It had been two days since the crisis meeting. The days of the Orphan Stars were punctuated by various training. While Lilliana was mainly training her body and sword style, Stella was trying to improve her incantation speed.
Two days wasn't enough to make a novice adventurer an expert, but it was enough for Lilliana to gain a level and move up to rank G. Adventurer's guild ranks were only indicative, a G rank could very well be better than an F-rank depending on the spells he mastered, his techniques and equipment.
But beyond this power system, it was a safety system to prevent unnecessary deaths. Without it, many adventurers would have access to quests that were far too complicated for them. It would be hard to see a novice adventurer facing a dragon, even in a group!
Rank G, although low, was important, as it was the first rank to open the doors to mid-level quests. It was also proof that the adventurer in question had some combat experience.
Since the two young adventurers had obtained this rank, they had gained the right to legally participate in the defense of towns and villages in times of crisis. In general, H-rank adventurers were still considered civilians, their strength and experience too weak to be called real fighters.
Lilliana's level ten rise was the only significant thing that happened in two days. Nothing had changed. The goblins continued their enterprise, the purpose of which no one knew yet. The rain hadn't stopped, which had caused major flooding in the lower town. And no movement on the side of the adventurers' guild had yet been reported.
The world was in an unbearable state of stasis for Stella, who was beginning to lose her patience. She didn't particularly want to go to the front, but this crisis was preventing them from completing quests, and thus from evolving. Their level was stagnating and their purse was being drained. She was beginning to regret having spent almost all her money on runes. Regret quickly dissipated each time she used one of her many new spells.
Fortunately for them, the guild paid them a few hundred Astels a day to support themselves. It was one of the privileges of working directly with the guild. The other adventurers who worked on their own were unfortunately not entitled to this amount, and therefore had an even harder time. Some of them managed to get a quest further south, as the Havrepaix Hills are to the north. But these quests were limited, and sometimes of very high rank, the Obera swamps being a very dangerous area if one went off the path. So Lilliana and Stella spent their days at the inn.
On the morning of the second day, every inhabitant of Avrel had only two things on their mind: rain and goblins. Everyone hoped that these scourges would be gone, but they hoped in vain. Like every morning for the past three days, the rain fell from the sky in a permanent din, and the presence of the goblins was only getting more and more important.
Lilliana and Stella woke up like every morning around eight o'clock. At that hour, in this season, the sun was rising early and they should have woken up under a soft bath of light. This was without considering the rain clouds that perpetually covered the sky.
The weather was beginning to take a toll on the morale of the citizens. Many were beginning to wonder about the unusually long and heavy rain. This was especially true for those who had an affinity for fire.
"Tss- This rain, seriously! It's been three days! Three days! It seems like it's done on purpose just to piss me off..."
"Calm down, Stella. It's only rain, why are you getting so upset?"
"I don't know, but it pisses me off! Plus, we can't even do quests to keep ourselves busy..."
They were both in the common room of the inn, eating their breakfast. Many eyes were on them. It wasn't often that such elegant girls showed up in a place meant for adventurers who often had the reputation of being boorish. However, no one dared to accost them. This place was protected by the manager, and anyone who bullied customers would face her wrath.
"And you, why do you always stay so calm, despite this rain?"
(Sighs)
"Let's just say that rain was rare where I lived as a kid. So it's kind of a new experience!"
"Aren't you from Aeira?"
"Didn't I tell you? I was born in the deserts of the northwest."
"I understand better."
Stella refocused on her meal, thinking. Unlike Lilliana, who had been born in another country, far from this place, she was originally from Aeira. Her grandparents had fled the empire to take refuge among the elves during the great migration wave of the last century. That's why, although she was human, she lived in the territory of the elves.
While the two girls were eating and talking, the door to the common room opened. The person who entered the room, however, was not an adventurer staying at the inn. He was hooded in a dark cloak, hiding his face. The stranger approached the duo, under the steady gaze of some.
"Hello."
Surprised, Lilliana and Stella turned around, flinching slightly.
"B-Hello..."
The newcomer removed his hood, revealing a smooth, flawless face framed by long blonde hair. His eyes were a deep blue, and his ears were slightly pointed, long, and thin. Her elven features were even more pronounced than Alice's or the guild master's.
"Hello, my name is Elnfag. I am a messenger of the guild master. My mission is to inform you that you are invited to the strategy meeting that will take place this afternoon in the guild building, at two o'clock."
Stella and Lilliana looked at each other, confused.
"Wasn't this meeting only for high-ranking groups?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any more information on the subject. The guild master, on the other hand, has expressly requested your presence."
Lilliana thought a little before answering. She didn't understand why they, who were so weak compared to other adventurers, were invited to such an event. She knew, however, that it would be inappropriate to refuse, especially since they currently had nothing to do.
"All right, we'll come. Thanks for the information."
The man greeted them, put his hood back on, and left.
"What do you think, Stella?"
Stella, who had already started eating again, answered him with her mouth still half full.
"I think it has something to do with those wizard goblins. I doubt they'd send A and S ranks to take on a full army of goblins knowing that B and lower ranks can go in undetected. With Thore on our team, we're a great choice to represent these people, given our involvement with the subject."
"I see. I'm going to practice throwing barriers later, are you coming?"
"Of course! Magic is my thing! Especially since I still need to practice casting some spells."
The two girls happily finished their meal, ignoring the persistent stares. They then went to a small courtyard, protected from the rain, to practice. The place wasn't necessarily ideal for magic training because it was cramped, but it was much more suitable than indoor magic training.
They practiced casting spells for a few hours before getting ready for the meeting. They ate a quick lunch before putting on some rain gear and headed to the guild building.
As always, after entering the doors of the building, they greeted Alice and a few other guild members they had gotten to know, before heading upstairs, appearing in the same room as a few days before.
This time, the number of tables and chairs in the room was much larger. Indeed, while the previous meeting had only involved about fifteen people, nearly fifty adventurers were already present this time, and the two young girls had certainly not been the last to arrive.
As they entered the room, although a little surprised by the large number of participants, they quickly chose a place to sit. Unfortunately, they didn't go unnoticed, and a few eyes were drawn to them. Feeling out of place, a certain feeling of unease made them shiver slightly. But this feeling disappeared when they were called out.
"So, you've finally arrived."
Stella turned instantly, surprised to be accosted. But upon seeing who had approached them, she quickly calmed down.
"Oh, is it just you, Thore?"
Thore, who had not expected such a nonchalant response, grew slightly angry.
"What do you mean, it's just me? Show some respect for your superiors, you little brat."
"Sorry, but my only superior at the moment is the guild master."
Thore growled in anger, he wanted to teach Stella manners by force, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Fighting in front of so many higher-ranking adventurers, and a lower-ranking member of his group, was not good for his reputation.
"Thore, calm down. This is no time to get upset, the meeting is about to start. As for you, Stella, stop teasing him."
Thore took it upon himself to calm down. He couldn't stand it when people beneath him disrespected him. But he also knew how to restrain himself when necessary. He wasn't crazy, starting an argument in the middle of a meeting presided over by the guild master was practically signing his death warrant, especially for someone who was directly affiliated with it.
As he sat down, the guild master stood up. He was facing more than twenty adventurer groups, which were more than seventy people. Each of these groups had at least one S rank and several A ranks, except for the Orphan Stars, which consisted of two G rank members and one temporary B rank member.
After casting an observant glance over the whole room, he smiled, and began his speech:
"Thank you all for coming. As you know, the topic of today's meeting will be the goblins of the Havrepaix Hills. They appeared a week ago, while some adventurers were regulating their population. So we're going to discuss the strategy to deal with this problem. But before we do, I'll give a few reminders for those who may not have all the information yet."
Rowen paused to catch her breath and make sure everyone was listening, before continuing:
"First, you should know that we are facing a veritable army of monsters that seem to have mutated to develop some intelligence. The latest figures for them are nearly a million goblins, six hundred and thirty-two hobgoblins, and eleven wizard goblins. I should point out that these figures represent the known number of goblins, and that there could be many more. The presence of a goblin king, though unconfirmed, is being considered."
The silence that reigned in the room was broken by a certain amount of commotion. Many of the adventurers were worried about the strategy that would be adopted. The meeting, which until then had been light-hearted, took a different turn. Everyone was worried, even the most experienced adventurers. Faced with such an army, even the S-rankers were not sure they would survive.
"Calm down, please. It's not all bad news. We have it on good authority that all goblins, without exception, have been blinded by their underground development process. Their other senses, on the other hand, have developed. This has an impact on the quality of detection that goblin wizards can offer. Any adventurer of rank B and below goes unnoticed by them."
Although some were reassured to hear that the goblins were blind, others were beginning to lose patience.
"And so, what do you propose?"
"That's right! That's all well and good, but how do you plan to eliminate those wizards? They're A-rank monsters after all! You're not going to ask lower ranks to fight them, are you?"
Rowen looked around at the worried crowd, as the tone rose exponentially. He sighed, before calling out to them.
"Quite right. That's why I invited a very involved team to come and talk."
The master's gaze shifted to Thore, who swallowed his saliva, waiting with apprehension for the next part.
"This is Thore, Lilliana, and Stella. They work for me now. They are B rank, and G rank for the two young ladies respectively. They are the ones who discovered the goblins' blindness. Now, tell me, Thore. In your opinion, how many B-rank adventurers are needed to take on these witch goblins?"
Thore stood up and answered the question solemnly.
"As much as possible, sir. Survival is not a problem. But I'm afraid we're running out of firepower. I suggest you assign all B ranks to the elimination of these witch goblins."
He sat down without delay, staring persistently at his superior.
"Very good. Thank you for your honesty. So I will present the plan of action, which you will find the instructions on paper at the front desk by the end of the day. First of all, the A and S ranks will lead the operation. They will coordinate the offensives of the B and lower ranks. The B-ranks, divided into teams whose registration lists will be available within a few hours, will be coordinated to lead a simultaneous and stealthy assault on all the witch goblins. Finally, the middle and lower ranks will take on the goblins and hobgoblins. I hope you understand that the success of this maneuver depends on the ability of the B ranks to sneak up on the witch goblins and assassinate them. The offensive will be launched as soon as the rain stops, if not in three days at the latest! Thank you for your attention."
Although the meeting ended with these words, no one left the room. Everyone was discussing the upcoming war with their teams. Although they knew that the battle plan was almost ideal, they couldn't help but worry. This time, the assault was not being led by the upper ranks, which the lower ranks could rely on, but by the lower ranks, of which Lilliana and Stella were apart.