---
I was at the guild in the neighboring town, all by myself.
I left the inn and the town right away. It wasn't a long trip, but I wanted to put some distance between me and Reid's group. I didn't want to run into any of them.
At the unfamiliar reception desk, I showed my A-rank adventurer card and said I wanted to take quests solo. The guild receptionist, a cheerful young woman, looked happy to see another adventurer willing to take on work. She started with a simple F-rank quest.
"Collecting medicinal herbs in the nearby forest. It's an easy one, but we always need more of these!"
I took the herb quest and then asked if I could also take the goblin subjugation quest posted next to it. She warned me there was a two-hour time limit for the goblins, but I realized the locations weren't too far apart. I could handle both without any problem.
---
The herb quest was quick and straightforward.
I cast several of my support enchantments on myself, including analysis and detection spells. The magic immediately sharpened my senses and pinpointed the exact locations of the rare herbs scattered across the forest floor. What would have taken most solo adventurers hours of searching took me less than five minutes. I gathered everything cleanly and moved on to the goblins.
A small band of goblins had been causing trouble near the forest path. I didn't even break a sweat. I layered my enchantments for enhanced strength, speed, and magic power, then unleashed a stone spell amplified by those same buffs. A barrage of sharp, magically reinforced rock spikes erupted from the ground and wiped out the entire group in seconds. The goblins barely had time to react before it was over.
"Whoa!" I exclaimed. "Even a basic spell took them out. Why is the stone so big? Where the spikes come from?" I was amazed by my own enchantments.
I was just finishing up collecting the goblin cores, when the ground suddenly shook.
A roar echoed through the trees, full of pure rage. A fire dragon had appeared, furious that its territory had been disturbed by the commotion. It locked onto me and charged, clearly seeing me as the intruder who had stirred things up. It chased me as I ran. I wondered why it was after me!
Suddenly, memories of Reid's harsh words flashed through my mind.
"You're useless, Jeff."
"You're good for nothing."
"We don't need dead weight like you."
The insults replayed, and something inside me sparked. A mix of anger and pumped-up energy surged through my body. I poured even more enchantments onto myself, boosting my physical power, reaction speed, and magical output to their limits.
The dragon opened its massive jaws and unleashed a roaring stream of flames straight at me.
"NO! I WON'T RUN! I AM AN ADVENTURER!"
I turned around as I said that and swung my sword in a clean arc. The enchanted blade sliced right through the fire breath, splitting the inferno in two. The flames parted harmlessly on either side of me.
…Maybe I can actually pull this off.
I leaped toward the dragon's head, planning to close the distance for a decisive strike. But I hadn't realized just how strong my enchantments had made me. The jump sent me soaring far higher and faster than I expected, launching me straight up past the dragon's neck in one powerful bound.
From that height, I brought my sword down with everything I had.
The enchanted blade cut cleanly through the fire dragon's tough scales and flesh. With a final, thunderous roar, the massive creature crashed to the ground, defeated in a single decisive blow.
I landed lightly, breathing hard but unharmed. The rush of power still coursed through me. Solo… I really could handle this kind of thing on my own. I also collected the dragon's core.
---
I returned to the guild and walked straight up to the same receptionist.
She smiled warmly when she saw me. "Back already? That's fine. It's smart to know when to give up on the harder quests. You tried your best."
Without saying a word, I placed the proof of the completed herb quest on the counter, followed by a handful of glowing goblin cores.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait… this is… It hasn't even been twenty minutes!"
I stayed quiet for a moment, then reached into my bag and pulled out the dragon's core. It was still warm and pulsed with faint magical energy.
Silence fell over the counter.
The receptionist stared at the large, shimmering core for several long seconds before she finally found her voice. "Please… please wait right here!"
She rushed off and returned moments later with the guild master, an older man with a stern face. He examined the dragon's core carefully, then looked me up and down.
"You did this alone… and so quickly?" He said, clearly impressed. His look clearly looked at me like "Who the hell are you?" But he said nothing for a bit.
"That's no small feat. Easily an S-Class beast. It really would've taken 5 or more A ranks to fend if off in a matter of days. But you claim you did it in less than 20 minutes?" I nodded slowly. I announced right where I left the body, and he confirmed it was there. After getting confirmation the dragon was indeed dead, he came to me.
"Well done, young man."
After verifying everything, they processed the rewards. Between the herbs, the goblin cores, and the valuable dragon materials, I walked away with a heavy bag stuffed with enough gold coins to live comfortably for several months.
Feeling far better about my abilities than I expected, I left the guild.
(It looks like I can manage just fine on my own… I don't need to get involved with those guys anymore.)
I let go of my worries about the future, ordered a slightly fancier meal at the inn, and ended the day feeling satisfied.
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**Side Story: Fana**
The night I joined White Lightning, I lay trembling in bed.
It wasn't from excitement or anticipation. It was pure fear that I might have made a terrible mistake.
I had become an adventurer to reach an S-rank party… and even higher. I had traveled, trained, and completed harsh quests, working my way up to the Sage class through blood, sweat, and tears.
Reid's party was on the verge of S-rank, and both their guild record and reputation among adventurers were excellent. So when I was invited, I happily accepted. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine they would kick out their magic swordsman, Jeff.
I had traveled between many parties and worked with all kinds of people. I had seen beast tamers, fighters, shield users, dark mages, and more, learning their skills along the way.
Even so, "support magic" was something I had never really encountered before.
Reid said it was just minor support… but could magic that boosts other people's abilities really be dismissed so lightly?
If my bad feeling turned out to be right, this party had just expelled someone truly incredible.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and waited for sleep while still trembling.
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**Side Story: Rena**
I ended up banishing Jeff.
I really wanted to keep adventuring with him.
But this is my fault for being so powerless.
I knew Reid disliked Jeff, but I never thought he would go this far.
At first I opposed kicking Jeff out, but I was quietly threatened that if I didn't agree, he might kill Jeff on the next quest.
I even considered leaving the party with Jeff, but Reid warned me that if I left, he would make Jeff take the blame. In the end, there was nothing I could do.
"Jeff… I'm sorry."
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A few days later, as I was walking back from the guild to the inn, Reid and the other three were waiting for me.
(They're in terrible shape… Did they fight some really strong monster?)
Rena's robe, which usually kept her skin hidden, was torn in several places, giving glimpses of her thick thighs and breasts that looked ready to spill out.
Nina's hot pants were ripped too, showing glimpses of her underwear, and her chest wrap was so damaged it looked like it could fall off at any moment.
I quickly looked away from the dangerously tempting sight and glanced at Fana standing behind them. Surprisingly, her clothes weren't torn or dirty at all. Even so, her enormous breasts still stood out prominently, rivaling the other two.
(…! N-No, not again.)
I quickly turned my attention to Reid, even though I had zero interest in him.
"J-Jeff! I changed my mind! I'm letting you back into the party!"
Reid stood with his arms crossed, speaking down to me arrogantly.
(What the hell is this guy even saying?)
"Reid! What are you talking about?!"
"Yeah! Why are you acting so high and mighty?!"
"Shut up! I'm not bowing my head to the incompetent Jeff!"
They started arguing among themselves, but my heart had already gone completely cold. Getting involved with them would just be a waste of time. "Is that all you came to say?" I sigh.
"Sorry, but I'm going solo now. I've learned I can handle S-rank quests by myself. I have no interest in teaming up with you anymore… See ya."
I spat out the words, turned my back on the four of them, and started walking toward the inn.
"Jeff! Wait, let's talk—"
I heard Rena's voice trying to stop me. I almost hesitated for a moment, but I didn't turn around and stepped inside the inn.
That night, the moment I entered my room, I collapsed onto the bed. I forced my thoughts toward my future solo quests and fell asleep.
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**Side Story: Fana**
Joining this party had been a mistake.
The drop in our overall ability after kicking out Jeff was bad enough, but the biggest problem was the leader.
After that first failure, we dropped our rank and tried several more quests, but none of them succeeded. Every time, Reid just made excuse after excuse.
He blamed bad condition, poor teamwork, not enough magical support from Rena… He never once reflected on himself, only shifting responsibility while looking completely wrecked.
When I suggested we should apologize to Jeff and ask him to rejoin, Reid acted like that and got completely ignored.
I was stunned. Did this man really not understand the difference in ability between himself and Jeff?
On top of that, the night Jeff turned us down coldly, I happened to overhear Reid talking with some adventurer friends at the bar. It was disgusting.
"That useless Jeff came begging to rejoin the party, but I sent him packing!"
"As expected of Reid! Future S-rank material is on another level!"
"And your party's full of beautiful girls with huge tits, right? So jealous!"
"Right? I was getting sick of that boring guy like Jeff staring at my women. Now it's a real harem party!"
Hearing their filthy laughter, all kinds of thoughts ran through my mind.
Even after all this, he was still putting on pathetic airs and talking trash.
Insulting a former member like that was just too shallow.
Besides, Rena and Nina aren't your women.
And he was even looking at me—the one he had just met—with those same sleazy eyes.
Anger, contempt, disbelief, disappointment… The emotions kept swapping rapidly. In the end, I made a quiet decision.
I couldn't stay with this man any longer.
I turned on my heel and headed toward the inn where Rena and Nina were staying.
I called the two of them to my room and decided to talk.
"Rena, Nina… there's something I want to confirm with both of you. Between Reid and Jeff… who do you choose?"
After telling them exactly what I had overheard Reid say at the bar, I asked them directly.
While they listened, both of them burned with anger at how Jeff had been treated and at being called "his women."
Through the conversation, I also learned why they had agreed to kick Jeff out. Rena had been threatened by Reid into agreeing. Nina had been worried because Jeff had been getting injured more often lately. Neither of them seemed to have truly understood Jeff's real strength, even though they had been close to him. At least they hadn't done it because they hated him, so that was a relief for now.
"I wanted to keep adventuring with Jeff too…"
"Yeah, me too… Jeff was more fun, and he's a good guy. If Reid is this useless, then obviously I'd rather party with Jeff."
Rena spoke with tears in her eyes, while Nina sounded regretful.
"But… we did something so awful to him. Jeff probably hates us now…"
"Yeah… getting turned away today was pretty shocking."
It was true. From what I had observed, Jeff was clearly rejecting us. It would probably be difficult to just walk up and say, "Let's be friends and party together again."
However, after seeing Jeff today, I had come up with a secret plan.
It wasn't honest, and it was a sneaky method. But right now, it was the only thing I could think of. Besides, it was something I was actually good at from my previous job.
"I have a secret plan for that part. …So, you're both choosing Jeff, right?"
"…Yeah."
"Yep."
It seemed their resolve had hardened.
"If that's the case, can you follow my instructions?"
The two of them nodded nervously as I looked at them seriously.
"Alright then. First thing tomorrow morning, we'll start by calling Reid out. And then…"
After that, the three of us stayed up late into the night, fine-tuning our strategy.
The next morning.
The three of us stood together, staring at Reid with cold eyes.
"G-Good morning? Uh, what's with you three so early in the morning…?"
Reid looked confused and his eyes darted around, sensing the strange atmosphere.
"Reid, we have something to tell you. …Are you listening?"
"Y-Yeah…"
He seemed shaken by my icy tone and gave a small reply.
"—Reid, we are expelling you from this party."
"…H-Huh!? What the hell are you saying!?"
Reid's voice cracked in panic. Rena and Nina immediately followed up.
"I agree."
"Me too~"
"Reid! What are you talking about?! I'm the leader!"
After showing such a pathetic side, he still thought he was the leader. What a shallow man.
"It doesn't matter. We decided by majority vote, so you are expelled."
Reid's face turned deathly pale and he collapsed on the spot. Even if he got desperate and tried to resort to violence, his sword skills were so weak that we could counter him before he even landed a hit.
"Rena, Nina… do either of you have any last words?"
The two of them took a small step forward and glared down at Reid with contempt.
"I won't forgive you for what you said to Jeff. If you try anything against him, I… I will definitely make you pay for it."
Rena's voice trembled a little, but she managed to say what she wanted. Her shoulders seemed to relax slightly afterward.
"Reid, we're not your women, got it? If you want to play harem, go to a brothel, you perverted bastard!"
Nina seemed especially furious about being treated like one of "his women."
Finally, I spoke.
"I thought joining the party you invited me to would bring me closer to my goals, but I never imagined the leader would be this vulgar, incompetent, and weak. You're an eyesore, so I suggest you quit being an adventurer, hole up in a tavern for the rest of your life, and become the 'king of the mountain' by bragging about your delusions to your little followers."
Hit with those words that crushed his tiny pride, Reid's eyes filled with tears. He turned his back and staggered away.
"…Alright. That takes care of the first problem."
"Nice~"
"Next is Jeff, right?"
Feeling their expectant gazes, I puffed out my chest confidently.
"Yes. Leave this part to me!"