In the midst of their excitement over the new stamps, Ella, the receptionist, suddenly remembered something. She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Do you happen to have any items or materials from the Azvel continent?" Ella asked. "If you do, please sell them to the guild! We'll buy them at a very high price due to their rarity!"
Kazien went silent for a moment, then reached into his dimensional storage. He pulled out a single, large feather with a sharp, shimmering silver-gray gradient.
"Is this Griffon feather sellable?" Kazien asked.
Ella took the feather with slightly trembling hands. She examined it through a magical magnifying glass, her expression becoming incredibly serious.
"The price is 1,100 Saxth per feather!" Ella answered firmly as she placed the feather back on the marble table.
"Why is it so expensive?" Kazien asked, confused. In Azvel, griffon feathers were just standard materials for mid-tier gear.
"In the territory of the Dwargon Kingdom, Griffons are rarely seen, let alone feathers of such pure quality. The guild pays a premium because the kingdom uses them as a component in elite armor to make it magic-resistant!" Ella's eyes beamed. "Do you have any more, Mr. Kazien?"
Kazien gave a thin smile. "Well, I have a few."
He activated his dimensional magic once more. In an instant, hundreds of griffon feathers poured out from thin air, piling up into a mountain on the table that nearly obscured Ella's small stature. Several adventurers in the lobby stood up from their chairs, jaw-dropped at the sight of the rare materials.
"W-where did you get all these griffon feathers?" Ella asked, her voice wavering with a mix of enthusiasm and shock.
"Ah... my family rules a territory on the Azvel continent, and we have a griffon cavalry there!" Kazien explained casually. "I just collected all the feathers that fell off the griffons in their pens."
Kazien's explanation wasn't an entire lie. He really had picked them up, though it was with Alvin while visiting a wild griffon nest.
"Is that true? Incredible!" Ella exclaimed in awe. "I never would have guessed your family had a griffon cavalry. Here, those creatures are extremely difficult to tame. They're often too proud to take orders from any race."
"Thank you for the compliment." Kazien replied politely.
Ella immediately called two colleagues to help count. For the next twenty minutes, the guild lobby was filled with the sound of rustling feathers and muttered numbers.
"Wow! There are so many!" Ella finally shouted. "The total is 249 feathers. After deducting intercontinental transaction taxes and service fees, the guild will pay 260,205Saxth!"
They hadn't expected their first step on the Yovel continent to yield such a massive fortune. Moments later, Ella returned with a tray filled with piles of shimmering coins. Laid out before them were:
2 Large Gold Coins (Value: 200,000 Saxth)
6 Small Gold Coins (Value: 60,000 Saxth)
2 Small Silver Coins (Value: 200 Saxth)
5 Small Bronze Coins (Value: 5 Saxth)
In the middle of the transaction's hustle and bustle, Hudeon, who had been standing beside Kazien, suddenly tugged at his clothes.
"Brother Kazien, can I register as an adventurer in this city?" Hudeon whispered, his voice hesitant but hopeful.
Kazien looked down at the innocent face of the dark-green-haired boy. "You want to register here? Why? Being an adventurer isn't just a sightseeing trip, Hudeon."
"Just for a souvenir!" Hudeon replied, his eyes shining. "I know I'm still small, but at least that card will be real proof that I made it to this city with all of you!"
Hearing such a sincere reason, Kazien's heart softened. He ruffled Hudeon's hair gently. "Alright, if that's what you want. Ella, could you register my little brother here as an adventurer?"
"Of course!" Ella replied enthusiastically. She grabbed a fresh registration form. "Please fill this out first, little one."
Hudeon headed to the reception desk and, with hands slightly trembling from excitement, began filling out the columns one by one. Five minutes later, the card was processed by the guild's magic machine. Ella placed a dull bronze card on the table.
Adventurer License Card of Gaterland City, Garnolaz Region, Dwargon Kingdom
• Name: Hudeon Guartav
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Rank: G
• Party: -
Hudeon snatched the card with a beaming face. To him, that Rank G card was far more precious than the mountain of gold coins on the table.
"The administration fee is 100 Saxth, Master Kazien."
"100 Saxth... that's one Small Silver coin, right?" Kazien confirmed.
"Yes, that's correct!"
Kazien handed over a single Small Silver coin lightheartedly. "Thank you so much for your help, Ella."
Slam!
The guild's large doors were suddenly thrown open, slamming against the walls with a deafening bang. A dwarven man in tattered armor, his face covered in dust, ran inside. He was panting heavily, his eyes reflecting deep-seated fear.
"ATTACK!" the man screamed at the top of his lungs. "Earth Dragon attack! There are more than thirty earth dragons moving fast toward this city from the desert!"
Instantly, the once-warm guild lobby turned chilling. The dwarven adventurers who had been drinking stood up immediately, unsheathing their axes and war hammers.
"More than thirty earth dragons?" Ella muttered, her face turning pale. "That's a disaster for the East Gate!"
Ella then looked at Kazien with a pleading gaze. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kazien, but could you and your party help us defeat those earth dragons? The city military might need time to prepare!"
"With pleasure!" they answered in unison.
Without wasting a moment, the six of them ran toward the city's East Gate. Ella followed behind, driven by an overwhelming curiosity to see firsthand the strength of the adventurers from across the ocean.
Upon arriving at the East Gate, the sight outside was truly horrifying. In the distance, a massive cloud of dust billowed into the sky, blotting out the horizon. The tremors in the ground could be felt even at the base of the city walls.
"Hahaha!" Alvin laughed quite loudly, his voice sounding melodic yet filled with confidence. "They sure are noisy. Even more conspicuous than the Shadow Tiger we fought in the past!"
"So, who's going first?" Arken asked impatiently, his body beginning to be shrouded in a thin magical aura.
"Just the three of us will go!" Allen interrupted suddenly. He stepped in front of Kazien, blocking his fiancé's view of the desert.
Allen looked at Kazien with a very cute smile. "Stay here and take care of Hudeon and watch over him from here. Don't join the attack, okay?" he requested in an incredibly gentle tone.
Even though his words were soft and affectionate, Kazien could feel the immense pressure of the aura behind every word Allen spoke. It was an absolute command wrapped in a smile, a sign that his fiancés wanted to act without being disturbed.
Kazien let out a long sigh. "Do as you wish!" He answered resignedly while holding Hudeon's hand.
With permission granted, the three Rank S adventurers walked calmly away from the crowd at the city gate without the slightest hesitation.