Crowds of people gathered in the town square during the busiest time of day. They sold wares and drew customers into their stalls and stands.

  A hooded woman in a white robe, carrying a long white staff, weaved through the throng. She scanned the buildings, searching for something.

  Sweat rolled down her face as she shifted the heavy traveling pack on her back. She stopped, clicked her tongue, and tugged her hood lower to block the sun.

  "Good afternoon, madam. Would an Ice Persimmon interest you?"

  A man wearing dark-tinted glasses and a wide-brimmed hat held out a bluish-white fruit from behind his fruit stall.

  The woman's irritated expression melted into a smile when she saw the fruit. She reached into a bag on her side and pulled out a round bronze coin.

  "This fruit brings back memories. Would a bronze be enough for two?"

  "It would be enough for three."

  The fruit seller accepted the money and wrapped the three Ice Persimmons in a giant green leaf. He handed the wrapped fruit to the woman, who smiled and thanked him.

  "I'm glad you're in better spirits now," the fruit seller said, dropping the bronze coins in his collection box.

  "It's not my business, but you looked frustrated a moment ago."

  The woman's face grew dark and annoyed again. She unwrapped a fruit from the green leaf and put the rest into a bag hanging from her belt.

  "I'm looking for a group, but they gave vague directions. I'm not from here, so I'm struggling to find them."

  "That does seem troublesome. I'm only a traveling merchant myself, but I do know a few places around here. Would you mind describing this group for me?"

  "Very large, and based on the information I've gathered about them, very unruly and violent."

  He stroked his chin and nodded.

  "They're probably at Dunbar's Inn on the far side of town. It's the only place that would host a group like that. Large groups beyond family are rare here," the fruit seller said as he pulled out a pen and notebook.

  "Let me write the address down."

  Resting her staff on her arm, she bit into the icy fruit, shivering with delight while he scribbled.

  "Nothing cools you down like an Ice Persimmon in a hot town."

  "That's why I sell them. Here's the address."

  He tore out the page and handed it to her with a smile. She thanked him again and resumed her search for this elusive group.

  ***

  She crossed town and found herself in front of Dunbar's Inn. A large but clearly run-down wooden building with its name crudely painted in yellow onto several planks over the entrance.

  The woman walked through the double doors and saw a depressed-looking man standing behind a counter. He stared at the rotting wooden floor, his eyes heavy with bags.

  "Forty gold a night or thirty-five a night if you pay weekly."

  The man spoke without looking up, in a deadpan, shaky voice.

  "Forty a night? Isn't that steep?"

  "Yes, but that blasted—ahem, 'honorable' Staff Hero rented out ninety percent of my rooms with a custom price. I ain't making much from this, so I have to raise prices."

  "Staff Hero? That's who I'm looking for. Is he here?"

  The man sighed as his shoulders slumped.

  "There's more of you? Whatever. He's in the dining hall, far back, playing cards."

  The woman walked past the counter and stairway, entering a massive dining area filled with roughnecks. They loudly laughed, drank, and ate at their round tables.

  Each rowdy table quieted down or let out a low whistle as the woman walked past them.

  She pushed forward toward the center of the rowdiness at the back of the dining hall, where a dozen people were loudly playing cards at the largest round table.

  They stopped their game and jumped to their feet as soon as they noticed the woman approaching.

  They drew their weapons on the woman, who only stared back at them unafraid with a firm grip on her staff. She studied each face until she found the person who stood out the most to her.

  A single man with pitch-black hair remained seated at the table with his playing cards still in hand.

  He tapped his finger on the game table, bringing the attention back to him so he could signal for them all to sit down.

  They all followed the man's silent orders, putting away their weapons and returning to their seats.

  The man smirked as he studied the woman from head to toe.

  "You're the new Healer, right? Only a Healer would be decked out in a white fit like that."

  "Yes. You hired me through the Adventurer's Guild. My name is Milletta Conji, a Healer of the second rank, but you can call me Mill. I'm proficient in both Shield Mysteria and healing Mysteria."

  "Nice. Our last Healer was a scatterbrain who quit because she was mentally weak. But I can tell that you're no slouch with Mana like that. I'm so glad I don't have to hire a Druid or that nightmare fuel Revira."

  The man placed his cards down, rose to his feet, and walked over to Mill. He extended a hand.

  "My name is Alister Black, the one and only Staff Hero of Arekia and your new employer."

  Mill studied his towering frame and face. He smiled, but his eyes seemed to leer into her soul. She ignored his gaze and shook his hand anyway.

  "People with your dark skin aren't usually around these parts of Arekia. Are you Jhasi? A half? No, you're too dark to be a half," Alister said, his eyes continuing to bore into Mill.

  Mill quickly released Alister's hand but didn't break eye contact.

  "I am of Jhasi descent, but we're not as rare in Arekia as you might think."

  "Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter to me. I want you to Recite Heal so I don't have to do it myself. Healing Mysteria Skills are Mana extensive and a pain to use."

  Alister brought his right hand to his side. White light flowed into existence and gathered in Alister's hand before forming a white shotgun with gold branches woven into it.

  Everyone around the table began to murmur as Alister aimed the shotgun between Mill's eyes.

  "You see, I like using my Mana to blow things up, not put things back together like you Healers."

  Sweat rolled down Mill's face as she narrowed her eyes at Alister.

  "Are you threatening me?"

  Deathly silence filled the dining hall as Alister continued to point his shotgun at Mill's head.

  "Ooh, you got guts. There's still some fire in those eyes. I like you! I'm only testing your mettle a bit as I do with each recruit. Some pansies get a little gun-shy around me," Alister said, lifting the shotgun and resting it on his shoulder.

  Alister leaned back to dodge a metal tankard aimed at his head as a sturdy hand grabbed his collar.

  A muscular young man with low-cut brown hair and an axe strapped to his back bared his teeth at Alister, who only smiled and raised his hand in surrender.

  "Idiot! I step away for one moment, and you fly off the handle! I told you not to mess around with the new Healer! What if she quits because of your antics?"

  "Klint, I didn't make any passes at her, I swear. Besides, she doesn't deserve to be in my party if she's timid and submits like a dog. My party is for the strong and free after all."

  Klint released the smirking Alister and turned to the confused Mill.

  "Healer, please forgive the Staff Hero. He has some strange obsessions, but he's like this with everyone who wants to join our party. It won't happen again."

  Mill glanced at the exit. Her feet wanted to lead her away from this place, but the dwindling coins in her purse kept her rooted in place.

  "That was a bit shocking, but it's all water under the bridge if you pay me what you promised in the job description."

  An annoyed expression came over Alister's face at Mill's words.

  "If? There's no 'if' when it comes to your wages in the Staff Hero's party. Of course, you're getting paid if you do the work. I've had many complaints against me during my time in this world, but no one has ever complained about missing payments or in the Staff Hero's party," Alister said as he stepped in front of Klint.

  "You're probably tired from your journey, so let's get you settled in a room. We'll go over the exact terms later."

  He turned toward the stairs on the other side of the dining hall and cupped his hands over his mouth.

  "NPC! Get down here!"

  Silence followed, then heavy clanks that descended the stairs. Mill stared at the stairs, looking for the owner of the strange steps.

  A cluster of bags, monster hides, and crates stepped off the last step of the stairs. More accurately, it was a green-haired boy swamped by a collection of junk.

  The boy hunched over but seemed more annoyed than fatigued by the immense weight on his back.

  Alister clicked his tongue as he walked toward the boy.

  "Why are you carrying around all that junk and stomping around everywhere?"

  "Because we have to pay the inn for staying here. It's not free. Klint told me to sell any loose spoils or monster materials from our previous jobs and dungeon raids. We don't want to dip into anyone's reward money."

  "Ugh, grunt work. Deal with that later. Take these Healer's bags up to an empty room," Alister said, pointing to Mill with his thumb.

  The boy dropped the massive pack to the floor with a resounding thump, drawing the attention of everyone in the dining hall.

  Mill walked up as she glanced from Alister to the boy. She waved off the boy and readjusted the strap on her pack.

  "Oh, there's no need. I can take my bags myself, and I'm not even sure if I'm staying here yet."

  "This is the only inn in this town. I'd recommend you stay here. You don't have to worry about paying either, since we will take care of paying for your board here," Klint said, motioning to the boy with his head.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Ah, then I'll be staying here tonight."

  "Since that's settled, let NPC take your bags. It's his job anyway. Gives the boy something to do and not laze around all day," Alister said while tapping his white shotgun on his shoulder.

  Mill narrowed her eyes at Alister and was about to speak when the boy stepped forward. He extended his hand out with a bright smile.

  "It really is my job. I'm in charge of everyone's luggage and armor. I want to help you carry those bags anyway. Please leave it to me."

  The boy's genuine smile disarmed her. She kept the bag attached to her belt but took off the pack on her back.

  She handed it over to the boy, who gladly accepted it and motioned for her to follow him.

  "Oh, and watch your step. Looks like some of the wood in these stairs is rotting."

  They ascended the stairs, and the boy led Mill past a few dozen doors. He stopped at one of the last doors, opened it, and let Mill in.

  The room was nothing grand with its dresser, nightstand, bed, and a cheaply made chair.

  "Here we are. Will this work for you?" The boy carefully placed Mill's pack on top of the nightstand.

  Mill looked around the room and nodded her head as she rested her white staff against the nightstand, holding the rest of her belongings.

  "Well, I've definitely seen worse, and it's not even that bad. This will work. Thank you."

  Mill plopped onto the bed in exhaustion. The boy's smile dropped as he dusted off the dirt from Mill's bag.

  "This might be a strange question, but did Alister do anything weird to you? You can be honest with me, I won't tell him anything."

  Mill snorted as she sat up and placed her chin in her palm.

  "Do you know the point of aiming a shotgun at someone's face when you first meet them?"

  The boy frowned deeply as he leaned against the wall and shook his head.

  "He did that to you? I'm so sorry. I don't know why he still does stuff like that."

  "Yeah, and he even said something embarrassing about how much he likes to 'blow things up' with his Mana. Who even talks like that?"

  The boy sighed as he lowered his head.

  "Alister talks like that, and I hate it, but we just have to accept it. He could kill us all with the swipe of his finger."

  Mill frowned at the boy's words, but she cleared her throat after some silence passed between them.

  "I didn't get your name. Is NPC your initials?"

  The boy awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

  "No, it's a nickname that Alister gave me, which originated from his homeworld."

  "That's right, Heroes are summoned to our world from the Elseworld. What does NPC mean anyway?"

  "He says it means Noble Person of Character."

  "Really?"

  "Who knows? I'm not from the Elseworld, so it could mean anything. And why should I care anyway? All that matters is that he pays me. My real name is Izick, by the way."

  Izick extended a hand to Mill, who smiled and instantly shook his hands. He scrunched up his face as he looked down at Mill sitting in front of him.

  "Hmm? I smell something."

  Mill shrank back in embarrassment as she turned away.

  "I-I know I've been traveling a lot, and might be sweaty, but do I smell that much?"

  "Oh, sorry, I'm not talking about you. I thought I smelled Ice Persimmons. It's been years since I had one," Izick said as he nervously tried to reassure Mill.

  Mill's eyes went wide. She reached into the bag attached to her belt and pulled out the green leaf wrapping.

  She unfolded the wrapping to reveal the two Ice Persimmons.

  "How did you know I had these on me?" Mill brought the two fruits closer to her nose. "They don't have a very distinct smell that's easy to recognize."

  "That's probably true, but my senses, like my sight, hearing, and sense of smell, are a bit more heightened than your average Humin."

  "Wow, that's an amazing ability to have."

  Mill took an Ice Persimmon from the green leaf and offered it to Izick.

  "You can have this one. You said you haven't had one in years, right?"

  "Ma'am, I can't take your precious food away. Everything is getting more and more expensive in Arekia."

  "Please, I insist. I like sharing food with others. You want one, right?"

  Izick hesitated for a moment, then grabbed one of the fruits and thanked Mill for the food. He took a bite and shivered.

  "Cold fruit is a blessing in hot towns like this."

  "I know, right? Also, Izick, call me Mill, but never 'ma'am'. I'm not that old yet," Mill said, playfully wagging her finger.

  "My bad. Mill it is then."

  Izick chuckled to himself as he moved away from the wall and opened the door to leave.

  "I'll let you go since I have to sell some things at the market, but there's a private bath at the back of the inn you can use whenever you're ready."

  "Noted. Good luck at the market," Mill said before Izick gave her another bright smile and closed the door.

  Mill sniffed her Healer uniform, then bit her lip and shook her head.

  "How embarrassing. I need to buy more fragrances..."

  ***

  The afternoon faded into evening at Dunbar's Inn. The smell of food and drink gave way to serious faces turning toward Alister from their tables.

  Alister leaned back in his chair as he scanned the room full of rough warriors in front of him.

  Klint stood at Alister's left side as Mill, and the rest of the party waited for Alister to speak.

  "I know we have a big job coming up in three weeks, but I just finished talking with a new client. We got another job."

  Excited murmurs sounded out in the dining hall as Alister teased the prospect of a new job.

  "Aye, calm down. Al isn't finished yet," Klint shouted as he crossed his arms, bringing the noise back down.

  "This job won't be chump change like some of our last few. This one was commissioned by the mayor of Kendil himself from the town next door. Everyone's getting a bonus if we do this right."

  The party members erupted into a cheer at the mention of a 'bonus'.

  "Alright, alright, I know I give good bonuses, but I haven't even told you what we're doing yet. Klint, go over the details for me. I forgot most of them."

  Alister motioned for Klint to step forward, which he did with a sigh.

  "The town of Kendil is currently having trouble with bandits who keep raiding them for valuables and kidnapping townsfolk for high ransoms. Our job is to wipe them out, safely take the goods back, and secure the hostages. Of course, this job won't be easy because of the location and who we're facing."

  The party grumbled as Klint's expression became more severe.

  "We're facing the Bands of Iron, and they've made a former royal storage outpost their base."

  A collective groan rang out with a few long swears.

  "Klint! I know we fight bandits all the time, but this might be too much for our youngins. These Bands of Iron practically rule the underworld!"

  An older dwarf said as he banged his axe into the wood flooring, causing other party members to nod or grunt in agreement. Klint raised his hand.

  "Look, we'll be facing a branch of the Bands of Iron, but not their main forces. Also, have you forgotten? Victory is ours as long as we have the Staff Hero," Klint said with a clenched fist in a practiced motion.

  "We're the Staff Hero's party, so a gathering of punks is nothing to us."

  Klint nodded toward Alister, who rose to his feet and spread out his arms for effect.

  "I've been carrying this party on my back since day one, and now you start asking questions? If you follow me, the strongest Hero, then you will become strong as well. Don't forget this, you scoundrels. We will strike before dawn."

  The Staff Hero's party began to hype themselves up after Klint's reassurances and Alister's brief pep talk, but Mill frowned as she raised her hand.

  "Excuse me. I haven't been here long, but I do have a question. Isn't tomorrow a bit soon? I know this isn't the main branch, but this is still the infamous Bands of Iron. I've heard many stories about the destructive power of the Staff Hero, but charging in with no plan when we have goods and hostages to retrieve sounds like a disaster."

  Mill stared at Klint and Alister, awaiting an answer. All eyes converged on her as party members muttered around her, but she remained steady.

  "Are you questioning me?" Alister narrowed his eyes and cocked his head.

  Klint quickly cleared his throat.

  "I forgot you literally joined us today, Ms. Conji, so you're new to this. This speed isn't unusual for us. I agree that going in without a plan is unwise, but our scouting is effective enough for us to act quickly and efficiently."

  Klint turned his attention to Izick, who was sitting around piles of armor and gear from party members at the back of the dining hall.

  He silently polished a helmet but stopped and looked up once he noticed that eyes were on him.

  "Izick, you're up. We need detailed information on the treasure cache and the hostage positions so we don't blow up either by accident. We move tomorrow, but as usual, I recommend you start preparing now so you can scout during the night. I have the location and your gear right here."

  Klint tapped a locked chest near him. Izick nodded and rose to his feet.

  "That's all we have for now. Also, don't forget our main mission. We finish our business with the Bands of Iron, then onto the Death Emperor's castle in three weeks. Rest up as much as you can. We leave before the crack of dawn. You are dismissed."

  The party members got up from their chairs and began to make their way back upstairs as Izick walked against the crowd.

  The party members ignored Izick but made sure to stay out of his way as he walked toward Klint.

  Mill watched with interest as Izick received a strip of paper from Klint. He studied the paper before nodding and pulling out a key to unlock the chest beside Klint. Alister remained close to Izick, looking down on him with an irritated expression.

  The old dwarf walked up to the confused Mill while stroking his beard and using his axe as a walking stick.

  "Young lady, our speed and efficiency are well known in Arekia, so it can be shocking to those who see it firsthand."

  "Well, that's not what's confusing me right now. Klint mentioned that the Staff Hero's party has great scouting, but I only see the boy Izick," Mill said as Izick slipped on a hooded, brown leather vest.

  The old dwarf held his stomach as he laughed at Mill's observation.

  "Klint never said we had a good scouting team, just that we have good scouting, which I agree with. There's no team, only Izick."

  "What? How? Even medium-sized parties have at least two scouts, but the Staff Hero himself only employs a kid?"

  "I understand where you're coming from, but if you look at the party construction, we mainly have warriors. Alister values offensive power and doesn't like wasting money on roles he sees as useless or boring, like a Healer or a Scout. We don't even have other Mages, besides the Staff Hero himself, since he only hires one of each non-Warrior class, so you're our only Healer, and Izick is our only Scout," the old dwarf said, nodding to Mill.

  "We don't even have a Paladin anymore after... well, never mind that."

  The old dwarf waved his hand in front of his face like he was trying to fan a stray thought away. Mill raked her hand through her hair as she shook her head.

  "This is madness for a Hero Party!"

  Izick finished strapping on the brown leather gauntlet on his left forearm and began to walk away when Alister suddenly pulled him by the collar.

  "NPC, you're not dismissed."

  "Do we have something to talk about?" Izick said calmly, as Alister still held him by the collar.

  "We do. Fail this time, and you're off the party. We lost some good money last time because of you. Nine thousand Royal Promissory Notes to be exact. You know I don't accept repeated failure."

  Izick furrowed his brow in anger as he stared back at Alister.

  "When was the last time I failed you? Our last mission failed because you and the others jumped in when I told you to wait."

  Alister slammed Izick into the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs.

  "You don't tell me to do anything. That's my job, not yours."

  Alister opened his right hand. White light gathered in his palm until it expanded to form the white shotgun.

  He began to move the shotgun toward Izick's face when something caught his arm and stopped it from moving.

  Alister snapped his head around and was genuinely shocked to see Mill holding his arm with a firm grip.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Oh, I was just curious about that weapon in your hand. You're called the Staff Hero, yet you wield a shotgun instead of an actual staff. It's very strange, mind letting the boy go and telling me about it?" Mill smiled without letting go of Alister's arm.

  "Let go, or lose your hand," Alister said with venom in his voice.

  "A-Alister...I won't fail...this is what I do," Izick choked out as he struggled to get air into his lungs.

  Klint walked up behind Mill and leaned toward Alister.

  "Al, we got an audience. Causing a ruckus now will lower morale with the mercenaries."

  Alister looked at the dining hall exit and saw the old dwarf with over a dozen party members staring at them.

  Alister tossed Izick to the wooden floor, knocking away Mill's hand as well, before stomping away in a huff.

  The party members near the exit looked down at the ground and made room for Alister as he stormed past them with a frustrated expression.

  Klint sighed as he turned toward the exit.

  "Izick, I'll wait for your signal before we start. Contact me through your Long Book. You know my book number," Klint said as he walked by the silent Izick.

  Mill knelt beside Izick, as he seemed to stare into the wooden ceiling.

  "Kid, are you OK?"

  Izick kipped up to his feet, spooking Mill.

  "Alright, I got my wind back. Time to scout!" Izick said as he pumped his hand into the air before stretching his legs.

  "Are you insane? This is the Band of Iron. They'll kill you if they find you sneaking around."

  "Then I'll just avoid getting caught. Besides, I've dealt with worse organizations than the Band of Iron, main branch or not."

  Mill eyed him with an annoyed expression as she pointed to the dining hall exit.

  "Why would you do all of this for that jerk? He treats you horribly, and there are dozens of parties out there that would treat you better. Why are you tolerating this?"

  Izick's face darkened for a moment before brightening up into a smile again.

  "It's for the money. This job is way more important than I can explain right now, but unfortunately, Alister knows this as well and uses that fact against me."

  Izick continued to smile as he placed a hand on Mill's shoulder.

  "Thank you so much for helping me out back there. I don't take what you did for me for granted since no one ever does that for me. But try to avoid getting involved, or we will both lose our jobs, maybe even worse."

  Izick released Mill's shoulder and checked the knives on his belt one more time.

  "It might seem hard for you to do this, but I've been tolerating this for the last three years. This job is my last lifeline. I don't care about getting hurt as long as my money is guaranteed. So please don't try to stop me. You'll trouble me. This is my job after all," Izick said as he turned around and pulled a brown hood over his face.

  Mill raised a hand to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.

  "A kid like you shouldn't have to accept this. It's too messed up."

  Izick smiled as he turned back to Mill and waved to her.

  "See you soon!" Izick said before pulling up a black mask to cover his mouth.

  He exited the inn and started running toward the bandits' stronghold under the cover of night.