Chapter 28 : Estelle

The receptionist lady was surprised at how young this adventurer girl looked—still at the age where one might be clinging to their parents—yet she was already a Silver-ranked adventurer.

Though Silver rank wasn’t particularly high, achieving it at such a young age was still impressive.

The problem was exactly that—her age.

The steel identity tag had its name deliberately scratched off.

The receptionist glanced at the girl in front of her, then flipped the tag over and inspected it thoroughly.

It was indeed an official Adventurers’ Guild issue.

Still, the receptionist couldn’t help but be suspicious.

The girl might’ve stolen someone else’s tag and come to the guild to take a quest under false pretenses.

Although her professionalism told her not to meddle or ask unnecessary questions, the receptionist couldn’t bring herself to just let such a young girl head into the dangerous northern mountains alone.

“Miss Estelle, are you really a Silver-ranked adventurer?”

“……”

The girl paused for a moment, then nodded.

The commotion drew attention from those nearby.

They began eyeing the short figure in the gray cloak and speculating about her identity.

“She’s gotta be some noble’s daughter who read too many adventure novels and ran off on a whim.”

“Exactly. Bet she’s got a powerful bodyguard tailing her from the shadows.”

“Ahh, nobles always get special treatment…”

“Let’s steer clear of her.”

“Tch tch tch, what we risk our lives for just looks like a game to them.”

“Hmph, I hope she runs into some trouble—just so she learns adventuring isn’t all fun and games.”

The North Gate was the busiest part of Redpine City.

Built into the mountain itself, it served as a frontline outpost for the northern range, making it a natural rest and resupply point for countless adventurers.

The Adventurers’ Guild was even more crowded—each service window and quest board packed with people.

“I want a Silver-ranked quest.”

The girl’s voice was cold and devoid of emotion, as if she didn’t care what anyone said about her.

She stared at the receptionist across the counter.

“But… Silver quests are usually only taken on by full teams of Tier Four adventurers.”

The receptionist was starting to sweat.

“Maybe you could form a team, Miss Estelle? Even if you hold a Silver tag, I can’t assign a Silver-level quest to you solo. I’m terribly sorry.”

“……”

Estelle said nothing.

At that moment, a woman behind her reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Estelle glanced back.

The woman had short brown hair and wore tight-fitting gear.

Her frame was well-balanced, and she held a staff—clearly a mage, though her outfit resembled a warrior’s more than a caster’s.

Her looks were average, but her figure exuded raw vitality.

When she saw Estelle’s full face, she was momentarily stunned, blurting out without thinking:

“You’re really beautiful, little sister…”

“?”

A hint of disdain flickered in Estelle’s pale golden eyes—brief but noticeable.

The woman caught that subtle shift, and an awkward silence followed as she began curling her toes in embarrassment.

She thinks I’m some creepy woman!

Still, at least the conversation was started.

Pushing past the heat rising in her face, the woman smiled and said:

“Would you like to join my team? When we head into the northern mountains, we can look out for each other. Estelle, right? That’s your name? My team’s all girls—you won’t need to worry about anything.”

Estelle remained silent.

At this point, the receptionist stepped in to help.

“Miss Estelle, you need to have prior experience completing team quests before you’re allowed to take on Silver-level ones solo.

It’s a rule the guild put in place to protect young, reckless adventurers.

This Mage Anna here is a Tier Four spellcaster, and her team has a reliable reputation. I think this is a great opportunity.”

“Hmm…”

Everyone seemed to be saying the same thing.

Estelle gripped her Silver-ranked adventurer tag, mind spinning as she weighed her options.

The books said true strength walks alone.

But they also said… sometimes calling in allies is a form of wisdom too.

“…Alright.”

Adventurer–Mage Anna felt her wildly pounding heart finally calm down.

Thank goodness—she agreed!

Anna had approached Estelle with a purpose.

The moment she laid eyes on the girl, she knew: this was no ordinary adventurer.

Estelle was from the Empire—and she was someone important.

Surely someone powerful was protecting her from the shadows.

With Estelle joining the team, their trip into the northern forest now had an extra layer of safety.

Maybe—just maybe—they could really get their hands on that thing!

After joining the team, Estelle successfully received a Silver-ranked material collection quest.

The reward: five gold coins.

Once Estelle followed Anna away, the receptionist barely had a moment to breathe before the next person stepped up.

The day passed in a blur, and it wasn’t until the Adventurers’ Guild closed at dusk that she finally had a free moment.

In the locker room, the receptionist took off her uniform and changed into her own clothes.

Back in her true identity, she stretched out with a long yawn.

Just as she was about to leave, her coworker—and close friend—grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into a corner.

After glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby, her friend leaned in with a mysterious expression.

“Hey hey, that little girl named Estelle… don’t you think she looks a lot like that Commonblood Sword Saint? You know, the one with silver hair and golden eyes?”

“How would I know that…”

The receptionist still had a strong impression of Estelle, but she shook her head.

She had never seen the Sword Saint in person—how could she possibly tell?

Her friend went on excitedly.

“I heard—just what I heard, okay—that the Commonblood Sword Saint, the Dragon Slayer Hero, once came to our city. She even met the current city lord up in the northern mountains. Supposedly it was seven or eight years ago. No wonder the city lord looks up to the Silver-Haired Swordmaiden so much.”

“Huh? Who’d you hear that from?”

“A guy who’s into me told me. He works with the City Guard. Said he heard it from an old veteran knight. I dunno if it’s really true or not.”

The Northern Mountain Range refers to the ancient forests north of the northern nations.

Treacherous terrain stretches for miles, filled with magical beasts and monsters.

The land is blessed by the God of Nature—no matter how dry or barren other lands become, the forests and mountains here stay lush and green.

Even farther north lies the Elven kingdom, nestled deep within those woods.

“Could she be her daughter or something?”

“What are you saying?! The Sword Saint was only in her twenties when she earned the title. For Estelle to be this big, that means she would’ve had to have a kid over ten years ago!”

“Well… I mean, it’s not impossible?”

“Ugh! No way! Absolutely not!”

The receptionist was fuming—someone was suggesting her idol had secretly had a child back then. How dare they!