How gossip starts and spreads

"If it isn't too much of a bother, we would also like to have our guild cards updated."

"..."

…and then the gold-haired girl turned to the trembling receptionist and added with her smile widening, while the man didn't dare to say a word out of line.

"I-if all the monster parts have been handed in, then please, allow with me…"

"~!"

Afterward, Terry stuttered despite his best intentions as he led the gold-haired girl and her servants back to the guild.

First, the money was paid—the amount of gold being exchanged almost gave the new hire girl a heart attack—and then the gold-haired girl and her tall, lanky servant took the level-measuring crystal orbs before handing them back in together with their guild cards.

"...!"

"Level 49!? Miss, you are so strong!"

Terry froze up at the sight of the orb from the gold-haired girl - he didn't have to say a thing because Lana's reaction was enough for both of them…

"!!!"

"WHAT!?"

…including announcing the girl's level to anyone still hanging out in the guild's building who also couldn't hold back their reactions.

"And…! Level 70?! Mister, how is it possible I never heard of you!? Are you a hero from another country?!"

The young receptionist, who had just earned herself a blabbermouth nickname, could not hold her mouth shut. She reacted to the orb the man with black hair and white roots put on the counter, waiting his turn for the guild card update.

"Hnnh…"

Zane didn't answer, merely making a dismissive expression and shrugging his shoulders.

"Adi, do you want to register too?"

"...!?"

The gold-haired girl grabbed onto the arm of the brown-haired maid and asked in a bit childish manner - giving everyone a bit of a scare as no one seemed to realize the maid was there, and for them, it almost looked like she materialized out of thin air.

"I believe that with my ability, it would be better not to have solid proof of my actions. I can be more useful to you that way."

"Uwoooh! Adiiiii! You are the best! Okay~!"

The maid pointed out while trying her best not to show that she cared, but the gold-haired girl saw right through it and cheered out while snuggling up to the maid's arm.

"We secured the funds and then some, but… how about depositing it? There should be a bank around,"

The gold-haired girl didn't stop nuzzling up to her maid, although she did move her head and squinted her eyes at the sizable pile of bags filled with various coins.

"That's right, we can't have young Zane carry everything all the time. I'll handle it."

The maid declared, leaning down and picking everything up after the gold-haired girl released her.

"Let's leave this for the immediate expenses… this one for equipment and clothes… and this one in case you, my lady, will have the urge to buy another weird item."

The maid weighed the money in her arms before passing three pouches - one to the gold-haired girl and the other two to her fellow servant - with a nod.

"I'm off."

After that, the maid let out a satisfied voice and moved to the exit.

"Adi, it's just around the time for dinner. Zane and I will go pick up Cath. We will wait for you at the academy gate, okay?

"Of course, my lady. I might be a bit late, though, because I want to send the report back home."

The gold-haired girl called after her, and the maid turned right around to assure her while bowing her head with a big smile.

"Hopefully, more extermination quests will show up soon. Making a fortune sounds like fun. Oh! Do you think that if we get rich fast, the local underworld will try to mess with us?!"

As the guild's door closed for some reason, although most of the people present could not recall who exactly had left, the gold-haired girl snickered before gasping and turning to her servant with eyes glistening from excitement.

"?!?!"

She wasn't particularly quiet either, so she got more than a few baffled looks from the onlookers, including the two receptionists.

"Hopefully not. I am afraid of what would happen then. Your favorite playstyle never followed the most righteous path whenever such freedom was allowed…"

"!!!"

The response of her level 70 servant let out a pained groan, shaking his head with a troubled expression, causing even more of a stir amongst the others.

"Nnnnnnnnngh~"

"...!"

The gold-haired girl raised her arms and stretched, letting out a rather suspicious moan-like sound while arching her back The action did showcase her chest - or lack of it - but it also brought a lot more attention to her ample butt…

…halting all of the brain functions of the man next to her, unable to aver his gaze…

"My, oh, my~ Someone really did pay attention to me even when I was not playing with him~"

The girl lowered her arms, slicking back her hair and keeping her hands against her nape while coquettishly gazing up at her servant.

"!!!"

As the corners of her mouth raised in a devilish smile, one strand of her hair broke free and sprung back, landing across her face, at least doubling the effects of the look and making the man audibly gulp down his saliva.

"I like that~"

"...I…"

The gold-haired girl let out a soft giggle and started moving towards the door. The stunned monstrous servant could only watch her as he tried to utter a coherent sentence and failed miserably at that task.

"Zane~? You're not going with me…?"

"!!!"

The girl stopped at the door, sending the man a gaze filled with sadness - and the next moment, the servant was right beside her, holding the door open for her, seemingly unable to pay attention to anything else but her.

"..."

For a few moments after their departure, the adventurers guild remained perfectly silent.

Until…

"Holy hell! What in the world was that?!"

"You felt that too?!"

Someone called out in shock, and someone else gasped back.

"She must have some kind of charm or allure ability! She must keep him close with that!"

Another person shouted, getting heated.

"Fargh! It would be nice if that were the case! But let me tell you that I have been around people with both charm and allure type abilities, and none of them was able to cause me to shut the hell up and watch them with their presence alone!"

One of the veteran adventurers that the receptionist Terry drank earlier in the day spoke up, wiping his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

"True… for those few moments, it felt like that girl was the center of the world… is there even an ability like that? It must be a royal-type one if that's the case! Oh, shit! Is she a member of our royal family!? Or a princess from another country!?"

The veteran's party member nodded at his words before perking up and letting out a baffled gasp.

"I… I've seen something like that before…"

"You did!?"

The young receptionist, Lana, raised her trembling hand and spoke up, gaining the attention of all the others.

"B-back when I was young, my parents got an invitation to a theater play for one of our clients."

The girl spoke up, suddenly timid because of all the eyes focused on her.

"The main actress had the ability Female Lead. The moment she stepped on the stage, the audience and even her fellow actors had no other choice but to focus on her to the point of forgetting to breathe…"

Lana explained, fidgeting nervously.

"...I think I know who you're talking to… wasn't that actress murdered because she got the attention of… someone important?"

"She was… but that girl could also have Female Lead ability… she looks like she is being careful, though, and leveling up properly…"

Terry furrowed his brows and pointed out, hesitant about dropping the word aristocrat, and Lana nodded, lowering her head while responding.