See You Again, Gray

Colin Town's Adventurer's Guild stood near the town square, occupying a considerable area. The two-story stone-and-wood building had a wild, rugged style both inside and out.

There were no restrictions at the entrance, and the doors stood wide open. The moment Lynn and the other two entered, they were swallowed by a wave of voices and heat.

It was so lively!

Compared to the quiet Magic Association, this place was practically packed to bursting.

This was not Lynn's first time here. He made his way to a counter with practiced ease.

The receptionist at this counter was a young woman with short hair. Busy as she was, she could only steal a moment to eat the lunch she had prepared in advance behind the desk.

A "Reception Paused" sign was hanging on the counter at the moment, so fewer Adventurers had gathered nearby.

She was eating a long roll spread with butter and jam when she caught sight of Lynn from the corner of her eye. Her eyes immediately lit up. She hurriedly swallowed the food in her mouth, put away the rest of the bread, and removed the "Reception Paused" sign in front of her.

"Nina, sorry. Did I interrupt your lunch?" Lynn asked apologetically.

The young woman named Nina gave a short snort through her nose and said resentfully, "I'm working here. How can that be called enjoying lunch? I'm lucky if I don't starve to death!"

Then her tone shifted, and a professional smile appeared on her face. "Lynn, it's been a few days. Are you here to take on a new quest today?"

When Lynn had accepted the Crystal Monster Clearance Quest yesterday, Nina had happened to be off duty.

"No, I've already taken a quest, but something went wrong. I'm here to see Harold."

Nina blinked. "You want to see our vice president?" Her expression immediately turned tense. "Did something serious happen?"

At that moment, Lumi, a staff member from the Magic Association, spoke up. "Mr. Barton sent us. There's a problem with a quest your guild issued. The participants encountered an accident, and three mages are still missing."

Nina immediately looked at Lynn. Seeing him nod in confirmation, she quickly stood up. "Please wait a moment."

After saying that, she put the "Reception Paused" wooden sign back in place and left the counter.

Lynn watched as she first ran to another nearby counter to exchange a few words with a colleague, then lifted her skirt and hurried upstairs.

Before long, a very short but somewhat plump middle-aged man came downstairs with Nina.

So the Adventurer's Guild's vice president was a Halfling? That was rather rare. Halflings had never enjoyed a very good reputation, and it was difficult to see them in official institutions.

"Ha ha, Mr. Lumi, long time no see. Has your salary gone up lately?" he greeted Lumi warmly, completely ignoring Lynn and Elaine beside him.

Lumi arrogantly raised his chin and said impatiently, "I heard the Orc who joined the quest came back? Where is he now?"

"Oh, yes. Do you want to question him?" Harold looked up at him. Perhaps because they often had to look up at others, Halflings' necks seemed somewhat too long.

"He was injured, so I arranged for him to rest upstairs. Sigh, he's a three-star Adventurer! How could such a powerful monster appear on the outskirts of Whispering Forest?"

Harold wore a pained expression. "Those three young mages didn't make it back. I'm afraid things don't look good. Come, I'll take you to see him now. Let's get everything straight."

As he spoke, he waved for Lumi to follow and turned toward the stairs.

Lynn and Elaine exchanged a glance and silently followed.

The wooden staircase was somewhat old, but it had been scrubbed clean. As soon as they reached the second floor, the noise from the hall below faded considerably.

The second floor was divided into many rooms, with several branching corridors. Though Harold was short, he walked as if wound up by a spring.

Lynn noticed that his walking posture was strange. Like a cat, he moved on tiptoe without making the slightest sound.

Was he a rogue?

That class really fit the Halfling stereotype... Lynn grumbled inwardly.

"This is the room. The door isn't locked. You can talk. If you need anything, come find me in my office." He pointed toward the other end of the corridor.

Seeing that no one objected, he turned and left.

Lumi did not hesitate. He pushed open the door and walked straight inside.

"Who are you!?" A man's sharp demand immediately rang out from the room. Lynn and Elaine followed in after him and found Gray bare-chested, applying medicine to himself.

His dark green skin was covered in horrifying scars, peeling and wrinkled like rubber scorched by flames.

His gaze passed over the intruding Lumi and fell on Lynn and Elaine. A delighted expression immediately appeared on his ugly face.

"Elaine, and you're called... That's great. You two are both all right!"

His reaction was sincere and natural. He truly seemed concerned for them.

But he was a three-star Adventurer, at least a veteran warrior. How had he ended up in such terrible condition?

"Were these wounds caused by Skin-Rot Vine?" Elaine carefully stepped forward to inspect Gray's injuries, then asked uncertainly.

"Skin-Rot Vine is a three-star plant-type monster. I've only seen it in books..."

"That's right. That monster is extremely cunning and difficult to deal with. I never expected to encounter one in the outer region."

As a three-star Adventurer, Gray was qualified to venture deeper into more dangerous territory, the domain of three-star monsters.

A three-star monster... Lynn still felt a lingering fear. That thing was not something a mere Apprentice Mage like him could handle.

It would take third-circle—no, perhaps even fourth-circle attack magic—to possibly inflict effective damage on it.

"Knock, knock, knock." There was a knock at the door behind them. Lynn turned and saw Nina enter with a document in hand.

"Mr. Lumi, this is the registration file for the Crystal Monster Clearance Quest." She left the document behind, cast an uneasy glance at Lynn, and turned to leave.

Lumi immediately began reading it. He made no attempt to hide it, allowing Lynn and Elaine to see everything as well.

What was recorded on the paper appeared perfectly normal.

Two days ago, an Adventurer team had discovered a large number of Crystal Monsters parasitizing and reproducing in a certain area. Because the team had no spellcasting class, they had reported it to the guild.

And the reason Gray had joined the team...

"A volunteer?" Lumi cried sharply. "The Adventurer's Guild has volunteers?"

It was unbelievable. Weren't Adventurers mercenaries or bounty hunters who specialized in fighting monsters? Could this profession really provide free services?

The three of them immediately turned to look at Gray.

The Orc warrior had remained expressionless even while applying medicine to the festering wounds on his skin, yet now he looked utterly dejected.

"The volunteer system is specifically for people with tainted records. As long as they accumulate enough points, they can restore a clean identity."

"So, you've been in prison?" Lumi asked with a frown.

He asked it far too naturally. Orcs were already known for their bad tempers, violence, and love of fighting. It was perfectly normal for them to get into brawls and commit crimes.

But Gray shook his head. "No. I've never broken this country's laws."

"Then why?"

Hearing Lumi's interrogative question, Gray suddenly raised his head. Fury erupted from the human-like eyes on his ugly face.

"Because we are Orcs."