"Now, give me what I want within a week. The guild can do that, right?" she said and Erick smirked.

"We knew that this guild specializes not only in killing monsters but also getting information from the neighboring kingdom." Adelyn continued as she watched Erick like how he watches her.

​​

One of the few things that she learned without the help of the novel and purely coincidence was another guild who has a connection and spy in all the kingdoms like the Night Guild. They're one of the four guilds who have transactions at the underground market and trade the information with other information.

That's how this small guild runs without trouble because the guild master was also an S rank even though he's retired. They can't provoke him and his guild easily.

"I don't need this..." Erick said as he pushed the pouch with gold coins.

Adelyn shot her brows up and looked at the pouch before she stared at Erick again.

"That's new... You don't like gold coins now? This much is a one-year worth salary of an A rank adventurer like me. It's 50 gold coins. And besides, I knew that you already have what I want," she said.

"That's not it, I don't need this,"

Adelyn chuckles at him.

"Are you worried that I don't have enough money? Don't worry about that. I may look like this, but I can afford a hundred times the expensive liquor here in the guild."

'I mean, I'm your supplier of that expensive wine, and Gil is the one who represents me. I didn't sit back and rely only on the money that comes from adventuring.' She thought.

Erick chuckles at what she said and replies. "I'm not worried about that. I need you to do something else. It's a mission."

This made Adelyn think twice about what he needs. If he was the one requesting, then the mission would either be hard to accomplish or the client is someone important.

"Why me? You have Peter, he's also an A rank adventurer or Adam, he's the S-rank here."

"Well... Adam would be included in this mission, I need two people you see and..." Erick was contemplating telling her the contents of the task.

"So, it's a group mission? And Seeing that you're struggling to disclose the contents and details means that it's confidential and the client must be cautious."

"Ha, I really can't hide anything from you. You're too sharp."

"If I don't sharpen my senses in this type of job then I would have already died at the Cacora forest, right? And it's not like your one to talk..." she grinned.

"...right. I wouldn't be establishing this guild if I'm not aware of my surroundings," Erick replied. And the two were smiling knowing each other's traits.

The two think alike, that's why they clicked after Adelyn meets Erick after the Corora incident.

The only difference is how they masked their words. Erick is gullible while Adelyn is domineering, but both can get what they want using any means.

And the reason why whenever they need to deal with each other they become exhausted as one wouldn't back down without getting profit from the other.

But this time, Adelyn would concede the terms he needs. It's because the novel has already finished one year ago after Elise became the Crown Princess and publicly announced as the Saintess.

Now, she needs all the information that she can get, her advantage vanishes because the novel has already put an end to her escapade.

Well, she gains her freedom and her life. It's a cheap price to exchange for her only life.

A knock came in when the two were discussing the exchange of benefits between them.

"It's me... I heard that you called for me?"

"Oh, it's Adam. Come in, come in..." Erick answered and Adam opened the door.

He was wearing his armor that was still stained with blood.

"Can you at least wipe that blood on your face? You're basically announcing to everyone that you killed someone." Adelyn said as Adam walked and stood behind her.

"I didn't have time, I apologize. Teller said that it was a summon from the guild master. So, I came straight after I arrived at the guild earlier"

Erick thought that this combination was like an uptight knight and a cheeky noble lady. He chuckled at the sight of it.

'It's funny how Adam and S rank adventurer looked like he was serving Adelyn an A-rank.' Erick thought.

Adelyn gave her handkerchief to Adam. "Here, wipe that face of yours with this. Next time don't walk around like a serial killer. This is why people are afraid of you, you always look like you will kill someone with that sharp face of yours and your bloodied self!" Adelyn said.

"I apologize, Miss Adelyn," Adam replied.

"And why are you so stiff with me?! I'm just an A-rank!"

"I apologize"

While Adelyn is getting frustrated with Adam, Erick is silently watching them.

The two continued to have a chat, a one-sided nagging, and a one who accepted all the nagging words.

'Whatever I think about it, Adelyn looks like a lady who was accustomed to having people who will abide by her order, and when I dig into her past, the only thing I learned is she came from the Levingstone Kingdom. So, the reason why she needs information must be because she's a noble. But why the temple of light?' Erick thought.

While he was deep in thoughts, Adelyn snapped him back to reality.

"So? What's the mission all about?" She asked,

"Does it mean that you'll accept it?" Erick asked back.

Adam is only listening while he still stands at the back of Adelyn.

"I'm the one who needs the information and besides, I'm getting iffy after not doing anything for a week. And I know that you won't back down, so what can I do but just to agree?" Adelyn replied.

Erick smiled. She really likes this girl, who four years ago was like a child that was lost and walked in a den that was full of scary stares from the arrogant adventurers of the guild.

And this lady who turned eighteen can be said to be on par with a lot of known adventurers. And her sharp mind that even sometimes fascinated him. And sometimes, it was scary how she could see beyond what was happening.

'She's also nonchalant about everything and seems to be carefree as long as you don't step at the wrong foot and cause a problem for her. And her mana seems to have changed. I can feel it.' Erick thought and he squinted his eyes.

One of his unique skills is gauging the capacity of a person's mana. And once he noticed Adelyn's change, he subconsciously examined her mana without Adelyn's knowing.

He smiled and his eyes were open wide with excitement. 'This brat! What did she do for the past week? Her mana is on par with Adam… No! There's more… what is it?!' he thought as he tried to pry more.

"Erick"

He stopped what he was about to do as he heard the cold voice of Adelyn.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Even if you're the guild master, shouldn't you at least have manners and asked?" she said. Her piercing gaze underneath the mask sends shivers to Erick and laughs because of excitement.

"You're really interesting, princess!" he said and looked at Adelyn, seeing her gaze Erick scratch the back of his head.

'I told him not to call me princess, this crazy old man!' Adelyn thought.

"Fine, I apologize. I didn't mean to do that. it was a habit as a guild master" he continued and fake a cough.

'This man is really annoying… his instincts are too sharp and he's always unaware when he gauges a person's strength like he was a hunter. Crazy man!' Adelyn thought.

"Anyways…!" Erick claps to change the atmosphere.

"The mission came from a noble and he wants our guild to explore a ruin in one of the forbidden cities in this Kingdom."

"There's three of them here so which one?"

"The city of Stygian."

"So, that was why you needed us?"

Adam looked at Adelyn as she said that.

"Miss Adelyn will join?" he was flustered.

"Why do you think I'm here adam? Decoration? And why don't you want to?"

"No… That's not what I meant, I'm just surprised."

"I'm also surprised by what this old man just said, it's basically telling us to kill ourselves"

"Don't call me old man! I'm only in my 30's! And yes, it's a suicide… that is if you guys are normal adventurers. And obviously you guys are not. That's why I need the two of you." Erick stated.

"One is an S-rank known to be the silent reaper while the other wants to maintain her rank but obviously on par with me and is called the dead rose in the battlefield" he continued.

"I can agree with Adam's but who the hell give me that cringy title?" Adelyn asked. Disgust pasted on her face.

"Who knows~"

Adelyn starts to curse in her thoughts because of disgust after a while, her mind wanders to a different but the main topic.

She starts to remember the information about Stygian ruins. Stygian as the name implies is full of darkness – its pitch black, it was associated to the Styx river that was said to be the boundary between the earth and the underworld.