Chapter 168: Chapter 156: Advancement Paths of Other Extraordinary Professionals

Noticing Lilith’s probing gaze, Avril instinctively wrinkled her delicate nose. While Teresa’s face remained impassive, her tense body betrayed her inner unease.

As Roland met her world-weary gaze, he arched an eyebrow slightly, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.

"Hello, Ms. Lilith..."

His voice was low and steady.

"May I ask why you’ve invited us here? Is there something important?"

"Something important? No, hehe..."

Lilith chuckled softly and took an elegant step forward.

"I simply wanted to get to know you all."

Her violet eyes shimmered in the candlelight.

"After all, to repeatedly slay Bear Goblins with a group of only four... that level of strength..."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze skipping over the two young women behind him to lock onto Roland.

"Even across the entire continent, few Mercenary Squads or Adventurer Groups could accomplish such a feat."

As she drew closer, the faint, dark scent of orchids wafted to Roland’s nose.

Upon smelling the fragrance, he subtly took half a step back, maintaining a careful distance.

"You flatter us, but... surely you didn’t invite us all this way just for pleasantries, did you?"

Seeing not a flicker of wavering in Roland’s eyes, Lilith’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she smoothed her expression in an instant.

She straightened up, her slender fingers lightly covering her red lips.

"Mr. Roland, you certainly are direct. In that case..."

A silver chain slipping from her sleeve refracted flecks of light in the candlelight.

"I’ll get straight to the point."

Lilith shed her previously languid demeanor, looked Roland straight in the eye, and spoke directly.

"According to the Adventurer’s Guild’s regulations, every year, each Mercenary or Adventurer and their group is evaluated based on the number and difficulty of the quests they’ve completed."

She turned gracefully, her slender form casting an elegant silhouette in the candlelight.

Her long fingers plucked a new sheet of parchment from the tabletop and offered it to Roland.

"The higher the Level, the more difficult the quests you can accept, and naturally, the more handsome the rewards. But that’s not all..."

A meaningful smile touched the corners of her lips.

"We also provide additional, exclusive services for highly-rated Adventurers or Mercenary organizations."

Roland bowed slightly as he accepted the parchment, feeling the uniquely fine texture of the paper on his fingertips.

"I’ve invited you here today to formally notify you that your group has successfully passed the Adventurer’s Guild’s assessment and has met the qualification standards for an A-Level Adventurer Group."

"Therefore, I would like to ask for your opinion. Are you willing to accept certification as an A-Level Adventurer Group?"

Listening to Lilith’s declaration, Roland lowered his gaze and carefully examined the contents of the parchment.

Intelligence gathering privileges...

Guild shopping discounts...

Priority use of post stations... 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

As his eyes swept over the dozens of exclusive service clauses, Roland’s brow gradually furrowed.

’It’s not that these terms aren’t generous, but I’m suddenly realizing the Adventurer’s Guild’s sphere of influence is far greater than I imagined.’

’A few of these privileges would be impossible to offer without deep cooperation with the upper echelons of certain nations or organizations.’

Noticing Roland’s solemn expression, Lilith seemed to misunderstand his concerns and explained softly.

"Of course... even if you accept the certification as an A-Level Adventurer Group, the process of accepting quests will remain the same. We will not force you to accept any mission."

Hearing this, Roland gave an almost imperceptible nod.

’With my current strength and the talent I’ve shown, I could join any organization with ease.’

’Even the Shadow Veil Organization—an elite group associated with the Merchants of the River Domain—probably wouldn’t refuse me if I asked. At worst, I’d become a probationary member, just like Avril.’

The ultimate reason Roland had no intention of joining any organization, even now, was that he didn’t want to be tied down.

Compared to the preferential treatment and abundant resources one gained after joining an organization, Roland felt that—barring special circumstances—none of it was as important as freedom.

Therefore, after hearing Lilith’s words, Roland handed the parchment back to her and spoke slowly.

"Thank you for the high regard, Ms. Lilith, but..."

Roland glanced back at Teresa and Avril before continuing with a hint of apology.

"This is something I’ll need to discuss carefully with my squad members before I can make a decision."

"Of course. That’s no problem."

There wasn’t a trace of annoyance on Lilith’s face. She simply took out two Sheepskin Scrolls from a drawer.

"Mr. Roland, this is the Combat Skills scroll the Adventurer’s Guild promised you."

She handed one of them to Roland.

Roland weighed the thick scroll that recorded the Combat Skills in his hand. Instead of examining it immediately, he tucked it into his waist pouch.

Seeing Roland’s action, a flash of approval crossed Lilith’s eyes. She then offered him the other sheet of parchment.

"And this is a quest available to A-Level Adventurer Groups. Perhaps it will help you make your decision."

Seeing this, Roland thanked her quietly before taking the quest document and reading it carefully.

But as soon as he saw the title, his brow furrowed.

[Explore the Land of Mist and eliminate the Wolf King entrenched within.]

The quest details included the cause of the strange phenomena in the Land of Mist and the Wolf King’s location.

The most eye-catching part was the difficulty rating.

It wasn’t the usual crimson marking, but a relatively brief line of text.

[Recommended Level: A~S Level Mercenary Squad or Adventurer Group]

[Reward: Negotiable (Provisional)]

"Excuse me, Ms. Lilith."

After carefully reading through everything, Roland held up the parchment with one hand and pointed to the word "Negotiable" in the reward section.

"What does this... ’Negotiable’ in the rewards mean?"

"It’s simple."

Seeing Roland take the initiative to ask, Lilith’s lips curved into a slight smile as her fingertips tapped lightly on the desk.

"As long as the request you make..."

She lowered her voice.

"...is something the Adventurer’s Guild possesses or is capable of acquiring, it can be the reward for this quest."

At this, her gaze became profound.

"This includes not only money, Treasure Tools, and precious materials..."

"Even a Knight’s Breathing Technique, a Ranger’s Elemental Affinity Secret Skill, a Barbarian’s Blood Resonance Technique, or even... a Meditation Technique that the Tower Wizards never share—we can make any of them the reward for this quest."

Hearing these words, Roland’s breath caught in his throat.

Because everything Lilith had just mentioned were paths to advancement for Extraordinary Professionals.

This meant...

’If I get certified and complete this kind of quest, I can obtain the methods to change to other Extraordinary Professions!’

For him, someone who possessed a Professional Panel, this was an absolutely incredible surprise.