CHAPTER 58: GUILD’S FUTURE

Beltimore’s eyes widened. He thought he had misheard.

"What did you just say?" His face leaned closer to William across the table, only the wooden surface separating them.

"I said... I possibly had met S-rank individuals," William repeated, louder this time.

"Possibly?" Beltimore narrowed his gaze. "You say possibly? And how can you be so sure?"

"I met them during our quest in Lily Town. They joined our party and we fought against the Black Eagle bandits there, and those two beat them...on their own."

"Black Eagle?!" Beltimore stroked his chin in disbelief. Everyone knew the Black Eagle gang, especially their leader, Phoenix, a former A-rank adventurer and the same rank as Beltimore himself.

"If they’re that strong, are you sure they aren’t already registered with a guild?"

"I’m certain. They didn’t seem to be from this region at all. They asked a lot of basic questions, about quests, guilds, even local customs."

Beltimore’s eyes narrowed as he fell deep into thought. He stood up, pacing across the room, his footsteps echoing with purpose. Back and forth, back and forth.

Five minutes passed in tense silence.

"I believe you, William," Beltimore finally said. "But you understand what S-rank means, don’t you? It’s an existence above all adventurers. The pinnacle of strength. If we test them and they turn out to be only A-rank or below... then what?"

He shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I can’t risk initiating the ceremony without confirming their potential first. Our guild can’t afford to waste resources, not with the carnival preparations draining our funds."

William knew exactly what he meant. The Initiation Ceremony was held to determine a person’s class and rank and it required a Knowledge Orb, powered by mana stones. It was expensive. Their guild could only afford to use it once a month, while wealthier guilds held it weekly or even daily.

William clenched his teeth, then stood up abruptly.

"Please, Beltimore! Just this once, talk to Guildmaster Mirinda."

Beltimore met William’s eyes, his expression serious. Then he sighed again.

"No need. I have the authority to initiate the ceremony. I just didn’t want to disturb Mirinda, she’s already overwhelmed."

William’s face lit up with hope. "Then... you’ll do it?"

"Don’t get the wrong idea." Beltimore shot him a look. "I said I can do it. I never said I will."

He folded his arms, voice measured and firm. "If you’re right and these two really are S-rank... it could change everything. Especially with the Guild Tournament coming up. But..."

His voice dropped lower.

"If you’re wrong... if they’re not even A-rank... what do I tell Mirinda? What do I tell the guild?"

Beltimore wasn’t doubting William, at least, not entirely. But as Vice Guildmaster, he had to uphold standards. If anyone could simply walk up and demand an initiation, then he did not deserve this title. He needed proof, not just words.

William looked down at the table, he remembered Evelyn and Maya’s tales of how Alan and Bob had protected Lily Town. The town was now the talk of the city. It had suffered less damage than any other during the recent monster attacks. More mysteriously, the strange light that had showered the town from the sky had sparked endless speculation.

He wanted to tell Beltimore the truth, that those two were the reason for Lily Town’s survival. But Alan and Bob had asked them to keep everything secret.

His fist clenched tightly against the wood.

"If they’re not S-rank..." William looked up, eyes burning with resolve. "Then I’ll quit this guild."

Beltimore froze mid-step, turning slowly to face him. He stared into William’s eyes, and saw no hesitation.

"Why are you going that far, William? This isn’t like you. You know you’re indispensable. You’re a veteran. Your experience and presence is crucial."

"I’m doing it for the youngsters," William replied, voice firm. "You remember, don’t you? When we were young, we felt the thrill, the adrenaline, the pride of surviving dangerous quests. We wore our guild badges with honor."

He looked Beltimore in the eye.

"But what do you see now? Our younger members go on quests just to survive. No pride. No excitement. They feel ashamed wearing our badge in the field. Because we’ve become weak in the eyes of others. They laugh at us."

"Sooner or later, our guild will be filled with people who only care about themselves, who don’t look out for their fellow members. And when that happens... it won’t be a guild anymore."

Beltimore stared at William in silence, then turned without a word. He walked toward the tall window behind the guildmaster’s desk. The glass pane stretched wide, offering a clear view of Rose City’s northern district.

He stood there, gazing out.

The city bustled under the afternoon sun, merchants shouting, carriages rattling along cobbled roads, adventurers returning from quests with dirt on their boots and pride on their shoulders.

His eyes drifted downward, to the badge on his chest, a red rose with five petals, the symbol of the Dawnbloom Guild. The emblem caught the sunlight and glimmered faintly, as if reminding him of what it once stood for.

He reached up and touched it gently.

So many years had passed. Victories, losses, comrades lost. Dreams built, and some forgotten. Was their guild truly fading...?

A heavy silence filled the room.

Then, he exhaled. Long and slow.

---

Maya and Evelyn stood outside the Guildmaster’s room. Evelyn was biting her nails, pacing slightly, while Maya stood still, arms folded and right foot tapping restlessly. Both were visibly anxious to hear the outcome of the meeting between William and Beltimore.

"Why is it taking so long? Did William manage to convince him or not?" Evelyn muttered, now resting her hands on her hips, barely able to stand still.

"Just have a little faith in him. Weren’t they best friends back in the day?" Maya replied, though her voice held a hint of doubt.

Five more minutes passed.

Evelyn finally snapped. "That’s it! I’m going in to help William!" she declared, stomping toward the door.

"Wait a second, Evelyn, we should–" Maya tried to stop her, raising a hand, but before Evelyn could reach the door, the knob turned with a quiet click, and the door slowly swung open.

Both girls froze in place as William stepped out.

He gently closed the door behind him, his expression serious and gloomy. His eyes met theirs, unreadable.

Evelyn’s heart sank. Maya’s brows knit together.

"Did you fail to convince him?" Evelyn asked quietly.

William did not answer right away. Then, with agonizing slowness, he raised his right hand... and gave a confident thumbs up, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah!!" Evelyn cheered, leaping into the air with her right fist punching upward.

"Nice job, William," Maya said, nodding with a smile of relief.

"Now," William said, stretching his arms, "you two go tell those two the news. I’m heading to see Yui so she can make the announcement."

The three of them made their way toward the guild’s inner balcony that overlooked the main hall. But as they began descending the stairs..

"Wait, what’s that noise?" Maya said, narrowing her eyes.

A loud commotion echoed from below.

The three of them peered over the railing, and startled at the scene unfolding beneath them.

---

"Hello, how can I help you today?"

A cheerful voice greeted us from the front counter of the Dawnbloom Guild.

The woman behind the desk wore a maid-like uniform that looked a size too small for her, hugging her figure tightly. On top of that, she had an adorable rabbit headband perched on her head, making her look more like a character from a themed café than a guild receptionist.

"Hi there. Nice to meet you, Miss..." Bob was already in his gentleman mode he always flipped that switch whenever a girl matched his taste.

"Err... Yui," she replied with a small, polite smile.

Today, we decided to visit the guild in person. If all went well, this would be our home base after officially becoming adventurers. The place looked straight out of an anime, a familiar sight Bob and I had watched countless times together. Nearly every fantasy isekai anime had a scene like this, the main character stepping into a grand adventurers’ guild. This felt no different.

The guild hall was built mostly from polished, high-grade wood, giving it an exotic and rustic charm. It smelled faintly of lavender and old parchment, strangely comforting. Long tables and benches filled the hall, with groups of adventurers laughing, drinking, or poring over papers. On the far wall, I noticed a massive quest board with several people studying it intently.

"We’re new here," I told Yui. "Can you show us around?"

"Of course! But first, are you registered with any guild yet?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Not yet," Bob said with a grin. "But give us time, and we will be the future aces of this guild."

This guy really knew how to charm when it came to women.

"Wow! So now we’ve got ’aces’ in our guild!" a mocking voice came from behind us, followed by the loud laughter of several people.

"More like asses if you ask me! Hahaha!"

Bob’s grin vanished. He spun on his heel. "What did you just say?!"

I turned too, already sensing the conflict that would arise soon.