Assimilate All Talents

High above Initium, soaring through the skies, Sol turned to Guildmaster William and asked, "What do you want to talk about? And why don't you want Anna to hear this?"

William thought for a moment before replying, "You saw how quickly she took a liking to that young wolf you brought in. And you know as well as I do how she can be with those she grows attached to, going so far as to falsify guild records for some."

"Haha… yeah…" Sol let out an awkward laugh, avoiding the Guildmaster's narrow gaze.

William sighed and continued, "So you can imagine how she would react if she knew that wolf was in grave danger."

"In danger?" Sol's head snapped toward him, his expression instantly serious. "How?"

Seeing that Sol hadn't already considered the possibility, William stroked his thick red beard and asked, "Tell me, in all your travels, have you ever seen or heard of an A-Rank beast? Not in a dungeon or some controlled environment, but in the wild?"

Sol frowned, thinking back. 'If I really think about it, the only non-dungeon creature I encountered was the Bliss Spider… but that feels like an exception.' Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I haven't."

"I'd be surprised if you had." William nodded. "As you should know, legendary materials are rare. Whenever they appear, nearby forces scramble to obtain them."

Sol's eyes widened slightly as the pieces started falling into place. "Are you saying… they'll hunt the wolf for his body?"

William nodded. "Just as adventurers hunt monsters and animals for valuable parts, there are those who track and kill A-Rank beasts to harvest their bodies for legendary materials, whether for weapons, armor, or artifacts."

Sol's jaw tightened. "So you're saying… people will come for him?"

"Not necessarily. Right now, no one knows he exists. But if you travel with him, that won't last. The moment word spreads that he's an A-Rank beast, powerful factions will take an interest. And they won't be asking for permission."

"Then what should I do? Hide him? Leave him?" Sol's frustration grew as William pointed out the problem without offering a solution.

"That's up to you, lad," William said firmly. "I'm just telling you how it is. If you take him with you, trouble will follow. The choice is yours."

Sol fell silent, staring into the sea of clouds below. He had expected some difficulties traveling with the Raijin, maybe due to its inexperience in the world, but he hadn't anticipated that the world itself would hunt him down just for existing.

The most logical choice would be to leave the Raijin behind. Even if it was unwilling, forcing it into a quiet life in a secluded region might be the safest option. Somewhere no one could find it.

However—

"If he wants to come with me, then I will do my absolute best to protect him," Sol finally said, his voice unwavering. "Even if we left him behind, if these A-Rank beast hunters caught wind of him, he'd have no way to survive. At least with us, he'd stand a better chance."

William studied him for a moment before a grin broke across his face. He clapped Sol on the back, hard enough to make him stumble. "Hahaha! Good! It may not be the easiest road, but you should always walk the one that leaves the least regrets. I didn't mention this before because I didn't want to sway your decision, but if you had chosen to leave him behind… his fate would've been sealed."

Sol's brow furrowed. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"There are A-Rank hunting parties dedicated to tracking down powerful beasts," William explained. "They have countless ways of finding them. And don't forget, special cases like the Saintess exist, she could divine his location with ease. It's not a question of if they'll find him, but when. Does knowing that change your choice?"

Sol hadn't considered that before, but after a brief pause, he shook his head. "No. If anything, I'm even more determined to bring him along."

'At least if the Saintess foresees the Raijin, she'll likely see me with him. Hopefully, that'll keep them from sending anyone after us.' He thought to himself.

William gave him an approving nod. "Good. Let's head back, then. They should have come up with a name for him by now."

...

By the time they returned to the guild, night had fallen.

Inside William's office, they were greeted by a familiar sight—Annabel, sitting cross legged on the floor, practically buried in the Raijin's fur, while Amber leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.

"I take it you've come up with a name?" William asked, raising an eyebrow.

Annabel looked up excitedly. "We did! His name is—" She paused dramatically, throwing her arms up. "Puffywuff!"

The Raijin's ears flattened as he shook his head furiously. "Awuuu! (Anything but that!)"

Sol resisted the urge to facepalm. "That's… really the best you could come up with?"

Even William seemed momentarily speechless. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

Annabel burst out laughing. "No, of course not!" She turned toward Amber with a mischievous grin. "His real name is—"

Before she could finish, Amber, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

"Thorwyn."

Annabel blinked. Her mouth, already open mid sentence, froze. She turned to Amber with wide eyes.

"Wait… what?"

"Thorwyn." Amber repeated, her voice calm as ever.

Annabel gawked. That wasn't the name she had planned to say. But… it was one of the many she had thrown out while brainstorming. She had been listing names nonstop, not expecting Amber to contribute at all. And yet—surprisingly—she had.

Annabel's shock quickly turned to pure delight. She clapped her hands together. "Amber! You were actually listening to me this whole time?"

Amber didn't answer right away, instead glancing at the Raijin—no, Thorwyn—who perked up at the name. After a brief pause, she gave a small nod.

Annabel gasped dramatically. "Oh my gods, I thought you were ignoring me! You were so quiet, I figured I was just talking to myself!"

"I wasn't ignoring you," Amber replied simply.

Annabel beamed. "I knew you cared!" She turned back to Thorwyn. "So? What do you think?"

Thorwyn tilted his head before letting out a satisfied rumble.

"Awoo! (Thorwyn… I like it!)"

"He says he likes it." Sol translated for him.

Annabel pumped her fist in victory. "Yes! Success!"

Sol, watching the exchange with mild amusement, crossed his arms and smirked. "At least we dodged Puffywuff."

"Hey! That was a perfectly valid choice," Annabel huffed. "But fine, fine. Thorwyn it is."

William chuckled, shaking his head. "Thorwyn, huh? It has a good ring to it. Strong, but not distant."

Amber gave a small nod of approval, while Annabel looked as if she had just won the greatest victory of her life. Thorwyn, for his part, seemed content, his tail thumping against the floor as Annabel resumed scratching behind his ears.

Sol let out a small sigh, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. At least one thing had been settled for now.

As the group enjoyed the moment, William shot Sol a knowing look.

The name was decided. But the real challenges were still ahead.

For now, though, they could enjoy this brief moment of peace.