The Adventurer Guild’s Pars branch. It was over 30 years ago that the former Guild Master, Rio, became an Apostle of God. He barely remembers why he became an apostle now.
At the age of twenty, Rio’s party, who had achieved excellent results in their adventurer careers, was beginning to gain some fame on the Eastern Continent. Having been promoted to C-Rank Adventurer at this young age, and continuing to complete requests without any apparent danger, their performance was such that they were steadily building trust from those around them.
The party members came from various backgrounds and had different ages, appearing at first glance to be a disjointed group. However, those who knew them would invariably say that they were ideal adventurer companions who could trust each other. They were bound by such a strong bond. Starting with the experienced veteran mercenary leader, there was the mood maker who, though somewhat ditzy, always livened things up and was also a womanizer despite being a mage. The party’s sole female member, an archer, was popular as a gentle beauty, and the calculating, stoic swordsman with glasses, though unsociable, was seen through by those around him as someone who actually loved children and had a kind heart. Though each had their own distinct personality, they each possessed unique qualities that made them well-liked.
“Well, after this job is done, where should we go next?”
“We don’t have a fixed base. Our party just goes wherever our whims take us, like the fickle wind, right?”
“Speaking of which, who was it that got lost in the dungeon a few days ago? We had a hard time finding you, so please reflect on that for a change!”
“Oh my, oh my. Rio, you’re so strict.”
“Mist is just too kind. That’s why he’s so lazy!”
“R-Rio, you worry about me that much…! But sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’m happier just being worried about by Mist-chan normally.”
“Wha, no…!”
“Hahaha! Rio, your face is bright red.”
They were always lively. Although they sometimes teased each other, it was an outward expression of affection—if such words were used back then, Rio would have strongly denied them, but it was pretty much the same thing.
“Okay, okay! I want to go to Pars.”
“Pars? You mean Seijo Town Pars? I haven’t been there yet, but I hear the monsters there are weak, and the Guild only handles simple requests.”
“Hmm, I can’t shake the feeling of it being a bit of an anticlimax. If there are no requests for C-Rank or higher, we might be wasting our time.”
“It’s okay to have a journey like that every now and then. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go to Pars. It’s a place built as a symbol of peace after the Four Great Nations united, vowing not to repeat their mistakes! Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Ooh, Mist-chan says such nice things. Well, our party has about two members who don’t quite fit with those kinds of words. The leader has a stern face, and Rio has a scowl.”
“Honestly, that’s none of your business.”
“Yes, that’s right. And besides, it’s better than you, whose head is in the clouds all year round.”
“Moo, you guys are fighting again…”
Then, after completing their request, they headed to Pars and arrived safely. More accurately, their arrival was uneventful, as Pars was as peaceful as the rumors suggested. The monsters that appeared were weak, and requests for C-Rank or higher were very rare. From a work perspective, it might have been a bit too easy for them, who had been diligently completing requests even after becoming C-Rank Adventurers.
“Honestly, staying in Pars like this is a waste. We can’t complete the requests needed for promotion, so I recommend we move to another country soon.”
“Now, now, Rio, you’re always so impatient. You need to know when to buckle down and when to relax and enjoy yourself, or you’ll miss out on life!”
“Hah, Mist-chan told you so. Rio, your glasses are useless.”
“What do you mean…? Well, I understand that much in my head. However, to aim for greater heights, we need to put in even more effort!”
“Everyone, that’s enough. I understand that both of your arguments have merit, right? Let’s compromise. We’ll operate in Pars for a few more days, and decide on our next destination during that time. How about that?”
“No objections!”
“Honestly, you’re always so agreeable…”
Rio had a specific reason for not wanting to take on requests that didn’t match their abilities. Rio’s party was excellent. However, Rio recognized that they still lacked the strength to be promoted to the world of B-Rank, A-Rank, and the highest class, S-Rank, which was beyond C-Rank. The biggest reason adventurers in this region hit a wall is the difference in the growth of their status and skill points. Rio and the others were talented, but by no means geniuses. That was precisely why they had to work harder than others. That was the philosophy they settled on.
“It’s fine if they laugh and say it’s impossible. My goal is to become an S-Rank Adventurer. Don’t forget that, okay?”
“Yeah, we won’t laugh.”
“Right.”
“At least, we won’t.”
The next day, heading to a monster subjugation request from the Adventurer Guild, Rio’s party found themselves in a desperate situation. They were heading to the B-Rank Dungeon, the “Dark Purple Forest,” which boasted the highest difficulty in the Pars territory. Their overconfidence, stemming from the impression that Pars dungeons were manageable, led them into crisis.
The Elderwood Treants, disguised as dead trees, were indistinguishable from the forest, the skull bees attacked those who trespassed on their territory in swarms, and the Blood Mushrooms scattered spores around them, possessing potent mias. Despite being poisoned and severely wounded, they barely managed to return to the vicinity of the dungeon entrance. If they encountered another group of monsters, anyone could have died.
“Sorry, it was my misjudgment to give the go-ahead.”
“That’s not true, Leader! It was me, I was the one who proposed this dungeon subjugation plan…!”
“Both of you, move your feet rather than your mouths! I won’t forgive it if anyone dies!”
“Whoa, now I have a reason not to die—”
The mage’s words, about to deliver his usual charming line, were suddenly cut short. As he was running at the very back, being a back-row class, everyone wondered what happened and looked back. However, the next sound came from the direction of the entrance, where they were heading, and he was nowhere to be seen behind them.
“Where is he?”
“Huh! He fell over there!”
Turning their gaze back to the direction of the sound, which was towards the dungeon entrance, they saw the mage collapsed. Unconscious, or perhaps not breathing, he showed no signs of movement.
“Why is he over there? Wasn’t he running behind us?”
“Rio, Mist! The cause is behind you! This is bad…!”
“Huh?”
At their leader’s voice, they looked back again and saw a tree of unbelievable size. Emitting an ominous groan, the countless roots it had lowered to the ground were moving towards them.
“Gugebaba Gobagga!”
“B-Boss monster!? Why is it so close to the entrance!?”
“He was probably blown away by this from behind. Dammit, we’re unlucky today.”
The boss monster of the Dark Purple Forest, the Wicked Old Treant. This was a reckless opponent for a party that struggled even with the normal monsters. Rio, the quickest-witted among them, instantly thought of the word “retreat.” Then, he calculated the probability of survival for each person.
“…Everyone, I’ll cover the rear. Carry him and go ahead!”
