"I don’t know. You left so suddenly that I happen to have cracks in my memory about who you really are!"
Fang Raon shouted.
"Oh... Are you sad that I left without a farewell? Did you want to hug goodbye? Were you that sad I left?"
Rock asked sarcastically.
"Haha, in your dreams. I cried tears of happiness when I was reading that shitty letter of yours. I spent the remaining night partying your departure."
Fang Raon laughed back at him.
"Is that so..."
Rock grinned, cracked his knuckles, and already thought about a hundred different demonic training exercises for him to do.
’I’ll properly tortur—teach you!’
"That’s enough of the two of you, please."
Della said with an exhausted smile.
She believed that the two of them would start fist-fighting soon if she didn’t stop them, and then she turned to the others.
"Machary, your marking ceremony will take place tonight to welcome you properly as part of Rose Records. Your party may attend."
Della said.
"Alright."
Machary nodded.
"What are your party’s intentions from now on? Do they also desire to join Rose Records, or are they going to move on without you?"
Della asked.
"...I don’t know."
Machary looked at the others, and they also didn’t know, so they just shrugged their shoulders.
"...You can discuss and give me your answer at another time. Miranda here will show your rooms for your duration of stay here."
Della said, and pointed at Miranda. The other party members nodded at her. She nodded back and nudged her glasses.
"Prepare the marking ceremony for this little shit too."
Rock patted Fang Raon’s shoulder hard. Almost breaking the shoulder. He turned around to look at the old man.
"Is he joining?"
Della asked.
It also surprised everyone else, and they looked at Fang Raon. It looked like Rock himself decided that he was going to join.
He wasn’t taking a "no" for an answer.
"You are, right?"
Rock looked at the blue eyes of Fang Raon with a chilly smile on his face, and he met that gaze with indifference.
"...Sure, whatever."
Fang Raon said with a sigh.
He didn’t really care, but he did come here to get taught by Rock again, as he was pretty lost without him when it came to training.
He wanted to reach level 3 as soon as possible and test his theory of whether he was getting healthier the more he leveled up.
Machary smiled after learning that Fang Raon was also joining. It made him really happy because they had become friends.
It also made it easier for him to get used to living with Rose Records if there was someone he knew here.
He also knew of Fang Raon’s capabilities and believed that the two of them would be a very formidable force in the future.
"That’s decided then. The marking ceremony will take place tonight. In that ceremony, you will officially be branded with Rose Records mark."
Della said with a smile on her face.
With that, everyone started departing from the office room, but Waylen stayed behind, and Della looked at him curiously.
"What is it, Waylen?"
Della asked.
"...Grinding Grief causing trouble yet again. They’re testing us. I don’t think Derrick can keep his men in check.
"I don’t know when, but they’ll do something that will spark a Guild War. I just know of it."
Waylen said with a serious look.
Della’s eyes glazed with coldness, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the peace would be shattered.
"They’ve been eyeing this place and Snowberry Village for a long time now.
"Grinding Grief and Monsieur Rascal have both been recruiting very hard lately, but for now, nobody will make a move.
"If we fight Grinding Grief and wound each other, it will just give Monsieur Rascal the perfect opportunity to get rid of both of us."
Della said.
She didn’t want them to break the peace because the locals would also get hurt in that skirmish.
Everyone wanted Snowberry Village for themselves because it was the 15th floor’s only Safe Zone, and while they stayed here, they couldn’t get attacked.
’...The peace will be broken sooner or later. I have a tinge of hope left in my heart that it won’t happen.
’I don’t want them to ruin this beautiful paradise that is Snowberry Village. They had already ruined Hollyhatch and Tinselbrook Village... They don’t care about locals like I do.’
Della bit her pink lips.
...
"A nice place!"
Poppy said in amazement as she entered her room, as it was even bigger than her real world’s apartment!
Miranda just chuckled at that reaction.
It was the same reaction that everyone else also had when they saw their rooms for the first time.
"I’ll let you be."
She said, and left.
With a smile, Poppy tested the bounciness of her bed, and a moment later, she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
At that moment, the rest of the party entered the room. They weren’t anymore shocked about the size of the room. Their rooms were the same size.
"I think we should discuss the future of this party now. As you all now know, I will stay here with Fang Raon!"
Machary said and sat down on a chair.
It brought serious expressions to the faces of everyone, and everyone looked at each other, wondering what they were thinking.
"...I won’t stay here."
In that moment, everyone turned to look at the person who spoke.
It was Ragnar.
"...Why, if I may ask?"
Machary asked curiously.
"As you all know, I plan to head to the 20th floor for the Festival of Wood. It has been my goal ever since I joined this party.
"I also don’t want to be chained by a guild and their rules. For now, at least."
Ragnar said with his usual deep, serious tone.
"I understand. It makes me sad to see you go, as I am sure Rose Records could have use for someone as strong as you."
Machary stood up and shook Ragnar’s hand.
"...I also don’t plan on staying for long. I don’t personally mind joining a guild, but I don’t think Rose Records is the one I want to join."
Abigail said.
"...That’s a shame, but I’ll respect your decision."
Machary said with a sigh.
"U-Uh..."
Poppy was conflicted as she looked at Fang Raon and thought that she would be very ungrateful if she didn’t join.
After all, Fang Raon rescued her, and she felt like she owed a lot to him.
Ding! Ding!
In that moment, she received a private message. It came from a surprising sender. The message was from Fang Raon.
[Fang Raon: You can choose your own path. You don’t need to stay because of a debt. It wouldn’t make me any better than Lucas if I forced you to stay]
She looked surprised, turned to Fang Raon, and saw him wave off the chat window.
’He knew... what I was thinking about?’
"What about you, Poppy?"
Machary asked.
"I... will also not join. I am really sorry..."
Poppy said with her heart beating in nervousness.
She hoped that they wouldn’t hate her now, as she might come across as very ungrateful.
"You’re really gifted Helper, Poppy, so that sucks, but you need to follow your heart, I guess. I hope we’ll still be friends."
Machary offered his hand to Poppy, who looked surprised at first, and then she grabbed it.
They shook hands.
"That decides it. This party has officially disbanded. It was really fun while it lasted, but I guess all good things must come to an end."
Machary said with a sad smile.
Everyone nodded and slowly left the room with they all feeling the same bittersweetness of the disband.