Fainyx spent the next hour simply wandering the vibrant night market. Beneath his flawless illusion of a fifteen-year-old, he enjoyed the absolute freedom of blending into the crowd.
He deliberately rubbed some dirt and ash from a nearby alleyway onto the hem and knees of his black cloak, perfectly preparing his alibi for the Guild.
As he turned a crowded corner to head back to the Adventurer's Guild, a figure suddenly stepped out from a shop doorway. Fainyx side-stepped smoothly, but their shoulders still brushed.
"Ah, my apologies," a melodic voice said.
Fainyx looked up. It was the blonde elf archer he had seen earlier. Up close, her pointed ears were even more distinct, and her green eyes held a sharp, observant intelligence.
Fainyx simply gave a polite nod, adjusted his cloak, and continued walking.
However, as he walked past her, the elf's nose twitched. Her eyes widened slightly. Lingering in the air, clinging tightly to the boy's dark cloak, was an incredibly distinct, pure scent.
'A spirit?' the elf thought, turning to look at his retreating back.
The scent was faint, perfectly masked by the scent of the city, but to an elf's connection with nature, it was undeniable.
She narrowed her eyes, highly intrigued by the mysterious, masked teen, and silently fell into step behind him.
Up ahead, Fainyx let out a silent sigh. With his overpowered senses, he immediately noticed the elf trailing him.
But he was used to ignoring overly observant people, like his invisible dragon, so he simply didn't mind her at all. He kept his pace steady and pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Adventurer's Guild.
The elf slipped inside right after him, hanging back near the tavern tables to see what he would do.
Fainyx walked straight up to the registry desk. the pretty receptionist, it seems that she was called Elene as he heard it by one of the other adventurer, she was just finishing up a conversation with a heavily armored man.
When she turned and saw the masked, silver-haired boy standing there, she blinked in absolute surprise.
"You're back Mr. Fain?" Elene asked, glancing at the large clock on the wall. "But it has barely been an hour. Did you have any questions regarding the mission?"
Fainyx shook his head. He pulled out his cheap, rough notebook, quickly scribbled with his charcoal pencil, and slid it across the counter.
[ I already found some. I want to turn them in. ]
Elene stared at the paper, then at Fainyx in disbelief. "In just an hour? How did you even manage to get to the Eastern Forest and back?"
Fainyx calmly wrote his next prepared lie.
[ I was lucky. I tripped and fell down a small cliff into a run-down cave. It was full of the herbs you needed. Unfortunately, the cave ceiling collapsed right after I picked them. ]
He pointed down at his deliberately dirtied robes to sell the story.
Elene's expression shifted from disbelief to sympathy. "Oh my! Well, as long as you aren't hurt, that is certainly a stroke of incredible luck."
Fainyx placed the large leather pouch onto the counter. He wrote one last line: [ You can check the contents. ]
"Let's see what you found," Elene smiled, untying the thick leather strings. She pulled the edges of the pouch apart and looked inside.
Her smile instantly vanished.
Sitting inside the pouch were dozens of healing herbs. But they weren't just normal herbs. The leaves were an incredibly vibrant, glowing green, and the delicate flowers were so fresh they looked like they had been picked a second ago.
A thick, almost visible wave of pure, concentrated mana rolled out of the pouch, washing over the counter.
"By the Gods..." Elene gasped, her hands trembling. She immediately slammed her hands on the desk and turned toward the back room.
"Hey! Someone get the Guild Master! Right now!" Elene shouted at the top of her lungs, causing several adventurers nearby to jump. "And fetch the head apothecary! This is an absolute emergency!"
The quiet corner of the registry suddenly erupted into chaos. Guild staff began sprinting down the hallways. Fainyx stood frozen, completely bewildered by the sudden panic. 'Did I bring too many?'
he thought, genuinely confused by the massive overreaction.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Elene quickly leaned over the counter, her eyes shining with relief.
"You don't understand," Elene said hurriedly. "Last week, an A-Rank beast ambushed a large party. Many of our best adventurers were critically injured, and the healers have been running completely out of high-quality medicinal herbs to stabilize them.
This... this pure quality will literally save their lives!"
Fainyx blinked behind his mask. He quickly scribbled on his paper.
[ I am glad I could help them. ]
"Where exactly did you say this cave was?" Elene asked, completely desperate for more.
[ I don't know. I hit my head when I fell. It is completely buried under rocks now anyway. ]
Elene nodded rapidly, accepting the tragic loss of the magical cave. "I understand. Thank you so much for bringing these straight to us. I will have the Guild Master authorize a massive bonus for—"
From the corner of his eye, Fainyx noticed movement. The elf lady had witnessed the entire exchange. With her sharp eyes, she had seen the glowing herbs and felt the terrifyingly dense mana radiating off them.
Combined with the scent of the spirit in him, she realized this boy was a walking mountain of secrets.
Her eyes locked onto Fainyx, and she began marching directly toward him with a very determined look on her face.
Fainyx's internal alarm bells went off.
'Smells like trouble...'
She was going to ask questions he absolutely did not want to answer.
Before Elene could finish her sentence, Fainyx furiously scribbled one last line in his notebook and shoved it into her hands.
[ I have to go. Give me the rewards when I get back. ]
Elene looked at the paper, deeply confused. "Wait, what? But the Guild Master is coming right now to—"
Fainyx didn't wait. He spun on his heel and bolted directly out the front doors, moving with a terrifying, fluid speed.
"Hey! Wait!" the elf shouted, abandoning her stealth as she immediately sprinted right past Elene, chasing Fainyx out into the bustling night street.
Elene stood alone at the counter, clutching the notebook and the pouch of legendary herbs, absolutely dumbfounded. She let out a long, heavy sigh. Adventurers were always so dramatic.
"What is happening here?" a very deep, booming voice echoed through the hall.
Elene jumped. Standing behind her was a massive mountain of a man.
He had a heavy, muscular build, thick armor, and a jagged, intimidating scar running down his left cheek.
"Guild Master Leo!" Elene straightened up immediately. "Sir, a new adventurer just turned this in."
She carefully pushed the open pouch toward him. Leo looked inside. His tough, scarred expression instantly shifted into one of profound shock. He gently reached in and touched one of the glowing green leaves.
"The mana in this..." Leo muttered, his deep voice filled with awe. "It's completely pure. It's stronger than herbs found in the deepest, deadliest magical forests. Where is the adventurer who brought this in?"
"He... he actually just ran out, Sir," Elene said awkwardly. "He left me a note saying he would come back to get his rewards next time."
Leo frowned, crossing his massive arms. "He left without his money? That's a bit weird."
"He's very weird, Sir," Elene admitted. "He never spoke a single word. He only used a cheap piece of paper and a charcoal pencil to communicate with me. I think he might be a mute."
Leo blinked, staring at the scribbled notebook on the counter, and then threw his head back, letting out a booming, echoing laugh that shook the room.
"A mute kid with the luck of the Gods and the speed of a rabbit? He's an interesting lad, I'll give him that!" Leo grinned widely, his scarred face looking almost friendly.
"When he gets back tomorrow to claim his rewards, call me immediately, Miss Elene. I want to meet this boy myself."
"Will do, Guild Master Leo," Elene nodded, looking back at the door where the mysterious, mute teen had vanished.