The morning breeze rustled through the trees of Timbervale. Dew clung to the grass as sunlight peeked into the boys' room at the inn. A low snore echoed under one of the bunk beds.
"I swear he's getting louder," Izumi muttered, sliding on his boots.
"He's literally upside down," Iuro added, peeking under the bed. "How do you even sleep like that?"
"I'm talented," Yuuv mumbled from beneath the blanket, voice muffled.
"Get up, sleepy cat," Lui said, pulling back the curtain. "We've got a new mission today. Our second one. No slacking."
Yuuv rolled out dramatically. "But I just fell asleep."
"That was ten hours ago," Rick pointed out with a laugh.
After a quick breakfast of roasted potatoes and milk bread, the Celestars made their way to the Timbervale Guild Hall. The streets were already buzzing—merchants shouting, carts rolling, mages chatting near fountains, and a bard humming a tune on the corner.
Inside the guild hall, dozens of adventurers and guild members crowded the mission board.
Lui stepped forward and scanned the notices. "Escort… escort… monster cleanup… ooh—delivery again!"
"Another one?" Rick asked.
"This one's to a small cliffside village called Shellow. Says we'll need to cross the woods and carry a sealed magic crate."
"Sounds peaceful," Yuuv yawned. "Let's do that."
"I'm fine with walking," said Izumi. "As long as it's not slime hunting again."
The guild clerk stamped their mission paper and handed them a small wooden box glowing faintly with enchantment seals. "Don't drop it, don't open it, don't shake it. Simple as that."
Iuro gave a thumbs-up. "We're good at simple."
They left Timbervale by midday, walking along a winding forest trail that followed a gentle stream. Birds chirped, bugs buzzed, and the warm sun filtered through the trees. The mission seemed peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Rick balanced the box on his head. "I'm practicing neck strength."
"Stop that!" Lui barked. "It's a magic crate!"
"It's not moving."
Yuuv chuckled. "Until it explodes."
"Don't say that," Ishi said flatly.
As they continued, Izumi's eyes caught something. "There's someone behind us. Quiet footsteps. Maybe two people."
The boys paused slightly, keeping their pace natural.
Lui whispered, "Trouble?"
"Not yet," Izumi replied. "But they're following us for a while."
Just ahead, the path split into two. One led down through thicker woods, the other curved along a small ridge.
"Let's take the lower path," Ishi suggested. "More cover. Easier to deal with shadows if needed."
They moved into the thicker path, and sure enough, footsteps behind them quickened.
Suddenly, a voice called out.
"Hey! Stop!"
Two older teens stepped out from the trees. One carried a dagger, the other a twisted walking stick. They wore old travel cloaks and mismatched boots.
"Bandits?" Rick asked, tilting his head.
"Hand over the box," said the one with the dagger, "and you can walk away."
Yuuv blinked. "But we need the box."
"Yeah," Iuro said. "It's kind of the whole mission."
"Don't play dumb."
Lui stepped forward, eyes sharp. "We're registered under Celestars. This is a licensed guild mission. You're trying to rob a legal guild."
The boy with the wand grinned. "Don't care."
Before anyone could move, the bandit with the dagger lunged.
But Ishi was already there. His shadow curved up from the ground, forming a blunt shield that slammed the attacker back.
"Izumi, cover!" Lui shouted.
Izumi blinked to the side and stood by Yuuv, who still had the crate in hand. "Yuuv, stay back. Guard the package."
"Right."
The second bandit raised his wand, summoning a gust of wind. Rick countered immediately with a splash of water, knocking the wand aside.
"I got this one!" Rick yelled, spinning his rod in a smooth arc. Water circled like a snake, splashing into the bandit's legs and toppling him.
Meanwhile, the first bandit got back up and charged again. Iuro sent roots from the ground, grabbing the man's ankles and flipping him forward.
Lui rushed in, his new sword humming faintly, and pressed the blade near the man's chest. "Enough."
The two bandits groaned.
Yuuv blinked slowly. "I… didn't do anything."
"You protected the box," Izumi said. "That's your job this time."
Ishi picked up the bandit's dropped dagger. "Low-level thugs. They won't try again."
Rick laughed, hands on hips. "Second mission, and we already got ambushed."
"That's a good sign," Iuro grinned.
They tied the bandits to a tree and left a note for local patrol squads, then continued their way toward Shellow.
Hours later, the cliffside village came into view—small houses built into stone walls, windmills spinning lazily in the breeze, and a sparkling view of the ocean far below.
They delivered the crate to a calm-looking old woman who wore a robe covered in tiny shells.
"Oh! Wonderful boys. I was expecting this," she smiled kindly. "It's a box of enchanted medicine herbs. We've had too many fevers recently."
She handed them a signed receipt and gave each of them a tiny shell charm. "Protection from sea storms. Take one, each of you."
Yuuv held his up to the light. "It glows a little."
"Means it likes you," the old woman said.
As they left the village, walking back toward Timbervale, the trail now lit by golden evening sun, Rick kicked a stone and asked, "Do all simple missions turn into brawls?"
Lui sighed. "If they do, I'll need a second sword."
Izumi chuckled softly. "We handled it well."
"Ishiiii~ I tripped over my own vine," Iuro whined.
"You do that every time," Ishi replied calmly.
Yuuv blinked slowly. "Can we eat now?"
They all laughed.