Pretending to be a noob in a world scaled by power level

[29] Bounty

It was noon, I waited at the front of the guild hall for the girls.

"Master!" a sweet voice called out, I turn to the direction of the voice.

Lila was dressed in an elegant black maid dress. It was a piece designed with an intricate balance of functionality and style. The bodice of the dress was fitted, accentuating her slender waist, while the skirt flared out gently, ending just above her knees. Puffed short sleeves adorned her shoulders, edged with delicate white lace that matched the trim on her apron. A small white bow added a finishing touch to the dress. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun, and she wore a quaint little headband with a matching bow.

"Lila, you look..." I began, searching for the right words, "You look absolutely stunning."

Lila blushed and lowered her head shyly, "Th-thank you, master."

Sera, with her arms folded across her chest, smirked and said, "I picked it out. You should be thanking me, not her."

I chuckled and nodded at Sera, "Of course, thank you, Sera. Good choice. It suits her perfectly."

The interaction put a smile on Lila's face and even Sera seemed pleased, a faint blush creeping up on her cheeks. With the pleasantries out of the way, it was time to focus on our next task.

***

We entered the public guild hall of Veridian, it was similar in appearance to the guild hall back in Erindale.

The quest was printed on a piece of parchment pinned to the center of the board, drawing attention from everyone who passed by. The title of the quest was scrawled in bold ink: "Catch the Phantom Thief."

The details were written below: "Request: Capture the elusive thief who has stolen the 'Star of Veridian,' a priceless gem that holds immense cultural value to the city of Veridian. The gem is worth approximately 10 million gold. The thief has been noted to be crafty and elusive, with no clear description.

Reward: 100,000 Gold upon successful capture of the thief and recovery of the 'Star of Veridian.'

Note: This is a non-kill quest. The thief should be captured alive.

As we read through the quest details, Sera couldn't help but comment, "This thief has some guts, stealing such a precious gem. With that reward, half the city will be looking for him."

"The thief is probably long gone by now," I replied, scanning the room for reactions to the quest.

Lila, looking unsure, asked, "Can we really take on this task? The thief sounds quite skilled..."

I chuckled at her concern. "That's what makes it interesting, Lila. We'll just have to be smarter than them. And besides, a 100,000 gold reward is not something to sneeze at."

Q: Are you a risk taker?