"Then, as of today, the Superd Adventurers' Party is officially formed!"
In the noisy tavern of the Adventurers' Guild, Rudeus struck an exaggerated pose and made his spirited announcement to the room.
"Heh. Some adventurers' party. Just a few wet-behind-the-ears brats. You haven't even grown up yet, and you're already talking big?"
Laughter swept through the tavern. Mocking gazes fell on Rudeus, Eris, and Rujierd.
More than a few eyes lingered on the young red-haired woman, their greed undisguised.
The leering made Eris's skin crawl. She gripped the bandage-wrapped King Dragon Sword on her back and was about to draw it when Rudeus stopped her.
"Why are you stopping me? Look at their eyes. They're up to no good."
"You can't judge what's in someone's heart just by their eyes, Eris. Trust me." Rudeus flashed a smug grin.
Good. I've finally got everyone's attention. Once we make a name for ourselves, taking jobs and gathering information will be much easier. Then we can clear Rujierd's name, and that'll settle everything.
Lost in his plans, he failed to notice Cain and Alexander's expressions darkening by the tavern door.
The gap between seasoned fighters and novice adventurers had never been clearer.
Cain could sense several malicious gazes in the tavern's rough crowd, all fixed firmly on Rudeus and his companions.
"What are you laughing at? Think we're easy targets? This is my big brother, a warrior chief of the Superd Tribe!"
Still playing to the crowd, Rudeus gestured toward Rujierd. He failed to notice that the warrior chief had tightened his grip on his trident, keenly aware of the danger gathering around them.
"My big brother's a top-tier fighter who can defeat an army of three hundred all by himself!"
"That's enough..."
At the faint scrape of a sword being drawn, Cain