The atmosphere inside the Guild Master's office was much heavier compared to the noisy lobby outside. The sound of adventurers chatting, mugs clinking, and footsteps moving around the guild faded once the thick wooden door closed behind the Sunbane Party.
Romanoff leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms while listening to the report. Even while seated, his presence alone made the room feel smaller. His broad shoulders, scarred arms, and stern gaze made it obvious that he had once stood on the battlefield himself instead of hiding behind a desk. Before becoming the Guild Master of Roste Town, he had been an A-rank adventurer who survived countless subjugation missions and monster stampedes.
"I see…" Romanoff muttered as he listened to Funfer's reconnaissance report once again. "So the situation is worse than expected."
His fingers tapped lightly against the wooden table before he let out a long sigh.
"I'll notify Lord Ameth[1] immediately. If the stampede truly happens within four days, the knights will need to mobilize as soon as possible."
Rube nodded calmly.
"That would be the safest decision."
The room fell silent for a moment before Romanoff narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But putting the stampede aside for now…" he said slowly, "that Artorius kid seems strange."
Sistina, who stood beside Romanoff while organizing documents, already knew where the conversation was heading.
The reason the Sunbane Party had been grouped together with Artorius during the investigation request was not random at all. Romanoff had personally arranged it after hearing several reports about the rookie adventurer from Sistina. At first, he thought the reports were exaggerated. However, after today's investigation, his curiosity only deepened.
Rube rested his elbow on the table.
"You're wondering if he really is an F-rank rookie?"
Romanoff nodded once.
"Exactly."
Bronks crossed his muscular arms and laughed quietly.
"If you ask me, that kid fights way too calmly for a beginner."
Lain leaned against the wall while spinning one of her arrows between her fingers.
"Seriously~ Most rookies panic the moment monsters start swarming them, but Arty stayed surprisingly composed the entire time~"
"Arty?" Romanoff repeated with an amused expression.
Lain grinned proudly.
"I gave him the nickname~"
Funfer simply shook his head in mild disbelief.
"Nicknames aside, the boy's adaptability is abnormal."
That single sentence immediately made the room serious again.
Romanoff looked toward Funfer.
"You noticed it too?"
"Yeah," Funfer replied calmly. "The moment he joined our formation, he adjusted himself without causing problems. Most inexperienced adventurers either hesitate too much or try too hard to prove themselves. Artorius did neither."
Rube nodded in agreement.
"He knew when to support the vanguard and when to stay near the rear lines. More importantly, he followed orders immediately without disrupting the party's rhythm."
"And his decisions during battle were efficient," Bronks added. "When those hobgoblins riding dire wolves attacked us, he immediately targeted the wolves' legs first instead of the riders."
Romanoff raised an eyebrow.
"Aiming for the mount first to destroy mobility…"
"That's not something rookies normally think about during real combat," Rube finished.
Sistina quietly listened while organizing papers before finally speaking up.
"For the record, the registration orb confirmed that Artorius has never been registered as an adventurer before."
Romanoff looked at her.
"No previous license?"
"None," Sistina answered honestly. "The orb would have reacted otherwise."
Romanoff slowly leaned back against his chair once more.
"That makes him even stranger."
Elise, who had been quietly listening until now, finally spoke in her soft voice.
"His detection magic is also… unusual…"
Everyone's attention shifted toward her.
Elise lowered her gaze slightly before continuing.
"His range is around twenty-five meters now… maybe even more if he pushes himself."
Romanoff blinked once.
"For an F-rank?"
Elise nodded slowly.
"My own range is around thirty-five meters… and I'm already a B-rank mage…"
That statement immediately caused another wave of silence to spread throughout the office.
Even Romanoff looked genuinely surprised this time.
Detection magic was not easy to maintain, especially while moving through a dangerous forest filled with monsters. A wide range required not only mana, but concentration and constant awareness.
For a rookie adventurer to already reach that level was difficult to ignore.
"And his mana control…" Elise continued carefully, "might already be comparable to mine."
Bronks whistled softly.
"Now that's ridiculous."
Lain laughed awkwardly.
"At this point, calling him an F-rank feels illegal~"
Even Rube rubbed his forehead slightly.
"The strange part is that he doesn't act arrogant about it."
"That's true," Funfer added. "I didn't sense any hostility, hidden intentions, or arrogance from him."
Romanoff narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You used your sensing skill on him?"
"Unintentionally," Funfer answered honestly. "It activates naturally around suspicious people sometimes. But Artorius felt… normal."
"Normal?" Bronks repeated.
Funfer nodded.
"Too normal, honestly."
Before Romanoff could respond, a knock echoed throughout the office.
"Guild Master, I brought the potion delivery report."
The door opened shortly after, revealing Nadia holding several parchments in her hand.
Romanoff gestured toward the table.
"Ah, right. Just leave it there."
Nadia stepped inside before noticing the unusually serious atmosphere.
"The Sunbane Party is here too?" she asked. "What happened? You all look like someone stole your money."
Bronks snorted.
"We're discussing a certain monster disguised as a rookie."
Nadia tilted her head slightly.
"A troublesome adventurer?"
"Not exactly," Lain replied with a grin. "More like an overqualified F-ranker~"
Nadia looked mildly curious.
"Oh? Who?"
"Artorius."
The moment his name left Rube's mouth, Nadia froze briefly before letting out a quiet sigh.
"…Of course it's him."
Romanoff immediately noticed her reaction.
"You know the kid?"
Nadia placed the documents on the table before answering.
"Yes. I was his alchemy mentor."
That instantly grabbed everyone's attention again.
Romanoff folded his arms.
"And?"
Nadia looked genuinely troubled, as if even she still could not fully believe what happened.
"He learned the foundations of alchemy in a single session."
Bronks blinked.
"…What?"
"He not only understood the theory quickly," Nadia continued, "but he also succeeded in brewing high-quality low-grade potions on his very first attempt."
This time, even Rube looked surprised.
"First attempt?"
"Yes," Nadia replied calmly. "Most apprentices need at least several sessions before producing stable potions. Some take weeks just to properly control mana during the brewing process."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Artorius understood the process almost immediately after observing it once."
Romanoff stared at her quietly.
"You're serious?"
Nadia nodded.
"Two days later, Roge from the warehouse informed me that someone had produced three hundred sixty high-quality low-grade potions in four hours."
Sistina's eyes widened slightly.
"That was him too?"
"Yes."
Silence swallowed the room once again.
Even Romanoff could no longer hide his interest.
Nadia crossed her arms lightly before speaking again.
"What stands out the most about him isn't talent alone. It's adaptability."
Rube nodded immediately.
"That's exactly what I thought during the investigation."
Nadia continued calmly.
"He observes carefully, asks proper questions, and adjusts himself extremely quickly depending on the situation. It's almost like watching a sponge absorb information."
Sistina smiled softly.
"He's also very diligent."
Romanoff glanced toward her.
"How so?"
"Before accepting requests, he always researches first," Sistina explained. "He regularly visits the guild library to study monster ecology, gathering materials, and even regional dangers."
Bronks laughed.
"That already makes him better than half the rookies here."
"Honestly, even some higher-ranked adventurers skip preparation," Rube admitted.
Funfer closed his eyes briefly.
"The kid doesn't feel reckless either. Careful, observant, adaptable… honestly, he has the qualities needed to survive for a long time."
Romanoff quietly listened to every single opinion before finally speaking.
"Hm…"
His deep voice carried through the office.
"Sounds like Roste gained itself an interesting rookie."
Nadia nodded once.
"If he continues improving at this pace, I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes well-known someday."
Romanoff smirked faintly.
"Maybe sooner than expected."
Sistina looked toward Romanoff.
"Should I continue monitoring his progress?"
Romanoff immediately answered.
"Yes."
His tone remained calm, but the interest in his eyes was obvious now.
"Keep an eye on him, Sistina. I want regular reports."
"Yes, Guild Master."
Romanoff slowly stood up from his chair before walking toward the nearby window overlooking Roste Town.
Outside, the streets were still lively. Merchants sold goods normally, children ran around laughing, and adventurers casually entered and exited the guild without realizing the danger approaching their town.
Four days.
That was all the time they had left.
Romanoff's expression slowly turned serious again.
"For now, our priority is preparing for the stampede," he said firmly. "Tomorrow, we'll finalize evacuation routes, defensive positions, and adventurer deployment."
Everyone inside the room straightened slightly.
"Yes, sir."
One by one, they began leaving the office until only Romanoff remained.
The veteran Guild Master quietly stared outside the window for several moments before letting out a deep breath.
"Artorius, huh…"
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
"I'd like to see just how far you can go."
Far away from the office, completely unaware of the discussion surrounding him, Artorius continued preparing for the battle that would soon decide the fate of Roste Town.
[1] The Lord of Roste Town