Chapter 9: The Masked Adventurer

Adventure’s Guild

As expected, the grand structure she had seen during the day was indeed a guild hall for adventurers.

That night, Lucy returned to the guild, checking her appearance one last time before stepping inside.

She wore a cloak over her work clothes and concealed her face with a fox mask—an outfit designed to protect her identity.

Using her ‘Camouflage’ ability would have been more convenient, but she ruled it out. Someone with a magic eye might see through it.

It would be troublesome if I am recognised as the princess later and my actions as an adventurer are exposed. I need to be cautious.

After confirming that her disguise was secure, Lucy walked straight into the guild building.

Aphron Guild Association

The first floor housed a reception and an information desk, bustling with adventurers engaged in conversations and deals.

A variety of individuals filled the space—’Beastmen,’ ‘Demons,’ ‘Imps,’ and ‘Dark Elves’—each checking the request posts on the bulletin board or sitting at tables engaged in discussions.

“I heard goblins have been spotted in the ruins of the Hellen Plains.”

“Forget about it. Goblins aren’t worth any money.”

Most adventurers operated in parties of four to five, their mixed races adding to the diverse atmosphere of the guild.

Lucy walked past them casually. But then, she noticed the sudden shift in attention—the adventurers were staring at her.

Why are they looking at me so suspiciously?

Two reasons came to mind: her childlike physique and the mask covering her face.

She quickened her pace towards the information desk, hoping to avoid unnecessary attention and finish her business quickly.

However, a burly Beastman, seated at a nearby table, blocked her path. He looked slightly drunk, likely celebrating with his comrades.

He eyed Lucy up and down before speaking. “Hey! Your outfit is suspicious. Where the hell did you come from, huh?” He hiccupped. “Kkeut~!”

Lucy remained calm. “I just came to the guild for a request. No need to worry.”

“Whoa! That’s a girl’s voice? Hey guys, look at this!”

Behind him, his companions chuckled as they sipped their beers.

Lucy, realizing the conversation was pointless, ignored him and tried to walk past. But the man stepped in front of her again.

“Why the rush? Since we just met, at least show me your face before you go.”

He reached out to remove her mask without permission.

Lucy reacted instantly, grabbing his wrist and twisting it 180 degrees.

Crunch!

“Aghhh!” The man’s scream echoed through the guild, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones shifting.

I meant to bend it lightly and let go… she thought. Is he weaker than I expected, or am I just too strong?

His comrades, seeing him collapse in pain, immediately stood up and reached for their weapons.

“You brat! How dare you attack our friend!?”

“Did you think we’d go easy on you just because you’re young?”

Tension filled the guild as adventurers held their breath, watching the confrontation unfold.

Lucy silently glared at them, ready to react if necessary.

Just then, a blonde woman descended from the second floor and intervened.

“What’s all this commotion?” she asked.

“M-Miss Liriel?”

The woman, Liriel, had long golden hair and a small jet-black horn protruding from her head. The rowdy men instantly quieted upon seeing her.

“I asked, what’s going on?” she repeated.

“That masked brat attacked our comrade!”

Liriel turned to Lucy, her sharp eyes narrowing. “Is that true?”

Lucy spoke calmly. “He tried to touch me without permission, so I defended myself.”

“Nonsense! He was just trying to say hello!”

“I see.” Liriel sighed, glancing at the drunk men. “You guys have had too much to drink. Go home.”

“But our comrade—”

“I said, go home.”

The men grumbled but fell silent when they noticed the platinum pendant hanging around her neck. Without further protest, they backed away.

Lucy turned to Liriel. “Thank you.”

Liriel, unfazed, gave her a cold look. “You, too. If you’re a foreigner, avoid causing trouble.”

Her presence radiated authority. Lucy watched her leave, then quickly refocused on her goal and approached the desk.

At the information counter, a receptionist greeted her. “Welcome! What brings you here?”

“I have a request.”

“Certainly! How can we assist you?”

Lucy leaned in. “Before that, I’d like to speak with someone of higher rank in a more private setting.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean?”

Lucy discreetly opened her coin pouch, revealing a stack of gleaming gold coins.

The receptionist’s eyes widened slightly. “P-please wait a moment.”

Moments later, an elderly man with a solemn expression emerged.

“I heard you have a special request. Follow me inside.”

Lucy followed him into a private office. The space resembled a study, with bookshelves lining the walls and a sturdy wooden desk in the center.

The man sat down and gestured for Lucy to take a seat across from him.

“First, a formal introduction. I am Aphron, the guild master.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is… Ruby.”

A fabricated alias. Luckily, the guild master did not seem suspicious.

“I was told you’re placing a high-value request. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

Lucy placed the coin pouch on the table—100 gold coins in total.

Aphron examined them carefully before raising an eyebrow. “And what task requires this much money?”

“I need you to find something for me.”

“What is it?”

Lucy retrieved a crystal-embedded ring from her cloak.

“It looks exactly like this.”

In the online game Ragnarok, this ring was given as a free event item to players. Lucy suspected that if others like her had arrived in this world, they might still possess one.

I might not be the only one who experienced this…

Aphron studied the ring. “Can you describe it in detail?”

“It’s a family heirloom, handcrafted by my grandfather. When magic is injected, a message appears.”

“That’s unusual. The one you lost is identical?”

“Yes. It was stolen by thieves during my journey.”

Aphron nodded, noting down her fabricated story on parchment. Once they finished discussing the request, his gaze returned to the gold pouch.

“100 gold coins is quite a deposit. But are you seriously offering 500 gold as the total fee?”

“Yes.”

“What!?” The guild master, who had maintained composure throughout, was visibly shocked.

500 gold coins was a fortune—enough to change a commoner’s life and significant even for nobles.

“Is there a problem?” Lucy asked flatly.

Aphron composed himself. “Then, one last thing. I’ll need to verify your identity. Show me your ID and remove your mask.”

Lucy tensed. This was the challenge she had anticipated.

She had no ID to prove her identity—at least, not one that wouldn’t expose her as the princess.

“I left it at home. Do I really need one?”

“Spies often try to use adventurers during wartime. Is there a problem?”

Aphron’s gaze sharpened, shifting towards the sword on his desk.

Lucy sighed internally. She had no choice.

She lifted her mask just enough for her eyes to show.

Activate Hypnosis.

Aphron tried to move towards his sword but his body stiffened as her glowing red eyes took effect.

Lucy then used her other hypnosis skill : Brainwashing

“First, you will not suspect me anymore .”

“Not suspect you anym-…”

“Recognize me as a relative of a trustworthy acquaintance.”

“Recognize you as a relative of a trustworthy acquaintance…”

“Handle my request as a top priority.”

“Handle your request as a top priority…”

Aphron mumblingly repeated Lucy’s commands, submitting to her magic.

The Brainwashing skill was originally used to control NPCs, and through her previous experiments she learnt it could be used here as well.

It was a success,

“Do you remember me now, mister?” asked Ruby.

Aphron came back to his senses as if nothing had happened and smiled. “Ah, Ruby! Of course, I’ll process your request immediately. Anything else you need?”

Lucy grinned beneath her mask.

“Grant me the right to be an adventurer.”