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After having breakfast and discussing their next course of action, Frank, and everyone else decided to go meet Clishya once more, which they have not seen for over a week.
They glanced at the busy streets of the capital, the people leisurely living as if there was no problem in this world at all, completely unaware that the Demon King was slowly waking up, ready to set everything into perpetual chaos.
Frank had already planned to attack the Shadow Snakes hideout, which he found out the location of their headquarters from within the memories he extracted from their spies.
He simply had to wait a bit more to prepare himself, and then he would bring his entire army with him, take over the Shadow Snakes, and then begin to slowly take down other organizations, or even reaching to some aristocrats or Gustav himself, depending in the situation and the opportunities that might arise in the situations.
However, for now, Frank decided to relax and concentrate on the present.
After a few minutes of walking around, the group finally reached a larger building with many floors, this was perhaps the largest they had seen that was not a tower, and they immediately knew this was this part of the capital's Adventurer Guild, and many adventurers of all shapes and sizes continuously entered and walked out of this place.
Frank noticed some Rank 3 Auras, that there were no one at Rank 4 for the moment, it seemed that from Rank 4 and above, such Adventurers were incredibly rare, or perhaps did not even stayed in the city, as they might have preferred to explore the outside world and delve into explorations and adventure.
After reaching Rank 4, someone was usually considered capable of "exploring the wild world outside", entering Savage Zones or Danger Zones, where incredibly strong monsters roamed independently of dungeons or anything of the sort.
Frank and everyone else in the group decided to suppress their Auras do not cause commotion with the other Adventurers, who would most likely try to find who they were, thinking that someone at Rank 4 or Rank 5 should be famous people, although they were not.
Walking inside the building Frank glanced at the vast hall with many tables and people. They were all enjoying a variety of foods, drinks, and chatting about what they had accomplished these last days, or thinking about what to do in the future.
"Such a big place…" said Hilvera.
"Indeed, it is quite overwhelming, completely different than the guild from Acacia Town…" said Annabelle.
"To think that the people here are so strong… Well, not much compared to us," said Asterion.
"Oh! Frank, look, isn't that Clishya-san?" asked Kamei, pointing at a frog-kin girl who was buying some monster parts and mana cores from an Adventure party, quickly giving them a bag filled with shiny coins, which the group grabbed and walked away with happily.
"You're right, let's go meet her," said Frank with a smile, as he led his group.
Clishya quickly noticed them, as she waved her hand at them.
"Frank-kun! Everyone, you're back- Eh?"
However, before Clishya could meet with Frank and the rest, a group of five Rank 3 Adventurers walked right in front of Frank and company, completely ignoring their suppressed presences that seemed to be close to Rank 2.
"Yo, cutie, it's me again, how are ya?" asked the leader of the group, a rat-kin man with a shady expression on his face.
"E-Eh? I am good… thanks. D-Do you need any service?" asked Clishya, deciding to attend these people before meeting with Frank and company.
"Services? Why yes, I really need a cute girl for tonight! Wanna hang out with a Rank 3 like me? I can assure you that it will be worthwhile! Gehehe!" laughed the man, unaware that Clishya herself was already Rank 3 Upper Stage, but similarly to Frank and the rest, she suppressed her mana aura to not cause a commotion.
"that's the spirit, boss!"
"See girl? You cannot miss this opportunity!"
"Don't worry, we got money to spare. We know that guild attendants don't get enough money!"
"Yeah, how about a few gold coins? Huh?" asked the rat-kin man, throwing some gold coins to Clishya…
They literally wanted her like a whore.
Clishya was not so surprised, there were several times when other Adventurers flirted with her and invited her to go out, but… these people had crossed the line and were shamelessly asking her to sell her body for them in exchange for a few gold coins.
"E-Eh? What… are you talking about? Sorry, but we do not do that here… Please, leave…" she asked, readying her water magic to blast the men's eyes. With boiling water.
However, more immediate help came right away.
"What are you talking about, little bitch? We come here and show you such a good opportunity, accept it or we'll-"
The rat-kin man suddenly felt a chill run through his spine.
It was not a normal chill… not something like being surprised.
It was something akin to the feeling the man had once felt when he was at the border of dying while fighting a powerful monster.
But this was even more dreadful.
Almost… abyssal.
The man slowly moved his head to his back, as he found a sudden spectral hand that no one else could see except him touch his left shoulder.
"Leave."
A sudden dry voice resonated through his mind, like an enormously monstrous entity, the man began to tremble, his legs felt as if they lacked force, and he even began to literally piss himself.
The man did not even notice Frank nor his group which was a bit farther away, he only saw this terrifying illusion and immediately screamed, running away as his lackeys followed him.
"R-RUN! RUUUUN!"
"B-Boss?"
"Oi, boss!"
"What the heck is going on?!"
Clishya glanced with stupefaction as the men ran away, she didn't notice anything either…
Frank slowly walked near her as he greeted her alongside everyone else.
"Frank-kun? Did you… do something?" asked Clishya curiously.
"Oh, yeah, a little spell. I used it to induce fear and insanity directly into his soul, alongside creating a tiny illusion, it worked quite well," said Frank, unconscious of his own terrifying magic which he used so carefreely.
"Is that so? W-Well, anyways! I am happy to see all of you!" said Clishya, hugging everyone.
After a few hugs and, Clishya invited everyone inside the building, to the second floor, meeting Adrian, the former Guild Master of Acacia Town.
"Ah, you guys are back… T-That aura… Frank don't tell me you already surpassed Initial Stage…?" asked Adrian.
"It took some time, but I indeed did," said Frank.
"….That's indeed quite crazy. Well, everything you do is always crazy, I should get used to it too…" sighed Adrian.
Frank and everyone else spent a good hour and a half chatting and talking about what they did in these last weeks, alongside the news about their new manor and more, while briefly telling them their plans to make a guild and use it to gain prestige in the capital, alongside many opportunities that came with it, such as the recognition of some aristocrats, connections, and anything that Frank could possibly use to get clues about the artifacts.
"Alright then, I can lead you to the guild registration building, but do you got the money? It costs hundreds of gold coins!" said Adrian.
"That shouldn't be a problem," said Gwendolyn.
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