By the fifth morning, the rookies had fallen into routine like clockwork.
Sort of.
"Wake up, wake up!" Lio's voice echoed through the hallway as he knocked doors with increasing volume.
Lio: "Guild opens in twenty minutes!"
"I'm brushing!" Yuzu shouted from the washroom, voice muffled with foam.
Selena, already geared up, pulled her hair into a tight tie. "Get your boots on, Lio. No time to burn."
Rika rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck. "If we move fast, we'll beat the rush."
In the corner, the Greenie bounced excitedly, a bundle of pure green glee.
As usual, Red was ready first, fully equipped, calm, waiting by the door like a silent statue. His eyes watched them scramble, just like he had every morning.
But this morning… the excitement felt different.
It felt rushed. Sharper.
And beneath their bright eyes, he could already see the strain.
The Adventurer's Guild was quiet when they arrived, only a few rookies ahead of them, none crowding the board yet.
"We're first!" Lio grinned, fist-pumping. "C'mon, jackpot time!"
The group rushed the Rookie Board and immediately spotted the familiar handwriting of herbal collection jobs, three of them.
Each one from a different region. Each offering 16 copper.
Rika read them aloud."West Hills near the windmills.""East marsh flats.""South orchard ridge."
"Sixteen copper each," Hina said in awe. "That's forty-eight total."
"If we take all three," Selena began slowly, "that's almost ten copper each…"
Yuzu's eyes widened. "Do we… do we split again?"
"Three groups this time," Rika said. "We're seasoned now."
"I can go solo," Lio offered immediately, chest puffed.
Lio: "I've got this. And the slime."
The Greenie squeaked proudly from his shoulder.
"You're going alone?" Yuzu asked, uncertain.
"I'm the only guy," Lio replied, joking. "Chivalry and copper, remember?"
Selena frowned a little but said nothing.
Red stood nearby, listening but offering no opinion.
Yuzu looked to Rika. "We'll take East?"
Rika gave a thumbs-up. "I'll make sure we don't get eaten by frogs."
Selena turned to Hina. "West windmills for us."
"And I go solo south," Lio said, placing a hand dramatically on his heart.
Lio: "Like a wandering sword-for-hire."
"No swords," Rika muttered. "Just weeds."
They marched to Sophia with the three requests.
Sophia blinked. "All three?"
"We're dividing again," Selena said. "Smaller groups."
Sophia gave them a long look. "The farther you split, the less backup you have."
"We know," Lio replied confidently.
Red just stood at the door.
Watching.
West Hills – Selena and Hina
The windmills turned slowly above the hill as Selena and Hina moved through tall grass, canvas bags slung over their backs.
The herbs here were thick: white-tipped blossoms called Whisperblossom, used for calming teas and minor mana restoration.
"This one?" Hina asked, crouching over a glowing cluster.
"Yep," Selena nodded. "Good quality. Watch for thornvine though."
They moved smoothly, but slower than before. Carrying the bag between two was harder work. The hill sloped more than expected, and Hina stumbled twice trying to reach plants along a ridge.
"Let's take five," Selena said, helping her upright.
They sat under the shadow of a windmill, sweat on their brows.
"We've done so many of these," Hina murmured. "It's starting to feel normal."
Selena glanced at her. "It's not. But that's why we train."
They continued until late afternoon, bags only half full.
East Marsh – Yuzu and Rika
The marshes buzzed with insects and humid heat. The air smelled of moss and wet bark.
Rika led with bow in hand, eyes sharp. Yuzu followed close behind, careful not to step into the deeper puddles.
"These are the ones!" Yuzu exclaimed, pointing at Feverroot, growing near the waterline.
Yuzu: "We need at least twenty stems!"
"Why does everything here smell like frog breath?" Rika muttered, slicing through bramble.
Yuzu knelt, picking herbs with trembling but steady hands. "I don't mind. As long as it's peaceful…"
A bird shrieked nearby and she nearly dropped her pouch.
"I said peaceful!" she hissed.
Rika: "Maybe the frogs didn't get the memo."
They worked hard, but every step took effort. The bog sucked at their boots. Rika's left foot slipped into a mud patch. Yuzu tripped once and scraped her knee.
When they finally packed the last bundle, the sun was dipping low.
"Let's never do this marsh again," Rika groaned.
South Orchard – Lio and Greenie
The path curved between rows of fruit trees, the ground soft with fallen petals. The herbs here were small red bulbs called Sunberry Root, hidden under flowering shrubs.
Lio worked alone, well, almost alone.
The Greenie followed him like a bouncing assistant, occasionally rolling into the bushes and presenting leaves with a proud squeak.
"Wrong one," Lio said for the fifth time. "That's a worm."
The Greenie drooped in sadness.
Lio: "…Okay, it's a helpful worm. Good job."
He laughed to himself and wiped sweat from his forehead.
Lio: "Who needs a team? This is peaceful, easy money."
Then he slipped on a Sunberry bulb and fell directly into a thorn bush.
Lio: "ARGH—never mind, I take it back!"
He emerged scratched and coated in leaves.
The Greenie tried to eat one stuck to his head.
Lio: "Traitor…"
Still, he worked until the bag was full. Just as the sky began turning orange.
All three groups dragged themselves back to the guild just before closing.
Selena and Hina arrived first, exhausted but intact.
Rika and Yuzu limped in next, their boots soaked in swampwater, Rika holding her arm where thorns had tugged at her sleeve.
Lio came last, scratched, dirt-stained, and half-limping.
They met at the counter with their bags, dumping out the herbs for inspection.
Sophia raised a brow. "You all look like you got trampled by bad luck."
"We finished," Selena said through gritted teeth.
Rika collapsed onto the bench behind them. "Barely."
Sophia inspected each bundle. "Not bad quality. Looks like you earned your coin."
She handed over the full 48 copper.
They barely reacted.
Lio took the pouch and stared at it. "This... feels heavier than yesterday."
"Because it is," Yuzu mumbled.
Rika: "But we're not."
They barely spoke as they trudged home under the stars.
That Night at Home
The house was quiet when they returned.
Lia and Lana had left stew warming on the stove, notes scribbled in messy handwriting:
"We saved dinner for you! Don't forget to eat!"
But no one touched it.
Selena tossed her gear beside the door and fell onto the couch.
Rika curled up under a blanket without changing.
Hina washed her hands but didn't eat.
Yuzu sat on her mat and simply closed her eyes.
Lio dragged himself into his room, the Poporing bouncing behind him like a loyal, squishy shadow.
No chatter. No jokes.
Just the sound of silence and sore muscles.
They didn't clean their boots. Didn't store their gear. Didn't even complain.
They just… slept.
And Red stood by the door, watching from the shadows.
His arms crossed.
Eyes distant.
He didn't scold them.
Didn't warn them.
Didn't say "I told you so."
Because the moment they hit the floor without eating, that was the lesson.
Their own ambition had pushed them to the edge.
And soon… something would push back.