Luna Belle was lost in thought; she remembered the magic wolf corpse that Fairy had stored away.
"Miss Lina, is there a place in the guild where we can store... larger items? For example... the corpse of a magical beast?"
"Yes! The guild has a dedicated Material Processing Room for temporary storage and the preliminary processing of loot brought back by adventurers. Please follow me!"
She led the two of them past the main hall and toward a corridor leading to the back of the building. At the end of the corridor was a heavy wooden door. Upon pushing it open, they were greeted by a scent that mixed leather, metal, and a faint hint of blood. The space was spacious, filled with various cutting tools, cutting boards, and sinks, resembling a workshop. A burly middle-aged man wearing a leather apron was sharpening a dagger.
"Uncle Barton!" Lina called out.
The man looked up, and when he saw Lina and the two unfamiliar young girls behind her—especially Ellen—his eyes lit up. He immediately put down his work and came forward warmly.
"Yo! Little Lina, brought guests? Are you here to craft equipment or repair weapons? Not to brag, but my craftsmanship, Barton's craft, is among the best in White Thorn City! Let's see this lady's... uh... these scissors?... Do they need maintenance? Or this blue-haired little girl, do you need a handy shortsword for self-defense?"
Seeing that Uncle Barton was about to start a non-stop sales pitch, Lina quickly interrupted him. "Uncle Barton! We're not here to craft equipment! These two ladies have something that needs to be placed on the Dismantling Table for appraisal."
"Something?" Uncle Barton looked at Luna Belle curiously. "What is it? Magical creature materials? Don't worry, this table of mine is very sturdy; it can hold even the biggest fellow!"
Luna Belle nodded and walked to the huge stone Dismantling Table in the center of the room, which was covered in blade marks. She took a deep breath, recalling the method Fairy had taught her, and simply snapped her fingers.
Snap!
With a crisp sound, a glimmer of light flashed, and the massive magic wolf corpse appeared out of thin air, slamming onto the Dismantling Table with a heavy "thud." The faint pressure it still emitted even in death instantly filled the entire room.
"Whoa!!!" Uncle Barton was startled by the sudden appearance of this big fellow. His eyes went wide as saucers as he lunged forward, excitedly stroking the magic wolf's fur, his voice changing pitch. "This... this is a Gale Magic Wolf! An adult Gale Magic Wolf! Look at this coat, these muscle lines! What a find! This is a top-grade material for making light armor and wind-attribute enchantments! This beast has the strength of at least a Gold-rank adventurer! Did... did you two take it down?"
Lina also covered her small mouth, her face written with surprise. She stepped forward and carefully examined the magic wolf's corpse, focusing particularly on the clean, decisive fatal wound at the neck that had almost severed it entirely. The wound was smooth with neat edges; it was clearly a one-hit kill, definitely not something caused by scavenging or a group siege.
When she looked up at Ellen again, her gaze already carried a distinct sense of awe. To be able to deliver such an easy fatal blow to a Gale Magic Wolf with Gold-rank strength, this seemingly lazy and indolent maid's power was likely beyond the Gold-rank. Lina took a deep breath to suppress the shock in her heart and gave Luna Belle and Ellen an even brighter smile.
"Miss Belle, Miss Ellen. This Gale Magic Wolf corpse is undoubtedly the most powerful proof of strength. Being able to kill a magical beast of this level alone means Miss Ellen's strength has already met the standard for a Gold-rank adventurer. According to guild regulations, I can apply for an exceptional promotion for Miss Ellen!"
She turned to Uncle Barton, who was still drooling over the magic wolf corpse. "Uncle Barton, please help by issuing an appraisal certificate confirming the integrity and value of this Gale Magic Wolf corpse, as well as... an analysis of the fatal wound."
"No problem! Leave it to me!" Uncle Barton patted his chest in guarantee, immediately took out pen and paper, and began recording professionally. Soon, a detailed appraisal certificate was handed to Lina.
Holding the certificate, Lina said to Luna Belle and Ellen, "Please follow me back to the front desk. I will process the rank promotion procedures for Miss Ellen immediately!"
Returning to the registration counter, Lina explained the situation to Mr. Hans and handed over Uncle Barton's appraisal certificate. After checking it carefully, Mr. Hans nodded, took back the Bronze-rank badge, and took out a new badge with a bright gold stone embedded in the center, solemnly handing it to Ellen.
"Miss Ellen, congratulations on your promotion to Gold-rank adventurer. This is your new badge."
Ellen took the badge and casually pinned it to the collar of her maid outfit. Her expression remained unchanged, as if she had just exchanged for a piece of candy.
"Now, you two can view the Gold-rank commissions." Lina smiled as she led them to a commission board on the other side of the hall that was noticeably taller and had far fewer commissions. As expected, Gold-rank commissions were no longer about finding cats and dogs or clearing silt.
"Investigate abnormal noises in the abandoned mine west of the city; suspected mid-level magical creature nest. Reward: five gold coins."
"Escort a merchant caravan to the neighboring 'Stone Claw Town' via Blackwood Forest; must deal with potential bandits and magical creatures. Reward: ten gold coins."
"Collect ten tail stingers from 'Crystal Scorpions.' Reward: eight gold coins."
"Clear out a newly appeared Slime colony on the outskirts of the Gloomy Forest. Reward: six gold coins."
…Both the rewards and the quest contents had improved by more than one level.
"Now this is more like it..." Ellen scanned the commission board, finally showing a bit of spirit as her gaze drifted over several commissions involving combat.
Luna Belle also looked carefully. Although these commissions were dangerous, the rewards were generous, which was exactly what they needed right now. "Ellen, which one do you think is better?"
Ellen extended a slender finger and tapped the "Clear Slimes" commission. "This one. It sounds relatively simple. We can finish it quickly and go back to rest early."
Luna Belle looked at the commission description. The outskirts of the Gloomy Forest weren't too far from White Thorn City. The objective was to clear a newly appeared patch of Slimes to prevent them from threatening passersby and nearby farms.
"Alright, let's take this one." Luna Belle nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Lina skillfully helped them process the acceptance procedure, recording the commission details into Ellen's Gold-rank badge.
"I wish you both success! If you need to buy supplies or maps, the guild's internal shop provides them!"
Having accepted their first proper commission, Luna Belle and Ellen left the Adventurers Guild, preparing to head toward the Gloomy Forest...