The horse-drawn carriage began to move slowly, leaving the guild courtyard and entering the main road. The sound of wooden wheels blended with the steady clatter of hooves. Inside, there were only three people: Arthur, the woman in a white dress, and the masked man sitting quietly in the corner.
Arthur glanced at the empty seat across from him. "Levain?"
The woman turned to him and smiled politely. "The young master is riding a high-speed carriage. Specially prepared."
Arthur gave a slight nod. Of course.
The woman adjusted her dress a little before introducing herself. "My name is Lisha. Class: Priest. I specialize in support and physical enhancement."
The masked man beside her gave a short nod. "Name's Vayne. Assassin. Elimination and reconnaissance."
Arthur looked at them both. "Arthur. Rank F."
Lisha smiled again. "Nice to meet you."
Their conversation flowed normally—casual, without arrogance or pressure. Neither of them seemed to care about Arthur's rank.
Arthur turned to the window for a moment. 'I thought they'd be stuck-up because of their S-rank… turns out, no.'
A few quiet minutes passed before Lisha turned back to Arthur.
"Arthur… are you a monster lover?"
"…Huh?"
Lisha immediately raised her hand, realizing how the question sounded. "I mean, do you like monsters? Not in an extreme way. I just mean… because you're traveling with that slime."
Arthur glanced at Bounchiechomie on his shoulder. "No. But he's my friend."
"Bloop."
The slime responded softly, as if in agreement.
Lisha lowered her head slightly and said quietly, "I'm relieved…"
Arthur frowned. "Why?"
Lisha took a breath, then started to explain. "My parents run a specialty shop for wyvern meat and eggs. But some time ago, we were protested by a group of monster lovers. They said we were cruel. Claimed that monsters have feelings too."
Arthur held back a comment. Vayne chuckled from the corner.
"They're a ridiculous bunch," the masked man said. "Usually noble kids or rich merchant brats who know nothing about the real world. They think every monster wants to talk things out."
Arthur sighed. 'Why does that sound oddly familiar…'
Lisha smiled again, like she wanted to close the topic. "Anyway, it's all in the past now. And don't worry, Arthur, this job will be easy."
Arthur turned toward her. "Easy?"
"Orcs. We're just exterminating orcs. It's the kind of mission I could do on my own. So you can relax, or just stay quiet if you want."
Arthur didn't respond.
'Easy, huh…'
The carriage kept moving, taking them farther from the city—and closer to whatever this world called "easy."
Suddenly, a quiet laugh came from the corner.
Vayne.
Arthur turned. "What's so funny?"
Vayne raised his head slightly, his tone still calm but tinged with amusement.
"I just remembered… back then, those monster lover groups once said—"
He shifted his voice, imitating a higher tone. He mimicked them in a mocking, exaggerated tone.
'How could you let baby wyverns suffer? Ending up in a frying pan without ever knowing the warmth of the sun!'
Arthur stared at him for a second—then burst out laughing.
He hadn't expected the masked man to be that expressive, even behind a mask.
Bounchiechomie wobbled gently on his shoulder, letting out a soft "Bloop" in sync.
Lisha just sighed. "Yeah. They really are dumb."