Chapter 107: The Tower

"Bets! Place your bets!"

"W-what is going on here?"

Antoinette could not believe her eyes. The previously organized and prompt testing arena, which she just left an hour ago, was now filled with people.

Hollering like monkeys that were let loose from captivity, the people were chanting and shouting names. Their coins flew by the quarter of a second straight towards Viel's basket.

Antoinette stared at Viel's baskets that were almost overflowing with coins.

"This…"

To see her guild like this, to see her sacred adventurer's guild reduced to this.

She imagined how much she worked in order to make the guild the way it is now, but for it to reduce to this? Her precious hard work…

Why did she not think of this first!? Antoinette's eyes lit up as she looked at all the people like they were a stack of coins themselves. Another source of revenue has finally entered her doorstep.

They might beat the main branch in terms of earnings at this point. Well, of course, it must be kept silent at first.

Antoinette slowly chuckled ominously.

It was then that her and Viel's eyes met. Viel could not help but gulp as he saw Antoinette looking at her. But contrary to his expected response, Antoinette just raised her thumbs towards him.

An excited smile plastered on her face as she slowly closed the door and quietly left the arena.

Viel was weirded out at first, but breathed a sigh of relief as he was saved from having to deal with Antoinette's nagging.

The clamor and bizarre festivity continued until only 4 were left standing. Each being the respective champions of their stages, and the only ones that will be given a ranking by Viel.

The boisterous crowd had long since gone as it was time for Viel to finally release the verdict of what rank these four applicants would be. The ones that were left were some of the applicants that were unfortunate not to win their battles.

They sat there curious, waiting for Mr. Voice to announce the fate of the four people standing on the stage.

Viel glared at the four people, and it did not even take him a second for him to judge the four as…

"...iron rank", Viel said casually as he turned his back on the four. He held the baskets full of coins in his hands as he excitedly walked away.

But before he could step out of the stage, one of the applicants called for him.

"Wait!", the applicant shouted, his tone commanding, "You only pitted us against each other"

As he heard this, Viel could not help but sigh as he gently lay down the baskets on the marble stage, careful not to spill a single coin.

"It is not fair, don't you think?", the applicant continued, "What makes you think that we are only Iron rank, when a small boy like you is already a Gold rank!?"

"Well…", Viel scratched his chin, "I started at Bronze rank… the four of you are obviously weaker than me. Sounds fair, if you ask me"

"Weak!?", the applicant's voice grew louder, "You have not even fought us and you call us weak!?"

"Okay. Calm down calm down", Viel waved his hand. He then looked at the other 3 applicants, "Do the three of you think the same?"

Hearing this question being addressed to them, the three started to look at each other, and, as if their eyes agreed with each other, they all got off at the stage. The three of them were already happy that they passed the test, why would this idiot involve them with his haughtiness, they all thought.

Seeing the three leaving, the rowdy applicant clicked his tongue, "Cowards!"

"What's your name, then?", Viel asked while yawning.

"Hmph. I am from…", the rowdy applicant quickly put up his guard. He remembered that Mr. Voice attacked the very first applicant while he was introducing himself.

But there was nothing. Not even the slightest movement from this golden hair boy in front of him.

"I am a member of the esteemed New Golden Pavilion!", the rowdy applicant proudly said as he put up his stance, "My adventurer name will be… Handsome Face!"

Viel's face turned serious as soon as he heard the words Golden Pavilion.

"You scared now!?", the rowdy applicant quickly noticed this as his expression turned smug.

"No", Viel instantly replied, "I just know of someone who will be deeply disappointed. To see Golden Pavilion reduced to recruiting insects like you", he sighed.

"You!"

The rowdy applicant disappeared from his spot as he pointed at Viel. Seeing the rowdy applicant make his move, Viel could not help but roll his eyes.

He then stretched out his arms and casually flicked his ring finger in the empty air. His finger, however, hit not empty air, but a head. As soon as his finger made contact, a loud thud reverberated in the air as the rowdy applicant flew all the way to the stands, caving the seats and shattering them.

"...Pebble rank", Viel casually said as he picked up his basket full of coins and left the testing arena. He did not even bother to check whether the rowdy applicant is okay.

The people who were still in the arena, could not help but feel sorry for the rowdy applicant. For him to be reduced to a Pebble rank, when he could have walked away with a higher rank.

But at the same time, they felt like mocking him.

"Pft, so much for this Golden Pavilion"

"Yeah, I thought they were strong"

The failed applicants jeered and insulted the rowdy applicant as they left the testing arena one by one.

The rowdy applicant did hear the slanders that were placed on him, he was, however, currently not able to move.

But he swears, like a petty villain, he will get his revenge. No one insults the New Golden Pavilion! He thought as he groaned silently.

***

Viel's smiles were currently almost reaching his ears, humming a random tune as he counted the coins he got from ushering the… test earlier.

He piled up the copper coins and some silver coins neatly on the floor, careful not to let the mini tower of coins he built fall.

"Why are you doing that here!?"

Suddenly, a voice shouted from behind him, almost causing the money tower to be catapulted.

Salvaging the tower, Viel let out a sigh of relief. He then looked behind him and said,

"Showing you my earnings, of course", he then stood up as he patted his trousers, "I should handle the tests again next month, what do you think?"

Hearing this, Antoinette, the pen that Antoinette was holding slid, causing ink to scratch the surface of the paper she was signing on.

"No!", Antoinette hollered, "There will be a new set of plans next month", she said as she chuckled playfully.

Viel scoffed as she heard Antoinette's answer. He then continued piling up his coins, no longer bothering with Antoinette, acting as if this was his own room.

Antoinette could only sigh. After a few minutes of the clanging of coins piercing her ear, she had enough. She planted her pen on the table and stretched her stiff body.She will not be able to concentrate on her paperwork with all the hubbub, anyway.

"Have you heard from Emi?", she asked.

"Eehh… is this about the cake next month?", Viel said as he began returning the coins to his basket.

"...About Lord Karl's birthday, but yes", Antoinette sighed, "She also invited a few of her adventurer friends to come along, so I was thinking we all should go together?"

"Okay", Viel replied nonchalantly, still placing his coins back in the basket… piece by piece.

"Since you gained a lot of money just now, are you planning on buying Karl a gift?", Antoinette said in a teasing tone.

Viel instantly had a disgusted expression on his face, as if saying why he should spend money on other people. "My gift is my presence", he then said.

"...", Antoinette was almost at a loss for words, "You were cuter a year ago when you didn't talk much"

When Viel heard this, he immediately stood up and rotated his way in front of Antoinette's desk, causing his long golden hair to sway in the air. He then flicked his hair once in front of the desk and whispered, "Was I?", while batting his long and elegant eyelashes.

Antoinette could not help but cover her eyes as a bright light seemed to come from Viel, it also looked like there were particles floating around him.

Wait… There is! Why is this boy only using his magic doing nonsense things!? Antoinette thought.

"Ugh, don't you have any hobbies?", Antoinette asked. This was not the first time that Viel spent his day inside her office whenever he was not doing quests. So, one can not help but ask if he had better things to do.

"Hobbies?", Viel said as he slowly looked at his basket of coins, "Like counting money?"

"No! Something you like doing during your free time!"

"...Eat sweets?"

"Seriously!?", Antoinette slammed her desk, "Don't you have friends to spend your time with?"

"...Do I need to?", Viel placed his hand on his chin.

Antoinette was going to recommend Viel to invite the people he knew to hang out in the guild from time to time, but then she remembered that the people that surrounded Viel were… not ordinary people.

This almost made Antoinette pull her hair off. She felt a sudden urge to take Viel out in the city. It was not good for the mascot of her adventurer's guild to develop antisocial problems. She felt a sense of responsibility to look out for his well-being.

And so with that, she thought of an excuse to get him out of the guild. But what?

The answer to her question quickly revealed itself to her as soon as she saw the clothes that Viel were wearing.

"Do you have any clothes to wear at Lord Karl's party?", she asked as she examined Viel from top to bottom, "It's a gathering of esteemed people, afterall"

"I'll just wear what I'm wearing now", Viel nonchalantly answered.

"That's it!", Antoinette hollered as she walked towards the door, "I will be coming with you!"

"Eh? Where am I going?", Viel was confused.

"You'll be buying yourself some clothes, young man!"