Joe shook his head and focused on the task at hand as he sprinted through Suveny toward the Guild. He felt bad about hurting the girl, but she had refused his help. There was no point dwelling on it when it had clearly been an accident. All he could do was hope she would be fine and that the flowers had not been ruined.

  He considered activating [Dash] to increase his speed. The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, and evening was approaching quickly. Still, he decided against it. Even at roughly 30% of his maximum pace, he was already moving far too fast for comfort. Controlling his momentum was difficult. He nearly slammed into several buildings and only avoided further property damage because of his quick reactions. After a few close calls, he reduced his speed to about 25% of his base movement just to stay in control.

  The entire experience felt surreal. As he moved from one street to another, he could barely believe this body belonged to him. It reminded him of when he had searched for Sophia’s house, except now his bones were not threatening to crack and his muscles showed no strain. Adrenaline surged through him as cool wind brushed against his face and pushed his hair back.

  Fortunately, only a handful of people occupied the streets at that hour. If the roads had been crowded, he would have collided with someone. If that person had been Unawakened, he could have seriously injured them. His current velocity was not far from that of a car speeding down a highway.

  He remembered the route to the Guild clearly. The woman who had given him directions had taken her time to make sure he understood. It only took him two minutes to reach the building, breaking his previous time of over twenty five minutes. He stopped at the entrance and steadied his breathing. His stamina had barely dropped, but he needed to calm himself before walking in. Even in his previous life, Joe had never been comfortable around large crowds.

  He stepped forward, turned the handle, and entered.

  The moment he walked inside, the hall went silent. Every head turned toward him. More than thirty pairs of eyes locked onto him, many filled with open hostility. Even those waiting in line shifted to stare. It felt like standing alone on a stage. Heat crept up his neck as he lowered his gaze and found an empty bench where he sat stiffly.

  “It’s him,” someone whispered. “The one who survived the Lord of the Woods mission.”

  “Are you serious?” another muttered. “No adventurer in Suveny has survived that mission. And you’re telling me that guy did?”

  “I heard he’s Unawakened trash.”

  “Now that you say it, I don’t sense any mana from him. How did someone like that escape Evergreen?”

  “Probably ran while the others fought.”

  “Coward.”

  Joe clenched his fists against his thighs. He kept his head down, jaw tight. He could not argue with them. From the outside, it looked exactly like that. In the end, he had survived while the others had not.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  After several minutes, the murmurs shifted away from him. He heard measured footsteps approach. Joe looked up to see an elderly man standing in front of him. He wore a long red coat. A severe burn scar covered the entire right side of his wrinkled face. He was bald, with a short red beard, and his posture was slightly hunched. His hands rested behind his back, and he wore a calm smile.

  “Good evening,” the man said. “My name is Trogard. Are you Joseph Miller?”

  “Yeah. That’s me,” Joe replied, offering a small smile. “You can call me Joe.”

  The room exploded with outrage.

  “How dare he address Elder Trogard so casually?”

  “He doesn’t even stand!”

  “That brat has no manners!”

  Several adventurers rose from their seats, hands drifting toward their weapons.

  Before anything could escalate, Trogard raised one hand and clenched his fist. The reaction was immediate. Silence fell across the hall. The men who had stood slowly returned to their seats.

  Trogard’s smile remained steady. “It is good to finally meet you in person,” he said. “Would you follow me to my office? There are matters we need to discuss.”

  “Sure,” Joe answered, relieved that the old man appeared reasonable. “Lead the way.”

  Trogard turned and began walking toward a staircase. Despite his hunched posture, his steps were steady. Joe followed with his hands resting behind his head, matching the slower pace.

  As he passed between the tables, hostile stares followed him. At one point, he stuck his tongue out at a heavily built man in silver armor. The man nearly lunged at him before a blond man with glasses grabbed his shoulder and shook his head. Joe quickly faced forward again, suppressing a grin.

  They climbed the stairs. Joe expected the elderly man to struggle, but Trogard ascended effortlessly. He showed no signs of fatigue and reached the top within seconds. Joe was reminded that, regardless of age, the man was still Awakened.

  “Are you coming?” Trogard asked without turning.

  Joe realized he had fallen a few steps behind and hurried to catch up.

  They walked down a narrow hallway toward a door at the far end. A blonde woman in a white dress stood outside. She bowed politely.

  “Welcome back, sir.”

  “I was only gone for a minute,” Trogard replied as he opened the door. “There is no need for formalities.”

  “It is my duty to show respect to the Headmaster whenever I see him,” she answered seriously.

  Trogard sighed but said nothing more. He entered and gestured for Joe to follow.

  The woman’s sharp gaze lingered on Joe as he stepped inside. He considered making another mocking gesture but decided against it. Antagonizing her would likely earn him a slap.

  Inside, a single table stood in the center of the room. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a dim orange glow. Trogard took a seat behind the desk and motioned for Joe to sit opposite him.

  Joe lowered himself carefully onto the wooden chair, mindful of his strength. Guild furniture would probably cost more than Sophia’s. The chair creaked under his weight but held.

  “You are probably wondering why I invited you here,” Trogard began. “It is not every day that the Guild Master personally calls someone into his office.”

  Joe’s eyes widened slightly, ‘Guild Master?’ He managed to keep his expression steady.

  Unlike when he had first met Rina and immediately sensed her power, he felt nothing from this man. If anything, Trogard seemed ordinary. That only made him more dangerous.

  “I assume this is about the failed quest against the Lord of the Woods,” Joe said.

  “Failed quest?” Trogard repeated, a faint edge entering his voice. “That is one way to describe it.”

  He reached to the side of the desk and picked up a sheathed blade. Slowly, he drew the weapon. The steel reflected the fading light.

  “I will ask you once,” Trogard said evenly. “Do not lie.”

  Before Joe could react, the blade was free. The scabbard rested empty on the desk while the katana’s edge pressed lightly against his neck.

  “Which guild sent you,” Trogard asked coldly, “and what are they after?”

  Joe swallowed. The warmth had vanished from the old man’s face. In its place was the gaze of a veteran who had killed many before.