"For fuck's sake! Those fucking piece of shit guards have no shame! Check up on a population of monsters and whether or not a strong monster has appeared! You will be fined if you refuse! Fucking assholes! I swear, we are fucking cursed!"

A hooded woman groaned while she and five other people were walking through the woods in full adventurers gear.

They were the Dandelions, a group of five friends connected with the bonds stronger than many blood-related families.

The potty-mouth elf hiding her beauty under a hood and the mage of the group – Lairs.

The short rat-faced man and the thief carefully scouting the area ahead - Shanks.

The eight-foot-tall burly woman and a tank of the party always walking at the front – Uresha.

The warrior, slightly on the bigger side as well as the youngest member and simultaneously a leader of the group – Rotte.

And the thin, big-eyed healer that had her staff at the ready – In're.

One way or another their relatively new and inexperienced group made their way into the Envys territory where they fell victim to the usual schemes of the cunning natives and were forced to do a reckon mission without being able to properly discuss the details – and they got threatened with both the monetary punishment as well as being thrown into prison!

"I vote that we fucking beat up that asshole who told us that there's a lot of well-paid work in this territory!"

Lairs added while raising her hand and making a grumpy face.

"Give it a rest, Lairs, that guy must have been paid off or simply a real scum... But also we should have done more research too... I didn't know that they dislike elves so much here, don't take off that hood."

Shanks deactivated his detection skills for a moment and sighed while turning to Lairs before massaging his forehead.

"I never intended to in the first place."

Lairs scoffed and pulled her hood over her eyes.

"Here..."

Suddenly, Uresha took out a canteen with water and bashfully offered it to the short man.

"Oh! Thanks."

Shanks nodded and gratefully took it off her hands.

"Whew... Keeping both of these skills is really taking a toll... seriously, I feel like an old man...!"

He smirked after taking a long sip and stretched his neck.

"Can I try something? I've received the stamina replenishing skill during my recent level up, and I want to test it out."

In're perked up and reached her hand towards the rat-faced man while closing her eyes.

Her palm began glowing with white light and soon a similar light sipped into Shank's body.

"Incredible! It feels like I just had a good night's rest!"

"...!"

Shanks straightened his back and exclaimed, smiling gratefully to the healer – which caused Uresha to flinch and look down with a disappointed expression since she didn't get Shanks to smile at her...

"It's nothing much... Just a healer's thing. I should have had it way earlier but I guess I'm just not that good. Sorry."

In're shrugged her shoulders and bowed her head apologetically.

"That's not true at all! You are too harsh on yourself! Right?|

Rotte slowed down and put his hand on In're's shoulder as soon as she caught up to him.

"Fucking obvious! Why are you kicking yourself again? Did those fuckers bother you again? Rotte and I will kick their assess when we finally get away from this shithole of a territory!"

Lairs leaned down and put her hand reassuringly on In're's other shoulder.

"...Thanks for the thoughts but you better not... both of them joined the Tiger Lilies recently, and you know how protective Pitahaya is over her teammates..."

In're sighed and waved her hand dismissively while giving both of her friends a thankful smile.

"...tsk... I've heard that Tiger Lilies are about to become a high-level party, how come some nasty bullies managed to join them?|

Shanks clicked his tongue and furrowed his brows.

"Maybe being a fucking asshole is a requirement for getting really strong?"

Lairs sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"...if so, then I am fine with us all staying as a low-level party forever..."

Uresha mumbled while turning away and fidgetting.

"Hey! Don't be like that! Cheer up! I'm sure that if we just put our all into training, we will get just as strong- no – even stronger than them!"

Rotte straightened his back and smacked his chest as he did his best to boost his party's morale.

"Pffft...! Such big words for someone who can't even start a conversation with a guy they like!"

Lairs couldn't help herself and burst into laughter.

"...! Said the girl who gets rejected by every waitress she tries to pick up!"

Rotte frowned and scoffed back at her.

"Hey! You cheeky kid! At least I am trying to do something, and not just mop around over a drink!"

"You are older only by one year, that's nothing!"

"Hey, could both of you shut up for a moment? I hear something!"

While the warrior and the mage were bantering, Shanks reactivated his detection skills and picked up some suspicious sounds.

""Sorry...""

Both Lairs and Rotte lowered their heads and apologized at the same time.

"What is it?"

In're perked up, happy to take her mind off the troubles of her private life, and gripped her staff with both hands.

"It's the sound of a fight... But I can't quite hear any human voices or noises, so it may be between monsters..."

Shanks furrowed his brows, intensely staring forward as if he tried to pierce the thick bushes in front of them.

"...Hold up...! So it actually may be a fucking champion or a lord spawning after all?! Those fuckers weren't just trying to scare us?!"

Lairs tensed up and stopped in place with no intention of moving forward.

"That's what we need to check – don't worry, we won't engage in a fight, I'll just o on ahead until I'll see whatever it is with my own eyes and get back."

Shanks declared with a reassuring smile.

"No! You might be good with stealth but what if whatever is ahead has a stronger detection skill?! If you're going, then we're all going too as a backup!"

Uresha stomped her foot and rejected Shank's bold idea.

"I agree with Uresha, we're all going. Whatever is going on there, it doesn't have to be a champion or a lord, it might just be a territorial fight without some native monsters and a bunch of goblin stragglers."

Rotte agreed with the burly woman, fastened his small shield, and pulled out his sword.

"We're following you as your back-up, and if it's just a bunch of easy targets we'll charge in, and if not, we all retreat, slowly. How does that sound?"

He added, looking at his friends.

"I agree!"

Uresha agreed and raised her large shield.

"...as long as we really back off if it's too dangerous, then I agree too."

In're nodded.

"...fucking... Fine! But only because it's an area with only low-level monsters! Even if it's a goblin champion it shouldn't be much stronger than an orc!"

Even Lairs gave in in the end.

"I swear, one day you will get us in real trouble, Rotte... I only hope that today is not that day."

Shanks rolled his eyes and waved his hand.

"Follow me, it sounds like whatever monsters are fighting, they are really going at it so they shouldn't notice us... it actually might be just a territorial fight and we'll get a lot of materials..."

He said.

"Oh fuck yeah! Even if those fucking guards won't pay us, we should still make some money by selling the fucking monster corpses!"

Lairs cheered even though she was the one risking the most by taking a questionable mission from the guards in less than friendly territory.