“Please wait here.”
The receptionist carefully gathered the tray of monster materials and disappeared through the door marked **Guild Appraisal Department**.
Aiden remained standing quietly before the counter.
He wasn’t nervous.
As far as he knew, he had simply brought in the materials he had collected during his journey.
Around him, the Adventurer Guild continued as usual.
Adventurers laughed over mugs of ale.
Others argued over quest rewards.
Some studied the request board, searching for their next mission.
No one paid much attention to him anymore.
At least…
Not until one adventurer noticed the pile of materials still resting on the counter.
“That’s a lot of monster parts.”
Another nodded.
“For a beginner, that’s impressive.”
“They’re mostly F and E Rank monsters.”
“Looks like he traveled quite a distance.”
Aiden simply stood in silence.
He wasn’t interested in attracting attention.
Inside the Appraisal Department…
An elderly man wearing a pair of round spectacles carefully examined every material one by one.
His name was Alfred.
He had worked as Westhaven Guild’s chief appraiser for over thirty years.
“Gray Fang Wolf…”
“F Rank.”
He made a note.
“Forest Boar…”
“E Rank.”
Another note.
Everything was ordinary.
Until…
His fingers touched the dark violet scale.
Alfred frowned.
He picked it up.
Then another.
His expression slowly changed.
“…Impossible.”
He quickly reached for the broken horn.
Then the enormous claw.
Finally…
The glowing mana core.
His breathing became heavier.
“No…”
“This can’t be…”
Without another word, Alfred hurried toward a bookshelf and pulled out a thick encyclopedia titled:
He rapidly turned page after page.
Then…
He stopped.
His eyes locked onto an illustration.
Dark violet scales.
A single black horn.
Massive claws.
Everything matched.
His hands began trembling.
“B…
Black River Drake…”
“Confirmed Monster Rank…”
“B Rank.”
The room fell silent.
A B Rank monster.
A creature capable of destroying an entire village.
A monster that normally required experienced C Rank adventurers—or an entire squad of D Rank adventurers—to defeat safely.
Yet…
Those materials had been brought in by someone applying to become an F Rank adventurer.
Alfred immediately stood.
“This needs to be reported.”
Several minutes later…
The receptionist returned to the counter.
Her expression had completely changed.
No longer relaxed.
No longer casual.
Instead…
She looked unusually respectful.
“Mr.
Valen…”
“The chief appraiser would like to speak with you.”
Aiden nodded.
“Of course.”
Ignoring the curious gazes around them, he followed her through the wooden door.
The Appraisal Department was surprisingly quiet.
Shelves filled with monster materials lined every wall.
Ancient books covered large wooden tables.
Standing in the center of the room was the elderly appraiser.
The moment Aiden entered…
Alfred carefully observed him from head to toe.
Simple clothing.
No expensive armor.
No magical accessories.
Nothing about him suggested he could defeat a powerful monster.
Yet the evidence rested on the table.
Alfred spoke first.
“Young man…” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Where did you obtain these materials?”
Aiden answered honestly.
“I defeated the monster.”
The old appraiser blinked.
“…Alone?”
“Yes.”
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Alfred asked another question.
“Do you know what monster this belonged to?”
Aiden shook his head.
“No.”
“I fought it near a river.”
“It attacked first.”
“I survived.”
The old man stared at him for several long seconds.
There was no pride in Aiden’s voice.
No arrogance.
He wasn’t trying to boast.
He simply answered the questions.
Alfred slowly exhaled.
“Young man…”
“You defeated a **Black River Drake.**”
“It is officially classified as a **B Rank Monster.**”
Aiden remained calm.
“So…
it was stronger than the wolves?”
The receptionist nearly choked.
Alfred couldn’t help letting out a short laugh.
“Stronger?”
“My boy…”
“A single Black River Drake could wipe out every Gray Fang Wolf in the surrounding forests without suffering a scratch.”
Only then did Aiden begin to understand.
The monster he had barely survived against…
Had been far stronger than he realized.
Alfred gently placed the mana core back onto the table.
“Fortunately…”
“You didn’t destroy the body.”
“The materials alone are worth an enormous amount.”
He looked toward the receptionist.
“Calculate the full value.”
She nodded immediately.
“Yes, Master Alfred.”
As she hurried away to prepare the payment…
The old appraiser looked back at Aiden with newfound curiosity.
For the first time in decades…
He had a feeling that the quiet young man standing before him…
Would one day shake the entire Adventurer Guild.