'So that's what they really think of me…' Sol thought to himself, still able to clearly hear their conversation from a distance.
He honestly didn't mind Patine's description of him; even he sometimes thought it was pointless to keep trying, and his determination to continue leveling waned at times. He knew many shared those thoughts whenever his name came up, and some even said it directly to his face.
But something about it bothered him.
'Don't bully him, huh.' Sol repeated Miriam's words in his mind, frowning deeply.
While it sounded like she was a kind person looking out for him, Sol knew exactly how hypocritical her statement was. Before he had made amends with Jayce, it was a well known secret throughout town how Jayce went out of his way to belittle and bother him constantly. Yet no matter how much Jayce pushed him around, no one stood up for him, except for a few brave people like Annabel. Sol could easily recall at least three separate occasions where Miriam had witnessed it happening but either stayed in the background or quietly left the scene.
'I didn't expect anyone to stand up for me, even the other guards turned a blind eye since it wasn't an actual crime, but to say such empty words is even worse.'
With Patine, Sol could understand her lack of support; she didn't want anything to do with him when he was talentless. But in his opinion, Miriam was even worse for outwardly preaching kindness yet turning a blind eye when the very injustice she condemned was happening right in front of her. It made people believe she would stand up for them, but in reality, she was only protecting her own image.
'Forget it. I already suspected she was like this.'
Confirmation didn't change anything, and he wasn't bitter about it. He had already learned the hard way how to identify such people and stay away from them while forging real friendships with those who would be there through thick and thin.
Sol placed his hands together as he looked around the familiar street. There were fewer people than usual walking about, but he attributed it to the later time of day. He turned his head to Amber and said, "Let's head to the guild first. I'm sure she'll be surprised to see us."
In all the times he'd chatted with Annabel, he had never mentioned where they were heading next. He wanted to keep his arrival a surprise, and he was eager to see her reaction.
When they arrived at the Adventurers Guild, Sol noticed it was unusually quiet and much emptier than normal. Aside from the bored receptionist, there were only a few adventurers silently drinking. This was odd; back then, no matter when he came to the guild, there was always something happening, like a group of drunken adventurers getting rowdy or someone arguing with the receptionists over the quality of materials turned in.
'The only other times I've seen this place empty were during the leveling ceremony, but that's not until next month…'
The only thing he could connect this to was the urgent quest Miriam had mentioned. Now, his curiosity was piqued. Fortunately, the person they were here to meet could help with that.
…
In one of the backrooms of the guild building, Annabel was counting the inventory by herself. Because their guild wasn't too big, it was a task she could handle alone. She went row by row, counting materials, potions, and weapons until she reached the spatial storage section and inspected the contents of each spatial ring and container. Just as she was about to finish, a voice echoed in the room.
"I thought you're supposed to count the inventory at the end of the day?"
She nodded instinctively and was about to answer when the familiar voice registered. Her head whipped to the side, and there stood Sol near the entrance, alongside a woman she didn't recognize.
"Sol?! You're back?!"
Annabel's eyes widened in shock before her face lit up with joy. Without hesitation, she rushed over and threw her arms around Sol, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"You idiot! You didn't even tell me you were coming back!" she scolded, though her voice was full of warmth.
Sol chuckled, returning the hug briefly before pulling back. "I wanted to surprise you. Guess it worked."
Annabel grinned before her gaze shifted to Amber, standing quietly beside Sol.
"Oh! And you must be Amber, right?" Annabel's tone softened as she turned to her.
Amber gave a small, reserved nod. "Yes."
Annabel's smile didn't falter at the cold reception; she already knew Amber was like this. "It's nice to finally meet you! Though we didn't get to talk much before." She extended her hand warmly.
Amber hesitated for a moment before gently shaking it.
"I'm glad Sol finally made some real friends. Gods know he needed them," Annabel teased, nudging Sol lightly.
Sol rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm still the same guy, you know."
Annabel laughed. "You say that, but I almost didn't recognize you at first."
She looked up at Sol and circled around him, inspecting him thoroughly. "How did you even grow this much in such a short time? Tell me your secret!"
As someone who hadn't grown past five feet her entire life, she was extremely jealous of how he'd somehow gotten even taller. The height gap between them was now more than a foot, and she couldn't help but feel it was unfair.
"Sorry, but I don't think you can use my method. That is, unless you want to absorb a dragon bloodline."
"Dragon bloodline? Well… if it also made your skin smoother, I wouldn't be opposed…" Annabel said after a moment of consideration.
Sol couldn't believe she was actually thinking about it. "May I remind you that when we last talked, I told you how having a dragon's bloodline also comes with a sin that negatively influences your mind and actions? I'm only able to keep it at bay by creating a psychic barrier around my mind."
"Yeah, I'm aware." Annabel waved it off but remained adamant. "But if I can finally break past five feet, I'm willing to pay any price."
They stared at each other in silence before both bursting into laughter.
Annabel let out one final chuckle before saying, "Alright, enough joking around. What brings you back here? I thought you were heading toward the Sapphire Scales Alliance."
Sol's smile faded slightly. "At first, we just wanted to stop by to see you, but something caught my attention on the way in. The guards at the gate mentioned some urgent quest, and the streets felt empty. And the guild is practically deserted. Where is everyone?"
At that, Annabel's cheerful expression darkened. She folded her arms and let out a quiet sigh.
"So they told you about that, huh?" she muttered, her tone suddenly heavier.
Sol exchanged a quick glance with Amber.
"What's going on, Anna?" he asked.
She didn't want to bring this up until later but given he knew of it already there was no point in doing so. With a grim look, she spoke.
"It's back. The Thunder Wolf King."