Turned out Jesse wasn't handling the mission alone, probably because it was an A-rank mission. To his mild surprise, five second-year students—or cadets, as they were formally addressed—had been assigned to back him up.
"It's the end of the year's session. After this mission, I can finally go home."
"We're dealing with a small gang this time," one of the second-year cadets yawned lazily, his tone making it clear he didn't take the mission seriously. He had probably dealt with far more dangerous missions.
The other cadets didn't seem particularly excited either. One of them finally acknowledged Jesse's presence, looking over at him with mild curiosity. "Hey, you're the number one ranker in the first-year section?" he asked, as if he just realized who Jesse was.
Before Jesse could respond, a burlier cadet scoffed from the corner. "How'd you manage that? Or maybe this year's set is just full of weaklings."
