Kenneth led Yamamoto to meet his soon to be teammates.
"Everyone, this is Yamamoto Odinson," Kenneth announced. "Our newest member. Odinson, meet your team."
The first to step forward was a broad-shouldered man in his early thirties, wearing a chain shirt over a leather jerkin. Warrior, clearly, from the sword and shield strapped to his back. His face was open and friendly, though his eyes held the sharp assessment of someone who'd seen combat.
"Cole Brennan," he said, offering his hand. "I lead this merry band. Welcome aboard."
His grip was firm without being crushing.
"Thank you. Kenneth spoke highly of the team." Yamamoto said, shaking the hand.
"Haha, Kenneth exaggerates," Cole said with a slight smile. "But we do well enough. Let me introduce everyone."
He gestured to a young woman standing slightly behind him. She was petite, maybe early twenties, with auburn hair tied back in a practical braid. Robes marked her as a mage, and Yamamoto noticed the wooden staff strapped across her back, but what caught his attention was her expression—she was staring at him with undisguised fascination, her eyes wide.
"This is Ninia," Cole said. "Our mage."
"Hello," Ninia said, stepping forward quickly. She had a breathless quality to her voice. "It's wonderful to meet you. Kenneth mentioned you were joining but he didn't say you were so... tall. And your features are quite striking. Are you from the eastern provinces? You have that look, though not entirely. Perhaps mixed heritage? Wow, your bone structure is fascinating."
Words came out her mouth fast, almost tripping over the former, and she had moved considerably closer than was necessary for conversation. Yamamoto remained still while watching her, a bit amazed by her whole persona.
"Ninia," Cole said gently. "Personal space."
"Oh! Right, sorry," she said, backing up half a step but still watching Yamamoto with bright interest.
Cole sighed but continued. "Next we have Priest Donovan, our healer."
An older man nodded to Yamamoto. He wore simple priest's robes, white with gold trim, and carried a staff topped with a sun symbol. His face was lined with age—probably late fifties—but his eyes were sharp and kind.
"Welcome, young man," Donovan said, his voice warm. "May Solara's light guide your path."
"Thank you," Yamamoto said, inclining his head respectfully, while wondering what exactly that implied in his mind. He hadn't thought much of religion in this world.
"And this is Silas, our scout and rogue."
The last member of the team was a lean man in his mid-twenties, wearing dark leather armor and carrying twin daggers at his belt. He had sharp features and dark hair, and his expression as he looked at Yamamoto was distinctly unfriendly. His eyes flicked from Yamamoto to Ninia and back, narrowing slightly.
"Silas," the man said curtly, not offering his hand.
Yamamoto nodded to him. "Yamamoto."
The tension was immediately palpable. Silas's jaw was tight, his posture defensive, and Ninia, still standing close to Yamamoto, seemed oblivious to it.
Watching this, Yamamoto understood what was going on immediately. Silas was interested in Ninia. Ninia was now interested in him… and Silas blamed him for it.
'Kind of Childish.' He thought to himself.
"Alright," Cole said, either not noticing the tension or choosing to ignore it. "Now that introductions are done, let's talk business. We've got a quest lined up for tomorrow morning. Iron-rank, should be straightforward."
He gestured to the quest board. "Goblin nest about two hours north of the city. Farmers reported livestock going missing. Standard extermination job. We clear the nest, confirm the kill, collect payment. Should be done by midday."
"Goblins are level 6 to 9," Kenneth added for Yamamoto's benefit. "Nothing you can't handle, but they fight in groups, which can be dangerous if you're not careful."
"What's the pay?" Yamamoto asked.
"8 silver, split six ways," Cole said. "Not amazing, but good for a day's work."
"I'm in," he said.
"Good," Cole said. "We meet at dawn, eastern gate. Don't be late—we want to hit the nest while they're still drowsy from the night. It's easier that way."
"I'll be there," Yamamoto confirmed.
"Excellent," Ninia said brightly, still standing closer to Yamamoto than necessary. "It'll be wonderful to see you in action. Kenneth said you destroyed six training dummies at assessment. That's quite impressive for someone self-taught. I only managed four when I registered, though admittedly magic doesn't translate well to physical destruction of objects. Still, your technique must be—"
'Aren't those for physical fighters only?' Yamamoto thought to himself.
"Ninia," Silas said sharply. "We should review spell strategies for tomorrow."
"Oh, we already discussed that last night," Ninia said, not looking away from Yamamoto. "I'll use Flame Bolt for single targets and Frost Burst if they cluster. Same as always."
Silas's expression darkened further. He shot Yamamoto a look that was pure hostility before turning away. "I need to check my gear," he muttered, stalking off toward the armory.
An awkward silence settled over the group while Ninia stared sweetly at Yamamoto, waiting for response.
'This girl is too cruel.'
Just then, Cole spoke. "Right, well. Everyone rest for the rest of today. We'll want to be sharp tomorrow. Yamamoto, if you have any questions, find Kenneth or myself. Otherwise, we'll see you at dawn."
"Of course." Yamamoto said with a nod.
The group began to disperse. Ninia lingered for a moment, as if wanting to say something more, but Priest Donovan gently guided her away with a knowing look.
Kenneth watched them go, then turned to Yamamoto with a wry expression. "So... that could have gone better."
"Silas doesn't like me," Yamamoto said flatly.
"Silas doesn't like anyone who gets between him and Ninia," Kenneth corrected. "He's been trying to court her for months, everyone knows this much. She's been politely declining, and now you show up looking like... well, like that."
Yamamoto sighed thinking of it. 'I wanted to be strikingly handsome, guess I got my wish now… wish I could maximize it, though.'
"Well, one thing, Silas needs to learn to handle rejection like an adult. Just... watch your back during the quest. He's not the type to sabotage the mission, but he might let you take a few extra hits before helping."
"Noted," Yamamoto said.
"Alright, that should be all there is. You probably have places to be, so please, don't let me tae your time. Take care, I gotta run before I run late." Kenneth said.
Yamamoto bid him farewell for the time being, seeing the slight blush that appeared on his face, he was sure it had some connection to the girl in his group.
'These guys seriously are starved.'