“This sucks!” It was the voice of a lady that rung out through the grassy field.

The sun was in its zenith with little clouds blocking it. It was a fine day for a walk if one might say.

But certainly, it was not fine enough for Liliana.

“Do we really have to carry this?” She said. A bag was full of necessities such as rations, ropes, and maps.

“Of course, being prepared is one of the fundamentals of adventuring.” He said.

“Eeehh? But it's really different from video games and light novels that I've read...” She muttered something incomprehensible again.

This was not the first time it happened. She would often say something like “isekai” or “cheat power” that makes no sense to him.

And what he was most surprised about was the fact that she complained about how magic works.

“Why is there no HP and MP! I can't see my level dammit! Why I can't use magic repeatedly, can I just drink mana potion and use magic again!?”

It was truly strange. A wizard that complains about magic...Strange...

But even with all that complaining, he cannot help but feel amazement just by looking at her. A treasure of mystery, that what she was like.

“Then what will we do if we have to fight?” She said.

“Then drop the bag”

“... I just don't get it... Why do we need a rope?”

“You'll be surprised at how much adventurer uses rope”

Their destination was a cave located at the border. Villager feared that goblins would attack their home.

“Are we there yet?” Liliana asked. Even though the sunlight was strong, the wind was cold due to winter arriving just around the corner.

Leaves started to die out, animals and monsters were busy preparing for hibernation.

“Are goblins scary?” Liliana was glancing around the grassy field. She was just like a village kid entering a town for the first time.

She couldn't keep her head in one direction as she looked at everything that moved.

“Yes. Followers of chaos are scary in general.”

“But like, they are not strong right?” She said. It seems that she has some knowledge about goblins.

“True. But their cunningness is nothing to laugh at. They are not afraid to do something vile just to get what they want.”

“Heeeh...”She said.

“You will see it after we get there” He grunted.

And so they did. The day was still up when they arrived at the cave.

It was just an ordinary cave, nothing conspicuous about it.

From his bag, he took out a torch and lighted it up with flint and stone.

“Stay close to me, always look behind your back,” He said, instructing Liliana.

Maybe because he was a paladin, that his word carried authority and discipline.

“How many spells you can use?” He asked. Manipulating the fabric of reality was never an easy task, that's why one could only do them for a limited number of times.

“I have four 1st level spell, two 2nd level spell, and four free spells”

Spells are divided from 1st to 10th level. With 1st being the weakest and 10th being the strongest, but the power of 1st spell is not weak, it just pales in comparison on what 10th level spell can do.

Free spells are spells that can be used without preparing for it in advance, and you can use it again after short rest, unlike the normal spell that can only be used again after a long rest.

After telling him all the spell she has prepared for today, they entered the cave.

The moist and damp feeling attached Liliana right after she stepped in. The light was enough to see what was before them but not strong enough to reveal what was around them.

She did what Darwyn told her to stay close and watched her back. While walking, Darwyn suddenly stopped and caused Liliana to bump his back.

“H-hey, what's the matter?”

“They are here... Put down your bag”

“They...?”

Sound of footsteps. The screams and laughter echoed the cave. It was an inhumane noise that no sane being would make.

He readied his shield and sword, while Liliana held to her staff tightly.

Her heart beating fast, nervousness, and excitement override her body. The thrill and fear of fighting that she experienced the first time overwhelmed her.

This time, she only had Darwyn and herself to rely on.

That one goblin that was too excited it jumped, was the mark of the fight.

Almost instantly, the head of that said goblin flew as the sword of Darwyn passed through its neck.

“GYAAAA!”

The comrade left behind cried in anger, grasping their weapon tightly and headed for Darwyn.

“Raia...Ab...Pruina...! Cold Spray!”

From the back, a bone-chilling gust blew. It came from the staff of Liliana. Everything the blew air touched was enveloped by ice.

But the spell was not directed at the goblin—no, the target was the wet damp ground.

The floor turned icy, making it hard for the goblin in front of Darwyn to stumble.

Goblin from the back, not realizing what's happening, continued their running and pushed the one in the front.

Goblins fell from the slippery ground and slid towards Darwyn, who is waiting to strike them with his sword.

Crushed by the shield, stumped by the metallic boots and sliced by the sword. Liliana wondered who in the earth could he move like that while wearing plate armor.

Seeing the blood spluttered and gore everywhere, her stomach turned upsidedown, but she was strong enough to hold it in and continue watching the fight.

“Acere...Plasio...—”

Then, she heard something from behind. She quickly turned around and saw one goblin making a hideous face.

“Acid Bubble!” A bubble that was made of acid rushed to the goblin. The goblin skin melted, the meat burnt, but it was not enough to kill it.

Angered by Liliana, the goblin took steps way too heavy for its size.

“GYaaAYAyayAYYAAAAaA!” It screamed at her in rage.

Preparing another spell would take too much time. The goblin was injured, he cannot see properly, even Liliana could take something like that.

The dagger in her waist, she grabbed it in panic.

“GyaaAaAaAAAAAAaaAAA!”

“Kyaaa!”

The goblin ran to her. Everything happened so fast, all that she knows was she took out the dagger and stabbed the goblin in the throat.

The soft flesh and brittle bone were transmitted by the dagger to her. She let go of the dagger as she looked horrified at what she had done.

When she looked at Darwyn, he was already finished killing off the goblins, the fresh meat of goblin lied underneath him wafting a strong smell of iron.

She threw up.

***

It did not take a while for them to complete the quest.

It was already evening when they arrived back in the guild.

Darwyn took care of the reporting and let Liliana rest for a while.

The time for adventurers to celebrate for their win and mourn for their loss has come. Once again, the guild was crowded.

Liliana, despite the fact that she completed her first quest, was not happy at all.

She felt that something important inside her was missing, perhaps stolen when she took the life of that one goblin.

What was it? She does not know. That was why she also does not know what to do or how to handle herself right now.

Perhaps she would get drunk, like all the other adventurers? Alcohol could only do much, once the effect goes away, the problem will come back along with the intense headache.

She buried her head into the table with her arms covering her face.

“If want to stay long as an adventurer, you should be used to that feeling.”

Darwyn sat before carrying the payment for the quest.

He dropped a bag of copper coins, which scattered on the wooden table.

“I hate this kind of feeling” She muttered.

“...It had to be done. If the goblins were not dealt with, soon they will attack the village, and you know what will happen after that.”

Though he tried to offer consolation, it became more of a lecture.

“Still... Is there magic to dispel this kind of feeling?”

Darwyn chuckled. Liliana was truly a strange one.

“No, I don't think anyone would create such spell”

“Then I will create one dammit!”

“I would love to see that”

Soft laughter can be heard inside his helmet.

Liliana placed both her hands on the table and peer into his helmet.

“We're inside the guild, why are you still wearing the helmet? Do you have, like, a scar on your face or something?”

“I don't have one.”

“Is that true? Let me look!” She reached for the head of Darwyn but he was too tall even when sitting that she could only touch his chest.

“Let me look!” She said cheerfully.

“No.” He replied.

“No fair!” She then laughed.

If she can laugh like this, then I don't have anything to worry about.

Her mood finally returned to normal, she hummed a little tune as she watched the surrounding.

“By the way.” She said, then put on a curious expression “What's the highest rank of adventurer this guild has?” she added.

Having a C-ranked and below is pretty standard, having B-ranked adventurer is rare, having an A-ranked—well, the guild must be loved by the gods.

Of course, S-ranked adventurer is out of the question as there are none in this era.

“A-rank.” He said.

“Whoa! That's so high! Then what rank are you?”

“A-rank”

“Wha... WHAT!?”

Her scream blended extremely well into the chatter and laughter of the adventurer around her.

“A...A-ranked!? That's like, you're the second strongest human right!?”

“I am not the second strongest, I'm not even one of the strongest.”

“B-but reaching that high means something right!? How long have you been adventuring!?”

She was really fired up.

“I think it's been 8 years now”

“8 years... Eh!? You're an old geezer!? I didn't know!”

“I'm not... I started adventuring when I was 14”

“Isn't that like, illegal?”

“It is”

“Fuhahahaha! To think that a servant of Aversia would break the law!” She slammed the table repeatedly as she held her stomach.

“Well, I'm not a paladin at that time, I'm just a regular fighter in my younger days”

“You sounded like an old geezer right now”

“I won't deny that”

She finally knew the reason why he was so calm, knowledgeable about adventuring.

A-rank huh?

This is the first time she had met one. She heard a tale of A-ranked party saving a continent from a wicked demon lich but she did not know if it was true or just a work of fiction.

But you know, I have something too, that will surprise you...

She rested her chin to her palm as she smiled at Darwyn.

Would he believe, if she told her that she was actually originated from another world?