"Hey there, kid! Good to see you again."

Sage stiffened for a moment, lifting his head and narrowing his eyes as he scanned the entrance.

His mind raced in surprise, he recognized that voice instantly but needed a moment to confirm that his ears hadn't betrayed him. When his gaze finally landed on the familiar figure by the doorway, his breath caught for half a heartbeat.

Pax.

The very first person Sage had spoken to upon arriving in this world, the man who had sat with him in that dimly lit tavern, explaining the intricacies of dungeons and countless other things Sage had been clueless about.

Pax had casually shrugged off the world's dangers with a weary laugh; when Sage first saw him, he looked like someone who had lived three lifetimes within one body.

Now, Pax stood there again, hands loosely tucked behind his back, wearing that same familiar expression of tiredness. His clothes were worn, his hair unkempt, and heavy bags hung under his eyes, he looked genuinely exhausted.

For an extended moment, Sage simply stared. Then emotion flooded across his face like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

"Pax…? Is that really you?" Sage blurted out as he jumped up from his seat, almost knocking over the chair in the process.

Pax chuckled softly as he stepped inside the Guild Hall with an easy gait. "Yes, yes, it's me. Don't act like you've seen a ghost; I'm not that old! It hasn't been long since we last talked, let me think... it was just over eight days ago at the tavern."

Sage smiled and rushed over to greet him. They exchanged an awkward yet warm embrace, a mix of half handshake and half shoulder pat, both unsure if they should hug or not. Pax laughed at Sage's flustered excitement, and Sage couldn't help but smile back.

Seeing a familiar face from the very first day of his new life felt strangely grounding; after all, Pax was the first person he encountered after transmigrating into this world.

"Haah… I didn't expect to run into you again so soon," Sage admitted as he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You look just like before, still walking around like the world owes you money."

"And you," Pax smirked while tapping Sage's shoulder lightly in mock judgment, "look a little too comfortable behind that desk. I didn't know you owned this place! Quite an upgrade from that clueless kid in the tavern!"

Sage rubbed his neck sheepishly but felt proud nonetheless. "Yeah… a lot has happened since we last spoke."

"I can see that," Pax replied calmly as his gaze wandered around the Guild Hall, taking in everything from the mission board to the splintered desk and flickering torches overhead. "So you're running some sort of task center, huh?"

He glanced at Sage again, his sharp brown eyes studying him intently.

"This is the place mentioned on that sign outside, right? 'Take a task, complete it, earn money'… something like that. I was just passing by, short on coin as usual, and thought I'd check it out. But now I see you're the owner." Pax chuckled softly. "Small world."

Sage nodded and gestured for Pax to take a seat. "Yeah, this is the Adventurer Guild. It's... different from anything else in the kingdom. You can post missions or take them on to earn gold. The idea is to help everyone, warriors, ordinary folks, merchants, once we get everything fully operational."

Pax listened attentively, leaning back in his chair with one arm draped over the backrest.

"It's quite an ambitious idea," he remarked appreciatively. "A place where people can earn money by taking jobs? Where tasks are regulated and posted publicly? Kid… this is a brilliant concept. I'm surprised no one thought of it before. You might actually change Greyvale City or the kingdom with this."

Sage smiled wryly. "That's the plan."

"But..." Pax raised an eyebrow slowly, "you mentioned something earlier about only Warriors being able to become part of this Adventurer thing?"

Sage hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. To take missions, you have to be a Warrior, at least a 1-Star Beginner Knight or Mage. Without that qualification, it's too risky."

In an instant, Pax's expression deflated.

His shoulders slumped; his smirk faded as he looked away with a quiet sigh. "Ah… I see. So it's not for someone like me then."

Sage studied him carefully. Pax wasn't weak, just ordinary, a man trying to get by in life. Sage recalled how Pax had mentioned working for a Noble House before losing that job and spending years doing odd jobs while battling debt and navigating life with nothing but stubbornness and a weary smile.

Someone like him didn't belong on a battlefield, they didn't even have the chance to belong. And yet… something clicked in Sage's mind like a puzzle piece falling into place perfectly as he observed Pax more closely.

"This man… this is exactly who I need." A small smile crept onto Sage's face as he realized how fortunate it was that the universe seemed to align just when he needed it most.

Pax was precisely what Sage required right now: someone who knew Greyvale City intimately,someone who walked its streets daily and interacted with everyone,from merchants to guards, tavern owners to beggars.

He could spread rumors and information effortlessly; gathering gossip seemed second nature to him.

Sage's eyes sharpened subtly as his heart raced with determination.

Pax might just be the perfect marketing manager for the Adventurer Guild.

The golden opportunity Pax had been searching for finally stood before him. Unbeknownst to him, Sage recognized it immediately: this man was a whisper network, a living rumor mill, and a walking advertising machine.

All Sage needed to do was give him a gentle push in the right direction, and news of Cassian Thaumas the Alchemist posting a mission here would spread across the city like wildfire.

Sage's lips curled into a slow smile as he leaned forward. "Pax…"

But just as he was about to speak.....

BANG!!!

A thunderous crash echoed through the Guild Hall doors, rattling the wooden frame and shaking dust from the rafters. Sage nearly leaped from his seat, while Pax flinched so hard he almost fell out of his chair.

And just then...

"Petty uncle Sage! I've completed the mission!!!"

A small figure burst into the Guild Hall like a meteor streaking across the sky, twin ponytails bouncing wildly, tiny boots pounding against the floor with an energy that felt like an earthquake contained within a child's body.

Her oversized shield clanged loudly with each step, attached to which was a makeshift bag stuffed full of various beast parts.

Mina. Her cheeks flushed with pride and her golden eyes sparkled with triumph as she marched forward like a pint-sized warrior returning from battle.

Sage looked on in surprise. "The little ancestor is back."

Pax blinked in disbelief and leaned closer to whisper, his eyes darting to the giant shield to the bulging bag. "Kid… who… who is that? Is that really a child? Why does she look like she just fought a war?"

Sage stared at Mina with equal parts awe, disbelief, and dread, he sighed deeply.

"That," he muttered darkly, "is trouble wearing pigtails."

Mina planted one hand on her hip and raised her mission sheet triumphantly with the other. She smirked confidently, her entire face radiating an air of arrogance.

"I told you, petty uncle! I finished it already!"

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