(Attendances… plz…)
….
Three Weeks Later:-
The trio never would have guessed that the Oakhaven incident would earn them next to nothing.
They had secretly hoped the guild would believe their embellished report, that they'd jumped up a rank and become a famous A-rank party overnight.
On the contrary, the official conclusion was that the demon had likely already left by the time they arrived.
The destroyed buildings and the crater outside the village were dismissed as collateral damage from a fight that had nothing to do with them.
So, their situation remained the same. And since they hadn't actually done the fighting, they didn't argue.
But in the weeks that followed, something did change. They started taking more subjugation quests, and they completed every single one. Not just completed, they dominated them.
They'd leave in the morning and be back by evening, with no major injuries and their mission accomplished.
It was as if their travel time was the only time they needed; the monster fights were over in an instant.
Their reputation in the guild began to grow. They were no longer the bumbling "trio of idiots." They were becoming known as a reliable, surprisingly effective B-rank party.
But all of that was just background noise compared to the massive rumor that was currently sweeping through every adventurer's guild in the region: Veldora the Storm Dragon had vanished.
…
Reinhard and the trio were gathered around a table at their usual inn, celebrating another successful quest.
"Man," Kaval said, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied grin. "We're just clearing out quests like they're nothing. If we keep going like this, we'll be an A-rank party in no time."
"And you know exactly what that means, right?" Gido added, a wide smile on his face.
"Ehehehe," Ellen giggled, rubbing her hands together. "I smell more money!"
Reinhard watched them, a small, genuine laugh escaping him. "Haha, you guys sure are happy."
"Reinhard, I'm not going to sugarcoat it," Ellen said, turning to him. "Before you joined, we were like magnets for bad luck. We'd fall into traps, run into monsters that shouldn't have been in the area, all kinds of things. I think you might be our lucky charm."
"Yeah," Gido agreed, taking a large bite of roasted meat. "And now we can eat our fill and sleep in a real bed every night."
"Don't remind me of those bad old days, Gido," Kaval grumbled.
"Hahaha, if things just keep going like this, we can live a pretty leisurely life," Ellen said dreamily.
"And I think we might be jumping up to A-rank tomorrow," Gido said, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
Kaval looked confused for a second, then remembered. "Oh, yeah! The guild master." He puffed out his chest. "Hahaha, yeah. I think that old geezer is finally starting to understand our importance."
Reinhard just listened to their excited chatter, surprised by how much they opened up now. It seemed their party had been something of a running joke in the guild before he arrived.
"So, have you heard about the Veldora disappearance?" Kaval asked, leaning forward. "Because I've been hearing, "
"I don't know, man," Gido interrupted. "Maybe he just died or something."
"You wish," Kaval scoffed. "Not even a True Hero could defeat him, that's why she had to imprison him. I get chills just thinking about dragons and Demon Lords. I don't know what heroes are made of."
"Yeah, they're pretty scary," Ellen said with a shiver. "Hope we never get in their way." She then turned her attention to Reinhard. "Thinking about that… Reinhard, I hope you don't mind me asking some questions about your world?"
"Not at all," he replied. "You can ask if you want."
"Really?" Gido asked, surprised.
"Why not?" Reinhard said. "Wait, don't tell me I give you the impression that I would get upset if you asked me questions? Is that it?"
"Well, that's the thing," Kaval said, trying to find the right words. "You don't really give off any impression. From your face and how you talk… you still seem like you couldn't hurt a fly. But seeing you fight in that town… I swear, I've never seen anything like it. It's a good thing that wasn't a high-ranking demon, like an Archdemon or something."
Reinhard remembered that the demon had, in fact, called itself an Archdemon, and its master was even stronger. But he didn't correct them. They were both… surprisingly weak, from his perspective.
"So, are there Demon Lords in your world?" Ellen asked curiously.
"Hmm. Demon Lords, no."
"Really? So there are no demons at all? Wow, it must be a beautiful world."
"Beautiful… I agree," Reinhard said, a flicker of something sad in his eyes. "But while there are no Demon Lords, there are still threats, both big and small."
"Like what?" Gido asked.
"Hmm. The Witch Cult."
"A cult?" Kaval asked. "Like a demon-worshipping cult?"
"Yes, you could say that," Reinhard explained. "They worship the witches who almost destroyed my world. They are a threat on a national level in every country."
"So they're like the Demon Lords of your world," Ellen concluded.
"Yes, you could say that. But they are extremely hard to find. No one knows where they live."
"So what about your parents?" Ellen asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "They must be so proud of you, being a knight and a Sword Saint."
The question hit Reinhard like a physical blow. His parents… yes, they had been proud of him. Once. Before he became the Sword Saint. After that, his life had fallen apart.
"Ellen!" Kaval hissed, kicking her under the table.
Ellen's face went pale as she realized what she'd said. "Ah! I'm sorry, Reinhard! It just slipped out of my mouth!"
"Don't worry," Reinhard said, his voice quiet but steady. "You don't have to be so agitated. To answer your question… I would just say that things aren't really great on that front."
"Yeah… sorry to hear that," Gido muttered awkwardly.
The cheerful atmosphere at the table instantly became heavy and uncomfortable. Ellen was on the receiving end of intense glares from both Kaval and Gido.
Kaval cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "Well, we've been sitting here long enough. Let's just go meet the guild master and get this over with."
"Yeah, let's go," Gido agreed quickly.
"Ye-ah," Ellen mumbled, still feeling guilty.
And with that, the four of them left the inn and made their way to the guild hall, walking toward a meeting that would change their lives far more than a simple rank promotion.
….
A/N: So i though about exploring more before the slime show ip but many would have thought i was stretching and all. So, i'm speeding up a little to get the plot start faster.
Hoped you liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
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