---Next Evening---
Olivia, Solaris, and I arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild after completing another boring school day. The night rush was twice as chaotic as the morning crowd I had experienced weeks back. It took considerable effort just to flag down a staff member and notify Lucoa that we had arrived.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged to greet us, flanked by Roxanne and Yunyun.
“Oh my, you work fast, don’t you, Leon? Two days into your academic career, and you have already found yourself a fiancée. I’m not that surprised, though; you are quite handsome and very dependable,” Lucoa said as Olivia, Solaris, and I approached.
“I… I am not Leon’s fiancée!” Olivia replied, her face flushing crimson as she struggled to get the words out. “We are classmates, but I am just a commoner! My name is Olivia. It’s… it's nice to meet all of you.”
Lucoa gave her a toothy, knowing smile, but mercifully kept any further comments to herself.
I was still coming to terms with her sudden personality shift over the past two weeks. When we first met, Lucoa had regarded me with cold skepticism. Since then, she had warmed up considerably, and now she made playful passes at me whenever the opportunity presented itself. The whole thing made my head spin, but I wasn't complaining. If I could convince her to join my harem—which was nothing more than a pipe dream right now—I would be the luckiest man alive.
“I’m glad the two of you were already here. It saved me the trouble of tracking you down,” I said as we walked into the conference. “I’ve invited Olivia to join our party. She would serve as our healer during dungeon dives, allowing us to reserve our healing potions for emergencies. What do you ladies think?”
“I’m all for it!” Yunyun replied, vibrating with excitement at the prospect of making another friend. “My name is Yunyun, and I am our party’s Arch Wizard. Offensive magic is my specialty, but I can also cast a few defensive spells.”
Roxanne nodded in approval, her tail wagging happily behind her. “Adding her to our team will make dungeon diving much safer and more efficient. There is no reason to disagree. I’m Roxanne, and I am our team’s Beast Warrior.”
Olivia blinked, a look of sheer relief washing over her face. On the way to the guild, she had stressed herself out over this meeting, terrified they would reject her without cause. Now that she had their seal of approval, all her pent-up worry melted away.
“So, what is the registration process?”
Lucoa perked up. “I can take care of that. Give me a moment to grab the equipment.”
A few minutes later, Lucoa pushed a small cart into the room. She placed everything neatly on the table, then gave Olivia an overview of the basics every adventurer should know. Since Olivia had the three of us to guide her, this summary was more than sufficient.
“Now that the formalities are out of the way, please place your hand on the Orb of Revelation,” Lucoa said, sliding a crystal sphere in front of her.
“Okay!” Olivia replied, reaching out. She paused, her hand hovering over the glass. “Wait… Is this going to hurt at all?”
“No need to worry; you won’t feel a thing.”
Relieved, Olivia pressed her right hand to the sphere. The crystal glowed like a young star, projecting a translucent screen of her status into the air.
Name: Olivia
Class: Saintess
Age: 16
Level: 10
HP: 97
Constitution: A
Charisma: C
Dexterity: B
Intelligence: S
Strength: B
Wisdom: S
Abilities/Powers: Holy Magic
Titles: Descendant of the Saintess
Lucoa’s mouth dropped open. The Holfort Kingdom had been without a Saintess for generations, and one had just materialized right in front of her. The revelation caused her vision to blur from sheer shock.
“You knew, didn’t you?” Lucoa asked, snapping her glare toward me. “Why didn’t you bother to warn me? Now I have to fill out a mountain of paperwork and contact the Temple.”
“Unless Olivia approves it, you cannot disclose her stats to anyone outside this room—except the Guildmaster,” I replied, crossing my arms. “Guild policy is absolute. Personal information remains confidential.”
“You think that argument will fly with the Temple? They have searched for a Saintess for over two centuries. If we hide this, they will raise holy hell in the Palace.”
I shrugged. Lucoa had a point, but the Adventurers’ Guild had to maintain strict neutrality, regardless of the political fallout. If word leaked that the guild violated its own privacy bylaws, a mass exodus would follow. Beyond the nobility, countless civilians joined the guild to bury their pasts. Any threat to that safety would send them fleeing to neighboring nations—a loss of human resources the Kingdom could not afford with war on the horizon.
“Just to be clear, you are saying I’m the descendant of the Saintess?” Olivia asked, shooting a worried look my way. “Leon… please tell me the truth. Did you help me out of the goodness of your heart, or was it to curry favor with me in the future?”
We had met just over twenty-four hours ago. Given the weight of what she had just seen on that screen, it was only natural for her to doubt my intentions.
“I came to your aid because I saw someone in dire need,” I said, meeting her gaze dead-on. “Not once did I think about personal gain. To be transparent, I only discovered your identity after you mentioned your healing magic. I used an appraisal spell to sneak a peek at your stats, and that's when I saw your title.”
Olivia stared into my eyes for a few seconds before she let out a long sigh of relief. Satisfied that I was not using her, she apologized for calling my motives into question. I assured her it was fine and gestured back toward the orb, urging her to focus on finishing the paperwork.
“Take a few days to decide if you want to reveal your status to the Temple or not,” I said. “If you do, it will elevate your political standing to the level of a Duchess. You would receive massive perks, but the downsides are just as heavy. Weigh your options before you make a choice.”
Lucoa sighed, the weight of the situation slumping her shoulders. “I hate the fact that you’re being so casual about this. Ladies, help me out here…”
Roxanne and Yunyun did not react. Both women stood in a silent daze, their minds still processing the bombshell we had just dropped on them.
“How about a compromise?” I said, breaking the silence. “Let’s take the matter to the Guildmaster and ask for his input. If he agrees with my stance, you’ll have the Guild’s backing for your actions should this ever come to light.”
“Ugh… I suppose that is fair,” Lucoa groaned. “So long as I’m not left to shoulder the burden alone, I can live with that.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “You worry too much, Lucoa. I wouldn’t leave you to the wolves. The five of us are a team now, and I leave no one behind.”
My words put Lucoa at ease. For a moment, a genuine smile broke through her anxiety before she locked back into professional mode. With the immediate crisis managed, she turned her attention to the paperwork to finish registering Olivia, while I worked to rouse Roxanne and Yunyun from their stupor.
---Ten Minutes Later---
Once Olivia had her ID card, the five of us headed up to the Guildmaster’s office. We caught him during a lull in his paperwork, so he welcomed the unannounced visit. Since keeping Olivia’s title a secret was my idea, I took charge and brought him up to speed on the situation.
“Bwahaha! There seems to be no end to the trouble you find yourself in, Leon,” the Guildmaster said, amused by the chaos that seemed to follow me. “I heard you set Crown Prince Julius and his friends straight the other day. Good on you, boy! The Palace has spent years trying to rein those kids in, but you managed it in a single afternoon.”
“I’m glad someone got a kick out of it.”
“It isn’t just me, Leon. Their families and the families of their fiancées are overjoyed. The ten of them came tearing in here last night, registered as a team, and headed straight into a dungeon dive. They didn’t clear it, but they all came back with smiles on their faces. It’s the first time anyone has seen those couples actually get along.”
It was good to hear that they enjoyed themselves. We had not bumped into them at school today to check on the fallout, but the plan worked. While a small part of me twinged at the sight of three girls I liked from the game getting closer to their actual fiancés, this was for the best. I had a massive checklist to complete in a brief window of time. Dealing with the political fallout of their failed relationships would only slow me down.
“Happy to help,” I said, pivoting back to the main issue. “Now, regarding Olivia’s title. How should we handle this?”
“It’s Miss Olivia’s call,” the Guildmaster replied. “The Adventurers’ Guild will support whatever choice she makes.”
Lucoa let out a faint, annoyed sigh. She clearly hated how casual we were being about a literal Saintess, but she kept her complaints to herself. Since the boss backed my play, she knew there was no use fighting it.
“I want to keep my status as the Saintess a secret from the Temple,” Olivia said, her voice firm with resolve. “My freedom is worth more than any amount of fame and fortune.”
“Well said, Miss Olivia. Spoken like a true adventurer,” the Guildmaster replied, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “We will safeguard your identity and pretend you are a normal cleric. I will draft temporary paperwork for you to carry instead, because there is no way to conceal the Class on your official ID. Just make sure no one sees the card.”
I flashed a smirk and held up a hand. “Olivia, pass me your ID. I might have a solution that will make life easier for everyone.”
With her ID in hand, I examined the underlying magics. Within seconds, I understood the guild’s counterspells, deconstructed the formulas, and rewrote Olivia’s information. Once the change was complete, I seamlessly reapplied the guild’s original security enchantments and handed the card to the Guildmaster for inspection.
The Guildmaster remained skeptical. Given the brief window I needed to complete the rewrite, his doubt made perfect sense. He retrieved a specialized eyepiece from his desk and peered at the card, scrutinizing the internal magical signatures. When he finished, the old man flopped back into his seat, his face slack with disbelief.
“I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised you pulled that off,” the Guildmaster said, rubbing his temples. “But just how in the world did you manage it? We employed the kingdom’s top enchanters to ensure no one could counterfeit our cards, and you dissected their work like it was light work.”
“To be honest, analyzing the enchantments was child’s play,” I replied with a shrug. “You should tear those enchanters a new one for failing to obscure their magic formulas. Any skilled enchanter with enough patience could duplicate my results; it would just take them a lot longer.”
The Guildmaster’s lip twitched with annoyance. He was no enchanter, but his many years as an adventurer had taught him the critical importance of concealing security measures.
“The Mage Association should be able to address the issue with ease, but applying a fix to every active ID out there will be a nightmare,” the Guildmaster said. “I can’t announce the flaw to the public; there would be a massive shitstorm if I did. Do you have any suggestions?”
“How about using your existing magic tools?” I replied, gesturing toward his eyepiece. “Have the Mage Association add a function to push the fix during routine card inspections. If a skilled mage takes notice, just tell them you are enhancing their card's security. No one will bat an eye.”
With a smirk, the Guildmaster slammed his hands onto his desk. “Haha! You are a genius, Leon.”
To be safe, the Guildmaster had me write out the step-by-step process I would use to fix their mistake. His trust in the Mage Association sat at an all-time low, and he wanted an insurance policy to ensure they did not get burned a second time. Once I finished the notes, he handed me a thick packet of paper.
“Now that Miss Olivia is officially registered as a Cleric, I assume you want to take your promotion exam,” the Guildmaster said. “This packet grants you access to a Rank 4 dungeon. Your receptionist will accompany you to witness the conquest, ensuring those arrogant nobles cannot claim you falsified the results.”
“Wait, I’m going with them!?” Lucoa replied, her casual posture vanishing as she tried to weasel out of the assignment. “I haven’t stepped foot inside a dungeon in years.”
“Well, that changes today. You have permission to borrow gear from the guild’s armory to prepare.”
Lucoa realized her boss would not budge. With a deflated sigh, she accepted the order and left to arm herself.
I turned to my party members and tossed a small pouch of coins to Roxanne. “While Lucoa gears up, can the two of you take Olivia to Wiz’s shop? Olivia lacks weapons and armor. Purchase what she needs and return here without delay. Don’t let her skimp on the gear; I refuse to cheap out on lifesaving armor.”
“You aren’t coming with us?” Roxanne asked, unsure what was going on.
“I need to speak with the Guildmaster about something else. It shouldn’t take me too long. When you come back, look for me downstairs in the dining area.”
“You can count on us!” Yunyun replied, her enthusiasm unbound as she and Roxanne dragged a hesitant Olivia out the door.
“I… I will pay you back, I swear!” Olivia’s voice faded down the hall.
Once the door clicked shut, the casual atmosphere vanished. I turned back to the Guildmaster, my expression turning serious. Using the Force, I pulled a heavy chair towards me, then sat down opposite him with my arms folded.
“I hate to put you on the spot, but could you arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister for me? A critical piece of intelligence came into my possession yesterday. I believe he will want to see it.”
The Guildmaster leveled a sharp gaze at me. “Oh? How critical are we talking?”
“Marquis Frampton’s faction is actively planting spies inside the households of prominent nobles and up-and-coming houses,” I stated flatly. “Have a look for yourself.”
I retrieved a detailed report from my Item Box and slid it across the desk. Luxion’s autonomous drones had uncovered a treasure trove of incriminating documents hidden in a secure safe at the Marquis’ estate. The file detailed ongoing, direct communications with high-ranking members of the Principality.
Just as the game's original storyline dictated, Frampton was offering the enemy a portion of the kingdom’s sovereign territory for an elevation in social status. When the next war sparked, the Marquis planned to let Duke Redgrave’s faction bleed against the Principality while secretly leaking the Duke's battle plans to the enemy. Once Redgrave's forces collapsed, Frampton would swoop in to negotiate a peace treaty, walking away as a national hero. In reality, the Principality had zero intention of honoring their deal.
“That son of a bitch…” the Guildmaster said, his aura growing darker with each page he read. He closed the file and looked up, his jaw set. “I will arrange a meeting for you tomorrow afternoon. Given the severity of the situation, I will ensure the Academy excuses your attendance.”
“Much appreciated,” I replied, rising to my feet. “That is all I have for the moment. If anything changes, you will be the first to know.”
The Guildmaster stood and offered a firm handshake, a silent gesture of gratitude for the warning. Solaris and I turned, exited his office, and headed downstairs to wait for the rest of our party.
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