I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. How did he know my name? "Take a seat," he said, his voice calm and collected.
I mechanically walked over to one of the empty chairs and sat down, still trying to process what was happening.
"Are you wondering how I know who you are?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
My expression hardened, trying to hide the nervousness that was growing inside me. "How?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.
"Your uncle Reinhardt sent his regards," he replied, a small smile playing on his lips. Oh, so that's how he knew.
I clenched my fist under the table, feeling a surge of annoyance.
"He said to tell you to take care of yourself," he continued, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"I must say, I was quite surprised when Reinhardt Morningstar, the Sword of the Horizon, contacted me to pass on a message to you."
He paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Seriously, I didn't think the fail—"
I cut him off, my patience wearing thin. "That's enough of that." The man's smile faltered for a moment before he recovered.
"Sorry about that," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "I got a bit carried away."
I remained silent, still feeling a bit annoyed. Just hearing about House Morningstar was enough to get under my skin.
"Anyway," he continued, "you and someone else will be taking the rank increase quest. Ah, right on cue." He nodded towards the door, where a young girl had just entered. "Alex, meet Katherine Johnson, your partner for this rank increase quest."
Katherine was a petite girl with long, flowing black hair and piercing blue eyes.
She had a bow and arrow slung over her shoulder, and a quiet confidence about her that belied her young age.
She looked like she was around fourteen or fifteen, but there was something about her that seemed older, more mature.
The guildmaster, introduced himself with a warm smile. "First of all, I feel like I should introduce myself. My name is Veradine Bradley, a grade 2 adventurer and the guildmaster of the Erantel branch adventurer's guild."
I nodded respectfully, taking in the information. A grade 2 adventurer was no joke - that put him at around A+ to S rank, making him one of the strongest adventurers in the city.
"Now, regarding your promotion quest," Veradine continued, his expression turning serious.
"You will be heading to a small town near the city of Smallive. The town is called Oak Town." He paused, his eyes locking onto mine.
"They're currently experiencing a goblin infestation."
I nodded thoughtfully, my mind racing with the implications. Goblins weren't typically a problem, but... Oak Town.
That was near the dungeon where Aron had found the Truthseeker fruit. I had been thinking about heading there anyway, and now I had a legitimate reason to do so.
"Okay, that shouldn't be a problem," I said confidently, trying to sound nonchalant.
Veradine's expression turned grave. "There's a hobgoblin and likely a shaman as well."
My confidence faltered, and I fell silent. A hobgoblin on its own was a D- rank monster, but add a shaman to the mix... That was a whole different story.
A shaman was at least D+, and if we were unlucky, it could be C-. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. This was going to be a lot tougher than I had anticipated.
Just as I was about to express my concerns, Katherine unexpectedly spoke up. "It doesn't sound that bad," she said, her voice calm and collected.
"Provided the shaman isn't at C- rank, it's quite doable." I was taken aback by her words. What was she thinking?
We were both grade 7 adventurers, therefore most likely E rank, and she was acting like taking on a possible C- rank shaman was no big deal.
"After all, I doubt we're doing this on our own, right?" she added, her eyes glinting with a hint of skepticism.
I felt a surge of curiosity, wondering if she knew something I didn't.
Veradine, however, seemed to approve of her attitude. "Smart girl," he said, a smile spreading across his face.
He then turned to me, his expression serious once again. "She's right, Alex. You're not doing this on your own. A grade 5 team will be joining you, and they'll handle the shaman."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. That changed things. With a grade 5 team backing us up, the mission suddenly seemed a lot more manageable. "I see," I muttered, trying to sound nonchalant.
I stood up, stretching out my hand for a handshake. "A pleasure to work with you," I said, looking Katherine straight in the eye. She regarded my hand for a moment, her expression unreadable, before taking it in a firm handshake. "The pleasure's all mine," she said, her voice as aloof as her expression.
"Excellent," Veradine said, a hint of enthusiasm creeping into his voice as he rose from his seat. "I'll expect you both tomorrow morning. The team will be departing at 10 sharp, so don't be late." He smiled, seeming to savor the prospect of our mission.
Katherine and I exchanged a brief glance before nodding in unison. We bid Veradine farewell and exited the office, leaving him to his preparations.
As we stepped out into the bustling guild hall, I caught Miss Jena's eye and offered her a friendly wave. She smiled and returned the gesture, her eyes sparkling with warmth.
With that, Katherine and I parted ways, each of us heading in a different direction. I made my way to the inn.