A few moments passed before the mysterious woman stared at me. She was a cute brunette, with pink eyes, a moderate bust, and professional clothing. She had a sword on her right hip, along with a grimoire on her left. Given her young appearance, she was most likely 22 years old. Curiously, her face seemed to be...somewhat emotionless. She could express basic emotions, but anything more than that seemed to be a challenge. However, my [Fast Learner] skill was telling me she was strong...dangerously so.

"Are you the Guardian?" she asked.

"The what?" I said.

Despite my initial confusion, she turned her head towards the growing crowd.

"Shoo," she motioned.

At first, the young crowd didn't listen to her request. But as she lightly placed her hand on the sword, it emitted moderate sparks of lightning. Naturally, they quickly dispersed after her display.

"I never took you as a person to intimidate adventurers, Faith," Sophia said.

As we turned toward Sophia, we noticed that she was accompanied by what looked to be the Guild Master.

"Guild Master Jasmine! I apologize for my abrupt exit from the conversation!" Faith said apologetically.

"You've got some nerve, Faith! Warden or not, you can't just leave in the middle of a conversation! I know I taught you better than this!" Jasmine said.

"As much as I love Faith, I think interpersonal skills are not her strong point," Sophia joked.

"It's nice to see you again, Sophia! Did you need something from the Guild Master?" Justine asked.

"One of my duties as Head Diplomat is to stay up-to-date on the Guild. It's also the safest place in the city for...obvious reasons. Also, thanks again for saving me from that kidnapping! I hope you enjoyed that Adamantite coin we added to your bounty payment!" Sophia said happily.

"You mean the Adamantite coin that you made Wilhelm add to the bounty payment," Jasmine said.

"Pfft! That's nothing but semantics!' Sophia said.

"So...what the hell happened to my Platinum Pedestal? I see more cracks than I remember! Care to explain?" Jasmine asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Anomalies," Faith said.

"God dammit, Faith! Did you break it again? We told you not to use this Pedestal after you broke it the 2nd time! You're the only reason we had to get them in pairs of two! I know the Guild is rich, but still!" Jasmine said.

"Actually, I'm the one who stopped it from exploding. He's the anomaly," Faith said.

As Faith pointed at me, I chuckled nervously.

"Uh...sorry about that," I said sincerely.

The Guildmaster sighed as she placed her arm over Sophia. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the Guild Receptionist, Detia, was sitting on the floor watching us.

"Detia. Were you giving them a tour of the guild? I'll take over from here," Jasmine said.

"As you wish, Guild Master!" Detia responded.

As Detia stood up and ran towards the front desk, Guildmaster Jasmine watched her.

"Did you know that she's a J cup, Owen?" Jasmine said candidly.

"What?" I said.

"Oh no," Sophia sighed.

"Let me introduce myself! My name is Jasmine! Head Guildmaster of the Platinum Helm Guild! The woman destined to lead this Guild to greatness! And an avid woman of culture who—," Jasmine said.

Before Jasmine could continue with her possibly profound speech, Sophia quickly covered her mouth to stop her.

"My name is Faith. They call me a 'Warden'. If you didn't know, 'Wardens' are powerful heroes who have reached the coveted S rank. They're usually human, but there have been cases where they've been Demi-human. Wardens are hard to find in Adrios since you need to possess a powerful blessing to be one. Blessings allow Wardens to increase their 'rank ceiling' and reach their full potential faster. 'Anomaly' refers to Wardens who have not reached S rank. However, once they reach S rank, they become known as a Warden," Faith stated.

Justine quickly whispered into my ear. "If she's a Warden, then it's possible that she's considered a 'Kuudere'. The removal of certain emotions is a side effect of special blessings. Also, it's important to note that we reincarnated you as the Guardian Of Adrios, so you technically outrank the Wardens. However, you must undergo 'Warden Training' if you're going to reach your full potential!" Justine whispered.

"Do you mind introducing me to your allies, Owen?" Jasmine asked.

"Oh, right! This woman is Justine, while this 'golem' is called Ronan. We're honored to meet you!," I said confidently.

Guildmaster Jasmine smiled as she motioned us to follow her. Sophia, Jasmine, and Faith were in front of us as we walked behind them. Jasmine wanted to give us a tour while we conversed.

"I heard that you took over the Glossy Ross. Given the horrid state Mayor Ross left it in, I'm surprised that it didn't collapse on you," Jasmine joked.

"Structural Integrity was severely low. However, I prevented anything unpleasant from happening," Ronan said.

"Is that so? While I find it surprising, you do look like an advanced golem. I can't say I would put it past you," Jasmine said.

"So you've been to the store before? What was it like when you last saw it?" Justine said.

"I was there when he closed the shop for good. I think it was the day following his election as Mayor? It's been so many decades since then! We found the fountain of youth, but we couldn't increase our ability to remember!" Jasmine laughed.

"What do you mean by 'Decades'? Aren't you in your late 30s?" I said.

"Hahaha! Hell no! She's—," Sophia said.

Before Sophia could tell us Jasmine's age, the Guild Master quickly covered Sophia's mouth.

"Look at the time! Sophia needs to go anywhere that isn't here, so we'll talk to you later! Faith will take over the tour, ok?" Jasmine said smiling.

As Jasmine dragged Sophia through the crowd, Faith quietly motioned us to follow her. Apparently, she would serve as our new tour guide.

As we walked around the guild, Faith spoke to us.

"The Guildmaster may seem a bit...childish, but she's an outstanding leader. She's the only person other than Mayor Ross who can unite the 6 dominant clans in Fayhelm. It also helps that the Guild Master and Mayor are Wardens. They may seem carefree on the outside, but they're always thinking 6 steps ahead. After all, when you've watched Lord Ogis murder all your allies, it's hard not to find the nicer things in life," Faith stated.

"What do you mean?" Ronan said.

"You didn't know? Guildmaster Jasmine and Mayor Ross were adventuring buddies before they married. Sophia is one of their children!" Faith said happily.

"What?" I said.