Chapter 24: A change in tone

The guild hall was teeming with tension as the summoned adventurers crowded in, unsure of the reason for their gathering. The crowd was a diverse mix of individuals, ranging from heavily armored fighters to lightly clad rogues.

At the center of the room stood a striking figure, dressed in gleaming silver armor. His blue hair flowed around him and his piercing blue eyes surveyed the room, taking in the throngs of people. In his hand, he held a sword that matched the blue of his eyes.

"That's the Frost Devil." A member of a crowd said.

"Wait what?! Why is a bigshot like him here?" Another responded.

"Nah this guy should've been the one to defeat the Demon Queen. Frost Devil? He got a cool title and I'm just a nobody so why was I picked for this shit man?" Ethan thought to himself.

The man in silver armor thrust his sword into the ground with a swift, powerful motion. The blade sunk deep into the earth, its blue light illuminating the immediate area around it.

As the sword made contact with the ground, the earth near it began to freeze over, a layer of frost and ice creeping outwards from the point of impact.

The once-active room fell into a hush, as everyone present turned their attention to the man in silver armor, and the display of power he had just demonstrated. The sword was frozen in the ground, like an ice sculpture.

"As you all know Javlem has fallen. It was not the first town taken by the demon queen but we shall make sure it is the last. We are adventurers. Some may call us heroes or soldiers. If you claim any of those titles then listen and listen well. If you wish to keep being an adventurer and claim any of those titles then you will march to Javlem with me and we will reclaim it. I don't care about your rank. I don't care about your age. I don't care about your health. If you for whatever reason do not march with me then you will be permanently banned from being an adventurer." The man said.

The crowd was shocked and angered by this speech.

"That's absurd!"

"That's a suicide mission!"

"Why do lower ranks have to do this?"

Ethan's face was etched with fear, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides, and he seemed to be barely holding himself together.

Lucy, on the other hand, looked furious. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were pressed into a thin line as she glared at Ethan. She could see the fear in his eyes, and it made her angrier.

"Do you plan on running away again?" Lucy asked

"N-no but I-" Ethan said.

"Then why are you scared?"

"I- I- Blake was right. W-we're not heroes. I'm not brave or strong. I can't even use my weapon properly."

"What about during the golem raid? You ran towards that golem without a moment's hesitation and shot it. Sure you were useless after two shots but you still did something. You didn't run away."

"Lucy's right. You're useless but at least you tried to make yourself useful." Charlotte chimed in.

Ethan took a deep breath in, his chest rising and falling as he steeled himself for what was to come. He then stood tall, his shoulders back and his chin held high. His expression changed from one of fear and uncertainty to one of confidence and determination.

His eyes, which had been wide and panicked before, now narrowed, focused, and determined. His jaw set firmly, and his lips pressed into a thin line as he prepared himself for the task ahead. Lucy looked at him with a mix of surprise and pride, her anger dissipating.

"A brave coward." Charlotte chuckled.

"A hurtful healer," Ethan responded.

The Frost Devil strode confidently towards the quest board, his armor clinking with each step. Without hesitation, he reached up and tore down all the papers that were tacked to it, letting them flutter to the ground.

His gaze swept across the crowd of adventurers, his voice ringing out loud and clear.

"Get a piece of paper, and write your name if you're going to Javlem. We leave in the morning. If your paper is not here by then you are done being an adventurer forever."

The room was silent for a moment as the gravity of the situation sunk in. Then, people began to move, some heading for the supply table to grab quills and parchment, others murmuring to each other in hushed tones.

Ethan, Charlotte, and Lucy all approached the quest board, their determination written on their faces. Ethan found a piece of paper and a pen and quickly scrawled his name on it, his hand steady and sure. Charlotte followed suit, her writing neat and precise.

Lucy, meanwhile, scribbled her name on a piece of parchment, her expression fierce and determined. They each pinned their names to the board, their signatures standing out among the rest.

"Sooo Lucy. Do I get a kiss for being all brave and confident?" Ethan asked.

"No."

"Well- Mess my love you can take her place."

"You're a pervert and I would never do anything like that for you. EVER!" Charlotte responded.

"Why not?"

"For starters, you should maybe call ME by MY OWN NAME. And secondly, stop being a piece of SHIT!"

Ethan had a wide grin on his face, his eyes sparkling with pride as he looked at Charlotte. He had finally heard her curse for the first time. To him, it showed how they were growing closer.

The adventurer's door creaked open slowly, its hinges protesting against the weight of the wood.

The door seemed to be heavy as if it was made of thick oak and reinforced with iron. The door opened just enough to reveal a figure standing on the other side.

It was Blake, he was dressed in a torn-up black hood, his clothing was tattered and his face was serious. He looked like he had been through a lot, his face was covered in grime and dirt, and his hair was wild and unkempt.

"Oh, shit yo Blake. It's been like a month bro I thought you died."

"Shut up dickhead. I'm here because I was summoned."

"I mean you're a little bit late bro. Were you smashing a baddie or something?"

"Dude, I don't think you understand how far it wa- never mind that's beside the point why were we summoned?"

"Oh yeah we gotta go to Javlem and if we don't we can't be adventurers anymore."

Blake looked at Ethan with a stoic expression, his face showing no emotion or reaction to the news. Ethan, on the other hand, was surprised by Blake's bravery and composure, feeling a twinge of fear and uncertainty in his own heart as he looked at his friend.

"Are you not scared?"

"No. I changed."

"Holyshit! Did you become overpowered?!"

"No. I'm still incompetent."

"What the- then how have you changed?"

"I know how to use my sword. But I can't use it properly because of my weak ass magic. So I'm going to have a harder time doing anything."

As Charlotte and Lucy approached Blake, his expression grew increasingly annoyed as he looked at Lucy.

Blake and Lucy stood facing each other, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. Blake's expression was one of annoyance and irritation, while Lucy's was one of determination and resolve. Ethan and Charlotte, standing to the side, looked on with confusion, unsure of what was happening between the two.

"You didn't tell me the sword master was you're grandfather Lucy. And you also didn't tell me that he would keep me, hostage, for a month. "

"Oh yeah sorry about that."

"SORRY? HE LIPLODED THE WHOLE LAND JUST LIKE HOW YOU DO! WE DIDN'T HAVE A HEALER ON STANDBY SO I HAD TO WAIT FOR HOURS FOR ONE TO COME!"

"That's odd. He stopped being a mage a while ago why did he use magic like that?"

"He said he did it to demonstrate his true power!"

"Oh yeah, he does have a bit of an ego."

Blake then looked at the quest board and saw more papers than usual on it.

Blake walked towards the quest board, his eyes focused on the papers posted on it, and let go of his anger. He scanned the board, his eyes darting back and forth as he read the names of the other adventurers who had signed up for the quest to reclaim Javlem.

Blake with a steady hand, wrote his name on a blank piece of paper and pinned it to the board.

The three then approached Blake just as he pinned his paper to the board.

"So are you all ready to be incompetent together?" Blake asked.

"It really is just you and Ethan who are incompetent." Charlotte responded