[11] The hunt begins

Under the waning light of the evening, we joined the throng of adventurers setting out towards the affected farm. A quick glance around me revealed a sea of eager faces, their badges shimmering in the fading sunlight, ranging from E to B-tier.

Sera walked beside me, her stride matching mine with ease despite her petite frame. She was surveying the crowd with a critical eye, her brow furrowed slightly in contemplation.

"The Nemean Lion is an A-tier monster," she finally spoke, her voice just loud enough for me to hear over the murmur of the crowd. "Most of these people will just be chowder for it."

I glanced at her, a small smile creeping onto my lips. "Well, isn't it good that they have us then?" I replied, my tone light. "Especially an F-tier noob like me."

Sera shot me a sideways glance, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "You better not slow us down," she warned, though her voice lacked any real threat. Instead, there was a strange sense of camaraderie in her words, an unspoken promise of teamwork.

"I'll try not to," I assured her with a wink.

We hadn't made it far when a figure broke away from the crowd, striding confidently to the front. It was the same B-tier adventurer from earlier, his badge gleaming under the light of the setting sun, reflecting his arrogance.

"As the highest-tier person in this group," he began, his voice amplified by his brashness, "I shall lead the hunt against the Nemean lion!"

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd as the adventurers digested his declaration. He turned back to face the crowd, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

"Does anyone challenge my position?" he asked, his eyes roving over the sea of faces.

For a moment, the crowd was silent. I felt Sera stiffen beside me, her violet eyes narrowed at the B-tier adventurer. However, before she could make a move, I gently laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Allow me," I said quietly, stepping forward from the crowd. All eyes turned to me as I walked towards the B-tier adventurer, the murmurs quieting down into a tense silence.

"As the lowest-tier person in this group," I began, mirroring his earlier declaration, "I would like to say something."

A few snickers rippled through the crowd, but I continued unperturbed.

"I do not challenge your position," I said, meeting his condescending gaze with a calm one of my own. "But remember this: a leader is not determined by their rank or their power, but by their ability to guide and protect their team."

His smirk faltered, but he quickly recovered, a snort of derision escaping his lips. "And what would an F-tier like you know about leadership?"

I met his scorn with a nonchalant shrug. "Not much, perhaps," I conceded, a small smile playing on my lips. "But I know enough to understand that it's about more than just throwing around orders."

The crowd fell silent, their eyes moving between me and the B-tier adventurer, the tension in the air palpable.

"Let's see if you can live up to your words then, leader," I said, before turning around and walking back to Sera, leaving a stunned silence in my wake.

Before I could make it back to Sera, I was sent sprawling onto the ground, a sharp pain shooting up my spine. Laughter rang out from the crowd, each chuckle biting deeper than the blow itself.

"Well, well," a voice jeered from behind me, "Looks like our F-tier has taken a tumble."

I spat out a mouthful of dirt as I pushed myself up onto my elbows, the taste of grit and defeat bitter on my tongue. The crowd parted to reveal the B-tier adventurer, his smirk returning in full force.

"Maybe next time you'll learn your place," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. His friends around him guffawed, relishing my humiliation.

I slowly rose to my feet, brushing off the dust and grit clinging to my clothes. A murmur ran through the crowd as I turned to face the B-tier adventurer, my gaze calm and unwavering.

"You wanna fight, you little piece of shit?" he challenged, stepping forward, his chest puffed up with misplaced bravado. "Since you're a failure-tier, I'll let you take the first hit on me."

"No, I'm not going to hit you," I replied, my voice steady.

"Why? Because you're a pussy?" he snorted, his cronies erupting into laughter. I merely shook my head, the ghost of a smile playing on my lips.

"No," I replied, my gaze meeting his. "Because I have no enemies."

The laughter died away as my words echoed around us. The B-tier adventurer frowned, taken aback by my response. His cronies exchanged confused glances, their laughter petering out into an awkward silence.

"You..." the B-tier adventurer began, but I cut him off, my smile widening slightly.

"A leader doesn't make enemies, they make allies," I continued, my eyes never leaving his. "But it seems like you're not there yet. So, for now, keep your title as leader. And I'll keep my place as the F-tier. After all, one's worth is not measured by their rank, but by their actions."

With that, I turned my back on him, returning to Sera's side as the crowd parted to let me through. As I walked away, the silence was broken only by the soft crunch of my footsteps on the dirt, each step a statement in itself.

Q: Do you have any enemies?