The dust of the road clung to Roland's boots as he approached the small cottage, the scent of chamomile and something faintly metallic hanging heavy in the air. "Sebastian?" he called out, his voice roughened by days of travel. "We're from the Eldoria Guild. We're investigating goblin activity near the village. Heard you were the local expert on plants—especially the poisonous kind."

A man with short, dark hair and warm brown eyes opened the door. His face, though youthful, showed lines of worry around the eyes. He wore simple, earth-stained clothes and held a small mortar in his hands.

"Good morning," Sebastian replied, with a slight smile. "A pleasure. Though I fear my knowledge of poisonous plants won't be of much use against goblins. Wouldn't it be wiser to seek the aid of a cleric?" Goblins? What kind of trouble will they bring this time? he thought to himself.

The adventurer, a burly man in his fifties with receding gray hair and sun-weathered skin, let out a chuckle. Crinkles deepened around his brown eyes, which gleamed with a mix of wisdom and mischief. "Call me Roland, lad. 'Mr. Adventurer' is a bit much, don't you think?" He clapped Sebastian on the shoulder, a surprisingly firm grip for a man his age. "As for the cleric, I'm afraid our coffers are a bit light. The pay's just for the investigation, and bringing a healer along would be a luxury we can't afford. Besides, we're E-rank adventurers. Explorers, more than warriors."

Sebastian frowned slightly. E-rank explorers? That doesn't sound very promising. "I understand. I'm afraid I'll be a burden. I'm not exactly a fighter. My skills are limited to herbs and tasks that don't require much physical exertion."

"Nonsense," Roland retorted with a reassuring grin. "E-rank we may be, but we've seen our share of scrapes. This little trek, we've planned it from root to branch. Combat's not our forte, but I guarantee I'll bring you back without a scratch."

"In that case, I accept your proposition, Roland," Sebastian said, feeling slightly more at ease. "And the pay?"

"Seventeen Argentium coins. The Guild's giving us seventy-one for the mission. There are three of us, so seventeen are all yours. How does that sound?"

"A fair deal," Sebastian replied. "Where are the other members of your team? I'd like to meet them."

"Waiting for us at the village inn. Follow me. They might seem a bit rough around the edges, but they're good folk."

And so, Sebastian, with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, found himself following Roland towards an uncertain destiny, unaware that this encounter would change his life forever.