So, here we are. I’m currently on my way to meet up with the adventurer group I was forced into joining by the ITA. What the hell, I just want to be with my family, and just when I thought things had finally settled down… How did it get like this?

Well, looking back, this whole thing could have probably been avoided at some point, dating as far back as when I was signing the paperwork to join the ITA in the first place. I was too naïve to think I would always be ready for adventure. I was thinking about how I was feeling up for it in that moment, but I wasn’t thinking of the future. Sort of like how when you’re laying down and watching someone work their butt off. Since you’re in a comfy position, it’s easy to think “I can do that, no sweat!” But things aren’t as simple when you actually get up to try.

Well, even if I could somehow go back in time and change that minute detail, I still think things would lead me up to this very same future, since I still met Linus back on our wagon ride to Leins. If he wasn’t caught by some bad guys back then, then he would be here in my stead…! No, I can’t blame him for that, I guess it’s our fault for forgetting about him in the Neo Urbana base during our escape. Had we thought of another way to escape while still keeping tabs on him, we could escort him safely to the ITA.

No, in all likelihood, they’d still just deny him the commission as he took too long to even get there. I guess the problem then lies in me not changing the contract in time? Gahh, all this pointless thinking is making my head hurt! Focusing on the things I could’ve done and getting caught up on the past will just lead to me tripping up in the present. I made my bed, now I gotta sleep in it. Let’s just get this over with so I can get back home and hug my beautiful girlfriend and daughter!

Making my way to the agreed upon meetup point, I was the first one there. Looks like I was a bit too excited and showed up early, like a kid excitedly waiting for his first field trip. In truth, I was feeling a bit happy deep down, getting an opportunity to visit such a hard-to-reach place as Sibirus is something I should be thankful for, in a way. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’ll have to endure the annoying cold and frostbite that is to ensue from this. I never did like winter, nor snow for that matter, I was always a summer kinda guy.

One by one, the adventurer’s I was to be following into the depths of Shaid’s Temple rolled in, leaving me at a loss for words. These are some real peculiar adventurers, I thought, before finding a familiar face I wasn’t all too happy to see. Old Man Linus was the last to arrive at the scene, making us have to wait an entire 5 minutes before we could board the wagon ride to Melgam. I immediately got up from my seat of the wagon as we departed to give him a scolding.

“You! We told you to wait in the castle! Why did you leave!?” I shouted.

“Whoa! Easy there, bud!” Linus tried to calm me down, “What are you doing here? I heard there was gonna be a new recruit joining us, but to think it’d be you of all people standing here with me! Should I call this fate?”

“Shut it! Because of your adamant haste to leave the castle back in Melgam as quickly as possible, I’m stuck standing here with you instead of being with my family!” I screamed at him.

The other adventurers of our party saw me berating him, so they went to pull me back and defend that bastard Linus instead. These fucks don’t know the first thing about us, but they’re already choosing sides? Pathetic.

“Calm down!” said the one male adventurer, “I have no idea what history you two share, but this is no time to bicker! We’re gonna be a team from now on, a party of five, the least you could do is bite your lip and suck it up like a man!”

“Oooh, you have no idea how much of a man I am!” I turned my gaze to him, “I fought in so many gang wars you couldn’t even begin to comprehend it! So step aside!” I said, tried to get him off of me.

“Phah! Gang wars?” he snickered, ”I’m sorry, I didn’t know we had a barbarian within our ranks! Should I be worried about you stealing my pocket change in my sleep, Mr. Manly Man?”

“What was that, shorty? I can’t hear you from how low you are to the ground! You’re gonna have to speak up!” I jeered back in response to his provocations.

He was a rather short individual, well, at least in comparison to my own height. He didn’t at all strike me as someone scary, quite the opposite in fact, I feel like I could send him flying with a well-timed kick. His choice of attire is peculiar, too. He’s sporting a suit of all things… Still, looks like they were all siding with Linus, so I had to back off for now.

“…Tsk! Whatever…” I clicked my tongue, “Let’s just forget this matter for now and move on. I still have no idea who the hell any of you guys safe from that bastard over there even are.”

They didn’t really seem to like my attitude all too much, even going so far as to display a great deal of hesitance in revealing even something as basic as their names, but I don’t really care about them at all, so I didn’t really mind. I just wanna go home after finishing this.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Ooh! I’ll go first!” A young girl wearing an explorer’s outfit raised her hand, “I’m Marina Dola, an up and coming cutie in the world of adventurers! Nice to meetcha’!” She said gleefully, “I’m 160cm and my favorite food is carrot stew! I’m single, but don’t fall for me just yet, or I might break your heart!”

Ehhhh… Weird girl, she’s trying to force out acting cute when she isn’t even that different from your run of the mill young lady you see out in the street any day of the week. And what’s this I hear about any of us falling in love with you? I’m out of your league, woman, plus I have my own lovely lady who’s way cuter than you, and she’s a natural at it without even trying! Well, if anything, I could guess you’re single from a mile away…

After this horrible attempt at a self-introduction, for whatever reason the others seemed all but captivated, even clapping at her sElF-cOnFiDeNcE. Some people are just blind, I guess… That or they’re stupid, either one fits the bill.

“Nice to meet you all,” the shorty that pulled me away from Linus spoke up, “I am Sullivan Streiks. I am honored to be working alongside you on this journey, and I hope we can all get along well.” He glanced at me with a smirk as he said the final bit, making some of the adventurer’s laugh.

You pickin’ a fight, short stack? Cause to me it looks like you’re cruisin’ fer a bruisin’!

“Since Miss Dola started the trend of us naming something interesting about ourselves, I’d like to add that I’m a fan of sports.” He continued his introduction.

Like what, table soccer? You’d fit right in with the tiny figures…

“I am Genevra Lionheart. A pleasure to meet you, my three sizes are 98, 86 and 103. And might I add, we have some manly people on board with us…” She said seductively as she eyed her male audience.

Oh great, we got a whore on our team. Everyone, clap for the whore! No wait, don’t actually do it, you idiots! Stop it! Gahhh!!!

I agree she’s on the more… voluptuous side, but you gotta draw the line between work and horsing around. This is serious! She wore what looked to be a dress of some kind, but it also felt like it was custom made for an adventurer, as it had many crevices where she could keep handy things in. As I thought that, I subconsciously eyed her bosom. She noticed before giving me this weird, motherly grin and said outright:

“Oh my! Looks like someone’s interested in them! Would you like to give them a feel? They’re quite fun to play with, you know…” She said, trying to sound as inviting as humanly possible.

“Fuck off, not interested.” I said without missing a beat.

“Not interested in those?” The shorty piped up, “Just look at the size of them! Wait, don’t tell me you’re one of those guys that likes them small?”

Yeah, everything’s big for you, shorty. But when he said those words, I was instantly reminded of Cecily. Sure, she’s not at all big in that regard, but that’s what adds to her charm and cuteness! I mean, I’ve never touched them personally, so I can’t speak from experience, but I imagine they feel incredible to cup with the palms!

“So what if I am!” I shot back, “A girl’s likeability doesn’t come from her chest size! It comes from the heart!” I said victoriously.

She’d probably be proud of me for defending her if she was here. Well, either that or she’d blush up from my wild proclamation. Not sure which is better…

“A-Anyways...” Linus stopped to change the subject and calm things down, “I’m Linus Tenford, and this young lad is Lune Grimheart. Please do not fret over his current temper. He is the person who saved me once in the past, after all, and I imagine he’s mad at me because he misunderstands that he got drafted here due to my negligence. Lune, I apologize for not telling you this sooner, but this trip to Shaid’s Temple isn’t just a one man job. It’s a team effort, you would have been drafted no matter what, it seems…” He said with an apologetic tone.

“Old Man Linus… Is this really true? But… yeah, it makes sense I guess...” Things started to add up in my head as I realized I might’ve made a huge mistake, ”And to think I’d get so angry over a misunderstanding. I… I apologize to everyone who had to see this side of me, I’m not exactly in the right mindset for this trip, as I was basically forced under contract to accept this commission.” I said, realizing the fault lied in me.

“Tch!” Sullivan clicked his tongue, “You’ve got some nerve, showing up here and ruining everyone’s mood without even wanting to be here in the first place!”

“Seriosly,” Genevra added on to his words, “a man has to stand up for himself, sure, but a real man thinks with his head. On second thought, you don’t look manly at all…”

“Right?” Marina continued on, “First you’re angry, then now you’re apologizing all of a sudden? Talk about bipolar! You really did screw up, didn’t you? You should just go home, in all honesty.”

It looks like the damage was already done, most of them didn’t accept the apology at all, instead making comments on my poor time management and short fuse (as well as my taste in women). I wasn’t really looking for their affection or anything, in all honesty I couldn’t care less, but what that shorty said was right on the mark: We’ll be spending the next month together, so we should at least get along…

“Passports!” The ITA Agent serving as our wagon driver requested.

We handed them to the Agent without any issues and promptly entered the wagon leading to Melgam. Looks like I’ll have to try my best to get on their good side tomorrow before we board the boat… yaaaawn!

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“Ugh, what time is it?” I woke up with a sore back, “Whuh!?!? I overslept?!? No wait, where am I?! This isn't the wagon, this is a bench!” It was just then that I noticed I was the only one sitting on it, “G-Guys…?”

I got up and ran down to the nearby inn in front of me and asked the innkeeper about their sudden disappearance. What I heard shocked me to my very core.

“Those peculiar looking folk? They left on a transport wagon a few hours ago. They said you liked sleeping outside or something and told me not to wake you.”

Those bastards… they left me behind…!