'Damn it.

I hate acting like a pufferfish in front of these high-ranking jackasses. I need to break into the C-rank soon.'

Eren thought to himself as he controlled the side effects of being exposed to a Grandmaster ranker's aura. He was out of the controlled facility and was heading to Agatha's office where he was supposed to welcome Jiana.

Amory's breakthrough forced Eren to change his plans a bit. He was supposed to head to Edin after three days. But since he needed to be present at the event celebrating Amory's breakthrough, the departure had been postponed by four more days.

Edin was at the center of Edinburgh's geography. It didn't have any teleportation arrays inside the city or anywhere near it for security reasons. Even with the use of the interconnected teleportation arrays which had the potential to send him as close to Edin as possible, the butcher was going to cut it close, arriving just in time.

But Eren didn't have a choice. No matter how he may have tried to underplay Amory's accomplishments for his gains, he knew perfectly well that it was extremely tough to become a Grandmaster ranker.

And since it was extremely tough, it was extremely significant for his guild. Especially when he was going to leave the city in Amory's care for an extended period. Thus, he had to attend the event at all costs.

Amory had shifted to his newly constructed mansion, resting and stabilizing his breakthrough. High-ranking breakthroughs weren't as straightforward as lower-ranked entities believed them to be. One needed to stabilize their extremely potent mana cores inside their bodies which were akin to highly reactive cosmic stars.

Amory was unable to stabilize his breakthrough within a few days. He couldn't fight right away. But he was fine for public appearances after some rest.

It had been a few days since Jiana was staying at the Carvo Bianco vineyards. She didn't venture outside the vineyards after her relocation. Therefore, it could be said that she was entering the city of White Raven for the first time since her arrival.

Jiana hadn't really talked about her role in the White Raven guild to anyone after arriving. And it was her first time getting into the heart of the city itself.

Agatha and others were busy organizing an event. So the responsibility of properly weaving her role into the guild's fabric fell on Eren's shoulders.

Eren snapped his fingers and used Instant Reset to eliminate all the negative effects caused to him by Amory. This was not the first time he had acted tough for his benefit. And he had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last.

Eren's peculiar body constitution and his exceptional mana control had made it easy for him to fake that he was not affected by any moves performed by high-ranked entities like Amory. But that didn't mean he didn't suffer from the tough-guy act at all.

What was he supposed to do anyway? He couldn't show his weakness at this point. Not even to his most trusted people. Especially during these times. He had to bear the burden of acting tough all alone.

No matter how fast he climbed the ranks, there was always someone above him. He had to fight a never-ending battle with the world until he reached the top.

***

Eren got inside Agatha's office which was a large stone hall with a chandelier hanging from its ceiling. The walls and the ceiling were studded with various gems and runic details that gave the space an opulent vibe despite its classic and no-fuss base.

Eren heard the sound of his own steps as he entered Agatha's hall. He saw a very pretty elf sitting in front of Agatha's desk waiting patiently for someone to induct her.

Lightning struck and Eren appeared on the other side of the table. He flashed a light smile at Jiana before greeting her.

"You'd have to forgive me for making you wait, Miss Gold Wings. You know how it is being an ex-guild master yourself. I got busy with some unforeseen work."

Eren said in a friendly voice before offering a handshake to Jiana. His body language was confident and he seemed nothing like the tyrant Jiana had accused him of. It was as if the person who had subjugated a Grandmaster ranker with his words alone had been a different entity all along.

Jiana managed to flash a smile that seemed forced. She recalled Eren's way of getting Amory on track with him as she shook hands with him. She felt like she had lost her biggest advantage by not having Amory under her absolute control.

Still, it was not like Jiana hated Eren for pulling that move. She knew she couldn't do something like that if she were in his shoes. But she also wasn't stupid to not understand the Whys behind it.

Jiana wasn't sure how Eren was as a person. But that move alone told her that he was a better leader than her. She looked into his eyes and became lost in them. It felt to her that his eyes could create a world of their own around her.

"Umm It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Jiana. Your beauty is as mesmerizing as your accomplishments."

Jiana was finally snapped out of her reverie as she heard Eren's next words. She found out that she had become lost in her thoughts and held Eren's hand for a few seconds longer than what was normally expected of her. So Eren had to say something to not make the interaction weirder than it had gotten.

Jiana cursed herself for losing her composure in the presence of a mere D-ranked man. He was younger and was supposed to be less experienced in life than her. And yet, it was she who felt the pressure of being in the vicinity of him.

Jiana became fascinated by Eren's eyes and flustered by her inability to keep her composure in front of him when she heard him compliment her. She could only reply with an "Oh yeah" as she quickly pulled her hand away.

'Well what do you know? Maybe acting like a pufferfish comes with its own benefits after all.'