Amidst the thunderous cheers of the masses, the heroes marched through the crowds toward the heart of the town—Nortier Central Square.
This place was a geometric masterpiece of prosperity, where weapon shops, armor smiths, and alchemy labs lined up in perfect arcs, curving toward the center.
At the absolute dead-center of this circle stood a breathtaking existence: a fifty-meter-tall giant statue carved from flawless Saint-Stone, depicting the sole faith of the Yasar-Eodes continent—the Supreme Goddess, Ladia.
And situated directly behind this majestic idol, on the highest and most commanding plot of land, sat the core of all authority: The Adventurers' Guild.
"Alright! Drag my bone-deep, penny-pinching Chief Accountant out here right now!" Doris stood in the center of the courtyard, her voice carrying a sharp, executive decisiveness.
"Today is Lord Ray's retirement. I want the highest-spec 'Scales of Merit' ceremony held on this very ground!"
"By your command!" Two attendants exchanged glances, knowing the weight of the situation, and bolted into the building.
The onlookers—fellow adventurers—couldn't contain their excitement. Whispers spread like a rising tide:
"Man, Ray's retirement is gonna be legendary. That stingy dwarf, Yaru, is probably coughing up blood right now."
"Coughing up blood? I'll bet five gold coins that once Ray's merits are settled, Yaru will just drop dead from the sheer shock of the payout. It'll be the last day of his career—and his life!"
Lyre pulled his neck in and leaned toward Ray's ear.
"Big Brother Ray, the ceremony hasn't even started, and people are already discussing whether the Guild is going to file for bankruptcy. This isn't a retirement; it's a heist."
Baray, ever the boisterous one, threw his massive arms around Ray and Lyre's shoulders.
"Oh, come on, Leader! You worry too much. The Guild's monthly cash flow is stronger than a geyser. With the Kingdom's treasury backing them, they won't collapse. At most, their assets will just... shrink by half!"
"The Guild won't fall," Rosalind added, her focus fixed on the red cloth sliding along her blade. Her cold eyes caught their reflection in the steel as she dropped a rare, dry remark:
"But Yaru? That ultimate cheapskate? He's definitely going down first."
Ray's lips curled into a playful smirk.
"It's fine. I'll only take the loose change. I've got to leave the old man a way to survive." He glanced at the still-silent Seraphine. "Besides, if his heart actually stops, we have the continent's strongest White Mage right here to save him, right, Seraphine?"
"...Huh? Oh! Right! As long as there's a breath left, I'll drag him back from the underworld!" Seraphine answered with the startled jump of a cat.
"Seraphine, what's with you today? Usually, you'd be the first to start roasting Yaru," Lyre said, squinting at her.
"I... I'm just tired." Seraphine forced a weak smile, her gaze drifting.
"The mental strain from fighting in the Abyssal Domain probably has some side effects."
"Oh, that makes sense. Now that you mention it, my eyelids are feeling heavy too..." Lyre yawned. The "fatigue" seemed contagious; even Rosalind and Baray nodded in belief.
Only Ray's gaze remained sharp as a torch. He saw the flicker of evasion in her eyes and understood perfectly. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut short by an attendant stumbling out of the Guild doors.
"Guild Master Doris! Lord Yaru... Lord Yaru says he has suddenly come down with a severe illness! He's dizzy, his vision is blurred, and he fears he cannot preside over the ceremony! He asks everyone to return on another—GAK!"
Doris, the picture of elegance just a moment ago, snapped. Her aura collapsed into pure, unadulterated violence.
She began rolling up her regal silk sleeves, revealing pale but toned forearms.
"Illness? I'd say the old fossil is suffering from a terminal case of 'Greed-Induced Cowardice'!"
Without another word, she kicked off her high heels and yanked up her skirt. The high-and-mighty City Lord transformed into a human-shaped magic missile.
"It's fine! I'll go 'invite' him personally. I guarantee he'll be cured in three seconds!"
Whoosh! Doris turned into a purple blur as she charged into the Guild. A rhythmic, heart-wrenching male scream echoed from the lobby shortly after.
Minutes later, the poor Chief Accountant was dragged out by his ankles. He was a dwarf actuary in his sixties, but he lacked the typical wild beard.
Instead, he sported a pair of meticulously trimmed handlebar moustaches. Dressed in a dapper aristocratic gentleman's suit with a monocle, he looked like a sharp professional with a distinct "unscrupulous merchant" vibe.
"Master! That's the Guild's lifeblood! You can't give it away!" Yaru clawed at the door frame, his nails nearly digging into the wood, but against Doris's monstrous strength, all resistance was futile.
With a cold snort, Doris grabbed Yaru's stubby legs and performed a massive shoulder throw, hurling the dwarf accountant into the open air.
Just as Yaru was about to kiss the pavement in the most undignified way possible, Ray's superhuman reflexes kicked in.
With a casual tap of his toe, Ray blurred into a streak of air. In the blink of an eye, he traced a perfect arc and intercepted the falling dwarf.
Clack.
Ray caught the terrified accountant in a textbook "Princess Carry." As he landed gracefully, his silver armor and white coat flared in the wind. His slicked-back pompadour hadn't lost a single hair.
"Master Yaru, I know it's my retirement, but there's no need for such a... grand entrance." Ray looked down at the dwarf in his arms, a roguish, dangerously charming smile on his face.
Old Yaru's handlebar moustaches were vibrating with terror. He gripped Ray's lapels for dear life, his monocle hanging off his nose.
"Lord Ray... my good ancestor! I'm begging you! Consider the fact that I almost became a 'human paratrooper' just now! When we settle the merits... could you please, please leave me enough gold to buy a footstool for my coffin?"
The crowd went dead silent for a second before erupting into a laugh that nearly blew the roof off the square.
"Classic Lord Ray! Even the way he saves an old man is alpha as hell!"
"Looks like Doris's 'medicine' worked wonders! Yaru is wide awake now!"
Doris, now standing barefoot at the entrance clutching her heels, felt her face flush. She coughed awkwardly and resumed her regal persona.
"Now that the 'medicine' has been administered, let's get to business." She stepped back into her shoes and pointed to a giant, glowing golden scale that had appeared in the center of the courtyard—The Scales of Merit.
"Lord Ray, my golden ancestor, please step onto the Scale and strike your most valiant pose! The Merit Settlement Ceremony—officially begins!"
Yaru's expression turned as solemn as a high priest's. He bowed deeply, gesturing for Ray to step onto the massive metal platter that had lowered to the ground.
Holy light pierced the sky. The town went wild.
Ray looked down at the two-meter-wide, polished silver platter. It looked suspiciously like a giant dinner plate. A vein throbbed in his temple.
"Yaru, I'm a grown-ass man. Why am I standing in what looks like a serving dish? Are you trying to make the crowd think I'm the 'Main Course' waiting to be devoured by a monster?"
"Oh, my dear Lord Ray, have mercy on me!" Yaru hissed, bowing low and whispering in agony.
"I spent all night fighting with the spirits of our ancestral actuaries over this scale! Those old fogies said this is an ancient relic and refused to let me swap it! Just think of the mountain of gold! Think of your enviable retirement! Just... endure it for a minute!"
With a sigh that felt like he was walking to his execution, Ray took that "shameful" first step onto the platter. He crossed his arms over his chest to hide his embarrassment and squeezed his eyes shut.
If I can't see them, the embarrassment belongs to them.
"—RISE!" Yaru shrieked the command.
The giant scale groaned with an ancient, heavy roar.
The two platters rose simultaneously, held aloft by magical auras until they reached a level horizontal line.
Silence fell. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the "Weights"—representing the gold payout—to appear on the empty side.
The balance didn't last three seconds.
The scale collapsed toward Ray as if it were suddenly carrying the weight of an entire mountain range.
The empty platter was flung into the sky, while Ray's "dinner plate" slammed toward the ground with the force of a falling meteor!
"—NOOOO! THE GUILD IS GOING TO BE BANKRUPT!!"
In that instant, the cowardly Yaru exploded with courage that defied his race. With a high-pitched scream, the dwarf threw caution to the wind and performed a sliding tackle right under the falling platter!
Veins popped on his stubby arms, his face turning a dark, bruised red.
He was actually trying to physically counter the weight of a decade's worth of legendary merit.
"Get—BACK! I don't believe it! I refuse to believe one man's retirement fund could buy the entire continent!!"
Yaru's feet sank into the stone pavement under the crushing pressure. Tears and snot streamed down his face, soaking his expensive gentleman's suit.
"Stop! STOOOOP! If this keeps tilting, today won't just be Ray's retirement—it'll be my funeral!!"
Ray stood on the platter, feeling the invisible power of "Karma" surging from the earth—the result of every sword swing and every drop of blood he had shed for ten years.
He looked down at the dwarf risking his spine to save the Guild's vault and winced.
"Hey, Yaru. If you don't let go, you're gonna be the first actuary in history flattened by a pension."