"W-We greet the guild master!" The emeralds said in unison as they offered Corvus a profound bow, prompting the confused Shye to do the same.
"What's going on here? Why did Darius end up like that?" Corvus asked—a hint of fury visible on his face.
"Reporting to the guild master! Shye Crowley suddenly attacked Darius after the slightest of arguments and misunderstanding, leading to his current injured state!"
Hearing the emerald warrior's words, Corvus raised his eyebrows as he turned his head to look at Shye.
"Crowley, is what Bert said true?"
"Heh, the slightest of arguments and misunderstanding? Didn't all of you see him attack me first?
Guild Master Corvus, I was merely utilizing my access to the special lounge and was searching for a quest when suddenly, that bastard over there opted to pick a fight with me, saying something about an unwritten rule that platinum-ranked adventurers like me don't have the right to enter the special lounge regardless of whether I have access or not.
In my opinion, these guys simply don't respect you." Shye bluntly stated, causing most of the emeralds to pale in fright.
They indeed don't like lower-ranked adventurers entering the special lounge which they deemed "emeralds only".
However, they would never dare disrespect Corvus.
Well, intentionally, at least—since in this case, "not caring" whether the platinum-ranked adventurer had access or not to the special lounge was indeed disrespecting the permissions granted by Corvus.
As for Corvus, he was already aware of the unwritten rule set by the emeralds long ago. However, he required evidence and someone willing to confront the emeralds to issue a warning they couldn't casually dismiss with mere bows and awkward smiles.
Thanks to Shye, he could finally abolish the foolish unwritten rule, enabling talented lower-ranked adventurers to reach their peak much faster.
"T-T-That's absolutely not true! Guild Master Corvus! You must believe me!" Bert desperately begged, unfortunately, Corvus wasn't an idiot.
Moreover, there was someone in the lounge who would never lie: Luna Gonzales, the strongest adventurer of Raven's Blade Balkrow Branch.
Glancing sternly at Luna, who was among the apathetic ones when Shye entered, Corvus asked:
"Luna, what happened here?"
"Reporting to the guild master. Crowley is telling the truth, he was simply looking for a quest when that weakling over there suddenly stood up, picked a fight, and attacked him."
Recommended Party Size: 4 (Emerald), Experience tales at m v|l e'-novelhall.net
Rewards: 20,000 silver coins and 2,000 contribution points.
Time limit (Countdown starts upon registration): 30 days
Note: An additional 200 silver coins and 30 contribution points will be awarded for each hostage rescued.
====
'Hmm...This mission looks good...However, I have to make a few preparations...' Shye inwardly thought as he grabbed the quest scroll and strode out of the special lounge under the furious gazes of the gatekeeper emeralds.
Witnessing Shye's carefree walk as he exited the special lounge, the onlookers who were eagerly eavesdropping were in utter disbelief.
From what they heard, Darius, the most recently promoted emerald, picked a fight with Shye.
Unfortunately, they weren't able to hear anything regarding the victor of the scuffle, leaving them and the other spectators feeling rather disappointed as they awaited the news.
However, seeing Shye's calm and carefree disposition, they would be stupid if they still couldn't figure out who won.
Only, the truth was simply too hard for them to take in.
Defeating a scout-class emerald in a one-on-one fight as a platinum-ranked adventurer? Who else can do that except for a true super rookie like Shye?
[Congratulations! You've earned 550 points!]
Instantly, Shye's standing in their estimation for rookie rankings soared to the top spot.
However, it merely implied that they thought he could, at the very least, compete evenly with the top-ranked rookie of this year's admission exam, Ace Silva.
It didn't suggest that they considered him stronger, as Ace was virtually unstoppable in the rookie admission exam.
Waiting for Shye below the staircases was Seira, who gave him a thumbs up for proving yet again that he was an invincible boss, following him shortly after toward Aya's desk.
"W-Wait one moment, Sir Crowley. I shall register the quest under your and Miss Ramah's name."