Taking a deep breath, Sibonen pced his hand with the guild's mark onto the door and spoke the archive’s password.

  It was his first time using teleportation magic, and he couldn't help feeling nervous.

  "Hold on. State your affiliation," a gruff voice stopped him.

  Before him stood a middle-aged man with thick gsses, a bushy beard, and an imposing frame.

  "I’m Sibonen, a new recruit for the Pte Division," he replied respectfully.

  Hearing that, the man—likely the archive keeper—stepped aside.

  "Ah, understood. Feel free to browse whatever you need. If you want to take something out, make sure to register it at the counter."

  The man's strict tone caught Sibonen a little off-guard, but he quickly focused and began searching for maps.

  He collected maps of the Empire, the Northern Kingdom, and the Western Frontier.

  "If we can't pass through Man... this mission could be a lot harder than expected."

  Traveling through the Northern Kingdom of Man would take about seven days—no problem.

  But if they had to detour through the Western Frontier, it could stretch to over twenty days.

  Transporting five wagons of cargo would require at least two additional supply wagons.

  And the Western Frontier was no easy terrain—thick jungles, dangerous beasts, and harsh conditions.

  Given their current budget, it would be impossible to safely make that journey.

  "First, I'll calcute the costs assuming we pass through Man.

  Then I'll prepare a contingency pn for the Western route, just in case."

  Sibonen carefully calcuted the distances, estimated the necessary supplies, and prepared a budget pn.

  He even included a bribe estimate for the border guards—just in case.

  He compiled a complete report, including a supply list, and decided to submit it to Isrin first thing tomorrow morning.

  "Thrown into work on the very first day... but honestly, it feels good."

  Unlike his time under the cold bureaucracy of the Grand Duchy, this felt different.

  He was actually excited.

  "It feels like I'm doing something meaningful."

  He thought back on the people he'd met today.

  His immediate superior, Isrin, was a striking woman with porcein skin and fiery red hair—cssic traits of the Northern Kingdom.

  The guild’s upper management was harder to picture clearly; perhaps he'd been more nervous than he realized.

  And then there was Riche, the head of the Field Division.

  Riche had skin that gleamed like a bck panther under the light—powerful, charismatic, and undeniably fierce.

  Sibonen hadn't expected to find himself working under female superiors.

  "But they're capable... I can be, too."

  With that thought, he drifted off to sleep.

  Waking up at the crack of dawn, Sibonen quickly prepared himself and headed to the office.

  He wasn't worried about being te—he just wanted to pce the report on Isrin's desk before she arrived.

  To his surprise, Riche was already there, sipping tea at her desk.

  Yesterday, she had her hair braided, but now it flowed freely around her shoulders, making her look even more imposing.

  "Newbie! You're here early!" Riche cpped her hands and stood to greet him.

  "Good morning, ma'am. You're early too," Sibonen said, bowing politely.

  Riche brewed him some tea and, pulling a small loaf of bread from the drawer, pced it in front of him.

  "I live here. Commuting’s a waste of time," she said, sipping her tea.

  Sibonen blinked in surprise.

  "You live here? What about family?"

  Riche downed the rest of her tea and smiled faintly.

  "Never had one. What about you, newbie? Married?"

  Sibonen shook his head quickly.

  "Marriage ages ter these days, but if you wait too long like me, it gets tough," she chuckled.

  "Work hard first. Marriage can come ter."

  Sibonen thought Riche didn't seem particurly old—maybe a few years older than him—but something about her presence hinted at a wealth of experience.

  She seemed tall even while seated, and her skin gleamed under the light, like polished marble.

  "Oh, what's your name again?"

  "Sibonen Headwicker, ma'am."

  "Good. I'll just call you Sibonen from now on. Now get to work."

  Sibonen nodded, sipping his tea while reviewing his report one st time.

  He wanted to impress Isrin—to prove he was competent.

  "This should be fine."

  Just as he pced the report on Isrin's desk, she arrived.

  "Ah! Sibonen, you're here already. Good morning, Riche!"

  Riche zily waved a hand in greeting, her attention still on her paperwork.

  Isrin approached, and Sibonen handed her the report with both hands.

  "I wasn’t sure about the deadline, so I completed it as fast as I could. Please review it when you have time."

  Isrin scanned the first few pages—and her expression slowly shifted from casual to serious.

  Sibonen stiffened.

  "Did I mess up? No... I checked everything carefully..."

  "Sibonen," she said finally.

  "Yes, ma'am?"

  "This report... it reads like a military operations manual," she said, ughing softly.

  "It's impressive. Now I see why Master Repl wanted you."

  Relief flooded Sibonen’s chest.

  "I may have been a bit... enthusiastic," he admitted.

  Isrin waved a hand.

  "No, this is great. It’s more organized than some of our official strategic documents.

  Honestly, I could hand this straight to Senior Secretary Izi."

  "Thank you, ma'am."

  Isrin gnced at Riche and said cheerfully, "I think we’ve got ourselves a real gem here."

  "I agree," Riche replied without even looking up.

  "Teach him well, Isrin.“

  Soon after, Isrin gathered the report and motioned for Sibonen to follow her.

  "Let's go meet Izi. She’s the senior secretary from Whisper Division who oversees our budget approvals."

  Sibonen recalled seeing the name "Izi" at the top of the escort mission roster.

  He hoped she would be an easygoing person.

  But when they arrived at the Whisper Division's office, he realized how wrong he was.

  "Do I have a knack for attracting intimidating women?"

  Izi stood tall—elegant yet overwhelming.

  She was even taller than Sibonen, with skin so pale it looked almost translucent.

  Her baby-blue hair and serene, cold gaze gave her the aura of an ancient goddess.

  Holding a cup of tea, she turned to them.

  "What is it, Isrin?"

  "Good morning, Izi. I have the report you requested," Isrin said, bowing slightly.

  She handed over the guild’s supply report, along with Sibonen’s supplemental budget analysis.

  Izi barely gnced at Sibonen before flipping through the documents.

  "Sit. I’ll review this."

  She gestured toward a seating area, and Sibonen and Isrin obediently sat.

  Sibonen, lowering his voice, whispered to Isrin.

  "I have a question..."

  "You can just ask normally," Isrin whispered back, amused.

  "I noticed a lot of guild members don't look Imperial. Is there a reason for that?"

  Isrin smiled.

  "Good eye. The guild values talent over nationality.

  I'm Imperial myself, but as you can see, we have members from all over."

  While they chatted, Izi finished reviewing the documents and stood up.

  "You’re recommending a budget adjustment. I see."

  Her voice was calm, but her sharp gaze turned to Sibonen.

  "New recruit. Do you think we can secure passage through Man?"

  The sudden question caught Sibonen off guard. He replied instinctively.

  "Do you think it’ll be difficult, ma'am?"

  Izi narrowed her eyes.

  "I asked you the question, not the other way around."

  Her tone was cold, and Sibonen immediately realized he'd overstepped.