The atmosphere inside the Adventurer's Guild lobby of the Garveon Kingdom's Capital that afternoon felt stifling, heavy with the smell of cheap alcohol, sweat, and street dust. The sound of raucous laughter, the clinking of wooden mugs colliding, and the shouting of mission haggling created a deafening noise. However, the seemingly eternal hustle and bustle suddenly ground to a halt, replaced by an eerie silence.
All activity was paralyzed. Adventurers in the middle of downing their beer left their mugs hovering in mid-air. Those locked in arm-wrestling matches froze in place. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were now fixed on a single point—the guild entrance.
There, stood two figures who looked as if they had just stepped out of an ancient legend. But the primary magnet for all that attention was the figure on the right.
An elf, a creature they were seeing for the very first time.
The figure radiated a dazzling aura of elegance. His skin was as fair as flawless porcelain, his golden-yellow hair gleamed softly as if catching every particle of light in the room, and his mint-green eyes surveyed the surroundings with a regal serenity.
Emma, the young receptionist on duty at the front desk, felt her breath hitch. She had seen many handsome and beautiful people while working in the capital, but the figure before her was in an entirely different league. The creature was too beautiful to be real.
With slightly trembling hands, Emma straightened her uniform, trying to regain her professionalism. "G-Good afternoon! I am Emma, the receptionist who will be assisting you. Is there anything I can help you with?" she greeted with a friendly smile, though her heart was racing.
Kazien was just about to open his mouth to answer, but a tide of humans crashed in first.
Before a single word could escape Kazien's lips, the adventurers who had been transfixed moments ago snapped back to reality and immediately swarmed the receptionist's desk. They jostled and pushed one another just to get closer to the elf. The female adventurers, in particular, had eyes sparkling with admiration and overflowing curiosity.
"Hello! I'm Lina!" shouted a red-haired female adventurer who managed to break through to the front row. "What is your name, Mr. Elf? You are so cute!"
"Whoa... By the Goddess! This is the first time I've seen an elf in my entire life!" a male adventurer behind her chimed in, his mouth gaping wide.
"Hey, Sir! Where are you from? Do you need a guide in this city?"
Kazien let out a long sigh, his flat expression twitching slightly with irritation. His sapphire blue eyes looked at the crowd with a weary gaze.
Good grief, something troublesome has happened, Kazien thought, massaging his temples. I haven't even reported our arrival here yet. Why do humans always lose their common sense when it comes to elves? Do they not have other jobs?
Emma looked overwhelmed. She waved her hands, trying to disperse the increasingly uncontrollable crowd. "Please calm down! Please make way! Do not disturb the newly arrived guests!" she cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the mob's enthusiasm.
Seeing the situation descending into chaos, Alvin smiled faintly—a smile that made several people in the front row hold their breath again. He raised his hand gracefully, giving a gentle signal.
"My name is Alvin, pleased to meet you all." Alvin's voice sounded melodious, calm yet possessing a strange authority that made people want to obey. "But, could you please let us finish what we need to do here? We have just arrived from a long journey."
The request was delivered very politely, without a single raised tone. Yet, the effect was instant. The adventurers, as if snapping out of a momentary enchantment, simultaneously took a step back. They glanced at each other, feeling slightly embarrassed for being too aggressive.
Kazien exhaled in relief. Finally, they could finish this quickly.
However, that relief was shattered into pieces the very next second. "Well, well, well! Look what we have here!"
A heavy, hoarse, and arrogant voice broke the newfound calm. The crowd parted, making way for a burly man in iron armor covered in scratches. His face was rough, and the sneer on his lips radiated thick malice.
"There's an elf here! First time I've seen a rare creature like you in this den of villains." the man said loudly, his eyes stripping Alvin from head to toe with a gaze full of ambition.
Kazien felt his blood rush. The annoyance that was previously just a small spark now began to burn. He had just arrived, and someone was already trying to bother Alvin.
Suddenly, Kazien's attention shifted when he saw a black aura enveloping the man's entire body. It signaled that the man speaking in front of them harbored ill intentions toward Alvin.
Without hesitation, the man reached out his rough hand, intending to touch Alvin's smooth cheek. "Your skin looks so smooth. Does it feel as soft as silk?"
Grab.
Before those filthy fingers could touch Alvin's skin, a hand gripped the man's wrist firmly. Kazien stood there, his gaze so sharp and cold, as frigid as the arctic ice.
"What do you think you are do—" Kazien began in a low, dangerous tone.
However, before Kazien could break the person's wrist, Alvin suddenly cut in, "Wait!"
Alvin turned to his fiancé, his mint-green eyes glinting playfully yet full of meaning. "You said you didn't want to stand out on our first day in the capital, right? Just leave this small matter to me."
Kazien looked at Alvin for a moment. He knew Alvin was very strong, but his protective instincts were hard to suppress.
"Don't let his hand touch you!" Kazien conditioned coldly.
"Okay!" Alvin answered briefly with a sweet smile.
The man sneered, feeling that the silver-haired youth was just a weak bodyguard afraid of a fight. "Good, move aside, brat!" the man grumbled, then aimed his hand at Alvin's face again, this time faster and more aggressively.
Zap!
The man's hand grasped only empty air.
"What?!" The man's eyes widened, searching frantically. "Where did he go?!"
"Who exactly did you want to touch, Sir? I am over here!"
Alvin's voice came from the direction of the lobby entrance, dozens of meters away from where they had been standing. Every head turned in unison. There, Alvin stood casually leaning against the doorframe.
"Is... is that spatial magic? Did he teleport in an instant?" someone whispered in disbelief.
They were all shocked. Such speed and mastery of magic were not things just anyone could perform. The burly man felt cold sweat trickle down his temple. He realized the difference in power between them was like heaven and earth.
Damn, that is no ordinary elf, the man thought in panic. There is no way I can win if I fight him.
His wild eyes searched for a way out, and his gaze fell upon Kazien, who was still standing silently in his original spot. The man sneered again. A cunning idea popped into his head.
I can use this weak, silver-haired brat! That elf looked like he was protecting him earlier, they must have a relationship.