After completing the quest, the group made their way back to the adventurers association in Llyn. It was mid-afternoon by the time they arrived, a bit tired but satisfied with the successful completion of their mission. The reward for the quest, while modest, was enough to cover the expenses from the previous night's celebration and then some. They gathered around the counter to collect their payment, dividing the coins equally among them.
Amukelo hesitated as he was handed his share, feeling somewhat undeserving. "I shouldn't get an equal part; I only killed one slime after all," he remarked, his honesty shining through.
Pao, quick to support Amukelo, countered with a fierce tone, "In that case, I should get nothing; I killed zero." Her words were sharp.
Amukelo looked at her, momentarily lost for words, impressed and moved by her defense. Bral, stepping in with a small bag of coins, chimed in warmly, "Come on, don't be like this; everyone gets the same piece of the pie." He handed the bag to Amukelo, who took it with a grateful nod.
As Amukelo felt the weight of the coins in his hand, his eyes widened in mild surprise. Idin, noticing his reaction, commented, "First time getting paid for a quest. That's a good feeling, isn't it."
Amukelo responded, still looking at the bag, "That's a lot. In my village, this would last for a long time." His comment drew smiles from the rest of the group, a sign of their growing camaraderie.
Bral then shifted the conversation toward their next steps, "What will you do for the rest of the day? It's just afternoon, so there's still some time before tomorrow. Tomorrow we will take on a bit more challenging quest."
Amukelo scratched his head, thinking it over, then asked, "Is there a place where I can practice my swordsmanship?"
"There is a place where people pay to train with each other under the eye of professionals, but it costs quite a bit of money," Bral explained. "You will need a bit more than that to join, but these people are on quite a high level, so this is definitely a worthwhile option."
Nodding in understanding, Amukelo decided, "In that case, I will just train in the inn's backyard."
"Good," Bral responded, supportive of his decision. "In that case, see you later, I will do my stuff."
Amukelo nodded to each of his new friends and said, "See you later, guys." With that, he walked away, heading to the inn's backyard to continue honing his skills, grateful for the sense of belonging he was beginning to feel among this group of adventurers.
As dusk settled over Llyn, the sounds of a repeating sword routine drifted up to the rooms of the inn where Pao and Bao were settling in for the evening. Curiosity piqued, they peered out their window to see Amukelo, still practicing his swordsmanship in the dim light of the backyard. Bao expressed her surprise, "Wow, he's still training." Pao watched, mesmerized by the fluidity of Amukelo's movements, feeling a comforting warmth spread through her as she observed his dedication.
The next morning, refreshed from a night's rest but still buzzing from the energy of the previous day's achievements, the group prepared for their new quest. This time, they were tasked with clearing out a troublesome band of goblins—a silver-rank quest.
As they made their way through the lush paths leading to the goblins' last known location, Amukelo broached a question that had been on his mind, "I've been wondering. Why can we take on silver-rank quests when most of us have bronze rank?"
Pao explained to him, "It's because our guild has a silver rank."
Amukelo, intrigued, followed up, "Does that mean that anyone from our guild can take on a silver rank quest?"
"Well," Pao elaborated, "adventurer badges and guild badges work slightly differently. When an adventurer has a silver rank, they can take on any silver quest they want. They can also take someone with a bronze badge as support, but that's optional. However, when using a guild badge, all guild members must participate in the quest. For instance, all guild members might be of gold rank or lower, but due to their number, their guild badge can be upgraded to diamond rank, even if no single member has reached diamond rank themselves."
Amukelo paused, digesting the information, then voiced another concern, "Now that makes sense. But wouldn't that approach be irresponsible? Taking someone with bronze rank on a diamond quest could mean certain casualties."
Pao smiled slightly, "It is irresponsible, yes. That's why guilds that consider this approach have to be very cautious with their decisions."
Amukelo, still puzzled, asked, "But if they decided to take the risk, wouldn't that also risk the association's reputation?"
"In the case of diamond quests, casualties are almost inevitable," Pao replied. "Even taking many diamond-ranked adventurers is risky. Casualties in these quests won't decrease anyone's reputation due to their difficulty."
Amukelo nodded thoughtfully, appreciating the complexity of the adventurers' guild system. Their conversation continued as they approached the site of their quest, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them with a deeper understanding of each other and the world they navigated together.
The terrain where the goblin pack had settled was a typical forested area, dense with undergrowth and the noise of wildlife quieted by the impending skirmish. As they approached, the sight of fifty goblins milling around a makeshift encampment struck a chord of readiness in each member of the guild. Despite Amukelo's past experiences, his feelings towards these creatures were of general disdain rather than personal vendetta, allowing him to focus solely on the task at hand without emotional distractions.
The plan was simple yet required precise execution: Bral, Amukelo, and Idin would form the front line to engage the goblins directly in melee combat. Their role was critical in keeping the goblins from breaking through to Pao and Bao, who positioned themselves at a safer distance to deliver ranged support through spells and arrows.
As they initiated their attack, the air filled with the clash of metal and the shrill cries of goblins. The battle rhythm was intense yet familiar to the guild members, who moved with practiced coordination. Bral parried and countered the goblins' rusty blades, while Idin used his agility to navigate through the enemy lines, dispatching goblins with swift strikes. Amukelo, wielding his sword with precision, found that his past experience allowed him to react instinctively, cutting down goblins before they could regroup or counterattack.
The ranged support from Pao and Bao proved invaluable. Pao's spells cast bright illuminations among the trees, her incantations causing bursts of fire that engulfed several goblins at once. Bao's arrows whistled through the air, finding their marks with deadly accuracy. The synergy between melee assaults and magical barrages quickly thinned the goblin ranks.
This quest, while ranked higher in difficulty, played to the guild's strengths in single-combat scenarios, making the engagement considerably smoother than anticipated. In no time, the forest floor was littered with the aftermath of their victory, and the group could breathe a sigh of relief as they confirmed no goblins had escaped to warn others or regroup.
Back in Llyn, after dividing the quest's rewards equally among them, each member found themselves reflecting on the day's successes and their personal growth. Amukelo chose to spend the remainder of his day practicing his swordplay in the inn's backyard, honing his skills further.
Pao, inspired by Amukelo's resolve, expressed her intention to invest in herself by searching for powerful grimoires. "I have some savings, and it might be time to find some strong spells," she mentioned with a determination that reflected her commitment to her magical arts.
Bao, not wanting to fall behind her sister in prowess, declared her plans to train as well. Watching the sisters walk away, Bral turned to Idin with a smile, prompted by the drive and initiative Amukelo's presence had instilled in the team. "He really is pushing us forward," Bral noted, acknowledging how Amukelo's dedication spurred them all to greater efforts.
Idin agreed, adding, "That's true. Amukelo truly gets the best out of us." With a mutual nod, they too decided to use the rest of their day productively, heading off to their respective training routines, each member driven by a renewed sense of purpose and camaraderie fostered by their shared battles and victories.