The next day, Rick woke up, ate his breakfast, and carefully strapped on the new equipment he had received just the day before. With a determined yet heavy heart, he headed toward the guild.
As he walked, his thoughts kept drifting to Andrew—how he cried so openly yesterday. Rick didn't understand the full reason behind it, but he knew one thing for sure: Andrew had lost someone important too. Somehow, Rick felt the silent pain mirrored in his own heart.
When he reached the guild, Rick didn't enter right away. He didn't want to face Andrew's sad expression. Yet, to his surprise, Andrew was already there, arguing with Kai as usual like nothing had happened.
Rick stood there, confused. How could someone who cried so vulnerably the day before now smile so brightly? It was an enigma too profound for an eleven-year-old to grasp.
Summoning his courage, Rick approached Andrew, his voice carrying a casual tone they always used. "Hey, Are you doing this again? don't you get tired of arguing everyday with kai"
Hearing that Andrew looked up. "It's not like I want to fight… but that bastard won't stop pissing me off."
Kai added, "It's you who's pissing me off."
May chimed in, trying to ease the tension, "Don't worry, Rick. They fight like this every day. Now It's a part of the daily routine.But let me tell you something deep down they both care for each other."
Frustration bubbled up and both replied . "Who cares for this fucker?"
May's eyes narrowed, and her voice sharpened. "What did you say again? Are you insane can't you see there's a child here? Mind your language!"
Both Andrew and Kai seeing May being angry quickly softened, almost embarrassed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."
After a while, Kai and his party left for his duty, leaving only Rick and Andrew. An awkward silence hung between them.
Finally, Andrew broke the silence, his voice calm but with a hint of curiosity. "What's wrong? You're quieter than usual. Did you eat something bad or… are you sick?"
Rick looked at him, his eyes distant but sincere. "Well… I want to ask something."
Andrew leaned back in his chair and relaxing. "Alright then, tell me—what is it you want to know?"
Rick hesitated before asking about Lilly and in the end he said. "Well… it's nothing big. I just wanted to know about the job."
A brief silence stretched between them, as if both were weighing their thoughts. Finally, Andrew spoke. "It's a C-rank quest. Now that you're officially under my guardianship, this is the highest rank quest I can take now. "
Rick's eyes widened. "C-rank? Isn't that dangerous?"
Andrew chuckled softly. "Not this one. It's just an escort mission. We'll be accompanying a merchant to the next town. There'll be other hunters as well, so it's a simple job."
Rick repeated the word under his breath, almost disbelieving. "Escort… huh."
"Yeah," Andrew confirmed with a nod. "Escort."
With the matter settled, they accepted the quest and began their journey toward the meeting point.
As they walked, Rick looked up at Andrew. "You said this is the highest-ranked quest you can take because I'm with you, right? But does that mean you could even take a B-rank quest? But I heared that normally it take a party of three to accept a B-Rank quest. "
Andrew smirked at the question. "Not exactly. It's true that B-rank jobs are tougher and you need a party of three or five B-Rank adventurer for a high level B-Rank quest but not all quests are about danger. Some are about time or money. For example, if someone wants something delivered quickly or want someone to escort even though danger is not that much high, a B-rank adventurer might be chosen simply because they're faster and more reliable than rookies and cheaper then A-Rank adventurer. That's how the guild decides sometimes. And I take quest like that. "
Rick nodded slowly. "I see…"
Before long, they arrived at the designated point where the merchant and his goods were waiting. Several adventurers had already gathered, ready for the escort. Among them, to Rick's surprise, was none other than Kai's party.
Andrew's eyes narrowed as soon as he spotted a familiar figure. "Why is that bastard here? Don't tell me he also picked up the same job…"
Mark noticed him immediately and waved. "Hey, Andrew! What are you doing here? Don't tell me you accepted this quest too!"
Andrew marched straight over, irritation flashing in his voice. "Why are you even taking this mission? You're strong enough for B-rank quests. Why waste your time here?"
Kai crossed his arms and smirked. "Do we need your permission for what kind of request we take?"
Before the argument could explode, May stepped between them. "Enough! Don't start a fight again."
Rony, calmer than the rest, spoke up to answer Andrew's question. "We were heading toward the next town anyway. Then we saw this escort request posted. Figured we might as well earn some coin while we're at it."
Andrew frowned but said nothing further.
Just then, the merchant they were supposed to escort approached, a bit uneasy. "Excuse me, are you the adventurers assigned to protect us?"
"Yeah, that's us," Rony replied confidently.
"Good," the merchant said with a relieved breath. "Then, for smoother communication, would you all introduce yourselves?"
The adventurers exchanged glances, then gave their names one by one. The merchant's eyes widened when he realized the truth. "Wait… all of you are B-rank adventurers? But this is only a C-rank quest!"
May waved a hand casually. "Don't worry about it. We have our own reasons for taking this job."
The merchant still looked uneasy, but his gaze soon fell on Rick. His expression shifted with recognition, and he muttered under his breath, "That boy… is he the rumored Night Howler?"
Rick stiffened in surprise and excitment, but before he could respond, Andrew cut in sharply. "His name is Rick. Call him that."
The merchant hesitated, then nodded quickly. "I-I see. Very well… let's depart at once."
After leaving the city behind, the group moved steadily toward their destination. The air was thick with anticipation, and though their path seemed quiet at first, small monsters occasionally emerged from the shadows. Each foe was swiftly dealt with.
As the sky slowly darkened and the sun began to dip below the horizon, they agreed it was time to set up camp. The merchant pointed toward a large, flat rock. "That spot looks perfect for a camp," he said with a tired smile.
"Yeah, it should be fine," everyone replied in agreement.
For Rick, it was the first time he had ever set up camp with a group of adventurers. The air, tinged with the scent of burning wood, felt strange to him. As they prepared the fire and cooked their food, laughter and light arguments echoed around the small clearing, but beneath the surface, a strange tension lingered.
Rick watched the others with quiet curiosity. He felt oddly disconnected—he was neither fully part of this group nor entirely outside of it. Everyone shared joke, every casual taunt seemed to deepen that invisible gap between them. Yet, for the first time in a long while, he wasn't alone.
They ate together, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. For Rick, it was both comforting and unsettling—a strange feeling that perhaps he was beginning to belong, even if he didn't fully understand why.
After the meal, the merchant retired early, claiming the hour was too late. The rest gathered to decide how they would stand watch.
"Since there are five of us," Rony began, "we should take turns watching." His tone was light, but a slight edge of defensiveness crept in.
"Oye, are you bad at math or something?"
Andrew's eyes flashed with irritation. "There are six of us, Rony," he retorted sharply. "Even if Rick is just a child, you have no right to dismiss him like that."
May stepped between them, her voice soft but firm. "Calm down, Andrew. Rony didn't mean harm. I am sorry on his behalf."
"No, May. It's my fault," Rony admitted, his voice weighed with guilt. "It felt… wrong, as if I were mocking Rick. I should have been better."
Rony looked down, ashamed. "I am sorry, Rick," he said earnestly.
Rick's lips twitched slightly, a small smile breaking through his stoic expression. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice barely above the crackling fire. "Don't worry about it."
Kai, ever the peacemaker, tried to lighten the mood. "Alright, everyone, let's calm down. Let's figure out how we'll keep watch tonight."
"How about pairing up?" Andrew suggested, his eyes briefly lingering on Rick. "That way, we can all stay alert."
May frowned, concern etched into her features. "Even though Rick is an adventurer, he's still a child. Don't be too harsh on him," she said gently, as if shielding him from invisible judgment.
"If that's the case, then he shouldn't have become an adventurer," Andrew said, his voice firm and unwavering. "He should have acted like a child instead of taking on such a harsh job. But no—he became an adventurer by his own choice. No one forced him. And this is nothing compared to challenges he will face in the future."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"Tell me this," Andrew continued, his tone challenging. "Are you going to keep treating him like a child and let him sleep while the others do the work? How can he ever grow up and take his responsibilities seriously if you keep shielding him? The right time to teach him was now."
Rick looked up, his eyes shadowed by a mixture of sadness and determination. He was about to respond when May hesitated, her voice soft but uncertain.
"But… but it's okay, May," Rick interrupted gently, breaking the silence.
Hearing that, everyone silently nodded and agreed to keep watch in pairs. Now, it was Rick and Andrew standing guard together.
"Thank you," Rick spoke quietly after a while. "Back when you confronted Rony earlier, I couldn't say anything… because somewhere in my heart, I felt like a burden to all of you."
Andrew's expression softened, and he replied with unexpected kindness, "You're not a burden.You're just a child trying to understand this world… trying to learn how it works.It's true that you're weak now but No one is born strong. Everyone starts weak, but that doesn't mean they stay that way. Strength is built.So don't lose faith in yourself."
Rick blinked, surprised by Andrew's calm, reassuring tone.
"I won't lose faith just because of that," Rick admitted softly. "It feels like you're treating me like a child…"
"Yeah, yeah," Andrew chuckled, lightly frowning, though his smile betrayed his fondness.
Rick's voice remained low but sincere. "Thank you."
Andrew leaned in, half-smirking. "Did you say something?"
"No. Nothing," Rick replied, brushing off the moment with quiet determination.
That night, under the vast, silent sky, Rick's first time standing watch went smoothly. But in his heart, something had shifted—a fragile sense of belonging, slowly taking root.