Inside the Hero Guild Master’s office, Sharlene adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. Her long legs, encased in black stockings, were elegantly crossed, exuding a mature allure.
She gracefully set down her magic communicator. Her slender lips parted slightly, and a single word escaped them.
“Damn it!”
‘Playing dead, were they?’
‘It seemed she truly needed to meet with Lena soon, or Lena’s cold indifference would shatter her heart into countless pieces!’
Setting that thought aside, Sharlene focused, diligently processing the documents on her desk. Just then, the office door swung open without a warning.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but upon seeing who stood in the doorway, her expression softened into a smile. “Isn’t this Butler Orl? What brings you to me again?”
“Oh, forgive my poor memory. You’re here because of Celia, aren’t you?”
Her sarcastic tone made her seem like a petty victor, yet she cared little for the impression. After all, if not now, when was the time to vent her frustrations?
With the Silverbloom Sword Princess backing her, Butler Orl was nothing more than an ordinary man in her eyes.
Even if the Fiona family was formidable, they were merely one of the Rossi Empire’s three great noble houses. The Silverbloom Sword Princess, however, had once been a member of the Hero Council—the strongest hero of her era!
The Hero Council was a colossal entity, transcending human empires and overseeing all heroes. The Hero Guild was merely a small department under its vast authority.
The Rossi Empire itself could crumble at a touch before the Hero Council, let alone its three great noble families.
Even though more than two decades had passed, if she were to make a call, the Hero Council would undoubtedly side with her.
Many of its current members were either her friends or younger individuals who held her in high esteem.
Orl narrowed his eyes, having naturally noticed the shift in her demeanor. Yet, he showed no anger. Instead, he simply made himself comfortable on the sofa and inquired, “She wants to become a hero again?”
‘The “she” he referred to, of course, was Celia.’
“This is her own choice, not something I forced upon her. Furthermore, as the Guild Master, I have no right to refuse her.”
Shrugging, Sharlene completely absolved herself of any responsibility.
Orl, of course, understood why Celia was once again willing to become a hero. Leaning on his staff, he continued, “Who is her instructor?”
“Dorothy.”
Sharlene chose to keep Dorothy’s identity a secret, naturally refraining from directly revealing the title of Silverbloom Sword Princess.
If Orl managed to guess, there was little she could do.
“Dorothy?”
Orl furrowed his brows, finding the name entirely unfamiliar.
‘Among the rising stars of heroes today, none seemed to be named Dorothy.’
“Does she not know that Celia’s family is the Fiona family?”
Though the possibility was slim, he began to suspect that this hero was unaware of Celia’s status as the Fiona family’s young miss.
“Who knows?”
Sharlene shrugged again, feigning ignorance.
This drew a cold snort from Orl, who was clearly displeased.
“Unaware, you say? It seems the Guild Master must be exhausted, working late every day. Perhaps it’s time for a rest, and for others to take on some of the burden.”
The threat in his words was palpable, yet this time, Sharlene showed no inclination to back down.
She directly issued an order for him to leave.
“I am a little weary. If Mr. Orl has any other matters, perhaps we could discuss them tomorrow?”
“Heh heh, it seems that hero has quite the backing, making the Guild Master so fearless.”
Orl scoffed a few times, then rose and walked towards the door. “Could it be that she’s a member of the Hero Council?”
“Mr. Orl, you wrong me. I am not fearless, nor is she a council member. You are overthinking things.”
She wasn’t lying. The Silverbloom Sword Princess was no longer a member of the Hero Council; her name had been struck from the roster a decade ago.
However, her influence and rallying power were no less than that of any council member.
“Let’s hope so.”
Orl cast a cold glance, dropped that final remark, and then departed the office, leaving the Hero Guild entirely.
To be able to speak sarcastically to Orl’s face and fear no retaliation—Sharlene was absolutely delighted.
She knew that ever since the man had arrived in Vidona, he had shown utter contempt for her and the other heroes, filling their hearts with simmering rage.
Unfortunately, he was the Fiona family’s butler, and none of them dared to challenge him.
Now, having managed to slightly vex him, she knew she would sleep even more soundly tonight.
All of this, she mused, was thanks to the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
As a certain silver-white figure surfaced in her mind, Sharlene subtly stroked her black-stockinged thigh, a hint of infatuation gleaming in her eyes.
****
Having left the Hero Guild, Orl returned to the villa he had purchased in Vidona.
He had originally intended to give this villa to Celia as her residence in Vidona. However, the young lady, disliking him, had found a separate place to live with her teammates.
The landlord, he heard, was a flower shop owner named Lena, an ordinary person without any magic.
“Butler, the young miss, she…”
In the villa’s grand hall, a servant in a black uniform bowed, clearly quite concerned about Celia’s situation.
“Tomorrow, I will personally go and meet this hero.”
“But… that hero seems utterly unafraid of the Fiona family.”
“I know. Even if she isn’t a council-level hero, she’s likely at the Sage level, which makes things somewhat troublesome.”
Orl walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the darkening sky, his mood far from pleasant.
He was no fool; Sharlene’s behavior as Guild Master clearly indicated that the hero serving as an instructor was someone of no ordinary standing.
After all, if Sharlene dared to be so sarcastic in front of him simply because of this hero’s backing, then this hero, even if only Sage-level, must undoubtedly be incredibly reputable.
Extracting Celia from the tutelage of such a hero would be no easy task.
‘To think a hero of this caliber was hidden in such a small city.’
‘What truly terrible luck.’
His grip on his staff tightened involuntarily. A crimson gleam flashed in Orl’s clouded eyes, and the terrifying surge of magic caused the birds perched on the branches outside the window to shriek and scatter into flight.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, blew open the collar of his shirt. Beneath his aged skin, a demonic tattoo could now be seen, spreading across his chest.
If Lena were present, she would likely immediately realize that he was not human, but a demon!
“Could we have been discovered?”
The servant nearby considered another possibility, but Orl merely scoffed, shaking his head. “Humans don’t possess such power. And if we truly had been discovered, why would they act this way?”
“Most likely, that hero has simply taken a liking to Young Miss Celia’s talent and wishes to train her into the next generation of heroes.”
Having dealt with humans for so many years, he knew exactly what they were capable of.
If their demonic identity had truly been exposed, the Hero Council would undoubtedly be alerted, and they wouldn’t just send a Sage-level hero.
“However… how can Her Royal Highness become a hero?”