CHAPTER 44: CH:44 WELCOME TO CHAOS RANK: F

As they stood by the counter, Dila suddenly squinted toward a shadowed corner of the Guild Bar.

"...What’s that over there?" she asked, tilting her head past Sarios like a curious pigeon.

Sarios didn’t even glance. "Probably nothing," he said flatly, waving a hand. "Exonory Guild Bar, remember? Weird things are daily specials here. Could be a guy napping with a boar. Always bound to Happened."

"Heh," Dila raised a brow. "Still. I don’t know why, but she looks cute from here."

Sarios blinked. "She?"

Dila pointed subtly. "Yeah. The one in the cloak. With the cup. And the vibe."

Sarios finally peeked. "Ah. Yep. I see her."

Dila’s eyes sparkled slightly. "Whoa. Cat ears. For the win."

She nodded to herself in approval. "That’s peak fantasy right there. Earth cats got nothin’ on that."

She tried to wave a little, even tilted her head sideways, squinting to catch her attention like some curious kid spotting an animal through a window.

But the cloaked girl didn’t even glance her way.

Instead, the cat-eared girl slowly turned her back to them and sipped her milk with casual elegance.

Dila’s smile fell. "Oof. Ignored. What a bummer."

Then she whispered to herself with mock betrayal:

"...Kitten... I thought we had a connection."

She crossed her arms dramatically.

Sarios sighed. "You’ve known her for five seconds."

"And she’s already broken my heart," Dila muttered.

Behind her mind, Nari giggled:

☆ Maybe she’s just shy... or maybe she smells your energy, master. And thinks, ’Nope!’ ☆

Dila’s eye twitched.

("...Was that an insult?")

☆ Who, me? Never. Teehee~ ☆

And the mysterious girl? Still sipping her milk. Still silent.

Still watching.

Dila clapped her hands. "Alright! Let’s get me that quest!"

But the receptionist held up a hand. "Hold on there, little lady."

Dila froze mid-celebration.

"We don’t just let anyone take on a quest," the lady said, adjusting her glasses. "Especially not kids who walk in without a Guild ID."

"Excuse me," Dila said flatly, "I am seventeen."

The receptionist smiled politely. "Exactly."

Dila’s eye twitched.

Sarios stepped beside her, hands in his belt. "She means... you’ll need to sign an unofficial adventurer contract. Just until you qualify for a proper guild card."

Dila raised an eyebrow. "A contract? What, am I signing my soul to a demon?"

"No," the receptionist said with a smirk, pulling out a tightly rolled scroll. "Just the guild."

"Oh, that makes it so much better," Dila muttered, crossing her arms. "So complicated for a few errands."

Sarios chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You’ll get used to it. You’ll learn how guilds work, how ranking up works, party formations—"

In Dila’s head, her inner monologue droned,

Yeah yeah, I know how guilds work... join a guild, team up, do tasks, maybe yell ’For Glory’ before getting stomped by a boar. Classic.

The receptionist gently pushed the scroll forward with a polite, sharp smile. "So, miss—do you care to sign, or not?"

Dila nodded. "Yes please."

She took the scroll with both hands like accepting a royal decree.

Unrolling it across the wooden counter, her eyes scanned the parchment.

"Let’s see," she muttered. "’I, the undersigned, agree to act as an unofficial adventurer under the Exonory Guild Bar... blah blah... take full responsibility for any and all injuries or decapitations...’ wait, what!?"

"That’s just formality," Sarios said quickly.

"...Totally not comforting," Dila muttered, still signing her name in a slow scribble.

Nari popped up in her mind:

☆ Contract accepted. You are now officially an unofficial adventurer, Master! Yay~ ☆

Dila sighed. "Now I’m bound to capitalism and danger."

"You’ll be fine," Sarios said, smiling.

The receptionist stamped the scroll with a loud THUMP and tucked it away.

"Alright," she said. "Welcome to the never ending madness."

As the receptionist finished stamping the scroll and slid it aside, a magical glyph briefly glowed over Dila’s hand—signifying the contract’s activation.

Dila blinked at the light, then looked at her hand.

Her eyes widened.

"The F—"

Sarios turned his head sharply. "Wait, why F? You mean your class rank is F? That’s like the lowest—"

"No, no," Dila quickly said, waving both hands. "It’s not the class. That was just... a swear. I didn’t finish it."

Sarios blinked. "A swear? You mean like... an oath?"

Dila deadpanned. "No, not like ’I swear to serve the kingdom.’ I mean like frustrated rage expression kind of swear."

"Ah," Sarios said slowly, nodding like he just learned something important. "Swear-swear."

"Exactly," Dila sighed. "Almost swore my soul to the wind. But I held it in. I’m a lady, remember?"

Nari whispered in her mind: ☆ Barely. ☆

"Shut up, Nari."

Sarios tilted his head. "You say that out loud?"

"Nope," Dila said instantly, hands behind her back like nothing happened.

He raised an eyebrow. "...Right."

And with that, the Guild Bar’s madness had officially welcomed one more lunatic into its ranks.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow as she looked over the freshly activated scroll.

"So... just the two of you in a party?" she asked, adjusting her glasses with a sigh. "You do know that’s dangerous, right? Especially since you’re bringing an elf girl with an unverified rank—and your own rank, Sarios, is still marked as Helpless, you know."

She didn’t even hide her pity as she glanced at Sarios with a tilted head.

Sarios burst into laughter, throwing a hand behind his head. "Hahah! Shut up, you don’t know how powerful this girl really is."

Dila immediately broke into a nervous smile, a sweatdrop forming as she slowly turned her head toward him.

"You’re... overestimating me," she said through gritted teeth, still smiling. "Please, shut up, Sarios."

She leaned slightly closer and smiled brighter. "Seriously. Shut up."

Sarios blinked. "What? I’m complimenting you!"

"Yeah, and now I feel like I’m about to be sent on a dragon-hunting quest at Level 1."

The receptionist simply shook her head, muttering, "I’m writing this down as ’party full of chaotic energy.’ Good luck."

Sarios gave a thumbs-up. Dila gave an awkward wave.

Suddenly, a calm voice spoke up behind them.

"Wait."

A girl stepped forward from the crowd.

Sarios and Dila turned to look—just as a cloaked figure pulled back her hood once again, revealing a pair of twitching cat ears and sharp blue eyes.

Dila’s eyes widened. It’s her!

Inside her head, a mental fanfare exploded.

("Aaaahhh!!! The cat girl! The one I saw before! She came to us! This is bliss!!") Dila screamed dramatically in her mind.

☆ Talking about dramatic flair, master... ☆ Nari giggled in her sweet voice.

("Hmph. Shut up.") Dila pouted mentally.

☆ Yes yes, your highness of sass and sparkles. ☆ Nari kept laughing.

Back at the counter, the receptionist gave a half-surprised nod. "Oh... a peerless assassin, known by the name Fran. Welcome."

Dila lit up. "She’s Fran?! Ohh my stars—hi Fran!!" She stepped forward excitedly, reaching out her hand.

But Fran averted her gaze and lightly scratched her arm, speaking quietly.

"I just want to join... That’s all."

Then she silently pulled out her guild ID and held it up.

Fran.

Class: D

Role: Assassin

Dila’s jaw dropped. And then—

"PWAHAHAHAHA!!" she burst out laughing, holding her stomach. "Sarios! This cat girl—she’s stronger than you!! AHAHAHAHA!!"

Fran twitched, startled, her hand pausing midair.

Sarios deadpanned, sighing as if his soul had left his body.

"Did you just insult your savior to his face?"

Dila was already wiping tears from her eyes from laughing too hard.

"I—I can’t help it!" she gasped. "The contrast is too good! She’s cute and deadly!"

Meanwhile, other adventurers had turned to stare at the commotion, whispering among themselves.

Fran blinked, quietly confused.

Sarios just slumped in defeat.

And Dila? Still cackling like someone who just got a birthday gift she didn’t deserve.

After a minute of laughing, Dila finally calmed down, wiping the corner of her eyes with a long sigh.

"Ahem—" She cleared her throat dramatically, regaining her composure. "Now then..."

She turned to Fran, placing one hand on her hip and offering the other forward with a warm smile. "Fran, I hope we can work together."

Fran blinked, a little startled, and then nodded shyly. "A-ah... ha... haha..." Her laugh was nervous, soft, barely a breath. She scratched her cheek, her cat ears twitching awkwardly.

But Dila understood right away and didn’t push. She just smiled, warm and genuine this time.

Clapping her hands once, Dila chirped, "Alright then! Let’s check out the consignment board of Quest!!"

Sarios chuckled and nodded. "Let’s go."

"Yeah!!" Dila grinned, full of energy now.

They headed toward the quest board, walking side by side—Dila in front with her usual bounce, Sarios calm and steady, and Fran trailing just behind them, walking stiffly with both hands tucked close to her chest.

The cat girl’s tail flicked side to side, betraying her nerves, but her eyes stayed locked on the backs of her new party members.

Something about this group felt... interesting.

And possibly chaotic.

But maybe, will maybe... it was exactly what she needed all along...."