Silence enveloped the Adventurer Guild Hall. It wasn't the serene quiet of restraint or discipline; it was a stunned, hollow silence that followed something earth-shattering, leaving everyone unsure if they were still breathing or had slipped into a dream from which they hadn't yet awakened.

Every eye in the hall was wide open. Every mouth was frozen mid-breath. Shock rolled through the room like a tangible wave, crashing into every Adventurer, every mercenary, every soul present.

None of them could fully grasp what they were witnessing. Their minds rejected it outright, scrambling for explanations that refused to materialize.

Their Guildmaster. That lazy man who lounged behind his desk as if life itself were an inconvenience. The shameless fellow who teased children, haggled over fees, and always seemed on the verge of dozing off.

That petty, annoying, ordinary Guildmaster whom many had mistakenly assumed was just an unremarkable mortal hiding behind a desk.

Yet there he stood now, two fingers casually gripping a whip that had moments ago sliced through the air like a natural disaster.

And he looked… bored.

Gregor stood among the Adventurers, utterly petrified. His mouth hung open so wide that a goose egg could have fit inside. His throat felt dry; his hands trembled while his heart pounded violently in his ears. Tumultuous waves crashed within him, shock, disbelief, awe,too many emotions colliding all at once.

"This… this shameless bastard…" Gregor's world tilted on its axis.

This shameless Guildmaster, the man who had scolded him over paperwork and teased him relentlessly, had been this strong all along? Gregor felt as though he'd been punched in the soul.

Nearby, Mina fared no better. She stood rigidly, her small frame frozen in place. Her chubby cheeks quivered; her cherry-red mouth hung open in disbelief while her golden eyes sparkled with pure shock as they locked onto the infuriating sight before her.

That familiar smirk. That smug smile she had grown accustomed to seeing behind the desk.

Her thoughts felt scrambled: "Petty Uncle Sage… is this strong?!"

The female mercenaries lining the hall were equally shaken. They were veterans, women who had survived blood-soaked battlefields and stared death in the face, but even they felt their instincts screaming at them now.

Apart from powerful nobles and a handful of legendary figures, none had ever encountered anyone in Greyvale City capable of standing against their leader head-on.

And yet here he was: calm and unharmed. Sage stood there with two fingers wrapped around the whip, posture relaxed and shoulders loose, his expression infuriatingly casual, as he regarded the devilish woman before him with mild curiosity and a smirk that danced dangerously close to provocation.

The sister stood motionless, just as shocked as everyone else. Yet, unlike the others, she kept her composure. Her face was a mask of ice, and her pitch-black eyes were locked onto Sage with unblinking intensity. The only sign of her inner turmoil was the faint tightening of her grip on the whip.

A standoff ensued; neither moved nor spoke. The tension in the hall felt thick and suffocating, like a storm poised to unleash its fury at any moment.

Sage broke the silence first. He released the whip, letting it slip from his fingers as if it were merely an annoying string. It snapped back toward its owner, coiling instinctively around the sister's arm.

Taking a slow step back, Sage placed his hands behind his back and spoke in a calm and even tone.

"Attacking each other right now won't get us anywhere," he said mildly. "And frankly, I don't understand why you attacked me in the first place."

Murmurs rippled through the Adventurers present.

Sage continued steadily, "I'm quite certain we've never met before. I've never crossed paths with you or spoken to you, never done anything to warrant an attack upon our first meeting."

He tilted his head slightly, studying her intently. "So tell me, why are you attacking me?"

Subtle nods spread through the hall as Adventurers considered Sage's words. They couldn't help but agree; this shameless Guildmaster had no prior dealings with this woman.

But when their gazes shifted back to the sister's face, a bitter realization settled in their hearts: they knew who she was. Anyone unaware of her identity must have been living under a rock.

Finally, she spoke up, her voice cold and sharp, saturated with disdain. "You tricked my sister." Each word dripped like poison.

"You lured her into becoming this Adventurer thing," she continued, narrowing her eyes in disgust. "And you expect me to tolerate her working under a… disgusting creature like you?"

Sage's lips twitched at her words.

"Disgusting creature?" He repeated inwardly, but outwardly he merely sighed.

"I see," he said calmly. "So that's what this is about."

He shook his head slowly. "Let me clarify something: I did not trick Mina into anything. She chose to become an Adventurer of her own will; I merely presented an opportunity."

Her eyes burned with anger as she replied flatly, "Enough! Release my sister from this dammable place right now."

Sage regarded her for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "No," he stated firmly.

His refusal hung heavily in the air like a stone dropped into still water. The mercenaries stiffened instantly; Mina's eyes widened in shock.

The sister's killing intent surged forth; the temperature dropped sharply as cracks began to form faintly across the stone floor beneath her boots.

"What do you mean? Do you want this shitty place of yours to turn into a bloodbath?" she growled, her grip on the whip in her hand tightening with agitation.

The Adventurers in the Guild Hall exchanged nervous glances, swallowing hard as beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads. A cold chill ran down their spines.

Sage remained still, his expression calm as he met her gaze. " As i said before that cannot happen," he replied steadily. "It goes against the Guild's laws."

Her eyes sharpened dangerously. "Laws?" she echoed, her voice dripping with disdain. "You think your laws matter to me?"

Sage exhaled slowly, his patience visibly strained but intact. "They matter whether you like them or not," he said firmly.

"This is not a playground. An Adventurer cannot simply join, make money, and leave whenever it suits them. If that were allowed, the Guild would descend into chaos within weeks."

She shot him a scornful look and scoffed. "Then let it collapse. Your so-called laws don't concern me at all."

Sage's expression hardened as he responded, "That will not happen."

He stepped aside slightly, gesturing toward the hall around them. "These people have entrusted this place with their livelihoods, their lives and futures. I will not allow anyone to undermine that."

Her lip curled into a contemptuous smile. "You speak as if you own them."

"I don't own them," Sage replied firmly, shaking his head. "But I am responsible for them."

She stared at him with disdain radiating from every fiber of her being. "Explain," she commanded.

The tone grated on Sage's nerves; he clenched his jaw in irritation but swallowed it down.

"Just endure for now," he reminded himself.

"According to the Guild Rule Book," Sage continued evenly, "an Adventurer who wishes to voluntarily withdraw must meet specific conditions."

Her eyes narrowed further as she demanded, "What conditions?"

"Completion of one hundred 4-Star missions," Sage stated calmly. "Or fifty 5-Star missions combined with a minimum of three hundred total 1-Star to 3-Star missions."

The hall erupted into gasps and murmurs of disbelief as Adventurers processed what they had just heard, glancing between Sage and the sister.

For the first time, her calm facade cracked; she froze in place.

"…What did you just say?" she asked slowly. Although unfamiliar with the Guild's mission system, she could tell from Sage's tone and the crowd's reaction that these requirements were no small feat.

Before she could interrupt any further, Sage pressed on: "These requirements exist to prevent abuse, stopping individuals from exploiting the Guild by taking resources and connections without facing consequences."

Her gaze burned with anger. "That's absurd."

"Perhaps," Sage admitted calmly, "but necessary."

She stepped forward, her voice low and edged with danger. "You expect a child to handle that?"

"No," Sage replied calmly. "I don't expect her to manage it alone, but that's the penalty if she wants to leave the Guild. But what I also do expect is help."

Her eyes flickered with a whirlwind of thoughts as she studied Sage intently.

Sage held her gaze firmly and continued, "The rules permit an Adventurer to receive assistance, parties, companions, allies. Anyone willing to lend a hand."

Understanding began to dawn in her eyes as she absorbed his explanation.

Sage pressed on. "If you want Mina to leave the Guild," he stated, "then those conditions must be fulfilled. Until then, she remains an Adventurer under my protection."

A heavy silence enveloped the Guild Hall as everyone turned their attention to the two facing off in the center.

Her breathing quickened as she glanced at Mina and then back at Sage.

"You planned this," she said quietly.

Sage remained silent for a moment before spreading his arms in a casual shrug. "I planned for stability," he replied. "If that poses an inconvenience for you, so be it."

Her fingers twitched as contempt and undisguised disgust filled her gaze directed at Sage.

He sighed softly and walked over to the desk, grabbing the rule book and tossing it toward her.

"If you don't believe me, check the rule book; it's clearly stated in the tenth rule."

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