My bloodline is so eager to improve.

No one knows what kind of test the goddess will send down.

Throughout history, many have failed the trials, suffered mental trauma, or even become mentally impaired; some have even faced death. You should think carefully before you act.

But Otto still insisted on doing so when faced with Ymir's high level of skill.

Advancing to a higher level of life is inherently fraught with difficulties and obstacles. Now, all it takes is one trial to obtain stable divine factors. This deal is worthwhile no matter how you look at it.

Moreover, Felicity's divine essence is the safest advancement material Otto can currently find, and he is willing to take the risk.

After all, he's an adventurer.

The two discussed the details for a while longer.

The ceremony was to be held at Ymir's residence in town, where there was a ready-made altar for the sacred fire, which was more convenient.

As for Otto, he only needs to focus on praying. The entire process will be presided over and protected by Ymir, who will set up a barrier to prevent outsiders from disturbing him.

"Don't worry about the materials, I'll take care of them."

Ymir waved his hand.

"You just need to get a good rest and recharge before midnight tomorrow."

As for the dungeon party invitations…

The matter of the fire was finally settled at this point, but Ymir did not relax. Instead, he changed the subject and brought up another matter that Otto had mentioned in his letter.

She ran her fingertips along the rim of the teacup, remaining silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"In principle, a high priest of my rank no longer needs to perform pilgrimages across the land."

After graduating from seminary, priests often travel far and wide to spread their doctrines and divine blessings; this is known as pilgrimage.

But Ymir is now a high priest of the Order of the Lamp, so he shouldn't need to go out on adventures anymore.

However, when she looked up at Otto, the boy's serious yet expectant gaze made Ymir change her mind.

He was there to guide this child into the arms of the goddess; this was a perfect opportunity.

"Since you're the one who invited me, I can certainly consider it, but I have conditions."

"Please speak."

Otto immediately chimed in, feeling that there seemed to be some hope of forming a team.

Seeing that Otto seemed ready, Ymir immediately stated his conditions.

"During your adventure, when you rest each day, you will listen to me teach you a one-hour theological lesson."

In addition, you will do morning prayers with me every morning.

Ymir's tone was very serious.

"The content of the morning prayers of various religious groups is not entirely the same, but the core is the same: self-reflection, praise of God, and recitation of passages."

Since you're teaming up with me, you'll have to arrange all of these things.

Otto secretly breathed a sigh of relief in the face of Ymir's eloquent speech.

He knew that Ymir would not miss the opportunity to teach him theology, but fortunately it was only morning services and sermons, not forcing him to join the church, which was a perfectly acceptable condition.

Moreover, Otto is currently pursuing a second flame, so praising the goddess wouldn't be a waste of time. What if the boss is pleased and gives him more compensation?

"No problem, I'll do whatever you say."

And so, Otto's temporary squad was officially formed.

Although there are only two people at the moment, one of them is a genuine high priest. This kind of configuration is probably top-notch even among adventurer teams in the entire Northern Territory.

As for the departure time, the two decided after discussing it that it would be after the trial ended.

First, Otto must try to undergo the goddess's trial.

Secondly, Yumir also needs to handle his current affairs and ensure a smooth handover of his work.

"I can just ask Guild Master Victor for leave regarding my work at the guild."

Ymir said this with great ease.

"At worst, I can find a priest from a nearby town to fill in for a few days. I still have that much power."

After the business was over, the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

Yumir leaned back in his chair and asked casually.

"What do you plan to do in the time ahead?"

"We can't just sit and rest forever, how about we study the scriptures together?"

Ymir clearly had no intention of missing any opportunity to preach, but Otto resolutely refused.

"I plan to find a commission to test the new equipment."

Otto knew very well that even the best equipment could easily injure him if he didn't use it properly.

Therefore, taking advantage of the lull before heading to the dungeon, Otto planned to practice his skills with the Soul-Snatching Sword.

Ymir agreed with this suggestion.

She has seen too many adventurers who, once they get good equipment, can't wait to take on high-risk missions, only to fall by the wayside because the equipment isn't working properly.

"Perfect timing, the guild has accumulated quite a few commissions recently."

As he spoke, Ymir reached into a drawer on his desk and pulled out a stack of yellowed parchment, spreading it out on the table.

"After winter set in, adventurers' activity level dropped significantly, resulting in a large backlog of commissions."

You can choose a few missions in the suburbs to practice your skills and earn commissions at the same time, without missing a beat.

Upon hearing this, Otto bent down and flipped through the order forms.

The ceremony is tomorrow at midnight, and Otto doesn't want to go too far. He prefers to find a service near Oak Town that can be arranged for a half-day round trip.

However, while reviewing the commission, Otto also activated his Lamplight Eye, hoping to find any hidden gems.

But just as the two were discussing the entrusted matters, there was a sudden knock on the office door.

Dude, dunk, dunk.

Three light and clear knocks were followed by a crisp, girlish voice.

"Mr. Otto, are you in there?"

Phyllis's voice came along with the knocking.

The silencing amulet only prevents sounds from inside the house from getting out, but sounds from outside can still get in normally. Therefore, Phyllis's voice reached the ears of the two of them clearly.

Ymir raised an eyebrow, a playful look on his face.

"Is this young girl looking for you?"

They seem to be in a hurry.

Otto was also somewhat puzzled.

He doesn't seem to have caused any trouble in the guild lately. Phyllis is the guild's front desk clerk, and usually only handles registering commissions, settling commissions, and some other miscellaneous tasks for the guild. Why is she in such a hurry to ask me for something?

As he pondered, he walked to the door and put away the silencing amulet.

Only after confirming that the rune effect had completely dissipated did he open the door.

Immediately afterwards, he saw the girl with a smile on her face.

The girl was wearing the guild's uniform, and her hair was tied into a playful ponytail that hung down her back, with a small white bow at the end.

Her big, bright eyes sparkled like they were filled with sunlight. The moment Otto opened the door, her eyes lit up, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face, like a small sun rising suddenly, full of warmth.

"Mr. Otto! You're finally back!"

Phyllis's voice is crisp and enthusiastic, filled with undisguised joy, making listeners feel relaxed and happy.

She wasn't an adventurer, nor did she possess any extraordinary powers; she was just an ordinary clerk in the guild. However, with her cheerful and genuine personality and her ever-energetic smile, she was very popular throughout the adventurers' guild, and everyone jokingly called her the guild's little sun.

Phyllis had just greeted Otto when several adventurers at the bar not far away looked over.

Several old adventurers who knew Otto well grinned mischievously, and one of the warriors with a big beard raised his voice and teased him.

"Oh dear, our little sun came all the way here to see Otto?"

"Our guild's darling is about to fall into the hands of the succubus conqueror?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of whistles immediately rose up around him, and some people started whistling along.

Phyllis's face immediately turned red, from her cheeks all the way to her ears, even the tips of her ears had a pinkish hue.

She clenched the folder in her hand, bit her lower lip, but wasn't angry. She just took a deep breath and quickly calmed herself down, regaining her serious expression.

She ignored the adventurers' teasing, looked up at Otto, and said solemnly.

"Mr. Otto, our guild leader, Victor, heard you've returned and wishes to meet you. Are you free today?"

Upon hearing this, the adventurers' teasing instantly ceased.

Victor is the current guild master of Oak Town and also Phyllis's grandfather.

Clearly, the little girl had deliberately shouted Viktor's name loudly just now in an attempt to make them behave.

Otherwise, she'll complain to her grandfather, the president of the association!

This is also why Phyllis, a young girl who has just come of age, is able to keep these adventurers in check within the guild.

In addition to her own management skills, she is also very good at making use of the surrounding resources, including her grandfather's name.

After the surrounding noise finally subsided, Otto asked curiously.

"I do have time, meeting up is no problem."

But what does Chairman Victor want with me?

Chapter 263 A Secret Commission and a Future Great Adventurer (6.3K)

Filled with doubt, Otto followed Phyllis up the stairs in the deep corridor, intending to keep his appointment.

Throughout the journey, he kept reflecting to himself that he hadn't really done anything out of line lately.

He neither caused any earth-shattering disasters nor accepted any high-level commissions that required the chairman to settle personally.

Logically speaking, there should be no need to alarm President Victor, who has only been in office for a few days.

While waiting for the president's office, he asked Phyllis about the reason, but the guild's clerk, who was also the president's granddaughter, just shook her head and said that she didn't know the purpose of her grandfather's sudden summons.

What Otto found amusing was that, even though it was Victor who wanted to see him, Phyllis was actually more nervous than he was.

Her knuckles turned slightly white as she gripped the clerk's handbook, and her steps were a little more hurried than usual. Her uneasy demeanor made it seem as if she was hiding some little secret that was about to be discovered by her elders.

“My grandfather is very easy to get along with, he just looks a bit serious, so you don’t need to be too nervous.”

Phyllis suddenly slowed her pace, turned her head to the side and whispered a reminder to Otto, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

She was afraid that Otto would be reserved in front of the president, so she gave him some instructions beforehand. But as soon as she said it, the tips of her ears turned red.

Phyllis wondered if she had gone too far.

She wanted to defend herself again, but at that moment, the two of them had already arrived at the oak door at the end of the corridor.

A brass sign hangs on the door, engraved with the words "President's Office".

The edges of the doorplate were worn smooth by time, and it looked to be from the same era as those dilapidated monster encyclopedias.

Phyllis took a deep breath, raised her hand and gently knocked on the door, announcing her arrival inside.

"President, I've brought Mr. Otto with me."

"Come in."

A deep, mellow male voice immediately came from the office, calm in tone, clearly waiting for them.

Seeing this, Phyllis immediately pushed open the door, turned to the side, and invited Otto to enter the room first.

As Otto stepped into the room, a warm feeling mixed with the scent of ink and tobacco greeted him.

The room was spacious, with a large oak desk by the window, piled high with documents and scrolls, and a quill pen leaning against an ink bottle.

Behind the desk sat an elderly man with white hair, Viktor, the president of the Oaktown branch of the Adventurers' Guild.

He stood ramrod straight, showing none of the hunchbacks of an ordinary old man. His guild-style uniform was neatly pressed and fastened, with a polished silver guild badge adorning his collar.