"HOLY SH*T! HOLY SH*T! HOLY SH*T!! EVERYONE! URGENT NEWS!!" A black-haired young man with a scholarly physique and the most average of faces suddenly entered Raven's Blade's branch headquarters with a loud bang.
The young man appeared exhausted, however, he looked excited, as though he couldn't even wait to finish breathing.
Naturally, upon hearing the words of the black-haired young man, both guild members and staff, including Aya and Shauna, couldn't help but subconsciously turn their attention to the panting guild member, eager to hear what he had to say.
"What happened, Jimmy?" A concerned guildsman with red hair and muscular physique asked Jimmy, the exhausted guildsman, with a curious expression.
"I-I just checked Balkrow City's Rookie Rankings, and there are now two Raven's Blade rookies on the board!" Jimmy excitedly replied, appearing as though the rookie who made it on the rankings was none other than himself.
"Oh?! Who is it? Did Apollo finally make it to the top ten?! Hahaha! That bastard...Why is he being so secretive?!"
"N-No, silly! It's not Apollo."
"Huh? Then who is it? Phoebe?"
"No! It's that notorious rookie, Shye Crowley!"
Everyone who heard Jimmy's sudden announcement was naturally stunned. Nearly all of them were aware that in the entire history of Balkrow City's Rookie Rankings, not once had a rookie in their first year managed to break into the top ten.
If what Jimmy said was true, then the notorious rookie, Shye Crowley, was the first one to have done it.
"Hahahaha! Jimmy, you dare prank us like this?! I must say, I'm impressed. Your acting looks too perfect!" Another guildsman, who was listening to Jimmy, jestingly exclaimed, expecting Jimmy to admit that he was simply pranking them.
However, when he was met with Jimmy's confused expression, the expression of the guildsman also changed into one of disbelief.
"Y-You're joking...right?"
"No, I'm not. You guys can check the rankings board if you don't believe me!"
Observing Jimmy's response, an increasing number of guild members became convinced. Soon after, a frenzy ensued as they dashed out the door, hurrying towards the city square to confirm whether the infamous newcomer, Shye Crowley, had truly made it in the top 10 rookie rankings.
After around two minutes, the guard finished checking his identification documents and gave him a temporary pass valid for two weeks.
"Uhm, do you know where the White Forge Inn and the Raven's Blade branch headquarters are?" Shye respectfully asked before entering the city.
He wasn't going to wander the city aimlessly once more, attempting to locate the establishments he needed to visit.
"The White Forge Inn is situated in the central area of 4th Street, whereas the Raven's Blade branch headquarters can be found in the 2nd."
"I see, thank you!"
"No worries, welcome to Nookbury City!"
Giving the guard a slight bow, Shye continued on his way, heading towards the second street where the branch headquarters was located.
Knowing Shirley, if she was in the city right now, she would be inside the guild branch headquarters, either looking for a quest or training in the branch's training hall.
She wasn't someone who would idle away at the inn.
Strolling along Nookbury's wide streets, Shye admired the city's hustle and bustle.
Temperate winds blew as children ran back and forth across the wide streets, engaged in playful pursuits; Adventurers moved about, entering different establishments, while marketing personnel from various shops warmly welcomed passersby into their stores.
The city looked just as neat and orderly as Balkrow, bringing a sense of joy to Shye as he thought about his girlfriend residing in such a great place.
'Haaah...I hope she isn't out on a quest right now...' Shye inwardly wished as he rounded the corner marked by the street sign reading "Second Street". 'Well, I can train and level up my skills in a training center while I wait anyway.'
Walking for a few minutes along 2nd street, Shye's head turned left and right as he patiently searched for the branch headquarters.
Well, it wasn't so hard considering the establishment's...weird design, hence, after just a few more minutes, he finally arrived at the branch headquarters.
Soon after, he entered, prompting heads to turn his way.
"Huh? Who's that guy?"