At sunrise, everyone is ready to depart on their mission. Amanda and Sarah find Mara, Regina, and Myriam already at breakfast. The two girls arrive still half-asleep, while the mothers are already chatting and laughing animatedly.
"Morning," Amanda says, yawning.
"So energetic at this hour?" Sarah comments.
"Your mother was just telling us some unbelievable stories," Mara replies.
"Can you believe this woman once got up and danced on a table at some random party?" I mean, I honestly can't picture it," Myriam says between gasps of laughter.
"Me neither," Sarah says, her sleepiness vanishing as she stares at her mother in astonishment.
"Hey, what's with that look? I had a life before you came along, you know," Regina says with a playful smirk.
"Whoa, hold on. You can't just drop that and not give us the details. Spill, Mom. Now."
"Alright. Then sit down and eat. We can't be late."
"Yes, ma'am," the girls reply, sitting at the table, their eyes fixed on Regina, who laughs at the scene.
"Alright, so, I was telling them about this one time your aunts and I checked out a new bar in the city. I'd *just* broken up with this guy from college, and of course, who do we run into the second we walk in? Him. So, we'd probably had a few too many drinks, and I decided I needed to put on a little show—prove I didn't care. Next thing you know, I'm up on a table, bottle of whiskey in one hand, dancing like a complete maniac. Naturally, I end up falling right off, and some guy catches me. Total romantic comedy moment, right? Except this guy was a notorious jerk. I knew all about his reputation. Still, I made a big show of leaving with him... but the second we were outside, I just looked at him, said 'Thanks, but no thanks,' and ditched him right there on the sidewalk. Then your aunts and I went to get greasy burgers on the main drag."
"Hold on, I'm not following. So you'd rather be seen leaving with a known jerk than let your ex have the satisfaction? Who *was* that guy, anyway?" she asks, completely perplexed.
"That's youth for you, honey. Logic goes out the window when pride is on the line," Regina replies with a wry smile.
"I don't know about that. I haven't been young for a long time and I still do stupid things," Myriam comments, her face red from laughing so hard.
"Wait, you? No way! I can't even picture it," Sarah says, shocked.
"Not that, specifically, but I do foolish things often," she answers between laughs.
Gradually, the rest of the group arrives for breakfast, and the hall becomes even livelier with the mothers' stories and the youths' laughter. By the time they finish eating, it is still dark, but Regina reminds everyone that the captain said to meet him "at sunrise." Shortly after, they all make their way to the battalion courtyard and find the captain, already in formation with a small group of knights.
"Good morning," the captain greets them, his tone professional. "A little late, but at least you appear ready to depart."
"Good morning, sir. We still aren't used to the timing of the sun here," Sarah replies.
"You need to adapt faster. There will be situations where failing to adapt quickly enough will mean the end for you. And considering you are supposed to be our hope, it could be our end as well. Think about that."
"Yes, sir," Amanda replies, feeling her ears grow hot.
"Enough delays. Attention! Our objective is to head to the forest southwest of here and conduct a hunt. There we will find suitable monsters for you to begin with, but stay alert, because there are always unforeseen events when operating in the field," Viktor announces.
The group departs, accompanied by a team of eight knights plus the captain. After a two-day carriage ride, they reach a forest that stretches for many kilometers.
"This will be your training ground. We will proceed a little further and make camp near the forest's edge. But remain vigilant from this point forward; we are already in monster territory," the captain announces.
After traveling far enough, the group sets up camp and prepares for combat.
"Alright, listen up. Lidia and Myriam will remain here at the camp to maintain it and because their roles are better utilized here. Four knights will also stay to guard the base, as the specialties of these two do not involve combat. The rest of you, with me," Viktor announces, addressing the heroes.
"What's our objective here?" asks a thin figure with small eyes and a body covered in tattoos.
"Basically, we're hunting monsters, Roger. As many as we can. I want to see you all in action, in a real combat situation."
"Now we're talking. We can finally let loose and use our blessings for real," Roger comments, visibly excited by the prospect.
"Okay, I want everyone to remember what we drilled regarding tactics and strategic organization. Each of you needs to know your role. In a real battle, there won't be time to shout orders or get organized. That doesn't mean there won't be communication—it's essential for the mission to go well. However, the basics must be clear to everyone," the captain says.
"Yes, sir!" the group replies, almost in unison.
"Very well. Amanda, assume your position."
"What do you mean, Captain?" Amanda says, surprised by Viktor's declaration.
"What do I mean? You are the one who received the Blessing of the Hero. You were chosen by the Goddess to lead this team. Had you not understood that yet?"
"But that's a huge responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready, and this is our first mission!"
"True, it is a great responsibility. I will not try to downplay its seriousness. The hopes of all our people rest with you. And our role here is to ensure you can fulfill your mission. But everyone has their part, and yours is to be a leader and a symbol of hope for all. Have you noticed, for example, that Sarah received the Blessing of the Storm Hero?"
"Yes."
"Right. That is because she has the power of the hero of storms. What is your blessing called?"
"Blessing of the Hero."
"Exactly. That is because you are the Hero. You are the symbol of our hope. You carry all of that responsibility. All we can do is help you ease that burden, but we cannot carry it for you. So, step up and face this challenge. Accept this responsibility. We will be here with you until the end. And the sooner you start, the better."
Amanda looks at her teammates, who silently agree with Captain Viktor's words and smile at her.
"Yes, sir! Thank you, guys. I'll do my best for everyone, and I'm counting on you all."
The group cheers and applauds, trying to motivate her, sensing how heavy the young woman's burden is. After the talk, Roger approaches, places a hand on Amanda's shoulder, and says:
"Hey, you know you can always count on me, right?"
"Of course," Amanda replies, her voice holding a hint of weary amusement. She read his intention loud and clear, and chose to meet the advance with a polite but impenetrable wall, turning away to speak with the captain.
"Captain, I promise I'll give it my best, but I will be counting on your experience."
"But of course. You can always count on me," Viktor says, his voice shifting to its warmer, off-duty tone. "Even after this mission, you can come find me whenever you have questions. I promise to use my experience to help you however I can."
"Now go get ready," he adds with a smile.
The group finishes their preparations and heads into the forest. Amanda leads the advance, followed by Captain Viktor, after organizing the team's formation. After walking for a few hours, the group encounters a band of goblins.
"Alright everyone, just like we planned. You all know your roles. Vanguard, advance!" Amanda commands, her voice trembling but clear and objective.
With that, she takes a more central position, acting as protection for the long-range combatants, while Wagner, Luca, Carlos, and Regis engage in close-quarters combat. The fight is relatively easy until Dandara unleashes an electrical discharge at a goblin and ends up hitting Wagner, who was passing nearby at that moment. This destabilizes the team for a moment.
"Watch it! Damn it, Wagner's down! You can't just use your power without checking your surroundings!" Renata complains, losing focus on the fight and taking a direct hit to the head.
"Guys, the fight doesn't stop because one of us is down! Don't lose focus! Gabriel, get Wagner inside the barrier!" Amanda shouts, trying to organize the team again.
"Right," Gabriel responds and rushes to the rescue. He throws enemies aside with ease using simple punches as he moves towards Wagner, who is still on the ground. Renata manages to push back the monsters attacking her but is visibly dazed, with blood trickling down her head.
In a short time, the enemies are defeated, and the group gathers to talk.
"Everyone, I know there were mistakes, but overall, we did well for our first real group battle," Amanda announces.
"Well? Dandara almost got a teammate killed!" Renata complains.
"How was I supposed to know he was going to be right there in that exact second?!" Dandara retorts, getting to her feet. Her sturdy, 5'10" frame was imposing, her dark skin glistening with sweat.
"Let's all calm down," the captain interrupts. "First and foremost, let's hear the considerations of our leader."
Seeing all eyes turn to her, Amanda feels the pressure that comes with leadership. She takes a deep breath; the air struggles to pass through her tight throat, and her mouth is dry, but she persists, stands up, and begins to speak.
"We all made mistakes in that battle. I mean, we can all learn from this fight and improve on something. Dandara does need to be more careful with where and how she uses her powers. However, Wagner has the speed to react better than any of us, so he also shares responsibility for that error, as do I, for not having foreseen it."
This statement seemed to calm most of them, but tempers were still high from fear and adrenaline. After all, this was a group of young people in another world, fighting monsters. It was with this in mind that Amanda chose her next words.
"Guys, this isn't going to be easy. But if we start fighting over every mistake instead of helping each other in these moments, things are going to be even harder. I hope you all understand that we're all new to this, and that I'm a leader with no experience fighting monsters, just like all of you."
A silence hangs over the group after Amanda's words. The adrenaline from the battle begins to fade, giving way to a mix of exhaustion and apprehension. The tension from the mistakes made and the awareness of the danger they would face from now on was still palpable in the air. It was in this heavy atmosphere that Captain Viktor broke the silence.
"Very well," he said, his tone seeking to bring some normalcy. "Let's rest here for a bit and have something to eat. We'll continue after that; we need to advance a little more before nightfall."
As the group eats near the fire lit by Gabriel with Regis's help, a strange vibration begins to run through the ground. Initially subtle, the tremor gradually intensifies, catching everyone's attention. Stone ruins begin to emerge from the earth. The group then finds themselves before a stone portal that is clearly the entrance to an underground ruin.
"Everyone, do not approach! I have never seen anything like this happen before. We would need a larger, more experienced team to reconnoiter the area. It is too dangerous, and we cannot afford to risk you," Captain Viktor announces.
"But Captain, we're going to be risking ourselves to complete our mission anyway," Regis protests.
"Exactly! And you will, when it is necessary. Doing so needlessly would only jeopardize the mission. So, stay put. We will finish our meal and rest. Please, do not be reckless."
However, as the captain finished those words, a magic circle appeared beneath the group's feet, and their vision was engulfed by a flash of light.