The team's configuration is quite comprehensive, with both frontline and backline roles filled. This shows that the team captain who assembled this group did not do so just for fun.
What feels a bit off to Ronald is the high ratio of attractive female members in the team.
Generally speaking, having one or two females is already hitting the jackpot, not even considering looks.
Under normal circumstances, the vast majority of teams have no female members at all. The adventurer life is not as glamorous as they boast about in taverns, with exposure to the elements, feast or famine being the norm. Very few women can persist in such a lifestyle, especially young and beautiful ones.
The presence of a mage in the team also exceeded Ronald's expectations.
Although many adventurers speak disdainfully of mid-to-low level apprentice mages, the importance of mages to a team cannot be compared to other classes of the same level.
Offensively, mid-to-low level mage apprentices indeed have limited means, but in terms of support and responding to emergencies, mage apprentices actually perform quite well. This is closely related to the training at the magic academies.
As it is well known, mages are acknowledged by all classes as the most difficult to level up.
To prevent any gifted apprentices from going astray early on, during the mid-to-low level apprentice stage, academy mentors focus mainly on imparting theoretical knowledge, rarely teaching spell models that are too complex for attack magic.
In the early stages, apprentices who want to learn attack magic have no choice but to comprehend it themselves or seek private tutelage from mages.
Of course, not everyone can do both well. For ordinary people trying to master both ends up mastering neither.
Only those with exceptionally outstanding talents can grasp one or two attack spells during the mid-to-low level apprentice stage. They are considered geniuses among mages.
Anderson, the mage in the team, looks like one such character.
He carries an air of bookish knowledge, as well as the arrogance peculiar to young prodigies.
From the slight lift of his chin when greeting Ronald, his unmatched confidence is evident.
Ronald has seen this archetype many times before. The so-called geniuses hailed as once-in-decades talents in the magic academies exhibited the same demeanor.
Such a character should not appear in an unknown small team like the Blazing Rose. He should be present at aristocratic banquets and the core seed training teams of major corps.
However, upon seeing Anderson fussing solicitously over the priestess Carlotta, Ronald understands why he's here.
...
Ronald's addition did not cause much ripple, and the team members soon forgot about the oddball hidden in the cloak at the back.
Ronald walked at the end of the team, and the dwarf shield-bearer in front of him was boasting about his wonderful experiences at the "Elven Home".
Ronald had heard about the Elven Home, as this establishment was recently attacked and thus was being talked about all over town.
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Dragon Castle and Monster Mountain intersected here, gathering most adventurers across the northern lands.
With more people, the entertainment industry within the city became very developed.
The "Elven Home" was one of the most representative establishments of Dragon Castle's entertainment industry.
Aside from all kinds of gambling operations, there were also various adrenaline-pumping performances. Basically as long as one was willing to spend money, one could obtain any service desired here, including taking away the exotic female dancers or dealers from the establishment.
Of course, just these were not enough for the "Elven Home" to stand out as an industry leader. What made it rise above the rest were the elf treasures of the store.
The Elven Home had three elves that performed year-round, and each of their performances garnered countless fans.
Every year, nobles would make the trip inland specifically to watch the trio's performances.
These nobles would always leave behind some amusing tales to be marveled at after watching the performances.
Right now the dwarf shield-bearer was boasting to Tommy about having been in close contact with the three elves before, and having seen their looks.
The semi-illiterate dwarf could not properly describe the elves' beauty, and could only repeatedly say white skin, tall figure, big breasts...
The young boy Tommy's cheeks were flushed red, a manifestation of yearning that was hard to control.
Just as the dwarf shield-bearer Hammerfist was boasting about taking the boy to see the big world, the mage Anderson walking in the middle of the team let out an undisguised scoff.
"With the little money in your purse, you can't even get through the doors of the Elven Home!"
Dwarves had explosive tempers, and Hammerfist could not take Anderson's taunts. He put down the pair of heavy hammers hanging on his shoulders, pointed at Anderson and said coldly: "You sissy, keep your human bullcrap. When I was chatting and laughing with the elves, you were still in some whore's belly not yet born!"
Hammerfist had unintentionally hit Anderson's sore spot, as his background had always been taboo. So Anderson's face also cooled rapidly as he silently took out his mage staff.
Seeing the two about to break out into a fight, the surrounding members quickly stepped forward to stop it. Under the gentle persuasion of Priestess Carlotta, the two exchanged a few harsh words before ending the farce.
The farce ended, and the boss Lady Lagren sidled up to Ronald and asked with interest: “Why do you look so disinterested? Aren't men supposed to be very interested in pointy ears?”
Ronald secretly rolled his eyes under his cloak.
He impatiently said: “How long have those three elf performers been around?”
The out-of-the-blue question left Boss Lagren somewhat confused. She raised her heroic eyebrows and thought carefully for a while before replying uncertainly: “I think over a hundred years now. I heard they were already here during the last monster uprising...”
“Captain, does your family have a kang bed-stove?” Ronald threw out another even more nonsensical question.
Lagren had already been talked in circles. She mechanically answered: “You mean the underfloor heating used for warmth?”
Arnold's world also had kang bed-stoves, though people in that other world called them underfloor heating.
Ronald: “It's about the same thing. If you still remember it, then you should know the area around the kang bed-stove opening is very dirty and black. Now try to picture in your mind putting a finger-thick twig into the pitch-black kang bed-stove opening.”
Lagren clearly didn't get the joke. She asked in confusion: “Why put such a thin branch? Shouldn't you use logs, so it burns warmer?”
The words that followed, Ronald actually felt somewhat embarrassed to say, as they were rather inappropriate... But not saying them left him feeling pent up. This feeling of frustration, of being steamrolled by someone obliviously, was truly too hurtful.
Ronald tried hard to keep his tone serious as he slowly continued: “What I mean is, after over a hundred years, they must have seen countless outstanding talents. Their hearts have long been shaped by others. For a negligible minor character like me, it's better not to have foolish hopes.”
At first Lagren still didn't grasp the true meaning of these words, only thinking Ronald had very low self-esteem, and was about to comfort the new member.
However, when she combined the previous words, the experienced Lagren immediately understood what Ronald was talking about.
The boss lady Lagren burst into hearty laughter.
Like a big gorilla, she slapped Ronald's shoulder with one hand while covering her belly with the other, letting out laughter mixed with pig squeals.
The members walking ahead all turned their heads back to look at their captain, unclear why she had so utterly lost control and was laughing to the point she could barely breathe.