Kazuki, Elara, and Garron stood before the quest board, scanning the parchment slips pinned to it. Dozens of tasks were listed—from gathering herbs to hunting beasts.

  “Look at this one,” Garron pointed. “Goblin extermination. Ten silver coins per goblin?”

  Elara’s eyes widened. “That’s… a lot. But it’s ranked for D-rank adventurers.”

  Kazuki raised an eyebrow. “We’re G-rank.”

  Garron scratched his cheek. “Yeah, but with all three of us… I mean, goblins can’t be that strong, right?”

  Elara looked uneasy. “I-I don’t know… I’ve heard stories… they work in groups. And they’re... nasty.”

  Kazuki narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. He didn’t know much about goblins either, but it was the best-paying quest they could find.

  “We’ll be cautious,” he said. “Stick together. If anything goes wrong, we fall back.”

  Elara hesitated, but finally nodded. “Okay…”

  They approached the receptionist again, who was sorting papers behind the desk. She smiled when she saw them.

  “Back already? Decided on a quest?”

  Kazuki handed her the goblin extermination slip.

  She blinked. “Oh… this one’s listed for D-ranks.”

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  “We’ll manage,” Kazuki said confidently.

  The receptionist looked them over. “Are you sure? Goblins may seem small, but they’re dangerous in groups. It’s not uncommon for newbies to get hurt—or worse.”

  Garron stepped forward. “We’ll be careful! We have a healer too!”

  The receptionist hesitated, then gave a small sigh and stamped the quest paper. “Alright, but please promise me you’ll turn back if it’s too much.”

  “We will,” Elara said quickly, clutching her staff tightly.

  ---

  The trio made their way to the nearby forest where goblins had been spotted.

  As they ventured deeper into the trees, the light dimmed and a foul smell reached their noses.

  “I think we’re close,” Kazuki whispered, drawing his iron dagger.

  Garron unsheathed his cheap sword, his hands trembling slightly.

  “I’m… I’m ready,” Elara said quietly, staff glowing with a soft healing aura.

  They crept through the underbrush—and then, from behind the trees, came guttural growls.

  Three goblins leapt out, their yellow eyes gleaming.

  “Here they come!” Kazuki barked.

  The first goblin rushed Kazuki, only for him to sidestep and slash its side with his dagger. The creature screeched.

  Another went for Garron. He blocked with his sword, gritting his teeth as he barely held it off.

  “Elara, heal!” Kazuki shouted.

  Elara raised her staff. “Light of Mend!”

  A warm glow wrapped around Garron as he pushed the goblin back and stabbed it through the chest.

  The third goblin lunged at Elara—but Kazuki was faster. He flung his dagger like a projectile. It struck the goblin in the neck. It gurgled and fell.

  All three goblins lay dead within minutes.

  “Y-You threw your weapon?” Elara gasped.

  Kazuki retrieved it, eyes sharp. “I’ll buy a better one soon. But for now, this works.”

  Garron wiped blood from his blade. “We did it… We actually did it!”

  But then—more growls.

  Five more goblins emerged from the trees, snarling.

  “This is bad!” Elara panicked.

  Kazuki took a step forward, eyes glowing faintly with magic. “Stay behind me.”

  ---

  The fight was longer. Kazuki moved with instinct and precision, slashing, dodging, and unleashing raw magical force without incantations—a shock to both Garron and Elara.

  “W-What was that?!” Garron exclaimed after Kazuki burned a goblin mid-charge with a flameless burst of energy.

  “I… I don’t know. I just felt something stir,” Kazuki muttered, panting.

  When the final goblin was slain, they collapsed onto the grass.

  “You were amazing, Kazuki,” Elara said softly. “You saved us...”

  “I just did what needed to be done,” he replied, trying to steady his breathing.

  ---

  Back at the guild, the receptionist gasped seeing the goblin ears they brought as proof.

  “T-This many?! And you’re G-rank?!”

  The guild master, a stern man with a grey beard, was called in. After a long back-and-forth discussion, he finally scratched his head and sighed.

  “You took on a D-rank quest and succeeded. Against protocol… but impressive.”

  He looked down at the three of them.

  “I’m promoting all of you to D-rank, effective immediately. But don’t get cocky. Next time, follow the damn rules.”

  “Yes, sir!” Garron beamed.

  Elara breathed a sigh of relief.

  Kazuki just gave a small nod, eyes glinting with something darker.