"Here..." I handed the form and portrait to the woman working behind the counter.

"Alright, wait here about ten minutes. We’ll prepare your adventurer’s badge," she said, taking the items and heading inside.

"Mr. Ling Xie, you’re something else! Grabbing Bing Lingyu’s hand like that… Lucky no fans saw it, or you’d have been mobbed," the tiger-eared beastman said, stepping beside me with a trace of admiration.

"Who’s Bing Lingyu? That woman?" I asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar name.

"You don’t know her? … Well, makes sense. You barely reacted when you saw her—turns out you genuinely had no idea," he remarked, slightly exasperated. First time he’d met a human who didn’t recognize Bing Lingyu.

"Bing Lingyu, hailed as the Luna Orchid Songstress, has been an undeniable magic prodigy since birth. She masters diverse magics and techniques. With breathtaking beauty and talent, she commands countless fans; her concerts span the globe. Yet… why would someone like her appear in such a tiny adventurer’s guild?" Elle added, voice tinged with confusion. Logically, a place like this shouldn’t attract her caliber.

"Well, she’s deeply passionate about art. The guild master’s on good terms with her, so she occasionally sketches portraits here when free. Rare sightings though—you really struck gold, Mr. Ling Xie," the beastman explained.

"I don’t feel much. To me, humans all look alike… though a few stand out," I said casually, draping my hand over Elle’s shoulder with subtle familiarity.

"Mr. Ling Xie…" Elle murmured, cheeks flushing slightly.

"Keep staring and I’ll blast you," she snapped coldly at the gawking beastmen.

"Y-yes, ma’am!" They instantly looked away. For some reason, not a shred of defiance lingered toward Elle.

"Your badge is ready. You’re lucky—light crowd today," the woman announced, emerging from the back with a black badge. Engraved on it: the character "Xie."

"Not bad," I murmured, turning the badge over. Solid craftsmanship.

"Now that you have it, pick a quest. Choose based on your strength," she said, placing a sheet before me. A vertical list of tasks awaited.

"This one. The 50,000-point reward," I declared, finger landing on the top entry: *Slay Juelian, the century-old magical beast.*

"You… insane?" the woman gasped, stunned. Only gold- or diamond-rank adventurers dared such quests. What made this man—no magic, no rank—think he could?

"Rank restrictions?"

"None, but—"

"No need. If I die, your guild isn’t liable. Let me try."

"Fine. Others have taken it too," she said, scribbling my name on the form.

"Since Mr. Ling Xie’s taking it, we’ll join! You’re doing this for us," the beastmen chimed, hastily signing up.

"Aren’t you taking one?" I asked Elle behind me, curiosity in my tone.

"No… accepting a quest would bring trouble," she replied with a sigh, expression shadowed by unspoken weight.

"I know you’re hiding something. But if you won’t say, I won’t ask. Tell me when you’re ready."

"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Ling Xie," Elle whispered, lowering her head. Clearly, it was a topic she wished to avoid.

Elle was no ordinary citizen of the Aran Empire—nobility, royalty, or academy prodigy, at minimum. I’d always sensed it: her magical talent, refined aura, even her courage in tomb-raiding spoke volumes. But I’d never pry. Especially not when she was both my benefactor… and my familia.