My chest hammered.

She knew?

"I don't know what you mean," I said, forcing myself to sound calm.

Ruth stared at me, a faint smile still playing on her lips. Her sharp blue eyes seemed to pierce right through every lie I tried to hide.

"Hmm…" she hummed low. "You're funny. Do you realize you just imitated what that woman said a moment ago?"

Shit! I screamed inside. She really knew. But how? I was sure no one had seen. Or did she have some special ability to track me?

From the way she spoke, she was already convinced I'd been pretending to be the Iron Knight. But she had no hard proof. What could she even do if I was impersonating him? Report me to the authorities? Should I use [Time Stop] and make a run for it? No, that wouldn't solve anything. It would just make me look even more suspicious. For now, my only option was to deny everything.

"Let me go! I don't even know you!" I said firmly, trying to pry her strong grip from my shirt collar. But her hand didn't budge an inch, clamped on like an iron vise. If I struggled any harder, my shirt would definitely rip.

Ruth's tone then shifted, turning cold and piercing. "Stop pretending. I know you're the one who killed the Goblin King and stole my kill. I also know you're the one impersonating the Iron Knight."

I stayed silent, but inside, I was seething.

Damn it!

Ruth continued, her voice flat yet full of conviction. "I followed you secretly after we parted ways that time. And what I saw... was an ability that allows you to shapeshift into other people."

Shit! So she's been stalking me like a creep?

"So what are you going to do to me?" I finally asked.

Seeing me starting to relent, Ruth smiled in satisfaction. "Finally, being honest, are we?"

She went on to explain, "After that incident, I looked into you. And imagine my surprise..." she paused, her eyes widening slightly, "...when I found out your parents are the Star Witch and the Sword Saint, the legendary SSS-rank heroes!"

She shook her head, still in disbelief. "But what's even more confusing is, according to all the data I could find, you're supposed to be 'Unawakened' and have no abilities whatsoever. Every test you've ever taken came back negative. Have you been hiding your powers all this time?"

I remained silent and simply gave a short nod, listening carefully to every word she said.

"To be honest," Ruth said, her tone more relaxed now, "I wanted to meet you sooner. But my work as a Hunter keeps me pretty busy. I only found some free time today, so I came looking for you."

She paused, then added with a small smile, "And it turns out you were out… at a sleazy shop like this."

She chuckled, her eyes glittering with mockery. "What's funnier, from what I dug up, you don't have a girlfriend. So what were you doing in a place like this? Alone? Ah—wait, you have a complicated relationship with that woman from before."

I ignored her teasing about me and Sonya and stared straight at her. "Cut to the chase. What do you actually want? It doesn't seem like you plan to report me."

Ruth smiled, this time with a more serious expression. "I'm offering you a place to join my guild, Crimson Dawn."

The offer took me by surprise.

Instantly, my mind started racing. The process of joining a guild is no joke—there are auditions, recommendations, strict background checks. It's almost like applying for a job. And for a youth like me who hasn't even graduated from the Academy, getting a spot in a guild is nearly impossible. Plus, according to government records, I'm just an ordinary person, not an Awakener.

I waited for her explanation.

Ruth asked, "Aren't you curious how I figured out your disguise?"

I nodded. "How did you know? Was my act really that bad?"

"Yes," Ruth said with a sneer. "Your acting was awful. As the guild's vice captain, I noticed immediately."

I said nothing, taking the insult.

"But that's not the main point," she continued. "The main reason I knew is that the real Iron Knight is actually dead."

I was shocked. "Are you serious?"

If that was true, no wonder I got caught immediately.

"Yes," Ruth nodded firmly. "But the media doesn't know yet. Only I and one other person know about his death. We intentionally covered up the news of his death because if it got out, you know what would happen, right? Other guilds would immediately pounce on us."

That explanation made sense. Now I could guess where this conversation was headed. "So when you said you wanted me to join the guild, you meant you want me to act as your guild master?"

Ruth grinned widely. "Yes, exactly."

"That's insane," I retorted.

"Relax," Ruth tried to reassure me. "You won't have to do much. All you need to do is show up at a few important events or meetings. As for the troublesome guild matters, of course, I'll be the one handling everything."

I fell silent for a moment, considering her offer. So I'm expected to appear at a few events, speak in front of crowds, while she handles the complicated stuff, the guild politics, and the real decisions. This offer solved a lot of my problems.

Ruth then went on to explain the benefits I would receive.

"Of course, I'll give you appropriate compensation. You surely know the benefits of being a Hunter in a guild, right? You'll get the same treatment as an official Hunter—a substantial salary and benefits, plus access to all the guild's facilities: resources, support, information, guidance, and training. You'll also get official access to explore dungeons, unlike last time when you had to sneak in."

I thought about the offer carefully. Honestly, I really need this. I have a Weekly Quest that requires me to kill monsters. Failing to complete it could make me lose all my powers and abilities, and I can't let that happen. My task as a fake guild master doesn't seem too difficult either. But I think I should take a little advantage of this situation.

"Alright, I agree," I said finally. "But with one additional condition: please give me a rank A weapon."

I need a proper weapon. The blunt dagger I have now is just ordinary iron, and I don't have adequate attack skills. My [Mind Control] and [Time Stop] skills are incredible, but once those two skills are on cooldown, I can only rely on my physical combat abilities.

In this world, weapons are ranked from E, the weakest, to SSS. A Rank-A weapon usually costs as much as a modest house; I'm not sure if Ruth will agree to my request.

Ruth fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, I'll get you one! So we have a deal, right?"

The woman extended her hand.

I shook her hand, but a foreboding feeling crept into my heart that I was getting involved in something troublesome.

After we agreed, I asked, "If I had refused your offer, what would you have done?"

Ruth smiled sweetly. "Well, in that case, I would have backed off, since there's nothing I could do."

But that was a lie. In her heart, Ruth thought: 'If you refused, I would back off, then threaten you over the phone by revealing your ability because I have a video recording of you shapeshifting. Besides, I'd also report all your violations.'

There's a reason why Ruth didn't threaten me directly, she didn't know the full extent of my abilities and wanted to play it safe. Of course, I was unaware of her true intentions.

Suddenly, Ruth grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a hug. "Well then, Guild Master, there's a meeting you need to attend right now. Let's go," She hugged me tight.

"And hold me close, or you'll fall."

I felt the warmth of her body and listened to my own heart pounding wildly.

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