’A peak-stage Arch Magus...’ Noah thought, his mind racing as he stared at the glowing blue status screen. ’That means he’s only a single step away from reaching the legendary realm of a Grand Arch Magus!’

The sheer weight of that realization hit Noah harder than any physical pressure could. In this world, an Arch Magus was already considered a walking disaster, a being capable of reshaping landscapes and deciding the fates of entire kingdoms.

To be at the absolute peak of that stage meant Morris Edgar was a terrifying existence, standing at the very pinnacle of mortal power.

It explained why his maximum mana pool was so utterly monstrous.

As Noah processed this information, the floating figure of the Grand Guild Master began to descend. Morris coughed lightly, a small, subtle sound that nevertheless seemed to carry clearly across the silent, breathless courtyard.

The wind swirling around him gently dissipated, and his feet softly touched the stone cobblestones.

He landed right in front of Noah, his long red robes settling around him like pooling blood, the golden runes still shimmering with a faint, dangerous warmth.

The entire courtyard remained frozen, hundreds of elite adventurers holding their breath, waiting to see how the most powerful man on the continent would handle this mysterious, masked intruder.

Suddenly, the stern, imposing expression on Morris’s face melted away, replaced by a wide, incredibly vibrant smile.

"Mr. White!" Morris shouted, his voice booming across the courtyard with genuine excitement. "It’s great to finally meet you in person!"

Noah’s eyes widened slightly beneath his black cat mask.

He was caught completely off guard. He had braced himself for a interrogation, a display of dominance, or at the very least, a cold and suspicious greeting from the leader of the continent’s most powerful network.

Instead, the peak-stage Arch Magus was acting like an enthusiastic fan meeting a long-lost friend.

The sheer contrast between Morris’s terrifying aura and his incredibly welcoming demeanor was deeply jarring.

However, Noah’s confusion didn’t last long. He soon understood the underlying reason for this overly enthusiastic greeting as the heavy silence in the courtyard instantly shattered.

A massive commotion broke out among the gathered elite adventurers.

The sheer mention of the name ’Mr. White’ acted like a spark dropped into a powder keg. Waves of collective gasps and frantic whispers rippled through the crowd as the realization finally dawned on them.

The mysterious, strangely dressed man wearing a ridiculous black cat mask wasn’t just some random anomaly or a minor guest. He was *that* legendary figure.

"Mr. White? Did the Grand Guild Master just say Mr. White?" an adventurer muttered, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief.

"The masked anomaly from the rumors... he’s actually here!" another adventurer whispered, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and terror.

The crowd erupted into a flurry of frenzied murmurs. Word of Noah’s recent exploits had clearly traveled fast through the guild’s network, and now every single person was talking about it.

They discussed the terrifying reports that had reached the headquarters—specifically, how this mysterious Mr. White had effortlessly killed the ’shadow figure,’ a monstrous entity that had easily taken down one of their own esteemed Arch Magi.

To them, anyone who could butcher a threat of that caliber with such ease was nothing short of a walking god.

Pieces of the puzzle quickly fell into place for the watching onlookers. The mystery that had baffled them just moments ago was suddenly crystal clear.

They now realized exactly why Ayu, a notoriously proud and protective magus, had allowed this stranger to ride on the sacred back of Goldie Neckie.

It wasn’t an act of charity; it was a profound sign of respect toward a supreme powerhouse.

Most importantly, the crowd finally understood why Morris Edgar, the Grand Guild Master himself, had made such a dramatic entrance just to welcome this man personally.

A figure capable of slaying an Arch Magus-level threat deserved nothing less than the highest level of reception the guild could offer.

While the crowd basked in reverent awe, Noah, on the other hand, frowned deeply beneath his mask.

A wave of intense annoyance washed over him as he listened to the whispering elites and looked at Morris’s smiling face.

Noah realized something critical about the situation. Morris hadn’t greeted him quietly or pulled him aside for a private meeting.

He had deliberately blasted the doors open, floated down in front of hundreds of the guild’s top subordinates, and shouted Noah’s alias for everyone to hear. It was a calculated move.

’Announcing my identity like that in front of the entire courtyard...’ Noah thought, his gaze narrowing behind the mask as he locked eyes with the floating powerhouse. ’What exactly is this man planning?’

Noah was absolutely certain that a man of Morris’s immense status wouldn’t just call out his name like that out of the sheer excitement of meeting him.

Someone who had climbed to the absolute peak of the adventurer network and managed thousands of elite, prideful magi had to be a master politician.

A powerhouse like that did not make careless, emotional outbursts in public.

Every movement, every word, and every grand entrance had to be carefully calculated to project a specific image or achieve a specific result.

He believed there was a deeper, underlying reason behind this sudden, public display of familiarity, but he wasn’t entirely sure what exactly it was.

Was Morris trying to force Noah into a public alliance with the guild? Was he trying to deter hidden enemies within the crowd by showing they had a terrifying new backer? Or was he testing Noah’s reaction in front of hundreds of witnesses?

Whatever the true motive, it put Noah squarely in the spotlight, a position he thoroughly disliked.

Before Noah could dwell on the mystery any longer, Ayu, who was standing right by his side, stepped forward.

The proud arch magus lowered his head and bowed a little before Morris, keeping his posture respectful but dignified.

"I’m back, Guildmaster," Ayu said, his voice calm and steady, signaling the successful completion of his journey.

In stark contrast to Ayu’s measured greeting, Yuan and Varis’s reactions were a lot more exaggerated.

The moment the Grand Guild Master’s gaze shifted even slightly toward their direction, the two men visibly stiffened, their faces turning incredibly pale.

Without a single second of hesitation, they immediately dropped to their knees and bowed completely to the ground.

Their movements were so frantic and desperate that their heads almost hit the hard stone floor of the courtyard.

They pressed themselves as flat as possible against the cobblestones, trembling under the sheer weight of the atmosphere.

"Grand Guildmaster! It’s an honor to meet you!" they shouted in unison, their voices cracking slightly with a mixture of profound reverence and absolute terror.

Their dramatic reaction was entirely justified given their backgrounds.

To them, the Grand Guild Master was a mythical figure, a living legend whispered about in rumors but never seen in the flesh.

They had never believed, even in their wildest dreams, that they would one day stand in the central sanctuary, let alone meet the man at the very top of the entire adventurer guild.

Yuan might have held the title of a guild master back in Eidvale, but he knew such a status didn’t mean anything before the Grand Guild Master.

In a small, isolated city, he was an authority figure; here, in the central headquarters, a regional guild master was no different from a common foot soldier.

The gap between his minor administrative title and Morris’s absolute continental authority was a vast, unbridgeable ocean.

Morris looked down at the two trembling men and merely waved his hand casually, dismissing their intense formality without a second thought.

"No need for that, boys... just get up," he said, his tone surprisingly easygoing and conversational.

He then turned his torso back toward the grand fortress, gesturing for the group to follow him. "Let’s go in, we have a lot to discuss."

Yet, even as he spoke those welcoming words to the group, his actions told a different story.

Morris kept his eyes locked firmly on Mr. White, completely ignoring everyone else. As his gaze lingered on the black cat mask, a strange, calculating glint flashed across his sharp blue eyes—a brief spark of hidden intent that didn’t escape Noah’s notice.

Catching that sharp, calculating look, Noah’s suspicions were instantly confirmed.

’Yeah... there’s indeed a reason for him shouting my name like that,’ he thought to himself, his mind narrowing on the Grand Guild Master.

The warm, enthusiastic smile Morris displayed was nothing more than a mask, concealing a sharp mind that was already playing a deeper game.

Without another word, Morris’s feet lifted slightly from the hard cobblestone ground once again.

Enveloped in a faint, effortless current of wind mana, he turned around and started floating backward into the main building, his deep red robes billowing elegantly around his ankles as he drifted through the gaping threshold.

Noah stepped forward, maintaining his calm, unbothered pace, while Yuan and Varis quickly scrambled to their feet to follow closely behind him.

Even though they were now moving, the two men couldn’t shake off their overwhelming awe.

They kept casting nervous, starstruck glances at the floating figure ahead, still looking at Morris like he was a god who had descended from the heavens.

To them, walking in the footsteps of the continent’s strongest leader was a surreal, heart-pounding experience.

Outside in the courtyard, Ayu didn’t follow them immediately. Instead, he turned back toward his massive companion.

He gently patted Goldie Neckie’s golden feathers, his voice softening into a warm, affectionate tone.

"Just go rest for now... I’ll come play with you later," he murmured, giving the high-grade mana beast a reassuring smile.