"Oh?" Thenea was surprised to see Verin up so early, she knew he always does his routine before the sun rises but he still has at least two hours to do that. What's more is that he's dressed for a mission, "you're up early, Verin."
It has been months since Thenea and Viv lived with them in the quarters. Calla had some difficulties convincing Lord Ember, his one condition for Thenea to join was to keep her inside one of their homes. It took her almost two weeks to make him agree, her last resort was calling Thenea in her office and had her convince her grandfather.
Calla knew too well what could make Lord Ember succumb, if not his grandchildren, at least Thenea can single handedly do it.
"Trouble sleeping?" He asked Thenea, who has bed hair, "I'll be doing a solo mission today. Assisting Mission."
"We're still doing that, huh? I haven't really been called to one, probably because I am only needed when they send Viv to watch over him," she laughed groggily, still sleepy.
Verin sweated when he heard those words, in all honesty, if he were to tell Thenea, the reason why she's not given a solo mission for assisting is not because she's weak or because she's a light user. In fact, her light magic can easily defeat the wild animals and tame them. It was her grandfather, Lord Ember and Viv's doing why she was kept inside the quarters.
With how Thenea almost lost her life due to overusing her mana, left with almost nothing from the previous mission, the two caused a ruckus with Calla and demanded she'll be left alone unless it really is needed. And since the rest of the ruby team are fine and the only one who needs Thenea, in case something might happen, was Viv, she can only leave the quarters for a mission to accompany him.
"You wouldn't wanna be in the same group with those rowdy guys," Verin said flatly, "it's for the best."
Thenea raises her brow but doesn't have the energy to keep the conversation going, "do we have any more water?"
Verin smiled and handed her the jug, "it's not cold, right?"
"Yes, I might wake up with a sick stomach if I drink something that's cold."
"I'm gonna get going. If anyone happens to look for me, just tell them."
Verin walked towards the door and waved his hand, not looking back.
Thenea only watched him as she drank a glass of water, and when she was done, she sighed.
"What could they be protecting me for?"
She cleaned up before going back to bed, "whatever, I'm so tired to think about it."
A few hours later, just as the sun rose, the first one to leave their rooms was Lithea. She checked the indoor garden first to see if Verin had come back from his morning jog but he wasn't there. She was thinking of joining him for a few workouts, she needs to loosen her muscles and build up more stamina. She knew she can't meditate forever and can't just practice martial arts alone, she has to do a bit of workout too.
Lithea noticed how hard the other adventurers workout and build their strength, yet she only had to meditate and master different types of martial arts for a few hours for ten years. She wondered how long it took them to become buff and strong. Although in her eyes, both Verin and Hugo cannot be surpassed in terms of strength, those she had assisted for months are quite good.
She wondered if the two rubies were to keep working on their strength and become even stronger, 'would they get bald too?'
Lithea stretched for a good time and sat at the corner of the garden and meditated, a new scenery full of distractions from people she heard on both sides, those who had just woken up, or those who were moving and talking way too much in their sleep.
A new challenge.
She liked it. Back in the mountain, she would meditate with the others and she's gotten used to it, their soft and gentle movements, and how quiet they converse to avoid distracting the others. She's used to it.
But in the middle of a bustling area, it's different. And she knew the battlefield could be harder to concentrate on.
'Yeah, I have to take this new way of meditating.'
Deep in meditation, Lithea noticed a movement on her right side.
Someone's in the kitchen and the size of their energy, and from how they move, she immediately knew who it was.
Raising her right hand, she flicked it swiftly and sent an energy on the way to the culprit and not soon after, she heard a glass shattering.
"You can't sneak like that and grab a jar of cookies early in the morning, Viv."
Viv was too stunned to react, he did not expect to see Lithea in the indoor garden. He thought Verin would be there and he could just run back if he got caught.
Lithea opened her eyes and met Viv's.
He flinched.
"Viv, you know you can't eat those before breakfast."
The purple head pouted and whimpered before picking up the shards, cleaning up the mess.
"Be careful with those," she said before closing her eyes again and going back to her meditations.
They had set up rules for Viv when it came to food, although they did not forbid him from eating too many sweets, he had to eat a proper meal before eating them. And he has been following them obediently until Serene, who came back drunk again one night, told Viv how to eat secretly.
And with his love for sweets, he followed Serene's drunken advice.
At that time, Lance heard the glass breaking. He just finished making his bed and cleaning his room and wanted to check the kitchen if they had anything to cook with.
"What's going on?" he asked when he saw Viv kneeling and picking up the glasses. But when he saw the cookies cracked on the floor, he could guess what was happening.
'Did Verin caught him?'
He wanted to tell Verin to take it easy on Viv, but when he took a peek at the garden, his soul almost left his body. He did not see Verin and with how good at stealth Lithea is, he did not see her. But when he was about to help Viv, he caught a figure on his peripheral vision and thought he saw a ghost.
Lance froze up and could feel his heart beating loudly, "L-Lily, ha ha ha. You're here."
Lithea did not open her eyes when she responded to Lance, "yes."
He gulped and walked over to Viv, his body trembling.
When he reached out his hand to help, Viv noticed how shaken he was and tilted his head, question marks popping up on top of his head.
Just near the western border, at the outskirts of the capital, Verin was supervising a pearl ranker's mission. It was a B-rank one, and since the gold ranks are lacking in people, the rank had to step in and help.
"You guys had to keep your eyes open, do not leave an open space for the beast to attack you guys!"
The five men weren't used to having someone yelling behind them and telling them what to do, it pisses them off but they can't disobey the guild's chief's words.
But it was only the chief's word they had to blindly follow and not the person tasked to assist their group.
The five eyed each other, agreeing to do what they usually do and leave the ruby rank all by himself. They plan on making him, if not their shield, have the beast attack him.
"Ha, seriously," Verin could only chuckle on the inside, he's seen through them, "can't they just follow what I say? It's much easier too."
Verin just stood from where he was and watched the men do their thing, attacking here and there, completely surrounding the beast but what they don't know is how swift and sharp the beast's claws were. Its eyes were glistening.
One move and the five were thrown and scratched.
Verin did not even flinch when he saw what happened, it is as though he knew it could happen. He did not move from where he was and the bear saw him. It was a giant grizzly bear.
Normally, grizzly bears stood a little over a human's height, but this one exceeded that. It also is sharper, like it has a human intellect.
He knew grizzlies are smart but it was still surprising for the bear they are fighting to see through all of the team's offence.
The grizzly ran towards Verin and the five all wore a face that reflected their innermost thoughts, they wanted to see him defeated by the bear as well. Despite their wounds, they still can't let go of the show of a ruby member getting trashed by a bear.
'Huh?'
'What's this?'
'Why isn't he moving?'
The bear raised his paw and struck.
'What now? Is he bleeding?'
Thud.
The grizzly fell face first, it felt a heavy thing strike its head. It can't feel the back of its head.
Verin hopped when the bear struck, they did not notice he moved as they were too busy trying to peek over the bear's body. And when he kicked the bear's head, it dropped in an instant.
'What the hell happened?'
'How did he manage to dodge that stupid bear?'
Verin flipped the bear over and only saw it passed out.
"You guys, hurry up and tie this one. It will wake up in a couple of hours," he said without turning his head, still checking the bear.
The five then pretended to pass out as well and closed their eyes.
Verin doesn't have time for this.
"My mission is done here. I'll be leaving."
True to his words, Verin really did leave. He did not once stop to take a look if the guys were really fine. But he knew they were, when he hopped, he saw the curiosity in their eyes, some of them even sat up to really see if he was struck by the bear.
'Those morons, not even a slightest concern in their faces. Do they really think they can defeat the bear if I was really defeated by it?'
A few moments passed by, the five men did not hear anything and so one of them opened his eyes and saw no one. It was only them and the bear.
"HE REALLY DID LEAVE US ALONE HERE WITH THE BEAR!"
The others followed him and looked around, "HE FUCKING LEFT?"
"Didn't he say the bear would wake up in a couple of hours?"
They slowly turn their heads to the unconscious bear.
"HE DID NOT TIE IT!!!!"
The bear twitched and let out a low growl.
"Eck!"
The men blinked and held their breaths.
Once again, the bear twitched and was unconsciously huffing and puffing in its sleep.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The five adventurers ran to the path they had taken down when they came and tried to catch up to Verin.
At the very same time, Verin suddenly felt irritated without a reason.
"MASTER RUBY!!"
"THE BEAAARRRRRR"
Although Verin could make the gates at the western entrance for the capital, he can hear the cowards he left behind.
"What could they possibly want? The bear isn't supposed to wake up till sunset."
"HELP US HELP USS!! WE WON'T BELITTLE YOU ANY MORE!!!"
Their hands were flailing, they seemed desperate in the eyes of Verin.
"That was supposed to be belittling me?"
That night, Verin finally got home. He was used to coming home during missions in a rowdy home.
Ever since the mission in the Land of Scorpion, and the two joining them in the quarters, the place seemed a little lively. And Serene doesn't sleep that much at the pub as well. This type of scenario made him miss home, he thinks about his siblings.
They should be fine, he keeps telling himself this.
"Verin's here," Lithea was the first person who saw him.
"How's the mission?" Lance asked.
"I'll get a plate for you!" Thenea stood and rushed to get his plate and utensils.
"Thanks, Thenea."
"Hmmmm." Verin chuckled at Viv's glare.
"I'm not doing anything, buddy."
The group were happily talking and eating their dinner. And when the night got later, Viv was slumped on the table, snoring. Serene also went out to visit the pub, saying she has to visit Ivy.
"Shouldn't we talk about something else?"
Thenea was happily tapping the table.
"About what?" Lance asked.
"This month is both Viv and Serene's birth month!"
"What? It was this month?"
"When can we do it?" she asked Lance, he has everyone's schedule written down for the month.
"Well, I think we're clear for the week."
"Let's do it tomorrow then!"
"Tomorrow?"
Thenea only smiled.
"Serene's out," Lithea reminded them.
"And she won't be back until dusk tomorrow," Thenea was confident, "also, grandfather asked for Viv tomorrow. We'll have enough time to prepare."
The next day, as soon as the group woke up, Thenea immediately gave them things they needed to do for the party to complete. She stayed up late assigning tasks to everyone.
For the cooking, she got Lithea and Hugo.
For buying things that's needed that's missing, Lance.
For decoration, herself and Verin.
"Why did you give me the hardest one? And you didn't even give me someone to buy these with!"
Lance opened the long list of things he had to buy.
"I don't have eight arms?"
Verin grinned, "you can always borrow some wagon at Terrence's."
Hearing Terrence's name and the wagon, Thenea laughed.
"Some friend you are. Thank you very much, Verin," Lance's voice was flat and lifeless.
"Hahaha! Have fun with the list, commander."
He was about to open the door and leave to get it over with when Lars arrived.
"What's going on? You all seemed busy."
Lance's eyes suddenly brighten, "ARE YOU FREE TODAY, LARS?"
The jade's reaction was surprised, "what?"
"Are you free today?"
"Why?"
"Go out with me."
Lars looked at the people behind him and then went back to look at Lance.
"Wait, what?"
"If you're free, go out with me. You don't have anything else in mind, right?"
Lars doesn't know what to say, his brain refuses to function.
"Lance," he waited for his words to be arranged properly in his mind, "I don't date guys."
Blink. Blink. Blink.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Verin couldn't keep it together, he was holding his stomach while slapping his knee. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! HE THOUGHT YOU'RE GAY. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Lance slowly turned his head to Verin before walking up to him.
Bonk.
"We'll be back with everything!"
Lance closed the door behind him and had Lars in tow, forcing himself not to laugh at what happened.
Everyone that was in the quarters all had their eyes on Verin's big bump on his head.
"That must have hurt," Thenea poked the bump.
"Let's just get this over with."
Verin sniffed and walked like a zombie to take some decorations in a bag Thenea already had.
He then muttered, "fucking noble."