***
"We're here! Ta-da!"
Ginger's cheerful voice pulled Rouya out of her thoughts—she'd been wondering when they'd finally reach the guild headquarters they'd spoken of. The path had twisted and turned endlessly, and when they stepped into the forest, she'd nearly wanted to turn back if not for Ginger's tight grip on her hand.
Following where Ginger pointed, Rouya lifted her gaze—and the sight that met her eyes left her completely in trance.
Nestled within a huge ancient tree is a treehouse, decorated with large, glowing butterfly wings. It sits on a small plot of land encircled by clear blue waters dotted with water lilies, and with nothing but a mossy vine serving as a bridge to the other side.
This place perfectly captures the "beautiful scenic spot" Ginger described when inviting Rouya along. With a soft, misty forest in the background and enchanting touches like butterflies fluttering as a front, it creates the ethereal, safe atmosphere the guild strives to provide for its members.
"This..." She was at a loss for words. Rouya could only gaze downcast at the stunning scenery before her. Were it not for knowing this was their supposed headquarters, she might have mistaken it for a painted backdrop—something that couldn't possibly exist in real life. Oh well... reality check, she is inside the game so everything is possible.
"Since this is where we chose to set up the base, the guild master decided to name our guild as Moonlit Butterfly Guild. It hasn't been registered or verified by the system yet, but we've already fully adopted the name."
"I see." Rouya turned her gaze toward Blues, who had remained silent until now. "Blues, what do you think? This treehouse looks like it was made just for you!"
"It's amazing," Blues replied, her eyes shining. The translucent wings decor of the treehouse stirred something within her, especially since they glowed just like her own.
"Whoa... your pixie guide is absolutely beautiful!" Ginger exclaimed, finally shifting her attention to Blues. She had been so caught up in her excitement earlier that she hadn't really noticed her before. "What's your name?"
"I'm Blues."
"What a perfect name! I'm so jealous," Ginger said with a pout, thinking about her own pixie guide.
"Speaking of pixie guide... I haven't seen yours at all since we met," Rouya asked, sounding puzzled. It was strange enough if one was missing, but for all three of theirs to be absent was definitely unusual.
"We left them back at headquarters. You see, unlike yours, all of our pixie guides are males," Ginger explained with a hint of annoyance.
"Huh? Aren't female pixie guides supposed to be paired with female, and male pixie guides with male?"
"Who knows?" Ginger shrugged. "Maybe it's because there are equal numbers of pixie guide between male and female, but most of the players here are males. So... some female players have male pixie guide."
"Oh, I see."
Moments later, Aislinn and Noir stepped out from the nearby forest, accompanied by a lady who carried herself with grace and sophistication. She was undeniably striking, but her sharp, unsmiling features gave off an impression of distance, making her appear distant and hard to approach.
"Is this the one?" the woman inquired, her eyes sweeped slowly over Rouya from head to toe before she raised one eyebrow slightly. "Another beautiful one. It looks like our guild is going to be famous for its looks – not exactly for our strength." She paused, then a warm, genuine smile spread across her face as she came to stand before Rouya and Blues. "Hello there. I'm Priscilla. I assume the others have already told you about me?"
"They have," Rouya replied. "And they said you're the Guild Master."
"That's right." Priscilla smiled once more, then started walking across the bridge made of twisting green vines. "Let's go inside the headquarters first, and then I'll officially add your name to our guild registry."
Without waiting for a response, Priscilla led the way along the path. Following behind her were Rouya and Ginger, then Aislinn and Noir.
When they entered the headquarters, three male pixie guides came forward to greet them. Each had their own distinct features and style, but all were equally handsome – almost too good-looking to be pixies that tends more on the cuter sides.
"Now then, which one do you like best?" Rouya asked teasingly, nudging Blues who had hidden herself behind her back.
Blues froze, unable to find words, and her cheeks turned bright red as she peeked out at the three pixies, who were now going to their respective masters.
"All three of them are good," Blues blurted out without thinking. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized what she'd said, and feeling terribly embarrassed, she shot a sharp look at Rouya. "You must never ask me something like that again!"
"Aw, don't be like that – there's no need to be shy!"
While Rouya was teasing Blues, their interaction caught Priscilla's eye. Glancing at her own male pixie guide, she shot Rouya a look of clear envy.
"Your pixie guide is so adorable!" Priscilla remarked, her voice thick with jealousy. "Mine is just so stiff and rigid," she added with a dissatisfied tone.
"Ahem... Guild Master, you're starting to slip out of character. Remember to keep that cool, composed image you project," Aislinn pointed out, her tone expressing nothing but helplessness.
Before Rouya came along, Priscilla had made it clear she wanted to come across as mature and dependable. To achieve this, she'd adopted an air of seriousness and detachment that made her seem almost untouchable. Yet here she was, barely an hour in, already struggling to keep up the act.
"Huh? Oh right..." Feeling flustered, Priscilla cleared her throat and tried to sound firm and authoritative. "Forget what I said. I just want to make our new member feel welcome. I'll be officially registering the guild now that we've reached the minimum number of members required."
Even as she tried to maintain her serious demeanor, Priscilla's eyes kept drifting back to Blues. Her gaze was filled with both envy and longing – and even though Rouya wasn't paying close attention, she couldn't help but notice something was off. It struck her that the Guild Master who seemed so composed and responsible on the surface had a much more complex personality than she let on.
Rouya found herself wondering if having someone like Priscilla as leader was really the best choice. It almost felt like Aislinn or Noir would have been more suited to the role.
***