.
His party members stood behind him.
"That's enough — she genuinely doesn't know," one of his party members said.
Every adventurer in the room watched. Nobody wanted to step into someone else's fight.
"Stay out of it." He shoved his own party member back.
"Last chance. Tell me." He glared at the counter girl, sword still raised. She was terrified — she just worked there. She was just as pretty as Silia, and somehow she was the one with a sword at her throat while the actual thief walked free.
Dark black hair. Dark black eyes. A double eyelid that made her eyes stand out even more. Even in guild uniform, she looked striking. Red lips.
Maruls stepped forward.
"That's enough. Put your sword away." He moved toward the man.
The adventurer turned to face him.
"And if I don't? What are you going to do?"
Maruls drew his own sword.
The man pulled back — then came at Maruls fast. It looked like they were about to fight.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jhed lay awake. Sleep wouldn't come. He kept thinking about the card — how much easier it would have made everything that came next. Everyone has something that matters to them, however small it seems to others.
The guild's atmosphere was heating up fast. The two blades were about to meet.
Then —
"STOP." Daichi's voice cracked down from above. Both swords froze mid-air.
Every adventurer turned toward him.
"You got lucky today," the adventurer muttered.
Both of them lowered their swords and sheathed them. Daichi stood at the top of the stairs, looking down.