In the end, we arrived at the next day without making any special preparations.

Most of our supplies were already stored in the dimensional box, so there was nothing we needed to gather. However, there were still things to think about.

“A long-range magic attack that would be effective against that turtle…”

We had tested various things while on its back, but we had refrained from using anything too flashy. If I had to pick the most effective attack using the same amount of magic power—

“It’s probably best to go with physical attacks, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, that’s what it seems like.”

The turtle’s shell was extremely thick and hard, but beyond that, it didn’t seem to have any special properties. That meant magic wasn’t very effective overall. The attack that worked best was a physical strike that transferred shock internally, but that wasn’t an option for this mission.

“If only we could apply shock penetration to magic.”

“That sounds difficult.”

Exactly. I could do it with my fists, but magic was a different story. If we were talking about transmitting shock, then the best option would be a spell that released impact waves. That meant I needed something like a neutral-element shockwave spell. But those weren’t meant for long-range attacks. If I had to go with something safe, launching hardened earth created by earth magic would be the way to go.

“Hmm…”

As I mulled over different approaches, we found ourselves at the Adventurers’ Guild before I realized it. We stepped inside as usual and made our way to the second floor.

Upon entering the main floor in front of the counter, I immediately noticed the atmosphere was different. A tense silence filled the space.

The only one oblivious to it was Nir. He took a sweeping glance around the room before stretching his mouth wide in a massive yawn. Actually, there was another person who ignored the mood—a certain adventurer was now hugging Nir and enjoying his fluff. Well, they were welcome to indulge.

“So, you two are Shu and Rio, huh?”

A slim man standing with his arms crossed near the counter spoke up. He had gray hair streaked with white, giving him the appearance of a rather cool-looking middle-aged man.

“That’s us. And you are?”

“Ah, my bad. I’m Linford Baderiel, an S-rank adventurer. Pleased to meet you.”

“Oh, uh, I’m Shu, a C-rank adventurer. Nice to meet you.”

“Same here, I’m Rio. It’s a pleasure.”

“And this here is Nir, my familiar.”

“Woof!”

Nir greeted him properly as well.

Since he had chosen this moment to approach us, I assumed Linford was the S-rank adventurer the guild master had mentioned.

“Haha, that’s one intimidating familiar you’ve got there. No wonder you were recommended.”

“Hmph—”

Not everyone seemed friendly, though. One of the other adventurers snorted and glared at us, but Linford only shrugged.

As silence hung in the air, the guild master emerged from the back of the counter, scanning the room.

“Not everyone… has arrived yet, it seems. Well, we’re still ahead of schedule. Let’s have those involved gather in the third-floor meeting room.”

And so, the members selected for the attack on the Sea Emperor Turtle were assembled in the guild’s conference room.

Unlike the usual third-floor room, we were led into a larger space. In addition to Linford, there were three men and three women. Since the requirement was long-range attacks, most of them had the appearance of magic users.

Meanwhile, Nir was lying in the corner, napping as usual.

Before long, a knock came at the door, signaling the arrival of the last member. Lowell led in an elf woman with pointed ears.

“You’re late, Saskia.”

“Am I? I believe I arrived right on time.”

A flashy blonde woman was complaining to the light blue-haired elf.

“Hmm. Looks like we’re all here. I’d like to start with introductions, but am I correct in assuming that only Shu and Rio are meeting everyone for the first time?”

The guild master glanced around. A few nodded, but no one refuted the statement.

“Uh, I’m Shu, a C-rank adventurer. This here is Rio, and the one sleeping in the corner is my familiar, Nir. Nice to meet you all.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

After our introduction, the others began introducing themselves. The three men were B-rank adventurers, and among them was the guy who had snorted at us earlier—he introduced himself as Rex. The introductions moved on to the B-rank women before proceeding to the A-rank adventurers.

“I am Adelie Sylphons, an A-rank adventurer. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She gracefully performed a curtsy, her golden hair swaying elegantly. Everything about her movements exuded refinement. Was she some kind of noblewoman?

“I’m Saskia, also an A-rank adventurer.”

“I already introduced myself earlier, so I’ll skip it,” Linford added.

“Alright then, let’s move on to the briefing,” the guild master said.

With that, the discussion began.

However, something felt off about the B-rank adventurers’ attitudes. Rex was the most obvious about it, but the others also seemed displeased with our presence.

Well, that’s understandable. If someone with lower rank suddenly got included in an elite mission, they’d probably feel the same way.

On top of that, we needed to be careful with elemental compatibility. If someone fired an ice attack while another shot flames from the same boat, the spells might cancel each other out before even reaching the turtle.

While thinking about that, I decided to appraise our team.

Name: Linford Baderiel

Race: Human

Class: Grand Sage

Condition: Normal

Stats:

• HP: 6,427
• MP: 12,087
• Strength: 4,533
• Endurance: 3,589
• Agility: 2,433
• Dexterity: 10,089
• Spirit: 6,809
• Magic: 8,675
• Luck: 120

As expected, Linford’s stats were impressive for an S-rank. His dexterity was particularly high for a magic user. Maybe he relied on precise spellcasting.

As for the blonde-haired Adelie… Her name appeared as “Adelie Sylphons.” Since she had a surname, she was likely a noblewoman. Her magic stat exceeded 3,000, as expected of an A-rank spellcaster.

Saskia, the elf, was even more impressive, with magic power surpassing 5,000. The rest of her stats were mediocre, though.

Among the B-rank adventurers, only one had over 3,000 magic power. The others hadn’t even reached 2,000.

In the end, no one noticed I had appraised them during the meeting.