Chapter 56: The Most Chaotic Guild in the Kingdom
The Adventurer’s Guild building appeared at the end of the road.
Kael let out a long sigh.
"Finally...
Civilization."
On his head, the Little Fat King was still fast asleep, using Kael’s hair as if it were a luxury pillow.
Beside him walked Sir Dogerino.
He held his stick between his teeth and moved with such dignity that he looked like he was escorting a king.
Kael glanced at them.
"I never thought I’d say this...
But keeping two legendary pets is expensive."
"Meow."
"Woof!"
"Yeah, yeah...
I know neither of you considers yourselves pets."
He pushed open the guild’s huge door.
CLACK!
The usual bustle immediately greeted him.
Adventurers celebrating.
Others arguing.
Some comparing rewards.
The sound of mugs clashing against tables filled the entire hall.
It was exactly the atmosphere Kael expected.
Normal.
Quiet.
No churches trying to kidnap cats.
No mountains exploding.
No systems warning about absurd entities.
"Perfect...
I’ll just turn in the report and go to sleep."
He approached the counter.
The receptionist looked up.
Recognizing him, she smiled politely.
"Good morning, Mr. Kael.
You’re here to turn in the goblin extermination mission, right?"
Kael placed the document on the counter.
"Yes.
Although...
There might be a small detail."
The woman began to read.
Her expression remained calm.
Until she reached the section on collateral damage.
She frowned slightly.
Then read it again.
And again.
Finally, she looked up.
"Does it say here... that a lake appeared?"
Kael looked away.
"Yes."
"There wasn’t a lake before?"
"No."
"Ah...
So it is new."
The receptionist took a deep breath.
"Is the split mountain also new?"
Kael coughed.
"Technically...
Yes."
"I see."
She took a quill.
Wrote something.
Then another form.
And another.
"I’ll need three additional reports."
Kael dropped his head on the counter.
"I figured..."
Just as he was about to take the quill...
A hand landed friendly on his shoulder.
"So you’re the famous summoner!"
Kael slowly turned around.
In front of him stood a young man with white hair.
Tall.
Smiling.
With a huge sword slung across his back.
He wore a dark blue coat full of small cuts, as if fighting were his favorite hobby.
His smile was too relaxed for someone armed like that.
"Nice to meet you.
I’m Eiden."
Before Kael could respond...
The man slung an arm over his shoulders with total naturalness.
As if they were lifelong friends.
"I’ve heard a lot about you.
The kid with the two legendary beasts."
Kael looked at the Little Fat King.
Then at Sir Dogerino.
Then back at the stranger.
"If you can call this legendary..."
"Meow."
The Fat King opened one eye with indignation.
Sir Dogerino proudly puffed out his chest.
"Woof!"
"See?
One gets offended.
The other is happy without understanding the context."
Eiden burst out laughing.
"They’re quite curious."
He crouched down a little to get a better look at them.
"Although..."
His smile turned slightly more serious.
"In high-level dungeons, I’ve seen creatures very similar to them."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes."
He looked first at the Fat King.
"Huge cats.
Lazy.
That slept on dragon corpses."
Then he looked at Sir Dogerino.
"And dogs with sticks.
Not exactly the same.
But very similar."
Kael stood completely still.
"..."
"Dogs...
...with sticks?"
"Yes.
Very rare.
I never thought I’d see anything like them again."
Before he could ask more...
A deep voice echoed from the back of the hall.
"Eiden."
The white-haired young man sighed.
"Here we go..."
Everyone turned toward a table by the wall.
There sat a man with intense red hair.
Arms crossed.
Straight back.
A gigantic spear resting against the table.
His face was completely serious.
As if smiling were illegal.
He stared fixedly at the white-haired man.
"Stop bothering the kid."
Eiden raised both hands.
"I’m just being friendly."
"I doubt it."
"I promise."
"I doubt it even more."
Eiden smiled again.
"I’m just trying to form a future team.
You know...
One where no one fills everything with hot metal."
The silence was absolute.
The red-haired man slowly closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Then...
He stood up.
The chair shattered.
CRACK.
The entire guild stopped talking.
An adventurer murmured.
"Here we go again..."
Another finished his beer in one gulp.
"Time to bet."
The receptionist didn’t even look up from her papers.
She just slowly opened a drawer.
Took out a sign.
And placed it on the counter.
"Material damages will be charged to those responsible."
Kael looked at her, confused.
"Does this happen often?"
She answered without emotion.
"Every Thursday."
"But...
Today is Tuesday."
"Then today will be worse."
Kael felt a very bad feeling.
The red-haired man walked slowly toward Eiden.
Every step made the floor creak.
"Are you done?"
Eiden kept smiling.
"Not yet.
I also wanted to invite him to eat."
The red-haired man clicked his tongue.
"How annoying."
Eiden responded with another smile.
"And you’re still a grump."
Silence.
Five seconds.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
BOOOOOOM!!
The red-haired man’s punch went through three tables.
Eiden disappeared.
Appeared behind him.
Gave him a pat on the back.
"Too slow."
Another adventurer stood up.
"I bet twenty coins on the redhead!"
"Thirty on the smiling one!"
"Fifty that they destroy the ceiling!"
"Accepted!"
A mage cast a spell.
Another responded.
An archer shot an arrow to break up the fight.
She missed.
Hit another adventurer.
"Who was that!?"
"Him!"
"Liar!"
Five seconds later...
The entire guild was fighting.
Tables flying.
Chairs breaking.
Magic crossing the hall.
A barbarian used another barbarian as an improvised weapon.
Someone threw a mug.
Another responded by throwing an entire table.
Sir Dogerino watched in wonder.
Wagging his tail.
"Woof!"
He seemed to believe everyone was playing.
The Fat King opened just one eye.
Looked at the chaos.
Then went back to sleep.
As if this were too ordinary to impress him.
Kael remained exactly where he was.
In front of the counter.
Not moving.
The receptionist continued writing forms.
As if there weren’t a war going on behind her.
A chair flew over their heads.
Neither reacted.
Another adventurer crashed through a wall.
Still no reaction.
Kael looked at the hall turned into a battlefield.
Then at the receptionist.
"..."
"Aren’t you going to stop them?"
She stamped another form.
"No."
"Call security?"
"Not necessary."
"Why?"
The woman pointed at a huge clock hanging on the wall.
It marked exactly twelve o’clock.
"Because in..."
She watched the hand move forward.
"Three.
Two.
One."
The main door burst open.
BANG!!
A short old man, completely bald with a white beard down to his waist, entered leaning on a cane.
The entire guild froze.
The red-haired man stopped fighting.
Eiden slowly released the adventurer he was using as a shield.
The mages extinguished their spells.
The silence was absolute.
The old man smiled.
A smile too kind.
"Again?"
No one answered.
Kael looked around.
"Who is that...?"
The receptionist answered in a low voice.
"The guild administrator."
"..."
"Is he strong?"
She smiled for the first time.
"Much stronger than he looks."
The old man calmly raised his cane.
"Alright.
Since you’ve finished playing..."
He smiled even wider.
"Now it’s time to clean up."
The entire guild paled at the same time.
Kael had the strange feeling that...
That threat was much scarier than any monster he had faced so far.
And, for some reason...
The Little Fat King opened one eye...
...and decided to pretend he was still asleep.
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