I stared at the empty spot where the Grimm had been moments ago. Now, there was no trace of it. Ren and Pyrrha stood nearby, discussing the fight. Nora, however, rushed over to me, brimming with energy.

“That was awesome!” she exclaimed. “We were so well-coordinated! And that scorpion Grimm? Nasty! But we crushed it!”

I listened with a guilty expression, knowing I hadn’t really helped. Even so, Nora didn’t seem to hold it against me. She was just happy we all made it out alive.

Then, she said something unexpected.

“You know what, Jaune? You’re actually good at coming up with plans. Don’t you think you’d make a great captain?”

The idea was so ridiculous that my smile turned into an embarrassed grimace.

“Me? A captain?” I muttered under my breath.

If anyone asked, I’d recommend Pyrrha without hesitation. Lost in thought, I wondered if Nora was joking or if I was overanalyzing. I was about to congratulate her on her hammer strike when Pyrrha’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“I think it’s a great idea. You’d make a great captain, Jaune.”

Startled, I realized Pyrrha and Ren were standing behind me. I hadn’t even noticed them approach while I was focused on Nora. What shocked me more was Pyrrha supporting Nora’s suggestion. I looked at Ren, hoping for a reasonable counterpoint, but he simply nodded in agreement.

I couldn’t believe it. Embarrassed, I stammered, “Come on, don’t be silly. I didn’t do anything I just stood back and watched.”

Pyrrha stepped closer, her smile warm and confident. The wind played with her hair, making her look even more stunning.

“But you were the one who came up with the plan to immobilize the Grimm. You led us to victory like a true leader,” she said.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I didn’t think my actions deserved that much credit. Flustered, I decided to change the subject.

“Okay, we can talk about this later. Let’s focus on getting out of the forest first, shall we?”

Everyone agreed, and we headed back. I kept a wary eye out for more Grimm, but the forest seemed peaceful. Maybe the other participants had cleared the area.

Eventually, we reached a clearing where a group of people had gathered. We decided to join them. Almost immediately, Nora vanished into the crowd.

“I’d better follow her, or who knows where she’ll end up,” Ren sighed. He walked off.

Pyrrha mentioned she needed to check on something and excused herself, leaving me alone. It wasn’t so bad; I figured we were all just waiting for transport. Walking back wasn’t exactly an option.

With nothing to do, I started looking around. That’s when I spotted a familiar face. I walked over and tapped her shoulder.

“Hey, Ruby. How’s it going?”

Ruby turned around, her surprised expression quickly replaced by a smile.

“Oh, Jaune! You made it in one piece. That’s great!”

Her words made me chuckle, though they stung just a little.

“Are you saying you doubted me?” I teased.

Ruby blushed, waving her hands in front of her.

“No! Not at all!” she insisted, clearly flustered.

Ruby Rose was undeniably sweet. I laughed and kept the conversation going.

“Are you here alone? How’d that happen?”

Ruby shook her head and glanced around, though it seemed she didn’t spot what she was looking for.

“No, my sister Yang, Weiss, and Blake are with me. Blake’s the one with the big black bow maybe you’ve seen her? But we got separated for a bit.”

I tried to recall seeing anyone with a bow but came up empty.

“Can’t say I have. But I’m surprised the ‘Snow Queen’ is keeping you company.”

Ruby grinned smugly. “Not just keeping me company we’re on the same team!”

I was surprised but not overly so, given how strange the day had been. I scratched my head.

“Life’s funny like that, huh? Anyway, we’re waiting for transport here, right?”

Ruby nodded and pointed toward a small hill.

“Yep. Professor Glynda was just here. She said the transport ship should arrive any minute now.”

I nodded in thanks, but before I could reply, the hum of engines drew my attention. A transporter appeared overhead, descending near the group. It seemed like a good time to say goodbye and find my team.