The surrounding adventurers couldn't resist gossiping.
"Wait… Raymond and Tresed already knew each other? That's unexpected."
"Yeah, and look at them. They seem to be getting along pretty well!"
"See? I told you the 'Swift Wind Adventure Team' aren't the type to be jealous of competition."
One older adventurer spoke with a more practical perspective.
"It's true that Raymond's team has potential, but potential alone doesn't make a Gold-rank adventurer."
Another nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Learning a skill is one thing, knowing how to use it effectively in battle is another. Talent alone won't save you in a real fight."
A third adventurer crossed his arms, adding, "Yeah, plenty of talented adventurers have died because they overestimated themselves. They took commissions above their level, thinking they were stronger than they really were… and they never came back."
The chatter continued, but both Raymond's and Tresed's teams ignored it.