In front of the counter, the area was packed with all kinds of adventurers. Magic crystal lamps hung from thick support pillars, and a massive quest bulletin board stood in the center.
The first-floor hall of the Adventurer’s Guild was as wide as an indoor plaza.
Loud boasts, the rough clatter of wooden mugs, and even a few vulgar curses from arguments over quests—all of it together formed the most chaotic ecosystem here.
However, the moment Balke’s burly figure stepped into the hall, the noise near the entrance noticeably stalled for a beat.
“Yo, it’s Balke of the Wind and Moon Squad.”
“Why’s he coming to the first floor? Doesn’t he usually go straight to the second floor to take commissions?”
“Shh, keep your voice down! Can’t you see they brought along a delicate young noble? Probably took some babysitting job for some extra cash.”
Suppressed whispers came from the crowd.
The adventurers who had been blocking the way with their tough faces all put away their usual arrogance and wisely stepped aside to clear a wide path.
In this place where pure strength spoke, a second-order peak Storm Swordsman and a fully equipped squad were enough to command absolute respect from the first-floor adventurers, most of whom were only first-order or even lower.
Balke was already used to this treatment. He swaggered ahead like a lion patrolling its territory, not even bothering to spare a glance at those around him.
“So this is the treatment of the strong…”
Leo followed behind Balke, his eyes shining.
He couldn’t help puffing out his chest and imitating Balke’s arrogant stride, trying to look imposing like a master.
However, soon he awkwardly realized that the adventurers in the hall didn’t linger on him, the employer, for long. Instead, they strangely looked past him and focused on Ailiya, who was walking at the very back of the group.
Ailiya followed behind Leo, her steps steady without any unnecessary sway.
Her ice-blue eyes, shaded by her hood, quietly scanned every detail of the hall.
She soon noticed a few special and incongruous figures in the crowd.
Behind a scar-faced swordsman stood a cat-eared girl; beside a drunken strong man crouched a burly but dull-eyed bear-man.
Around their necks were heavy black iron collars engraved with magical patterns. They wore ragged coarse clothes and carried backpacks even larger than their own bodies, stuffed with all kinds of odds and ends.
Their eyes were numb and submissive, without fear or anger, like two breathing tools.
The wolf ears on top of Ailiya’s head twitched slightly. Instinctively, she felt a sense of physical revulsion and discomfort at this sight.
She had read A Brief History of the Continent in this world and knew the background setting.
The Kingdom of Roland and the Beastmen Tribal Alliance in the north had been on bad terms for a long time, with bloody skirmishes of various sizes on the border for decades.
Under such hostile political circumstances, the situation for demi-humans within the Kingdom of Roland was quite dire.
However, not all demi-humans belonged to the northern alliance. The Kingdom of Roland had long been home to many native demi-humans who had lived there for generations.
They felt no allegiance to the northern alliance, and the alliance wouldn’t accept these kin who had been assimilated by humans.
Under the kingdom’s extreme racial discrimination and oppression, these unprotected and unwanted demi-humans often fell to the bottom of society, legally barred from high-level professions and public office.
Those with bad luck, or those who lost the ability to resist, would be directly deprived of freedom, becoming legal slaves to be bought, sold, and driven.
Slaves were not limited to demi-humans. In this feudal country, bankrupt people and prisoners of war were also on the legitimate slave trade list.
‘What a terrible setting…’
She didn’t have any overflowing saintly sympathy to save her kin; after all, she hadn’t even gotten used to her own identity yet, and all she thought about was how to grind experience.
But this kind of naked oppression, no matter where, still felt somewhat irritating to her.
Even though Ailiya deliberately kept a low profile and tried to stay in the shadows of the group, her extremely rare silver-white short hair, exquisite and coldly detached face, and her well-tailored maid outfit that clashed with the rugged environment were far too eye-catching.
“Hey, look at that silver-haired demi-human at the back…”
“Shh—what a gem! I’ve been around Fengyue City for ten years and never seen a wolf tribe with such pure fur color and such beauty! Is she the private property of some great noble lord?”
“Damn, I’ve been living on the edge for years, and I’ve never come across such high-grade goods.”
“I wonder if that young master dressed up like a peacock would be willing to sell. I’d shell out a hundred gold coins…”
Several gazes full of greed, lust, and undisguised disgust shot over like sticky spider webs from every dark corner of the hall, shamelessly sweeping over Ailiya.
Ailiya remained expressionless, not even raising her eyelids.
But at the edge of her vision, on the translucent system panel, it had already automatically locked onto those reckless red-named targets emitting malice.
She even instantly mapped out in her mind a combat route to cut their throats at the fastest speed and retreat unscathed.
However, before Ailiya could slide the dining knife hidden under her shoulder strap into her palm, Leo, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
The kid spun around, took a step sideways, and firmly blocked Ailiya, cutting off those disgusting gazes.
His right hand pressed tightly on the short wand at his waist. His eyes were full of warning and undisguised anger as he glared fiercely at the surrounding ill-intentioned adventurers.
“Clang—!”
Just as the adventurers Leo was glaring at were about to speak rudely, a deafening clash of metal exploded in their ears.
Balke slammed his heavy broad blade greatsword onto the floor, and the thick wooden planks instantly cracked with web-like fissures.
He turned his head, his murderous eyes coldly sweeping the hall, and his rough voice echoed.
“What? Do you have any objections to our Wind and Moon Squad’s employer and attendant? If you do, step forward and have a chat with my sword.”
The shield warrior Bulunda also silently stepped forward and planted his huge ebony tower shield on the ground with a muffled thud of intimidation, like an insurmountable iron wall.
The temperature in the hall seemed to drop to freezing instantly.
This was no joke.
The adventurers who had been leering and cursing immediately shut their mouths. They quickly averted their gazes, lowered their heads, and pretended to drink or study the wood grain on the quest board. No one dared to look this way again.
What a joke—offend the Wind and Moon Squad just to run their mouths for a moment? Did they think their lives were too long?
“Let’s go, young master. Let’s take care of business at the counter.”
Balke looked away with satisfaction and jerked his chin at Leo, as if he had just shooed away a few annoying flies.
Leo let go of his wand and took a deep breath, forcing calm.
“Got it. I’m coming.”
Ailiya looked at his slightly reddened earlobes, said nothing, and silently followed his steps.
The receptionist behind the counter was a young girl with freckles. Seeing Balke personally bringing someone, she immediately put down the documents she was organizing and became very respectful and enthusiastic.
“Good morning, Mr. Balke. How may I be of service?”
Balke pointed at Leo beside him.
“Not taking a quest. Just bringing a newcomer to register an identity today.”
Leo followed the procedure, took a piece of paper from the girl, and filled out a simple personal information form.
Following Elsa’s instructions, he deliberately omitted the Kastian family surname, only filling in “Leo” as his name. In the occupation column, he prominently wrote Mage.
After paying the expensive registration fee of ten silver coins, the girl took out a roughly polished black iron badge from under the counter and respectfully handed it to him with both hands.
“Congratulations, Mr. Leo. This is your Black Iron Rank adventurer certificate. With this proof, you can accept quests from the first-floor ordinary bulletin board.”
Leo took the cold iron badge engraved with his name with both hands, his eyes shining brilliantly.
He carefully pinned the badge onto the leather belt on his chest and even wiped the dust off it with his hand, as if it were the most precious knight’s medal in the world.
“See that, Ailiya!”
Leo turned around and eagerly showed off the badge on his chest to Ailiya.
“I’m now a guild-certified, official adventurer!”
Ailiya looked at the black iron badge that symbolized the lowest rank—not even enough to get a discount at the guild tavern—and mercilessly poured cold water on him.
“Young master.”
Ailiya leisurely adjusted her white glove and said in a flat tone, “A black iron badge only proves that you’ve just obtained the qualification to die outside the city walls legally, and without even a death benefit.”
“I hope that when you face real magical beasts later, you can still smile so brightly and confidently.”
The bright smile on Leo’s face froze instantly.
“Can’t you hope for the best for me?! Let me tell you, I’m a genius! I’ll quickly rise to Silver Rank, even Gold Rank! Then you’ll be impressed!”
“Haha! Ambition is a good thing!”
Balke laughed heartily and slapped Leo on the back, the force nearly making the newly minted black iron young master throw up his breakfast.
He pushed Leo toward the guild entrance.
“Let’s go, newly minted black iron kid. We need to head out of the city.”
The group passed through the noisy guild hall, under the gaze of many awe and complex looks, and stepped back onto the sunlit street, heading toward the city gate of Fengyue City.