Still dazed from their encounter with Naya, the return to the bustling city felt jarringly mundane at first.
But they had completed their quest, so Aurora, Ezra, and Korig headed straight for the Adventurers Guild to submit the recovered relic.
The guildmaster was delighted, praising them for surviving the infamous ruin's perils and retrieving such a rare artifact.
As promised, along with a hefty sum of ralls, he presented them each with an ornate silver badge - officially promoting them to the Silver rank.
Aurora grinned excitedly as she pinned it to her tunic, while Ezra quickly modified his guild profile to reflect the new status.
Korig just kept turning the gleaming badge over in his hands, thinking how innocuously it glittered despite the deadly trials it had taken to earn it.
"With this, jobs previously beyond your reach are now available," the guildmaster said importantly.
