Chapter 26: From Warning To Threat

As Arezu stood before the adventurers' guild's notice board, scanning the array of posted quests and waiting for Lynn to return from reporting to the guild, someone quietly approached him. "Hey!... You're the new guy, right?" The question itself didn't sound too hostile, but coming from a rough-looking man—an adventurer who was taller and broader than him—it felt a bit intimidating to Arezu. Still, the man wasn't wrong. Arezu was indeed new, having only arrived in the capital of the Eileen Kingdom a few days ago, with a single completed quest on his adventurer's record. "That's mostly right, I guess." Not wanting to come off as rude, Arezu offered a laid-back response. However, he had clearly misunderstood what the adventurer meant. "I didn't mean a rookie adventurer—I meant the new follower of Lady Impaler." "Ehh?..." Two questions immediately stuck in Arezu's mind: First, who the heck is the new follower? Second, what the heck does 'Lady Impaler' mean? Before he could decide which question to ask first, the man continued, assuming Arezu was the new follower. "Man, I get it—she's got the looks, and sure, she's strong and powerful. But don't let that fool you like it did the others before you. At first, you'll love the attention, but believe me, she'll use you until she's had her fill. And in the end, she'll toss you aside like some worn-out rag on the street..." The man kept rambling, and Arezu realized this wasn't just some wild tavern tale—this guy was speaking from experience. "I'm giving you a kind warning, adventurer to adventurer. Don't fall for her pretty smile and attractive eyes. Stay away from Lady Impaler." At that point, Arezu began to suspect who the infamous "Lady Impaler" really was. But he didn't need to say it out loud—because she was already standing behind the man. "Oh my... and who might this dangerous 'Lady Impaler' be?" The words were playful, but the smile that accompanied them was anything but. The man trembled, and Arezu could feel the shivers through the hand the adventurer had placed on his shoulder—a gesture that had started as friendly, now full of fear. Despite the tension that fell over the surrounding adventurers, the Lady Impaler—Lynn, as Arezu now confirmed—kept up her innocent act. "If it isn't Mr. Gargoyle. I wonder, what were you and Mr. Arezu discussing?" "It's... it's George... Lynn..." George, as he corrected, stammered out a response, trying and failing to mask his fear with a polite greeting. But Lynn wasn't concerned about his previous conversation. No, something else had upset her more. "My, my... and when did I give you permission to address me by just my name?" It wasn't just her tone—her very presence now radiated menace. Arezu, and everyone else, could feel the shift. Lynn was pissed. Still, trying to maintain his pride as an adventurer, George stood his ground, refusing to apologize. He spoke again, now wearing an anxious but smug expression. "So what happened to your little newbie party? Did you have them fight each other until only this guy was left standing?" Arezu braced himself, certain Lynn was going to respond with violence. But instead, she smiled playfully—like her outburst moments ago had never happened. Except Arezu could still feel the tension as she turned to look at him. "I'll have you know, Mr. Gargoyle, that's not entirely true." With her usual dramatic flair, Lynn stepped into the center of attention, ready to "enlighten" everyone with her version of events from their last goblin-slaying quest. She exaggerated heavily, especially the part about the duel between Arezu and Alex. "When all hope was lost and Alex stood bare-naked, consumed by his lustful urges, Mr. Arezu slowly took off his own clothes, pushed Alex down, asserted his strength, and confessed his true feelings—" "That's enough!" Arezu cut her off, hurriedly covering her mouth, his face flushed with embarrassment. Given the stares from everyone around him, his reaction was understandable. Half the male audience looked at him in disgust, the rest just confused. As for the women—some were beaming with sparkly eyes, others looked repulsive, and a few looked outright scared. That last reaction hurt the most. Even though he couldn't see her usual mischievous grin behind his hand, Arezu could tell by the glint in her eyes that Lynn was thoroughly enjoying herself. "Can you please stop?" It was a simple request, and though he realized he might be touching her inappropriately, Lynn didn't seem to mind. She nodded and smiled sweetly. That simple exchange stunned the onlookers even more than the story had. "You've got guts, new guy..." George muttered, echoing the crowd's thoughts. Arezu didn't understand what he meant, but Lynn answered in his place, gently removing his hand. "Of course he does. He's my new companion, after all." At least she didn't say 'follower', Arezu thought, watching her walk toward the guild hall exit. "Let's go already, Mr. Arezu. We have places to be." With a sigh of resignation and no choice but to keep his promise to accompany her, Arezu muttered: "Whatever you say, Ms. Lynn—" —BAMM!— In that instant, the entire guild building shook violently. Most adventurers dropped to their knees. Only a few—including Arezu—managed to cling to nearby walls, tables, or chairs. At the center of that dreadful force stood Lynn, now turning back to Arezu with a threatening glare, questioning not only what he had said—but also what she thought she heard. "I know, I know—it was a mistake. Aren't you overreacting a bit, Lynn?" At least he admitted his fault. Lynn calmed instantly, replacing her fury with a warm, gentle smile. The tremor stopped. Just then, the guild's chief receptionist, Sylvia, stormed into the hall—livid. "WHO THE FUCK CAST A MYSTIC SPELL INSIDE THE GUILD?!" As Arezu had already suspected, Lynn was terrifying. But the elf woman? Possibly worse. Every adventurer present immediately pointed at Lynn without hesitation. Without saying a word, Lynn grabbed Arezu and bolted, laughing as she dragged him out of the Adventurers' Guild. "Get back here, Lynn!"