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The Adventurer's Guild Headquarters was supposed to be a place of business, a center where warriors and mercenaries could pick up requests and handle dangerous missions.
Instead—
Today, it was host to a royal storm.
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The large wooden doors slammed open violently.
A gust of wind rattled the chandeliers.
And then—
A royal knight stormed in, clad in gleaming white and gold armor.
Behind her, two terrified attendants scrambled to keep up.
"MAKE WAY FOR HER HIGHNESS, PRINCESS SELENE!"
Adventurers immediately backed away.
Even the toughest mercenaries, men who had fought wyverns and survived dungeon collapses, pretended to be busy.
A few even ducked behind tables.
At the counter, Ariana sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.
'Here we go again.'
---
Selene marched straight to the front desk, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
The air around her practically crackled.
She was not in a good mood.
"WHERE. IS. REED ASTORIA?!"
Ariana, without even looking up from her paperwork, took a slow sip of tea.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
Selene gritted her teeth.
"Ariana. Do not test me."
Ariana set her tea down calmly.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, we've been over this. We are not allowed to disclose retired adventurers' locations."
Selene slammed a piece of parchment onto the desk.
"EXPLAIN THIS, THEN!"
Ariana glanced down at it.
It was a copy of the latest adventurer reports.
And at the bottom, in bold, official text—
"Reed Astoria is running a food store with his fiancée."
Ariana sighed.
'Oh. That rumor finally reached her, huh?'
---
Selene's gauntleted fingers clenched into a fist.
"Who. Is. She?"
Ariana casually flipped a page.
"Would you like the official answer, or the village rumor?"
Selene narrowed her eyes.
"Both."
Ariana took another slow sip of tea.
"The official guild record states that Reed Astoria has retired from adventuring and is currently residing in a small village where he has opened a food business."
Selene crossed her arms. "And the rumor?"
Ariana barely held back an exhausted sigh.
"The villagers apparently believe he is running the shop with his 'fiancée.'"
The temperature in the room dropped.
Selene's eyes burned.
"And how did this rumor start?"
Ariana casually leaned back.
"Apparently, a certain golden-haired woman with fox ears has been calling him her 'husband' openly in public."
---
Selene's aura surged violently.
"WHO IS THIS WOMAN?!"
Ariana remained completely unbothered.
"That, Your Highness, is classified information."
Selene slammed her hands on the counter.
"Ariana. I am one step away from sending an entire battalion to drag him back."
Ariana rubbed her temples.
"And that is why he retired in the first place."
Selene gritted her teeth.
"He belongs in the capital."
Ariana raised an eyebrow.
"And yet, you let him retire."
Selene's eye twitched.
"I thought he'd be back within a week!"
Ariana sighed again.
'Oh, Reed is going to hate me for this…'
---
The guild hall remained silent, all the adventurers watching the tension unfold.
Selene exhaled sharply, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Listen to me carefully, Ariana."
Ariana tilted her head.
"I'm listening."
Selene's eyes burned with intensity.
"I will find him. And I will personally confirm whether or not this so-called 'fiancée' is real."
Ariana rested her chin on her hands.
"…And if she is?"
Selene did not hesitate.
"Then I will remove her."
A chill ran through the room.
Ariana closed her eyes for a moment.
'…Yup. I should've called in sick today.'
---
Selene crossed her arms.
"You can't stop me from finding him."
Ariana let out a deep breath.
"Technically, no."
Selene narrowed her eyes. "Meaning?"
Ariana leaned in slightly.
"Let's just say… if you were to travel with a merchant caravan heading toward the countryside, you might stumble across something interesting."
Selene grinned.
Ariana sighed for the hundredth time.
'Reed is going to kill me.'
---
Back at Reed's Village…
Reed paused mid-sweeping.
A strange, unsettling feeling crept up his spine.
He shuddered.
"…Why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen?"
Yuna smiled knowingly.
"Oh my, Reedy~. You worry too much~."
Reed narrowed his eyes.
"…What are you hiding?"
Yuna giggled.
"Fufu~. Nothing at all~."
Reed rubbed his temples.
'I don't trust this at all.'
And somewhere, far in the distance…
A certain princess was already on her way.
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