The commander’s face slowly twisted into sothing unpleasant.
"You’re telling that slum brat?"
The representative nodded carefully.
"Yes sir."
The commander leaned back again but this ti his expression looked much uglier.
He stared at the representative for a few seconds.
Then his voice turned cold.
"And you’re telling this now?"
The representative felt a chill.
"I only confird the details recently—"
The commander slamd his hand on the desk.
"Useless."
The representative flinched.
"You people can’t even identify talent when it’s right in front of you."
The man swallowed quickly.
"I believe there’s still an opportunity."
The commander glared at him.
"Explain."
The representative straightened.
"The boy is still low rank. Bronze squad. And he cos from the slums."
The commander’s expression changed slightly.
"That ans he’s easy to influence."
The representative nodded eagerly.
"If you approach him first, you could recruit him into your division."
The commander tapped the desk again.
"If the rumors are true..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...then other commanders will hear about him soon."
The representative spoke quickly.
"That’s why we should move before they do."
The commander leaned back and thought for a mont.
His division had been losing people recently.
Dungeons were getting more dangerous.
Mutations were appearing more often.
He needed talent.
Real talent.
Finally he waved his hand dismissively.
"Fine."
The representative relaxed slightly.
"Find him."
"Yes sir."
"And make sure he understands who he should be working for."
The representative nodded.
"Of course."
The commander scoffed.
"A slum brat won’t say no if the price is right."
anwhile the stronghold buzzed with rumors.
Inside taverns and inns, explorers talked loudly over drinks.
"You heard about the bronze guy from the ogre mission?"
"Yeah, the one who fought the boss."
"No way that’s real."
"That’s what I said too."
"But the silver squad mbers swear it happened."
So believed the story.
Others called it nonsense.
But one thing was certain.
Arthur’s na had started spreading.
The discussion continued long into the night.
And through all of it...
Arthur slept peacefully.
Morning arrived faster than he expected.
Arthur groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
"...why does my body feel like this?"
He stretched and imdiately regretted it.
Every muscle protested.
"Right."
Yesterday’s fight ca back to him.
Arthur rolled out of bed slowly.
"Worth it though."
He washed his face, cleaned up, and started putting his armor back on piece by piece.
It had already beco routine.
After a while he stepped out of the dorm building and headed toward the guild again.
The morning air felt fresh.
Arthur walked calmly toward the entrance.
But the mont he stepped inside the guild hall, sothing felt different.
People were looking at him.
Not just one or two.
Several explorers turned their heads as he passed.
Whispers started spreading.
"That’s him."
"Is that the guy?"
"I think so."
Arthur noticed a few fingers pointing discreetly.
He sighed quietly.
"So the rumors started already."
But he didn’t slow down.
His posture remained relaxed as he walked forward.
Confidence in every step.
He had expected this.
The things he did inside the dungeon weren’t exactly subtle.
Stories like that always spread quickly.
Especially in a place like this.
Arthur pushed open the doors to the mission hall.
"Let’s see what today brings."
The mont Arthur stepped into the mission hall, he felt it again.
Eyes.
Too many of them.
Conversations that had been loud a second ago suddenly lowered into whispers. Heads turned one after another as people noticed him entering.
"There he is."
"That’s him, right?"
"The bronze guy?"
Arthur kept walking as if none of it concerned him.
He had lived through this before.
Not in this world, but in his previous life. Attention like this ca easily when people started talking about you. So admired it, so doubted it, and most simply wanted to see if the rumors were real.
Arthur didn’t slow his steps.
He simply scanned the hall calmly.
Where’s Ryn?
That was the first person he looked for. Usually the man arrived early and lingered around the mission boards.
But today there was no sign of him.
Arthur frowned slightly.
Strange.
Just as he looked around again, a familiar voice called out.
"Arthur!"
He turned toward the sound.
A group of explorers sat at one of the long tables near the side of the hall.
Silver squad mbers.
The sa ones he had gone on the dungeon mission with yesterday.
The captain raised his hand.
"Over here!"
Arthur smiled and walked toward them.
The mont he approached, the explorers greeted him like an old friend.
"Morning, hero."
Arthur chuckled.
"Don’t start."
The scout who had been the target of jokes yesterday leaned back in his chair.
"You should hear what people are saying about you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"I’d rather not."
The captain laughed.
"You’ve beco the story of the night."
Arthur pulled out a chair and sat down with them like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"People exaggerate."
The scout imdiately shook his head.
"No, they’re definitely exaggerating."
Another explorer pointed a finger at him.
"They say you threw the boss across the room."
Arthur laughed.
"Now that one’s new."
Their conversation was casual and relaxed, but the scene had already caused a reaction around the hall.
The whispers grew louder.
"Look."
"He’s sitting with them."
"That’s the silver squad from the ogre mission."
"So the rumors are real?"
So explorers leaned closer, trying to listen in.
Others simply watched.
Still, there were those who crossed their arms and scoffed.
"It’s probably exaggerated."
"No bronze explorer can do half of what they’re saying."
Arthur didn’t care about any of it.
He was more interested in the conversation at the table.
"Where’s Ryn?" he asked.
The captain shrugged.
"Probably reporting sothing to the division commander."
Arthur nodded.
That sounded like him.
Their conversation continued for a mont longer.
Then sothing changed.
The atmosphere in the mission hall shifted suddenly.
The whispers stopped.
Not gradually.. all at once.
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