The sun shone high and warm as the party traveled down the winding dirt road east of Silverhaven. Golden fields stretched on both sides, dotted with farmhouses, grain silos, and the occasional Kokoroko pecking at bugs near the fence posts.
Maribel's wagon creaked softly as it rolled along, flanked by the newly minted rookie adventurers in their mismatched beginner gear. The group looked more like an over-equipped picnic party than a serious escort team, but their posture was upright, eyes scanning, hands close to their weapons.
Red followed behind them, silent and unreadable.
Maribel, perched confidently at the reins, tossed her copper-red curls and gave a playful smile over her shoulder.
"Such attentive little guards," she said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were all trying to impress me."
"We're trying not to screw up," Lio mumbled.
The Greenie, of course, was balanced happily on his head.
Rika chuckled. "You say that like it's not the same thing."
"Besides," Selena added, eyes forward, "we've trained for this."
Maribel leaned back with a sigh. "Yes, yes. All business. Honestly, you remind me of myself when I was younger. Sharp, pretty, and surrounded by chaos."
"Just a short trip to the next merchant hub, right?" asked Hina, glancing at the map. "One road, no turns."
"Easy peasy," Yuzu added, trying to sound confident.
"That's what they all say," Rika muttered, not entirely joking.
Despite the worries, nothing went wrong.
No sudden bandits. No monsters lunging from the bushes. No magical catastrophes. Just a smooth ride under the sun, occasional wind in the wheat fields, and Maribel humming old songs at the front.
At one point, the Greenie tried to eat a stray apple from one of the crates. Maribel noticed and tossed him a piece of honeyed jerky instead.
"You're not half bad, slime-king," she teased.
"I'm not—!" Lio groaned, but the Greenie squeaked happily and nuzzled into his hair.
When they arrived at the small town trading post, Maribel stepped down, hips swaying with practiced elegance.
Maribel: "Goods delivered. Me untouched. Gold safe. I dare say this might be my favorite delivery in weeks."
She winked at Red again, who remained unmoved.
Maribel: "Come now, not even a smile for a job well done?"
He turned to the rookies. "We're heading back."
Maribel placed five small pouches of copper on a crate.
Maribel: "Fifteen copper, as promised. Split it however you like, or use it all to buy a round of something warm. You've earned it, my little ducklings."
Yuzu curtsied clumsily. "T-thank you, Lady Maribel!"
Rika gave a small bow. "Try not to get robbed without us."
The merchant waved as they left. "Oh, I'll just hire him again~" she cooed, gesturing at Red.
Red didn't react.
Lio sighed. "You know, I'm starting to feel sorry for Red."
The road back was just as peaceful.
The group was lighter now, tension eased, smiles brighter, posture relaxed. Selena kept her shield on her back but walked with her hands behind her head, grinning up at the clouds. Rika hummed a victory tune. Yuzu was visibly skipping. Hina chatted with Lio about ways to cook Kokoroko without burning it.
Even the Greenie bounced beside them instead of riding, as if celebrating.
"We really did it," Yuzu said. "Our first real quest!"
"And we didn't die!" Lio added.
"Don't get cocky," muttered Rika, but even she looked proud.
By the time they returned to Silverhaven, the guild hall was buzzing. Teams came and went—some armored and scarred, others as green as they'd been a week ago.
Red led them inside. The desk clerk, Sophia, raised an eyebrow at their arrival.
Sophia: "You're back early."
"Delivery completed," Red said, sliding the confirmation stamp across the counter.
Sophia checked the seal. "No injuries? No panic? Nothing stolen?"
Red: "Nothing."
She looked over the group. "Huh. Not bad for your first run."
She stamped their papers and handed them their official quest log update slips.
"Congratulations," she said. "You're real adventurers now."
The group beamed.
Back home, the moment they stepped through the door, Lia and Lana rushed up and hugged Lio's legs.
Lia: "You're back!"
Lana: "Did you fight monsters?!"
"Nope," Lio laughed. "We just walked, talked, and protected cargo."
"And got paid!" Selena said, flipping her coin pouch up and catching it with a grin.
Yuzu held her pouch like it was treasure. "Fifteen copper! I've never held that much at once."
"It's not much," Rika said, lounging on the couch. "But it's ours."
Hina sat down beside her, already scribbling the day's events in her small notebook.
"Do you think all quests are like this?" Yuzu asked.
"Maybe," Lio said, smiling.
Lio: "I mean, if this is how it goes, being an adventurer might be easier than we thought."
Selena laughed. "I wouldn't go that far, but… yeah. That was nice."
They leaned back, proud and warm, dreaming about the next quest, about better gear, about becoming legends.
Red sat silently by the window, arms crossed, gazing out at the street.
He didn't say a word.
He had seen the truth a thousand times, that the world was rarely kind. That success on your first mission didn't mean you were ready. It meant you were lucky.
He wouldn't rob them of this moment.
But he knew.
Eventually, reality would strike.
And they would taste what it meant to be powerless.