Adventurer of Many Professions

"Raymond, when are you going to apply for the promotion to 'Black Iron'?"

The moment the two stepped out of the report room, Sylph couldn't contain her excitement, her voice practically bouncing with anticipation.

It was big news. The guild had made an exception for them, offering a rare chance to apply for promotion to the coveted 'Black Iron Level' a significant step up in rank. The reason? Their victory over the giant mutant rat, a feat that, according to the guild, was equivalent to completing a bronze-level commission. Not only had they earned a reward, but the guild also recognized their strength, which meant this rare opportunity was now available to them.

Raymond hesitated, his fingers drumming absently on the purse he held in his hand. "I don't know. I haven't been feeling too well lately," he said, shaking his head slightly, his voice a little more subdued than usual. "I'll decide once I feel better."

Sylph's brow furrowed with concern. "Not feeling well? Is it from the fight? The mutant rat's bite still bothering you? Or maybe the antidote we got wasn't strong enough? We could get something more powerful, after all, we have the gold now!" She was practically vibrating with worry, her tone shifting between anxious and practical. "I can go buy it myself if you want."

Raymond blinked at her, his expression softening as he took a step back, holding up a hand in reassurance. "No, no, nothing like that," he said, chuckling lightly. "I just got a stomachache. It's nothing serious. I'm fine."

Sylph paused, staring at him blankly for a moment. Then, her cheeks flushed bright red as the realization hit her. "A stomachache?" she repeated, almost too loudly, her eyes widening. "You scared me half to death with all that talk about not feeling well, and it was just a stomachache?!"

Raymond couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, but Sylph wasn't done yet. She quickly turned her face away, trying to hide her embarrassment behind a cool, casual tone. "Well, if you're fine now, just make sure you let me know when you're ready for that promotion quest," she said, her voice purposefully nonchalant. "I mean, we're a team, right? It would make sense for us to do the promotion commission together. It's a special opportunity the guild's giving us, so it's best if we stick together. Not that I 'have' to do it with you, of course..."

Raymond raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering over to her as he tried to suppress a grin. There she went again, the classic act of pretending she didn't care, while clearly 'caring' a lot.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked, his voice light but curious. He leaned in slightly, his smile growing wider. "Why do you always explain so much when it's obvious you want to go with me?"

Sylph stiffened, her eyes darting away as she took an awkward step back, clearly flustered by his observation. "I—I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered. "I just… I'm just saying, 'we' should do it together, okay? It's not like I'm desperate to go with you or anything!"

Raymond smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. His curiosity piqued, he decided to go for it. "Hey, Sylph," he said, his tone teasing, "are you a tsundere?"

"A what?" Sylph blinked at him, genuinely puzzled. Her face contorted as she tried to process the word, clearly not familiar with it.

Raymond's smile deepened as he leaned back slightly, clearly enjoying her confusion. "A tsundere," he repeated. "It's someone who acts tough or cold on the outside to cover up how they really feel, especially when they're embarrassed. They try to hide their soft side by acting all stubborn and defensive." He paused, his eyes narrowing playfully as he looked directly at her. "Like you, just now."

For a moment, there was a dangerous silence. Sylph's face immediately turned crimson as she processed the implication. She stammered, her hands shifting uncomfortably at her sides, clearly caught off guard. "I—I'm not a tsundere!" she protested, her voice a little too loud, a little too defensive.

Raymond arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Not a tsundere?" he asked, his voice dripping with teasing amusement. "Then why did you go on and on about how 'it's not like you had to do the quest with me' when you clearly wanted to?"

Sylph took a step back, her face burning brighter by the second as she tried to retreat into the safety of her pride. "I—what do you mean? I just…" She struggled to find the right words, her face twisted in frustration. "I just thought it would be best if we stuck together! That's all!"

Raymond didn't relent, slowly walking toward her as he pressed the issue. "Oh, really?" he asked with a sly grin. "Then why keep saying it wasn't a 'big deal' if you did the mission with me? Are you 'sure' you're not trying to hide how much you actually want to?"

Sylph's gaze flicked nervously between Raymond and the ground as she backed up, clearly flustered. "It's not like that!" she muttered under her breath, her voice cracking slightly.

Raymond leaned in a little closer, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "So, you don't mind if we do the quest together then?"

Sylph froze, her shoulders tense, her face still glowing with embarrassment. She gave him a sharp glare, but it lacked the usual force. "I—just… you're ridiculous," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Raymond gave a satisfied grin, enjoying the moment of teasing. "Oh, come on, admit it. You're a tsundere."

Sylph huffed, her face hidden behind a veil of defiance, but the soft blush on her cheeks was all the answer Raymond needed.

"Fine," she muttered, "but I'm not doing this because I 'like' you or anything!"

Raymond chuckled, watching her struggle to maintain her tough façade. He had to admit, he loved the challenge of getting under her skin.

Sylph felt her face burning with embarrassment as her back pressed against the wall, leaving her no escape. Her heart raced, and she could barely breathe, let alone form coherent thoughts.

"I... I..." she stammered, her mind a whirl of confusion. Words seemed to fail her as she tried to process the situation. Her entire body felt hot, and not just from the blush creeping up her neck, but from the awkwardness of the moment.

She hadn't even realized what she'd been doing and saying until Raymond pointed it out. All those excuses she had made—"It's not like I 'have' to do this mission with you"—were they just a defense mechanism? Had she really been trying to cover up how much she 'did' want to team up with him? The more she thought about it, the more her own actions seemed ridiculous.

She couldn't even look him in the eye, and instead, she glanced to the side, avoiding his gaze. But her neck... it was another story. The smooth, pale skin of her throat had turned an unmistakable shade of red, betraying her internal turmoil. The heat was rising up her cheeks, and she could feel it spreading to the tips of her ears.

Raymond's voice cut through the silence, playful yet pointed. "See, you still say you're not a tsundere!"

His words seemed to hit her like a thousand daggers, unraveling whatever small semblance of composure she had left.

"I—I'm not!" she shot back defensively, her voice rising in pitch, but the words felt hollow even to her.

Before she could even process her response, she pushed Raymond away, not forcefully, but enough to create some distance, then bolted, her feet carrying her down the stairs in a hasty escape. She couldn't handle this anymore. It was too embarrassing, too weird!

She needed space, needed to think, but most of all, she needed to get away from 'him' before she completely lost her cool.

Raymond stood still, watching her flee with a wry smile tugging at his lips. He'd done it. He had successfully peeled away the layers of her tough exterior, exposing her flustered, shy side. What was the best way to deal with a tsundere? Simple: keep teasing them until they couldn't hide their feelings anymore.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," Raymond muttered to himself, shaking his head in amusement as he casually tossed the purse in his hand.

As much as he enjoyed the moment, a small part of him couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Sylph had never meant to make things so complicated; she'd just been defending herself in the only way she knew how. He could see now how her own words had made her question herself, leading her to doubt her own feelings. She had been backed into a corner, and he'd just kept pressing.

But then, something caught his attention: the purse. He froze for a moment, his grin fading into a frown. They hadn't even divided the money yet.

Just as he was about to follow after her, he caught a glimpse of movement at the top of the stairs. It was Sylph, her head peeking out from behind the bannister. Her expression was a mix of sheepishness and nervous energy.

She hesitated, then quickly spoke, her voice muffled but clear enough to hear. "I... I live at No. 34, Lanban Street. You can send the gold coins there. Just... just give me 28 of them... and use the extra one to repair your equipment."

Then, just as quickly, she ducked her head, but not before adding, in a much smaller voice, "And... don't forget to inform me when you do the mission... please."

There was a brief moment of silence, and then she hurriedly descended the stairs, making her exit for real this time.

Raymond stared at the empty stairs, chuckling softly to himself. This time, he hadn't pushed her too far. He'd gotten the reaction he wanted, but more importantly, he had made her think, maybe for the first time, about what she really wanted.

He shook his head with a grin. Sylph might act tough, but deep down, she was just as vulnerable as anyone.

After putting the purse away, Raymond paused. He had to admit, he had been so caught up in teasing Sylph that he had almost forgotten the more pressing matters at hand. They still hadn't divided the money, and more importantly, there were still so many questions he needed to answer about his new life as an awakener.

He needed to know more about this world, about the system of awakening, about how his abilities worked and whether they worked the same way for everyone else. For example, could other awakeners gain magic points from killing monsters like he could? Or was that a unique ability tied to the mysterious panel he had no real understanding of yet?

And then there was the big question: could he be the only one who could awaken multiple professions? Or were there others out there like him?

Determined to find answers, Raymond headed toward the temple library, the place the auditor had told him about. If there was anywhere that could help him understand this world better, it would be there.

As he made his way to the door, he glanced back toward the stairs with a small, satisfied smile. Today had been a good day, he'd gotten the answers he wanted from Sylph, and he was one step closer to understanding his place in this strange new world.