<h4>Chapter 19: The Dandelions</h4>


    "Rotte, are you insane?! Why haven''t you told us earlier that multiple griffins have been spotted in the area?!"


    A short rat-faced man was furiously waving his arms around while keeping his voice as low as he could.


    "And to think that I''ve praised you for scooping up a well-paid yet rtively safe quest! That''s it! That''s the final straw! I vote to change our leader! Lairs should be our leader, she''s a mage so she''s clearly smarter than that muscle brain AND she never tried to get us all killed!"


    The rat-faced man pointed at the tall woman in a thick gray robe.


    They were a five-person adventurer group called the Dandelions consisting of a tank, a warrior, a thief, a mage, and a healer.


    They took such a name for a very simple reason, they all wanted to stay alive even in the harshest environment just like the stubborn weed.


    Neither of them was strong but they all shared the same desire to keep their lives and, if possible, to earn enough money to retire as early as possible.


    The rat-faced thief has had enough with Rotte, the team''s warrior and leader at the same time.


    "First of all, let''s get out of here."


    The team''s tank, an eight-foot-tall burly woman with arge shield sheathed her sword and started packing up the camp that they''ve set up, and others followed.


    "But... We''re already here and all, we just need to get some herbs. We''ll watch out for the griffins and be quick about it, and we''ll get enough money tost us for a month."


    Rotte, the tall warrior d in barbarian armor tried to convince hisrades but no one paid attention to him, too busy with packing.


    "You do know that you sound exactly like Pitaya and her Tiger Lilies? Must I remind you that they''ve all got massacred by the chimera they were supposed to watch out for?"


    The party''s healer red at Rotte.


    "In''re, don''t make it sound like that... Uresha has leveled up recently and her defenses breached the two hundred points threshold, she could tank a griffin, and the rest of us is around level forty. We''re already not taking missions that require fighting with monsters that should be in our rank, if we drop the mission just because of the risk of running into a somewhat strong monster, the Dandelions will be aughing stock!"


    "...I would be able to tank a griffin if I had the propped equipment."


    Uresha the tank straightened her back and red down at Rotte.


    "...Like the new armor and shield that I''vemissioned from Prunes''s forge when I and Shanks went on a da... shoppingst time."


    Uresha blushed a little and nced at the rat-faced man that was roughly half her size.


    "...The equipment I have now was good for early mid-levels, but it''s not good enough for hunting the mid-level monsters. A griffin''s ws would tear right through it and I don''t want to risk being gutted out."


    She said what she wanted and return to packing up.


    "..."


    Rotte clenched his fists and started staring at his feet.


    "Don''t forget that we didn''t create the Dandelions for glory, but for survival. It seems that you lost sight of that simple fact and became reckless, you fucking dumbass."


    The hooded mage, Lairs, finished with her side and started talking to Rotte after putting on the backpack.


    "I haven''t forgotten! It''s just that...!"


    Rotte flinched and looked to the side.


    "I think that we were too cautious and lost a few good chances to get stronger..."


    He walked a few steps and kicked a fallen branch.


    "Ah, fuck... I see how it is now."


    Lairs sighed and nervously rubbed her thigh.


    "It''s about those rookies climbing the ranks, the Brave Swords, right? Did you get jealous or something? Or do you want to impress their leader? For fuck''s sake, I''ve heard he''s a cutie, but don''t waste your time. Reckless fools like them will end up on a troll''s spit-roast sooner orter."


    The hooded woman walked over and patted the warrior''s shoulder.


    "It''s not like that, Lairs! I just feel that we could''ve been better if only we weren''t so scared of the danger. Like, we could have..."


    "Shut up!"


    Rotte''s exnation was cut off by the rat-faced Shanks.


    "Hey, don''t be that rough on..."


    "I''ve said shut up!"


    Laris frowned but she also was cut off.


    "What the fuck are you... Ah...!"


    The party looked at their thief and they all froze.


    Shanks''s eyes and ears were emitting a dim light and his face was stiff from focus.


    "Everyone hide! Now!"


    His eyes suddenly widened and he shouted, grabbed Uresha''s hand, and pulled her in the bushes between the thickest trees around.


    Everyone else followed suit and dived into cover without bothering with how that looked.


    After a few seconds, it showed up.


    A beast with a massive body of a lion, the head, wings, and front ws of a gigantic eagle.


    The griffin was flying low, almost brushing the treetops with its wings.


    It didn''t spot the Dandelions and just continued flying.


    "...That was close..."


    Uresha breathed out in relief.


    "Keep your head down!"


    Shanks scolded her and wrapped his arms around her.


    "It''s circling around...!"


    His eyes and ears were still glowing and his expression remained extremely serious.


    "...O-okay..."


    Which couldn''t be said about Uresha, who started blushing so hard that her face started looking like a ripe tomato.


    The thief wasn''t mistaken, the griffin showed up again after a short while.


    "Damn it...! That bastard is hunting! I swear, if we survive this I''m going to kick Rotte''s ass for taking that stupid mission...!"


    Shanks cursed in a small voice.


    "...i-it''s not that bad..."


    Uresha mumbled bashfully while essentially being hugged.


    "Huh...?"


    The rat-faced man frowned.


    "...! N-no...! I didn''t mean it in a...!


    "Shhh!"


    Uresha flinched tried to exin herself but Shanks shook his head and closed her mouth with his hand.


    He wasn''t looking at either Uresha or the griffin.


    His eyes were focused on a path they''ve alle from.


    Something showed up there.


    A rapidly approaching silhouette.


    It was either a very short adult or a child, their legs were glowing as it ran incredibly fast, kicking up the ground and des of grass.


    "What is that idiot kid doing?! The griffin will be all over them!"


    Shanks clicked his tongue observing the approaching person.


    "...Maybe they don''t know about the griffins in the area...? We didn''t, at least not until Rotte let it slip..."


    "...!"


    Uresha said and Shanks flinched.


    The running person was getting closer and Shanks''s skills let him sense that the griffin would show up again at any time and spot the child.


    Shanks gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.


    And when the child was close...


    "...Shanks?!"


    Uresha gasped.


    "Kid! There''s a griffin hunting in this area! Hide! Or at least turn back!"


    Shanks jumped from their hiding spot right onto the path and started waving at the running person, giving his best to warn them.


    But the running person didn''t stop and was charging right at the rat-faced man.


    "What are you doing! I''m serious! There''s a griffin flying around...! Here..."


    Shanks shouted, pointing at the clearance in the trees, and ended up pointing right at the monster that showed up again.


    "SCREEEEEE!"


    The griffin roared.


    "...I fucked up..."


    Shanks felt all strength leaving him, just a moment before he was getting angry at Rotte for epting a dangerous mission, and now he himself was actingpletely reckless and ended up attracting the monster''s attention.


    "Graough!"


    The running person''s body started glowing, and they dodged Rotte at thest possible second.


    They also let out a groan and pushed the rat-faced man off of the road and dashed towards the griffin that stopped circling around and instead was now pping its wings to observe the path.


    "...Are you alright?"


    Asked Uresha who caught Shanks and pulled him back into cover.


    "...what the hell...?"


    The thief shook his head.


    "What is that idiot thinking?!"


    He struggled to get back up and get a clear view.


    And what a view it was!


    The small person charged straight at the monster.


    With their glowing legs, it kicked off the ground and lunched straight at the beast!


    The griffin dodged them, but then, that reckless person''s body started glowing and they spun in the air and ended up kicking the monster''s wing.


    "What is that idiot trying...! HUH?!"


    *CRACK*


    Shanks was shivering from terror, watching the reckless person throwing a pointless attack at the strong beast when a loud unpleasant crack sounded the moment that the kick connected.


    "SCREEE!"


    The griffin cried as its wing got nearly snapped in two and the monster dropped to the ground like a rock.


    "Am... am I going crazy...? Yeah, that must be it, I could swear that this guy just downed a griffin with a kick.."


    Shanks shook his head in confusion.