Adventurer of Many Professions

The three of them soon arrived at the bustling Adventurer's Guild. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional clink of armor. Adventurers crowded the guild hall, sorting through commission boards or discussing missions over mugs of ale.

Lorene looked nervous as her gaze darted around the room. Her priest's uniform stood out starkly among the rugged, battle-worn adventurers. It didn't take long for the others to notice her, their eyes zeroing in on the fact that she was without a nameplate, a clear indication she hadn't joined a team yet.

A spark of interest lit up the room. Priests were rare and valuable members for any adventuring party, and adventurers began approaching her, hoping to recruit her for their teams.

But before anyone could get too close, Sylph and Raymond stepped forward, their postures making it crystal clear: 'This priest is already spoken for.'

The adventurers, seeing they were out of luck, sighed in frustration, shook their heads, and backed off.

Sylph, clearly pleased with her and Raymond's unspoken teamwork, raised her chin in triumph. Lorene, meanwhile, let out a deep breath of relief. The attention had been overwhelming, and she was grateful for their intervention.

"Over there!" Sylph said, pointing toward the registration counter. "That's where you sign up. Let's get you registered, Lorene. I'll go with you!" She reached out as if to take Lorene's hand.

"Ah, no, it's okay! I can do it myself!" Lorene said quickly, waving her hands nervously. Despite her initial nerves, she didn't want to rely too much on others. Her training had emphasized the importance of self-reliance; priests were meant to support their teams, not burden them.

"Are you sure?" Sylph asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lorene clutched her magic wand tightly and nodded firmly. "Yes, I can handle it."

Sylph hesitated, still looking unconvinced, but Raymond stepped in. "Let her go. We'll stay here and keep an eye on things."

With a small sigh, Sylph relented. "Fine. But I'll jump in if anything goes wrong."

Lorene smiled gratefully at Raymond, then turned and made her way to the registration counter. The two watched her from a distance.

Raymond, meanwhile, silently observed. He knew Lorene was shy and timid, prone to getting overwhelmed in crowded spaces. If she couldn't handle a simple registration process, how could she face monsters or life-or-death situations during missions? Yet, seeing her determination to go alone gave him hope. Lorene was clearly trying to overcome her weaknesses, and that effort made Raymond feel a little more at ease.

It didn't take long for Lorene to finish the registration. She returned holding a shiny new nameplate, the mark of a "White Porcelain Level" adventurer, her face glowing with excitement and pride.

As the trio prepared to regroup, a team of four adventurers descended from the second floor. One of them, a tall archer with a longbow slung across his back, spotted Lorene immediately. He nudged his leader with his elbow and whispered excitedly, "Boss, look! A priest just registered and doesn't seem to have a team yet!"

The man he called "boss" wore light armor and carried a thin-bladed sword at his side, the hallmark of a swordsman. Following the archer's gaze, his eyes brightened.

Their team of four, a swordsman, an archer, a warrior, and a magician; was well-balanced in almost every way. They had close combat, ranged attacks, and magic covered, but they were sorely missing one crucial role: a priest.

Finding an unteamed priest was notoriously difficult. Most were snatched up immediately after registration, and the competition to recruit them was fierce. The team had just been promoted from Black Iron to Bronze Level earlier that day, yet their search for a priest had come up empty; until now.

"Looks like today's our lucky day," the swordsman said with a grin. "We've barely stepped out of Black Iron, and here we are, staring at a newly registered priest!"

"Let's go," the archer urged, his voice eager. "We need to invite her before someone else does!"

The four of them didn't waste a second, making a beeline straight for Lorene.

The swordsman leader, followed closely by his team, hurried down the stairs and cut off Lorene before she could leave.

Lorene had just stood up from the registration counter, ready to meet up with Raymond and Sylph, when suddenly a group of adventurers blocked her path. Before she could process what was happening, the man in light armor at the front stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Miss Priest!" he began, his voice enthusiastic. "You don't have a team yet, do you? Why don't you join ours? The four of us are Bronze Level adventurers now, we can definitely protect you!"

The words tumbled out so fast that Lorene felt overwhelmed. She clutched her magic wand nervously. "Um… I actually—"

"What do you think you're doing?!"

A sharp, commanding voice rang out behind her.

The four adventurers turned to see Sylph storming over, her face twisted in fury. She wasted no time, shoving past the group to stand protectively in front of Lorene. Raising her magic wand, she glared at the team, her posture daring them to challenge her.

"Lorene is 'my' teammate!" she declared. "Are you trying to steal her?"

The four adventurers exchanged glances. Sylph's defiant stance made them pause, but when they noticed her white porcelain nameplate, their hesitation melted away.

'Just a White Porcelain level magician,' they thought. To them, that was hardly a threat. Poaching her teammate might not be entirely honorable, but it wasn't unheard of, especially when their own team desperately needed a priest. Worst case, they figured, they could offer her some compensation afterward to smooth things over.

The swordsman leader smirked, ready to push his case, when whispers from the surrounding adventurers suddenly reached his ears.

"Wait a minute, doesn't that magician look familiar?"

"Holy; she's 'the' Explosion Mage! You know, the one who caused that huge commotion a few weeks ago!"

"It really is her! No wonder the priest is already teaming up with her. And these guys are they seriously trying to poach the Explosion Mage's teammate? Bold move, but not smart."

"That team must be desperate. They're obviously missing a priest, but messing with her? That's not just reckless, it's suicidal."

The guild's atmosphere shifted as more adventurers began recognizing Sylph. Conversations buzzed louder, and the previously oblivious swordsman leader started to sweat.

Only now did he realize what was happening. The magician he'd dismissed as an unimportant White Porcelain level rookie was none other than the Explosion Mage, a figure who'd become infamous in the Magician's Guild just weeks earlier for her terrifyingly destructive magic.

His smirk vanished.

"Ahahaha… well, uh, sorry about that!" The swordsman laughed awkwardly, backing away. "We thought she didn't have teammates yet. Clearly, we were mistaken! Apologies for the misunderstanding—we won't bother you anymore!"

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and retreated, his teammates following behind, their heads hanging low.

"Hmph!" Sylph snorted, wrinkling her nose as she watched them flee. She turned back to Lorene with concern in her eyes. "Are you okay? They didn't scare you too badly, did they?"

Lorene exhaled deeply, placing a hand on her chest to steady herself. "I'm fine… just a little startled."

"Good," Sylph said, still clearly irritated. "Honestly, though! How clueless can they be? Everyone else could tell you were already with someone. They should've known better."

She huffed, brushing a strand of hair from her face, but as she did, her gaze shifted to someone nearby. Her expression changed instantly.

Not far away, Raymond stood frozen, staring blankly in their direction, his expression unreadable.

"Hey!" Sylph called, narrowing her eyes. "Raymond, are you just going to stand there like a statue, or are you going to come over and help?"

Raymond blinked, finally snapping out of his daze. With a sheepish shrug, he strode over, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Sorry," he said, his tone light. "You seemed to have everything under control, so I didn't want to interrupt."

Sylph rolled her eyes, but Lorene couldn't help but laugh softly. The tension melted away as the three of them regrouped, ready to move forward. The incident was over, and with Sylph's fiery defense, it was clear that no one else in the guild would dare approach Lorene anytime soon.