I headed out to meet the guild master at noon, leaving Tammy behind. 

Without knowing his intentions, I didn't feel comfortable letting him anywhere near her. He said in the letter that he wanted to see me and I wanted to know why that was, the unknown aspect being a constant weight on my mind.

If it weren't for my inhuman constitution I feared the stress from everything that was happening would have long since burned a hole in my stomach. 

Walking through the town at a quick pace, not bothering to take in the brisk Spring air. The sound of my boots echoing over the dirt and pavement all the way to the guild office. 

Walking the doors and looking around with purpose, seeing the massive crowds I scanned for someone who looked like a guild master. Easy enough to spot, but with a mass of people between the two of us. Making my way through the sea. 

The guild was packed, unlike usual. Seemingly every adventurer in town had heard the news and were lining up to meet the returned guild master. 

As I made my way through I noticed a few familiar faces.

Emmet, the new clerk sitting behind the clerk counter that Tammy used to be in. 

My old party... Art, Sebast, Orion, and Kalm. I felt like waving, but seeing their cold looks I stopped midway through. A little disappointed and at being treated so coldly by the people I thought of for a time as friends. Sure I left the group, but didn't we have something going on for a time?

Looking around and seeing Nate, the silver ranked adventurer who had trained us during our party's first outing. Apparent that he was with his own party this time, standing around with several other men with equipment on par with a knight's, the only major difference being the level of wear on their equipment far exceeded that of Jagen's men. 

Our eyes meeting, I decided to wave at him instead. Eliciting a wry smile from him before he resumed talking with his group, ignoring my greeting.

A frown creeping up on my face in response to the cold reception. 

Shifting my gaze to the new guild master, the center of attention in the room. A person who looked like he had never fought a day in his life. A true politician. A thin figure, tall, black hair, and handsomely dressed. No weapons at all, but the furs draped over his fancy clothes bore the striking emblem of the country and guild.

Surrounded as he was by the premier adventurers in the guild who were all looking to meet the influential and rarely involved individual, the man still seemed to spot me out of the crowd. Already seeming somewhat aware of who I was despite us never having met in person.

Greeting me like I was an old friend. 

"You must be Keaton, I take it?"

"And you are?" Despite knowing who he was, at least what role he served, I didn't know much about him. And if possible I would like to never see him again. 

The man was shrouded in such mystery, and despite my previous misgivings about his intentions in coming here, and his general abandonment of his duties as guild master, he seemed to have a strange presence that drew one's attention. 

"Call me Bael." The man's face said with a plastic smile.

"I have to say, you're the talk of the capital," he continued on. "You're truly a space mage with no previous training? A natural born? None of us could believe it when we heard it. Truly, none of us believed it at all. May I see a demonstration?" 

Simply nodding in agreement to what he was saying, showing him a small trick and a little embarrassed by the lavish praise before stopping to consider what he had said.

Who exactly is 'we?' I thought the phrasing was a little odd, but it seemed he had a knack for flourish. Easily distracting me with a hand signal to the new clerk, Emmet. Who rang a small hand bell to get everyone's attention. Waving a piece of paper in front of the crowd. Pausing before shooting an apologetic look my way.

"Some light entertainment." Bael explained while the guild clerk cleared his throat and began to read. 

"Regarding the advancement of adventurer Keaton Pel to silver rank, we have received a formal challenge. Challenging party has been registered by one silver rank adventurer, Nathaniel Siward. Writ of challenge has been approved and signed by guild master Bael. All parties are confirmed to be present at the time of issuing the challenge."

The room seemed to spin around me, almost feeling sick to my stomach with shame. I was being challenged for the advancement? Looking at the massive crowd that had gathered to meet the guild master. The timing of it was obviously chosen for this, looking at Nate now with a far colder eyes than before. 

Humiliate me in front of all these people. And for what? I couldn't see how I'd ever done anything to slight him before. 

The blood pounding to my ears and my eyes tunneling from the humiliation and anger. My vision shrinking around me. 

"Just a little bit of entertainment for the hour, I don't think it should be too much for you though mister Keaton?" Bael added cheerfully. No discernible malice in his words. I wasn't sure what his angle was, but if he pulls this the first time we meet, then he couldn't mean anything well for me. 

Nate and I both venturing outside with the crowd following close behind.

Kaguro

https://www.patreon.com/kaguro/