Vyn couldn't help feeling a twinge of suspicion. The fact that these two were the people seated beside him in the adventurer's association earlier, and now, among the numerous people present here, they were the ones to approach him, was cause for concern.
It was as if they had actually been following him, keeping an eye on his every move.
After giving it some logical thought, Vyn quickly ruled out the possibility. The fact that they were heading over from the dungeon gate meant they had actually come here before him. This realization made him think he was being overly cautious. There was no way they could have been following him; it was just a coincidence.
Easing his expression a bit, Vyn replied, "I'm Vyn. Nice to meet you too."
"Oh, what a unique name you have, haha. I haven't heard such a name before. It isn't common here. Are you perhaps from another continent?"
Rohan asked with excitement, his eyes lighting up with curiosity, while Kaelyn stared at Vyn with eyes full of interest, her gaze steady and assessing.
Vyn shrugged. This wasn't the first time he had been asked such a question. In fact, it was really common. Ever since he came to Ravencrest, he had been surprised by how everyone reacted to his name. They always looked at him strangely and with curiosity. Some even went ahead and asked if he was a foreigner.
It turned out that his name wasn't quite common here, considering he had come from the southern continent, which was another continent entirely. That was the reason for their curiosity, which was quite justified.
"Who knows what my parents were thinking? Perhaps they thought the name was cool and gave it to me," Vyn answered with a wry smile, trying to shift the discussion away from his origins.
He couldn't afford to reveal that he came from the southern continent and risk exposure of his identity.
His family was very powerful and well-known in the southern continent. Their fame and authority could not be understated or described with mere words. The power they wielded was no joke, and their enemies were no mere jokes either.
The southern continent was vast, with many powerful families, and his family was one of them. Most of these powerful families were bitter rivals and enemies.
Among the powerful families, the Aethelreds, his own family, bore a distinctive feature. They had milky white hair that reflected the moonlight. It wasn't hard to spot them or guess their identity because of this distinctive feature. Vyn didn't want to take any risks revealing his identity to these two people who might actually be spies.
He didn't want to bear the wrath of the enemies of his family that had abandoned him a long time ago.
"Hahaha, parents can be really something at times. Regardless of that, I find your name actually nice. It's very distinctive; at least it won't leave my memory easily," Johan replied to Vyn's words in a hilarious manner.
His jovial personality was evident, while Kaelyn, who seemed to be the rather quiet type, covered her lips with her palm as she gave a series of feminine laughs.
Not to be left out, Vyn forced his own laugh expertly which sounded rather dry and akward.
The chemistry between them seemed to be positive. Vyn was quite impressed by this. It was a pleasant surprise, especially since he had a history of starting off on the wrong foot with people ever since he arrived in Ravencrest.
For reasons he found strange, his interactions often began with misunderstandings or conflicts.
"I suppose you're heading to this dungeon, right? Do you have a party yet?" Rohan asked after a short while.
"Yes, I am heading there, and no, I haven't gotten a party," Vyn replied swiftly.
"Oh, that's perfect. We were actually looking for party members. Would you be interested in teaming up with us?"
Vyn paused for a moment, thinking carefully. He didn't answer immediately. It seemed he had been right; this was indeed the reason Rohan had approached him in the first place.
Not that it was something bad. Vyn himself would have also been forced to approach other people if no one else had. But the fact that they were siblings and complete strangers made him a bit cautious.
As he thought about it, he noticed that these two acted indeed like siblings, and they appeared to be about the same age. However, there was no real physical resemblance between them. Rohan had green-colored hair, and his appearance was as cheerful as his voice. On the other hand, Kaelyn had dark-colored hair, and Vyn had to admit, although he wasn't one to be swayed by beauty, she had quite an otherworldly appearance.
There was a hint of innocence to her that reminded him of Melissa. But Vyn knew better than to judge people by their looks. It was a mistake he wouldn't make.
Seeing Vyn's silence and scrutinizing look, Rohan spoke up, trying to ease the tension.
"I understand the need to be cautious, considering we're strangers. I respect your decision if you're not quite comfortable with teaming up with us…"
"No, I didn't say I wouldn't. Let's team up." Vyn's words cut him off.
"Great!" Rohan exclaimed excitedly. He grabbed Vyn's shoulders and shook them enthusiastically, his joy evident.
"It's nice teaming up with you, Brother Vyn. You see, not to brag, but I have a really good eye. Just from your appearance, I can already tell you are quite the skilled warrior. Brother Vyn, you must have a lot of experience clearing D-rank dungeons. Why don't you take the role of captain for this raid? My sister and I will be in your care."
He proposed this with a sincere and factual tone. Vyn was quite taken aback by this offer. When forming a party, most people would struggle for the role of captain because the captain had the authority to decide the formation and tactics of the team. Most importantly, the captain had the upper hand in the division of spoils.
It was really rare to see someone willing to give up the position of captain, especially when they initiated the formation of the team and had an advantage in numbers. Vyn was quite touched by this gesture. If he wasn't the cautious and experienced type, he might have let his guard down immediately and trusted them completely.
More importantly, what was this "brother" status about? Just by agreeing to form a party, he had suddenly become their brother? Vyn wasn't one to get intimate with strangers on their first encounter. He wanted to clarify their relationship right then and there, but he didn't want to come off as rude.
"Haha, I think you overestimate me too much. I'm actually just a novice. Even I had the impression that you both were very skilled rankers and intended to be in your care. Haha, does this mean we are all novices here?"
Vyn's expression turned from laughter to a bit serious and genuinely curious. He seemed to be playing his cards very carefully.
"Oh, Brother Vyn, are you a novice? I must have been wrong, I'm sorry for that. You don't have to worry. My sister and I have some experience clearing D-rank dungeons, so there's not much to worry about. You will be in our care."
"That's a relief."
Vyn sighed and eased his expression. The image of a novice he projected had been etched properly. He was now the perfect scapegoat candidate for this dungeon raid.
"I don't think the three of us will be enough for a proper team. In order to ease the burden and reduce the risk, let's find one more person to add to the team," Rohan suggested.
"Oh, really? I have no objection to that if that's what you think."
Vyn voiced his agreement without any objection.