Meanwhile, on the Shadow Leaf side, Renji, the leader of Shadow Leaf, appeared visibly frustrated due to their mission failure. He slammed the table in front of him.
"(Slamming the table) Damn, how could we fail when it was a C-rank dungeon?" Renji exclaimed.
Mira, the healer they had just recruited, tried to calm him down.
"It's okay, Renji, it was just one failure," said Mira.
Hearing this, the other members of Shadow Leaf, including Renji, became angry and began accusing Mira of being the mastermind behind their failure.
"Just one failure, you say? That's the problem. We've never failed a C-rank dungeon since we became an A-rank party," Renji retorted.
"That's right, why did we lose this time?" Dason added.
"It must be because of you. You're the healer, and you failed us," Claire accused.
"Yeah, it's probably because of her. How could she run out of mana so quickly, just from healing people?" Dason chimed in.
"You're right, I shouldn't have recruited you," Renji said, glaring at Mira.
Mira, seeing that they were badmouthing her, became angry, as she felt she had worked the hardest among them.
"Me? You all underestimated the dungeon, and now it's my fault we fell into that trap? Especially you, Claire. You're a mage; why didn't you use your Kage no Me spell to detect the traps? And you, Dason, you're a tank. Why were you at the back? You should've been in the front, protecting your teammates. And lastly, Renji, you're the team leader. Why couldn't you even coordinate the team properly, leaving everyone injured?" Mira fired back, offering some advice.
Hearing Mira's retort, the three became even angrier, unwilling to accept her criticism.
"We? Don't be ridiculous, woman. If you hadn't joined the team, would you even be here right now?" Renji snapped.
"That's right. You should have learned some other magic, not just healing magic," Claire said.
"Exactly, you should have worked harder to heal us," Dason added.
Mira, hearing their insults, began to stand her ground.
"I didn't work hard enough? Don't joke around. Do you think healing magic doesn't require mana? And whose fault is it that you're all asking me to heal you for every little scratch?" Mira countered.
At that moment, Renji made a decision and decided to kick Mira out of the team. Claire and Dason agreed.
"Oh, so you're going to defy us? Fine, you're out of the team," Renji said.
"That's right, we don't need a team member who doesn't listen to us," Claire added.
"You need a team member who won't go against us," Dason concluded.
Mira, hearing their words, agreed to leave.
"Fine, I'll leave. Don't expect me to come back when you need a healer," Mira said.
Renji laughed at her response.
"Hahaha, you think healers like you are rare? There are plenty of people who want to join us," Renji mocked.
Mira ignored their words and left the base.
As she walked out, she muttered to herself.
"Ugh, I have to find a new team again. I just hope my new team won't be like them," Mira thought.
Mira immediately headed to the Adventurers' Guild to look for a new team that would accept her.
Meanwhile, on Arata's side, he and Ryuka arrived at the head office of the Adventurers' Guild. As they entered, an elderly man stood waiting for their arrival.
"So, you're the rank A adventurer, Arata, right? My name is Tsukihiro, the head of the Elation branch guild," said the guild leader.
"Yes, that's me. So, what's the reason you called us here?" Arata asked.
"Before we discuss that, let's sit on the sofa over there," Tsukihiro suggested.
They all walked to the sofa in the center of the room.
"So, what's the reason you called us here?" Arata asked again.
Before explaining his purpose, Tsukihiro, the head of the Elation branch guild, asked something that surprised both Arata and Ryuka.
"Before that, the woman sitting next to you isn't just your childhood friend, is she? She's a dragon from the Dragon God race, isn't she?" Tsukihiro asked.
Arata and Ryuka were taken aback because Tsukihiro knew Ryuka's true identity, which she had been hiding. However, Arata still tried to cover up the truth to avoid exposing it.
"What do you mean, Guild Master? Of course, Ryuka is human," Arata replied, trying to downplay it.
"Don't lie, boy. I have the Shingan Eye," Tsukihiro said.
"What is the Shingan Eye? That's a rare ability. So, you're one of the few who possesses it?" Arata asked.
"Yes, I am the only one in all of Elation city who has this eye," Tsukihiro confirmed.
Ryuka, sitting next to Arata, leaned in and whispered to him.
"(Whispering) What's the Shingan Eye?" Ryuka asked.
"The Shingan Eye is a special eye that allows you to view a person's status. Anyone whose status is viewed cannot lie," Arata explained.
"Oh, so that's why he knows my identity," Ryuka said.
"Yes, it seems that because of that eye, your identity was revealed," Arata replied.
Arata sighed, realizing he could no longer lie to someone with the Shingan Eye and asked Tsukihiro to keep Ryuka's identity a secret.
"(Sighing) As expected, someone with the Shingan Eye can tell everything. Yes, you're right; she is a dragon from the Dragon God race, but please keep her identity hidden," Arata requested.
Tsukihiro laughed and agreed to Arata's request.
"Hahaha, just as I thought, Arata, you're trying not to stand out, huh? Alright, I'll keep her identity a secret," Tsukihiro said.
"Thanks. Now, what's the real reason you called us here? It can't just be to expose Ryuka's identity, right?" Arata asked.
Tsukihiro revealed the real reason for calling them.
"Of course, it's not just that. There are a few things I want to tell you. First, congratulations on completing the S-rank mission. Here, take this gold as your reward," Tsukihiro said as he handed a bag of gold to Arata.
Arata immediately took the bag of gold.
"Alright, I've received it. What's next?" Arata asked.
"Secondly, I want to inform you that you are now allowed to form your own team, with you as the leader," Tsukihiro said.
Arata was shocked. Forming a team was much more difficult than forming a party, as a team had no maximum number of members, unlike a party, which could only have up to four members. Also, only individuals recognized by the guild were allowed to form a team.
"Really? I'm allowed to form a team? Is that okay?" Arata asked in surprise.
"Yes, you're allowed to form a team as a reward for completing the mission," Tsukihiro confirmed.
"But this is so sudden. I was kicked from an A-rank party and now I'm allowed to form a team?" Arata asked in disbelief.
"And you also defeated the dragon on your own, right?" Tsukihiro added.
After thinking it over, Arata agreed.
"Alright, I'll accept this," Arata said.
"Good. Now, the third and final thing, you are officially promoted to S-rank, so you're free to recruit members of any rank," Tsukihiro said.
"What? S-rank? Isn't there an A+ and A++ rank?" Arata asked in disbelief.
"Did you forget, Arata, about the rewards for the mission besides the gold?" Tsukihiro asked.
Arata recalled the rewards for the mission.
"Hmm, besides the gold… Ah, I remember! I was promoted by two ranks at once!" Arata realized.
"That's right. And that's the reward you received," Tsukihiro confirmed.
"Alright, then I won't refuse the mission reward. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving," Arata said.
As Arata and Ryuka were about to leave, Tsukihiro stopped them.
"Wait, didn't you forget something? You still need to give your team a name," Tsukihiro reminded them.
"Oh right, I forgot," Arata said.
Arata turned to Ryuka.
"By the way, Ryuka, what do you think would be a good name for our new team?" Arata asked.
"Hmph, why are you asking me? I'll like whatever name you choose for our new team," Ryuka said.
"Hmm, alright then. How about 'Shugosha Kyōkai,' which means 'The Guardians' Guild'?" Arata suggested.
"Guardians? Well, even though I'm a dragon, fine, I agree," Ryuka said.
"Good, then our team name is now 'Shugosha Kyōkai,'" Arata said.
Tsukihiro, upon hearing the name, immediately wrote it down on a form to be submitted to the receptionist to be posted on the team board.
"Good. Now, take this to the receptionist," Tsukihiro said.
"Alright, we will," Ryuka said.
"Good. Now take this. This is a house for someone with S-rank status," Tsukihiro said as he handed them the key to a house.
"Thank you for everything. We'll be leaving now," Arata said.
Arata and Ryuka left the office and headed to the receptionist to submit the form.
What will Yuna's reaction be when she finds out that Arata has been promoted to S-rank adventurer? How will the adventurers' guild react when they learn that Arata is allowed to form his own team? Will Mira find a new party that accepts her, or will she join Arata's party? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
*If I made any minor mistakes that might be distracting, I sincerely apologize. I have done my best for this novel, and if you enjoy it, please consider giving it a like and sharing your feedback, suggestions, or criticism so I can learn and improve. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!*