I exchanged a glance with Seth.

Sure, by the looks of his character, Sebastian didn't seem like a shady person, but if our years of experience had taught us anything, it would be caution.

"Sebastian, I must say I am impressed," I began, in a light tone. "Despite only recently advancing to the Seasoned Rank, you have managed to attract not only Seth's, and by extension, my own, but also other prominent Rangers' attention as well," I spoke evenly, warming up the subject. "Seth has briefly informed me, but I would like to hear the details."

"Yes, I'd also like to hear about the details," Yena added with a nod.

"Of course!" He said enthusiastically. "It all began with my previous party when we delved into the Emberforge Depths to hunt Quint Beasts. I'm sure you're all aware of the beasts' conditions and the value of their cores."

We all nodded in agreement, and he reciprocated the gesture. "The hunt went exceedingly well, and before we knew it, we had reached the final zone. I knew our party wasn't strong enough to face the UniQue, but then again, 'what does a newly awarded Seasoned rank know?'" That last part was dipped in sarcasm.

"Since no one listened to me, we charged at the beast, no, the nightmare is more suited. Soon enough, it was clear we should have heeded my advice, and by the time we managed to escape, more than half of us were dead." He paused, looked away, and clenched his fist so hard it shook.

"You might be wondering why I'd even consider returning to that place after such a tragedy. Amid the chaos of battle, I spotted a gleaming object, though I couldn't identify it at the time. As a Ranger, I want to know what that thing was, and as a proud member of the Wyray family, it is only my duty to take revenge for my fallen comrades." He said, extending his fist dramatically.

"That and because Ms. Samantha expressed her interest in the UniQue's core when I told her what happened." He added and his previous seriousness faded away, replaced with the same smile he had given her earlier.

I mentally rolled my eyes. Holding myself from punching him had became almost impossible.

‘All that talk about your adventurous spirit and wanting to avenge your lost companions... You're thirsting over Samantha, trying to promote your family name to her while the only interesting thing about you is the UniQue you run away from!’

Well, at least that explains the big money... If you want to impress, you can't do it halfheartedly, I'll give you that much.’

At that moment, Samantha raised a hand. "I would like to make a proposal. As Sebastian just told you, I am interested in the core of the UniQue, however, Sebastian does his business and I do mine. In addition to Sebastian's offer, I would like to double it on my part as payment for allowing me to get the core. Does anyone have any objections?"

"No objections, Ms. Samantha!" Daniel energetically accepted. "Did you hear that honey? We can- ouch!" Yena pinched Daniel once more, harder this time.

"Could you just keep quiet for a moment?" She said angrily. "No objections from me either." She was calmer towards Samantha.

Samantha smiled and turned to me and Seth. I waved my hand while Seth shook his head. Neither of us was interested in that core, and extra money was always welcomed.

Sebastian clapped his hands. "Great, now that we are all in agreement, let me explain a bit further. In most cases, it would be easier to take the transportation portal directly to the Valley of the Beast, however, it's a little different in our case. Because there are no portals close to the dungeon, it's faster and safer if we take the portal to Kelvester City and take a carriage until Asmit's End. It should take around half a day to reach our destination.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I clicked my tongue once I heard the words 'Asmit's End'. Seth must have heard me because he leaned and whispered in a teasing way. "Home sweet home."

This fucker...

Not even once did I feel like that shitty village was my home, and he knew it.

"Of course, every transportation fee will be covered by myself," Sebastian added. "Any further questions?"

A round of questions came from everyone except Samantha. While he explained his reasoning, the details were still missing. Questions regarding the activity of the volcano, the specific beasts in the area, and the environment were much more important and necessary. If we were going to do this, we needed all the information we could get.

Sebastian answered every single one of them as if reading from a script, which was weird as he deliberately avoided mentioning any of that information prior to our questions. Nevertheless, with a small encouraging speech at the end, we were ready to depart.

As planned, we teleported to Kelvester City and boarded a carriage pulled by Swiftscales, reptile-like beasts of the Lesser rank, capable of running at much higher speeds than horses and able to traverse tough terrain without much difficulty.

The carriage proved spacious and comfortable, making everyone relax and open up. Experienced Rangers or not, it was vital for one to know the companion they were entrusting their life too, even if they deserved to have their heads punched off (looking at you, Sebastian)

Daniel proved to be an enthusiastic fellow who loved to spark conversation. His vibrant personality stood in stark contrast to Yena, who maintained a composed demeanor and preferred to keep interactions strictly professional. Meanwhile, Sebastian either loved himself too much or wanted to keep appearances in the presence of Samantha because he wouldn't stop babbling about his family's achievements.

‘Heh, typical. What about your own achievements?’

Samantha was a sweet-natured young woman, always wearing a gentle smile, yet she kept a noticeable distance from the group. She tended to reserve her words, only contributing when directly prompted. As for Seth, to get revenge over his earlier comment, when the shift of the conversation turned towards us the ‘older generation', I made him take care of the nuisance. I couldn't deal with the banter. I already had enough on my mind.

Asmit's End...

The place I swore to myself that I would never step foot again...

Mine and Seth's birthplace...

In that isolated place, there was no room for orphans. Every day, we had to beg for a slice of bread, a few droplets of water, a rag to keep ourselves warm—anything to survive. But no one, not a single soul, paid us any mind. Not until we awakened, that is...

Once news spread of our awakening, everything changed.

Suddenly, there was enough food to fill our stomachs, ample water to quench our thirst, and warm beds to sleep in at night. We were showered with everything we could ever dream of, and then more. We became the bright stars of the village.

And I hated every moment of it.

Why?

Why did they only start to care once we awakened?

Why did they only help us when they realized we were more than just two helpless children?

What about the other orphans who hadn't awakened?

Were we merely fortunate to awaken while they were not?

What kind of twisted place was this?

I wanted to leave forever, never to come back. Becoming a Ranger was a means to an end. I wasn't interested in fame or wealth. None of that mattered at the time. That's why I went with a different alibi, to cut any connection I had with that place.

And yet... I was heading to that very place.

Watching Seth being so nonchalant about this whole thing puzzled me.

How? How could he not resent these villagers? Going as far as to send money to them. These... these people if they can even be called that... They were even worse than beasts. At least beasts cared for their kin. These people only cared for themselves.

Being consumed in my thoughts, I lost track of time, and we were already on the outskirts of the village.

I had made my choice. I wasn't going to go back on my promise.

Clenching my fist tightly it shook under the pressure. "Sebastian, we're just passing by, right? We're not going to stay, right?

Seth gave me a hard look while Sebastian chuckled. "Of course. Why would we waste our time in this filthy cottage?" He flashed a smile. "The faster we're done here, the faster everyone will get paid and be on his merry way."

Yeah, that's right, one thousand and five hundred Shillings. Adding the three thousand on top by Ms. Samantha and whatever we find inside the dungeon... We are looking at more than five thousand Shillings.

Seth was right, I won't have to worry about money ever again.

A weight lifted off my shoulders. "Let's see what that dungeon holds for us."