___________
"Alright, how about we run a mission now?" After that conversation, Herald suddenly spoke.
"Of course. We'll follow you, Leader, right?" he said, then looked toward Viola and Sheila.
They simply nodded in response.
"Then what about you, Clement?" Herald asked me.
"Yeah, me too," I replied with a small smile.
"Yosh! Since everyone agrees, wait here for a bit. I'll be the one to pick the mission. Don't worry, I'll choose an easy one for you, Clement," he said, his voice filled with concern.
"W-wait, what about his opinion?" I was talking about Dein. After all, he was a party member too.
Clare-san answered with her usual cheerful attitude. "You don't need to worry about him."
Hearing that, I could only feel a bit sorry for Dein. Well, even though his attitude was bad, as an adult I'd already dealt with people like that plenty of times.
After that, Herald went to pick a suitable mission. While waiting for him, we just chatted, though I stayed mostly silent.
I still wasn't used to all of this.
…
Not long after, Herald returned, smiling as usual as he approached our table.
"So, how did it go, Lard-san?" Clare-san asked first.
"Yeah, I found a good and easy one," he said, placing a sheet with the mission details on the table.
The mission was to exterminate a group of direwolves. The client was a village chief from a village near the city.
Well, if you didn't know, this kingdom only had one city, and the rest were small villages spread across its territory.
And those direwolves—weren't they the same kind of wolf I killed when I first became an adventurer?
"So what do you think, Clement?" Herald suddenly asked. Maybe he was worried I'd be scared or something.
"It's fine. I've dealt with a wolf before," I answered.
"I see, but you were really lucky to only encounter one. Wolves are known for moving in groups."
"Yeah, you're right. I was pretty lucky back then, Herald." If I hadn't gained that skill at the time, I would've died.
"Alright everyone, let's go!" Herald shouted, raising one hand.
"Yeah!" Only Clare-san responded.
Honestly, that was because I was too embarrassed to shout like that. It just wasn't my style.
We stood up from our seats and left the guild.
…
Outside, we ran into Dein, who was sitting in front of the guild.
He stood up and approached us. "Yo, you guys took long enough," he said.
Then he shifted his gaze to me. For a brief moment, I could see hostility in his eyes.
As a good leader, Herald replied with a friendly smile. "Sorry, we ended up chatting a bit too much. Let's go. I've already picked today's mission."
He looked away from me. "Tch. Fine, let's go."
Yeah, it didn't seem like his attitude toward me would change anytime soon.
After that, we headed toward the north gate. Oh, the gate I usually passed through was on the east side.
Once we arrived, we left the city through that gate.
Then we headed straight for the village where the client lived.
…
Before long, we finally reached our destination.
Unlike what I'd imagined—houses packed together and surrounded by wooden walls—the village was actually quite spacious and not enclosed by anything. Basically, it bordered directly on the Jura Forest, so it wasn't strange for monsters to appear nearby.
As we walked along the village path, a villager suddenly approached us.
"Hello, are you adventurers?" he asked.
As a good leader, Herald answered, "Yes, we are adventurers. We're here to handle this mission," he said, showing the mission sheet.
Hearing that, the villager looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. We thought no adventurers would come because the reward was too small."
Herald nodded. "In that case, could you take us to the village chief?"
"Of course, please follow me," the villager said, leading the way.
Along the path, I was treated to a typical rural scene—fields, huts, villagers plowing the land. It was all very pastoral.
After passing through the fields, we reached the residential area. Contrary to my expectations, the village was quite large. Maybe I really needed to fix my view of fantasy villages—after all, this wasn't a game.
…
Soon, we stopped in front of a house.
"This is it." He knocked on the door a few times, then went straight in. "Come in. The village chief is inside."
We followed him. Inside, the house was fairly ordinary—one table, several chairs, a kitchen visible from here, and a staircase.
"Have a seat. I'll call the village chief. He should be upstairs," he said, then went up the stairs.
Following his suggestion, I pulled out a chair and sat down, the others following suit.
…
Not long after, two people came down the stairs. One was the villager from before, and the other was surely the village chief.
But his appearance surprised me. I mean, in anime, village chiefs are usually depicted as hunched old men with white hair. But this guy looked young—maybe just a little older than me.
"Hi," he said as he walked toward us. "Thank you for coming to our village." A friendly smile accompanied his words.
"It's no problem. We were just looking for work that wasn't too difficult," Herald replied with the same smile.
"Haha, is that so? Then how about we eat before discussing the matter?" he chuckled, offering us food.
Herald shook his head. "No need. We already had breakfast earlier, and we'd like to finish the mission as soon as possible."
"Oh, I see. That's a shame," he said, then pulled out a chair and sat with us.
Then he began. "It might be a bit late, but let me introduce myself. My name is Morain, the village chief. And you are?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Herald."
"I'm Clare."
"Viola."
"Ah, I-I'm Sheila."
"Clement. Nice to meet you," I added.
Now only one person remained.
"Hey, Dein, hurry up and introduce yourself. Don't just sit there silently—that's rude, you know," Herald scolded him like a good leader.
"Tch. Fine," he said irritably. "Dein."
Yeah… not just him, though, I thought, glancing at Viola.
"Alright, since we've all introduced ourselves, how about we discuss the mission?" Herald said, smiling.
Morain nodded. "Yes. First of all, is there anything you'd like to ask?"
Herald nodded and asked right away, "Do you know where the wolves usually roam, Morain-san?"
"They usually wander in the nearby forest. Since this village borders the Jura Forest, it's not strange for monsters to appear," Morain replied.
"I see. Then could you show us the exact location? We'll try searching around there," Herald decided immediately. Truly a good leader.
"Alright." Morain stood up and headed for the door. Turning back, he said, "What are you waiting for? This way." We stood and followed him.
…
"This is the place," he said. The spot he indicated was near the fields, filled with trees—already part of the forest.
"They usually roam around here, probably hunting. It's been worrying the villagers, so could I ask for your help?"
Herald nodded, then answered confidently, "Of course. You can leave it to us. After all, we're adventurers."
"In that case, I'll put my trust in you," Morain replied with a friendly smile. "I'll leave you here." He turned and walked away.
But before that, he turned back again.
"If you need anything, just let me know!" he shouted from a distance.
"Got it!" Herald shouted back.
…
After the village chief was out of sight, I looked at Herald and asked, "So, Herald, what are we doing now?"
He smiled. "Yosh! We're going into the forest to find those wolves!" he said loudly so everyone could hear.
I hadn't expected an answer like that.
"You don't need to worry, Clement. Those wolves aren't very strong—they're just numerous," Clare-san said, trying to reassure me.
A helpless sigh escaped me, followed by a small smile.
I guess it'll be fine, I thought.
…
After that, we entered the forest. Compared to the forests I often visited, this one felt a bit different.
It wasn't very dense—probably because many trees had already been cut down.
That's just how humans are. They take from the forest without thinking about what will happen.
While I was lost in thought, they suddenly stopped walking.
"Huh? What is it, Herald?" I asked.
"It's nothing. We're just stopping here for a bit," he said.
"O-oh, I see."
"Alright, Clare, can I leave the scouting to you?"
"Sure thing, Leader."
"And also," he suddenly looked at me. "How about you go with Clare, Clement?"
I pointed at myself. "Huh? Me?"
Herald nodded. "Yeah. I want you to scout with Clare."
"W-Well… sure," I replied. Why not? I should try to be useful.
"Alright, the rest of you set up the tents. We'll be camping here!"
—
After that, Clare-san suddenly grabbed my arm. "Come on, Clement. What are you waiting for?"
"Ah…" And with that, she dragged me deeper into the forest.
…
"So… Clare-san, what are we doing now?" I asked.
She looked at me. "Hmm? Obviously we're scouting. Are you stupid?"
You didn't have to say it like that, you know.
"Oh yeah, Clement, have you learned Stealth yet?" she asked.
"No… not yet," I replied briefly.
"I see. Then how about I teach you?"
"Eh? Now?"
She nodded. "Yeah, now."
She began explaining what the Stealth skill was.
Basically, Stealth was a skill for hiding—thinning out your presence.
It was useful for scouting.
And the way to acquire it was—to become one with nature.
What the hell does that mean? Become one with nature? Are you kidding me?
Haaah… I let out a sigh.
"Isn't that just nonsense?" I asked.
"No, that's really how it is," she said.
So it was true—or rather, she probably learned it unintentionally.
That's why she couldn't fully explain it. Yeah, let's just think of it that way.
…
After some time, we finally found wolf tracks, all leading to a cave.
We observed the cave from a distance.
"So… do you think they're in there?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, they are."
Then she added, "Alright, let's head back and report."
And with that, we returned to the others.
…
When we arrived, Herald approached us.
"So, how did the scouting go?" he asked.
Clare-san answered. "They're hiding in a cave nearby." She said it casually, as usual.
"In that case, this will be easier. But we'll wait for them to come out."
The cave was probably too narrow. Fighting inside would only put us at a disadvantage.
And wolves usually came out at night.
"So… what do we do now?" I asked Herald.
"Oh, just relax. You don't get chances like this very often."
"Alright," I nodded.
Since he told me to relax, I walked over to a tree and sat beneath it.
I really didn't know how to have fun.
From there, I watched the others enjoying themselves. For some reason, I felt a bit envious.
They'd probably known each other for a long time.
And I truly felt like an outsider.
Huh. This is just how I am—and it never changes.
Then suddenly, I saw Viola walking toward me. I thought she'd pass by.
"H-hey, what are you doing?" No—I was wrong. She was really talking to me.
I looked at her for a moment before answering. "…Nothing. Just sitting here."
"I-I see." The conversation was painfully awkward.
Viola moved closer and sat beside me.
Wait—what is this?
The awkward atmosphere grew heavier, filling the silence between us.
Come on, Clement. Say something. You can do this.
"Viola." "Clement." We spoke at the same time, looking at each other.
What the hell?
I looked away, and she did the same.
"You go first," I said.
"N-no, you go first," she replied.
Yeah, this wasn't ending anytime soon.
…
Alright. I'll start.
Before that, I took a deep breath.
This would be a heavy conversation for me.
I scratched my head. "Viola, there's something I want to know."
"Y-yeah… what is it?" she asked.
I looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Do you think I'm a good person?"
Her eyes widened, then she nodded. "Yes. You're a good person."
"No, I'm not. And I know that. So please don't think of me as a good person after everything that's happened," I said, regret clear in my voice.
"To me… you're a good person," she said anyway.
"What do you think is good about someone like me? I hurt you with my thoughtless words. So tell me—what's good about me?"
"…," she fell silent.
It seemed she couldn't answer. Maybe this was for the best. She didn't need to stay with someone like me.
Then, as if responding, she suddenly spoke. "I-I already forgave you a long time ago. So you don't need to bring it up anymore. And… to me, you've always been a good person."
Hearing that—it felt like something struck me.
What is this? Shouldn't she be hating me? If she says that, then I don't even know what to say anymore.
I looked away, stood up quickly, and left. She didn't stop me or say anything.
I glanced back and saw Viola smiling at me—the same smile she always wore.
Damn it.
Even so, I knew one thing.
Yeah… she won this conversation.
Then, as I walked away, a voice called out.
"Hey, Clement, you're running away~~" It was Clare-san. She stood nearby—she must've been watching our conversation.
I kept walking past her and said, "Shut up."
Seriously—
—I'm such an idiot.
…
In the end, I was just a coward. Too afraid to speak, forcing others to start conversations for me.
After all that, I looked for another place to sit. After walking for a bit, I found a river. Someone was sitting by its bank—I recognized them by the hat they wore.
My thoughts raced. Should I talk to them or not?
In the end, I decided to.
Alright—let's do this.
I approached and spoke.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
It seemed I startled her.
"Ah!"
She turned toward me.
"Sorry, I startled you," I said.
She shook her head. "N-no, it's fine."
I could understand what she meant—she didn't mind.
"I see," I said, then sat beside her.
"So, what are you doing?" I asked, looking at her.
"Ah, n-nothing. I'm just sitting here," she replied shyly.
"I see," I said again, then struggled to find something to say, making things awkward.
Damn it. I really am bad at talking, aren't I?
After that, we just looked at the river in silence.
Then she suddenly broke the silence.
"Um, th-thank you for keeping me company," she said. I looked at her in surprise.
Then I shook my head and replied, "It's fine. I'm glad too," I said with a smile.
I stood up and stretched.
"Well, the others might worry even if we're close by. Want to head back together?" I asked.
"Ah, n-no. I'll stay here a bit longer," she said.
"Is that so? Then I'll head back first," I said, then left.
…
Time passed quickly, and soon evening arrived. At the campsite we'd prepared, we sat in a circle around the campfire.
Sitting among us, Herald spoke with a wide smile. "So, are you all ready?"
"Yes!" we replied in unison.
I glanced at Dein, who was sitting in front of a tent. He noticed me looking and snorted.
"Alright then. Let's start the hunt."
With those words, everyone stood up and headed toward the cave we'd found earlier.
…
After a while, from a distance, we saw two wolves roaming in front of the cave.
Herald, standing at the front, turned around. "Alright, Clare. Do your thing!"
As cheerful as ever, Clare-san replied, "Okaaay, Leader!"
She stepped forward, took the bow from her back, pulled two arrows from her quiver, and took aim.
Then—she released them. After the first shot, she immediately fired the second.
Miraculously, both arrows hit the wolves.
She's amazing. I wouldn't have guessed from someone who drinks all the time.
Then she suddenly turned and looked at me with a strange smile.
"Hehehe, what do you think, Clement? Aren't I amazing?"
I looked at her doubtfully. Yeah—I take that thought back.
"Huh… yeah. You're amazing, Clare-san."
I shifted my attention back to the cave.
The wolves began pouring out, probably drawn by the smell of blood.
Herald suddenly stepped forward. "Alright, here we go!" He drew the massive sword on his back.
Then he charged toward the cave—and the others followed.
Leaving only Sheila and me behind.
I looked at her, a bit confused, and she looked back at me.
Huh. I guess I should go too.
With that, I ran after them.
…
By the time I arrived, the battle had already begun—no, they were slaughtering the wolves effortlessly, despite their numbers.
Herald cleaved them apart with his heavy sword.
Viola killed them with swift, agile movements.
Clare fired arrows from a safe distance.
Dein used his spear's reach to pierce them.
And finally, Sheila cast spells from afar.
They were all incredible.
I felt completely useless here.
—or so I thought, until one of the wolves noticed me and charged.
Not far away, Herald saw it and shouted,
"That one's yours, Clement! Fight it!"
Huh.
I drew my dagger. The thread-like lines began to appear, but—
I decided not to use them.
I didn't want to rely on that too much.
Besides, I wanted to grow stronger—or at least more experienced.
As the wolf leapt, trying to pounce on me, I quickly sidestepped and slashed it with my dagger.
But it wasn't enough to kill it.
Still, I had something to try.
The wolf backed away and began circling me.
Then, when it charged again—
I dodged to the side, then leapt onto its body, riding its back.
I grabbed its fur to hold on as it tried to shake me off.
I drove my dagger into its neck—at least, I think it was its neck.
I twisted the blade to widen the wound, then pulled it out.
I jumped off immediately.
The wolf thrashed, collapsed, blood pouring from the wound—and died.
I was breathing heavily. I'd been nervous at first, but… it worked.
…