The floral wreath, paired with the bow, actually complemented her exquisite Lolita-style dress quite well.
At a glance, she looked like a well-dressed, obedient little pet straight out of a fairy tale, exuding an air of pitiable delicacy.
Liam took a good, long look at his beloved wife like this, even planting several heavy kisses on her right there on the street, nearly drinking his fill of her sweetness.
Only then did he lead her into the Adventurer's Guild right in front of them.
Creeeak—
Pushing the door open,the guild hall that greeted them was packed with people of all sorts, many in ragged clothes.
There was a slovenly middle-aged warrior, a heavy sword leaning nearby, raising his tankard boldly towards someone across the room.
There were novice adventurer teams, huddled around a table, discussing matters while sitting on stools.
And there were lone wolves.
The one thing they all had in common was that they were all adventurers.
The moment the two entered, they attracted the attention of most patrons.
Liam's expression remained unchanged as he led little Celia straight towards the counter.
Unexpectedly, along the way, a drunken man with a flushed face, slumping over a chair back, suddenly and without warning, reached a lecherous hand towards the elven girl walking close to Liam.
"Hey there~ little guy. This elf of yours, how did she..."
"Piss off, you filthy scum!"
Liam kicked away the hand reaching for Celia's bottom, not giving him any face.
"Ah!" the drunk screamed, his wrist hanging limp, completely useless.
"You... uh... Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Ridge Adventuring Group... How dare you!"
This commotion caused the room, which had just started to get noisy again after quieting down, to fall silent once more.
The drunk, his mind fogged by alcohol, was furious. Using his other, uninjured hand, he grabbed the large sword beside him, stepped over the stool, and prepared to fight for his life.
But his drinking companions stopped him immediately.
"Don't be rash! At worst, we'll get your wrist treated. You're the one who got drunk and acted like an idiot. Before you go crazy, didn't you even notice that gentleman's aura?"
"Uh..."
The drunk rubbed his eyes.
Indeed, sensing the oppressive aura emanating from the other party, he sobered up considerably in an instant.
"My apologies, sir! I misjudged! I thought you were from the counter..."
He knew when to fold.
Liam's tall figure turned slightly, his eyes gloomy as if looking at a piece of trash.
"If I see you again, you're finished!"
His large hand formed a claw, veins bulging, as he pressed Celia's pale little face firmly against his side, letting her nose inhale the scent of his clothes to calm her slightly.
"Mmph... L-Liam... I can't... breathe..."
The girl raised her soft fists, weakly pounding on him, nearly suffocating.
Maybe that was a bit overkill...
This commotion not only sobered up the drunk but also startled everyone present.
Even those with low levels could tell, informed by the stronger adventurers around them, the details of the mysterious man with a young elven girl.
A fifth-tier expert!
In the adventuring profession—
The first tier consisted of commoners not worth mentioning.
The second tier was for ordinary adventurers.
The third tier was for advanced adventurers.
Fourth-tier adventuring groups were already rare.
Someone like Liam, at the fifth tier, appearing in the Adventurer's Guild, was absolutely considered a top expert.
What was special was that Liam wasn't an ordinary fifth-tier.
He was a high-ranking demon and a candidate for the Demon King.
Even against a sixth-tier human expert, he could put up a fight.
"Sir, are you here for a meal, or to register as an adventurer? I see... you don't seem to have an adventurer's badge?"
The receptionist straightened her previously lazy posture, her attitude very proper, even her fingers, folded below the counter, trembling slightly.
Celia was a very petite elf, so her line of sight barely reached the counter.
Staring up like this was uncomfortable, forcing her to stretch her slender arms onto the counter and stand on her tiptoes with difficulty.
With her husband by her side, as his wife, her courage had grown considerably, even facing humans.
Liam glanced at the struggling elven girl, then sighed, cupped her bottom, lifted her, and placed her sitting on the counter.
"L-Lord Liam!"
Celia struggled flusteredly for a moment before her body went limp, kneeling on the counter.
Lifting her eyes, she met the smiling face of the receptionist right in front of her, and her face flushed red with embarrassment.
She flusteredly scrambled to clutch his tie, pressing her burning face against his chest.
Only when she felt the firm muscle beneath did she finally calm down.
"Wah..."
Celia's eyes reddened, and she weakly began pounding his chest again with her soft fists.
Worked up, she even clamped down on one of his buttons, her heart seething with peevish resentment.
If someone couldn't reach the counter, most people would pick up the cute girl to help her see.
As for the 'not most people' approach, that would be her husband's style—directly picking her up and placing her on the counter...
Just like a delicate doll put on display for everyone to see...
She was truly afraid. Afraid of the gazes from those humans—whether the drunk who had suddenly reached out or the gentle receptionist right in front of her.
They were all humans, after all. Humans never had good intentions towards her kind, always looking at them with different eyes.
"Ahaha, this little elf sister is so adorable, just a bit timid. But she's very attached to you, sir."
The receptionist smiled.
"Mm."
Scoffing inwardly at the receptionist's smile, Liam maintained his grim, ashen expression, letting the girl in his arms fuss however she wanted.
His broad palm smoothed over the girl's slightly trembling back,soothing her.
"I want to register. How much?"
"R-register?"
The receptionist's face lit up with delight.
Hearing he wanted to register, she hurriedly pulled out a contract and slapped it onto the counter.
"No charge, no charge! For you to choose our guild is an honor. How could we charge you?"
"Then I won't pay. I'm short on funds anyway."
"Uh... alright."
Liam glanced at Celia nestled in his arms and indicated, "Register her as well—bind her to me. My pet, under my name."
"I understand. One moment, please."
The receptionist picked up a magical branding quill, made a few marks on the contract, then gently placed the quill on the paper and slid both towards Liam.
Liam took the quill, filled in the information, then bit his fingertip and let two drops of crimson blood fall onto the contract.
Instantly, a golden light flashed across it.
"Sir, you're... starting at the third tier?"
The receptionist was astonished.
"Stronger than most fifth-tier lords! Amazing!"
Ignoring the receptionist's praise, the man carefully pushed the girl away from his embrace.
Instantly, a delicate, tear-streaked little face was exposed, sniffling and hiccupping every now and then.
"Heh."
He wiped her damp eyes with his thumb and smiled helplessly.
"I'm just registering as an adventurer. What are you crying for? Don't you want to see the goblins anymore?"
"Wah... no... I'm not... crying..."