Upon bidding farewell to the Branch Chief, Tyler accompanied Emilia to the Quest Guild.
The guild was in a state of disarray, with staff members struggling to maintain order amidst the chaos.
However, as Emilia entered the Quest Guild, a hush fell over the crowd.
The morning sun cast a radiant glow upon her, causing her blonde hair to shimmer brilliantly.
She appeared to be clad in a resplendent, celestial robe.
Such sacred beauty captivated everyone’s attention.
Those seasoned bounty hunters knew well that the relationship between Oleg, the Branch Chief, and Emilia was akin to that of a grandfather and his granddaughter.
With Emilia’s arrival, they anticipated news from the Branch Chief.
Indeed, Emilia did not disappoint. She promptly rearranged the staff assignments in Oleg’s name, restoring the basic functionality of the Quest Guild.
Subsequently, she posted a brief statement about the previous night’s events on the notice board, along with an announcement that Oleg would be taking a temporary leave of absence to recover from his injuries.
Although Oleg had told Emilia she could approach him with any concerns, she chose not to do so.
On the contrary, Emilia composed an explanation, urging everyone to come to her with any questions or difficulties, and to refrain from disturbing Oleg during his recuperation.
From his hidden vantage point, Tyler observed Emilia single-handedly resolving the situation, filled with admiration.
—(It seems Oleg’s decision to have Emilia as his successor had little to do with my suggestion… He must have known all along that she was capable, but chose not to burden her with the responsibility.)
.
As the atmosphere and order within the Quest Guild gradually returned to normal, numerous bounty hunters gathered in the main hall, engaging in idle chatter.
Most of the surviving hunters involved in the North Sunny Wasteland incident were injured, and those who hadn’t participated were still unaware of the truth about the events that took place the night before.
The story that had spread throughout Sunny Town was that an extremely dangerous giant serpent had appeared in the North Sunny Wasteland.
Upon hearing this, Branch Chief Oleg hastily assembled a team of over thirty bounty hunters to eliminate the threat.
The serpent was vanquished at a terrible cost; Oleg was gravely injured, and more than half of the bounty hunters perished.
“What a pity, I wasn’t near the guild that night; otherwise, I could have seen the Branch Chief’s prowess in battle,” one hunter lamented.
“Indeed, I’ve heard that when he was young, the Branch Chief was incredibly strong. It’s such a shame we couldn’t witness it,” another added.
“Alas, I heard that Nassar also died in the battle. It’s so tragic that such a good person is gone just like that…”
“What? Nassar is dead?”
“…”
The discussions reached Emilia’s ears.
In the past, she would have disregarded them, but now, she couldn’t bear to let the rumors spread.
Not only did they ignore Banning’s life-risking contributions, but they also falsely regarded the traitor Nassar’s death as a sacrifice.
As Emilia prepared to clarify matters in the main hall, someone gently took hold of her hand from behind.
Turning around, she found Banning, who had been hiding in the shadows.
He didn’t speak, only shaking his head with a smile.
“Emilia, using this opportunity to elevate the Branch Chief’s prestige is a good thing. I don’t think it’s necessary to clear things up. As for Nassar’s situation, the Branch Chief will surely address it later… The Guild has finally stabilized; it’s better not to cause chaos for now.”
Banning’s words were both reasonable and heartfelt.
Emilia understood this, but still…
“But if we keep quiet, doesn’t that mean you…”
Before Emilia could finish her sentence, Banning placed a finger on her lips to stop her.
“I didn’t do those things for the sake of fame.”
.
Since Banning had spoken thus, Emilia had no choice but to relent.
However, she secretly resolved that once the Branch Chief recovered, she would ensure that he used his full strength to appoint Banning as his successor.
“Oh dear, I heard that Branch Chief Oleg has fallen ill. What will become of The Quest Guild?”
A haughty voice suddenly emanated from the entrance of the guild.
Emilia looked in the direction of the sound and discovered that the speaker was Keven, the son of Sunny Town’s Mayor Gideon.
Although Keven was tall and well-built, he was outwardly strong but inwardly weak. His reputation in Sunny Town was not favorable.
However, due to his wealth, he was always surrounded by a group of flatterers, including at this moment.
Escorted by four or five burly men who appeared to be bounty hunters, Keven entered the guildhall.
“Listen, fellow bounty hunters, since the chief of The Quest Guild has fallen, why not join The Adventurers Guild instead? Not only is there no membership fee, but we also have a third-tier professional warrior hired from outside to lead you!”
As soon as Keven’s words fell, the muscular men beside him began to flex their muscles and brandish their weapons.
Emilia could not gauge their true strength, but their appearances alone were indeed intimidating.
However, she would not let them run wild in The Quest Guild. She walked to the stage in the hall, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Sir Keven, this is The Quest Guild. If you wish to recruit talent, please do so outside.”
Emilia replied with unyielding dignity, immediately catching Keven’s attention.
“Oh? Where did this demi-human come from? My goodness, a fox girl, no wonder I smelled a foul odor upon entering! Hahaha!”
Keven exaggeratedly mocked, and his followers erupted into laughter.
Emilia remained unmoved in the face of the insult.
She knew that if a fight broke out in the Quest Guild, the facilities would be damaged and, if Keven were injured, the mayor might take the opportunity to retaliate.
Emilia warned herself not to give the opposition any chance to exploit the situation.
At this point, some veteran bounty hunters who usually supported Emilia could not bear to watch any longer. They formed a line, standing between Emilia and Keven.
“Keven, you really should wash your mouth out with soap!”
True to their reputation as veteran bounty hunters, they immediately put Keven in his place, causing the entire hall to mock him.
Keven, who always allowed himself to insult others but never accepted insults, became furious.
“God damn! Attack! Beat them to death!” 𝒩𝞸𝓋𝗅𝐞xt.𝔠𝔬𝔪
As his words fell, Keven’s men advanced aggressively, and the veteran bounty hunters did not back down.
Emilia stood in the back, watching the two groups about to clash, unsure of what to do.
In the past, when such incidents occurred, the mere presence of the Branch Chief would deter any troublemakers.
Still, Emilia, without the second-tier power of a Branch Chief, was unable to even push her way through the crowd.
Just as Emilia was on the verge of tears, a person wearing a patrol uniform jumped onto the stage and shouted.
“The Adventurers Guild is on fire! Everyone, please help!”