"Hooray!" Aria cheered loudly, celebrating the addition of a new member to their party.
"But..." The Mage-Robed Youth started to protest, but Douglas clapped him on the shoulder. "What's the harm? She's clearly not a bad person. What's wrong with having another cute and pretty companion?"
The Mage-Robed Youth clicked his tongue. "You're only so eager to let her join because she's pretty, aren't you?"
"Ahem—" Douglas, a towering man nearly two meters tall, awkwardly averted his gaze. "How could you say that? While she is quite lovely, you know I'm not really into beast ears or tails. I much prefer humans."
"Tch." The Mage-Robed Youth fell silent, though he remained deeply suspicious of Cipher. Her absurd speed earlier, which left afterimages (even if she did crash into a tree), and her current attire—what kind of normal thief wears high heels and a bell dangling from her thigh?
A thief, by definition, should be inconspicuous and blend into the crowd. Cipher, however, was anything but. Her outfit was excessively ornate, and her striking beauty ensured she commanded attention simply by standing there.
Since her two teammates had already agreed, she had little choice. The mage-robed youth stepped forward and introduced himself: "You can call me Feidric. I'm a mage."
Cipher nodded politely. "Hello," she said, her gaze sweeping over the trio. This was indeed the classic "warrior-mage-priest" trinity, albeit with the holy warrior Aria in place of a traditional fighter. Douglas, the priest, differed greatly from her expectations, while Feidric, the mage, seemed the most normal of the group.
"So, what's our current mission?" Cipher asked.
Still unaccustomed to her new body, she'd need an excuse to avoid any high-risk assignments for now.
"What's our current mission?" Aria tilted her head slightly, tapping her cheek with her right index finger as if deep in thought. After a moment, she said, "We're running low on funds. We should head to the Adventurer's Guild and take on some quests to earn some money."
Cipher blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Wait a minute, aren't they supposed to be a Hero Party? Even if they're not going to defeat the Demon Lord, shouldn't they be tackling epic quests like defeating his lieutenants or stopping demonic beasts from destroying cities? But from the way Aria's talking, it sounds like they're struggling to make ends meet, let alone handling legendary tasks.
Seeing Cipher's dumbfounded expression, Feidric suddenly wondered if he'd been worrying too much. He sighed, rubbed his forehead, and said to Cipher, "You didn't actually think we were a real Hero Party, did you?"
"But... aren't we?" Cipher asked.
Feidric sighed again, even more exasperated. "Listen, kid, the Demon Lord's been dead for nearly three centuries. There aren't any real heroes left. Aria's so-called 'Apprentice Hero' title, and our self-proclaimed 'Hero Party,' are just things she made up herself."
Hearing this, Aria bristled. "What do you mean 'self-proclaimed'?" she retorted. "I drew the Sword in the Stone from our village based on the prophecy, and instantly became a Holy Warrior! I only call myself an Apprentice Hero because I haven't accomplished anything truly grand yet!"
"Besides, so what if the Demon Lord is dead? There are still plenty of other bad guys in the world! Why can't we just go defeat them instead?"
Aria turned to Cipher. "Sister Cipher, don't listen to his nonsense! Trust me, our Hero Party will be famous in no time!"
Cipher remained silent, her expression unreadable.
Well... I suppose this isn't so bad, she thought. It's not quite what I imagined, but I don't regret joining.
With Cipher now part of the group, the four continued their journey. Aria seemed to have an endless supply of stories—tales of her homeland, past adventures with her companions, and more—which gradually gave Cipher a better understanding of this new world.
About two hours later, as dusk began to fall, they finally emerged from the forest. The silhouette of a small town appeared on the horizon.
After another half hour of walking, they finally entered the small town. The first thing that caught their eye was a long line of pale, emaciated commoners lining the road. Dressed in tattered rags and hunched over, they formed a long queue.
"What's going on here?" Cipher asked, puzzled.
"They're lining up for free food from the Church," Douglas explained. "This year's harvest must have been poor again. More and more people are relying on the Church's charity to survive."
Cipher glanced toward the end of the line. In the distance, a white church stood tall. A female priest in a white robe stood at the entrance, her hands clasped together as if in prayer.
Cipher's cat ears twitched. Despite being hundreds of meters away, she clearly heard the priest's words:
"Merciful Goddess, grant these people sustenance!"
A soft, white light flashed, and a loaf of bread materialized in the priest's hands as if from thin air.
Cipher froze in astonishment. "Whoa! So the free food just... appears like that?"
The group's destination wasn't the church, of course. Halfway there, they turned left into the Adventurer's Guild of the small town.
This place served as both a mission board for adventurers and a tavern, restaurant, and inn. As soon as Cipher entered, she spotted several peculiar individuals.
A black-robed figure completely wrapped up, not a single inch of skin visible.
A bronze-skinned female warrior with arms nearly as thick as Cipher's waist, bulging with muscle.
A raccoon sitting on a chair, head down, frantically devouring food.
The most astonishing part was that these three "people" were sitting together, indicating they were likely members of the same party.
Compared to them, Cipher glanced back at her own tail. Just a Catgirl. Seems I'm not so special after all.
"Everyone's tired from traveling all day," Aria suggested. "Let's get some food and rest here for the night. We can officially accept a mission tomorrow."
Douglas flashed a broad smile, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Whatever Little Aria decides."
Feidric remained impassive. "Fine with me."
Cipher had no objections either. Aria continued, "Then I'll go reserve two rooms."
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P.S. Create Food (1st-level divine spell): Consumes one point of Grace to conjure a usable loaf of bread from thin air.
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Golden-Haired Apprentice Hero's Character Panel (For Reference Only):
Name: Aria
Gender: Female
Class: Holy Warrior - Oath of Devotion (Level 5)
(Note: This world does not have a formal leveling system. Levels are used here for clarity in comparing combat strength. The maximum level for normal humans is 20, with significant power gaps between each level.)
Attribute Values:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 8
Perception: 10
Charisma: 16
(The average attribute value for a normal human is 10, with 20 being the human limit.)
(Charisma isn't just about physical attractiveness; it also encompasses leadership ability, personal magnetism, and more.)
(Charisma is the primary attribute for Holy Warriors. The higher their Charisma, the stronger their devotion to their oaths, and the more power they can draw from those vows.)
Holy Warrior - Oath of Devotion Class Skills: Healing Light, Holy Strike - Light, Aura of Devotion
Note: These are class skills acquired through training, typically taught by instructors. A rare few exceptionally talented individuals may also grasp them independently.
Personal Special Ability: Sixth Sense
Note: This is an innate talent possessed by a select few from birth, or a permanent ability gained through unique, unreproducible post-natal experiences.