“Ah, I can’t believe nobles are the only people to have sweets like these,” Robyn said. She was standing in a confectionery shop that was widely popular within the capital. Delectable treats lined the walls. There were the standard cakes, pies, and loaves of bread in one corner and more imaginative items from there. Various forms of candies made a rainbow pattern along the far wall. Unique pastries like cinnamon rolls, berry tarts, and eclairs hid behind the clerk’s desk in glass cabinets. Naturally, there was also an impressive array of chocolate items. Attendees were available everywhere to help shoppers navigate this sweet wonderland.

“Sweets. Pastries. Must have.” Rex said. He could feel himself drooling. Pure sugar was a luxury few could afford. It was the reason that most sweets he’d had were berry-based. Chocolate was even rarer, and hard candies were almost nonexistent. Items like these could only be found where the rich lived. Rex and Robyn counted their blessings that they were allowed to enter such a place.

The two continued to stare at each display. They glanced down at their coin pouches. Both were full of gold coins. The team had received a small payment upon their arrival. The rest was to be paid after a ceremony with the king in his castle. It had been a considerable amount of time since their wallets were this full, so their wealth corrupted them. Rex’s eyes locked with Robyn’s. They quietly nodded to each other and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“Sweets really can bring people together. Even the two that get on each other’s nerves.” Xander said with a smile. He’d never seen his friends so close before. It was a heartwarming moment. The team rarely had a second of peace with the recent trial, training, and tournament. That’s not even mentioning the sins that came around every so often. It was nice to finally relax and smell the roses, or cinnamon rolls in this case.

“Do they dislike each other?” Emma asked. She wasn’t familiar with The Unnamed Team’s personal life. Like most people, she only saw them for their exploits. Everything she knew about them came from second-hand sources. This trip was the first time she’d ever spoken to them for longer than a minute, and her delusions of them were slowly eroding. Emma was quickly learning that most tales about them were false.

“Think of them as a brother and sister. They’ll have a spat every now and then, but they make up.” Nicholas said. The Unnamed Team had been together long before people gave them their ridiculous title. They’ve been through many ordeals with one another, and that only strengthened their bonds. Their relationship was also bolstered by the Genesis Program and their origins from a different world. They saw remnants of their forgotten homes within each other. It wasn’t hard to see why they considered each other family.

“And if they don’t?” Oliver asked. Everyone outside of the team viewed the four as a simple group of adventurers. Such teams rarely formed tight bonds. It was the smartest thing to do. Teams came with the risk of disbanding over quarrels. Given the profession, death was also a factor. The general consensus was to keep others at a distance so that their demise wouldn’t be as impactful. It was a heartless rule, but it saved many lives. The Unnamed Team, however, would never adopt such a rule.

“Something usually happens to make us forget our issues,” Xander said. He let out a soft chuckle. The team had occasional spats over trivial matters, but there was always a bigger issue to deal with. A member is feeling insignificant? A monster usually shows up that only they can defeat or only they grow from. The team was locked in a dungeon for activating a reckless skill and attacking a guard? Well, they’re about to be put on trial with execution on the line. Every issue had something to balance it out. Plus, none of the four were known for keeping grudges.

Xander, Nicholas, Emma, and Oliver continued talking to one another as time went on. The ceremony was not until later that day, and the team needed a way to kill time. Robyn and Rex still roamed the store in the background. They spoke to different salesmen and tried different sweet samples. The duo thought their friends were insane for not capitalizing on the bountiful amount of treats before them.

Then, the salesman said something. His words were faint, but they seemed to shake Robyn and Rex to the core. They looked distraught for a brief second. They shook themselves to release the building tension and gave themselves a light smack. They feigned liveliness as they waltzed back to the main group. Their walk was a bit more animated than usual. It was as if they invested all of their energy into their next words rather than their movements.

“Xander. Nicholas. Would you two be dolls and let me borrow your coin pouches?” Robyn said with a sweet smile. She made sure to use a soft voice. Charisma may not have been her strongest attribute, but she was confident in her abilities. All she needed to do was to lower her friends’ guards before swindling them out of their money. After all, what else are friends for?

“Absolutely not,” Xander said. His expression didn’t change in the slightest. He saw through her ruse immediately. Even if they were friends, Xander wasn’t keen on sharing his wealth. Arrows weren’t cheap nor were the enhancements he needed to make to his armor. It was the best way to keep the team from fighting over expenses. Each member paid for their own stuff, and the team would help if the matter was important or unavoidable. The rule was unanimously accepted, so it was odd to see its original creator acting in such a way.

“You’re the one that suggested we immediately split our rewards and keep them to ourselves,” Nicholas said. He was also hoarding his money but not for the same reason as Xander. Nicholas was informed of rudimentary banks that had been growing in popularity. He planned on opening an account and sweet-talking the teller into a high interest rate. If everything worked out perfectly, he wouldn’t have to worry about expenses and could live off of the earned income.

Robyn and Rex gave distressed looks. Their smiles started to crumble. Sweat formed as reality slowly set in. They would have to do the unthinkable. It would gravely wound their pride, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The duo grabbed their teammates by the shoulders and shook them as they pleaded for help.

“We messed up! We ate too many sweets and now we have to pay for them!” Rex said. He and Robyn ignorantly devoured every treat that was given to them. They had been too accustomed to the world of free samples they once knew, but this realm was different. The shopkeepers were feeding them with the intent of charging before the team left. They knew their customers were wealthy, so they didn’t hesitate to offer more without being asked to.

“And they’re really expensive! Please, just cover the rest of our tab! They said they’d kick us out of the capital if we couldn’t pay!” Robyn said. Pure sugar was a luxury few could afford, and these two were realizing they weren’t among the few. The amount they’d eaten hardly satisfied their cravings, but the cost was too high to continue. Robyn and Rex needed to scrounge up the cash to repay the shop. If the guards were called, the duo would be expelled from the capital. Their reward for slaying sins would be withheld. The others would enjoy the Annual Winter Ball without them. The king would probably never invite them back into the capital again.

Robyn and Rex needed to stop that from happening.

Emma and Oliver watched the scene unfold. Was this really a group of heroes? They almost seemed like ordinary people. Slowly, the two outsiders were starting to understand what The Unnamed Team was really made of. The illusion of grand individuals evaporated faster than the team’s budget for the day.