As the team sat together, the afternoon sun casting long shadows at the village's entrance, Arya turned to Raymond with a thoughtful expression.
"Raymond, are you worried that you'll be fighting alone at the front with no one to back you up?" she asked.
Raymond nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly. Anything can happen in battle. I do my best to hold the line, but I can't guarantee that I'll stop every monster from reaching you."
He glanced between his teammates before continuing, "The enemies we've faced so far have been relatively weak. Take the Flying Locusts from our last mission, they were a nuisance, but manageable. But if we had been dealing with Crazy Baboons instead? If one of them got past and closed the distance on you, fighting back would've been a nightmare."
His words sank in, and a brief silence followed. The mory of past fights flashed through their minds, reminding them how fragile their formation truly was.
Raymond shifted his focus to Lorene. "But now, with Blessing of Courage in play, you have the temporary strength and endurance of a warrior. That's a huge advantage. However, raw power alone won't be enough. If you don't know how to use that strength properly, it's as good as wasted. That's why I want to teach you so close-combat techniques, not to turn you into front-line fighters, but to give you a way to protect yourselves if an enemy gets too close."
Arya, Sylph, and Lorene exchanged glances. The logic was sound, and they could all feel it.
Sylph was the first to nod in agreent. "That's true. Even if we get warrior-level strength for a short ti, it won't an much if we just flail around. If a monster gets through to us, and Raymond has to risk his life to save us, that'd be a disaster."
Lorene pursed her lips, then sighed. "Yeah… Unlike you, Sylph, I don't know the first thing about close combat. Right now, I'd just be a liability."
Sylph shook her head. "I only know a little bit. Sure, I can handle weaker monsters, but it's not enough. Rember the Flying Locusts? One of them knocked down. If Raymond hadn't saved , I would've been in real trouble."
Raymond took a deep breath. He appreciated that Sylph, despite her usual pride, was honest about her own limits. Still, he wanted to be clear.
"You don't necessarily have to learn close combat." He t their gazes one by one. "There's another option: we could recruit a proper warrior to join our team instead."
Sylph raised an eyebrow. "A warrior?"
Raymond nodded. "Think about it. A balanced team should have two warriors, one for offense, one for defense, alongside a magician, an archer, and a priest. If we had both a front-line warrior and a shield warrior, it would cover our weaknesses. A shield warrior could protect you all while I focus on the fight ahead."
Arya crossed her arms. "So… do we train ourselves in close combat, or do we find a warrior to fill that gap?"
Sylph tapped a finger against her chin. "Yeah, Raymond, which do you think is better?"
Lorene chid in, "Since you're our leader, what's your take?"
Raymond hadn't expected them to throw the decision entirely on him. He paused, considering their options carefully before speaking.
"Honestly? If I had to choose, I'd rather recruit a warrior."
That got their attention.
"No matter how much you train in close combat, you won't be able to match soone who has awakened into a warrior class. Their skills, instincts, and natural combat abilities will always be superior."
He gestured toward Arya. "Right now, we're all still Black Iron-ranked adventurers. Well, except for you, Arya; you've just started and are still at the Porcelain level. Because of that, our team can only take on Black Iron commissions for now. That ans that, for the ti being, with Blessing of Courage and so close-combat training, you should be able to handle most threats."
Then his tone grew more serious. "But we can't just think about the present. We have to consider the future."
He t their gazes one by one. "As we rank up, we'll start taking on more dangerous commissions. We'll face stronger monsters, the kind that won't go down with just a well-placed explosion or a lucky shot. And when that ti cos, even if you've trained in close combat, it still might not be enough. Only a true warrior, soone who has fully awakened into that class, will have the skills to properly protect you in battle."
The weight of his words settled over them.
Finally, Raymond concluded, "So, for the long-term future of our team, I believe recruiting a warrior is the best choice."
A thoughtful silence followed.
Then, Arya exhaled. "Alright. If that's what you think is best, I trust your judgnt."
Sylph smirked. "Guess that ans we'll be scouting for a warrior soon."
Lorene nodded. "I'd rather rely on a real warrior than struggle to learn sothing I might never fully master."
Raymond smiled slightly. "Then it's settled. When we get back to the Adventurer's Guild, we'll start looking for a warrior to join us."
With their next course of action decided, the team sat back, waiting for their carriage, their thoughts already on the challenges that lay ahead.
Arya, Sylph, and Lorene exchanged glances before nodding once again.
"Hmm... that actually makes a lot of sense," Arya admitted, crossing her arms thoughtfully.
Lorene, who had been quietly mulling over the discussion, finally spoke up in a hushed tone. "If we're going to recruit a warrior eventually... wouldn't it be better to do it sooner rather than later? That way, we can start building trust and teamwork early instead of trying to adjust to soone new in the middle of a crisis."
Raymond's expression brightened as he nodded in agreent. "Exactly! That's what I was thinking too."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice steady. "If we wait until we absolutely need a warrior to recruit one, we'll be taking a huge risk. A new teammate joining us too late might not sh well with our team dynamics. They could feel like an outsider, or worse, hold a grudge because they weren't part of the team from the beginning. If we recruit now, we have ti to build camaraderie and train together, ensuring they're fully integrated before we start taking on tougher missions."
Arya considered this and then nodded firmly. "Alright, then let's not waste ti. Once we return to the guild and submit our commission report, we'll head straight to the recruitnt board and post a notice."
Sylph stretched her arms behind her head and smirked. "Since you all agree, I have no objections. The sooner we get a solid warrior, the better!"
The rhythmic clatter of hooves against the dirt road filled the air as a carriage rolled toward the east gate of Wittes Town. Inside, Raymond, Arya, Sylph, and Lorene sat together, the weight of their completed mission lifting from their shoulders.
As the carriage slowed to a stop, the four of them hopped off one by one.
Sylph stretched dramatically. "Ahh! Finally back!" She let out a satisfied sigh.
Arya grinned. "The first mission as a full team, successfully completed!"
Raymond, ever the realist, chuckled. "Not quite yet. It's only officially done once we submit the report at the guild." He flipped a silver coin to the carriage driver before turning to his team. "Let's get moving."
"Guild ti!" Sylph declared, marching ahead with confidence.
As they walked through the streets, it wasn't long before they started attracting attention.
It was impossible not to notice Sylph, the 'Explosion Magician.' Her signature blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and the sapphire-embedded magic staff in her hand made her instantly recognizable. She had beco sothing of a celebrity among adventurers in Wittes Town.
People murmured as they passed.
"Hey, isn't that the 'Explosion Magician' Sylph?"
"Yeah, that's her! Blonde hair, blue magic robe, sapphire magic staff, it's definitely her."
As more eyes landed on them, another realization struck the observing adventurers.
"Wait... the guy walking behind her, he's that 'dual-class adventurer,' Raymond!"
"Yeah, but their team was just three people before, right? Who's that extra archer?"
A confused adventurer frowned as he looked at Arya.
A more inford one smirked at his ignorance. "You really don't know? Their team gained a new mber today. That archer was personally brought to the guild by Raymond and the others for registration."
The confused adventurer blinked. "Seriously? But why would they recruit a novice? I an, I heard a Bronze-level archer wanted to join them before. Why would they pass that up for soone with no experience?"
The other adventurer rolled his eyes, giving him a smug look. "Shows how little you know. Do you have any idea how talented that archer is?"
The first adventurer shook his head, now visibly impatient. "Then quit stalling and tell !"
The second adventurer grinned. "Fine, fine. Here's the deal; earlier today, in the Adventurer's Guild Hall, people had the exact sa doubts as you. And do you know what happened? The archer walked straight up to the magic crystal ball and tested her magic affinity."
He leaned in, dropping his voice to build suspense. "Her affinity was 4.2."
The first adventurer's eyes widened in disbelief. "WHAT?! 4.2?! That's insane!"
Others nearby, overhearing the conversation, had similar reactions.
"Damn… No wonder Raymond and his team picked her over so random Bronze-level adventurer."
"Of course! Think about it, Raymond's team has serious potential. At the rate they're going, they'll reach Gold or even Platinum rank in the future. They need teammates who have the sa kind of potential. If that archer's affinity is 4.2, then she's basically a prodigy!"
Then, a knowing smirk crossed one of the adventurer's faces. "And besides… I hear there's another reason why they chose her."
The first adventurer narrowed his eyes. "What do you an?"
"Well..." The smirking adventurer lowered his voice. "Word is, that 'female archer' has a special connection to Raymond."
That imdiately grabbed more attention.
"Wait, is that true?"
"Who knows? But apparently, even before she beca an adventurer, she and Raymond were often seen together. People spotted them going to the Temple Library more than once."
The group of adventurers fell into excited murmurs, exchanging theories and speculation.
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