In the city of Elation, there was a man named Arata katsuragi. He was a member of the Shadow Leaf Party, an A-rank party considered one of the strongest in the city.
"Yosh! I've finished training today. Now it's time to head to the headquarters and carry out the guild's mission!" Arata said enthusiastically.
Renji grabbed his sword and headed towards the Shadow Leaf headquarters.
When he arrived at the headquarters, he saw Renji, the team leader, standing outside.
"Yo, Renji! Why are you out here waiting? What's going on?" Arata asked.
"I'm waiting for you. You're really late, Arata," Renji replied.
"Sorry for making you wait so long. So, what's our mission today?" Arata asked.
"Before that, come inside. There's something important I need to tell you," Renji said.
"Something important? Alright," Arata agreed.
Renji and Arata entered the Shadow Leaf headquarters.
Inside the headquarters, Arata noticed that the other members had already arrived.
He quickly took his position, ready to listen to what Renji had to say.
"So, what's this important thing you wanted to talk about, Renji?" Arata asked.
Renji immediately delivered the shocking news.
"Arata, with my authority as the leader of Shadow Leaf, I hereby expel you from the party," Renji declared.
"Ha? What do you mean, Renji? Why am I being kicked out?" Arata asked in disbelief.
"Obviously, you're just a burden to us. All you know is sword fighting," Renji retorted.
"True, my skill is just swordsmanship, but I've helped defeat bosses too, haven't I?" Arata argued.
"That's true, but that's not the problem. During the goblin eradication mission, instead of prioritizing us, you went and helped a child, which almost ruined our mission," Renji explained.
Claire, the team's mage, spoke up.
"That's right. Instead of focusing on the team, you helped someone you didn't even know," Claire said.
Hearing Claire's words, Arata clenched his fists.
"But after that, didn't I defeat the goblins?" Arata asked.
Dason, the team's tank, joined in.
"Yes, you did defeat the goblins, but you were badly injured by just one of them, and that caused a lot of trouble for us," Dason pointed out.
"See, you've heard what the other team members have said. Arata, stop being a burden. We've been kind enough to expel you from the party. If we lost our patience, we might have just left you to die in one of the dungeons," Renji said.
"Exactly, the team leader has been generous enough. You should thank him," Claire added.
"You should be grateful to be in this team as a commoner, but instead of helping, you're just causing us more trouble," Dason remarked.
Arata, hearing their harsh words and insults, felt angry, but he remained calm, not wanting to cause any more trouble.
"Fine. If that's how it is, I'll leave. Don't expect any help from me if you ever need it again," Arata said.
Upon hearing Arata's words, the three of them laughed out loud.
"Hahaha, need your help? I don't think that'll ever happen," Renji laughed.
"Yeah, who would need help from someone who can be hurt by goblins?" Claire added.
"Exactly," Dason chimed in.
Arata left the headquarters without paying attention to their insults.
"To calm my emotions, I should find a mission at the guild first," Arata thought to himself.
Arata then headed to the Adventurer's Guild to find a mission to vent his frustration.
Upon arriving at the guild, Arata went straight to the reception desk, where he was greeted by Yuna, the receptionist.
"Welcome! Wait, aren't you Arata? What are you doing here? Where are the other members of Shadow Leaf?" Yuna asked.
"Oh, I was kicked out of the team. Now, I'm here alone," Arata replied.
Yuna was shocked to hear that Arata had been kicked out of Shadow Leaf, especially since he had been one of the most valuable contributors to the team.
"What? How could they expel you? Aren't you the one who contributed the most?" Yuna asked in disbelief.
"I don't know, but for now, let's not talk about them," Arata said.
"Uh, sorry. So, what brings you here, Arata?" Yuna asked.
"I'm looking for a mission," Arata said.
"A mission? I think I have one that would be perfect for you, Arata," Yuna said.
"What mission is that?" Arata asked.
Yuna quickly grabbed a mission scroll that hadn't yet been posted on the board.
"Here you go. Doesn't this mission seem like a good fit for you?" Yuna said.
The mission details were:
S-Rank Mission:
Kill the white dragon that has been terrorizing the citizens at the city's border.
Reward: 1 million gold and a 2-rank promotion.
Recommended rank: A and above.
"S-Rank mission? Wait a minute, Yuna, are you sure you're giving me the right mission?" Arata asked.
Yuna quickly checked the mission details and realized she had grabbed the wrong one.
"Oops, sorry. I grabbed the wrong one. Let me get the correct mission," Yuna said.
Before she could walk away, Arata stopped her.
"Never mind, I'll take this mission," Arata said.
"Are you serious? You're A-rank, but you're alone now," Yuna said, concerned.
"It's fine. I can handle it myself," Arata replied.
"Ugh... Why did I pick the wrong one? I know Arata is stubborn... Alright, I'll prepare the mission. Wait here a moment," Yuna said.
"Alright, I'll wait," Arata replied.
While waiting, Arata overheard a conversation between some adventurers.
"Did you hear the latest news about Shadow Leaf?"
"What's going on?"
"I heard they're recruiting a talented healer."
"Are you sure? Isn't the team limited to four members?"
"Yeah, I heard they kicked someone out."
"Who did they kick out? The mage? I heard they contributed the least."
"No, they kicked out the swordsman."
"That's insane. They kicked out the person who contributed the most. I don't think Shadow Leaf will last much longer."
"Yeah, they're done for."
Hearing the gossip, Arata thought to himself.
"Even after they kicked me out, they quickly found a replacement."
Soon, Yuna returned with the mission details.
"Here you go, the mission location is written here. Be careful, Arata. Don't push yourself too hard," Yuna warned.
"Alright, I'm off then," Arata said.
Arata left the guild and made his way to the mission location.
As he opened the mission scroll outside, he read the location.
"Hmm, Glacia End, huh? If I'm not mistaken, there are a lot of mountains there. No wonder the white dragon went there; it's similar to its habitat," Arata thought.
Arata immediately set off for Glacia End to complete his mission.
What will happen to Arata? Will he complete his mission successfully, or will he fail? Stay tuned for Chapter 2.
*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!*