CHAPTER 27: UNSEEN POWER

After passing through Sindra’s central gate, Nolan, Celia, and Linda stepped into the heart of the adventurers’ district. The square was alive with movement—parties of adventurers arming themselves, checking supplies, preparing for expeditions into the forest. But the moment Nolan and the two girls entered, every gaze shifted toward them. Conversations died mid-sentence.

Ella, stationed at the registry desk, blinked in surprise and hurried over.

"Wait—you’re already back?" she asked, eyes wide. "It hasn’t even been that long since you left!"

"Yes," Nolan said calmly.

"So fast..." Ella murmured, struggling to process it. Around them, whispers spread like wildfire.

"Did you bring the cores?" Ella pressed. "I’ll need them before I can confirm and issue your payment."

"Yes, we did," Celia said as she stepped forward. She was about to reach into her pouch when Ella suddenly stopped her with a sharp, "Wait!"

A moment later, the ground shook with a deafening thud. Gasps erupted as Celia set down the massive crystalline core of a King Golem. The floor trembled beneath its weight.

The entire guild hall fell into stunned silence. Then voices broke out all at once:

"A King Golem?!"

"No way—impossible!"

"My eyes must be playing tricks..."

"Don’t tell me... did they actually defeat it?"

The crowd swelled with noise, disbelief rippling through every adventurer present.

Ella herself was staring at the core, her face pale. "The three of you... was it truly you who defeated this monster? The King Golem?"

Nolan stepped forward, expression calm, almost bored. "No," he said flatly. "I did it alone. With just my fists. It wasn’t difficult."

The guild exploded into chaos.

"He’s kidding—he must be!"

"No, think about it... it makes sense now!"

"He pretended to lose in that duel against Garrick, didn’t he?"

"Rank E? Hah! That’s impossible if he can do this!"

Nolan sighed inwardly. So much for keeping a low profile.

Before he could say another word, the guild doors burst open with a crash. Two battered figures stumbled in—Garrick and Peter. Their faces were still bruised, swollen from where Nolan’s single punch had floored them after the duel.

They rushed forward, dropping to their knees in front of Nolan.

"Please, boss!" Garrick cried, pressing his forehead to the ground. "We’re sorry for challenging you! We didn’t know—we underestimated you! Forgive us!"

Peter followed, groveling in the same fashion. "We didn’t mean it! After the duel we thought you were weak, but then you came to us... you destroyed us with a single hit! We only came to apologize!"

Nolan’s brow twitched. These two idiots... I told them not to say anything. Now they’ve made it even worse.

Leaning down slightly, he muttered in a low voice, "Didn’t I tell you to keep your mouths shut? Not to let anyone know?"

"I—I thought you just meant we should apologize!" Peter stammered, still bowing, slamming his head against the wooden floor in desperation.

The crowd erupted again, louder this time.

"So it’s true! He did pretend to lose that duel!"

"Look at Garrick—he’s terrified. That bruise isn’t fake."

"Unbelievable... this whole time, he was hiding his strength."

Whispers turned into shouts, the guild buzzing with frenzied disbelief. Nolan simply closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling a slow breath.

Low profile, huh? Guess that’s finished.

The noise kept swelling inside the guild hall, voices clashing, growing louder with every second.

"Master... Master looks so terrified," Celia whispered, watching Nolan sit in silence, his jaw tight.

"Yes... you’re right," Linda murmured back.

Then Linda suddenly stepped forward. She moved past Celia, her boots striking the floor firmly, and dropped to one knee before Nolan. Her voice rose, cutting through the chaos like a whip.

"Enough! Don’t you dare make my master feel sad!"

The uproar faltered. Dozens of eyes snapped toward her. Celia clenched her fists and shouted from behind, lending her voice to Linda’s.

"Yeah, you heard her!"

A man scoffed from the crowd. "Huh? Who the hell is this elf, daring to talk like that?"

Linda’s eyes blazed. "So what if my master pretended to lose that duel? He had his reasons! Look at you now—shouting, stirring chaos, acting like fools. And you dare mock him? That’s why you’ll always lose!"

Her words struck like arrows.

"Hey, you elf!" one adventurer barked. "Don’t forget your place! We only let elves and demi-humans into this city because some of their kind fought with the Hero’s Party against the Demon Lord. Don’t you start thinking you belong here!"

"Yes! Don’t forget your place!" another jeered, and soon more voices joined, ugly and hateful, until the hall was filled with their shouting.

"Shut up!"

The guild shook as the heavy doors slammed open. Lucan strode out, his cloak snapping behind him. His voice boomed with authority, crushing the noise at once.

"Enough! How dare you cause such a ruckus in my guild! This is not a place for chaos!"

The room fell silent, every adventurer suddenly stiff under his glare.

"I am sure some of you adventurers here right now can tell," Lucan’s voice thundered, silencing the murmurs. "And if your mind hasn’t caught it yet—look closely at that suit. That’s a Demi-Human Battle Suit. Do you even understand what that means? If someone below Rank A wore it, their mana would collapse and it would kill them instantly. Yet here he is, wearing it with ease."

Gasps rippled through the hall. Some adventurers glanced at Nolan’s attire with wide eyes, realizing the truth Lucan was pointing out.

"I didn’t want to expose this," Lucan continued, his tone hardening. "Because this man wished to live a low-profile life. But you fools forced my hand. You call yourselves adventurers? Look at you—acting like children. Let it be known: this man is one of the most powerful adventurers in this guild. So control yourselves. If anyone speaks out again or causes more noise, I will personally strip you of your status as an adventurer and ban you—not only in this village but across the entire region."

The room froze. Not a single person dared to mutter another word.

Lucan turned toward Nolan, his sternness softening slightly. "I’m sorry, but that was the only way."