Nobina headed down from the room with Sarah and Lare behind her. As soon as they all reached the main lobby, a cheer could be heard for Nobina.

Hearing that, she felt a wave of embarrassment, considering the fact that her being a main contributor wasn't finished settling in for her. Not only that, but Nobina could pick out the looks of people in a less celebratory mood than everyone else. She wasn't sure if it was due to her or the attack herself, but she couldn't help but worry. Before she could say anything, a familiar individual appeared from the crowd.

"Congratulations Nobina and everyone here," said Council Member Hally. "Despite not having Mimiki and Eric here to defend the town, thanks to everyone efforts, the town was able to push back a serious attack. It would behoove me to not credit you specifically Nobina. Your contributions to the defense, both in its preparation and execution, has saved countless of lives. We are forever in your debt."

She gave a bow, which everyone else followed. Even Lare and Sarah bowed as well, showing her respect.

Nobina wanted to discredit herself immediately, but she felt it would have been wrong. Everyone there knew of her contribution and wouldn't accept her selling herself short.

"Thank… thank you everyone," she managed to say, giving her own bow. "I… I might not be as strong as everyone here, but I wanted to do my best. Not for my sake, but for the sake of everyone."

With that, everyone stopped bowing and stood there, smiling and chatting. Even the faces earlier seemed to relax as the more festive mood swept over the group.

Seeing this, Lare put his hand on Nobina's shoulder.

"I'll give the news," he told Nobina.

Lare found an elevated platform and stood on it, calling everyone to attention. When all the eyes of the guild fell on him, and everything got silent, Lare spoke up.

"Everyone… I want to announcement… a special operation."

Suddenly, the mood seemed to fade into worry as many people began discussing what Lare would potentially say. Hally, who was chatting with another adventurer, saw this and approach Lare.

"What is this about Lare?" she asked, confused by his actions.

"We've concluded that the attack on the town was likely from the north-west goblin nest. This unfortunately means that in all likelihood, those who went to the nest failed to cull it."

Those words dug deep into everyone, as the implication was that they had lost all the C-rank adventurers and Mimiki. Many of them had a somber look on their faces, as it felt as if they were going to discuss their passing. However, everyone was surprised by Lare's words.

"There is a highly likely chance Mimiki and those who went there have died. However… We at the guild refuse to believe that she died so easily. Something must have happened to prevent her from culling the nest."

Chatting continued amongst everyone, with people trying to figure out if that was even possible.

"Are you saying she ran?" came a voice in the crowd.

"Are there way more goblins yet to come?" said another voice.

It felt as if the crowd was unraveling as people's worries and fears began to take over. Seeing this, Lare spoke again, hoping to deliver the plan.

"We cannot say what happened until we send a group to investigate the status of the nest and potentially rescue Mimiki and the other C-rank adventurers."

Those words sent the whole crowd into an uproar. Many of the voices were demanding to know if the guild was planning to send them all off to the north-west goblin nest to potentially die. There were also complaints about leaving the town undefended, asking if they were going to risk the town being in danger for the sake of a few adventurers.

Seeing this, Lare stepped off, inviting Nobina to take center stage. Nobina found herself frozen, unsure if she could even convince the crowd to listen to her plea. However, Sarah put her hand on Nobina's shoulder.

"Nobina… believe in yourself. Else… how can you expect anyone else to believe?"

Hearing that, Nobina slapped both her cheeks, drawing attention to her. She stepped onto the platform confidently, standing before the crowd.

"Everyone," said Nobina, causing silence to form. With everyone's attention, Nobina took a breath and spoke, looking outwards towards everyone.

"I do not expect everyone to go on such a risky mission," said Nobina. "The reality is… Mimiki and the others are likely dead. This might only end up being a mission to determine the status of the nest. However, I refuse to believe that they are dead."

Her words continued to keep people's gaze as they listened to what she had to say.

"I don't have the strength of Mimiki or Eric. However, I have the heart and determination of an adventurer. I'm willing to put my life on the line to continue to save those I care about. I might not expect everyone to do the same… but I ask for volunteers to join me in this investgation and rescue operation."

When she stepped down, she stood to the side, waiting to see if anyone would respond to her call. To her surprise, Hally stepped up and drew everyone's attention.

"Everyone… Before you make a decision, please remember the defense of the town is the foremost priority. Like Nobina said, this mission is risky. While I understand the value of investigating the nest, sending off too many people could put the town in danger. Not only that, but you'll be dealing with the goblin nest directly. I won't go so far as to say it's a suicide mission, but please bear in mind that if you feel that your presence in town is more important to protecting everyone, stay."

She stepped down, approaching Nobina, Sarah, and Lare.

Sarah, looking furious, wanted to say something, but Lare stopped her, shaking her head.

Hally approached Nobina, looking apologetic about what she had just done.

"I'm sorry Nobina," said Hally. "I did not mean to step over your speech, but the reality is that we cannot afford to send too many adventurers on your… mission. Deep down, I feel you are doing this more to rescue them rather than scout the nest. I don't know what tools you have to assist you, but I cannot in good faith take away from the towns defense. In actually, I really don't want you to leave either. I hope you understand."

Nobina nodded.

"That's alright Hally… I know that this mission is risky. That… anyone who joins me could potentially die and it'd be my fault if they did. However… Mimiki is my dear friend. I would never abandon her if there's a chance to save her."

Saying that, her Gaze bag glowed once more. Like before, something came out immediately, suddenly drawing everyone's attention.

"What is that," said someone.

"That's clearly a dog," another replied.

"Never seen a dog like that though."

Nobina and everyone gave a good long stare at the dog before them. It looked extremely happy, wagging it's tail as it enjoyed the attention of everyone there. It's white and fawn fur look silky smooth as it began walking around, eventually ending up in front of Nobina.

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"Bark," went the corgi, its happiness now starting to get to Nobina.

"It's so… cute," smiled Nobina.

Picking it up, the dog gave Nobina a lick, causing her to momentarily forget what was happening.

"So… why did you get a dog?" asked Hally.

"No idea," she smiled. "I'll have to leave this little guy when I go on this mission, but he'll keep Pausers company once all is said and done."

With that, she put down the corgi for now. She knew she'd have to come up with a name for it later, but that was the least of her concerns. Nobina also noticed another item in her Gaze bag. Looking into it, she noticed a megaphone. Immediately, she thought it’d be useful in the search for Mimiki, though using it could draw unwanted attention. She left it in the Gaze bag for now, since once she took it out it’d take space in her Special Bag.

Nobina turned to Hally, continuing the conversation.

"Any way's… I'll avoid getting too many adventurers to join me. In all honestly, this is more like a dangerous scout mission than a rescue one. A too large of a party might draw too much attention from the goblins that are still alive out there. Hopefully that's acceptable."

Hally gave a nod.

"As usual, such a matter is the guilds jurisdiction at the end of the day. I leave this up to your discretion. I've said my peace."

With that, Hally left, leaving Nobina with Sarah and Lare. Before saying anything, the corgi approached Sarah, who promptly picked it up and began petting it.

"Say Nobina," said Sarah. "I can watch your dog while it's gone. Is that fine?"

She nodded, prompting a tiny cheer from Sarah.

With that, the three began waiting to see who would volunteer.

Time seemed to slowly tick as no one stepped forward. Nobina wasn't surprised, considering Hally's speech basically killed any drive to join her. Of course, Nobina didn't expect a raid-size group to join her, but the lack of anyone approaching was getting to her.

It gave her time to think whether or not what she was doing was a good idea. She was risking her life for Mimiki, despite knowing that Mimiki and Eric would call her foolish for taking such an unnecessary risk. It would have been better to wait for one of the other raids to return before acting. At the very least it would leave the town properly defended. However, that would significantly reduce the odds that Mimiki and the others were still alive.

As she pondered, a familiar face appeared.

"Nobina," called Merrick, appearing before her.

Nobina could see Merrick was fully geared, ready to move out at a moment's notice. Reaching Nobina, he gave a salute.

"I'm honored to be the first volunteer. I might be a beginner, but I'd do anything to assist you Nobina. I also trust you to protect us completely."

"Merrick," she smiled. Nobina wanted to tell him that it was dangerous, and she didn't want him to risk his life. However, she wouldn't stop someone who truly wanted to rescue Mimiki or assist her.

"Thank you… It means so much. Honestly."

With that, Merrick stood by, waiting for the rest of the party to form.

Next on the list were two new faces. It was a female and male adventurer. One had a bow, and the other seemed to have two daggers.

"We would like to join," said the male dagger wielder. "My name is Hepter. My Path is the Path of Speed and I believe I'm more suited to assist you than stay for the town defense."

"My name is Gavi," said the female archer. "I have the Path of the Archer. While my skills would be good for the town defense, Hepter is one of my fellow party members and I refuse to let him go alone. Plus, my presence should help us keep safe and ideally we all make it home safe and sound."

Nobina nodded, shaking both of their hands. She felt both of their grips, remembering how strong C-rank adventurers were.

"I'm glad to have you two join us," said Nobina.

The two joined Merrick and began chatting with him as they waited for additional adventurers.

To her surprise, Macy appeared before her, also ready to go.

"Hopefully you don't mind," said Macy. "I'd be devastated if I let you go on such a dangerous mission. I… considering you a friend Nobina."

"I'm glad you do," smiled Nobina.

Once Macy joined the three, Nobina began thinking about how many more members they'd need. From her memory, dangerous scout missions were often limited to six people. The larger the party, the slower it moved and the more attention it drew. Speed and stealth were critical when time was of the essence. Plus, they didn't want to get engaged in a serious battle.

"One more should do," told Nobina to herself.

She turned to the front, waiting to see if anyone else would join them. Eventually, one more new face approached. This time, it was a person who held a book in one hand with a symbol of a figure she didn't recognized.

"Hello there," said the man, a bit shy.

"Uh… hello," Nobina replied, caught off guard by his attitude. "Are you here to volunteer?"

He gave a nod.

"I have… the Path of the Healer. Unfortunately, I've used up my healing spells for the month, so I can only come and provide basic first aid. I do have healing potions though, so… I was thinking I'd come to assist in case we find anyone with serious injuries."

Nobina was ecstatic to have someone skilled in healing with her, but suddenly she felt guilty about taking a healer away from the town. They were going on a risky mission and if she had gotten a healer killed, she would have felt horrible. Though, she felt like that for everyone who was risking her life to help her.

"I… I don't know if it's a good idea," she replied, sad she had to give such a response.

"Oh… Can you tell me why?" he asked, looking sad himself. "I… I know abilities are everything, but…"

Nobina, realizing he might have taken it the wrong way, waved her hand immediately.

"Oh no no no… That's not the reason… See, I truly care about Mimiki and doing everything possible to potentially save her, but if you leave the town and get hurt or worse… I'd feel like I betrayed my duty to protect the town."

A chuckle came from behind Nobina, causing the two to turn behind them.

"A bit too late to say that," said Hepter, overhearing the conversation. "All of us going on this mission does put the town in more danger, but at the same time we aren't people who solely think about the greater good."

"He's right," said Gavi. "If we made every decision based on what helped the most people, then we would all be people willing to give up our loved ones if it meant saving more lives. However, that's not what makes us human. It's our willingness to take risks in the hopes it all pays off that that makes us human. After all, who wants to live in a world where you are doomed to die because its too risky or because your death saves more lives?"

She then went ahead and pat Hepter on the back.

"I wouldn't abandon this reckless fool like that," she laughed.

Hearing Gavi's words, Nobina nodded. She knew that both of them were right. While saving as many lives as possible was a good thing, it didn't mean you should abandon the few because it put the many at risk. People would give everything to save someone important to them, which was how she felt about Mimiki. She was someone important that she wanted to save no matter what. Perhaps she would have been doing more good keeping herself safe, but she wasn't the type of person to abandon her friends. Especially if there was a chance to save them.

"You're right," said Nobina. "Sorry…"

"Max," said the healer, speaking up. "I'd do my best so you don't regret this decision."

"Max… Welcome to the party. I'm glad you're joining us."

With that, the party was assembled. Nobina turned to the five of them, asking if there was any concerns with the party.

"I would say something about the F rank joining us, but I could tell he would refuse to listen," said Gavi, nodding his head. "Other than that, this should be good enough for a dangerous scout mission."

"Wonder what the pay will be," laughed Hepter, drawing two elbows from both Gavi and Macy.

"Don't worry about this fool," sighed Gavi. "We don't expect payment."

"Regardless, I'll make it up to all of you," said Nobina. "It's the least I can do."

Once they were done talking, they approached Lare, who gave a nod.

"Head to my office and we can discuss the plan. I want to make sure we plan this very carefully to minimize risk and maximize the odds we can save them," spoke Lare with a serious tone.

Once they were all in the office, they began planning out the operation. The main concern was goblin camps, which were encampments of goblins often set up along the Goblin Invasion path. They formed as ways to keep the army supplied as it proceeded to whatever its target would be. In this case, the target was the town.

"We need to be careful to avoid these camps as much as possible. However, ideally we at least scout it a bit to get a sense of the remaining danger. If the nearest camp has a significant force, then I'm asking you return immediately and warn us. I know this mission is about rescuing Mimiki, but…"

"I know," said Nobina. "I desperately want to save Mimiki, but she'd never forgive me if I put her over the town… even if that's what I'm doing right now."

"It is different though," said Merrick. "If there's a guaranteed danger against the town, prioritizing it makes sense. Else, we proceed as if the town is safe."

Nobina gave a nod. With that, they returned to the planning.

Besides goblin camps, the other concerns were goblin patrols protecting these camps. Often, these patrols weren't a major issue but if they had goblin riders, then being caught could mean being swarmed by a large force fast. If they could avoid being seen by the patrols and camps, they'd be in a good position to scout the three entrances of the north-west goblin nest to see the status of the other parties.

"In the worst case, you'd likely see the entrances have the remains of everyone," said Lare. "I'm not saying it's a good thing, but if you can confirm the parties are dead, return immediately. I do not want you six going into the nest under any circumstances. You C-ranks should know how dangerous the nests can be outside of a goblin invasion. During one, it could mean assured death if you venture inside."

All of them gave a nod.

"With that, note down the following route. It's the same route they were ordered to travel. As this nest is the shortest to us, so you should reach the entrance to it in a day and a half. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their head.

With that, they began studying the maps and routes. As they did, Nobina held her Gaze bag tight. She hoped to god that those watching over her would be with her in her time of need. She didn't want to depend on it, but she was still trying to get strong enough on her own. Until then, she wanted to believe fate was on their side for the mission at hand.