Watchful Eye almost bumped into Silver Bde. Luckily his instincts as an experienced bodyguard kicked in, turning his legs into unbreaking steel before he could sm into his employer.

  “Young dy, is something the matter?”

  “Did you hear that name just now?”

  “I’m afraid not, young dy.”

  Watchful Eye looked genuinely upset at himself. But Silver Bde didn’t take it to heart, gng at the crowd not far away before deg to walk up.

  “Thanks. I just wao suggest taking a look. My video could use some excitement.”

  Fortune spoke up happily, passing Silver Bde and pushing into the crowd. However, it turned out to be more difficult than expected.

  Two younger girls, feeling someone approach, g Fortune. Immediately their expressions turned hostile, and they barred her path.

  “Hey, what are you doing? I o reach the front. I want to record something.”

  One of the girls scoffed, turning her head away.

  “Hmpf. Get in line.”

  “Right, don’t try to snatch Final Fend away from us!”

  Fortune looked ahead in puzzlement. However, she reized a familiar uone in the girls’ voices. It was a hint of jealousy.

  As a famous woman regurly ranking high on various beauty rankings, she was ner to such reas.

  Thus, she decided to try from another direaking her ast a few sailors who looked weak on their legs from drinking too much.

  In real life she would stay far away from such people but in the game it was bearable.

  Reag the front of the crowd Fortune found out what the excitement was all about. The crowd was encirg two men who fought in a heated brawl.

  One sailor, tall and with a skin molded from many years at sea faced a young man in middle-weight bck armor.

  The young man was obviously a pyer. His someale, but handsome face received the admiration of the many young girls in the crowd.

  His name was Final Fend or rather…

  “Felix?!”

  Fortune looked at Silver Bde, eared o her in surprise. But it was not only her.

  The pyer in the ring seemingly heard a familiar voice, gng over his shoulder.

  “Ha! Don’t get distracted!”

  The sailhed in a rough voice, swinging his fist to deliver a powerful blow.

  Final Fend showed some fighting experience, reag at the st sed. But it was already too te. His head jerked from the direct hit. His vision was filled with stars. His HP drop down to a single point.

  “Hahaha, better luext time.”

  With a broad grin the sailor walked towards his friends, taking a few silver s and showing them off happily.

  “The round is on me!”

  While the surrounding sailors cheered, the girls in the crowd reacted differently.

  “Final Fend! Are you ok? e, big sister will check you out… ehm, check your injuries.”

  “Stupid sailor! How dare you hurt my idol?!”

  “Final Fend, look at me! Here!”

  “Ahh, he smiled at me…”

  Final Fend waved at the croroag Silver Bde.

  “Hey, where did she pop out form?!”

  “You’re not worthy of my Final Fend!”

  Silver Bde rolled her eyes.

  “I’m his sister!”

  “So what? All the more reason to stay away from him!”

  Grittieeth Silver Bde took a deep breath. She ignored all the remarks while pulling Final Fend away.

  Luckily, no one chased after them. The young fan girls rather spammed friend requests until Final Fend’s entire vision was clouded.

  “And I was already thinking what took you so long. Turns out you’re flirting around.”

  “Sorry, sis. But I wasn’t flirting!”

  “Sure, sure.”

  “So you are Silver Bde’s little brother?”, asked Fortune from the side, looking Final Fend up and down.

  “Yes, o meet you, Fortune! I heard a lot about you!”

  Final Fend spoke with a bright smile, seeming genuinely excited. Seeing him like this, Fortune furrowed her brows.

  “Hmm, somehow your face also seems familiar.”

  “Ah, this… well, maybe you have heard of my band Luight. But pared to you we are only upstarts. Not worth mentioning.”

  Fortuhought for a moment, but the name didn’t ring a bell. Maybe the familiar feeling came from the fact that Final Fend was also a member of the Colville family.

  But seeing the fttered expression on Final Fend’s face, Fortune couldn’t bear to tell him.

  “Ah, sure. I think I’ve heard about it.”

  “Really? Great! Wh…”

  “Hey, who’s this, Silver Bde?”

  Luckily for Fortuhe rest of the party caught up just as Final Fend wao ask about Fortune’s favorite song.

  “Guys, this is Final Fend. He’s my brother. I invited him to join us today.

  Fend, these are Balm, Watchful Eye, Bloody Edge, and Braag.”

  Final Fend quickly got to know everyone, easily fitting in. Feeling the scrutinizing gazes of a few fan girls still lingering in the viity, Silver Bde soed the party to move on.

  After a short while one could feel the ge in atmosphere. Not many NPCs visited this part of the bay. And those who did were busy with various tasks, a stark trast to the sailors enjoying their few off days on nd.

  The party followed these workers, arriving before a half-finished stru site. Muscur workers with bare upper bodies yered rge bricks. With some imagination a tall, intimidating gateway could be made out.

  Two soldiers eyed everyorying to pass through. At the side stood a human man with a frowning expressioared at a wooden board filled with pns, absentmindedly ing the gsses in his hands.

  Silver Bde stopped, sing the se.

  “What’s up sis?”

  “I’m not sure where to go.”

  “Did Bleary Mirage not tell you?”, asked Balm.

  “No. He only told me to speak to Captain Huber.”

  “Is Bleary Mirage your expert? Liam?”

  Hearing her brother’s question, Silver Bde could only roll her eyes. Final Fend uood a moment ter, smiling awkwardly.

  Luckily the others didn’t make a big deal out of it, pretending not to have heard the name. Only Balm had a mischievous glint fsh past her eyes, her heart fossip sounding an arm.

  Final Fend tried to distract the others from his blunder. He sighem to follow him, approag the frowning NPC.

  “Hello Sir. I ask you a q…”

  “Adventurer?”, interrupted the man directly. “Don’t you see I’m busy? I’m really not in the mood to talk.”

  “Oh… ok.”

  Final Fend spoke stiffly, turning around and shrugging his shoulders at the party. But then the man’s voice sounded again.

  “Ok, ok. Since you are still here, you help me.”

  “But I didn’t intend…”

  “Listen, my job is it to lead the stru of a gateway here. It is an incredible honor to be hired by the broken cil directly! This might be my breakthrough! Soon, everyone will e to me, Fononpiss for stru works!”

  “What kind of name…”

  Final Fend didn’t evehe time to murmur a full sentence before Fonor tio talk.

  “Hah, my dream is about to e true. The name of my work will st throughout history. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with those legends. Saltae, the imperable wall, Mohna, the elven pace, and Fonor’s Draght, the eternal fortress…”

  Finally Final Fend couldn’t endure any longer.

  “SIR!”

  “Hm? ht.

  Adventurer, I am so close to grasping my dreams, but something stands in my way. It is those zy workers. Today, three of them didn’t show up!

  You, go search for them and drag them back here. They should be somewhere around the harbor.”

  [Do you wish to accept the quest ‘Drag back the missing workers’?]

  [Yes]

  [No]

  Final Fend looked at the notification full of fusion. He only wao ask for the way. How did he suddenly receive a quest?

  He g the other party members:

  “What should I do?”

  “Just accept for now.”, suggested Silver Bde.

  “Ok.”

  When Final Fend accepted the quest, Fonor turned around wordlessly, with an ‘I didn’t expeything else’ expression.

  The young man threreg gaze at the annoying NPC’s back before distang himself hastily.

  Meanwhile Silver Bde read through the quest they just received.

  [Quest: Drag back the missing workers]

  [Search the harbor area for the missing workers and bring them to the stru site.]

  [Workers found: 0/3]

  The quest was rather simple. Three circles appeared on the map, marking the areas which had to be searched. After a brief discussion the party decided to clear the quest real quick.

  They took it as an opportunity to sightsee in the harbor area. After about twenty mihey gathered all the missing workers and brought them back to the stru area.

  The small interlude allowed for some leisurely and lighthearted versation, assisting Braag and Final Fend in fitting in with the others.

  However, they still didn’t advahe inal quest. Standing before the gateway they were as clueless as before.

  Sialking to Fonor didn’t prove helpful, Silver Bde saw only oh forward. She gathered the party, leading them to pass the gateway.

  The soldiers sed them closely but didn’t move to block their path.