The sun rose lazily over the guild hall, spilling golden light onto a scene of absolute dysfunction: Kira was practicing her sword swings on a dummy shaped like a rival guild leader, Iris was rewinding breakfast mishaps, Lina was hovering over a scorched kettle muttering "I said low heat," and Jax was asleep in the rafters with a bottle balanced on his head.
MC, naturally, was striking dramatic poses on a stack of crates, clutching a wooden spoon like a microphone.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and future statues of me," he announced, "we have arrived! Fame, fortune, and fan letters that smell like perfume. Clearly, this is peak adventurer life."
A paper hit him square in the face. Kira had thrown it.
"That's the new mission order, dumbass."
"Oh?" MC peeled it off his forehead. "'High-Risk Reconnaissance: Unknown Disturbance in the Eastern Deadlands.' Ominous, mysterious, and vaguely underwhelming. Love it."
Luna glanced over from her corner, where she'd been scribbling sigils with increasing frustration. "This isn't just another monster nest," she muttered. "This area's been quiet for years — too quiet. Now suddenly the System flags it as high-priority?"
"That could mean anything," MC shrugged. "Maybe the monsters are just… louder now."
"No," Ciel said, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, eyeing the mission scroll. "This has Cult fingerprints all over it. Disinformation. Bait. A trap hidden in bureaucracy."
"Okay, edgy exposition knight, can we at least enjoy the fact we're getting high-level missions now?" MC grinned. "We're famous! The world notices us! We're like the celebrity adventurer team—"
"The celebrity adventurer team that's being hunted," Lina cut in, fiery eyes narrowed. "You know that, right?"
"Yeah, but like… hunted admiringly," MC replied, beaming. "Like when fans hunt for autographs!"
Iris rolled her eyes. "You're joking through this like we're not inches from something big and dangerous."
"I joke because we're inches from danger," MC said with a shrug. "Plus, I've got all of you. I'm safe-ish!"
The tension in the room didn't match his grin. Everyone else shared quiet glances. There was a weight in the air — one even laughter couldn't lift. The mission was different. He could feel that now, even if he wouldn't say it.
That night, as the team packed for the trip, Luna stared out the window, watching dark clouds gather on the horizon.
She whispered, "The Cult's veil is thinning. And soon… he won't be able to laugh it away."
END OF CHAPTER 75