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The man—Ryan—introduced himself with the kind of earnestness that made the entire guild pause, if only for a heartbeat. His voice carried just enough to reach the black‑hooded woman standing beside him.
For the first time since he approached her, she looked at him directly.
Just a small tilt of her hood, a subtle shift in her gaze—and mismatched crimson and lilac eyes flickered toward him. No emotion. No warmth. Just acknowledgment.
She nodded once.
A simple gesture.
But to Ryan, it felt like a personal victory.
She then turned back to the mission board, immediately dismissing him from her attention as if the moment of acknowledgment had never occurred.
Ryan, however, stood straighter, practically glowing.
She nodded. She actually nodded at me!
Even though she proceeded to ignore him, that single nod was enough for him to believe—firmly—that she accepted his presence.
She might be cold and quiet… maybe even a bit scary… but I think that's just her personality. And honestly… it's kind of refreshing. I've never met a woman like her before.
He smiled to himself as he studied the mission board beside her, pretending to search while sneaking glances at her every so often.
She seemed focused—deeply. Almost too deeply.
Ryan wasn't sure if she was choosing a mission or merely standing there to avoid further attention. Either way, he didn't want to meddle. He simply waited.
Behind them, whispers rippled once more through the guild.
"Who is that guy? He had the guts to approach her."
"I heard he introduced himself as Ryan Wayne. Must be new."
"Yep. Definitely an outlander. Never seen that face before."
"Outlander or not… he seems strangely bold. Or stupid."
"Well, look at him. Does he look like a noble to you?"
"Are you an idiot? Nobles aren't allowed to join the Adventurers Guild. That's been the rule for centuries."
"True. Also, if he were a noble, the Guildmaster would've kicked him out by now."
"That aside… that outlander approached HER."
"Yeah. HER."
"Are you all talking as if she's some kind of monster? She's not like that."
"We're not saying she's bad! Just that she's… well… her."
"You mean he actually talked to her? And survived?"
"Looks like he even got a nod. That's more than anyone else got this month."
Ryan's ear twitched.
So, they really were talking about her…
He glanced sideways. The woman remained silent, still studying the mission slips as if the entire guild weren't dissecting their interaction.
At first, I thought she was just some average adventurer. But up close…
Ryan pressed a hand over his chest.
I misjudged her. Severely.
He wasn't a weakling. He had trained for years, traveled alone, and survived enough battles to carry confidence in his strength. But even he could feel the faint pressure leaking from her—a suppressed aura that made his own presence shrink.
She's hiding something. And that "something" is terrifying.
He swallowed hard.
Then—
"Rank status?"
Ryan nearly jumped out of his skin.
Her voice came out of nowhere, cool and flat, as if she were commenting on the weather. Her eyes never left the mission board.
"E‑E‑rank!" Ryan stammered, almost saluting out of reflex. "I mean— I'm an E‑rank adventurer. And I… uh… specialize in swordsmanship."
He scratched his cheek, embarrassed.
Standing next to a woman who radiated silent power made him feel oddly inferior. Not weak… but small. Like a bronze coin beside a jewel.
He wasn't ashamed of his rank—everyone started somewhere—but saying it aloud next to her felt like announcing his inadequacy.
Still, Ryan reminded himself:
I can fight. I can protect myself. I'm not useless.
He drew a faint, proud breath as she turned toward him again.
Her mismatched eyes scanned him from head to toe—slow, evaluating, quiet.
Then she nodded.
"Not bad. Accepted."
Ryan blinked.
"…Accepted?"
He wasn't sure if she meant accepting his skills, his presence, his company—or all of the above. Her voice gave no hints.
But she had spoken more than one word.
That was progress.
Ryan stared at her, dazed. She immediately looked away, as if his surprise had no business existing.
She really doesn't talk much… Does she lose money every time she speaks? Is that it?
He caught himself chuckling and quickly coughed to hide it.
The woman was still staring at the mission board, seemingly stuck between five different mission slips. Ryan wasn't sure whether to admire her focus or point out that she had been staring for at least five minutes straight.
She's taking this very seriously…
He leaned closer to inspect the mission leaflets she was considering. They weren't low‑rank jobs. They weren't high‑rank jobs either. They were… somewhere in between.
Finally, she spoke again.
"What do you think?"
Ryan yelped.
"Wha—?!"
She still didn't look at him.
He clutched his chest dramatically. "C‑can you at least make a sound before speaking? I swear, you're going to shave ten years off my life!"
His voice echoed louder than intended.
The guild froze.
Every adventurer turned.
Some stared.
Some gasped.
Some paled.
Ryan blinked at them, confused.
O‑okay… Why are they staring at me like I just punched a dragon?
Their expressions ranged from horrified to pitying.
As if they were silently saying:
"Rest in peace."
"My condolences."
"Someone stops him before she kills him."
Ryan swallowed hard.
Before he could decipher the meaning behind those looks, he heard something he never expected:
A soft… muffled… almost unnoticeable—
chuckle.
He turned slowly.
The black‑hooded woman had tilted her head just enough that the faintest curl of amusement touched her voice—a sound barely audible, more like a quiet breath than laughter.
But he heard it.
She had chuckled.
At him.
Ryan felt his face heat up instantly.
Did—did she just laugh at me? Out of all things, she laughs at THAT?!
She didn't look at him, but there was a subtle shift in her posture. Not relaxed exactly—she was never relaxed—but slightly less rigid.
He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks burning, but an uncertain smile crept onto his lips.
Well… if I made her laugh, even a little… maybe that's not bad.
He cleared his throat again, leaning toward the mission board.
"Well… I think that one," he said, pointing at a medium‑rank subjugation mission, "seems manageable. Especially since you—uh… you seem very capable."
He regretted that last sentence immediately.
Too obvious. Too awkward.
But she simply nodded.
"Good enough."
She reached forward and plucked the mission slip from the board. As she turned toward the reception counter, her cloak brushed lightly against Ryan's arm.
She didn't tell him to follow.
She didn't invite him.
She didn't acknowledge him at all.
But Ryan stepped after her anyway.
Not because she asked…
…but because she hadn't told him not to.
And for someone like her…
That was as good as a yes.
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