The grand hall of Garnethall shimmered under crystal chandeliers, filled with low hums of conversation, clinking glasses, and polished boots tapping marble floors. This was supposed to be a minor ceremony — a recognition event for rising guilds who'd "demonstrated promise." Not quite VIP status, but we'd earned a foot in the ballroom.
I was still adjusting my stiff collar when Iris, ever deadpan, said, "You've already tripped three nobles with your cloak. Consider disrobing."
"That's called fashion," I grumbled. "Besides, this is my first real event. I gotta look the part."
Lina gave me a once-over. "You look like a lost waiter."
Kaela shrugged. "I like the cloak."
That compliment made me feel weirdly proud until a blast of heat cut through the air like a whip.
The room dimmed. Then the doors — massive oaken beasts decorated with silver filigree — swung open on their own.
Enter the Blazing Tyrants.
They didn't walk in so much as descend upon the place. Red and black cloaks. Matching sigils stitched in dragon-scale patterns. Their boots didn't even squeak. The temperature spiked several degrees, and I swore I saw one guy ignite a rose in a vase… just because.
Gasps whispered across the room like a wave.
"They're not supposed to be here…"
"Aren't they Class-A Platinum?"
"What's a top-tier guild doing at a bronze-level recognition event?"
Good question.
Their leader stepped forward. Blaze Helhart. Real name? Probably not. His hair was fire-orange, spiked like he styled it with lightning. Eyes like molten gold. A sword taller than me slung casually over one shoulder.
He scanned the crowd with all the subtlety of a predator looking for lunch. His eyes paused—on me.
I flinched. Not because I was scared.
Okay, maybe a little.
But mostly because I was holding a mini sandwich and had just tried to bite it sideways. Now my jaw was stuck half-open.
"What is this?" Blaze's voice rang out, calm but cutting. "A kindergarten awards day?"
Laughter rippled from behind him — his guildmates, all equally photogenic and probably allergic to humility.
Blaze started pacing, slow and deliberate. "I see a lot of… interesting faces. Greenhorns. Posers. And of course—" His eyes locked on me again, "—the kind of weaklings who build harems instead of reputations."
The hall went silent.
Some guild members looked away, others smirked. I felt Iris stiffen behind me. Lina's hand twitched toward her dagger.
I knew this type. Blaze wasn't just arrogant — he was theatrical. The kind of guy who kicked puppies for screen time. And I hated being the punchline in someone else's spotlight.
So I smiled.
The dumb, dangerous kind of smile.
"You're right," I said, loud enough to bounce off the chandeliers.
Everyone turned.
I stepped forward, wiping my hands on my cloak. "I am weak. My magic is copied, my swordplay's terrible, and most of the time I win by panicking at just the right moment."
Kaela muttered, "...don't say all that out loud."
"But," I continued, "at least when I walk into a room, I don't need to raise the temperature to feel important."
A couple gasps. One awkward cough. A noble choked on wine.
Blaze raised an eyebrow.
I wasn't done.
"And hey, I do have a harem. You wanna know what else I've got?"
I turned and gestured to my party.
"I've got a Time Witch who can freeze your heartbeat mid-insult. A Fire Dancer who burned down a dungeon with just a sneeze. And a Beast Whisperer who rides war boars like taxis."
Kaela nodded solemnly.
"So yeah," I said, facing Blaze again, "I've got a harem. You've got a haircut that looks like it lost a fight with lightning. Who really wins here?"
The silence that followed was loud.
Lina leaned in and whispered, "You realize we're going to die now, right?"
Blaze didn't move. He stared at me with those lava-glow eyes, and for a moment, I genuinely thought he might swing that sword and end me right there.
Then he chuckled.
Not the evil overlord laugh. Just a low, amused sound, as if someone had finally surprised him.
He turned, flicked his cloak, and strode back toward the exit. "We'll be seeing each other soon," he called over his shoulder. "Hope your party can keep up when things get real."
And just like that, the Blazing Tyrants were gone — the doors slammed shut behind them, and the room slowly remembered how to breathe.
I exhaled, heart thumping like mad.
Iris blinked. "You provoked a Class-A guild."
"I did."
"You insulted his hair."
"In my defense," I said, "he started it."
Lina clapped me on the back. "You idiot. That was amazing."
Kaela offered me a chicken egg from her satchel, which I took without question.
Somehow, I knew this moment would be remembered. Not because we won anything. Not because we had titles or medals.
But because for the first time, the world looked at me… and I didn't flinch.
END OF CHAPTER 27