Chapter 52: 051 Can you guarantee this?
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Meanwhile, in the guild master’s room on the top floor of the adventurer’s guild, Riley was unsurprisingly being grumbled at by Vivian.
“Alright, alright, it’s my fault, okay?” Riley conceded, “I was just trying to lend you a hand. How did it end up ?”
The head of the Lamijion Adventurer Guild wore a helpless expression, likely already dreading Vivian’s persistent complaints.
But Vivian maintained her stance.
“No matter what, this is an internal matter of our team. You forcing your way in doesn’t bode well for you, does it?”
Vivian was still holding onto her grievance.
Yet, Vivian wasn’t entirely wrong.
“If, as the guild master, you casually interfere with the affairs of adventurer teams, especially something as sensitive as payment, and rumors of it are spread by someone with an agenda, other adventurer teams might start harboring a distance from you. Is that alright?”
Vivian expressed her concerns.
This wasn’t an exaggeration.
Riley understood that what she did today could lead to trouble if not handled properly or if exploited by someone with ill intentions.
However, Riley wasn’t too worried either.
“Do you think my three years as guild master in Lamijion were just a sham?” Riley smiled and said, “Situations , I’ll nip them in the bud before they can even arise. Others might not know, but don’t you?”
Upon hearing this from Riley, Vivian finally felt a bit relieved.
Just as Riley understood Vivian, Vivian also knew Riley very well. She clearly knew how meticulous the only daughter of this Great Noble House was, and would not allow such possibilities to occur.
While other high-ranking individuals might only showcase their abilities after an incident occurs, solving it perfectly to display their intelligence and gain the world’s praise, Riley was different. She didn’t want to exhaust herself solving problems when they occurred; instead, she was keen on taking measures to nip risks in the bud before they happened.
Thanks to this approach, most people in Lamijion viewed Riley as noble and kind-hearted, seeing her support for newcomers as a benevolent gesture. Little did they know, Riley’s actions stemmed from her desire to eliminate potential risks.
Newcomers frequently encountering danger?
Then assist them by enhancing their equipment and supplies to ensure their safety to the greatest extent possible.
Struggling to find excellent adventurers?
Then, give them enough attention during their novice stages and nurture them.
These policies were all due to Riley’s foresight and diligence in preparing for the future.
Following this working style, Riley had previously prevented several significant events from occurring, keeping her three-year tenure peaceful and uneventful.
Thus, people only recognized the guild master’s kindness and generosity without realizing how meticulous she was in identifying the origins of various events and extinguishing them.
This is why newcomers like Shane would capture Riley’s attention and subsequently be assigned to Vivian’s team. Riley also went directly to the hall to meet Shane after Vivian’s team returned.
If it were someone else, they might not have acted so directly, voluntarily meeting the person they wanted to see. Instead, they would have sent guild staff to bring the person to them, upholding their status as guild master.
To be honest, the reason Vivian cared so much for newcomers and was so committed to nurturing them was largely due to Riley’s influence.
Otherwise, gentle as she was, Vivian wasn’t inclined to care for everyone indiscriminately.
Naturally, Riley, who had such an influence on Vivian, wouldn’t allow any discordant rumors to surface.
“Alright,” Vivian sighed, “I know I don’t think as far ahead as you do, nor am I as smart.”
Vivian could only admit this.
“Don’t say that.” Riley chuckled lightly, picked up a quill pen, tapped it on the desk, and said, “I’m quite glad I went out there this time; otherwise, how would I have met such a rookie?”
“What?” Vivian asked in surprise, “Have you already seen Shane’s extraordinary traits?”
“No, I haven’t.” Riley candidly replied, “But seeing how you and Tielle and the rest of your team treat that rookie, I can guess there’s something about him that makes you pay attention.”
Clearly, Riley had keenly observed the subtle attitudes of Vivian’s Team toward Shane.
“Originally, I thought because of past events, putting you aside, Tielle and the others would have been quite unwelcoming to that rookie.” Riley added with a half-smile, “But today, apart from little Lu Muya still acting the same, the three of you seemed to have an unusual attitude towards that newcomer.”
Especially Tielle’s behavior, which surprised Riley the most.
Because Riley had never seen any male adventurers get that close to Tielle.
Not to mention male adventurers, even female ones would be ignored if they were too unfamiliar.
This could be described as the aloofness of a genius, something Riley had grown accustomed to.
And the more accustomed she was, the more surprised she was today.
“For Tielle, who once dared to break the limbs of a noble family heir for being handsy, to act , there must be something exceptional about that newcomer.” Riley looked at Vivian and asked, “So? Have you discovered anything about him?”
This was also a task given to Vivian by Riley, to probe Shane to a certain extent and see if this newcomer really hadn’t learned any skills or if there was something unusual about him.
“…Sorry, I really don’t want to talk about this.”
Vivian was silent for a moment, then gave this reply.
Riley had not anticipated Vivian’s response, and she was momentarily stunned.
“Shane indeed has secrets.” Vivian suddenly gave a bitter smile, “But from the little I’ve glimpsed, I can only say that this secret might be bigger than we imagined, and I’m afraid we can’t handle it.”
These words left Riley speechless.
“…Is it very troublesome?”
Riley straightened her back slightly and looked directly at Vivian.
“Yes, it could be very troublesome.” Vivian met Riley’s gaze and spoke very seriously, “I hope it’s not what I’m thinking; otherwise, Shane’s existence could very likely cause the fragile balance maintained between the three clans to completely collapse.”
At this moment, even Riley couldn’t help but change her expression.
“Has it really come to that?”
Riley frowned deeply, and her tapping on the desk quickened.
Vivian knew this was Riley’s habit when thinking.
There was no doubt that Riley was weighing the pros and cons in her mind at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people.
And this moment didn’t last long.
“Since even you say so, it seems I have no choice but to believe it.”
Riley reached this conclusion.
“What do you plan to do?”
“What else can I do?” Riley replied with annoyance, “Help clean up after that rookie, of course.”
“Clean up after him?” Vivian immediately understood and asked, “Have you investigated Shane?”
“To an extent.” Riley pouted and said, “You know my nature—I like to prepare for the worst. Since I’ve taken special care of that newcomer, I naturally had to do a preliminary investigation, just in case something came up.”
But in the end, Riley found nothing, as if Shane had suddenly emerged from a crack in the stone.
“Originally, I thought it was just because the time was too short, so I couldn’t find anything useful. But now it seems that this investigation not only can’t continue, but I also need to think of ways to obscure his information, even forge an identity for him.”
That was Riley’s plan.
Vivian asked, just in case.
“It’s not a big problem. We can just pass him off as someone from an orphanage I’ve supported.”
Riley quickly and thoroughly considered it.
Because many adventurers who had built families died heroically in their adventures, Riley had established orphanages for the children they left behind.
From these orphanages, children often followed in their parents’ footsteps or chose to become adventurers to thank Riley and become self-sufficient.
Given this, if Riley wanted to forge an identity for Shane, it would be quite straightforward.
“Provided he is trustworthy?” Riley reminded, “I don’t want to inadvertently help a foreign spy or a spy from the Demon Clan. Can you guarantee that?”
Riley stared intently at Vivian.
Vivian couldn’t help hesitating for a moment but then resolutely nodded.
“Although we’ve only had brief contact and his existence itself is quite an unstable factor, I can assure you, he is not a foreign spy or a spy from the Demon Clan.”
Vivian recalled Shane’s reaction when discussing the war from a thousand years ago, steeling herself as she spoke.
“If anything happens, I will take full responsibility.”
Upon hearing this, Riley smiled immediately.
“To make you go this far, that rookie really hit the jackpot.” Riley shrugged and said, “Alright, I’ll join you on this venture.”
Vivian felt a warmth in her heart.
She knew that Riley deciding to do this meant Riley would be shouldering immense risk.
For Riley, who aimed to nip any risks in the bud, this wasn’t a decision made lightly.
Vivian could only say one thing.
Everything was encapsulated in these brief words.
“Since I’ve already supported that rookie, let’s see it through to the end.”
“I’m getting more curious about that rookie. I need to find a chance to have a drink with him.”