The Guild's Authority

Dean's face darkened. What did she mean, a dirty little secret? And with a young woman he didn't even know, at that?

But no matter how dark his face grew, it was no use. He was only a magic apprentice. In terms of strength, who knew how many people in the Adventurers' Guild hall could crush him? In terms of status, he was just an ordinary adventurer.

It looked as though they could only pin their hopes on their trump card, Kana. Yanxi and Lamore clearly thought so too, as they all lined up behind her.

"Oh? Sir, are you questioning the fairness of our Adventurers' Guild? And wouldn't that mean you're questioning our guild's integrity as well?" the young woman at the counter asked mildly. But anyone who knew her could hear the chill beneath that gentle tone.

The portly, middle-aged swindler raised a finger and wagged it in front of her, regarding her with something approaching contempt.

"Don't blow this out of proportion. I'm referring only to you and these adventurers. I have no intention of disparaging the Adventurers' Guild." As he spoke, the portly swindler even made a point of bowing to the guild hall.

This undoubtedly demonstrated his respect for the Adventurers' Guild. Of course, anyone could see that this respect was only skin-deep. Everyone knew he couldn't possibly mean it.

"Indeed. It's clear that this employer has no intention of disparaging the Adventurers' Guild. Yue Sisi, as the counter supervisor, how can you show favoritism toward an adventurer team?" Just then, a loathsome voice rang out.

In an instant, it drew the eyes of everyone in the Adventurers' Guild hall. Of course, it wasn't because of the man's voice or what he had said, but because his clothes were exceptionally eye-catching.

He wore a golden formal suit, with unidentified jewels set into every corner and edge. No one knew whether those jewels were valuable, but they certainly dazzled at a glance, and his entire outfit gave him a fresh, sprightly air.

One could say that this man alone could serve as the most conspicuous landmark in an entire area.

Of course, that was also what made him so repulsive. He looked exactly like a nouveau riche flaunting his wealth.

No one knew whether he really was nouveau riche, but he was certainly showing off. Adventurers were a bunch of paupers, after all. Whenever they had a little money, they spent it on improving their strength. How could they have any left to carry around?

And now, the newly arrived "golden man" had undoubtedly become the object of every adventurer's resentment. It couldn't be helped. They were all out here scraping a living together—what adventurer had never felt the urge to risk their life for money?

Of course, this was the adventurers' hall, so no one would make a move. But in a more secluded place, never mind escaping unscathed—the old man probably wouldn't be able to keep so much as a scrap of clothing on his back.

"Tch. So it's this old fossil." The young woman behind the counter glanced at him and shifted her slender waist in discomfort. Although Yue Sisi was the counter supervisor, she was still one rank below this old man. That single rank pinned her down so firmly that even arguing back felt futile.

"What's the matter, Counter Supervisor Yue Sisi? I'm asking you why you're favoring a beginner adventurer team." The old man walked over to the portly swindler and barked sternly at Yue Sisi, looking thoroughly displeased. Yet even Dean could make out the trace of a smile at the corners of his eyes.

Clearly, this was deliberate. He had come to pick a fight with Yue Sisi, the counter supervisor who stood just one rank below him.

A major issue could be made minor, and a minor issue could just as easily be made major.

"I don't think I've done anything wrong. It was already brought up at the previous guild meeting: Kana's team has permission to advance to a Level-One Adventurer Team," Yue Sisi said disdainfully. She and the old man had long since torn away any pretense of civility, so there was no need for her to be polite. At the last guild meeting, the hostility between them had already been painfully obvious.

The cane the old man leaned on was golden too, though its very bottom had been capped with wood to protect the golden wooden shaft. Now he struck it hard against the floor several times, seemingly angered.

"The meeting concluded that this small-fry team could advance only if they maintained their reputation rating. And now they've failed to obtain any proof, so their reputation should be deducted." The old man tapped the floor again.

"Who's in charge of team reputation assessments? Go and lower this small-fry team's reputation to level three!" The old man gave Yue Sisi no chance to speak. Off to one side, a young man who had been working stood up and walked over to Kana, looking a little awkward.

"Miss... please show me your team badge. We'll be reassessing your team's reputation rating." As he spoke, the young man offered a slightly embarrassed smile.

Of course, he surely knew that this was against the rules. If he actually changed it, he would inevitably become the target of everyone's ire.

Although it was the old man who had ordered the change, the justification was far too flimsy. Dropping a team's rating by two whole levels without any compelling evidence was something rarely seen in the guild's history.

Kana froze for a moment. Lower our reputation rating? Is this a joke? The effort a team had to put in to earn the honor of a level-five reputation rating was immense. Roughly ninety percent of teams could never reach that standard, yet now hers was going to be lowered...

Kana's hand stiffened in midair. The young man was too embarrassed to reach for the badge she held.

Dean finally snapped out of his daze. He pulled Kana back and shielded the team badge. He wasn't the only one to act; Yanxi and Lamore stepped in front of him and Kana as well.

"Old man, who are you? What gives you the right to knock our reputation down two whole levels with a single word?" Lamore demanded with rare rudeness. Yanxi said nothing, but her eyes were full of anger too.

How could the reputation they had accumulated over hundreds of missions be wiped away with a single sentence?

"Who am I? Yue Sisi, tell them who I am. Tell them whether my words carry weight, and whether what I say is reasonable." The old man shook his head mockingly. He wasn't an adventurer, just an ordinary mortal. But that didn't matter. Wasn't his lofty position enough?

"He's the Adventurers' Guild hall supervisor. In this hall, he holds more authority than anyone except the guildmaster and deputy guildmaster," Yue Sisi said reluctantly, biting her soft lip. It was a fact she had no choice but to acknowledge.

"Guligus, your words certainly carry weight. I don't know whether they're reasonable, but this is absolutely against the rules. At the next guild meeting, I'll make sure everyone has a proper discussion about this!" Yue Sisi declared, her eyes blazing with anger, unwilling to concede.

"That's a matter for the next meeting. Right now is right now!" The old man, Guligus, dismissed Yue Sisi's threat outright.

(End of chapter)