Chapter 13: Members

"Huh? A party?" I muttered in confusion, seeking clarification. "A party, what do you mean?"

"Yes, a party! Didn't I tell you?" Don responded, striking a thoughtful pose. "Huh, guess I didn't… well, Reo. This is our adventurer's party."

An adventurer's party, it suddenly dawned on me. I was in a world of magic, after all—a fantasy realm where the concept of adventurer parties made perfect sense. The realization sparked a flicker of interest within me, an urge to delve into the thrill of quests and embark on various adventures. It's the stuff of every kid's dreams, but regrettably, not mine.

Sure, the allure of adventuring seemed undeniable—fun, excitement, and a hint of danger. Yet, I had made a conscious decision to lead a quiet, slow life. 

The idea of taking on quests and job requests contradicted my pursuit of a serene existence. Despite the appeal, I had no intention of deviating from my commitment to a life free from the hustle and bustle of adventurous escapades.

If there's one thing I've learned from my past life of watching anime and reading light novels, it's that the life of an adventurer goes hand in hand with danger. Sure, the prospect of excitement is undeniable, but the risks are equally high.

 Yet, here I stood, faced with a peculiar situation—a group of kids seemingly playing adventurer.

"So, what do you say?" Don inquired, his eyes brimming with lively jade. His enthusiasm for me to join the group was palpable. 

I discreetly glanced at the other kids, noting the questionable gazes, particularly from Leon, still fixed on me as if his eyes were attempting to swear and curse.

 I wasn't dense enough to overlook that.

"Ah well, I'm- I'm not quite sure, really…" Despite the so-called 'formal welcome,' it was evident I wasn't exactly embraced into the group. However, Don seemed oblivious to this reality.

"Eh? What are you talking about, it'll be fun. C'mon!" Don protested, persistently pushing for my inclusion. It was clear I wasn't the most desired addition, especially with the dissatisfied expressions on everyone's faces, though they chose to remain silent.

Caught in a dilemma, I stole glances at the varied expressions, including Don's brightly gleaming face. After a contemplative pause, a resigned sigh escaped my lips.

"O-okay, I will." The dissatisfaction on the others' faces became more apparent, but they chose to keep their reservations quiet. The decision to join this peculiar group of young adventurers had been made, bringing with it an unspoken tension in the air.

"Great! Then you'll have to know our job class and the roles we play. Leon, you go first."

"Leon, Knight."

"Kyle, Guide."

"Trise, Crusader."

"Lia, Priest."

 "Don, Hero!"

Hero? They all disclosed their roles, but Don said something unexpected. "Hero?" I leak out.

"Yeah! I'm the hero, which makes us the hero's party." Don said striking up a weird pose.

Of course. Guess I joined the hero's party…yay, lucky me.

"So, what role are you going to play. If it's the hero, forget it! I'm not giving it up without a fight!" Don said aggressivy, growling like a hound.

"N-no! No! No! I don't plan on taking your role." I waved.

"Hold on!" Trise said with her look of dissatisfaction even more obvious. "Before he can formally join us, I'd like to see how good he is first." She says with a grin as she popped her knuckles.

"What?" Kyle leaked out with a short gasp.

Yeah, what?

This was supposed to be role playing. Ain't no need to take it seriously.

As I thought this, Triste popped her knuckles with a very disturbing smile plastered in her face sent at me.

"So, as the crusader of the party, I'd like to personally test him out first." She was enjoying this. I quickly got that feeling.

I suspected but this just proved it. She's the wild kind who would pummel anyone irrespective of who they are. Her kind seriously scares me.

Even the others including Leon were dazed and slightly bewildered by the declaration and Trise's sudden action. Despite that, no one stepled up to stop her.

"Ah, that wouldn't be necessary. Reo is alright. He took out Mitch with a single punch and broke his nose. You wouldn't want to know how that feels, right?" Don said bluntly while waving dismissively at Trise.

...

"…Eh?" x4

Gasps escaped the lips of the four.

"...I-I see…"

"Wait, no! that's not it. That's not how it went. It was an accident. Yeah a mistake!" 

 "Wait, so you mistakenly broke Mitch's nose with a punch?"

"Come on, Reo. You don't have to be so modest." Don said giving me a little pat on the shoulder, and smiling smugly.

'Don! Why you…now I've got no chance of making them like me. You've ruined my childhood.'

"So now that that's all settled, let's go questing, guys! C'mon!" Don moved on to change the flow like nothing ever happened.