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Ryan stood frozen, card in hand, mind racing through half‑formed thoughts and half‑remembered rumors. The realization had hit him with the force of a rogue wyvern—sudden, sharp, and impossible to ignore.
W‑wait a minute…! A black card… Her features… Crimson hair… mismatched eyes… There's only ONE adventurer in the entire Miris Continent who matches that—!
He felt his knees wobble. His breath caught.
He stared at the black hooded woman beside him, but before he could fully piece the name together—
"Mr. Ryan Wayne."
He nearly jumped out of his skin.
The voice came from in front, warm and professional.
He snapped his attention toward the receptionist—Alexa—who now held his identification card.
"Glad to finally know your name," she said with a gentle smile. "My name is ALEXA. Receptionist of the Adventurers Guild, Main Office here in Crown City."
Ryan blinked rapidly, trying to reset his brain from sheer panic to something resembling polite human interaction.
"A‑ah! Y‑yes—thank you," he stammered, accepting his card back.
Alexa stamped the mission leaflet using a carved wooden device. A faint magic circle flared to life beneath her hand—thin lines of blue light etching themselves across the parchment—before fading as the official seal settled into place.
She returned the leaflet to the black hooded woman, who slid it into her pouch with silent efficiency. Alexa then handed her identification card back. Ryan caught a glimpse of it again—just a glimpse—enough to verify that he hadn't imagined the ink‑black sheen.
No rank in the guild surpassed that black card.
But Ryan forced himself not to look too long. Not yet. His heart was already a mess.
He inhaled shakily.
"Oh, right!" he blurted suddenly—too suddenly. "By the way… what was your name, Lady?"
Silence fell like a dropped blade.
Every adventurer in the guild froze.
Then, slowly—painfully slowly—every gaze in the hall shifted toward him.
Ryan's heart dropped into his stomach.
…Oh no. I messed up, didn't I? I messed up BADLY, didn't I?!
He could practically feel the collective judgement radiating off the guild members.
He didn't need anyone to tell him he had just asked the dumbest possible question at the worst possible time. Asking her name as if she were a random stranger he bumped into on the street?
He wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
'Please… PLEASE… someone bury me. Right here. Right now,' he pleaded internally as he bowed his head, face burning.
Meanwhile, many adventurers watched him—not with pity but with something disturbingly close to jealousy.
Because none of them—not a single one of them—had ever gotten even half as far as he had.
She had spoken to him.
Accepted him as a companion.
Acknowledged him.
And he doesn't even know who she is?!
One man groaned into his drink.
Another muttered curses under his breath.
A woman at the back slapped her friend on the shoulder in disbelief.
The hooded woman finally turned toward Ryan.
She caught the faint blush tinting his ears.
Embarrassed.
It was obvious.
She sighed quietly.
Her gaze swept the room, cold and sharp.
The effect was immediate.
Every adventurer who had been staring suddenly looked away, eyes darting down to their drinks or mission slips. They returned to their own business as though they had never been listening.
But the woman knew better.
They were waiting for something.
For her response.
Tsk. Troublesome, she thought, massaging her temple.
Was today destined to be a headache?
She exhaled and turned back to Ryan—this… strange young man who had approached her earlier with no hesitation and far too much curiosity.
She had initially planned to ignore him completely, like she did everyone else.
But then she sensed something in him—not dangerous, not annoying… something tolerable. Something honest. She still wasn't sure what it was, but it was enough for her to acknowledge him and accept his company.
And now that he had introduced himself…
"…I suppose I owe you a favor," she murmured. "You told me your name. And while most people here know who I am… you, as an outlander, naturally wouldn't."
Ryan looked up timidly.
The hooded woman shifted her weight slightly, as though preparing for something mildly irritating—but necessary.
"Well," she said at last, "allow me to introduce myself, then."
She lifted her chin.
Her mismatched eyes gleamed beneath the hood.
"My name is SCARLETTE OVERLAND," she stated simply. "An SSS‑Rank adventurer. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Silence cracked across the guild like lightning.
It didn't matter that the guild members already knew.
Hearing her say it aloud—formally—was equivalent to witnessing a rare celestial event.
Ryan's breath hitched painfully.
Scarlette watched him quietly.
His eyes locked on hers.
His body tensed.
His jaw fell open.
He stumbled two steps backward.
His entire expression screamed shock.
Scarlette sighed.
She knew what he was thinking. Outlanders always reacted like this. Her name had spread far beyond the Empire's borders; tales of the Crimson Phantom, the hooded adventurer with unmatched strength, had traveled through taverns and battlefields alike.
To run into her in person… and in such a casual way…
Troublesome, she thought again.
She was sighing too much today.
She pressed a hand lightly against her forehead.
He remained frozen, overwhelmed, barely breathing.
Scarlette considered walking away quietly—but decided against it. She should at least give him final instructions.
"Tomorrow morning," she said calmly. "Central Plaza. Don't be late."
Ryan flinched.
Scarlette turned away.
I need a break, she thought as she left the guild hall, robes brushing softly against the stone floor. This mission has a strange atmosphere around it. I should prepare… and clear my head.
She stepped out into the sunlight and vanished into the crowd without looking back.
.........…
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Ryan remained standing by the counter long after she left.
Alexa waved a hand in front of his face.
"Mr. Wayne? You okay?"
He snapped out of his stupor, blinking rapidly. "S‑she… she just—did she—?!"
Alexa smiled sympathetically. "Yes. She did."
Ryan groaned and rubbed his face, flustered beyond measure.
Is that even considered a conversation?! What just happened?! I don't understand a single damn thing she said!
He slumped against the counter, dramatically defeated.
For reasons he couldn't explain, he felt completely drained—mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
Or maybe…
He just didn't want to acknowledge the absurdity of the situation.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply.
"Tomorrow morning… Central Plaza…"
He had barely met the woman.
And now he was heading on a mission with Scarlette Overland herself.
"What… what have I gotten myself into…?"
He groaned again and buried his face in his hands.
And the guild continued to buzz behind him—still whispering, still gossiping, still stunned.
But Ryan heard none of it.
All he knew was that tomorrow…
His life would never be the same.
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