Lina and Quellene. These were two unfamiliar names for Rynan, and he stared at both, curious and inspecting. Lina, the girl standing beside Tarnillya to the left, had short orange hair that seemed to glow strangely in the sunlight. Her eyes also had an orange hue, bright and lengthy, which made her even more beautiful despite her petite figure. She carried herself with a confidence that caught Rynan's attention.
Quellene, on the other hand, had long, black, silky hair like the void itself. Her eyes had long eyelashes that seemed almost unnatural, and despite her dark hair, her irises were a completely different color—blue. She was quite short, though a bit taller than Lina, with fewer curves than her companion. Her expression remained distant and unreadable.
―These two certainly do look strong, don't they? Rynan continued to stare at them, squinting his eyes as he tried to read their abilities. Something about their presence felt different from ordinary people.
Lina tilted her head, confused, thinking that there was something on her face. She wiped her cheeks with both hands, just on a whim. Her orange eyes blinked in confusion as she tried to understand why this stranger was staring at her so intently.
Quellene, who didn't even mind, didn't even care, just wandered her gaze off toward the distant forest behind her. She seemed completely uninterested in the whole situation. Her blue eyes reflected nothing but boredom as she waited for whatever was supposed to happen next.
"Is something wrong?" Lina asked, still tilting her head to the right. She was worried if Rynan was in his right state of mind, which was honestly debatable. Her voice carried genuine concern mixed with curiosity.
"Yeah, sorry. It's just that... you're pretty strong," Rynan replied, not knowing what to say. He just spoke out the first thing that went into his mind. His words came out awkward and uncertain.
"Oooooh?" Lina stepped closer to Rynan, leaning forward with a teasing smile on her face. To her, Rynan was just like a little brother, since she was an only child and had been fairly lonely since childhood. The opportunity to tease someone younger was too good to pass up.
"W-what?" Rynan looked away, turning his head to the right, his face bright red like a cherry. Even though Lina was sad that she couldn't see his blushing, embarrassed face directly, seeing his ears change color was already enough to make her smile. His reaction was exactly what she had hoped for.
"Just rely on me, lil bro!" she declared with obvious satisfaction. Her teasing tone made it clear she was enjoying this moment. The nickname rolled off her tongue naturally, as if she'd been waiting to use it.
"Lil bro!? I swear I'm much older than you!" Rynan protested, his voice cracking slightly. His embarrassment only made the situation more amusing to Lina. He couldn't believe someone was calling him little brother.
"I'm fourteen!" Lina announced proudly. Her age declaration came with a triumphant grin. She crossed her arms as if she'd just won some kind of argument.
"..." Rynan fell silent, realizing the implications. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. The truth hit him harder than any physical blow could have.
"HAHA! LIL BRO!" Lina burst out laughing at his stunned expression. Her laughter echoed through the area, bright and infectious. She pointed at him playfully, clearly delighted by his shock.
"I'M NOT YOUR LIL BRO!" Rynan shouted back, his voice filled with indignation. His face grew even redder, if that was possible. The protest only made Lina laugh harder.
In the distance, Tarnillya and Xhan were just watching, their doubts about Rynan instantly clearing away. He may be powerful, even more powerful than a B-rank Adventurer, but he was still a child. A child that didn't have much sense about the world around him.
"Just trust him, idiot," Tarnillya teased, side-eyeing Xhan. Her voice carried amusement at the scene unfolding before them. She had suspected this would happen from the moment they met Rynan.
"Alright, moron," Xhan replied with a slight smirk. He shook his head at the childish display. Despite everything, he was starting to understand that Rynan wasn't quite what he seemed.
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As everyone spent their final thirty minutes getting ready for the mission, they finally sat down on the soft grass. The afternoon sun made long shadows across their small camp. The air felt heavy with worry as they got ready for what was coming. Each person in the group checked their gear one last time.
Tarnillya stood in front of the whole party and cleared her throat, ready to give them orders. Her strong presence made everyone look at her right away. She looked at each of them with serious eyes, making sure they knew how important this was. Anyone could see that being the leader was hard work.
"Along with us five, there will be six other parties joining this mission too. Each party will have different jobs, based on how strong they are. For us, we'll be taking the final fight, which is pretty easy to understand. We'll have the most important job in this mission—to beat and kill our target."
Lina raised her hand right when Tarnillya finished talking. Her orange eyes lit up with interest and excitement. She bounced a little in her spot, unable to stay still. Her happy mood felt strange considering how serious their mission was.
"Lina?" Tarnillya looked at her with a nod. She knew the younger people in the group would ask questions. Her voice stayed patient even though they were in a hurry.
"So, who's the target?" Lina asked with excitement and a smile on her face. Her voice sounded almost like a child's, which seemed wrong for the situation. She leaned forward, waiting for the answer that would change everything.
"I'll tell you all using these memory orbs," Tarnillya said, turning around and walking to a tent on the left side. She picked up a box full of blue orbs that seemed to glow from inside. The orbs made soft sounds as they hit each other when she carried the box back. Their strange glow showed they held something much more than just simple information.
―Hm? What's that? Rynan thought, lifting his body a bit to see better. He had never seen anything like it before, maybe it was a secret item only given to people on dangerous missions. The blue glow made his eyes hurt a little as he tried to look at them.
"Everyone, line up," Tarnillya said with authority. Just like she told them, all four made a straight line, with Xhan first, then Quellene, then Lina, and Rynan last. The line was neat and orderly, showing they respected Tarnillya as their leader. Each person waited quietly for their turn to go to the strange box.
"Ooh!" When it was Lina's turn, she looked right at the box full of memory orbs, each one reflecting light like tiny stars. "What's this?" Her curiosity got the best of her as she reached toward the glowing balls. The light danced on her orange hair, making it seem to shine.
"This will help explain what we need to do in the mission," Tarnillya said patiently. Her voice showed she had used these magic items before. She watched carefully as each person picked their orb, making sure they held them right.
"Okay!" Lina said happily, picking her orb with careful hands. Even though she was excited, she was gentle with the magic item. Her smile stayed bright even as she started to understand how serious things were.
―Oh, they're really shiny. As Rynan walked up to the box and crouched down, that was the first thing he thought. The orbs seemed to call to him with their strange blue glow. He had never seen anything so pretty and weird at the same time.
Rynan grabbed one of the orbs and looked at it carefully, turning it around in his hands. For someone seeing this strange object for the first time, it made sense he would act this way. The surface felt smooth and warm, almost alive under his fingers. He could feel the magic energy inside, waiting to come out.
After they all went back to their spots, they sat down and waited for orders from Tarnillya. The orbs seemed to pulse gently in their hands, like they were responding to their touch. Everyone looked at their leader, ready to learn what secrets the orbs held. The air grew thick with waiting and magic energy.
"Put the orb on the grass, and send magic energy into the orb," Tarnillya told them clearly. Everyone put their hands on the orb, with it sitting on the ground in front of them. A bright blue glow appeared when they started to pour mana into the balls, getting brighter each second. After pouring enough mana into the orb, it disappeared completely, leaving only the knowledge it had held.
―THAT'S... THE FUCKING MASTERMIND. Xhan thought, as he made fists with his hands, looking down at the grass and closing his eyes tight. The memories from the orb hit him like a punch, bringing back painful thoughts. His whole body shook with anger and old wounds opened up again. The target they had to face was someone from his past, someone who had hurt him badly.
"Xhan, it's okay, you aren't alone in this," Rynan said, tapping Xhan's shoulder and giving him a smile and thumbs up. His voice was surprisingly gentle for someone so young. Even though he didn't fully understand what was happening, he could tell his friend was upset. The gesture was simple but full of real care and support.
"Hah... I guess so," Xhan laughed, though his voice still carried traces of his inner pain. Rynan's simple gesture had managed to break through his dark thoughts. He looked up at the younger man with something like gratitude. Sometimes the most unexpected people could give you the comfort you needed most.
"Well, LET'S GET READY! THE OTHER PARTIES HAVE GIVEN THE SIGNAL!" Tarnillya shouted, raising her fist high into the air. Everyone raised their fists, screaming and shouting, as Tarnillya made them feel better with her strong presence. The moment of doubt and fear passed as they came together under her leadership. Their voices echoed across the camp, carrying their determination and resolve.
―She really is right for the job as Head of the Royal Guards Guild. Rynan thought as he watched Tarnillya rally the group with practiced ease. Her natural charm and leadership skills were clear, even to someone as new as him. She had managed to turn a moment of despair into one of hope and determination. It was clear why she had gotten such an important position at her age.