Ch 33: Mission

The car came to a slow halt just at the edge of Emaor. The city was still some distance away, but here, the quiet atmosphere felt a bit too heavy. I looked at Valerie, who had already leaned over the seat, her face softening with the sort of warmth only she could offer.

"You be careful, okay?" Valerie murmured, her voice just above a whisper as she pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. Her fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, a small reassurance to both of us.

I smiled, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my chest. "You too, Valerie. Don't go getting into trouble while I'm not looking," I teased, but the truth was, I was worried about her, too. If anything happened to her... well, I didn't even want to think about it.

Her lips quirked into a smile. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about, Serena. Don't overthink everything."

"Me? Overthink?" I said, fighting the urge to laugh at her obvious sarcasm. "Never." I kissed her forehead gently before stepping out of the car, the weight of the world suddenly resting squarely on my shoulders as I faced the group waiting for me.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my cloak, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. 'Focus'. I was here for a reason, and overthinking wasn't going to get me anywhere.

'First impressions matter, right?'. As I approached the group, my mind was already working overtime, sizing them up. Two men and a woman. The way they carried themselves—straight backs, alert eyes, no signs of weakness—was a promising start. Their postures were solid, none of them standing too casually or slouching in a way that would scream "amateur."

As I was walking towards them, my steps confident and measured, making sure my expression was calm. The last thing I needed was to give off any signs of uncertainty. "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Serena. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

They greeted me warmly, which was a relief. One of the men—an archer, I could tell from the quiver of arrows resting against his back—stepped forward first, his eyes lighting up with what looked like genuine enthusiasm. "We're glad it's you, Serena. We've heard a lot about you."

I tilted my head slightly, curiosity piqued. "Oh? Should I be worried?" I asked with a teasing smile.

The archer laughed, but there was a hint of nervousness behind his eyes as he glanced around at the others. "Not at all! It's just… most S-rank hunters we've worked with are... kind of arrogant, you know? You're different. You're humble."

'Humble? Oh, sweet summer child, if only you knew how often I internally yell at people'. I laughed softly instead, waving a hand. "That's kind of you to say. Are we all here?"

Just as I asked, a car pulled up, and a man stepped out—he was average-looking, the kind of person who would blend into a crowd without a second thought. He greeted the group in a rather ordinary way, but the moment he laid eyes on me, something in his demeanor shifted. He was suddenly standing too close for comfort.

"Serena…" His voice was smooth, too smooth. "You're even more stunning in person. How about after the mission, you and I…?" His words trailed off as his eyes scanned me with something much too intense for my liking.

I stiffened, biting my tongue to keep from snapping at him. 'Engaged. I'm ENGAGED. Even if I weren't, you'd still have the same chance as a snowball in a volcano'.

The archer, fortunately, didn't seem as impressed by the man's charm. He stepped forward, drawing attention with a sharp, clear voice. "Hey, back off. We're here for a mission, not a date."

The man scoffed and glared. "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?"

I couldn't take it anymore. "If you're not serious about this mission, you're welcome to leave," I said, my voice calm but with an edge to it that left no room for argument. "We don't have time for distractions."

For a moment, the man hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "It's Emaor. It's a safe city. We're not at war here," he muttered, but his flirtation had stopped, replaced by an uncomfortable silence. His eyes still lingered on me, though—far too much. 'This guy might be more trouble than he's worth'.

We finally moved to the evacuation center, a massive building that already housed dozens of civilians. The space was filled with nervous chatter and uncertainty, but as the S-rank hunter in charge, I quickly stepped up to take control.

"Everyone, don't worry. We will protect you. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to keep you safe." I kept my voice gentle but firm, putting all my focus into being the calm, steady presence they needed.

The people cheered, offering their thanks and praises. The sound was almost overwhelming, but I tried not to let it get to me. Hero worship is fine—just as long as they don't expect me to work miracles.

"As expected of our leader." I heard one of the party members whisper, probably thinking I couldn't hear.

I felt my cheeks warm, and I quickly turned my attention elsewhere. 'Great, now I'm blushing in front of the entire group. Awesome'.

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Two days passed, and I found myself adjusting to the rhythm of the group. I'd grown closer to the party—well, to everyone except him. The pervert, who still thought he could flirt his way into my good graces.

The civilians adored me, too, which was both flattering and a bit unnerving. But despite it all, the calm before the storm felt too much like a ticking clock.

Then, it happened. My phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the otherwise quiet evening. I answered immediately. The voice on the other end was urgent.

"Serena, Defol is under attack. The Association is requesting that all offensive-type hunters report there immediately!"

My stomach twisted. 'Defol? That was… unexpected'. I didn't even have time to think before I gave orders to the archer and the mage. "Wake up the others. You guys are required to head to Defol. I'll stay here in case anything happens at the center."

They nodded quickly, rushing off to wake the others, while I tried to process the news. 'Why was Defol attacked? That wasn't supposed to happen. It was said in the novel that, Defol is the only city that wasn't attacked before. This has to be a butterfly effect… right?'.

I shook off the thought, focusing on the task at hand. 'Focus, Serena. Stay focused'.

Within moments, the civilians were awake and starting to panic. I gathered them in the common room, speaking in soft, reassuring tones. "Don't worry. A false report was given earlier, but we need to stay vigilant. My team is heading out to deal with the situation. I'll stay here to protect you all."

One civilian shouted at me, his voice panicked, "How can you protect us alone?"

I smiled, my voice steady. "In all my years as a hunter, no one has ever died under my watch. That won't change now."

I heard murmurs of approval ripple through the room, their fear easing, and I felt a small bit of relief. "That's the Restorer of Harmony, for ya!" One of the civilians shouted, 'Restorer of Harmony, huh? Let's hope I live up to that name'.

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Hours passed, and just as I was starting to calm my nerves, my phone rang again. I answered, my heart sinking into my stomach when I heard the voice on the other end.

"It's a false attack. The cult has attacked Limer instead."

I froze. Limer. Brianna. Brianna's there.

I couldn't breathe. The world felt like it was spinning out of control. I forced myself to speak, though my voice was barely above a whisper. "Send backup to Emaor. I'm heading to Limer."

I hung up the phone, my heart in my throat. Brianna's there. Please, no. The thought of Brianna, in danger, it… it felt too much like Leon's past. The one where his mother died on a mission.

I turned to the civilians, my voice steady despite the panic threatening to rise. "I need you all to stay calm. I'm going to take care of this. I'll be back soon."

And with that, I turned away, leaving behind everything I had built here, praying that I wasn't too late to save Brianna.