After hearing all of this, Lance’s first reaction was not emotion.
Instead, an extrely strange thought surfaced in his mind.
Could this Witch nad Ilysia possibly be a Capricorn?
Spreading their love story across the continent like scattered dog food, carefully designing a series of complex puzzles and clues—
Then hiding sowhere in the world, secretly hoping that soone capable of understanding would decipher her code, gaining that kind of self-satisfaction akin to soul resonance.
This… felt way too familiar.
Why did it resemble the behavior of a certain king of the music world before his transmigration—soone who liked hiding Easter eggs in lyrics and concealing love within musical scores?
This kind of “those who understand will understand; those who don’t, stay away” romantic mindset really did match the awkward personality typical of a Witch.
But complaints aside—
For such a valuable gift from the old man, and even entrusting him with his unfulfilled wish, Lance still felt the heavy weight behind it.
“Thank you, Guild Master.”
Lance straightened his posture and gave a deep bow to the old man in front of him.
This gratitude was completely sincere.
It was not just thanks for the gift, but respect for an elder who selflessly supported the younger generation.
At the sa ti, Lance silently apologized in his heart.
Previously, he and Nia had often joked in private about this Guild Master, assuming that all the exploitative policies squeezing every last drop from Adventurers were the work of this old man.
Now it seed the real culprit was soone else.
That vice Guild Master in charge of finances—Homan, who was also Nia’s uncle—was the true capitalist who deserved to be hung from a streetlamp.
Facing the junior’s gratitude, Necros accepted it calmly, then waved his hand casually.
“When you encounter the clues left by those two, the ring will guide you.”
“Alright, you’ve got the item—now get lost.”
“As for Cecilia, you’d better guide her well. Don’t disappoint .”
“Yes.”
Lance nodded in agreent and turned toward the door.
Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Necros’ voice drifted from behind him again.
“And rember to eat sothing when you get back. Don’t faint from hunger halfway.”
Lance paused, turning his head slightly.
The old man had already picked up a book and was reading under the light of the magic crystal lamp.
Lance touched his already hollow stomach, a warm feeling rising in his chest.
“Got it.”
He pushed open the door and stepped into the night.
The sun had long sunk below the horizon, and the streets were dim and hazy.
Lance returned ho, quickly changed out of his sweat-soaked clothes, and put on a clean and comfortable set of casual wear.
He picked up the black velvet box containing 【Confession of the Phantom Iris】 from the table, tucked it into his chest, and hurried out the door, heading straight toward Amber’s tavern.
This item was too valuable. Although Amber had said it was a gift, he still felt it necessary to confirm it face-to-face—if only to let her know he accepted the sentint.
Fortunately, his newly rented house was in an excellent location, only about a ten-minute walk from the Adventurers’ Guild and the comrcial district where the tavern was located.
Lance moved quickly, and before long, that familiar wooden building ca into view.
However, as he reached the entrance of the tavern, his steps suddenly halted.
Sothing felt off.
Beneath the tavern’s original signboard, an additional heavy iron plaque had been hung.
It was a black iron cross, with several shining stars painted in the background. In the lower-left corner, a bold na was engraved.
【Stardust Cross】
Lance stared at the plaque, his brows slightly furrowed.
Having spent enough ti in this circle, he knew exactly what this ant.
Many well-established large Adventurer parties would set up fixed industries under their na in their base cities.
This was an inevitable choice for a mature team’s survival and developnt.
Being an Adventurer was a high-risk profession—one where lives were constantly on the line—and inco was extrely unstable.
They might earn a fortune in a dungeon today, only to be severely injured in the next expedition due to a mana rampage, requiring months of recovery.
During such long downti periods, without stable cash flow, a team would quickly fall apart.
Thus, established teams would run taverns, inns, or magic material shops to offset risks and maintain daily expenses during recovery periods.
More importantly, it solved the worries of veteran mbers.
Even if they retired due to injury, these old Adventurers could still secure positions within the team’s businesses, earning enough to sustain their lives.
Only in this way could active mbers maintain strong loyalty to the team, trusting their backs to their comrades in battle.
For these businesses, hanging the team’s iron plaque provided the greatest advantage—deterrence.
It signified that the establishnt was under the protection of the entire Adventurer party.
Unless there was a prior grudge, no sane Adventurer would dare cause trouble in such a place.
But this was precisely what made Lance uneasy.
If Amber’s professional father were still here, his reputation alone would have been enough to deter troublemakers. There would be no need to hang such a plaque for protection.
Now that it was displayed, the only explanation could be—
The original protector was gone.
Lance took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The tavern was still brightly lit, filled with the aroma of ale and roasted at, and the noise of chatter was endless.
Everything looked the sa as the last ti he ca.
Except that the figure who always stood behind the bar, brimming with energy like a blazing fla, was nowhere to be seen.
In her place was a young waitress who had previously helped out in the tavern.
Lance moved through the crowd and walked straight to the bar, lightly tapping the counter with his fingers.
“Excuse , where is Amber now?”
The waitresses of “Boar and Rose” were all familiar with Lance. After all, he was one of the few male friends of their young lady and often received special treatnt.
The waitress stopped wiping a glass and looked at Lance with a hint of regret.
“Mr. Lance, Miss Amber left early this morning with the boss.”
“Before she left, she guessed you might co and specifically asked to leave a letter for you.”
As expected.
This matched perfectly with his earlier suspicion at the door.
A complicated emotion rose in Lance’s heart.
No wonder at yesterday’s gathering she had taken out sothing as precious as 【Confession of the Phantom Iris】, even using the ga as an opportunity to confess that she was leaving.
That seemingly carefree girl had actually been using such a clumsy way to say her final goodbye.
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