Two weeks before the attack, in a certain office, a conversation was taking place.

A hunk of muscle stared straight at me with a cold glare, large shoulders, and an unkempt beard. Overall, this man was very, very intense. Tiny beads of sweat poured from my entire body, my hands shook slightly, and my head was staring at the floor as if it had just spoken. At the far end of the office, my party members weren't spared from this man's presence either. Over my countless years of adventuring, I'd faced many monsters, but none have made me feel as helpless as him. At first, when I read the letter, I was utterly baffled. I assumed it was just another one of those lame pranks set up by my party members. I mean, how could I believe that a figure as prominent as the mayor of White Shore City had summoned me for a mission.

Sure, when I was younger, I was a part of the city's guard and got to see him a few times, but I'd never actually spoken or interacted with him. All the rumors I'd heard about him were proving to be true. "Raise your head and look me in the eye." The mayor of White Shore City uttered in a booming voice. I instantly obeyed his commands. F**k, I'd forgotten about this. When I was still in the guard, I remember my patrol partner had mentioned that his uncle had spoken to the mayor once. For the next few days after that, he kept on repeating this one sentence. 'You wanna know what my uncle said, wanna know, huh? Don't worry, I'll tell you anyway. He said that the mayor was a weird person, always wanting my uncle to stare at him in the eyes. He, he, hehe. He also said...'

After that, he just kept on rambling on and on about things that should never, ever see the light of day in his usual fast-paced tone. Shudders passed down my spine as I reminisced about him. My mind gradually returned to the matter at hand as I remembered where I was at the moment. "In two days, you'll head towards the east and into one of the dwarven city's. Don't bother packing. We'll supply the equipment and rations required for this mission. In return, your team must assure this operation is carried out with absolute secrecy and completed with the highest degree of perfection. The payment is two-thousand Riel. Do you believe yourself to be capable of this or, must I find another unit." Demanded Mayor Diggory, with an exasperated tone at the last part of his sentence.

T- two thousand Riel! If I had water in my mouth, it would've most definitely made its way onto the floor by now. It was no small amount, even if I have to split it between the five of us. 'Might even last us till next year. Elaine would have enough to cook us delicious food every day, or we could even buy a moderately sized house. "Your worship, I sincerely believe that my Stellar Circle team, as well as myself, are capable of carrying out any task you wish to impart upon us. With the honor of a C-2 ranked adventurer, I, William Murkitt, pledge to this mission...even if it ends in my death. Your generosity truly marvels me once again. You are a man of the highest caliber!" Not wanting to miss out on this golden opportunity, my answer came quickly and carried a hint of decisiveness. Being one to fantasize about meeting an individual of the ruling class, I've practiced this bow and mannerism of speech countless times.

Everyone in my party held their breath, including myself. The mayor nodded. Reserved sighs echoed throughout the room. Soon after, we left the mayor's office with haste, but not before discussing arrangements to return the following day. A day passed, and the party of three D-4, one C-1, and another C-2 ranked adventurer returned to the mayors' office once again. In the middle of this office, a round marble table was placed. Atop its large surface sat a set of maps positioned in a way that made it quite visible. One seemed to be of the dwarven kingdom, while the other was simply a continental map. Unlike the last time this merry band of freelance fighters was here, there were way more people inside the mayor's office. For the next couple of hours, plans were premeditated, introductions flew around the room, and tasks were handed out to each person.

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Even though adventurers were infamous for their loud voices, drunkard lifestyles, and overall wild personalities, they were still professionals when it came to their line of work. In summary, the entire five-hour discussion boiled down to;

'Tomorrow, you'll head towards the east, through the rocky mountains, evergreen forests, and into the dwarven homeland of Orpha. Your objective lies in Alaxa city, towards the outskirts. Our information network has reported that an extremely rare monster, called the Red-haired Snee, has appeared. Since it's on the outskirts of Alaxa city, we have reason to believe that the dwarven authorities are still unaware. The objective of this mission is to eliminate it and return the jewel hidden atop its forehead. It is capable of producing valuable items when utilized correctly. Two other teams will follow behind you to aid in covering up your tracks, providing backup if needed, and ensuring that no ruckus is caused. Also, three other people will be joining your party to support the takedown of the monster. They are all B-1 ranked adventurers. Thus, you do not need to worry.' Soon after, the Stellar Circle left the mayor's office that was unconventionally sprawled with an unending torrent of documents.

The following day, the Stellar Circle team had said their goodbyes, packed their bags, sharpened their swords, and left for Alaxa city. They traveled light, with a backpack for each person and light armor on their backs. At first, it was weird with the three strangers traveling with them, but eventually, they just went along with it. As an adventurer, one must always be able to adapt, after all. Throughout the journey, they learned the names of their fellow companions. The leader of the three was a slightly tanned, six-foot-tall, sword-wielding warrior. On his right shoulder, there was a deep gash, and his face was riddled with minor cuts. During the entire excursion so far, he hadn't uttered a word. It was as if he was mute. He just stood there and stared at things. Everyone in their party was creeped out by him, especially the girls. He didn't have a name, everyone just came to know him as SilverOx through the conversations of the other two people in his party.

To the partys' great relief, the other two were way more normal, at least, as ordinary as a battle-ridden adventurer could be. When it was time for dinner, instead of staring at the campfire like the crazy lunatic SilverOx, they instead pitched in to help by either quickly hunting some wild animals or retrieving part of their provisions to share with the others. The party came to know that they were siblings named Gob and Tog. Gob was an enthralling, stone-faced female archer. She rarely spoke, but when she did, it was with confidence and decisiveness. She seemed like a 'get to the point' type of person.

In retrospect, Tog was the complete opposite of Gob. His lips were parted from ear to ear at all times, his face was average, and he was continually laughing at even the smallest of jokes. It even appeared as if his sister had stolen all the beauty genes. Tog was also a high-level terra mage. Although odd, Tog was the one that always raised the morale, even in dreary forests or unsanitary marshlands. Even the slippery slopes of the rocky mountains became a little more bearable because of him.

The peculiar group of three D-4, one C-1, one C-2, and three B-1 ranked adventurers finally arrived at Alaxa City after two weeks of constant travel while being flanked by two other four people groups. There objective, a red-haired Snee. However, they soon found something that was equally tempting...