Chapter 54: A Race To Copper

Chapter 54: A Race To Copper

As Sage watched the little girl skip toward his desk, her bright golden pigtails swayed rhythmically behind her. The giant shield rested on her back, and an innocent smile lit up her face. He couldn’t help but rub his temples with a heavy sigh.

Gregor, who was seated nearby, wore a strange expression upon seeing Sage’s reaction, as if he had something lodged in his throat.

He calmly turned to see what had caused Sage’s change in demeanor. When he caught sight of Mina, however, his expression shifted slightly, panic flickering in his eyes before he quickly regained composure.

Taking a deep breath, he shot Sage a peculiar look but remained silent. Puzzled by Gregor’s gaze,Sage raised an eyebrow as he was about to asked him if something was wrong but just then Mina was already standing proudly in front of the desk.

"Hey, petty Uncle Sage! Look! I completed another mission!" she exclaimed gleefully as she untied several pouches from her waist and placed them on the desk.

Sage sighed softly and began opening each pouch one by one to confirm their contents.

After a few moments, he looked back at Mina and nodded with a calm smile. "Everything is intact. You really outdid yourself this time by beating your previous record for completing the mission faster."

He chuckled lightly as he jotted down notes on paper and affixed them to each pouch before placing them into the cabinets behind him.

"Ah, the Starlight Moss and the Thunder Lizard scales. Both completely intact. The commissioners will be pleased."

He opened another cabinet filled with stacks of gleaming gold coins.

Counting out some coins, he turned back to Mina. "Alright, flatboard princess, this is your reward for completing two missions: 109 Gold Coins in total after a 5% deduction."

"Hehehe!" Mina giggled as she cradled the gold coins in her tiny arms while looking at Sage. "Petty Uncle Sage, it looks like it won’t be long before I’m richer than you!"

Sage was momentarily speechless at her comment; he leaned back in his chair as a mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes."Is that so? Then I’d better hurry up and increase my wealth,..let me see... oh right! A thousand gold coins!"

With that statement, he began pulling out piles of gold coins onto the desk while dramatically counting them.

Mina’s previously joyful expression fell instantly; she glared at him angrily. "You’re too shameless for someone your age!"

"Hahaha! Let me tell you something, flatboard princess," Sage said as he straightened up with an exaggerated serious expression and cleared his throat as if about to impart wisdom.

Tilting his head at a dramatic angle while wind tousled his hair gently, he proclaimed: "Shamelessness knows no age!"

"Ehhh...!" Both Mina and Gregor were taken aback for a moment before their expressions shifted to sheer disbelief.

Mina’s face flushed a deep shade of red as she struggled to find the right words. Frustrated, she pulled out the two Mission Dockets and slammed them onto the desk, causing it to creak loudly, though thankfully, it didn’t collapse like last time.

Seeing Mina’s angry expression brought a sense of satisfaction to Sage. He relished teasing her and took the Dockets, stamping them before handing them back with a smirk.

"Hmph!" Mina snorted, snatching the Dockets from him and glaring fiercely. "Just wait until I tell my elder sister about this. You’ll be crying when that happens."

At her words, Gregor’s face went slightly pale as he wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. He looked at Sage with pity in his green eyes, as if he were staring at dead meat.

"You have no idea what you’re playing with, Guildmaster. No idea at all." Gregor muttered softly under his breath.

"Oh come on, enough with the elder sister threats," Sage said, rolling his eyes and waving her off.

"Hurry up! There are plenty of missions posted today. If you complete more quickly, you might just become the first Adventurer to advance from Iron Rank to Copper Rank."

"Really?" Mina’s expression brightened at this news, momentarily forgetting her earlier irritation.

"Yeah," Sage nodded enthusiastically. "And there’s a reward for whoever advances to Copper Rank first."

"What kind of reward?" Mina asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Sage tilted his head playfully. "I can’t reveal that; it would spoil the surprise! Think of it as a hidden quest for any Adventurer."

His grin widened as he added, "So you better hurry up if you want that reward; otherwise, someone else might beat you to it." He shot a glance at Gregor.

Mina turned her attention to Gregor,the nervous man sitting in the chair who was looking back at her like she was some sort of monster.

"This guy is the first person ever registered as an Adventurer," Sage explained. "He completed several missions already and will likely advance to Copper Rank soon."

His voice carried an undertone of mischief and anticipation as if he looking forward to some sort of rivalry between the two.

"This green bush is the first Adventurer in history?" Mina eyed Gregor skeptically from head to toe, curiosity mixed with hostility.

"Hi! My name is Gregor Windsoul..." Gregor smiled brightly at Mina but was quickly interrupted.

"Listen here, green bush," Mina declared firmly. "You may have been the first Adventurer registered, but I will be the first one to reach Copper Rank! That mysterious reward is mine, don’t even think about it!" Her glare was fierce and full of pride.

Gregor’s lips twitched at her words, especially when she called him "green bush." He could only manage a sheepish smile while scratching his head in disbelief.

"Hmph!" Mina snorted again, her cute pink nose twitching slightly as she shot Sage a side-eye before rushing toward the Mission Board.

Sage wore an innocent smile as he watched Mina dash toward the Mission Board, then glanced at Gregor, whose face was contorted in a way that lookz he was struggling with constipation.

"Hey, green hair! Looks like you’ve got some serious competition," Sage said, leaning back with a relaxed demeanor.

Gregor turned to him, veins popping on his forehead as he fought the urge to snap back. Taking a deep breath, he managed to calm himself and exhaled slowly.

"Come on, don’t give me that look," Sage waved his hand dismissively. "You look like a woman in labor with that expression."

Gregor clenched his fists but chose to roll his eyes instead. "So what’s this about being the first to advance to Copper Rank for some mysterious reward?"

Sage stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn before replying lazily, "Well, it’s like a hidden quest I created in the Guild to spice things up. I won’t go into details about what it entails, but you should definitely take it seriously."

Now genuinely intrigued, Gregor leaned closer. "Is it really that important?"

Sage remained silent for a moment, playfully eyeing Gregor before standing up from his chair.

"Everyone! Can I have your attention, please?" Sage’s voice boomed through the Guild Hall, instantly drawing the gaze of all the Adventurers gathered around the Mission Board.

He shot Gregor a knowing smile that sent a chill down Gregor’s spine.

"I have an announcement! A super important announcement!"