Chapter 57: The Pioneer’s Burden

Sage was utterly speechless upon hearing all of this. He never expected to encounter someone like Mina in this world, and now things had become quite complicated, not just for him, but for the entire Guild as well.

Mina was like a ticking time bomb; one wrong move could land him in serious trouble. Although the system granted him invincibility within a hundred meters of the Guild, he wasn’t keen on testing his luck.

If even the top powerhouses in the region thought twice before crossing her, what chance did he, a mere weakling, have if she decided to come after him? To make matters worse, she harbored a strong dislike for men, and being a straight man only added to his predicament.

“Looks like I need to be careful about how I talk to Flatboard Princess from now on,” Sage mused.

“But honestly, I consider myself lucky that I’ve been petty towards her without any real consequences; otherwise, I might not be here right now.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes as he contemplated the situation.

Turning back to Gregor, he asked, “Let me ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Gregor replied with a wave of his hand.

“How strong is she? And aside from her personal strength, how powerful is her mercenary group?” Sage inquired with focused intensity.

Gregor took a deep breath before responding. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard anything about her, but last I knew, she was already at the early stage of 5-Star High Level Knight.”

He paused for effect before continuing. “As for the overall strength of her mercenary group… I’m not entirely sure. I’m not involved in that industry and usually keep my nose out of others’ business. But one thing’s certain, they’re incredibly strong.”

“Hmmm!” Sage nodded thoughtfully as an unusual glimmer flickered in his eyes.

Seeing Sage’s expression change, Gregor quickly waved his hands. “Hey Guildmaster, don’t even think about doing anything reckless with them! You might end up dead without a proper burial! Besides, I just found out that my job as an Adventurer isn’t too bad; I’d prefer not to die!”

Sage rolled his eyes at Gregor’s dramatic response. “What makes you think I’m going to do something crazy? Do I look like someone who plays with fire?”

“Yes! Yes, you do!” Gregor replied without hesitation.

Once again left speechless by Gregor’s bluntness, Sage shook his head as various thoughts raced through his mind.

“But seriously, this toxic feminist and her mercenary group are so powerful that even nobles hesitate before crossing them. And with her little sister being an Adventurer… what if…”

Gregor, sitting across from Sage, wore a defeated expression. The moment he caught sight of Sage’s current demeanor, he realized that the shameless Guildmaster was concocting thoughts that should never have crossed his mind.

“It’s over; my precious job as an Adventurer is about to slip away,” Gregor lamented.

“Hey, come on! What do you mean your job is about to vanish? I’m not planning anything crazy, okay?” Sage snapped back to reality and rolled his eyes dramatically at Gregor.

“Are you sure?” Gregor asked suspiciously, still unconvinced.

“Of course! I’m not going to do anything foolish. I value my fragile little life, alright?” Sage’s lips twitched as he spoke.

“That’s good to hear, really good,” Gregor said, patting his chest with a heavy sigh of relief.

Sage was momentarily speechless at Gregor’s dramatic reaction. He hadn’t expected this guy to be so terrified.

“Come on! You’re a man; can’t you show some strength? Are you really that scared of a woman?” Sage chuckled softly.

“Please, Guildmaster! I have a family to take care of. I’m not ready to die yet, I’m still a virgin! Just leave me out of it if you’re going to do something reckless!” Gregor clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.

“What a coward,” Sage snorted disdainfully at him.

“Yes, yes, I admit it, I’m a coward and proud of it!” Gregor nodded vigorously.

Sage rubbed his face in disbelief; this green-haired guy was truly something else. A slight smile crept onto his face as he regarded Gregor.

“Well then, it’s too late now, you’ve already offended that man-hating woman.”

“What do you mean? When did I offend her?” Gregor asked in confusion.

“Aren’t you competing with her little sister to be the first Adventurer to advance to Copper Rank?”

Sage leaned back lazily. “Just imagine if you upset that little girl; she might bring her elder sister along for ’justice.’ Now that would be entertaining! I’ll need popcorn when that happens.”

Gregor felt chills run down his spine at Sage’s words and quickly shook his head in panic. “No way! I don’t want to compete anymore, she can have all the first places; they’re not worth it!”

“I’m afraid that can’t happen,” Sage replied with a mischievous glint in his eye.

“What do you mean it can’t happen? Is participation mandatory or something?” Gregor asked, bewildered.

Sage leaned forward and explained, “While it’s not technically mandatory for everyone else, for you it kind of is.”

“What?!” Gregor exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.

“Yeah, you have to participate. You’re the first person to register as an Adventurer, and according to the Adventurer Guild’s rule book, the first registered Adventurer must compete in all internal competitions. You need to win ten times in a row; otherwise, your Adventurer License will be revoked, and you’ll no longer be considered an Adventurer.” Sage shrugged nonchalantly.

“What? What kind of ridiculous rule is that?” Gregor nearly toppled off his chair, completely flabbergasted.

His face turned red as he pointed a trembling finger at Sage and exclaimed, “You’re making this up!”

Sage spread his arms with an infuriating smirk. “I’m not making anything up; it’s part of the rules of the Adventurer Guild.”

He glanced deeply at Gregor and continued. “According to Article 7, Section 3 of the Provisional Guild Charter: The Pioneer’s Burden. The first registered Adventurer shall serve as the benchmark for all internal initiatives, including but not limited to competitive rankings. Failure to participate constitutes dereliction of pioneering duty…” He let out a creepy laugh.

Gregor’s face paled slightly as he slumped back into his chair, despair clouding his eyes as if the world had turned against him.

“Come on! It’s just a little internal competition. Nothing bad will happen. Besides, I doubt that flatboard princess would tell her sister if she loses. After everything I’ve done for her, do you really think I’d still be sitting here talking to you?” Sage rolled his eyes.

Hearing this seemed to spark something in Gregor; he sat up and pondered Sage’s words. “You might be right. But I’ll do everything I can to avoid her until the competition is over.”

“That’s the spirit! That’s how an Adventurer should act, not like some spineless coward,” Sage clapped his hands enthusiastically.

Gregor didn’t respond but merely rolled his eyes at him.

“Hey Green, how did you recognize Mina? Isn’t this your first time meeting her?” Sage asked after a moment of thought.

“Of course I know her! In fact, every Warrior in Greyvale City, and even throughout the entire region,knows who she is. The moment she walked in here, nobody dared approach with their missions from the Mission Board. And why do you think she was the first one to bring in a mission when others were already here?” Gregor replied with an eye roll.

“What?” Now it was Sage’s turn to be shocked. He looked toward the Mission Board and noticed that all the Adventurers were standing there with conflicted expressions on their faces.

Seeing Sage’s reaction made Gregor feel quite pleased inside. “Now you’re shocked, right?”

Sage took a deep breath and said, “But why are they still standing there? She’s already gone.”

Gregor shook his head. “You still don’t get it? They all saw how she interacted with you, the way she bantered and expressed herself, so most of them think you’ve upset her and that trouble might come for the Guild.”

“What the heck! This flatboard princess is something else entirely. She has so much aura that even when she’s not around, people seem to fear her.” Sage was left speechless and utterly amazed.

After a moment, he took a deep breath, waved at the Adventurers, and called out in a loud voice, “It’s alright everyone! You can proceed with your missions. As for the little girl, she’s already gone. And just so you know, I’m her uncle, she calls me that, so there’s really nothing to worry about.”

“Wow, what a shameless guy! When did she become your niece?” Gregor exclaimed as he facepalmed in disbelief.

The Adventurers let out a collective sigh before slowly making their way toward the desk.

Sage exhaled softly and settled back into his chair. “That flatboard princess truly has an incredible aura. Man, I’m really envious.”

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