Looks like I’ve been suspected. Does this world actually have monsters that can take human form?

Ye Su stayed off to the side, lost in thought and looking a little dazed. But to Fiona, those dull, lifeless eyes looked utterly pitiful.

“No, he doesn’t have any monster’s aura about him. He’s just a cute little kid. Don’t worry—I won’t be fooled.” Fiona cheerfully patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder, as if to say he was worrying over nothing.

Uh... But you’ve already been fooled. Sorry, I’m not actually a cute little kid. I’m just a programmer who worked himself to death. Ye Su wanted to bury his head in his hands and sink into the floor.

“You can’t let your guard down. You remember what happened three months ago, right? Stella City was destroyed by a monster that had taken human form.” The middle-aged man didn’t look reassured at all. Today, he was determined to make Fiona take the kid in for an appraisal. He was the guildmaster here, and he couldn’t turn a blind eye to something potentially dangerous.

By then, other adventurers had gathered around too. They seemed to have heard the words “human-shaped monster”—but, more importantly, they’d only just noticed that the knight was called Fiona.

Fiona’s name was famous throughout the kingdom. Word was, she’d only come to their remote little city to carry out a mission for the main guild.

“Come on, Lady Fiona. Why not take the kid in for an appraisal? It’ll put all of us at ease, right?” An adventurer who’d been listening from a nearby table spoke up. He thought the middle-aged man had a point.

“That’s right, that’s right! What if this thing isn’t harmless?” The adventurers nearby started chiming in, putting Fiona in a difficult position.

Fiona’s expression turned cold. She looked ready to lose her temper. She couldn’t care less about these people running their mouths. They were a bunch of cowards, pushing someone else forward because they were worried about their own safety. She’d already told them: how could such a cute little kid possibly be a monster?

Even if he is a monster... I’ll take responsibility for him! I’ll take him home and raise him!

“I said, there’s no nee—” Fiona started impatiently, ready to refuse, but Ye Su interrupted her.

“Then let’s give it a try. Big Sis, let me get appraised~” Ye Su shamelessly turned on the cuteness, flashing a healing little kid’s smile. Fiona, who’d been getting angry, felt like she was about to die from cuteness overload.

“W-Well... all right~!” Big Sis Fiona’s principles crumbled in seconds. Just a moment ago, she’d looked ready to beat someone up; now she was a gentle big sister next door.

The adventurers around them were left speechless by how quickly her whole attitude had changed.

But the next second, a chilling gaze swept over everyone. Big Sis Fiona furrowed her brow, already holding a grudge. If looks could attack, those people would’ve been hit who knew how many times by now.

“Come on, Fiona, don’t be so mad. I’m doing this for the safety of the branch, after all. I am the guildmaster here.” The middle-aged man was helpless in the face of Fiona’s grudge-holding ways.

Though this girl acted rather childish, she was the real deal: an A-Rank adventurer, and only twenty years old. She was one of the greatest geniuses in the world. Compared to her, the middle-aged branch chief was far more ordinary.

He was nearly fifty and an A-Rank adventurer too, but he’d only just scraped past the minimum mark. He was nowhere near Fiona’s level.

The middle-aged man led the way, guiding Fiona and Ye Su to the appraisal room.

It was on the guild’s second floor, which was filled with all kinds of appraisal rooms. They were usually used to appraise materials taken from monster corpses, so the guild could estimate their value and figure out how much commission to pay the adventurers.

“That’s way too much...” Ye Su was led into a room piled high with parts from monster corpses. They’d all been dried out for ages, but the stench of blood still lingered.

“This is pretty average. It’s actually not much, considering how rundown this guild is. We don’t get our hands on any good materials.” Big Sis Fiona held Ye Su’s hand as she explained. When she said “rundown,” she even pulled a face at the middle-aged man and stuck out her tongue at him.

The branch chief: “...”

Please, don’t talk about how rundown the guild is right in front of me. That hurts...

“Ahem... This is the Philosopher’s Stone, little buddy. Just put your hand on it, and it can detect your name, all your classes, and your attributes.” The middle-aged branch chief explained, then took out a colorful, cube-shaped stone and set it on the small table in the room.

It can detect my name, all my classes, and my attributes? Does that mean it’ll detect my GM Class too?

Ye Su glanced at the middle-aged man.

Quill [Axe Warrior Lv. 50]

Title: [Branch Chief] [A-Rank Adventurer]

HP: 370/370

MP: 120/120

Attack: 200

Spirit: 50

Defense: 250

[SKILL]: [Axe Technique Lv. 5] [Storm Axe]

So he was the strongest one in the guild besides Fiona. He was around level fifty, and he was the branch chief, too...

But compared to Ye Su’s GM stats, his attributes were ridiculously weak. Ye Su was a little worried. If the Philosopher’s Stone showed his own stats, wouldn’t they look impossible for a kid?

No! Even an adult in this world probably couldn’t reach his current stats, could they?

The worst-case scenario was that they’d mistake him for a monster in human form and gang up on him to take him down!

In an instant, he didn’t dare touch the Philosopher’s Stone. But the branch chief noticed his hesitation.

This kid definitely had something to hide. So, while Fiona wasn’t paying attention, the branch chief grabbed Ye Su’s hand and forcibly pressed it against the Philosopher’s Stone.

[An unauthorized detection-type skill is being used. GM Class passive activated. Detection blocked.]

The pop-up that suddenly appeared startled Ye Su so badly that his whole body jerked. At that moment, a faint glow appeared on the Philosopher’s Stone—the detection results were in. They looked like a crude little pop-up, except they were floating in midair.

Ye Su [Novice Lv. 2]

[Title]: None

HP: 20/20

MP: 10/10

Attack: 2

Spirit: 3

Defense: 0

It kind of looked like AR technology. Ye Su had to resist the urge to comment.

“You bastard! Who said you could touch my little brother?!” Fiona kicked the middle-aged man right off his feet. Even though she knew the branch chief, she wasn’t going to go easy on him now.

Whoa, this woman really has a temper. No wonder she’s the Blood Sword Maiden. The branch chief rolled across the floor, his abdomen burning with pain.

And when the hell did this kid you picked up become your little brother?!