The Adventurers' Guild was as lively as ever.
Akari stepped inside, the familiar noise washing over her, laughter, arguments, the scrape of armor against stone. It felt different now.
I'm not just visiting anymore, she thought.
At the counter, Layla looked up and immediately smiled.
"You're back already!"
Akari nodded. "The caravan arrived safely. No losses. No injuries."
Layla's fingers flew across the parchment as she checked the report. Her eyes widened slightly as she read.
"…Bandits repelled. No lethal force. Excellent judgment."
She stamped the document and reached beneath the counter.
"Akari, based on this report and your recent conduct, the guild officially recognizes your advancement."
She placed a new tag on the counter.
"From this moment forward, you are a D-rank adventurer."
Akari stared at it.
D-rank.
Her chest tightened.
"…Thank you," she said softly, bowing.
Layla smiled warmly. "You earned it."
"THIS IS BULLSHIT"
The shout cut through the hall like a blade.
Akari turned.
Near the opposite counter, a broad-shouldered adventurer slammed his fist down, the wood cracking beneath the impact.
"I risked my life out there!" he snarled. "And this is all I get?!"
The receptionist behind the counter flinched, trying to stay composed.
"Please calm down," she said. "Guild rewards are determined by."
"Don't lecture me!"
The man shoved forward.
Before anyone else could react, Layla stepped out from behind Akari's counter.
"Sir," she said firmly, "violence inside the guild hall is prohibited. Stand down."
The adventurer turned to her.
"Stay out of it!"
He shoved her.
Layla stumbled backward hard, hitting the stone floor.
"Layla!" Akari shouted.
The guild hall fell silent.
The man drew his sword.
"I'll make you listen."
He raised the blade.
Akari moved.
Shhng.
Solflare left its sheath in a flash of crimson light.
CLANG.
The adventurer's sword stopped inches from Layla's face.
Akari stood between them, one blade raised, her stance grounded and steady.
Golden light shimmered faintly around her.
Her eyes were calm.
"Enough," Akari said.
The adventurer froze, staring at her in shock.
"…You?" he spat. "Get out of my way, kid!"
Akari didn't move.
"This is a guild hall," she said evenly. "Put your weapon away."
The man's grip tightened.
Around them, chairs scraped back. Adventurers rose to their feet. Hands drifted toward hilts.
The air grew tense, heavy with mana and anticipation.
Akari didn't raise her voice.
She didn't threaten.
She simply held her ground.
"I won't let you hurt anyone," she said.
The adventurer snarled and shifted his stance.
A fight was about to break out.