Lili smiled faintly. "a Rank C at that level… not bad. You must've fought a lot."
Leon grinned. "Told you, Lili — he's no ordinary traveler. You can see it in how he stands."
Leon pointed to the man beside him.
"This is Ronan, our archer," he said.
Ronan smiled casually, brushing his dark hair back. "Hello, I'm not a noble like them — just their childhood friend. Guess I got dragged along because someone needs to shoot from the back."
Leon chuckled. "You make it sound like I forced you."
Ronan shrugged. "Didn't you?"
The group laughed lightly before Leon gestured toward the girl standing on his other side. "And this is Charlotte Lysandra, a Viscount's daughter — and our healer."
Charlotte smiled gracefully, her silver hair shining under the guild's light. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I heard you're a warrior? We could use someone strong in close combat."
Finally, Leon motioned toward the last member.
"And this is Rico — Charlotte's butler and our support specialist. He's not gifted with offensive skills, but his perception ability can scan up to three kilometers around us. Thanks to him, we never walk into an ambush."
Rico gave a polite bow. "Nice to meet you. I'll be keeping an eye out for trouble."
I nodded awkwardly. They all looked so composed… so noble.
Do I even belong here? I wondered. Even back in my world, I worked part-time jobs just to survive.
Now I was surrounded by people with power, titles, and bloodlines that carried history.
Leon turned to me with a confident smile.
"We're heading out to take on a C-rank Spider Nest," he said. "It's not the strongest type of quest, but it's tricky. The adult spider's huge — and the smaller ones guard the eggs like soldiers."
As we started walking through the bustling streets toward the northern gate, Leon glanced at Lili, his cousin.
"Think this will be enough for us to clear before the exam?"
Lili adjusted her staff and sighed. "Maybe. The instructors said the school's test this year will focus on combat coordination. We'll need real battle experience before that."
Charlotte nodded softly. "And mana control under pressure… this mission should help with both."
Leon smirked. "Then it's settled. We clear the nest, get some real experience, and be ready for whatever they throw at us."
As they chatted, I walked behind them quietly, listening. So they're still students… even nobles have to take tests to rise in rank, I thought.
Rico spoke up from the rear, his tone calm. "I'll keep perception active while we travel. There might be other monsters nearby."
"Good," Leon said, drawing his sword slightly from its sheath. "Let's move. The forest isn't far from here."
While we walked along the dirt path leading out of the city, I couldn't help but stare at them one by one. Out of curiosity, I focused for five seconds on each of them — and the translucent screen appeared before my eyes.
Leon Ardent — Level 25
Strength: 28
Agility: 24
Vitality: 25
Intelligence: 21
Sense: 23
Charlotte Lysandra — Level 27
Strength: 20
Agility: 19
Vitality: 22
Intelligence: 29
Sense: 26
Lili Ardent — Level 22
Strength: 18
Agility: 20
Vitality: 21
Intelligence: 27
Sense: 25
Rico Dalen — Level 20
Strength: 16
Agility: 17
Vitality: 18
Intelligence: 23
Sense: 28
Ronan Vale — Level 24
Strength: 26
Agility: 27
Vitality: 23
Intelligence: 19
Sense: 22
As the numbers flashed before me, I felt a wave of relief wash over my chest.
So I'm stronger than them… by almost twice.
A faint smile crept onto my face. For the first time since arriving in this world, I wasn't the weakest.
Even surrounded by nobles, I finally had something that made me feel proud.
Leon turned his head slightly, catching me watching.
"Something wrong, Haru?" he asked with a curious look.
I shook my head lightly. "No… just thinking about something."
He grinned. "Heh, good. You'll need that focus where we're going."