More than a month had passed since Arth and the others had registered as adventurers.
During that time, Arth had been promoted twice, reaching D-Rank, while Tina, Jake, and Tyson had each advanced to E-Rank. For beginners, it was decent progress—nothing remarkable, but enough to show that they were doing things properly.
The Adventurers' Guild was busy when they arrived.
At the reception counter, the attendant checked their records and handed over several cards.
"Here's your updated guild cards."
Arth took his first.
*** Adventurer ID ***
Name: Arth
Race: Human
Rank: D
*** ***
The promotion drew a few passing glances from nearby adventurers. Arth paid them no attention and put the card away.
Next came the others.
*** Adventurer ID ***
Name: Tina
Race: Human
Rank: E
*** ***
Tina looked at her card for a moment, then carefully slipped it away, clearly pleased.
Jake and Tyson also took theirs.
*** Adventurer ID ***
Name: Tyson
Race: Human
Rank: E
*** ***
*** Adventurer ID ***
Name: Jake
Race: Human
Rank: E
*** ***
After receiving their cards, the group stepped away from the counter.
With no urgent plans for the day, Tina, Jake, and Tyson decided to take the rest of the day off from adventuring and left the guild soon after.
Arth did not follow them.
Once they were gone, he turned back toward the main hall instead. His attention shifted to the mission board, where requests were arranged by rank and region.
He began scanning through the parchments, looking for a quest he could take on.
The mission board was crowded with requests.
Most of them were routine—goblin subjugations, herb gathering, escort work along familiar routes. Arth scanned through them methodically, filtering out anything meant for groups or anything too far from the city.
He had just reached for one of the lower D-rank notices when a voice spoke from behind him.
"You're the one who helped me before, right?"
Arth paused and turned.
A young woman stood there, brown hair tied back neatly, her posture slightly stiff as if unsure whether approaching him had been the right decision.
It took him a moment.
Then he remembered.
"Ah," he said. "The wolf incident."
Her shoulders relaxed. "So you do remember."
She introduced herself again as 'Diana'. Compared to the last time they had met, she looked better—cleaner gear, steadier eyes—but there was still a hint of hesitation in her movements.
They spoke briefly.
After returning from that failed hunt, Diana had taken time off from adventuring altogether. The experience had shaken her more than she had expected. Only recently had she started taking quests again, sticking close to the city and avoiding anything risky.
Today, she had come to the guild intending to find something simple.
Instead, she had spotted Arth.
Their conversation didn't linger on the past. There was no need to. The fact that she was standing here again was enough.
After a short pause, Arth spoke.
"If you want," he said, "you can join my party for a while."
Diana looked at him, surprised.
She hadn't asked for help. She hadn't even hinted at it. But Arth had noticed the way she kept her quests close to the city, the caution in how she spoke. It reminded him of someone still finding their footing.
He wasn't offering out of strategy.
It was simple consideration.
He added. "You won't be alone, and you won't be a burden."
The words were plain, without reassurance or pressure.
Diana hesitated, then looked away briefly.
Diana remained silent for a moment.
The offer wasn't grand, nor was it framed as charity. That was what made it difficult to refuse. Arth wasn't trying to convince her—he had already said what he needed to say.
Before she could answer, footsteps approached from the side.
A man stopped near them, his gear well-maintained and his expression practiced. His eyes moved briefly between Arth and Diana before he spoke.
"You two looking for work together?" he asked. "If you're interested, our clan is recruiting."
Diana's response was immediate.
"No," she said.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly not used to such quick refusals, but he didn't press the matter. After giving Arth a brief look—one that lingered just long enough to judge his rank—he turned and walked away.
Arth watched him leave, then looked back at Diana.
"What was that about?" he asked.
"A clan," she replied. "It's a group formed by multiple parties. They pool manpower and resources."
She went on to explain that forming one required either strength or numbers. At least three B-rank adventurers, or a single A-rank, along with several lower-ranked members. Most clans focused on influence, long-term contracts, or securing territory around profitable hunting grounds.
Arth listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he nodded once.
Then, as if the interruption had never happened, he returned to the earlier matter.
"So?" he asked.
Diana looked at him.
This time, the hesitation didn't last long.
"…Alright," she said. "I'll join. For now."
There were no promises beyond that.
And none were needed.
#On the other-hand, The diner carried on as usual.
Yet beyond its walls, something had already begun to move.
The flavors it served were spoken of in low voices—described as unfamiliar, excessive, impossible to recreate. Those who tasted them struggled to explain *why* they lingered in the mind long after the meal had ended.
Rumors like these never stayed among common folk.
They climbed.
Passed from merchant to merchant, from traveler to attendant, until they reached the tables of those who considered themselves true gourmets.
Among them was a baron of Bahamara.
A noble whose name carried little weight in politics, yet commanded quiet respect in culinary circles. A man who had traveled across Aldrehed not for power or conquest, but in pursuit of flavor alone.
When word reached him of a small diner serving dishes that defied convention, he did not laugh.
He listened.
And when he learned that the meals were said to surpass even royal kitchens, his interest sharpened.
A gourmet did not ignore such rumors.
Not when they came from so many mouths.
Somewhere, far from the humble diner, a decision was forming.
To be continued…..