The tension on the first floor of the Capital Merchant Guild still felt incredibly thick, as if the air itself had frozen into something heavy and suffocating. The remnants of Sylvia’s War Sun Flame still danced in the air like reluctant fire ghosts. The guild’s normally cold large stone walls now felt warm, and some parts of the wooden registration desk even showed light scorch marks. Fine black ash from Baron Veldor’s two guards, who had been reduced to dust, floated gently under the mana crystal lamp light, resembling horrifying dark snow full of omens of death.

The few remaining small merchants in the room retreated further against the walls, their backs pressed tightly against the cold stone as if hoping to merge with it. Cold sweat drenched their foreheads. The sharp smell of ozone mixed with the faint scent of burned flesh still lingered, making every breath feel like swallowing needles. No one dared make a sound. Even the guild staff, who were usually busy running around, now stood frozen in place, their hands trembling at their sides.

Guild Master Harlan Voss stood on the main staircase, his usually dignified face extremely tense. He was already in his sixties, his graying hair neatly combed back, and his well-groomed short beard gave him the aura of a senior administrator. His sharp, calculating eyes shifted quickly between Sylvia, who stood calmly in the middle of the room with a flat expression, and Baron Veldor, whose face was flushed red from a mix of overwhelming anger and fear.

As the leader of the Merchant Guild that controlled most of the official trade flow in the capital, Harlan Voss knew his position well. Baron Veldor was one of the guild’s largest financial backers. The spice monopoly held by the baron’s family, especially pepper from the southern region and rare saffron, secretly provided the guild with large commissions. Defending a newly arrived foreign merchant was clearly not a profitable business decision. However, the power the long-haired girl had just displayed made his calculations waver.

"This girl has killed two of Baron Veldor’s guards within guild territory!" the Guild Master said in a heavy voice deliberately laced with authority. "This is a serious violation of the guild’s internal regulations and the Empire’s laws! Surrender yourself now before I call the city troops and..."

Before he could finish his threat, Sylvia casually moved her right hand in an almost indifferent motion. From the inner pocket of her simple yet high-quality black jacket, she took out a card. The card was pure gleaming gold that sparkled under the guild’s mana lamps, as if absorbing and reflecting light into a majestic golden aura. An engraving of a grand eagle with spread wings adorned the top, while intricate ancient hunter runes formed a protective circle around it. In the center of the card, clearly and authoritatively engraved, were the words: Rank A.

The already silent room became deathly quiet. Even the sound of breathing seemed to stop.

Guild Master Harlan Voss froze instantly. His eyes widened completely, his pupils shrinking from deep shock. Rank A. It wasn’t just a title. Across the entire Empire, the number of active Rank A hunters was recorded at only around fifty people. They were living monsters capable of exploring high-level dimensional rifts alone, summoning natural disasters with a flick of a finger, and killing hundreds of high-class monsters in a single day. Their status often surpassed that of low-ranking nobles like Barons, and even the imperial palace treated them with extraordinary respect due to their contributions to border security and high-risk trade.

The Guild Master’s expression changed in seconds from anger and authority to total shock, then quickly to overly friendly and almost servile. The sudden smile on his old face looked stiff.

"Ah... so Miss is an honorable Rank A Hunter," he said, his voice immediately softening with clear respect. He even bowed slightly. "Please forgive this very unfortunate misunderstanding. I truly didn’t know before. Of course, a Rank A has far greater privileges and freedom in conducting any business within the Empire’s territory."

Baron Veldor, who had been standing with his chest puffed out and an arrogant face, now looked stunned as if he had been slapped. His usually red, fat face turned as pale as white cloth. His lips trembled. "What?! Rank A?! Impossible! She’s just a little girl pretending to be a merchant! My guards were killed right in front of me! This is unfair..."

"Baron Veldor," the Guild Master cut in with a sharp, warning gaze. His voice turned cold. "Please watch your words. Rank A Hunters are important assets of the Empire. They are outside the guild’s normal jurisdiction. This incident... seems to have been a rather large misunderstanding on your part. Your two guards attacked first, didn’t they?"

Sylvia remained silent the entire time. Her expression was flat and cold as ice, as if the entire drama before her was nothing more than a passing breeze. She slowly and gracefully put the golden card back into her jacket pocket. The golden kitten named Sol sitting on her shoulder purred softly, its golden eyes narrowed as if mocking the situation that had reversed 180 degrees.

Guild Master Harlan Voss now moved quickly to approach Sylvia personally, his attitude completely changed to extremely helpful and attentive. "Please follow me, Miss Sylvia. I will handle your registration personally. There’s no need to queue anymore, of course."

He led Sylvia to a VIP table in the corner of the room that was usually reserved for major merchants, dukes, or high nobles with special connections to the guild. The staff hurriedly cleaned the ash from the floor with low-level wind magic, clearing a wide path. Baron Veldor stood frozen in place, his fat hands clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white. Anger, shame, and fear mixed together. His remaining guards retreated with deathly pale faces, afraid of becoming the next pile of ash if the girl became even slightly displeased.

The Guild Master himself sat down and filled out the forms for Sylvia with quick hands. "Which stall location would you like, Miss? I can give you the best spot in the northern market with very high foot traffic. I can also reduce the rental fee to half the standard rate, special for Rank A Hunters. In fact... I can offer up to a 70% discount if Miss is willing."

Sylvia nodded slightly, her voice remaining calm. "The northern area sounds good. One month permit duration for now. If the results are satisfactory, it can be extended."

"Very good, very good!" The Guild Master smiled widely, cold sweat still beading on his temples. His hands moved quickly to sign the documents with the gleaming golden guild seal. "I will also provide additional discounts for stall security fees for a full month. If there are any problems or anyone disturbs you, please contact me directly. I will handle it immediately."

In less than fifteen minutes, the entire process was completed very smoothly. Sylvia received a shiny golden stall permit plaque and a stack of neatly sealed official documents. The entire interaction was full of respect, and even some female guild staff gave shy smiles as Sylvia passed them.

When Sylvia exited the guild building, the afternoon air outside felt much fresher and lighter. A gentle breeze carried the aroma of grilled bread and spices from the nearby market. The golden kitten on her shoulder purred contentedly, its tail swaying.

In her heart, Sylvia only smiled faintly. This city is indeed full of intrigue. Monopolies, hidden power, and rigid hierarchies like a spider’s web. But with the power I have now, all of that is just minor annoyances I can burn anytime.

When she arrived back at the Silver Eagle Inn, Stacia and Alicia were already waiting in the suite’s living room with a table full of appetizing lunches of spiced roasted meat, warm bread, creamy mushroom soup, and fragrant herbal tea. Stacia immediately jumped over with enthusiasm.

"How did it go?! Smooth?!"

Sylvia placed the permit documents on the wooden table gently. "There was a small issue with a baron who wanted to maintain his spice monopoly. But it’s been resolved."

Alicia, sitting gracefully in a chair while pouring tea, smiled gently. "And you resolved it with... your usual subtle method?"

"A little fire," Sylvia answered casually as she sat down and took a piece of bread. "Two of his guards turned to ash. After that, the Guild Master’s attitude changed completely. The golden card really is useful."

Stacia laughed brightly, her eyes sparkling. "Hahaha! I can imagine that fat baron’s face! Tomorrow we open the stall and start gathering deeper information about the underground trade network in this capital. I’m so tired of pretending to be weak all the time."

The three of them ate lunch while discussing their next plans in detail from arranging merchandise, pricing strategy, to ways of infiltrating the capital’s underground information network. The golden kitten joined in, eagerly eating small pieces of meat and occasionally purring with satisfaction.

Outside the suite window, the capital of the Earth Human Empire continued to pulse with its bustling, colorful life. Luxurious carriages passed by, merchants shouted their wares, and adventurers walked with weapons at their waists. No one knew that a Queen of Death from Nocture had just stepped deeper into their territory, and the golden card she held was only the beginning of the coming storm.