Clash Between the Witch and the One-Eyed
The headquarters of the Northern Continent Adventurer Guild, presided over by the Witch, stood within the Belcadia Empire.
"My ass is killing me. Why the hell is this carriage so damn stiff?"
An irritated Rosetta kicked the innocent carriage and tossed the remaining fare at the coachman. Then she strode off in search of the adventurer guild.
"Ho. Is that the place? As expected of the northern continent, where money flows like water. It's damn impressive. Haha!"
Rosetta, the one-eyed Guild Master of the Southern Continent Adventurer Guild, flashed a bold grin and slammed the door open with a bang. In that instant, the eyes of every adventurer inside snapped toward her. Ignoring their stares completely, she bypassed the long reception line and planted herself at the very front.
A burly, vicious-looking adventurer whose turn had been stolen glared at the back of her head.
"Fuck. Who the hell are you? Get lost."
As he reached for her shoulder, the adventurer behind him yanked him back and whispered urgently.
Crown rank was the dream of every adventurer. Reaching the highest tier meant a lifetime of luxury, royal treatment in any nation, and benefits so staggering they made your eyes pop. On top of that, the position of Guild Master—one of only four on the entire continent—made him realize instantly that this was an opponent he could never hope to challenge.
Rosetta, who had been listening to the whispers, turned around.
"What? Scared of an empty title like that? Haha! Relax. I'll be done in no time."
"Ugh... R-really... Take as long as you need."
The Bronze-badge adventurer at the counter, sensing the mood, scrambled out of the way the moment his business was finished.
Rosetta offered a refreshing smile to the receptionist.
"It's me. You know that 'Witch' woman? Tell her I've arrived."
The receptionist spoke carefully.
"If you had contacted us beforehand, we would have come out to greet you..."
"Spare me the annoying formalities. My whole body aches from that long carriage ride. Ow, my back. Guess I'm getting old. Haha."
At that moment, the clear sound of rolling jade beads drifted down from the staircase.
"Come up, Rosetta. It's been a while."
"Oh~ You been well? Serael."
Rosetta climbed the stairs, but Serael was nowhere in sight.
"Huh? Where'd she run off to so fast?"
The secretary on the second floor approached her cautiously.
"Lady Serael has already warped to the tenth floor. Do you see the black magic circle on the floor ahead? Stand on it, close your eyes, hold your breath for ten seconds, and the warp will activate, Lady Rosetta."
"Ha, the world's come a long way. Got it."
Rosetta followed the instructions. After ten seconds, she opened her eyes to find the door to the Guild Master's office right in front of her.
"Ha, am I the only one falling behind the times? Well, the south does have that provincial vibe."
Rosetta grabbed the handle and opened the door. Inside, Serael Bernakis sat at the desk, waiting for her. She wore luxurious black robes covered in intricate patterns, and her pure white hair cascaded like silk, a beautiful contrast. Thanks to her appearance, her voice, and her long list of accomplishments, she had an enormous fanbase across the continent.
"Welcome."
Serael, who stood at a similar height to Rosetta, spoke first.
Rosetta practically collapsed onto the plush sofa and thumped her own shoulders.
Thump. Thump.
"If I'd known it'd take this long, I would've just stayed at headquarters and lazed around."
"You must be tired from the journey. Would you like some tea?"
"I don't drink tea~"
"Understood."
Serael prepared the tea in the office break area and set the cup on the table. Without sitting on the sofa, she returned to her desk.
Rosetta, who knew her personality well, smirked.
"Wow~ Still as nasty as ever. Can't stand sharing a seat with a human, huh?"
"Correct."
Serael's pointed ears twitched slightly. She sipped her tea in silence, savoring the taste.
The thirsty Rosetta downed hers in one gulp and spoke as if remembering something.
"Oh, right! I saw something new. The guild has warp magic circles now? Wow, that's insane. The first prototype took a whole minute—I thought I'd suffocate. Be honest. How much did you pay?"
"Ten percent of the annual budget."
"Like I said, money really can buy anything. Haha!"
"Hmm. How boring, Rosetta."
Serael quietly set down her teacup.
"I'm not particularly interested in your thoughts or opinions."
"Hahaha! So what are you going to do about it?"
"You came here for a reason, didn't you? What is it? You're hardly a welcome guest."
"So cold~ We haven't seen each other in ages."
"Wasn't our first meeting when the Guild Masters gathered after you became master a few years ago?"
"In short, you're telling me not to act friendly?"
"I am several hundred years older than you, you know."
Serael spoke with an utterly composed expression.
"Unlike those pitiful races that lose their youth in the blink of an eye."
"Wow~ You're really unpleasant."
"Rosetta. No matter how much you provoke me, I will not get angry."
"I wasn't trying to provoke you. Did it hit a nerve?"
"A mother simply watches her baby's whining with a benevolent heart."
"So ultimately it's elves above humans. That's what you wanted to say?"
"Precisely. Especially since the adventurers in my guild are nothing more than tools that work for me."
Bang!
Rosetta, who had been letting the words slide, shot to her feet.
Serael didn't move an inch.
"How undignified, Rosetta."
"Yeah. What you just said pissed me off."
"What exactly angered you?"
Huu. Quietly swallowing her rage, Rosetta asked.
"Kael. Where have you hidden him?"
"......"
Serael, who had never once lost her composure, froze for a split second before regaining it.
"Kael? You mean the Crown-badge Kael."
"He took a request from this guild and went missing."
"He was excellent. He completed the request safely and then died..."
Bang!Crack.
Unable to hold back, Rosetta split the desk in two. Documents and priceless objects crashed to the floor.
"Cut the bullshit, Serael."
"......"
"My intuition is never wrong. There's no way he's dead. Spit out everything you know."
"Sigh. This is why lesser creatures..."
Serael looked at her quietly.
"It's undignified, Rosetta. Do you truly believe acting like this will bring you closer to the truth?"
"If you want, I'll force your mouth open."
"Ah, so that's what this is."
For the first time, Serael burst into laughter as if she'd realized something.
"Are you Kael's fiancée? His betrothed? It can't be a childhood friend, so at best a former colleague. Someone he once saved, I suppose. My, my. Kael really does put me in difficult positions."
"......"
"Well, among humans, there isn't a single woman who wouldn't be drawn to that man with his uniquely upright and pure heart!"
Serael shot to her feet, eyes sparkling.
"But what can we do? Kael asked me himself. Even if he dies, not to look for him. I do have some information, but telling you would mean breaking my precious promise with him, wouldn't it?"
"What are you acting so smug for, you elf bitch."
Rosetta disliked the way Serael had suddenly grown so lively and bright-eyed.
Serael laughed even harder.
"Ah~ But cases like this are quite rare. Someone coming directly to me to ask about Kael's whereabouts. Hehe. Kael really is such a ladies' man."
Rosetta's eyes widened.
"Do you like him too?"
"Kyaa~ I've been found out by a lesser creature! Yes. But between me and Kael... Hehe."
Serael showed the black ring on her left ring finger.
"It's a relationship deeper than ordinary love... Hehehe."
Rosetta snorted.
"You're not a witch. You're a delusional bitch."
Twitch. Serael's eyebrow moved.
"I can't stand listening to this. If he were your lover, you'd throw everything away to stay by his side. But you can't even do that. You're bound by your promise with him, stuck here as Guild Master in the northern continent. Be honest. You're nothing to him, are you?"
Serael trembled violently.
"S-shut up! W-what would you know!! Th-this!! It's a precious gift Kael gave me!!"
"So you're the one who read all that meaning into it? Did Kael even confess to you?"
"Th-that's..."
Serael tried to argue but found no words.
"Wow~ This is disgusting. Imagining you mistaking a casual gift for a token of love and strutting around like his woman. Why don't you just kill yourself right now? If it were me, I'd have hanged myself already."
Trembling, biting her lip, Serael glared at Rosetta with pure murderous intent.
"I'll kill you. I'll tear you to pieces, you insolent human."
Seeing her like that, Rosetta laughed mockingly.
"Hahaha! Serael, what's with that undignified face?"
Boom!Boom!
Serael summoned massive orbs of darkness in both hands and hurled them at Rosetta. Using her signature instincts, Rosetta dodged by a hair's breadth. The attacks that flew past erased every trace of the building's structure, annihilating it completely.
The sudden violent shockwave sent everyone inside fleeing in panic.
Serael and Rosetta continued to fight without pause, battling fiercely until the massive building was reduced to nothing but dust.