Noah hadn’t even taken more than a few steps toward the entrance—
Before—
Bang—!
The large double doors of the adventurer guild were suddenly pushed open from the inside.
Three figures burst out almost imdiately.
Their movents were quick.
As if they had rushed out the mont they sensed sothing unusual.
Or rather, soone.
They stopped a short distance in front of Noah.
Close enough to show respect, and far enough so they don’t seem intrusive.
Noah’s eyes shifted slightly as he observed them.
There were two n and one woman.
The man standing in the middle appeared to be in his early thirties.
He had short blonde hair that was neatly trimd, and a pair of sharp black eyes that carried a calm but alert look.
His posture was straight, disciplined—soone clearly used to authority.
To his right stood another man, broader, and looking more rugged.
His build was solid, his arms thick, and his face carried the roughness of soone who had seen many battles. His expression was serious, his gaze lowered slightly.
And to the left, a fairly beautiful woman.
Her features were delicate, yet there was a firmness in her expression that hinted at strength. Her long hair flowed down her back, and her posture was just as composed as the others.
The three of them stood still for a brief mont.
Then in perfect unison, they bowed respectfully towards Noah.
Noah froze for a split second.
’...Huh?’
His mind blanked slightly.
He had never—
Not once in his life—
Experienced sothing like this.
People bowing to him?
That wasn’t sothing he was used to.
Even back at the academy, he had always been the one looked down on.
And now—
Three clearly powerful individuals stood before him... bowing.
The contrast felt almost surreal.
A faint awkwardness crept into his expression beneath the mask.
"...You don’t have to bow," he said.
His voice ca out calm—but there was a slight stiffness to it.
"There’s no need for that."
He shifted slightly where he stood, clearly not used to the situation.
Inside, his thoughts moved quickly.
’This is... strange.’ he thought, his gaze flickering slightly. ’Power really is all that matters...’
’They’re not bowing out of respect, but out of fear...’
That realization settled quietly in his mind.
In front of him, the man in the middle slowly raised his head, making sure to be as respectful as he could.
His black eyes t the hollow gaze of the white demon mask.
The other two followed suit, but only slightly.
Their heads lifted just enough to see him, but their gazes remained lowered.
They didn’t dare look at him directly.
The blonde man stepped forward slightly.
Then he spoke.
"My na is Yuan Belcroft."
His voice was steady, carrying a tone of politeness.
"I am the guild master of this small adventurer guild."
As he spoke, he bowed his head slightly once more.
Not as deeply as before, but still respectfully.
"May I know your na, my lord..."
There was a brief pause.
"...and the reason you have stopped by this humble guild?"
Noah listened quietly.
Behind the mask, his expression remained calm—
But inwardly, he sighed.
’They’re still bowing...’
Even after he told them it wasn’t necessary.
It felt... excessive.
But at the sa ti—
He understood why, so he didn’t dwell on it.
There were more important things to focus on.
Noah’s gaze remained fixed on Yuan for a mont longer.
"I’m—"
He paused slightly.
Then cut himself off.
Instead, he tilted his head faintly toward the guild building behind them.
"Why don’t we head inside first..." he said. "We can talk about why I’m here inside the guild."
A few minutes later—
Noah was seated comfortably on a soft sofa inside a well-decorated office.
The room itself was spacious, clearly reserved for soone of importance.
The walls were lined with polished wooden panels, giving off a rich, refined feel. A large shelf stood at one side, filled with neatly arranged docunts, scrolls, and a few ornantal items that hinted at the guild’s prestige.
A wide window allowed sunlight to pour into the room, illuminating everything with a warm glow.
At the center were two sofas facing each other.
And between them was a finely crafted table.
Resting atop it was a bottle of wine.
Not just any wine.
Even without touching it, one could tell from the design of the bottle and the clarity of the liquid within that it was expensive.
Beside it were two cups, placed neatly.
Noah sat on one of the sofas, his posture relaxed.
Across from him—
Yuan Belcroft sat on the opposite one.
But unlike Noah, Yuan’s posture wasn’t entirely at ease.
His expression was... complicated.
A mix of emotions flickered across his face.
Fear.
Reverence.
And sothing else—
Confusion.
His black eyes occasionally glanced at the masked figure before him, then away again, as if unsure how to fully process the situation.
Noah’s gaze shifted briefly.
From the room—
To the table—
To the wine—
And then back to Yuan.
’They even poured such an expensive wine...’ he thought. ’Too bad I don’t drink.’
He didn’t even make a move to touch the wine.
The silence lingered for a brief mont before Yuan finally spoke.
"I hope you find this... more comfortable, lord—"
He paused.
A slight hesitation.
"...Sorry, I an sir?"
There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice.
Noah had already told him to stop addressing him as lord, saying it wasn’t necessary, but then, the guild master didn’t know how else to address him.
Noah simply nodded.
"Yeah... it’s okay like this."
Yuan’s brows furrowed slightly at that response.
Not because of the words—
But because of the voice.
’His voice...’
A subtle thought ford in his mind.
’It sounds... so young.’
His gaze lingered for just a mont longer.
He had expected sothing else.
The voice of an old man who had lived for decades, or even centuries.
But what he heard instead was much younger.
Almost... out of place.
Still—
He wasn’t entirely shocked.
Magi of higher ranks were known for this.
The abundance of mana within their bodies often slowed down aging, preserving their youth.
So they were able to maintain a younger appearance and voice despite their actual age.
Especially those at the level of grandmaster... or arch.
There were even records of such individuals living for hundreds of years.
So even though it felt strange talking to soone with a voice so young, it wasn’t impossible.
Yuan exhaled quietly, pushing those thoughts aside.
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"Then... sir," he began carefully.
"May I know your na?"
The question hung in the air.
Noah remained silent for a brief second.
Then—
He answered.
"You can simply call ..." he said, pausing for a while before continuing. "...Mr White."
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