[Vol. 7] Chapter 70: The Priest and the Lightscale
Due to its rapid expansion and military conquests, the Austre Empire became incredibly powerful, but it never had the luxury of fully resolving the many issues that came with its growing territory.
For example, the cultural conflicts between the original local governments and the new imperial provinces, which were formed by merging various racial nations and territories. Even places like Coastal City Layla, or the few "nations within a nation" with even greater autonomy, posed ongoing challenges.
It wasn't until the past hundred years, when the empire's expansion reached its limits, that it finally slowed down. To the north, it was blocked by the frozen tundra. To the south, the Abyss. To the east, the ocean. With no real targets left besides the Holy Empire to the west, Austre Empire's relentless conquest finally came to a halt. The empire then shifted its focus to internal governance.
Because it feared the Holy Empire’s strength, the Austre Empire royal family deliberately avoided directly bordering it. They even gave up the chance to annex several small western nations, instead allowing them to remain semi-independent as a buffer zone between the two great empires.
This decision played a key role in preventing an all-out war between the two powers.
However, according to Sethlin, things have started to change. Internal shifts within the Holy Empire, combined with a century of preparation in Austre Empire, have made the imperial court restless once again.
For now, they are testing the waters and forming alliances, but once they are fully prepared, there’s no telling what might happen next.
Of course, all of this world-level political drama had little to do with Violet, at least for now. She had no intention of getting involved in such a mess or picking a side. Thinking about too many things at once could make a person lose their hair, just like a certain queen she knew~
Instead, working as an adventurer seemed like a much simpler and better choice.
That said, since Violet never lacked money, she rarely visited Adventurers’ Guilds in different cities and had barely taken on any actual adventurer jobs. Logically speaking, her rank shouldn’t be very high.
But if she remembered correctly, a certain queen had once abused her authority and secretly boosted Violet's rank to a level she definitely didn’t deserve. So…
"Them? Guarantee?"
The young receptionist at the counter took the priestess’s badge and initially responded in a polite, professional tone.
"Miss, only Earth-ranked adventurers and above have the privilege of sponsoring newcomers without an entrance exam. To directly register someone at Mithril rank, you would need—"
But before he could finish his explanation, his hand trembled, nearly dropping the badge on the desk.
"L-Legendary rank?!"
An adventurer’s badge was the most important proof of identity, and its rank was easy to recognize, even for those outside the guild.
New adventurers started with a simple wooden tag bearing their name, which they used throughout their rookie period. Once they ranked up to Bronze-rank, their badge was replaced with a metal one.
From there, each promotion meant an upgrade, with materials like Mithril and Obsidian Steel being added as distinct markers for different ranks.
Upon reaching the Earth rank, the guild would reforge an adventurer’s badge entirely from Blacksteel, engraving a beast or bird design, symbols of the earth and sky, respectively.
But Legendary rank stood at the very top.
As the strongest adventurers, they not only had numerous privileges but were also given custom-designed badges, reflecting their personal insignia. A mark of worldwide recognition.
The moment the receptionist saw the badge Violet handed over, he froze. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively lowered his gaze, carefully inspecting the unique emblem engraved on the badge.
His mind raced, scrambling to recall every Legendary-ranked adventurer registered in the guild’s global database. There were only about ten of them worldwide, even the most senior staff could go their entire careers without ever processing a request from one.
Who was she?
Which one was she?!
Just then, his eyes locked onto the emblem, a pure white staff etched onto the badge.
The staff was slimmer and more refined than those used by ordinary mages. At its top, a prismatic gemstone was set between two white, wing-like rings, giving it a noble and sacred appearance.
In that instant, a name, not particularly famous, but filled with legendary weight, flashed through the receptionist's mind like lightning.
He jerked his head up, his eyes practically shining with excitement.
“The [Priest]… The [Priest]! Could it be that you are the legendary adventurer, Priestess Violet? The one who, since registering, has only completed three missions yet was immediately granted Legendary rank by the guild? One of the two-person teams?”
“Uh? Oh…?”
Violet blinked, then gradually processed what was happening.
Her title, huh…?
Now that she thought about it, when she and dragon girl took on the mission to defeat the ‘Southern Calamity’ in the Criv Kingdom, they had updated their badges. Back then, the guild master, Epunia, had asked them to choose a unique symbol and title for their Legendary Rank status.
She hadn’t given it much thought at the time, she just slammed her staff onto the desk and casually picked the name “[Priest].”
And… they actually went through with it?
Huh… Maybe she had been a little too casual about it back then.
Oh well. [Priest] is fine. It didn’t exactly sound intimidating, but at least it still fit her.
“That’s right, I’m Violet,” she confirmed. “Legendary-ranked adventurers can sponsor newcomers up to Mithril rank, right? That rule hasn’t changed, has it?”
The young receptionist nodded eagerly.
“Yes, yes! That’s absolutely correct! Um… I heard that [Priest] is always seen with another Legendary Adventurer, [Lightscale], you two are practically inseparable. Since you’re here in Layla City, the coastal city, does that mean she is also…?”
“Hmm?”
Violet tilted her head, feeling slightly puzzled.
His tone seemed casual, as if he was just curious. But as a trained staff member of a major Adventurers’ Guild, he shouldn’t be letting his personal emotions affect his work. More importantly, he really shouldn’t be asking about the whereabouts of a Legendary-ranked adventurer so openly…
What’s with this guy?
Am I overthinking this? Given that he only showed a mild reaction upon seeing a Legendary Adventurer, his professionalism should be pretty solid…
After a brief pause, Violet casually patted the head of the golden-haired young girl beside her, whose small stature kept her hidden behind the counter. The receptionist probably couldn’t even see her properly.
Deciding to give a simple response, she said,
“She had something to take care of, so she didn’t come with me this time. Why? Does the guild require all members of a team to be present for this to count?”
“Oh, no, of course not! Haha… uh, but, [Priest], would you mind waiting a moment? Since a Legendary Adventurer’s identity is very important, we need to verify your badge in the guild’s system. Would that be alright?”
“……? Fine, but make it quick.”
“Y-Yes…!”
Wiping sweat from his forehead, the young receptionist hurriedly called over a female colleague, whispered a few words to her, and then, ignoring her wide-eyed shock, grabbed Violet’s adventurer’s badge and dashed towards the inner hall, quickly disappearing from sight.
Watching the whole exchange, Le Qiaoqiao noticed the nervous-looking replacement receptionist walking toward them hesitantly. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she leaned toward Violet and whispered,
“Boss, what exactly is a Legendary Adventurer? It sounds like a really big deal. Are they all immortal sages like you? And why do they need to double-check your identity so much?”
“How is that even possible…?”
Violet sighed and shook her head.
She didn’t visit the Adventurers’ Guild often, but she knew that this kind of process was abnormal. Besides, adventurer badges could be verified directly at the front desk, there was no need to run to the back office.
There was only one explanation, he went to find someone.