Morning came softly to Silverhaven.
A golden glow warmed the walls of the rookies' home, birds chirped beyond the windows, and a delicious scent wafted from the kitchen, toasted barley bread and kokoroko egg scramble, courtesy of Hina and Yuzu.
"Breakfast is ready!" Hina called, her cheerful voice cutting through the sleepy silence.
Inside the modest house, the now-familiar sounds of their morning routine unfolded like a well-rehearsed dance. Water splashed from the washroom as Selena rinsed her face. Rika ran a whetstone across her favorite arrowhead at the table. Yuzu brushed her hair with trembling fingers while the smell of herbal tea filled the air.
Lio stumbled out of his room in his half-buttoned tunic, the Greenie already nestled contentedly atop his head like a crown.
"Why is it always on my head?" he mumbled.
"Because it knows you're the softest," Rika said without looking up.
Lio grunted and grabbed a piece of toast. "I'm gonna grow mushrooms from all this slime contact."
"Maybe you already did," Selena teased, smirking.
Lia and Lana, curled up on a cushion near the hearth, giggled. "Slime Brother!"
Red, as always, stood near the door, dressed, armored, silent. Watching.
After breakfast, they gathered their gear and headed out early again. Spirits were high. The streets of Silverhaven glowed with morning bustle: merchants shouting fresh prices, early adventurers heading toward the inner districts, guards changing shifts at the city gates.
Yuzu looked up at the clouds. "Today feels lucky."
"I say we go for a combo job," Rika said.
Rika: "Let's really start stacking income."
"You mean two quests?" Hina asked.
"Why not?" Lio said.
Lio: "We've done three flawless days. No reason we can't handle more."
"I agree," Selena said. "If we split into two small groups, we can double our intake. As long as the jobs are low risk."
They reached the Adventurer's Guild, and the rookie quest board was already posted with fresh listings.
Hina pointed. "Here's another herb-gathering job. Fifteen copper, light collection this time."
"And here's a merchant escort, basic tier," Rika added. "Twenty-five copper, easy pay."
"Forty copper total," Yuzu whispered, eyes wide.
Yuzu: "That's our biggest reward yet!"
Rika grinned. "Then let's do both."
Selena looked at Red. "Are we allowed to split?"
Red's voice was calm. "You're official adventurers now. You choose. But all choices have weight."
"Okay then," Selena said. "Team one escorts the merchant. Team two gathers herbs. Both low-risk. We meet back at the guild before sundown."
"Sounds perfect," Lio said.
They hurried to the counter. Sophia raised an eyebrow as they laid both papers down.
"Ambitious today?" she said, stamping both slips.
Selena nodded. "We're dividing into two teams. Escort and gathering."
"Alright. Don't get overconfident," Sophia warned.
Sophia: "Low-risk or not, adventuring always finds a way to bite back."
"We'll be careful," Hina promised with a small bow.
Red stood behind them, saying nothing.
Team One: Selena, Rika, HinaThey met their client near the north gate, an elderly spice merchant named Old Tandro with a Kokoroko-pulled cart full of sweet-smelling bundles and tightly-sealed jars.
"You girls look like you know your way around a blade," he chuckled as he handed them a route scroll."
Old Tandro: "Just keep the Kokoroko calm and the road quiet. That's all I ask."
The trip was peaceful. A few bumps in the road, some squawking birds, and a herd of Kokoroko blocking the trail briefly, but nothing dangerous.
Hina offered Tandro water and gentle conversation. Rika scouted ahead, humming lightly. Selena walked beside the cart, eyes always on the tree line, posture calm and confident.
They reached the next town without issue, delivered the goods, and received a stamped paper and a small satchel of coin.
"Twenty-five copper," Selena said, holding it up with a grin. "Easy money."
Team Two: Lio, Yuzu, GreenieSouth of the city, the pair moved through tall grass and low hills, following the map marked with common herb sites. Lio carried the collection bag while Yuzu read out the plant descriptions nervously.
"This is it!" Yuzu called, pointing at a silver-leafed bush. "Moongrass!"
Lio: "Nice! How much do we need?"
"As much as we can carry," she said.
Yuzu: "Pay is per bundle."
The Greenie helped by bouncing into bushes, startling birds, and occasionally swallowing bugs, which it seemed very proud of.
They worked in sync. Yuzu called out herbs, Lio dug and packed. They took turns collecting wildfruit and mushrooms too, even a few rare glowing stalks Yuzu recognized from her studies.
By afternoon, their bag was full.
"That's got to be worth at least fifteen copper," Lio said, grinning.
"I think we make a good team," Yuzu said softly.
Lio looked at her, smiling. "Yeah. We do."
The Greenie squeaked, bouncing on both their heads at once like a happy hat.
Both teams returned to Silverhaven before sundown.
At the guild, Sophia received both stamped slips.
Sophia: "Escort: verified. Herb bundle: decent quality. Not bad."
She counted out the copper: twenty-five plus fifteen. Forty total.
The rookies looked like they'd just won a treasure hunt.
"Split evenly?" Hina suggested.
"Five copper each," Selena said. "Best payday yet."
Lio looked smug as he jingled his pouch. "We are killing it."
Red stood by the guild door, arms crossed, silent.
That night, back home, the excitement was tangible.
They sat around the table, coins scattered, stew bubbling, Lia and Lana trying to trade wooden buttons for "real copper."
"We should start investing," Rika joked.
"In what?" Selena asked.
Rika: "I don't know. Greenie hats?"
Lio facepalmed. "Please no."
Yuzu giggled. "I think it's cute."
Selena leaned back, smiling. "Splitting up was smart. We doubled our pay."
"Maybe we should do that more often," Hina suggested.
Hina: "As long as the jobs are simple."
"It's working," Lio said. "We're working."
"Four days, four wins," Yuzu whispered, clutching her badge. "We're doing it."
The Greenie sat on the windowsill, blinking contentedly at the moonlight.
Red stood quietly in the hall, arms folded, listening.
They were young. Bright. Laughing.
But he knew what they hadn't yet learned:
Greed leads to missteps.
Splits create blind spots.
Overconfidence dulls instinct.
And sometimes… luck runs out.
He wouldn't stop them.
Not yet.
Because some things, they had to learn by falling.