The silence inside Robert's office felt thick, as if the oxygen in the room was slowly thinning. Robert, the Guild Master, continued to stare sharply at Keyzier. He was waiting for an answer to his suspicions regarding the massacre of the bandit group, an achievement officially claimed by Party The Sky.
Keyzier looked hesitant. He then glanced toward Donovan and Novalia, searching for support for words he found difficult to frame.
Seeing his best friend's unease, Donovan took a deep breath. As the person who best understood Keyzier's sometimes extreme way of thinking, Donovan decided to take control of the conversation.
"Guild Master, please let me explain everything!" Donovan said in a serious tone.
Robert shifted his gaze, signaling for Donovan to continue.
"Actually, when the incident occurred, Keyzier did something very risky. He pretended to betray us and joined the bandits in order to free all the hostages from the inside." Donovan explained. "Keyzier even threw me and Novalia into the prison . To be honest, at that time, we were both truly angry. Keyzier didn't whisper his plan or say a single word when he seemingly betrayed us."
"However," Donovan continued, "from inside the dungeon, we realized we were in a strategic position to watch over the hostages. Keyzier ensured all the hostages were safe from his new position as a 'member' of the bandits."
Donovan explained the chronology in great detail. He recounted how, a few days later, Party The Sky was intercepted by the bandits on the main road. A large battle broke out outside the headquarters, and many bandits fell at the hands of Party The Sky.
"When chaos erupted outside due to The Sky's attack, Keyzier seized the moment. He attacked the entire bandit group from within, single-handedly. He moved like a shadow, neutralizing the guards one by one so the hostages wouldn't be used as human shields. If we had made even one wrong move, all the hostages would surely have been killed by the bandits as they began to panic." Donovan revealed.
Robert was stunned. He leaned back into his large wooden chair, processing information that made much more sense than the official report he had received previously (even though the report wasn't entirely truthful).
"Then," Robert asked with furrowed brows, "why did you hand over all the rewards and that massive achievement to Party The Sky? That is an accomplishment that could have made you famous instantly."
Keyzier finally spoke, his voice sounding calmer. "At that time, we weren't officially registered as adventurers, Guild Master. We were just passing strangers. To avoid unnecessary attention and troublesome publicity, we decided to give all the credit to Party The Sky. We asked them to keep the truth a secret."
Suddenly, Novalia chimed in. "We also spoke with all the rescued hostages. We asked them to cooperate and act as witnesses to cover up our involvement. We simply wanted to avoid any complications that would come from being too prominent."
Robert let out a long sigh. His head felt a little lighter now. He understood their underlying motives. The desire to live peacefully without being chased by a grand reputation was a classic reason for powerful individuals who didn't want to be tied down by politics or large organizations.
"So that is the truth, Guild Master. We hope you can understand the reasons why we had to do it." Donovan concluded.
Robert remained silent for a long time, tapping his fingers on the desk. "I understand your reasons. However, as a Guild Master, I cannot let procedural violations slide."
Instantly, the atmosphere in the room turned tense again. Keyzier and his companions held their breath.
"Because you withheld the true report about the bandits and took on the goblin extermination mission few days ago without official confirmation from the guild staff, you will officially receive a points deduction for your rank promotion. I hope you can accept this decision gracefully." Robert said in an authoritative tone.
Keyzier, Donovan, and Novalia bowed simultaneously. "We accept the decision, Guild Master!" they replied almost in unison.
Internally, however, they felt immensely relieved. They had feared a severe punishment, such as license suspension or even a dishonorable discharge from the guild.
"Now," Robert continued his questioning, "why are the three of you openly revealing your abilities now? You already caused a commotion in the guild lobby."
Donovan glanced at Keyzier, who could only hang his head dejectedly. "It was all Keyzier's doing, Guild Master. He was carried away by emotions from the past and unconsciously released his killing intent inside the guild. Since so many people saw and felt it, we thought there was no longer any point in pretending to be weak adventurers."
Keyzier remained silent, admitting his mistake through his wordlessness.
"Very well. Hand over your license cards and place them on this table!" Robert commanded.
The faces of the three went pale. Fear haunted them once again. Is the points deduction just a distraction before our cards are actually confiscated?
With slightly trembling hands, they placed their blue Rank E adventurer cards on the table.
Robert took the cards, inserted them into a magical device in his drawer, and pulled out three new ones. However, the cards were no longer blue. They were now a dark copper color with more intricate engravings. On them, text was written that made their hearts race: Rank C.
"These are your new cards. Your individual ranks and your party rank are now officially Rank C." Robert said with a thin smile.
"WHAT?! RANK C?!"
A cheer of joy erupted from the three of them simultaneously. Keyzier jumped with excitement, Donovan pumped his fist into the air, and Novalia nearly dropped her magic staff out of pure happiness. The sound of their joyful shouting was so loud it could be heard clearly by the adventurers waiting in the lobby downstairs.
"Actually," Robert added with a small laugh at their antics, "based on the achievement of killing a Goblin King, I wanted to make you Rank A directly. But the guild has rules that must be followed. Furthermore, you violated two serious rules regarding reporting and mission procedures. So, Rank C is the best result after the penalty points deduction."
"That's more than fine, Guild Master! Being Rank C already makes us so happy! This promotion proves that our hard work hasn't been in vain!" Keyzier exclaimed with sparkling eyes.
"Once again, congratulations, Party Noiver! And here is your reward from the goblin extermination mission: 26 Golds." Robert handed over a heavy, clinking pouch of coins.
The three members of Party Noiver left Robert's office with beaming faces, stepping lightly down the stairs toward the guild exit. However, inside the room they had just left, the atmosphere changed instantly.
From behind the curtains in the corner of the room, a woman emerged as if she had just materialized from the shadows. She wore a guild receptionist uniform, but her aura was entirely different.
"Well, Vina? Was the report they gave entirely true?" Robert asked without turning around, as he had already asked her to be there to judge their honesty.
Vina, who possessed the ability to detect lies through the flow of mana, nodded slowly. "Yes, it was all true, Guild Master. I didn't detect any lies or mana distortion from a single word spoken by the youth named Donovan. They were indeed telling their version of the truth."
"I see. Thank you for your hard work, Vina. Please return to your duties downstairs!" Robert ordered.
Vina bowed respectfully and exited through a side door, returning to her position as one of the friendly faces at the reception desk. Meanwhile, Robert leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling with a gaze full of both admiration and wariness.
"Truly terrifying kids!" Robert muttered softly. "Especially Keyzier. Besides his logic-defying abilities, his mind is incredibly sharp. He's brilliant at reading situations. He managed to deceive his own comrades for the sake of the hostages, while simultaneously deceiving the bandits. Such infiltration and elimination strategies! He looks like the style of the best special forces in the Kingdom of Altoria."
Robert went silent for a moment, reflecting on Ronan's account of Noive Village, a place where even the weakest was equivalent to Rank A. The world felt wider and more mysterious in Robert's eyes. He realized there were still many great powers choosing to remain hidden from the luxuries of the city.
However, there was one more secret that even Robert did not know. He thought the three of them were simply talented children from Noive Village. He was completely unaware that Novalia, the extraordinary support mage, was actually a noblewoman from the Varda region who was currently on the run.
Only Keyzier and Donovan knew Novalia's true background. To protect her, they had agreed from the beginning to always say she was from the same village as them. To the outside world, they were just three "monsters" from the same remote village.
Robert sighed, closing the evaluation file. "Keep shining, Noiver. Reach the pinnacle of glory, adventurers!"