Silver Hawks Adventuring Guild – Guild Master's Office
Delia, Scarlett, Eina, the Delia Fan Club—which consisted of all the female members of the guild—and the Guild Master, Arnold, were all gathered in the Guild Master's office.
Why? Let's rewind to four hours ago.
Flashback
Delia was pulled from her thoughts as Scarlett suddenly hugged her. Instinctively, Delia was about to look down, but she stopped herself—Scarlett wasn't a small child. She was around her age, even if the way she called her "Mother" was still a little off-putting.
Looking at Scarlett's face, Delia noticed the awe-struck expression she wore. She must be impressed by my fight, Delia thought.
But was it really that impressive? She had only used a fraction of her power—just a sub-element of her water affinity. She couldn't help but wonder how people would react if she unleashed her full strength.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an eerie chill running down her spine. Slowly, cautiously, she turned around—only to see the Guild Master, Arnold, smiling at her.
It was a normal smile, nothing sinister. And yet, for some reason, it made her uneasy. A sinking feeling settled in her gut as she racked her brain for anything that could have made him this upset.
Then it hit her.
Oh… I did destroy a huge portion of land while fighting Veryruk.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she instinctively thought about escaping. But before she could even attempt to flee, another hand landed firmly on her shoulder.
Another shiver ran down her spine. Turning her head slightly, she saw Eina smiling—too sweetly.
"Where do you think you're going?" Eina asked, her voice laced with a dangerous calm. "You think everything's fine after all that destruction? Even for our guild, repairing that much damage is going to cost a fortune. And you, missy, have a lot of explaining to do."
Delia sighed. There was no way out of this.
Accepting her fate, she decided to just go along with it.
Once the aftermath was taken care of—the freed slaves secured and the guild members accounted for—Delia, Scarlett, and the rest of the adventurers returned to the guild.
And that was how Delia found herself in this office.
Present
"Ms. Delia," Arnold began, his voice calm and respectful, "as Guild Master, and as someone who cares deeply for this city, I want to personally thank you. Without your help, we wouldn't have discovered that Slave Den in time. We've spent months trying to track them down, and without you, thousands more people could have gone missing. Your quick decision-making and immense strength helped bring them down. On behalf of the entire city—thank you."
Everyone in the room bowed their heads in gratitude.
Except Scarlett.
Sitting behind Delia, she tilted her head in confusion. She understood what was happening, but it still puzzled her. Just how important is my mother if even the Guild Master himself is bowing to her?
Arnold continued.
"And due to your battle against an S-Rank Rogue Adventurer, you should already know how this works—your rank must be adjusted accordingly. From now on, you are an S-Rank Adventurer and one of the top 33 strongest S-Rank adventurers in our guild."
A round of applause erupted in the office.
Even Scarlett clapped, a bright smile on her face. She was happy for her mother.
Then—something clicked in her mind.
Wait… She was a B-Rank? And all that destruction came from a B-Rank fighting an S-Rank?
Scarlett's eyes slowly drifted toward her mother. And there it was—a small, knowing grin.
Scarlett's stomach dropped.
She was holding back…?
Arnold clapped his hands, snapping everyone's attention back to him.
"Alright," he said, "now that the formalities are out of the way, let's get to the real reason we're here."
The room fell into an unsettling silence.
Eina's sharp gaze locked onto Delia, her stare so intense that Delia instinctively leaned back, trying to escape its pressure.
After hearing about the true depth of the situation, the others in the room looked at Delia with appreciation. Even Arnold, who had initially been upset, now wore an expression of gratitude.
His gaze softened as he turned to Scarlett, offering her a grandfatherly smile—one of reassurance, one that told her everything was alright.
Scarlett, seeing this, felt a warmth spread through her chest. Without warning, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and she started to weep.
The emotions she had been holding back came crashing down all at once.
Delia stood up and walked over to her.
Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Scarlett, pressing her head against her chest. Gently, she stroked her hair, whispering soft reassurances into her ear.
She had learned that this was the best way to calm Scarlett down—it had worked before, and now, once again, it worked perfectly.
Five minutes later, Scarlett had calmed down.
Delia returned to her seat, preparing herself for the questions that were sure to come.
Arnold cleared his throat.
"Alright," he said, his voice filled with pride, "I understand the situation now. What you've done today… It was incredible. And as your Guild Master, I couldn't be prouder than I am right now."
Delia took a deep breath, bracing herself as the Guild Master continued.
"Now, Delia," Arnold said, leaning forward slightly, "there are a few things we must address. First and foremost—your power."
The room fell silent again, tension thick in the air. Everyone was waiting for Delia's response.
Arnold clasped his hands together. "You were a B-Rank, and yet you fought an S-Rank Rogue Adventurer—and won. Not only that, but the level of destruction caused was… beyond anything a normal adventurer should be capable of, even among S-Ranks."
His gaze sharpened. "Which leads me to ask—what are you, exactly?"
Delia stayed quiet for a moment, her expression unreadable. She had anticipated this question. There was no avoiding it.
She exhaled.
"I suppose… it's only fair I tell you," she said, sitting up straighter. "The truth is, I am not just a normal human. I am the Progenitor of a new race."
A stunned silence followed.
Even the ever-serious Eina widened her eyes slightly. The only person who didn't react with shock was Scarlett, who was confused more than anything else.
Arnold was the first to break the silence. "A new race? What do you mean by Progenitor?"
Delia crossed her arms.
"I mean exactly what it sounds like. I am the first of my kind. My body, my mana, my abilities—they are unlike anything this world has ever seen before. My race isn't recorded in history because it simply did not exist before me."
Arnold narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly is your race?"
Delia hesitated for a brief moment before answering.
"I actually don't know, myself."
"You don't know? How so?" Arnold questioned.
Delia nodded. "All i know for certain is that am progenitor of a race with a unique evolutionary path. My body is still… adapting. I have skill's that are locked away—skills even I don't fully understand yet. Some awaken naturally, others require certain conditions."
Eina, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "And how many of these locked skills are there?"
Delia sighed. "3 unique skills in total."
Eina's eye twitched. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?"
Delia gave a small, helpless shrug. "It wasn't relevant before. I don't even know what most of them do yet. I only unlock them when I meet certain conditions—or if my instincts decide it's time."
Arnold rubbed his temples. "So, let me get this straight. Not only did you fight an S-Rank while being technically B-Rank, but you were holding back because you have skills that aren't even unlocked yet?"
Delia gave a small nod. "Pretty much."
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHA!"
Arnold suddenly burst into laughter, startling everyone. "You're telling me we've had an unrankable existence in our guild this entire time, and none of us knew?! By the gods, Delia, you're going to give me a heart attack!"
Eina, meanwhile, was massaging her forehead, clearly developing a headache.
"This is absurd. No, you're absurd."
Scarlett giggled quietly at that.
Arnold finally calmed down, though there was a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Alright. Let's assume for now that you truly are a… Progenitor. What does that mean for us? Are there going to be more like you?"
Delia's expression grew serious.
"Yes. That's inevitable, but in the far future, not anytime soon i can guaranten you this."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Eina and Arnold exchanged glances.
Arnold leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "…Well. That's good to know."
Eina crossed her arms. "And if you had those locked skills —how strong do you think you'd be at?"
Delia shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I'm still discovering them myself. Some seem normal enough, but others… well, I think you've seen firsthand what happens when I get serious."
Eina frowned. "That's exactly what worries me."
Arnold, however, smiled. "Well, I say it's a good thing. If Delia's power can be used to protect this city, then it's something worth celebrating." He then turned to Delia.
"That said, I'd appreciate it if you warned us next time before you level a large amount of the city, would you?"
Delia coughed lightly embarrassed. "I'll… try."
Eina sighed. "Unbelievable."
The atmosphere finally relaxed, though there was still much to discuss.
But one thing was certain—Delia's secret was out. And the world would never be the same again.