Commission.

『Velvana territory — Pantoran』

The Ferkit Inn was a cozy establishment located in North Pantoran, District One.

The walls were made of rough-hewn stones, and the interior was dimly lit by flickering candles.

The tables and chairs were fashioned from sturdy wood and adorned with embroidered cloths.

The air was redolent with the aroma of roasted meat and freshly baked bread.

As Rachel stood up from the table, a girl with white hair and cat-like ears walked into the Inn.

Lirien Keijo.

Her presence was immediately noticeable as she was the only stranger present. Her blue coat with white chest armor fit her perfectly, and her quiver hung from her shoulders while her long, white tail flicked behind her.

Archibald couldn't believe his eyes; he had never seen a person with feline features before.

Lutessa and Rumia hadn't either.

"(C-cat lady! Cat lady!)" (Archibald)

Vesta, on the other hand, was too busy eating the food that Rachel had brought to pay much attention to the newcomer.

Lirien smiled graciously at the group as they welcomed her with open arms.

Rachel, sensing their confusion, decided to explain the reason for her gathering.

"I want to form a sort of temporary party," Rachel announced, pausing as she looked around at everyone.

Surely, her words were vague. She'd have to emphasize more.

"Now that the Ranker Season has ended, I thought it would be a good opportunity for all of us to band together and take on a certain challenge." (Rachel)

Archibald raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You want us to join your party?"

Rachel nodded.

"Yes, I believe that our combined skills and strengths would make for a formidable team. But don't worry, it's only temporary." (Rachel)

Lamperogue leaned forward, his interest piqued. "What kind of challenge do you have in mind?"

Rachel smiled. "We'll get to that."

Rumia and Lutessa exchanged a glance, their excitement evident.

Vesta, for once, seemed interested as he stopped stuffing his face with food and listened.

Vestaʼs sister, Myne, was also present. But she remained silent.

Lirien, for her part, sat quietly, sipping her drink. Archibald looked at her curiously.

...

Lirien finally introduced herself to the group, explaining that she was a Rank B adventurer from the Sohfrost Guild in the Castain territory.

As she spoke, Rachel listened intently before adding further information.

During the Ranker Season, Rachel came across Lirien in the Castain territory and Lirien had given her a challenge.

Rachel was so impressed by Lirien's skills that she decided to recruit her for this particular quest.

"(So the cat chickʼs a Rank B, impressive..)" (Archibald)

Vesta, his mouth still filled with food, interrupted, "That's why you wanted to see Lamperogue and me at the end of the Ranker Season!"

Rachel nodded with a chuckle and agreed.

"You two gave me quite the challenge." (Rachel)

She then turned to Archibald.

"And as for you, we fought this morning and I knew I had to have you on my team." (Rachel)

"Cool I guess," said Archibald after slurping his grape juice.

But the truth was, she'd already heard about Archibald from someone, prior to starting the Ranker Season.

Rumia, still confused, asked Rachel a question.

"So, you only wanted to see the people that gave you a challenge during the Ranker Season, what are Lutessa, Myne and I doing here?" (Rumia)

Rachel explained that Lutessa and Rumia were here because they were affiliated with Archibald and Lamperogue. 

Rumia nodded her understanding.

Myne, Vesta's sister, spoke up, "So the same goes for me?"

Rachel gave her a thumbs up and a sly grin. "Yes! You're involved because Vesta's involved!"

Vesta laughed heartily, causing Myne to roll her eyes.

"Big brother, could you swallow your food before talking, please?" Myne begged.

Vesta quickly complied and apologized to his sister. "Sorry, Myne, I couldn't help myself."

Myne gave him a stern look. "You should be more careful, Vesta. You'll end up choking yourself one day."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Vesta gave his sister a mock glare.

Vesta was 23 years old.

Myne was 17 years old.

Conversely, he was the older of the two.

"I love the food here!" Vesta exclaimed.

'These people laugh too loudly,' Lamperogue thought.

Archibald furrowed his brow, his concern etched clear on his face.

"Rachel, how is it that you travelled through three territories in the Ixtal Kingdom and didn't find many worthy opponents?" (Archibald)

Lamperogue nodded, agreeing with his associate. "He's right, it doesn't make sense that we were the only ones who stood out."

Rachel took a sip of her water before responding. "Most of the adventurers who took my challenge actually weren't high-ranking adventurers. They were newbies who were looking to level up fast."

Vesta chimed in, "That makes sense, considering the fact that we were all relatively new to this."

Rachel continued, "Also, since the Ranker Season is an impromptu event hosted every year, no one knows the particular week it might be. As such, Rank A adventurers or higher may have left the guild on a quest or were busy with other things."

「Unfortunately, due to the impromptu nature of the Ranker Season event, many individuals were unable to participate unless they happened to be in the same location as the event. Any Ranker was able to initiate the event in any part of the Eses continent and determine the length of the event. As a result, those residing in the Beldris Kingdom of the Zenoa Empire were unable to partake in the event this year unless they made the decision to travel from their Kingdom to Ixtal.」

Myne piped in, her eyes focused on Rachel. "So this quest is important to you then?"

Rachel looked at her, and then at the others before letting out a deep breath. "Yes, it is."

Archibald leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Rachel. "So, what's this quest you're on about now?"

Rachel, taken aback by Archibald's sudden question, cleared her throat before responding. "Well, it's not just any quest. It's an important one that only Rankers are assigned. A commission."

Lutessa tilted her head in confusion. "A commission? What is that Miss Rachel?"

Rachel shifted in her seat before answering.

"Well, since Rankers are somewhat special adventurers who have surpassed the rank of a guild. We are the best of the best, and we're only given these special quests called commissions." (Rachel)

Rumia chimed in, her voice bordering on excitement. "Do these commissions pay more than normal quests?"

Rachel chuckled. "Yes, they do. But that's not the only reason why they're so sought after. Commissions can be anything – from slaying fearsome monsters to resolving seemingly unsolvable conflicts between nations."

Vesta whistled, impressed. "That sounds like a really difficult set of quests."

Lamperogue nodded in agreement. "It is. And that's why only Rankers are given them, try to keep up Vesta."

"Hey?!" (Vesta)

"..." (Lamperogue)

Lutessa fidgeted in her seat, her eyes wide with fear.

"W-what if we're tasked with slaying a dragon? I don't think I can do something so scary!" (Rachel)

Archibald patted her head reassuringly.

Lutessa calmed down a bit.

She was know for doing something called "catastrophizing."

Simply put, thinking up the worst possible scenario.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be scared of. We're a team, and we'll handle whatever comes our way." (Archibald)

Rumia scoffed, but there was a hint of fear in her eyes as well.

"Yeah, there's no need to be scared. But, just to be safe, we're not fighting any dragons, right? Right?" (Rumia)

Lirien chimed in, her voice full of discomfort. "The mere thought of fighting a dragon makes my skin crawl."

Rachel smiled. "Don't worry, guys. We're not fighting dragons. But this commission is important, and we need to give it our all."

The team exhaled a sigh of relief, except for Lamperogue, who seemed to be calm as ever.