The atmosphere at the reception desk of the Pixa City Adventurers' Guild grew tense. Sera, the usually calm and professional receptionist, was now staring at the three dark copper license cards with a look of disbelief.
Her fingers still trembled slightly as she held the proof of identity stating that the three teenagers before her were Rank C adventurers.
Sera's logic refused to accept this fact. Rank C was a level for veterans, those who had tasted the bitterness and salt of battle for years. Reaching it in less than two months was an anomaly never before recorded in the history of the Pixa branch guild.
"Forgive my impertinence." Sera said slowly, trying to gather her professionalism. "However, as a verification procedure for cases of such rapid rank advancement, I am obligated to ask. What major achievement have you accomplished to receive this promotion? Usually, a rank jump like this is only granted for military achievements or the subjugation of a calamity-class monster."
Keyzier, standing casually with his elbows resting on the reception desk, answered in a flat tone as if discussing the weather.
"At that time, we were still Rank E in Antrows..." he began. "We accepted a routine mission to kill 20 Goblins in Yavo Forest. However, we accidentally discovered their main nest. The situation forced us to fight. In the end, we attacked the nest and killed 1 Goblin King, 2 Goblin Shamans, 6 Goblin Generals, 40 Goblin Warriors, and hundreds of other ordinary goblins."
Silence...
Sera gaped. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. It wasn't just Sera; the other adventurers who had been secretly eavesdropping on the conversation froze in their seats.
"What...?" Sera finally managed to voice out, her eyes blinking in confusion.
Suddenly, a sound of mocking laughter broke the silence. A large man with an axe on his back rose from one of the tables in the corner of the room.
"Oi, oi, don't joke around, Brat!" the man shouted as he walked closer. "What did you say? A Rank E party with only three members defeating hundreds of goblins, even a Goblin King and his generals? That's the most ridiculous tall tale I've ever heard! Even Rank B and Rank A parties need thorough preparation for a suicide mission like that!"
The man stood towering behind Keyzier, glaring sharply. "Don't make up stories just to look cool in a foreign kingdom. You must have faked those cards or bribed officials in Altoria, right?"
Sera looked panicked. "Mr. Gardo, please calm down—"
"Quiet, Sera! I can't let frauds like them ruin the reputation of adventurers!" Gardo cut her off roughly.
Keyzier, Donovan, and Novalia looked at each other. They understood this reaction. Indeed, their story sounded like a fairy tale to the layperson.
"It is true that this wouldn't be immediately believed, and would even be considered impossible to do." Keyzier said calmly, without turning to look at Gardo. He let out a long sigh. "Words alone are not enough. How about this?"
Keyzier raised his right hand slightly. His sharp eyes glinted coldly.
"Blizzard!"
The impact was instant. The air temperature inside the guild lobby, which had been warm, plummeted drastically. The wooden floor beneath Keyzier's feet began to turn white, covered in a thin layer of ice spreading rapidly in all directions. Frost crept up the walls, pillars, and onto the reception desk where Sera stood. Beer mugs on the adventurers' tables cracked due to the extreme temperature change.
A freezing wind blew hard within the enclosed room, carrying sharp snowflakes. Everyone inside the guild shivered, their breath coming out in thick white clouds of vapor.
However, it wasn't just the cold that made them tremble. Keyzier released his killingintent. The aura was so strong, dense, and suffocating that it felt as if an invisible hand were choking the neck of every person in the room.
Gardo, the muscular man who had belittled them earlier, now had a face pale as a sheet. His knees shook violently before he finally fell to his knees, his eyes wide with terror staring at Keyzier's back. The mana pressure Keyzier exerted made it difficult to breathe. Oxygen seemed to vanish from his lungs.
Thud!
Gardo fell unconscious, unable to withstand the mental and physical pressure Keyzier applied. He wasn't the only one. Several guild staff members and beginner adventurers also collapsed, fainting on the spot.
Donovan immediately slapped Keyzier's shoulder hard. "Key, that's enough! Stop it! Look, the guy who insulted you earlier has already passed out! You'll freeze the whole building if you keep this up!"
Keyzier snapped back to reality. He immediately withdrew his killing intent. With a snap of his fingers, he shifted his magic element.
"My apologies..." Keyzier muttered.
He released a combination of fire and wind magic, the same technique he used to dry the mattresses in Telo Village, but now on a much larger scale.
A wave of warm air swept through the room, melting the ice in an instant and drying the remaining puddles of water before they could soak the floor.
In seconds, the room temperature returned to normal as if the snowstorm had never happened. However, the terror felt by the people there was real. Everyone who witnessed the high-level magic control demonstrated by Keyzier was left amazed and stunned. They no longer looked at Keyzier as a foreign brat, but as a monster that had just arrived in their kingdom.
Sera stood frozen, but now her gaze was filled with a mix of respect and fear. She swallowed hard, then quickly took a special stamp from her desk drawer.
"I-I understand!" Sera stammered. "I... I fully believe in your achievements."
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Sera placed an additional stamp on each of their license cards next to their personal data.
"What is that stamp for?" Novalia asked curiously.
"It proves that you have visited the Kingdom of Fellims legally and that the Pixa Adventurers' Guild stands as a witness." Sera explained. "With this, your cards are valid for use throughout the Fellims territory without the need for re-verification."
"What if we want to rank up?" asked Donovan. "Is the method the same as in the guilds in the Kingdom of Altoria?"
"Yes, the method is the same. The point and mission systems are universal." Sera answered, now calmer. "But, your cards will be reissued with new ones when you receive a promotion to Rank A or higher."
"Then, what about the stamp from our home guild? Will that stamp disappear when we change cards?" Keyzier asked.
"Of course not! We will never remove stamps belonging to adventurers from other kingdoms. That is the track record of your journey. We will copy it onto the new card."
The three members of Party Noiver felt very relieved to hear Sera's explanation. Their administrative matters were finished. Now, it was time for logistics.