CHAPTER 45: FIRST DAY IN GRIMMAW

The car slowly pulled to a stop as they got closer to the building, and the crowd parted.

People were waving, clapping, shouting his name.

Lucius blinked, honestly stunned for a second, though he recovered quickly.

They were here for him.

And his chest swelled with a warmth that surprised even himself.

’Ah... fans,’ he thought, stroking his chin in the most self-satisfied way. ’Should I open a GoFundMe? No, no... maybe a subscription tier system. Platinum supporters get a signed T-shirt, diamond ones get a smile from me. Yes... yes, this is genius.’

So what if he already had billions? It was righteous to have more money.

Money was like beauty — there could never be enough.

People pressed closer, but still cleared the road for the car.

Some waved frantically, others held out paper and pens. One bold fan even managed to squeeze forward as the window rolled down.

Lucius graciously accepted the pen, scribbled something that vaguely resembled his name — though in his mind it was a calligraphy masterpiece and handed it back with a radiant smile.

The girl squealed and hugged it like it was a sacred relic.

’See? Even my terrible handwriting becomes art in their eyes,’ Lucius thought with a smirk.

The gates of Grimmaw creaked open.

The car slipped inside, leaving the media and clamoring crowd behind, and the sudden silence felt almost heavy compared to the noise outside.

When the car stopped, Lucius stepped out, stretching like a model finishing a runway walk.

His sharp uniform caught the sunlight and he smiled.

He noticed the stares immediately.

Some members froze mid-step.

Some whispered.

Yes, they were staring at him.

He could tell from the widened eyes, the faint blushes.

’Truly, it must be exhausting being this handsome,’ he thought with mock weariness.

Before he could bask further, a new figure approached.

A young woman in pristine maid attire, the same emblem neatly sewn over her right breast.

Her posture was perfect, but what stood out was that she wasn’t human.

She had pointed silver hair and a petite short figure, silky silver hair tied into a braid that reached her waist.

Her beauty was delicate but carried a natural sturdiness — she was a dwarf, though not the kind he imagined from old fantasy games.

She bowed gracefully.

"Welcome back, Lady Vanessa," she said in a soft but clear tone. "I hope you had a nice break."

Then, her eyes flicked to Lucius, and her composure shifted to something more formal.

"Lord Lucius. Welcome to Grimmaw. Lady Vanessa has assigned me as your personal attendant while you’re here."

Lucius raised a brow. "No need to call me ’Lord.’"

But the dwarf shook her head immediately. "In my tribe, it is tradition to address a powerful person as our lord. So I shall call you Lord Lucius."

"...Fine," Lucius sighed, though inwardly he preened.

’Lord Lucius. Yes. That has a nice ring to it.’

Vanessa, already heading inside, glanced over her shoulder and smirked.

She looked seconds away from laughing out loud.

"Well, have fun," she said, tugging Elara along. "Come, let’s test your affinity, Elara."

The girl bowed slightly toward Lucius before following Vanessa.

"Villy," Vanessa added, "please be a dear and take him on a tour."

And just like that, he was left with Villy — the dwarf attendant and the curious stares of Grimmaw’s members.

"Alright, my lord," Villey said gently, "please follow me. I’ll give you a proper tour of the Guild."

The Guild building was enormous. Not a simple hall, but an entire complex divided into wings and floors, each bustling with activity.

Villey’s soft slippers barely made a sound as she guided him, explaining with careful precision.

"This is the first floor," she said, gesturing as they passed a broad chamber lined with mission boards and receptionist counters. "Here, awakeners take missions. It is the heart of our Guild’s activity."

Lucius glanced around.

Dozens of Awakeners in uniforms were clustered near the boards, comparing papers, discussing strategy, or bragging about their last exploits.

His arrival had definitely thrown the place off, heads were turned. That was how popular he was.

He couldn’t help but smirk.

"This floor also processes rankings," Villey continued, ignoring the whispers. "To advance from E-rank to D-rank, one must complete at least ten E-rank missions and form a mana heart."

"Mana heart?" Lucius asked, feigning ignorance though he already knew from the novel.

"Yes," she nodded. "The first stage of truly becoming an Awakener. It requires absorbing elemental mana in its purest form. Fire Awakeners often travel to volcanoes, water users to seas or lakes, earth users to mountains... and so forth."

Lucius hummed, thoughtful.

’Meaning when it’s my turn, I’ll have to trek into the woods... and space. Great. Just great.’

Still, he kept a calm smile. "Sounds easy enough."

Her lips twitched as if she almost smiled but she quickly looked away.

They reached the reception desk, where a tall woman with glasses sat. She looked sharp, professional, her dark hair tied in a bun.

The small nameplate read: Miss Brown.

The moment she spotted him, she straightened in shock before bowing.

"Villey, good morning," Miss Brown said. Then, her eyes shifted to Lucius, and her voice softened slightly. "And you must be the new member — Lucius von Hohenberg. Welcome to Grimmaw Guild."

Lucius placed a hand over his chest and gave her a dazzling smile, the kind that could probably melt polar ice caps.

"I’m honored to be here," he said smoothly.

Miss Brown flushed faintly, lowering her gaze as if his charm physically struck her.

Villey didn’t miss it.

She cleared her throat softly. "Miss Brown, please provide him with the mission Lady Vanessa prepared."

"Of course."

Miss Brown shuffled through a stack of papers, pulled one out, and slid it across the counter with both hands.

Her fingers brushed his briefly — whether intentional or not, Lucius filed it away for the future.

"This," she said, "is the mission you will be undertaking today."

Lucius picked up the paper and his eyes widened.

’What the hell?’

[Author’s Note]

Two extra Chapters for reaching our power stones goal, Thanks