The mission felt too small for what we had become.
That was the first thought that came to me when I accepted the request from the guild board. Escorting merchants to the neighboring city. Known route. Moderate risk. Honest pay, but nothing impressive for Rank S adventurers.
Even so, I accepted.
"Are you sure?" Elara asked as we left the mansion. "After everything, this seems… little."
"That's exactly why," I replied. "I want to see how the world reacts when we're not facing legendary monsters."
Vespera adjusted the blades at her waist. "And it's easy money."
Liriel smiled. "Normality also needs to be relearned."
We met the merchants at the eastern gate. There were three wagons, loaded with fabrics, grains, and worked metals. The leader of the group, a short and nervous man, almost dropped his hat when he recognized us.
"You… you're the group that defeated the Sixth General?" he asked.
"We are," I replied.
He swallowed hard. "Then this trip will be peaceful."
I didn't answer. I learned early that excessive confidence always comes at a price.
We departed shortly after the sun rose. The road was wide, well maintained, surrounded by open fields. A path too ordinary for something to go wrong early. Even so, we kept the basic formation. Elara ahead, Vespera at the rear, Liriel observing everything with that constant calm.
The merchants talked among themselves, gradually relaxing. One of them commented, in a low voice, that he had never traveled with an escort of that level. Another laughed, saying that maybe we wouldn't even need to leave the city.
That was when I felt it.
Not a sound. Not a clear movement. Just that familiar pressure in the air, as if something was wrong, even though nothing seemed out of place.
I raised my hand.
"Stop the wagons."
The leader blinked. "But we're still close to the city."
"Exactly."
Vespera had already moved. She disappeared among the bushes to the right of the road. Elara tensed her bow, her gaze fixed on the tree line.
"Bandits," she said. "Poorly hidden."
"How many?" I asked.
"More than there should be."
I sighed. "They really don't know who we are."
The first ones appeared seconds later. Armed men, poorly equipped, overly confident. One of them shouted something about us leaving the wagons and walking away alive.
I stepped forward.
"Last chance," I said calmly. "Leave."
They laughed.
The fight didn't last long.
Elara took down two before they even realized their mistake. Liriel advanced with an invisible pressure that made others fall to their knees, unable to breathe properly. Vespera appeared behind those who tried to run, fast and silent.
I dealt with the leader. One direct, precise strike. He fell without understanding what had happened.
When it was over, the merchants were in absolute silence.
"You… you didn't even break a sweat," one of them said.
"It wasn't a fight," I replied. "It was an interruption."
We continued the journey without further problems. The rest of the road was too calm, almost boring. Even so, I noticed something important.
The merchants began to treat us differently.
It wasn't just gratitude. It was distance. Excessive care in their words. As if they no longer knew how to speak to us without making a mistake.
When we reached the next city and delivered the cargo, the leader bowed far too deeply.
"If you ever need anything… anything at all…"
I nodded, uncomfortable.
On the way back, I walked in silence for a while.
"They treated you like you were something else," Elara finally said.
"Yeah," I replied. "And it's going to get worse."
Vespera crossed her arms. "You wanted to see how the world would react. Now you know."
Liriel added, "The challenge now is not strength. It's closeness."
When we saw Vailor in the distance, I felt a strange weight in my chest. It wasn't fear. It was awareness.
Rank S didn't separate us only from our enemies.
It separated us from ordinary people.
And as we walked back to the mansion, I knew that keeping who we were would be harder than any simple escort.
Because the world no longer saw us as equals.
And perhaps never would again.