’It would be nice if the Adventurer’s Association gave out a monthly stipend of twenty Gold Coins too,’ Zelir couldn’t help but think.

"Just the youngest Silver Level Adventurer in Black Stone Town?"

Zelir asked casually, "What about in the entire Sel Kingdom?"

"Uh..."

Eira faltered. She clearly hadn’t considered that question.

"Well... I haven’t looked into data that detailed."

"But... but with your outstanding talent, Mr. Zelir, I’m sure you’d be considered incredible, even in the entire Sel Kingdom!"

"Hey, Eira, when are you going to praise me like that?" Gray yawned, leaning against the counter.

"Mr. Gray has been an Adventurer for much longer than Mr. Zelir, and you still haven’t managed to become a Silver Level Adventurer."

Eira was quite blunt. "Even if I wanted to praise you, I wouldn’t know where to start."

"If ’Tavern Explorer’ was a profession, Gray would’ve reached Jade Level long ago," Valles said.

"Are you talking about a rank like a master womanizer? Doesn’t sound too bad," Gray said, his interest piqued.

Valles turned his head away, not wanting to deal with the guy.

He knew Gray was the type to stick to you like glue—the more you pushed him away, the more he’d cling.

"Mr. Zelir, please wait a moment."

After speaking, Eira turned and hurried into the back room. Before long, she returned with a brand-new badge.

"Here is your newly engraved Silver Level Adventurer’s Badge!"

Zelir returned his old Iron Badge and took the new one.

It was made of pure silver.

The front of the badge still featured his initials and the crossed sword and shield design.

But the craftsmanship was clearly far more intricate, and its edges were polished to a beautiful sheen.

Zelir took out the light purple Junior Mage Badge from his coat and placed it next to the other for comparison.

There was no need for a close comparison; the difference in quality was obvious at a glance.

The craftsmanship of the Silver Level Adventurer’s Badge was already quite good.

But it was no match for the mysterious and elegant aura of the Mage Badge.

"Well then."

Zelir put his things away, his gaze shifting to the separate corridor on the right side of the hall, which was guarded by two guards.

"Now that I’m a Silver Level Adventurer, can I go in and have a look?"

"Of course you can!" Eira affirmed with a nod.

The guards at the entrance to the corridor routinely inspected everyone’s badges.

Upon seeing the Silver Level Badges of Marcus, Valles, and Zelir, they nodded and let them pass.

"Those two are also on our squad," Marcus said, pointing to Gray and Gak behind him.

The guard hesitated for a moment, but considering they were all part of one team, he ultimately didn’t stop them and stepped aside to clear a path.

"Please, go in."

This area was smaller than the main hall but much quieter.

The floor was paved with polished stone slabs, and a few oil lamps hung on the walls. The room also contained a large quest board.

However, the number of quest notices on it was much smaller, with only a dozen or so posted.

There were about a dozen Adventurers in the room.

Without exception, they were all Silver Level. Both their equipment and their auras gave off an intimidating air.

Furthermore, no one here seemed to be looking for temporary teammates; they were all gathered in groups of three or four, discussing something in low voices.

They were clearly familiar partners who had been working together for a long time.

When Zelir and his group walked in, quite a few people cast subtle glances their way.

The veteran Silver Level Adventurers swept their appraising gazes over the Marcus Squad one by one, their eyes lingering particularly long on Zelir.

’Isn’t he that Mage who’s become rather famous in the Association recently...?’

Zelir felt their scrutinizing stares.

He paid them little mind, however. He was only here to see how the enemies in Middle Level quests differed from those in Junior Level ones.

But the more he looked, the more alarmed Zelir became.

[Quest: Exterminate the "Griffin Queen" of Wailing Summit]

[Quest: Investigate the Disappearances in the Crying Swamp]

[Quest: Hunt the "Lava Tyrant" of Scorching Canyon]

The quest board listed a series of vicious Demons whose names alone were enough to make one’s skin crawl.

A Griffin Queen, a Lava Tyrant... and the Crying Swamp, which sounded downright sinister.

’This is completely different from the Difficulty-rank Demons we’ve faced before!’

Looking closely, nearly every quest involved a genuine Challenge-rated Demon, drastically increasing the danger level.

Of course, the bounties rose accordingly. Even the lowest-paying Middle Level quest offered a reward two to three times that of a three-star Junior quest.

"Sigh..."

Zelir couldn’t help but sigh softly as he looked at the tempting bounties.

"I really wish Hill would come back soon. If she were here, maybe we could actually try one of these Middle Level quests."

’What is she up to, anyway...’

Marcus and Valles had similar expressions, their eyes filled with yearning.

The Fog Demon they had killed in the Gray Wood Forest was only a juvenile.

’What would it be like to face a fully grown, Challenge-rated Demon?’

"If you guys really take a Middle Level quest, and you don’t mind, I can tag along and carry your bags."

Gray leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Just give me a cut of the reward."

"Have you ever considered training hard to see if you can break through?" Zelir asked, looking at Gray.

He might not have been an expert on the matter.

But even Zelir could tell that Gray’s Swordsmanship was actually quite formidable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to serve as the team’s support.

"Breaking through is so exhausting."

As he spoke, Gray let out a huge yawn.

"I’ve told you, my life goals aren’t that ambitious. I’m perfectly happy just living a comfortable life."

...

「The next morning.」

The sun had already risen a fair distance in the eastern sky.

’Another refreshing night of sleeping in and waking up naturally...’

Zelir stretched languidly and sat up in bed with a fluid, effortless motion.

With his former physical constitution, he probably wouldn’t have been able to pull off that little acrobatic feat.

But after choosing the Magic Contract, Zelir’s daily movements had become much easier.

After getting out of bed, he followed his usual routine of a few minutes of Shallow Meditation to bring his Spirit to its optimal state.

When Zelir opened his eyes again, the whole world seemed a little clearer and brighter.

After washing up, he went downstairs.

"Good morning, Zelir," came Aurora’s cheerful voice.

"Morning, Aurora. You’re on a different shift again," Zelir replied with a wave.

"Yep, it’s the beginning of the month."

Aurora said, "You woke up later than usual today, Zelir."

"That’s because I knew you were working this shift today. If I’d gotten up too early, I would have missed you."

Zelir walked over to his usual table by the window and sat down. "So I made a point to sleep in a little."

"Oh, honestly..."

Aurora’s cheeks seemed to turn a little red. She wiped her hands on the corner of her apron. "You’re such a smooth talker, Zelir."

Zelir chuckled, lowering his head with a smile.

A moment later, Aurora walked over carrying a tray with his breakfast.

She was wearing a bright yellow apron today that really suited her style, making her seem all the more radiant.

In addition to the usual bread and vegetable soup, there was also a small, golden-brown pie on the tray, steaming hot.

"It’s an apple pie I just baked. Try it and tell me what you think," Aurora said, her expression a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

Zelir cut off a piece with his fork and knife and put it in his mouth. The crispy crust and the sweet fragrance of the filling immediately captured his taste buds. The texture was superb.

"Oh... this is fantastic."

Zelir praised, "If this were on the menu, I’d order it every day. It’s delicious."

"Hehe," Aurora laughed, very pleased.

"I didn’t realize you had a talent for being a pastry chef," Zelir said, finishing the apple pie in just a few bites, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

"Of course! It’s my dream."

Aurora’s eyes sparkled.

"I’ve always believed that desserts are a food that brings people happiness. When I was little, I could make a single piece of candy last in my mouth for a long time, and I’d be happy all afternoon."

"I’m even planning to save up enough money to open my own dessert shop one day!"

Zelir looked at Aurora’s pure, dreamy expression and smiled.

"A dessert shop, huh? That’s wonderful."

"But..."

Aurora tilted her head, looking at Zelir curiously. "You seem to have been in a particularly good mood ever since you came downstairs today. Did something good happen?"

"Of course."

Zelir gave a mysterious smile. "Because today, something wonderful is just going to fall into my lap."

...

After breakfast, Zelir went to the Mage’s Guild.

It was the beginning of the month, so the Mage’s Guild was bustling with people again.

However, Zelir didn’t go directly to the guild’s general affairs office to receive his mandatory quests. Instead, he walked toward the elegant little building surrounded by Silver Birch Trees.

Zelir went up to the familiar door on the second floor and knocked softly.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK..."

"Come in."

Instructor Manlin’s voice rang out.

He pushed the door open to find the room as warm and full of life as ever.

The early morning sun filled every corner of the room, and several newly-potted Moonlight Orchids stretched their leaves quietly by the window.

Instructor Manlin was carefully watering a few tender green seedlings.

Her attire today was simple and elegant: a light beige, cotton-linen long dress, with her hair casually tied up, giving her a languid and gentle air.