Boros had absolutely no idea what Jonas was talking about.
But he decided it was probably best to stay quiet and see where this was going.
"If yer already suspect him, then why ask, ya idiot?" Griffin said.
Jonas clicked his tongue.
"Fair point."
"He's right," Adams added with a grin.
The moment Jonas mentioned it, Rayka's attitude changed completely.
Just seconds ago she had looked ready to argue with Boros.
Now she had backed off entirely.
"One of what?" Kinuko asked, looking at Boros.
"Yeah, Shiro. What are they talking about?" Akeno added.
Boros simply folded his arms.
"The Nameless," Lykon said.
A nervous chuckle escaped him.
"I've heard stories about them before."
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Never thought they were actually real."
"The Nameless?" Akeno repeated.
Adams nodded.
"A group of Adventurers who keep their real identities completely secret."
"It is said that nobody knows their true names."
"Not their friends."
"Not their comrades."
"Not even their families."
Kinuko frowned.
"Wouldn't that be impossible?"
"Aren't their families the ones who gave them names in the first place?"
"Methods exist to erase memories," Adams replied calmly.
The room fell silent.
"...Oh."
Kinuko suddenly wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"There is no headquarters."
"No central organization."
"No official territory."
Adams clasped his hands behind his back.
"They are simply individuals scattered across the world."
"Then how do people join them?" Akeno asked.
"You don't."
Adams shook his head.
"They recruit you."
A few people shifted uneasily.
"It is said they investigate potential candidates for years."
"If they determine that your true identity is effectively gone..."
"If nobody knows who you really are..."
"Then they may approach you."
"And if you pass whatever test they give..."
He shrugged.
"You become one of them."
"They remained little more than a rumor for decades."
"Most people weren't even sure they existed."
"That changed a few years ago."
Everyone listened carefully.
"Why?" Kinuko asked.
Adams smiled.
"Because a certain individual publicly announced that he had joined their ranks."
Akeno and Kinuko immediately became curious.
"Who?" Kinuko asked.
Adams' smile widened.
"The man known as the strongest human alive."
"The Guildmaster of the Rank One Guild, Phantom Brigade."
A brief silence followed.
Then Adams spoke a single name.
"King."
The name alone shook the room.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Even Boros could feel the change in atmosphere.
"Calm down, ya damn brats," Griffin said, waving a hand.
"Yer actin' like he's standin' right in front of ya."
A few nervous laughs spread through the room.
Kinuko raised a hand.
"Is there a reason he's called the strongest human alive?"
"There is."
Adams nodded.
"A very good reason."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"About thirteen years ago, a beast from the Northern Cardinal attacked..."
He paused.
"...the world."
Boros frowned.
"The world?"
Several of the recruits glanced toward him.
Their expressions were strange.
Confused.
Surprised.
This was one of the most famous stories in existence.
The fact that Boros, Akeno, and Kinuko didn't seem to know it was unusual.
Still, with the suspicion that Boros might be one of The Nameless hanging in the air, nobody questioned it.
"Yes."
Adams nodded.
"The world."
"A colossal Draken known as Molthyr."
His voice became more serious.
"It flew from Cardinal to Cardinal."
"Kingdom to kingdom."
"City to city."
"And everywhere it went, people died."
The room remained silent.
"Millions of civilians."
"Thousands of Adventurers."
"Guildmasters."
"Apex Rank Adventurers."
"None of it mattered."
He shook his head.
"Molthyr was a disaster unlike anything the world had seen before."
Adams looked around the room.
"To give you an idea of how massive the creature was..."
"There is an island in the Northern Cardinal known as Molthyr's Fang."
Several recruits nodded.
They had heard of it.
"As the name implies, that island is nothing more than a portion of the beast's jaw and several of its fangs."
A stunned silence followed.
"The remains floated in the ocean after its death."
"The Guild Concord later classified it as an official island."
Akeno's eyes widened.
"W-Wait..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Are you saying..."
"Yes."
Adams smiled.
"The man who killed Molthyr was King."
The room fell silent again.
"No army."
"No Guild coalition."
"No outside assistance."
"He fought the beast alone."
A few recruits visibly swallowed.
"This was a creature capable of killing Guildmasters."
"A creature that left entire cities in ruins."
"And King defeated it by himself."
Griffin chuckled.
"The craziest part?"
Everyone looked toward him.
"According to the bastard himself..."
Griffin grinned.
"That was his first fight after awakening his Longinus."
The room exploded.
"W-What?!" Akeno stuttered.
Even Boros looked surprised.
'His first battle...?'
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
'Just what kind of Longinus does he have?'
'It must be terrifying.'
"The incident led to something unprecedented," Adams continued.
"King became one of the first Adventurers in history to receive a Direct Ascension."
Akeno blinked.
"Wait."
"He was a rookie?"
"Yes."
Adams nodded.
"The moment news spread, Guilds across the world rushed to recruit him."
"The most powerful organizations on the planet wanted him."
"But he rejected every single offer."
"Why?" Kinuko asked.
A grin spread across Adams' face.
"Because he had a different plan."
The room became completely silent.
"He traveled directly to the Central Cardinal."
"And challenged the Rank One Guildmaster."
Adams laughed.
"He defeated him."
The room froze.
"Then he took his place."
A long silence followed.
"And for the last thirteen years..."
Adams' smile widened.
"Nobody has managed to take that position from him."
"I see..." Kinuko gulped.
"And I'm guessing King isn't his real name."
Adams nodded.
"It isn't."
"He was tested by The Nameless. Whatever trial they gave him, he passed. Not long after, it was publicly announced that he had joined their ranks."
A small smile appeared on Adams' face.
"That's when The Nameless truly became famous."
Kinuko fell silent.
Her mind raced as she pieced everything together.
'I can see why they'd think Shiro is one of them.'
'They've all seen how ridiculously strong he is.'
'And he's refusing to tell anyone his name.'
Her gaze drifted toward Boros.
'But if you consider the fact that he lost his memories, it doesn't make any sense.'
'The Nameless recruit their members personally. You can't just walk up and join them.'
'Maybe he was recruited before he lost his memories...'
She paused.
'No. Even then, he doesn't remember anything. Not even his own name. That's probably why he hasn't told me and Akeno.'
'Besides, from what I've seen of him, I can't imagine him being involved with something like that.'
The more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed.
Still...
The possibility lingered in the back of her mind.
Adams clapped his hands together.
"Now then."
His gaze swept across the room.
"Since everyone except Prince Charming has introduced themselves..."
Several people glanced at Boros.
"...we should move on to the real reason all of you high-ranks were called here."
Boros frowned.
"High-ranks?"
"Wait."
He looked toward Jonas.
"What's your rank?"
Jonas folded his arms.
"High-Grade S-Rank."
Then he pointed toward Lykon.
"Low-Grade S-Rank."
"It's exactly what you're thinking," Griffin said.
The room immediately turned toward him.
A grin spread across his face.
"Every single one of ya standing in this room..."
He paused dramatically.
"...received a Direct Ascension."