When Agafon and his group finally reached the entrance of the training ground, they found a large crowd blocking their way, making it impossible to move forward.

"Move aside, please," Agafon said firmly.

"Huh? Who do you think you’re talking to—wait, damn it, it’s Nameless. Hey, clear the way!" someone grumbled in response.

"Ugh, it's Agafon. Took your sweet time showing up, didn’t you?"

"Shut up. We’ve been told not to mess with Nameless."

Reluctantly, the adventurers stepped aside to let Agafon and his group pass. The training ground was vast, and the crowd of adventurers and mercenaries had gathered in a large circle, making it look like an arena where combat was a spectacle.

At the center of the commotion stood Yu, surrounded by countless people lying on the ground, defeated. Agafon’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene.

"Looks like the leader is safe," Monique commented.

"Of course he is," Agafon retorted brusquely, though relief washed over him as he confirmed that Yu didn’t have any visible injuries. His tensed body finally relaxed.

(Seems like Yu’s fine. Nina and the others are here too, so there was nothing for me to worry about. But still—)

Agafon and his group were taken aback by the strange atmosphere surrounding the area.

"Did you hear? Polar Star Shaue is trying to poach Lena from Nameless!"

"Oh, this is gonna be good. Let’s see how it plays out!"

"So, are there finally going to be deserters from Nameless?"

"Don’t talk nonsense!" someone shouted.

"Yeah! We’ll kill you! Lena would never leave Nameless!"

"Oh? Who said they were going to kill whom?"

"I’m talking to you! What, are you deaf as well as ugly?"

"Bring it on!"

The onlookers hurled insults at each other, and the tension was high, like the situation could erupt into violence at any moment.

(Lena leaving Nameless? No way!)

As Agafon and his group struggled to make sense of the situation, they spotted Lena in the middle of it all, waving her staff around dramatically and striking poses. Next to her, Namari mimicked her, making exaggerated gestures and roaring, "Hoo!" and "Whoa!"

"What the heck is that? They look ridiculous," Akane, who had been lounging atop Agafon’s head, muttered.

"Seriously, what are a bunch of mercenaries like you doing at the adventurers’ guild anyway?" someone asked accusingly.

"Shut up! You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, that’s why I said it, idiot!"

"You bastard!"

"If Lena gets poached, your disgusting little club will fall apart!" someone taunted.

"It’s not a club; it’s a fan club. And we’re not disgusting!"

"You seriously don’t get it, do you?"

Akane sighed at the ridiculousness of the argument.

"Uh, everyone, please calm down!" Colette, one of the guild staff, tried to intervene, looking overwhelmed as she stepped between the arguing adventurers.

"Stay out of this, guild worker!"

At that moment, one of the more agitated adventurers hurled a wooden tankard filled with ale into the air. It wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular, but by sheer bad luck, it flew toward Colette.

"Hey! If you don’t stop this, then—eh?"

Colette had barely noticed the tankard coming her way before freezing in place, unable to dodge. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact.

"Eek! Huh?"

But the tankard never reached her. Instead, it shattered into tiny pieces mid-air, leaving Colette unharmed. A few of the rowdy adventurers noticed this, though they didn’t quite understand what had happened. However, they did know exactly who had protected her.

"Quiet."

It wasn’t a loud voice. In fact, it was one of the quietest in the room. But with just that single word from Yu, the entire training ground fell silent, as if the earlier chaos had never happened. Namari, mimicking Yu, yelled, "Quiet down, will you!" only for Marifa to cover her mouth and say, "You too."

"So, you wanted to talk, right?" Yu prompted Ato and his group.

"…You’re lucky."

"Not you—"

"…In this vast world, among countless adventurers, you had the fortune of meeting me, the supreme genius mage."

Ignoring Yu’s attempts to keep things on track, Lena started talking like some self-obsessed maniac, posing theatrically after every sentence, much to the irritation of those around her.

"…The undefeated and invincible. Even the ‘Great Sage’ bows before me."

"No one said you were undefeated," Marifa dryly pointed out.

But Lena, riding high on her own self-importance, continued her display, her hat falling off as her hair spun wildly in all directions.

"May I continue?" Ato asked, clearly embarrassed by the display. Even Yu felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment, while Marifa blushed furiously and even Nina looked uncomfortable. The only ones enjoying the show were Lena’s fan club members.

"Lena Forma, I formally invite you to join my clan, Polar Star Shaue. Of course, I’m not asking you to do this for free. We’re prepared to offer ten billion Madoka as part of the transfer."

At the mention of ten billion Madoka, the previously silent training ground erupted in chatter once more.

"Did you hear that!? Ten billion!"

"That’s an insane amount!"

"If I were her, I’d leave Nameless for that kind of money!"

"Have you ever heard of a C-rank adventurer being offered such a huge sum before?"

"No way! It’s gotta be the highest amount ever!"

The loudest voices came from the lower-ranked adventurers. To those in D-rank or below, Lena’s situation was like a dream come true. After all, the average income for a D-rank adventurer, after expenses, was about 10 to 15 gold coins per month. For E-ranks, making 2 to 4 gold coins was considered good. C-ranks could earn upwards of 30 gold coins, meaning their annual income could reach the equivalent of a billion Madoka.

"Are they saying Lena is only worth a measly ten billion?" one fan club member muttered.

"They don’t get it at all."

In contrast, the B-rank and higher adventurers, as well as those in Lena’s fan club, like Potto, the leader of the Silver Wolf Mercenaries, and his vice-captain, Apollo, remained calm. They understood Lena’s true worth. Although unofficial, rumors circulated that Lena had sparred with Mus and won. If that were true, she could be stronger than most A-rank adventurers, and ten billion Madoka might be a steal for someone of her caliber. Other top clans would certainly be willing to outbid Ato, even taking on debt to secure her.

"We’re currently working on clearing the A-rank labyrinth, The Enchanted Land, but we’re struggling. We need a powerful rear guard—a skilled mage like yourself."

As Ato spoke, he recalled the fairies they had fought in The Enchanted Land, and bitterness filled his heart.

"You might find this intrusive, but we’ve done some research on you. You became a C-rank adventurer in just two years, showing both strength and talent. If you join Polar Star Shaue, I promise you even better conditions than what you currently have. And with your potential, I believe you could eventually reach B-rank—no, even A-rank, just like me!"

Ato passionately laid out his case, emphasizing the benefits of joining his clan. He promised Lena equal shares of any rare materials or treasures they found, equal treatment with senior members, and exceptional rewards.

"You don’t have to answer right now. We’ll be staying in Kamar for a while. Could you give us your answer in a few days?"

Adventurer poaching wasn’t uncommon. Every clan wanted strong adventurers. However, Ato’s boldness in making the offer in front of Yu, Lena’s leader, was unusual. Some people in the crowd looked displeased, while others admired Ato’s straightforwardness.

"L-Lena, you’re not leaving Nameless, are you?" Nina asked anxiously.

"Is Lena really going to leave?" Namari glanced up at Marifa, who remained silent, though her twitching ears suggested she was paying close attention.

"…Colette."

"Y-Yes?" Colette responded, unsure of what was about to happen next.

When Lena called Colette’s name, Colette responded quickly, though she wondered why Lena had singled her out.

"...When will I reach S-rank?" Lena asked.

"Uh... Lena, you’re currently a C-rank adventurer, so shouldn’t you aim for B-rank first?" Colette answered, stating the obvious.

Lena puffed her cheeks in frustration at Colette’s sensible response.

"Colette, tell them how much money I’ve deposited with the guild."

"What!? But..." Colette hesitated. While C-rank adventurers and above were allowed to deposit money with the guild, revealing the exact amount was a sensitive matter. Colette knew the amount Lena had stored, as she was responsible for managing the Nameless group’s accounts.

"Yu...?" Colette looked to Yu for guidance, unsure of what to do.

"It’s fine. You can tell them," Yu said with a nod.

"A-Are you sure?" Colette asked, still uncertain.

"Yes, it’s no problem. You don’t need to worry," Yu reassured her.

Lena looked displeased that Colette had sought confirmation from Yu rather than simply answering her. But since Yu handled the finances and all communication with the adventurers' guild on behalf of Lena, Nina, and Marifa, Colette’s caution made sense.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Colette finally spoke.

"The amount is approximately thirty billion seven hundred million Madoka."

At Colette’s words, the crowd, including the onlookers who had been drinking ale, nearly choked in disbelief, spraying their drinks in shock.

"W-What!?"

"Thirty... billion?"

"Lena has that much money saved up!?"

"Don’t call her by name so casually!" someone snapped.

"Shut up! This isn’t the time for that!"

"No way... Is Nameless really making that much money?"

"Maybe I should join Nameless."

"As if someone like you would ever get in!"

"Oh yeah? Who do you think you are!?"

The amount Colette had announced was far beyond what any C-rank adventurer could realistically earn. The astonishment of the crowd was only natural.

"Thirty... billion, seven hundred million!?" Lena herself stammered, her legs trembling as if she couldn’t believe the number Colette had revealed. Her cowlick even swayed nervously from side to side.

Yu scolded her, "You should at least keep track of how much you’ve saved."

Realizing something, Lena turned back to Colette.

"Colette."

"Y-Yes?"

"How much have Nina and Marifa saved?"

"I can’t tell you that," Colette responded firmly.

Even if they were in the same clan, there were things that couldn’t be shared. Colette was a woman who understood the boundaries between what was appropriate to reveal and what wasn’t.

"Just a little hint?"

"I said no! Absolutely not."

"Just whisper it in my ear," Lena insisted, leaning closer.

"I said no!"

"I’ll tell you a secret about Yu," Lena teased.

"What!? A secret about Yu...? N-No, it’s still a no!" Colette resisted.

"Ugh, you’re no fun," Lena pouted, backing off.

Colette remained steadfast, unwilling to give in to Lena’s pressure. Yu then stepped in.

"Don’t bother Colette. And for the record, Nina and Marifa have saved more than you."

"...What?" Lena looked stunned.

"Why are you so surprised? You waste money all the time, so it’s only natural that they have more saved up than you."

"...You’re not the one," Lena muttered.

Though Lena didn’t seem all that devastated, Nina and Marifa, on the other hand, were visibly shocked. They had no idea they had more money saved than Lena because, like her, they hadn’t been keeping track of their finances either.

"Anyway, don’t you have more important things to deal with?" Yu reminded her.

"...Right."

Lena picked up her fallen hat and put it back on, turning to face Ato and his group.

"...So, as I said, give up on me. I’m not interested."

"W-Wait—"

Ato, still reeling from learning about Lena’s massive savings, instinctively reached out to stop her. But before he could continue, something unexpected happened.

"...Momo, was it too loud?" a small voice said.

From inside Yu’s hat, Momo, who had been sleeping, rubbed her eyes as she floated up and landed on top of Lena’s hat.

(W-What!? No way!)

The moment Momo came into view, Ato and the members of Polar Star Shaue froze in fear.

(Why... Why is that fairy here!?)

Momo, the very same fairy who had annihilated Ato’s group with a barrage of high-level spells deep within the A-rank labyrinth The Enchanted Land, was now sitting right in front of them. It was no wonder they were paralyzed with fear.

(C-Could it be a different fairy? Yeah, that must be it! There’s no way it’s the same one!)

Ato’s entire body was drenched in sweat as panic set in. His armor felt stifling, and he was struggling to think clearly. Pally, one of his companions, even started vomiting from the stress. Koo, another member, was frozen, unsure of how to react.

"...I’m Lena of Nameless, so give up," Lena repeated, her tone final.

Ato didn’t respond. In truth, the moment Momo had appeared, his will had completely broken.

Meanwhile—

"Lena-chan is the best!"

"Yeah! There’s no way our Lena-chan would leave for some random clan!"

"Lena-chan is the strongest! Lena-chan is the greatest!"

"Get lost, get lost!"

"Our Lena-chan Fan Club will live on forever!"

The members of Lena’s unofficial fan club, who had feared the group’s disbandment, let out a collective sigh of relief, cheering and celebrating Lena’s decision to stay with Nameless.