In the end, we had no choice but to join them. I already had my own room, but I knew Rudeus wouldn't wake up early, especially in this cold.
"Rudy, get up. Let's move."
[Don't be so mean to your brother]
...Why would you say that?
[He's still sad. Why not let him be?]
Under other circumstances, I would let him sleep. But we were a team, and I didn't intend to let him wake up alone. It was a good way to keep him distracted with a single focus. Progress. It kept me focused as well.
...We're going together.
[Sounds perfect to me]
Is it just me, or did I sense something strange about my sister? She said that last part with a certain tone. Well, it doesn't matter now. Maybe it was just me.
"Rudeus, what did I just say?"
"Yeah, I heard you..." He stood up, fumbling for his robe. "What day is it...?"
"We have to go on that bear mission with Counter Arrow."
Rudeus finished adjusting his clothes.
"Right. Let's eat something and..." He gave a long yawn. "Let's go on that mission."
"Rudy, nothing is open. It's four-thirty in the morning."
"What!? It's true, they didn't set an exact time..."
"Anyway, I left food on the table for you."
Rudeus approached with shining eyes.
"You are the best brother."
And he began to devour it.
...
We headed toward the city's northern gate. We had gathered some information about the grizzly bears and Lake Cururu beforehand. We arrived too early, but that would save us trouble later.
"Hey, Rudy."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Sorry for waking you up so early. Maybe I went a little overboard."
Just as I was about to continue, I saw a small group of people advancing toward us through the morning mist.
"Hello!" Suzanne shouted from the front of the column. "You arrived early. That's efficient. You even look more awake than us."
"I simply thought it was necessary to get up early to"
"My brother says he wanted to impress you, that's all," Rudeus said, taking his hand out of his pocket and offering it. "Thank you for accepting us as temporary members of your party. As for our previous group, we've already dissolved it."
Suzanne blinked, clearly surprised.
"Wow. That was fast. I saw you guys looking quite enthusiastic about your new group, but it seems you opted for logic. Anyway, you know me. I am the sub-leader of Counter Arrow and a warrior by trade. I fight on the front line."
I used to think Suzanne was the one in command, but Rudeus beat me to it, as always.
"Sub-leader? Aren't you the one in charge?"
"Well, I give orders from time to time, but we have a real leader." Suzanne pointed to one of the men, who nodded and took a step forward. He had a somewhat somber presence.
"My name is Timothy. I am a mage specialized in offensive magic and I fight in the rearguard. Technically, I am the leader of this group. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"My name is Rudeus Greyrat. I am a mage and an A-Rank adventurer. As I said yesterday, I'm good with support magic."
"Daiki Greyrat. Swordsman, also A-Rank."
Even so, it was clear that Suzanne was the one with real control here. Having someone other than the figurehead giving orders could be, in many cases, for the best. I had seen many groups in Millis, and most of their leaders were idiots. Of course, I wasn't calling him an idiot. But given the circumstances.
I also joined them because Rudeus deserved to socialize. And so did I.
"Can I be honest?" Timothy asked.
"Sure, no problem."
Maybe I sounded too calm. I have to learn to smile a bit more or do something. This was already a problem. And it wasn't something I could correct. It was already part of me.
"I'm anxious about working with you guys." Timothy took a step back, and the other members of the group began to introduce themselves.
"Good morning. My name is Mimir, and I'm the healer. I am at the Intermediate level in Healing magic and Beginner level in Detoxification."
Maybe I shouldn't mention my healing abilities. It might discourage him. Besides, I doubt there will be a situation where I have to use my curative skills, especially considering the bears wouldn't represent a big problem for me.
"I am the magic warrior, Patrice. Don't expect much from the mage part, though. I only know beginner-level wind spells."
Patrice was a muscular fighter who carried a sword at his hip and a small beginner's wand in one hand. Both seemed to be the same age as Timothy, between twenty-five and thirty years old.
And, finally, there remained...
"I am an archer. You already know my name. I fight from the middle line."
...For some strange reason, she was staring at me intently.
"What? Is there something you want to say? For the record, I'm not happy about this. I don't like stiff guys like you. I'm only doing this because Suzanne insisted, okay? If any of you mess up and someone dies, I promise you will regret it. Especially you," she pointed directly at me, "always acting so calm that"
"Enough, Sara."
"But, Suzanne"
"Listen. Someday we might take separate paths, right? You might end up having to join a group full of strangers."
"Wait, are you going to dissolve the party or something?"
"No, but it could happen. And if one of us dies, we will have to bring in someone new to replace him." Suzanne sighed and shook her head. "In Asura, there were no problems with you rejecting people you didn't like. But from now on, that might not be an option. It is time you learn to work with people outside our circle."
I knew it from the start. Suzanne hadn't invited us just out of pity. It was clear she was using us as a learning tool for Sara and for the group in general. I understood it by how insistent she had been. No one invests a coin without expecting something in return. You could call it help, cooperation, or goodwill, but in the end, there was always a purpose behind it.
"You understand, right? Good. Now that we've introduced ourselves, let's get moving."
And so, the seven of us set off toward the grizzly bear culling expedition.
...
Three days had passed since then. After advancing a good stretch to the north, we set up camp near our destination, Lake Cururu, where those monsters could be found. They didn't see well in the dark and moved slowly during the night, so the plan was to wait until sunset and launch a surprise attack.
I had insisted that attacking them during the day was also viable, but they didn't listen. Especially Sara, who continued glaring at me with an anger she couldn't quite hide.
"Listen, you aren't really a member of this group, okay? Just do what you're ordered and try not to be a nuisance."
"Understood."
"Sara, I think you've made your point," Suzanne said. "Why are you being so hostile toward him?"
"It's just that... I don't know! He is younger than me, but his attitude is disrespectful. Attacking by day when it was already decided to do it by night? Who does he think he is...?"
"That is completely normal for an adventurer, kid. You're quite informal with us yourself, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Alright, then save your irritation. We are about to begin the main part of our job. This is not a good time to create tension."
"I'm sorry..." Sara shrank back a little when Suzanne scolded her. Then she shot me a look where the word apology didn't fit at all. It seemed my carefree yet serious attitude had bothered her more than I imagined.
Had she had a bad experience before?
Does she think quiet people are arrogant?
Or does she simply dislike people like that?
Whatever the case, it was clear her annoyance was only with me. That transported me back to Roa, to my first days there, when Eris observed me like an enigma she needed to solve and tried to read me through feints. Now the same thing was happening with Sara, only this time it was much more intense.
...
I decided to go with my brother to a quiet place to relieve ourselves. Just before we did, Timothy joined us.
"I'm sorry, guys," he said suddenly.
"Sorry?" I replied.
"Sara. She isn't a bad girl, but lately she has become too overconfident..."
"You can't blame her. It's clear that my indifference to danger irritates her, but that is because she is a prodigy with the bow."
And I wasn't lying. Sara was capable of taking down monster after monster with perfectly placed arrows, even from a considerable distance. She had an excellent read of the battlefield and top-tier agility, and she almost never missed. In terms of combat, she was basically an A-Rank adventurer forced to remain in B, although I was sure she would ascend quickly.
However, archers had clear limitations. Not only due to arrow quantity, but their situational effectiveness. If you wanted ranged attacks, a mage was more versatile. If you were looking for close combat, a swordsman or a magic warrior proved superior. Added to that was the weight. The more arrows you carried, the more weight you dragged.
If you were capable of firing five arrows in the time a mage needed to conjure a single spell, you could manage fine as an archer. With a swordsman, however, the situation was very different. Sara was incredibly skilled for her age. Her innate talent probably compared to Eris's.
"Well, you two aren't far behind. The way you dispatched those monsters, without wasted movement, and the fact that you can use silent magic... I mean, you are the first users I have seen since my professor at the university."
Interesting. It was obvious we weren't the only ones, nor the first, to discover that magic could be executed silently. However, considering Timothy's experience and the fact that he had gone through university, that turned out to be, without a doubt, strange.
"...Knowing that hasn't helped us much. Even with that, we lost those we cared about," Rudeus said.
"Ah. Right. I apologize."
I looked at my own hands.
I also knew how to conjure silently. However, I hadn't realized that perhaps I had deviated too much toward the sword, leaving magic in the background. I had used Shockwave so many times that I was sure I had reached, at minimum, an Advanced rank, or even Saint in that element.
And my brother had gone even further.
"Anyway, I am sorry for all this, Rudeus and Daiki."
We both nodded.
"Excuse my impertinence, Daiki, but your name is unusual. I had never heard it before. It's rare, but interesting."
"Ah, yes... According to my mother, I chose it by chance when I was a baby, while my father was making random sounds. In the end, he gave it a meaning: 'Great Radiance' or 'Great Shine.' It can also be 'Great Tree,' depending on how you interpret it."
"Oh, interesting. 'Great Tree'... I like that one."
Yes, I liked my name too. It's not that I wasn't aware of how convenient it turned out, but could I complain? My brother had mentioned he met someone named "Kishirika," so mine was far from being the strangest in this world.
"Regarding Sara, it doesn't bother me," Rudeus said.
"Thank you for being so understanding. We will depart once the sun sets, so try to rest until then."
Timothy stayed there while we returned to camp to sleep for a couple of hours.
"Are you okay, Rudy?"
"Eh? Yes... it's just very cold."
"Yeah, I'm cold too."
"You? Cold? That doesn't fit the conversation, brother."
"It's not winter cold."
"Oh..."
...
The Shining Grizzly Bear. A B-Rank monster, one of the most common types in this region. At a glance, it looked like a large bear with white fur, crossed vertically by a single black stripe down the center of its body.
It differed from most bears in several important aspects. It moved in large packs and, when winter approached, it cooperated with its own kind to gather enormous amounts of food. During that season, their attacks against humans became much more frequent.
After climbing to the top of a small hill near Lake Cururu, we could see the Shining Grizzly Bears in the distance.
"Sara, what do you see?"
"It seems there are around twenty of them..."
"Perfect..."
Without thinking, I began to hop in place to warm up a bit, rolling my shoulders and stretching my arms.
"Eh? What do you plan to do? The plan was to launch a magic attack and then..."
I didn't give her time to react. In a second, I had launched myself from the hill in a crushing attack toward one of the bears. One fell instantly, and the others began to panic. They attacked me, but it was useless. Strength and numbers didn't matter; they posed no real problem for me. Rudeus and the others, resigned, joined in once they saw I had it handled.
"Wow... your brother is effective, although it was wrong to question our plan."
"He didn't question it. He simply optimized it. That's just how he is."
"I suppose..."
Rudeus used Quagmire to immobilize the other bears, and I took the opportunity to strike. Timothy, on the other hand, didn't want to be left behind either.
"Let the vast and blessed flames converge at my call! O scorching fire, offer us a great burning gift! Great Fireball!"
That was enough. All the Shining Grizzly Bears had been defeated without any visible casualties.
Then we saw it.
Other silhouettes were moving inside the darkness. Many more. They were advancing from the side of the swamp Rudeus had created.
"What!? Are those Black Grizzly Bears!?" Sara shouted.
They weren't.
They were still Shining ones. They were just covered in mud.
They had been using camouflage.
"There are too many of them!" Suzanne screamed.
"Retreat! Retreat!" Timothy gave the order, his voice visibly shaking.
I looked at my brother, and he met my gaze. It was a pack of more than seventy bears. But it wasn't going to be a big problem.
"I am ready, brother." Rudeus nodded, preparing to face them.
It might sound pretentious, but it was time for us to make ourselves known. The bears from before hadn't been a big deal. We had worked as a team, yes, but now we were facing a full pack. To the others, this was equivalent to fighting Black Grizzly Bears.
"What do you think you are doing!? We can't face them here!" Suzanne shouted from somewhere in the dark. "Fall back to the place we found on the way!"
The A-Rank mission had started quite simply, but soon took a turn, revealing why it was classified at that level. Even so, what had become an emergency for the rest was nothing more than a walk in the park for the two of us.
Rudeus unleashed his spells, and I used the Longsword of Light.
He controlled the distance. I controlled the close range.
No one could escape... and no one could get close.
"Now, Rudeus!" I had lifted him onto one of the hills so he could better aim his attack. The others had already fallen back.
Rudeus began to charge a massive spell above his head, pointing his staff toward the sky. He took a deep breath, with an unnatural calm, and then declared:
"Exodus Flames."
An enormous wave of magical fire cut through the pack like a hot knife through butter and then exploded upon touching the ground.
...
An hour passed. The others watched us in silence, and I could swear that behind those confused looks, a thousand thoughts were racing at once. As for the outcome, not a single Shining Grizzly Bear was left alive. The area around the lake had been scorched into barren earth.
Rudeus proposed that we start processing the bodies. We had to take the tails of the Shining Grizzly Bears as proof of completion, and their furs to sell. It wouldn't be a big deal. Basically, I took charge of the dirty work, since I could cut with greater precision. Rudeus's mage companion had remained silent for a good while. I was sure I knew what was going through his head... and my counterpart, Patrice, was equally quiet.
By the time we finished skinning the bears, collecting their tails and furs, and burning the bodies in a large pile, the sky was already starting to brighten.
I was next to Rudeus beside the fire, talking quietly, when Suzanne approached and stopped beside us.
"I suppose I owe you one, huh?" she said, shrugging. "No... make that two. If it weren't for you, we would be dead. I had the feeling there was something more to you than met the eye, but I certainly didn't expect a performance like that."
"Well, I just wanted to do it in the most efficient way possible. I was starting to get hungry and"
"Yes, I understand," she interrupted. "But you are the best duo I have seen in my entire life."
"I am not so sure. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have taken this job, right? You probably would have started with a Rank B mission, or even Rank C, to scout the area first," Rudeus clarified.
"Well... that is true..."
"It was good training, honestly. So I can say I am happy you brought me here with you. Thank you."
I looked at the sky for a moment. Did I have a good time? Yes, I wasn't going to deny it. The company had been better than I expected.
"...Anytime, kid. Are you ready to head back?"
I was hauling a stack of furs over my shoulder, I had ended up carrying the most, when someone approached until they stood in front of me. It wasn't Suzanne. It was a girl of similar height to mine; I was barely a little taller.
"...Thank you for saving us."
After saying those brief words, Sara turned quickly and ran back to Suzanne.
"It's nothing..." I wanted to tell her, but I didn't have the courage. What is wrong with me?
[Mission accomplished, brother.]
...Yes, mission accomplished.
[Do you think she...?]
...I don't think she accepted me that easily. She only saw that I was useful and that my indifference wasn't arrogance, but that isn't enough to stop disliking someone.
[What do you know...?]
...Well, humans are unpredictable.
[Who would have thought. When you arrived in this world, you didn't see yourself as human... and now you count yourself as one of them]
...I suppose so. That is exactly how I feel.
I looked at the sky one last time.
And so, we departed toward the Adventurer's Guild.