Unexpected Welcoming

"So, I'll have to return tomorrow for my Test, right?"

Adonis was already standing to his feet after filling all his forms. He could tell that the lady in front of him was interested, but he just wasn't having it.

It was better for him to spare them both the embarrassment and leave as soon as his business was concluded.

"No. There's no need for that." Burke answered, rising to her feet as well.

'H-huh? Don't tell me…!'

"You must have heard, right? That an A-Tier Monster was captured by those two."

Adonis tried to hide his surprise, but it was too much to be contained. He had indeed heard about it from the group of Adventurers he spoke to the previous day, but he thought that was an exaggeration on their part.

They seemed to disagree on so many details about the Monster that he assumed they heard the news from someone who, perhaps, also heard it from another.

It seemed like unreliable information at best.

'So it was true? They actually captured one?' A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Why…?"

Burke heard his whisper and chose to answer him, despite it merely being rhetorical. "Why else? For the purposes of the next Heroic Rank Test."

Hearing that only further confused Adonis.

The actions of the two didn't seem like what Dragons would do. Why would they ever think of contributing to the cause?

'Unless… could the Monster be a trap?' The only for him to find out was to actually see the thing.

Lucky for him, he was going to be taking the Test that day.

"That means I can take the Test now, right? Will you take me there?" Adonis asked.

"No. Just wait here while I call your supervisor." Somehow, Burke's tone seemed a lot more distant and cold than charming.

She must have taken the hint that he simply wasn't interested.

Adonis nodded and waited on his chair, wondering on a few things in his solitude.

'The Conquest will most likely begin tomorrow evening.' He began, rubbing his chin as he considered a few things.

The students had to meet the Guildmaster who requested for them before them, so Adonis planned on making it today—probably after he was done with his Test.

There, they would explain their plan to him and hope it coincided with the plans of the Conquest that they already drafted.

More likely than not, they would officially announce Lux and Jet as Heroic Rank Adventurers before the current day ran out. If that was the case, then by passing the Test, he would also join them for the announcement.

'That will probably be the first time we meet…'

As Adonis was still on this train of thought, the door behind him opened, meaning it was finally time for him to take the Test.

"Thank you so much, Miss Bu—"

Adonis stopped mid-sentence as he turned and stared at the most unexpected sight he could imagine.

Yes, Burke was the one who opened the door, and she entered the office soon after, but the people who stood at the entrance were the ones that surprised him the most.

There was his Test Supervisor, Britta, but two others also stood there.

'Are they… Jet and Lux?' Adonis' eyes nearly bulged as he saw them looking at him with calm demeanors on their partially covered faces.

He felt a lump in his throat, and somehow his instincts warned him of danger.

'T-they're here? How are they here? Why…?!'

Did they already catch a whiff of him and planned to eliminate him by using the element of surprise? Were they planning on holding Britta and Burke hostage?

'How much do they know about us? About the plan…?!' As sweat began to appear on Adonis' face, he heard a voice wake him up from his dazed state.

"I suppose he's a bit overwhelmed, seeing his hero in person. Forgive his discourtesy."

The moment Burke said this, Adonis snapped out of his shock and quickly made an attempt to improvise.

"I-I am… honored to meet the strongest this City has to offer."

He swiftly bowed his head, hoping that would at least hide the nervousness that pervaded his face.

"Oh? He's a lively one." Britta commented with a slight chuckle.

'That's odd. Britta was a very bitter and strict woman, according to my memory of her.'

She reportedly lost one of her arms in the Dungeon Conquest, and so she was forced to retire as a full-time Adventurer as a result.

She remained a supervisor, though, but she was known to have a very bad temper.

Even before she lost her arm, everyone claimed that she was still very rude and mean. As such, even at this moment, she wasn't supposed to be so pleasant to be around.

Seeing her laugh so wholeheartedly should have made Adonis still very rude and mean. As such, even at this moment, she wasn't supposed to be so pleasant to be around.

happy, but he couldn't help but slightly stare at the two shady characters behind her who most likely caused the change.

'First Burke, and now Britta… they're causing so many changes.'

This would only distort reality more, creating more inconsistencies. Adonis felt both worry and fear at this point.

Especially after a dark possibility manifested in his mind.

'Could It be… do they know of my identity?' If they knew that he had lived the future and was on a mission to change it, could they be trying to stop him?

By creating more contradictions like this, Adonis would lose all predicting power in no time.

'If that's the case, then they're more dangerous than I imagined.'

"Well, it's not every time we get to meet our heroes. Be grateful, Sebas." Adonis raised his head to see Britta smiling at him.

"Once they heard that their biggest fan was here to take the test after being inspired by their achievements, these two decided to watch your Test with me."

More sweat dripped from Adonis' face that very instant.

'They're trying to monitor me? Do they want to get a good grasp of how powerful I am?'

If that was the case, then this entire thing could be a trap.