The hallway to the Guild's lobby was crowded as usual.

  Technically, I shouldn't have been there. As the Vice Guild Master, my role was administrative—managing the logistics of the guild's entire registry and overseeing the floor managers. But now I acted as "The Guide", which I hadn't done in years. Usually, this role was reserved for VIPs, the S-rank legends who brought in enough gold to fund the whole guild for weeks.

  The Guild Master's order was clear yet vague: "Watch him, Emily. That'll be your biggest 'investment', align your motto."

  That certainly piqued my personal interest. The old man could be cryptic at times, but the Guild Master never played useless pranks while wearing a smirk with a serious face. I'd known Herald long enough to recognize when he was setting something in motion.

  Just as I was thinking about him, Yuki arrived at the guild's entrance. As he walked toward the quest board, I observed his every gesture. He didn't have the swagger of a high-ranking hero or the nervous energy of a rookie. He moved with a relaxed gait, yet he carried an overwhelming presence. It was as if he owned the place; every step was positioned to balance his posture and counter any incoming attack. How could a young man like him act with such precision so easily? It seemed as effortless to him as breathing.

  "Mr. Yuki! Perfect timing. The Guild Master asked me to guide you personally today." I intentionally called to him in a high tone amidst the crowd of adventurers. The gazes around him immediately stabbed him without mercy. Fufu first step was done.

  "Is that necessary?"

  Unfortunately, Yuki responded to my ambush without a blink. He even questioned me back. Smart. No one in this profession survived by trusting authority blindly. It goaded me more to bring out flustered face from his flat expression.

  "Oh, don't worry about it. It's the decision of Guild master himself, and my job is just to help you understand the quest system better." But I would not give up to test (tease) you all the way, Yuki. "Shall we?" How long you're gonna keep that impassive pretty face, boy?

  While I led him to the receptionist desk, I curiously asked him about what he looked at before. "By the way Mister Yuki, previously what are you searching for in that beginner-rank quests board? You know right, with your current rank, that's not even served as a warm-up. You should choose quests with more appropriate reward and urgency, rather than wasting your precious time."

  He was frozen—his step was stopped immediately. Then he turned to me. His eyes gazed directly to my soul—coldly piercing through my eyes. I could only watch him do it to me. Being evaluated by someone who'd just registered was... thrilling.

  "Why? Aren't they still debts the guild require to clear?" he asked. I could only feel curiosity from his tone. No hidden motives at all.

  "It's because you're a precious and rare asset," I replied. "The Guild Master will surely assign B-rank hunts for someone of your caliber, rather than letting you busy with chimneys and gardens only for a few copper coins. And they're not 'debts' like you claimed."

  "Four months of unfulfillment is a debt of time," he replied, his voice flat and cold. "The Guild took their fee regardless. In any other fields, that is called theft."

  He was right. And that logic was precisely what made him dangerous. He would try to fix any twisted and broken truths.

  "But B-rank hunts provide the prestige this city respects. Meanwhile, these D-rankers... you squander your talent in helping people who can't even offer a proper thank you."

  "I don't care. I don't even care about 'helping' people." Yuki said. When he said 'helping', for a split second, his eyes showed a sense of cynicism. As if he had discarded the concept long ago. "If the Guild accepts a request, the work must be done. Whether it is a chimney or a chimera, the principle remains the same."

  There it was. I saw the reason old man Herald thought he was worth watching. This boy wouldn't be swayed by appeals to heroism or morality. He just operated on his principles. Which meant he could be trusted to operate consistently—whatever the conditions. But I had to watch him more to decide if he would remain unchanged once he met them.

  "Mister Yuki, I didn't expect that you're this stubborn and weird enough to take those 'unbalanced' D-rank quests." I sighed. He reminded me of Huberg—that same foolish stubbornness. Though somehow that what made the old man a 'hero'. But what will it make you?

  "Alright, since Guild master assigned me to you, let it be only between us, okay? He doesn't need to know."

  "Certainly, Miss. Glad to work with you." He bowed slightly with noble manner and smiled. The more I looked at him, the more he intrigued me.

  "Madam, good morning. How may I assist?"

  "Miss Vena, can you compile the list of untaken low-level quests? Give them all to Mister Yuki here."

  "The... untaken quests, madam?" Miss Vena's eyes widened slightly. A cute reaction, normal for a beginner employee.

  "That's what he asked for." I knew myself that sounded reckless and stupid. Yeah, stupid.

  "A-at once, madam! Please wait a moment!" Miss Vena moved quickly and meticulously despite her nervousness. The girl had potential. I should remember her name.

  "By the way, Mr. Yuki—besides your previous argument, I still haven't caught on to your reasoning. Most beginners want easy, high-reward quests. So, what do you gain from this method of yours? You surely don't work for nothing, do you?"

  "Most beginners want to advance impatiently and...recklessly. The untaken quests exist for a reason—they're inefficient by 'normal standard', but the point-per-quest is fixed regardless of the reward."

  "Oh my, you've already read and calculated it thoroughly." Impressive for an adventurer. Regardless of how old they were, Adventurers always had excuses to avoid reading the guidelines. "And you gain the reputation point as well from clearing multiple quests, interactions with people, material gathering... very comprehensive thinking, Mister Yuki." I smiled despite myself.

  "Here they are, Mister Yuki. 12 D-rank and 9 C-rank quests. There are 21 untaken quests in total. Most of them asked to help in manual labor like cleaning or lifting." Miss Vena handed over the stack of dusty quest papers. I didn't expect that we had many forgotten quests—and for that long.

  Twenty-one quests. I watched him take the stack. Each one was a piece of the puzzle. I was eager to see where would it end.

  "Thank you Miss Vena, I'll take them all right now."

  "Mister Yuki, you don't need to clear them all in one day. You can take your time, just remember the deadline priority."

  "Sure, I'll keep it in mind."

  I felt the weight of 'what was about to happen' settle in my chest. Once he claimed these, those trashes would notice. They'd start planning and adjusting. Probably starting new troubles.

  But with this, the victims might have the chance to finally be freed. Their own breathing space.

  I had to prepare soon after Yuki cleared them all.

  "Now we finished our chat here, shall we go to the second floor where the B-rank quests are placed?"

  "Eh, should I right now? Isn't my card not announced officially yet? It's gonna bother the veterans."

  He clearly made excuse to runaway. I didn't know that you could act cute like this, Yuki.

  "Pfft." I chuckled spontaneously. "You can rest assured. This is the Guild master's direct order, too. He had concern in certain quest and personally want you to clear it. So we can skip the formality just for today. That's one of the reasons assigning me to you, Mister Yuki."

  A particular quest. One that will directly disturb their whole operation, If combined by other pieces.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "Eh, what the other reason?" Between his ignorance and confidence, under that same impassive mask, somehow I could tell them apart.

  "To prevent you indulged in low-level quests, of course."

  "Ugh, then if I take high-rank ones from time to time, I can still take the low-level ones?"

  "Indeed, that's the minimal requirement if you still want to continue your explore on low-level quests."

  At least this way, he'll have the protection of B-rank status. At least that.

  "Tch, alright. Let's go this instant."

  "What a good boy for an adventurer. Let's not waste time anymore."

  I guided him to the second floor. The whispers from other newbies and beginners followed us—people noticing the unusual favor being shown to a newcomer. Good. Let them talk. Let word spread to the right people.

  The second step was done.

  The moment we ascended, I felt the shift in attention.

  Not because of Yuki—he was barely a blip on most people's awareness yet.

  No. The attention came from the corners. From the shadowed spaces where people were supposed to be invisible.

  I counted three distinct presences, each in different positions. Each trying not to be obvious about their interest in the new B-rank adventurer suddenly being guided by the Vice Guild Master herself.

  That was faster than I'd anticipated.

  Word traveled quickly in the guild, but this was instant. Which meant someone had flagged Yuki the moment he registered. Someone higher up in the corruption chain was already paying attention.

  They're curious. Good. Let them be curious.

  "Miss Emily, please state your business on this floor"

  Gullen. Standing at his post with his prepared authority act. He couldn't help himself. The moment a newbie got special treatment, his insecurity made him react. He had to assert his dominance. He had to challenge me.

  "What's my obligation to answer you, Mister Gullen?"

  "Obviously, i have been assigned as the second floor's manager right? So it's my duty to ask everyone who steps onto my floor."

  Oho, he showed his arrogance right from the start. Good. Didn't expect it this smoothly. It's worth to train my patience.

  "You know Mister Gullen, the Guild master was heading out. And as the Vice guild master, in this moment I have duty and authority to patrol to every corner of this building without getting permission from mere manager like you..RIGHT?"

  I let out a bit of my intimidating aura deliberately. Not as much as I could—just enough to make my point clear.

  His knees trembled visibly. Even some veterans seemed restless.

  Emily, control yourself a bit more.

  But I couldn't help it. The frustration of watching this system fail, again and again, watching victims suffer while we waited for evidence—it was finally finding an outlet.

  "Ah, sorry Mister Gullen. It reminds me of the time when i trained you as a mere trainee." I replied, letting just enough intimidation color my words. "It's been long time we haven't chatted like this."

  "Y-yeah, Miss Emi—"

  "Careful with your words, Mister."

  "M-madam Emily, what i mean."

  "Good, now you understood the circumstance. And here's a letter from the Guild master himself regarding Mister Yuki here." I gave him the Guild master's recommendation letter, sealed with Herald's blood-seal. "I believe you know how to check the authenticity of that seal, right?"

  Gullen immediately verified it with his manager's tools. His face went through several shades of pale.

  It was real. Which meant he couldn't deny it.

  "It's...real. But—"

  He still tried to deny the facts. Of course he did. He needed to protect his position. He needed to show he still mattered.

  "What, You doubt it? Then you should doubt about your own authority as the floor's manager since you got it from that kind of recommendation letter, right?" I cornered him. Aaah...it's been so long since I mercilessly debated someone. I missed this feeling.

  "N-no madam. Please forgive and forget my rudeness."

  "Great, now you can go back to your post."

  As we passed, I saw Gullen's hand move—a subtle gesture. A messenger signal to whoever he reported to. Someone will hear about this within the hour.

  When I guided Yuki to the second floor's quests board, I was already tracking multiple threads:

  Level 1: Guide the boy through the process. Show him the available quests.

  Level 2: Observe who takes special interest. Note their positions, their reactions.

  Level 3: Monitor what happens when the network realizes the Guild Master has personally invested in this boy.

  Miss Vena compiled the untaken B-rank quests. I noted her efficiency again. The girl would go far.

  When Yuki announced he'd take all five remaining B-rank quests, I wasn't surprised. The Guild Master had predicted exactly this. "He operates on optimization," Herald had said. "If the system accepts multiple requests, he'll process them in parallel."

  But I didn't know which quests he'd chosen, or why. I didn't want to assume. I preferred to monitor and see what happened.

  "All of them?" I let genuine concern show—which was real, at least. "Mister Yuki, you understand these have killed adventurers?"

  "Then they need to be completed."

  His logic was flawless. His innocence was absolute.

  What will happen when you complete them, I wonder? I thought, finalizing the paperwork. I can guess possibilities. The network will react. They might send people to intimidate you. They might try to sabotage the quests. They might do something I haven't anticipated. But I won't predict which. I'll just watch it unfold.

  Thirty-one quests total. Thirty-one pieces on the board.

  "Mr. Yuki," I said quietly as he prepared to leave. "Be careful out there."

  "Why? Are the quests more dangerous than stated?"

  Because you're about to threaten people who don't respond well to threats. Because I can predict several possible responses, and none of them are safe. But I can't know which one will actually happen.

  "Just... be aware of your surroundings. Completed quests create ripples."

  He nodded, understanding the literal meaning if not the weight beneath it. "I will, Miss Emily."

  He left the second floor at 8:52 AM.

  I watched him go, and I felt the network's attention crystallizing behind him. Three men repositioned. Two more moved toward the back offices. They were calculating. Planning.

  I spent the afternoon handling administrative work while keeping my senses extended across the guild.

  Three minor reports came in. A dispute over quest completion quality. A complaint about a missing reward. A newbie asking for reassignment.

  But in the background, the network was moving. I could feel it. Messages being sent. Kester's group being notified about something. Unusual activity in the shadowed corners where unsanctioned deals happened.

  The corrupt supervisors were agitated. They'd identified Yuki as something they needed to understand.

  A threat they might need to neutralize. An opportunity they might need to exploit. A variable they needed to measure.

  If they send people to intimidate him, he might cooperate or resist. If he resists, there could be a confrontation. If there's a confrontation...

  But I wouldn't predict which branch actually happened. I didn't know him well enough yet. I didn't want to assume.

  I just watched. And waited.

  Yuki returned to the guild at 5:47 PM, carrying the completed quest materials.

  I observed from my vantage point in the administrative offices. He moved directly to the receptionist counter without hesitation. No uncertainty. No need to ask for directions.

  Efficient.

  Miss Vena looked nervous as she processed his completions. The pile of materials was substantial. The completion speed was... impossible.

  I came down to observe directly.

  "Miss Emily," Vena said nervously, "Mister Yuki has completed all twenty-one quests. But some of the materials are—"

  "I see." I examined the items carefully. High quality. Exactly what the quest descriptions required. No shortcuts.

  The quests he'd chosen were interesting. The merchant district protection operations. The pest control in areas controlled by the network. The building repairs that removed their excuses for "protection" services.

  That quest... he chose that one. How interesting. Even with all my planning, I didn't predict he'd target that specific area first.

  But it made sense. It was logical. It was exactly what would destabilize the network's income in that district.

  I authorized the completions. Noted the rank advancement: B-rank moving toward high-rank.

  I was still in the guild when Retch—a minor supervisor connected to Gullen—came to me with a strange report.

  "Madam Emily, there's been... an incident. Three C-rank adventurers didn't report in for their evening quota."

  Quota. That was the network's word, not the guild's.

  "Which adventurers?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

  "Kester Brune, Vorn Kelthic, and Dalric Moss. They were supposed to meet their... their supervisor this evening. They never showed."

  So the network had moved against Yuki.

  Or tried to.

  And now they were gone.

  I processed this carefully. Three enforcers. Vanished. No accident reports. No monster incidents. Just... disappeared.

  If they encountered him and tried to intimidate him, he might have defended himself. If he defended himself with full force, they might not have survived. If they're dead, then the network's immediate threat is neutralized.

  But I was speculating. I didn't know what actually happened. I just knew the outcome: three men who'd helped terrorize this city's citizens were gone.

  The victims I'd been quietly helping—keeping them safe, minimizing their suffering while we waited—they would finally have peace. Finally have breathing room.

  I watched Retch leave, carrying the news back to his supervisor.

  The network would be panicking by now. Three enforcers, gone. No explanation. No witnesses. The boy couldn't have—

  But he obviously had.

  I returned to my office and sat in the quiet darkness.

  Tomorrow, there would be chaos. The network would scramble. They'd make mistakes. They'd try to understand what happened.

  And we'd be ready to move against the deeper corruption—the ones pulling the strings from the shadows.

  Herald had set this in motion brilliantly.

  Your biggest investment, he'd said.

  And as I sat there, watching the network's panicked messages start flowing through the guild's back channels, I allowed myself a small, genuine smile.

  Finally, the victims would see justice.

  Not through my hand—I couldn't openly move against the corruption without starting a war I couldn't win.

  But through a boy who simply saw inefficiency and decided to fix it.

  And in fixing it, freed people I'd been helping survive in the darkness.

  That, I thought, was a worthy investment indeed.