One week later...
Shye arrived at the familiar gates of Nookbury City.
It had been several months since he last saw Shirley, and he sure missed her a lot.
The thought of seeing her again naturally brought an excited smile to his face.
Queuing to enter the city, Shye retrieved his Balkrow City token and adventurer license, and as he did so, he inevitably caught wind of some slightly unnerving rumors from a party of adventurers who were preparing to embark on a quest at the adventurers' lobby in front of the main gate.
"Sigh...I really want to back out on this quest..."
"Me too...the Messedin Advanced Adventurer Zone is just too dangerous right now..."
"If not for the party leader being keen on going on a solo quest to earn money for the treatment of his child with a severe illness, I wouldn't have gone."
"Sigh...Indeed. I'm sure my conscience wouldn't allow me to sleep soundly at night if something happens to him so I decided to go."
"How many adventurers have already gone missing inside again? twenty-nine?"
"It's already thirty-eight..."
"What?!"
Overhearing the contents of the adventurer party's conversation, a tinge of worry crept into Shye's heart.
'She wouldn't be one of those thirty-eight, would she?'
Promptly after being granted entry, Shye madly sprinted towards the Nookbury branch headquarters.
Enjoy new chapters from empire
Then, around five minutes later, he arrived at his destination.
Some individuals recognized him, while others didn't, resulting in most casting him puzzled glances.
The confusion only intensified as the members of the Raven's Blade Nookbury Branch guild noticed him making his way toward the entrance.
Shortly after, some of the ill-tempered ones and the naturally protective ones barred his way.
Only, he didn't expect that even meeting again was an uncertainty.
"Hello."
"Oh, hello...Shye Crowley from Balkrow Branch, correct?"
"Yes, I would just like to ask if Shirley is currently out on a quest?"
Hearing his question, the receptionist slightly flinched, intensifying the feeling of anxiousness in Shye's heart.
"Y-Yes, Miss Locke has been out on a quest for two weeks now and she only has one more week to complete her quest."
"Phew...I see...then please give this to h–"
"However...the quest she took this time shouldn't take her more than ten days to complete despite the time allowance so I can't help but feel a bit worried..." Receptionist Eva courageously said.
Over the past few months, she found out that she was wrong about Shirley's cold temperament, realizing that there was a kind, compassionate, and sweet young girl hiding behind the frosty facade.
Finding the so-called Ice Queen to be pleasant company, their friendship deepened to the point where Eva couldn't bear to watch her friend push herself too hard and suffer alone.
Now, she wasn't even sure if Shirley was safe.
Fortunately, her boyfriend, the renowned Shye Crowley, came to visit, and she couldn't pass up the opportunity to inform him about Shirley's situation, even though it meant letting personal feelings interfere with her work.
"I see...thank you for honestly informing me of her situation," Shye said, feigning calmness despite experiencing a turbulent heart. "Can you tell me where she is and what her quest was?"
"She's at..."
...
Hearing that his beloved was currently inside the Messedin Advanced Adventurer Zone, the frown on Shye's face deepened.
Earlier, he heard a group of adventurers talking about how dangerous the zone was right now, yet, Shirley still decided to temper herself in such a perilous area.
She clearly wasn't thinking straight!
After sincerely thanking Receptionist Eva for her cooperation, Shye darted out of the branch headquarters, swiftly heading towards where Shirley was.
'Shirley, please be safe...'