When they arrived at the adventurers' association, Bral took the lead, hoisting the chest onto the counter with a satisfied sigh. The woman behind the counter raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Quite the haul," she said as she pulled out a ledger. "I'll have this counted for you. Give me a moment."
Amukelo took the chance to glance at his badge, and his eyes widened slightly as he noticed the change. "Wow... Bronze rank five already? That was fast," he muttered.
Idin leaned against the counter, arms crossed, and smirked. "Not really that surprising. Adventurers rank up individually way faster than guilds do. And you are way more skilled than your rank represents. That goblin quest was a tough bronze seven, and you took on two of the strongest enemies there, all while still barely a bronze three."
Bral chuckled as he stretched. "Yeah, you're climbing quick, rookie. At this rate, you'll catch up to us in no time."
Amukelo looked at his badge again, rubbing his thumb over the number. He remembered holding the same badge not long ago, thinking it was just some kind of formality. But now, it actually meant something. He was getting stronger.
Bao, who had been quiet up to this point, finally spoke. "If we're talking about rankings, I think one more solid quest will be enough to push the guild into silver rank."
Pao's ears perked up. "Really? That soon?"
Bao nodded. "Yeah. That goblin quest was tougher than the quest anticipated, and we've managed it well. Right now, we're officially bronze rank seven. If we take on a difficult enough quest, we should be able to reach silver with the next one."
Amukelo turned his gaze toward her, feeling a surge of excitement. "Silver rank already? I thought it would take longer."
Bao shrugged. "Not really. Before you joined we progressed a fair bit, but when you joined and with your fast progress our guild progressed also progressed really fast."
Just then, the woman behind the counter returned with several pouches filled with coins. She placed them in front of Bral, who began counting through them. The coins clinked softly as he separated them into shares.
"Alright," Bral said after a moment, handing out the bags. "Everyone gets twenty-five gold coins, fifty silver coins, and two hundred bronze coins."
Amukelo took his pouch and felt its weight in his hands. This was the first time he had this amount of money. Back in the village, currency was a rarity—most of their economy was based on trade. His mother had a small stash of coins saved up, but nothing close to this amount. He let out a slow breath.
Bral, meanwhile, continued, "Bao's right. Silver rank is within reach, but I think we should take a few days off before we dive into another mission. We need to rest, recover, and stock up on potions and supplies before taking on something bigger."
Bao nodded in agreement. "That makes sense."
Then Bral turned to Amukelo with a grin. "And you, rookie, finally get to join the training facility."
Amukelo's eyes lit up. "Finally!" His fingers tightened around his coin pouch. "I can't wait to get some proper training. I can't even remember the last time I sparred with someone seriously."
Bral clapped his hands together. "That's the spirit," he said, grinning at Amukelo. "Now, I think me and Idin will be training as well. No point in slacking off just because we got some coin in our pockets."
Idin nodded, rolling his shoulders as if already preparing for the strain ahead. "Yeah, after that goblin mess, I'd rather make sure I'm not losing my edge. We should be stronger before our next quest. No point in pushing our luck."
Bral turned to the girls. "What about you two? What's the plan?"
Bao crossed her arms, her brows furrowed slightly. "I might join you," she admitted. "That last fight with the goblins was frustrating. I can handle myself in combat, but I don't like the idea of being forced to rely on distance all the time. If something gets too close, I want to be able to handle it without feeling like I have to run." There was a hint of frustration in her tone.
Bral nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "I don't know if they've got proper training for archers, but we can check. Even if they don't, we can work on your close combat skills. A well-rounded fighter is always better."
Then, he turned to Pao with a teasing grin. "And you—let me guess—more magic studies?"
Normally, Pao would have responded with enthusiasm, already launching into an excited rant about whatever new spells she wanted to learn. But this time, she was quiet, her eyes distant as she seemed lost in thought.
"Hello?" Bral waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Pao?"
Pao blinked, snapping back to reality. "Huh? Oh… yeah." She forced a small smile. "I'll be studying magic. I think I might buy a new grimoire or something."
Bral frowned, immediately sensing something off. "You sure? You seem… distracted."
Pao looked away, her hands gripping the hem of her robes tightly. "It's nothing."
Bral studied her for a moment, his usual playful demeanor fading. "Pao…"
But before he could push further, Bao shot him a sharp look.
Bral exhaled, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. If you say so.
Pao barely acknowledged him before turning to leave. "I'll see you all later," she said quickly. Bao followed, glancing over her shoulder once before the two disappeared into the crowded streets.
Amukelo watched them go, his brows knitted together in concern. He didn't know what was wrong, but something clearly was.
Bral stretched, clearly pushing aside his own concerns as he looked at the rest of them. "Well, we're free for the rest of the day. Let's eat before heading back."
They found a small street vendor selling roasted meat and bread, grabbing something quick before heading to the inn. The atmosphere was lighter than it had been earlier. But in the back of Amukelo's mind, there was still a nagging feeling that wouldn't go away.
By the time they reached their room, the fatigue had caught up with them. Bral collapsed onto his bed with a satisfied sigh. Idin sat at the edge of his bed, rubbing his temples from exhaustion.
Amukelo, however, wasn't quite ready to rest. He sat on his bed, staring at the floor in thought. Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh and asked, "What do you think is going on with Pao?"
Bral groaned, rolling onto his side. "Ugh, who knows? Women are weird. If they just told us, we could help. But no, they always gotta keep things to themselves."
Idin leaned back, arms crossed as he considered it. "They must have their reasons," he said simply. "If they're not telling us, they probably don't want our help. Either they'll figure it out on their own, or they'll tell us when they're ready."
Amukelo frowned. "I just hope it's nothing serious. She looked… different. Like she was thinking about something really heavy."
Bral waved a hand dismissively. "It's probably nothing. Maybe she just realized she doesn't have enough coin for that fancy grimoire she wants."
Amukelo wasn't convinced. He had seen Pao obsess over magic, sure, but this felt like something else entirely. Something personal.
Still, there was nothing he could do about it if she wouldn't tell them. With a sigh, he leaned back against the wall, his eyes drifting to the small window of their room.