At dawn the next day, before the sun had risen, a silent procession left Dorn.
Unlike usual, the town guards had opened the gates earlier than scheduled, solely to let this group pass.
There were eleven people in total, all fully armed and armored.
Each radiated strength and confidence that ordinary folk could never display. That confidence came not from arrogance, but from countless battles and successful missions.
Most striking among them was the middle-aged man leading the way.
His neatly combed blond hair was slicked back, and a pair of glasses rested on his face.
His back was straight, and his steps were firm.
Beneath his light armor, he wore a dark overcoat. In his hands, he carried not a sword or spear, but a large book.
Looking at this man, one might easily mistake him for someone who worked behind a desk rather than on the battlefield. Yet the group had no doubt whatsoever that he was the strongest among them.
He was Erik, vice guildmaster of the Dorn Adventurers' Guild.
Coris: "Yaaawn… I didn't expect the mission to start so suddenly this early in the morning." Yawning long, Coris complained irritably.
Liv: "Exactly, Mira hasn't even managed to open her eyes yet."
The group's Tanker, the tall Liv, chuckled while pointing behind.
Turning her head, Coris saw Mira walking just behind her.
At the moment, Mira staggered along like a corpse just risen from some grave.
Her eyes were half-closed, making it hard to say whether she was truly awake or still asleep.
In a way, the fact that she could keep pace with the group without stumbling or getting lost was truly an impressive skill.
Seeing Mira's condition, Coris gave a strained smile and turned toward the person walking beside the Mage.
Beside Mira was Kate, the archer, who could be said to be the most alert of the group at that moment.
Her bright eyes, like those of a hawk, constantly scanned the surroundings, observing every movement clearly despite the early morning mist.
It could be said that thanks to her presence, Mira and the others could relax with peace of mind.
Coris: "Kate, how late was Mira up last night?"
Kate: "She didn't sleep until past midnight. She's truly like an owl."
Coris: "Haaah… Even though I told her to rest properly to prepare for the mission."
Kate: "Mira said she needed to finish crafting something."
Liv: "Oh, if it's something Mira specially prepared, I'm really looking forward to seeing it."
Kate nodded in agreement. The magical items Mira had crafted before had proven very useful in the past.
In fact, more than once they had saved the group's lives. For example, the healing and antidote potions the group carried were all made by her own hands.
At that moment, a swordsman from not far away spoke. He was Mark, the leader of another C-rank adventurer team participating in this mission.
Mark: "Sir Erik, are we close?"
Erik: "About fifteen minutes more."
Liv whispered to Coris, "What a mysterious mission. Even now, they still haven't told us the specific details."
Coris: "We'll surely know soon."
In fact, Coris already had some suspicions after accidentally seeing the carriage enter the count's manor the day before.
Though dressed like mercenaries, the guards around the carriage radiated a very special aura—a solemnity and order difficult to describe. It was something she had only ever seen among members of the church.
...
After walking for a while longer, the group arrived at the designated gathering point.
There, a large group of people was already waiting.
Standing out among them was a group of up to twenty men, all clad in identical armor and weapons. They were elite soldiers drawn from the town's defense forces.
Leading them was a seasoned commander with a large scar on his left cheek.
Looking more closely, the adventurers also saw another group behind the soldiers, numbering thirteen.
All of them wore white garments bearing the sun emblem. Ten of them wore armor and swords, while three stood out in simple cloth robes, holding books or staves.
Liv: "Holy Knights and Priests of the Solvaris Church?"
Mira: "The church would never join ordinary missions like hunting Magical Beasts. That means what we're facing must be Demons, Undead, or cultists?"
The Mage of the group had awakened at some point.
Now she showed no trace of her earlier drowsiness, her face serious at the sight of the white-robed figures.
Of course, the other adventurers had reached the same conclusion, and murmurs spread among them.
Though they had been warned of the mission's danger, clearly they had underestimated it, seeing only the initial participation of ten C-rank and one B-rank adventurer.
"Silence." The seasoned commander spoke.
"I am Will, the one who will lead this mission.
The territory has received a warning about the location of a cult operating nearby. Therefore, the church will join us to investigate and eliminate them if any are found.
Does anyone have questions?"
Coris: "What is the estimated number of enemies?"
Will: "Unfortunately, there is no specific figure. That is why we have carefully gathered this large elite force from three factions together, to guard against unforeseen risks."
Mark: "Is the information about the cult reliable?"
The commander glanced at the church group before replying.
"Though the source is unclear, the information has been analyzed by the church and deemed highly reliable. You may rest assured that all participants today will receive due rewards, whether or not the cult truly exists."
Another adventurer asked: "Do we know any other details about these cultists?"
At that moment, a Priest stepped forward to answer in place of the commander:
"According to the information received, the heretical god worshipped by the cultists is likely an insect-related deity. Everyone should carefully keep in mind the corresponding methods they may use."
Following that, Erik, the vice guildmaster, also spoke:
"The guild has prepared some magical items effective against insects. In addition, here are antidotes—everyone may come and receive a share for free."
Will looked around for a while. After all preparations were complete and no one had further questions, he declared:
"Then let us waste no more time. Let this mission begin."