Morning light spilled through the sea-facing windows of the Ever Summer guild, casting golden streaks across the floor as the first adventurers trickled in.

Among them, a striking figure stepped through the doors—an elegant beauty clad in a white swimsuit, a finely crafted crest pinned at her chest. Though not a regular, her presence always turned heads and stirred whispers.

She walked straight to the counter, where the receptionist greeted her with a soft smile.

“Welcome, Marianne. I’ve been seeing you more often these days.”

“Nah, I just happened to need some adventurers at the time,” Marianne replied, brushing her hair aside with a casual flick.

Eluviel gave a light tilt of her head, her long ears dipping ever so slightly. “Sounds like you don’t like coming here.”

“It’s not like that,” Marianne said, averting her gaze for just a moment. “I just... never had much reason to come before. That’s all.” Her hand lingered a moment on the pouch before she offered it forward. “Anyway, here’s the quest reward. I added a little bonus for them.”

Noticing the shift, Eluviel didn’t press. Instead, she accepted the pouch gracefully. “Wow, thanks a lot. I’m sure they’ll be happy—especially her.” A quiet giggle slipped out.

Marianne blinked, as if about to say something, then glanced toward the bulletin board. “Well… I should get going. Still have a few things to take care of.”

She gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

Eluviel waved gently after her. “Take care.”

For a moment, Eluviel watched her go in silence, the faintest hint of concern flickering in her eyes—then she returned her focus to the counter with a small sigh.

Left behind, she weighed the pouch in her hand, calculating how much the two earned.

“Didn’t think they’d pull it off… especially against nobles. Might be time to update the betting board.” she muttered, her eyes drifting toward the stairs.”

***

It wasn’t long after Marianne left when ‘With an Idiot’ arrived.

Rydan casually waved at the group of female adventurers nearby, flashing a smile as playful insults from another table of men were tossed his way. Sandra, meanwhile, hurried straight to the counter, her excitement barely contained. She thought eagerly of the promised “bonus”—which, in her mind, translated to more food.

Tap, tap, tap echoed across the guild floor, drawing Eluviel’s attention as her elven ears perked slightly. She turned toward the sound and spotted Sandra rushing in. Instinctively, Eluviel straightened her posture, then offered a wave paired with her signature gentle smile.

“Good morning, Sandra. How are you today?”

Sandra didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned in with bright eyes and asked, “How’s my reward?”

Eluviel slid a pouch across the counter—noticeably heavier than the last one. Sandra’s eyes sparkled, her mouth already watering as she cradled her prize in both hands.

Eluviel smiled softly, watching her like a child with a new toy. “It’s still too early to have lunch, you know.”

“I have my share too,” Rydan said from behind as he stepped up. Sandra instinctively turned away, hiding the pouch.

“What, are you a kid?” Rydan teased, incredulous at her reaction.

Eluviel giggled at the sight.

Noticing Eluviel’s giggle, Rydan couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Marianne? Did she already leave?” He shaded his eyes with one hand, casually scanning the guild hall.

“Yup, she just left. You missed her elegant swimsuit,” Eluviel teased mischievously.

Rydan’s shoulders sagged as he clicked his fingers. “Aw man, that sucks.”

Sandra gave him a blank look and tilted her head. “You like swimsuits that much?”

Rydan flinched like he’d been stabbed. “W-Wait, that’s not—! I mean—it’s not like that!”

His flailing only made things worse. Eluviel let out a melodic chuckle, resting her cheek against her hand as she watched them. “You two really are a pair.”

Then the door creaked open—not with a bang, but a soft groan that barely drew notice.

***

Behind the door, a small silhouette appeared—slim, unmistakably that of a young girl. She stepped forward with quiet confidence, two figures flanking her. The adventurer seated closest to the entrance was the first to catch sight of them, their faces emerging from the shadow.

“White…”

The word slipped from his lips like a breath. For a few seconds, the guild hall froze in hushed reverence—then erupted into cheers.

At a nearby table, three girls were busy digging into a jumbo parfait.

“Are they really that popular?” asked the red-haired girl, mouth full as she shoveled in another bite of cream.

“Come on, Jill. You're an E-rank now. At least try to do your homework,” the blonde beside her scolded, gently wiping whipped cream from Jill’s cheek with a napkin.

Jill swallowed hard. “Then who are they, Mina?”

Mina giggled. “They’re the strongest party here in Ever Summer. White. Led by Zari the Flash of Death—an A-rank.”

Jill’s eyes lit up. “So cool! When do you think I’ll get a badass title like that?”

On her other side, a brown-haired girl groaned. “As if someone like you would ever earn one.”

“Shut up, Faye!” Jill stuck out her tongue.

Faye narrowed her eyes. “Maybe I should give you one right now—The Great Idiot has a nice ring to it.”

“Okay, that’s enough, you two,” Mina said with a sigh, clearly used to this routine.

Jill huffed, then grinned again. “So… is Zari the one with the messy dark purple hair and a badass getup?”

Mina shook her head. “That’s Anji. She’s a merfolk. A cleric like me, but way higher-ranked—B-rank. And she only joined the guild a year ago. A real rising star.”

“Ugh, same time as us, and we’re still stuck at E-rank,” Faye muttered, arms crossed.

“Then the little girl is Zari?!” Jill blurted, pointing—only for Faye to yank her hand down in a panic.

“You really are hopeless,” Faye hissed, eyes darting nervously. “You want us all killed?”

Mina just chuckled, watching them bicker. “The last one is Ludvig. A-rank Rider.”

“Just like our mentor,” Jill whispered in awe.

“But much higher ranked,” Faye added, not missing a beat.

Just then, a waitress arrived with their drinks, setting the fruit glasses down gently. She leaned in with a grin. “You girls know nothing,” she said, teasing. “White’s only the favorite because they’re more approachable than Monkey Business—but both parties are on equal footing.”

She leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice. “If you’re talking about the strongest, though… it’s definitely Melo. He only joined half a year ago and he’s already A-rank. But since he doesn’t have a party, he’s not counted among the top teams.”

Mina snapped her fingers. “You mean Watermelon Head Melo?”

“Yup,” the waitress replied, grinning. “The guy who brings nothing to the battlefield but that giant watermelon head of his. No elemental affinity either. He fights with nothing but his bare hands.”

“Then he must be a fighter like me!” Jill’s eyes sparkled. “I could grow like that!”

“Actually… he’s a Hero,” the waitress said, glancing sideways.

“Huh? He doesn’t look like a hero,” Mina said, puzzled.

“Right? But when he registered, the only thing he said about his class was ‘Hero.’ Even when asked for details, all he gave was: ‘Hero.’ That’s it.”

“Must’ve been tough for the receptionist,” Faye muttered.

“Haha, you should’ve seen Eluviel’s face! Total headache,” the waitress snickered—just as a shout rang out from behind the bar.

“I gotta go!” she said quickly, waving over her shoulder as she rushed off for a tray of fresh orders.

***

The party White made their way to the receptionist counter—where Rydan and Sandra still stood.

A tall, slender man from the group stepped forward: Ludvig.
“Are you done?” he asked coldly.

Sandra, unfazed, looked up at him with puzzled eyes. They stared in silence for a few seconds—until she suddenly slammed a net filled with monster parts onto the counter. Both flinched in surprise as she waved a hand.
“Don’t mind me. Continue your little stare-off.”

“Anji,” Ludvig snapped, glaring on front of him.
“Learn your manners.”

“Unlike you nobles,” Anji replied flatly, resting her elbow on the counter, “a commoner like me doesn’t need them.”

Behind the counter, Eluviel was visibly sweating. She glanced at Zari, silently pleading for her to step in and stop the tension. But to her dismay, Zari stood unmoved, arms crossed.

Knowing it was hopeless, Eluviel turned to her final hope—Rydan. He blinked in surprise and pointed at himself, as if to say, ‘You want me to step in?! Are you trying to get me killed?!’

Eluviel clasped her hands in a desperate prayer. Faced with what felt like a plea from a beautiful girl in distress, Rydan sighed. Ignoring a lady in need wasn’t his style… even if it meant walking to his doom.

With a deep breath, he stepped forward—into the battlefield.