The Merchant Who Became a Hero

Chapter 4: C-rank

"Thank you for your purchase, remember to store them somewhere dry or they'll expand."
Louis advised a costumer, bowing to him from behind the register as he left with a bag full of pink slime cubes. Once alone he sighed and looked around at his remaining wares, gently chewing on his bottom lip. It had been a week since he returned from the dungeon and he still had half of his stock left. Business had been slow, only a handful of people interested in such low-quality items. He had managed to shift all his giant bat parts, and most of the slime cubes, but stuff like the goblin ears remained untouched. He hadn't gotten a lot for them either, only making him a couple hundred gold. Louis curled his hands in frustration. He had heard of other Pathfinders with the merchant class that could make thousands and had to fund daily trips to high level dungeons. His cheeks burned slightly with envy at the thought, unable to imagine himself in such a situation.

The ringing of the bell above the front door ripped Louis away from his thoughts. The young merchant was quick to smile and fold his hands over his lap, turning towards the entrance.
"Good morning!"
He happily called, the door swinging open to reveal three very familiar faces.

"Hey Louis, business looks like it's going well. Manage to shift that Annis Hag nail yet?"
Petra asked, strolling into the store with Pierre and Alexander behind her. Louis watched them enter, surprise clear on his face. He managed to somewhat recover from the initial shock and gave Petra a half smile as she approached.
"Um- yeah. It was the first thing to go. What are you guys doing here?"
He asked, looking between them all. Pierre had moved to the side and was inspecting some giant spider silk while Alexander hung back by the door.

If Petra had noticed his confusion she didn't show it, giving Louis a big smile as she strolled up to the counter.
"What, we can't visit a friend while in town?"
The blonde asked with a questioning smirk. Louis was quick to shake his head and hold his hands up.
"Oh- no of course you can! I just wasn't expecting you back so soon."
He stammered, trying to apologise. Petra cut him off with a light laugh.
"Relax, I know you didn't mean it like that. In truth, we actually had a favour to ask."
She said, laying her hands flat on the counter and leaning forwards. Louis tilted his head to the side while leaning slightly backwards.
"Really? Well- I'll help in any way I can."
He offered, Petra's grin growing wider.
"I was counting on that."

Petra pushed away from the counter and began explaining, aimlessly roaming through the tables and around the shop as she did.
"Now, I know we usually wait a good month or two before giving you any work. And I also know we only bring you along on E-rank raids."
She swiftly turned on her heels to face him and held a finger up.
"But! A few days ago, a C-rank gate opened near here. Normally we would never consider bringing you along on such a high-level raid, but then I thought about how good it would be for you!"
This only made Louis more confused, the young merchant silent watching as she marched over to him and took him by the shoulder.

"Think about it Louis! A C-rank dungeon, your very first. If you can make it through this, then we'll feel more confident taking you along on more high-level raids. Which, I'm sure you don't need me telling you, means a lot more cash~"
She whispered in his ear, gripping his shoulder and thrusting her other arm out.
"Imagine it, D-rank and C-rank items galore. Maybe even a B-rank if you're lucky, and not a single E-rank in sight! I'm sure that Annis Hag nail sold for quite a bit, right? Well, imagine a whole stock full of that. You'd be able to skip out on raids for at least a couple months, take it easy and renovate the shop. Sounds pretty great right?"

As Petra spoke the confusion slowly left Louis gaze, his eyes sparkling as he thought of the possibilities. His money problems would be over, for good if he could go on other C-rank raids! His smile grew as Petra moved behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"It sounds incredible!"
Petra nodded and leant in close, keeping her voice low and coated in honey.
"And it'll only be the beginning. We would take you on more after that, if you impress us. You'd have so much money you could afford to completely rebuild the place, eat a small feast every night."
Louis hopes continued to soar, the young merchant practically shaking in excitement.

Petra's grand performance was cut off when Pierre, who had been watching with an amused expression, stepped forwards.
"That, and fifteen people are needed for a raid on a C-rank gate. The guild put this requirement in place to minimise the risk of entering higher level dungeons unprepared.  There were only fourteen in attendance, so we naturally came to the only other Pathfinder in the area we knew. You."
Louis looked back at Petra after Pierre's explanation, the blonde giving him a sheepish smile.
"I guess that too... but everything else I said is real as well! Pierre, why did you tell him!?"
She yelled, the two beginning to bicker.

Louis simply sighed and waved his hand between them both with a smile.
"I'd be happy to help out, even if I'm just filling the numbers."
He said, Petra happily humming and giving him a hug.
"Oh, Louis! You're a life saver!"
She dramatically called, her two companions rolling their eyes while Louis merely chuckled.
"I'll go get my things ready, then we can head out."
Petra nodded and let go of him. She skipped back to the others while Louis entered the back room.

"Are we sure about this? The merchant can barely handle a goblin, can you imagine him trying to handle an ogre or cyclops? It'll be on us if he dies."
Alexander's voice drifted through to Louis from the front room. The young merchant tried to shut it out, occupying himself by gathering his equipment. He slipped out of his professional clothes and changed into the outfit he had been wearing on his last raid. He connected his scabbard to his side and opened the large chest at the end of his bed, pulling out the strange stone weapon he carried. Louis held it tightly in his hands, staring at it with an almost pleading look in his eyes. It was like he expected it to talk back, gazing at it so intently.

"C'mon Louis, we're burning daylight!"
Petra called to him from the front room, snapping him out of this trance. The young merchant shook his head and thrust his weapon into the scabbard at his side. Louis glanced around the room once more to make sure he wasn't missing anything before leaving. Petra smiled at him and pat him on the shoulder, the four of them walking out of the shop.

"So, do we know anything about this gate?"
Louis asked as they walked. The group had departed from Felsten and were making their way across the fields once again. However, they were heading towards the mountains this time. Immense titans of stone and earth loomed in the distance, watching as they approached. The young merchant looked up at them and attempted to spot the gate. His eyes scanned the snow-covered peaks and wide bases, but no such luck. The gate must have been hidden behind the huge valley.

Petra opened her mouth like she was going to answer but thought better of it. She instead closed her mouth and prodded Pierre's back. The pale man huffed and reached up to flick his hair to the side.
"In regards to the gate itself, it is located along the ridge of one of the mountains. It isn't terribly hard to gain access to, as it opened very close to a frequently used trade path."
Louis nodded his head as Pierre spoke, his gaze going back to the gargantuan mountains in the distance.
"We have to close it up soon then, it would be terrible if it became a catalyst."
Pierre hummed in an approving way at Louis words.
"Exactly. Not only would the traders travelling the route be attacked, many small villages and towns would suffer serious shortages in supplies. The trade route is extremely vital."

A moment of silence passed after his explanation, the group passing by a rocky stream. Petra, in an effort to amuse herself, chucked her dagger at a fish as it skimmed too close to the waters surface. Her dagger pierced its scales and cut the pectoral fin clean in half. The fish flopped and violently squirmed in place, pinned against the stone covered bank. The blonde rouge let out a victorious cry and thrust her arm into the air. Her wide grin disappeared when Alexander tapped her shoulder and motioned towards the stream.
"Aw, can't you get it? I just caught dinner for us!"
She pouted, Alexander continuing to stare. Petra sighed and, with slumped shoulders, trudged towards the stream.

The three stopped walking and waited for Petra to return. As they watched her approach the stream and reclaim her dagger Pierre spoke up again.
"Those are the particulars about the gate itself. However, if you wish to know what lies beyond you will have to ask Alexander. He was the one to discover it, and the only person to go inside."
He glanced over to their armoured companion. Louis turned and looked up at Alexander with a tilted head.
"Alex?"
He asked curiously, his fellow briefly peering down at him before sighing.

"I didn't get very far. It's a damn battlefield in there."
He began, staring forwards into space. There was an unmistakable bite in his tone that told of bitterness.
"I think it might have been a forest once. There were plenty of tree stumps and dried up rivers. But now all that's left is scorched earth, crushed rock, and mud. There were dense patches of fire and craters large enough to fall in. I found the wreckage of some sort of war machine in one of them. I didn't go very far in. I was..."
Louis picked up on the hesitancy in his voice as Alexander tried to speak. He took a step forward and tried catching his eyes.
"Scared?"

The moment he suggested this Alexander's head whipped in his direction. Louis could feel his eyes on him, glaring with such intensity the metal visor between them could have melted. The young merchant instinctively took a step backwards and lowered his gaze.
"Sorry. I just meant... I mean..."
He stumbled over his words for a moment before deciding to simply stay quiet. Alexander slowly turned his head away from him and continued to stare forwards.

"...Anyway."
He continued, Louis letting out a silent sigh of relief. He had thought Alexander was going to stop speaking because of his poorly chosen word.
"I didn't get very far. I couldn't see much through the fog and clouds of dust either. But from what I could tell, a huge fight had taken place there. I found bodies of orcs and goblins. There were also demon corpses there too, far more of them compared to the orcs."
He crossed his arms and lowered his head. Alexander thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't see how demons and orcs can be in the same dungeon. At least, not so many such a huge war would result. Maybe two dungeons ended up merging."
Alexander offered his opinion, Pierre humming gently.
"Perhaps. Though it would be a first. I imagine there is a different explanation."
While the two spoke Louis had been looking between them both, resting his chin on his hand. Their discussion had got him thinking. Just what kind of dungeons and gates were there out in the world? None were exactly the same, he knew that. But they usually came under recognizable groups. Just how many uncategorized dungeons were there? And, more importantly, what was inside them?

They stopped their discussion when Petra reached them, dangling the fish in one hand while slipping her dagger away with the other.
"I call dibs on the eyes, they're great for chewing."
Pierre merely rolled his eyes and scoffed in disgust, turning his back to her and continuing up the path. The blonde rouge laughed at his reaction.
"He seems grumpy. What were you guys talking about?"
She asked, Louis helping her put the fish away in a separate pouch on his backpack.
"Nothing important."
Alexander answered and followed behind his companion. Petra sighed with a shrug and turned to Louis.
"Wanna play I spy on the way?"
Louis smiled and accepted, the two playing their games as they followed the path.

The trip took close to three hours, taking them between and eventually over mountains. It was only when they reached the highest ridge did they see signs of other Pathfinders.
"Oh, I spy supplies and tracks!"
Petra pointed out, the others raising their heads to look. Medium sized crates and barrels lined the path, a jumble of footprints between them. A little way beyond was a collection of carts and horses, a red banner with the symbol of the Pathfinders guild emblazoned on it hanging on the side of the carts. The symbol was of a silver and gold gate being held between two cupped hands.

"Finally... I was... beginning to fear we made a wrong turn."
Pierre gasped, leaning on a crate when they reached them and trying to catch his breath. Louis needed a moment as well, stopping beside him and gently panting. Petra, seemingly still having plenty of stamina to spare, strolled to the edge of the path and peered down.
"C'mon guys, you can't really be tired already?"
She looked back to them both, Pierre slightly glaring at her.
"Well, you're gonna hate the walk back. When we're loaded with loot."
Pierre let out a joyless noise, somewhere between a scoff and snort.
"We'll simply have the armoured brute carry it all."
Alexander, who had only now just caught up to them, snapped back with such intensity it made Louis jump.
"Don't even think about it! That's what we have the merchant for."
He looked towards Louis. The young merchant couldn't stand to meet his gaze and looked at the ground.

Petra stayed quiet and waited for everyone to catch their breath, letting out a slight sigh afterwards.
"Well, judging by all the supplies here, I'm guessing we're the last ones to arrive."
Alexander, the first one to catch his breath, straightened up at her words.
"Let's not keep them waiting any longer then."
He began marching down the path, Petra following behind him. She noticed Louis and Pierre were lagging behind, so she turned to them with a smirk as she walked.
"Last one there has to share their loot with the whole group."
The two exchanged a brief look before scrambling to catch up, quickly joining their companions.

It wasn't until they had walked a small way down the path did they see the gate itself. A grand swirling vortex, white mist seeping off its edges as it steadily turned in place. It was around four metres across, the same in height. A group of eleven were mingling near the entrance, some sat while others paced back and forth anxiously. Louis paid no attention to the group, stopping to marvel at the churning portal. The young merchant took a step towards it. There was a burning sensation eating away at his hand, irritating the nubs where the first joints on his two fingers had once been connected to. He paid no attention to it, wishing to simply observe and admire the gate.

"Come now, there will be time enough for that afterwards."
Pierre mumbled to him as he passed by, Louis blinking a few times and turning to look at him. His pale companion said nothing else, continuing to follow the others down the path. The young merchant pursed his lips and glanced back to the captivating vortex. His fingers twitched.

Louis quickly caught up with his companions, who were at that moment breaking away from the main path. They carefully navigated their way down a slope, Petra sliding down with a laugh. Alex grunted and held his shield up as she passed by and sprayed some pebbles into his face. She jumped as she neared the bottom of the slope and landed with a refreshed sigh.
"Nobody looks majorly pissed at us, hopefully we weren't too long."
She observed, looking over the group gathered near the gate. Her companions quickly caught up with her, Louis almost falling because of the heavy backpack he was carrying. He was able to barely catch himself, stumbling next to Petra and the others. She ruffled his hair with a laugh before leading them towards the group.

They received mixed reactions as they approached. Some happily clapped them on the backs and thanked them for coming. A handful impatiently mumbled about how long they had been waiting. One woman, wearing the thick and heavy robes of a magic user, threw her arms up.
"Finally! It only took you slimes an eternity to get here. Let's get moving, I've been sat here since last night! Some of us actually care for keeping appointments."
She spat at them with her cold, slightly nasally voice. She stood up, snatching up a wooden staff that had been leaning against a rock. It was crooked with leather strips wrapped around the middle, a rusted bell hanging from the top. The woman fixed her annoyed gaze on the party, Louis needing to hold back a gasp.

The womans right eye was normal enough. It was a lovely hazel with gold flecks. But the left was completely different. It was lavender, the pupil so small he could barely see it. That alone wasn't enough to startle him, but the intense colour spread beyond her eye. Bright purple veins glowed beneath her skin around the eye, reaching her left cheek and part of her forehead. She made no attempt to hide it. If anything, she kept her greasy black hair swept to the right so it was more visible. Louis couldn't find the strength to look beyond the strange eye. He couldn't observe her pointed chin or small nose. All he could see was that eye.

"Oh, Junie~? Could you leave them alone? For me?"
A deep yet gentle voice drifted towards them from the group. The Pathfinders gathered around them parted and made way for whoever spoke to the woman. A hulking beast of a man approached them, affectionately patting the heads of those who created a path for him as he passed. He seemed determined to wear the least amount of clothing as possible. Padded fur pads on his shoulders and knees with tight buffalo leather shorts. Muscles the size of ham joints shifted and constricted beneath his chestnut skin with each step, his broad shoulders like watermelons. Because of his unusual height most of the group was forced to admire his hardened abs, the man having to peer past his bulging chest to see them.

Everyone, Alex included, had to crane their necks up to see his face. A mess of curly brown hair, lovingly styled into something resembling a pompadour, sat on top of his head. His sharp jawline went well with his blocky cleft chin and bull neck. He looked down at them all, thick lips curled into a pleasant smile.
"Please excuse Junie, you know how warlocks are."
The woman chewed on her bottom lip and looked to the side.
"It's Juno, don't call me that."
The large man let out a hearty laugh and hunched over so he could put his heavy hands on her shoulders.
"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about Junie~! So prideful you can't even accept a nickname."
She growled and stormed away from him.

The large man sighed and turned to the group, who had been watching this scene unfold with mixed reactions. Pierre and Alex were trying to look anywhere but at him, while Petra poorly hid her embarrassment as she compared her muscles with his. Louis, meanwhile, watched with wide eyes.
"It's so nice you were all able to come in the end! I got very worried when you were late, I could barely contain it!"
He walked over to them, pressing one fist against his hip.
"I'm Diamante, leader of this here raid. But, if you want, you can call me Mante. Or if you really want, you can call me D. Put them together, what do you get? D-Mante!"
He laughed again, thrusting his chest out.

"Now, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"
He asked, leaning down to get a better look at them all. With the other three either trying not to acknowledge him or too busy comparing bodies Louis found himself stepping forwards.
"We're the group from Felsten, sir! I'm Louis, E-Rank merchant!"
There was some mumbling from the surrounding crowd when he revealed his class and rank. Louis tried ignoring it, giving Diamante a bright smile. He was used to that reaction.

Diamante fixed his sky-blue eyes on Louis, leaning over a little bit more because of the height difference. The young merchant tried not to be intimidated as he blocked out the sun. Diamante raised one hand to his mouth and gasped, keeping the other one on his hip.
"An E-Rank? Goodness! I admire your bravery, but how could I sleep at night knowing I sent a cutie like you into a vastly stronger dungeon?"
He asked, Louis gently chuckling and raising his hands.
"That's really nice of you, sir. But I'll be alright! I'm mostly here to bulk up the numbers anyway."
He replied, staring up into his face.

A few seconds passed before Diamante responded, huffing lightly before smiling.
"Well alright. But if you get in trouble you come running straight to me, okay honey?"
He asked, Louis nodding and earning a pat on the head.
"Good! In that case, who else is in your group?"
He asked, pulling himself back up to full height and looking down at them all.
"Well-"
Louis turned and motioned towards Petra.
"This is our rouge, Petra. She's really amazing! I once saw her hit a Nothic square in the eye with a throwing knife!"
Diamante whistled and peered down at her; fists still firmly attached to his hips.
"Well! Maybe you can teach me a thing or two? I've always been terrible at aiming."
Petra looked back up at him and, after a moment, slightly laughed.
"Only if you show me how you got so big."
She offered, Diamante laughing and nodding.
"It'll be the first thing I do after we're done with this raid."

He then turned his attention to Pierre, reaching over to pat his shoulder.
"And who is this mysterious stranger?"
He asked, Pierre immediately stepping back. In an effort to remain polite he stretched his hand out for a handshake.
"Pierre. I will be filling the role of healer for this expedition. I'm a cleric."
He explained. Diamante blinked in surprise before smiling and taking his hand. It engulfed Pierre's own, yet he tried to be gentle.
"Oh? In that case, welcome aboard. I don't need to worry about getting injured anymore, now that I have you to take care of me afterwards~"
Pierre's jaw stiffened slightly, withdrawing his hand and bowing his head.

Finally, he came to Alexander. Unlike with the others he didn't lean down, Diamante looming above him like the Annis Hag they had felled during their last raid. There was a long pause, the two staring at each other. It seemed to Louis like they were silently daring each other to break the silence. Diamante eventually gave in and spoke.
"My, your quite big, aren't you? Will you be the damage dealer of our little party?"
He asked, Alexander turning and looking up at him. He said nothing, Diamante's smile turning into a grin.
"Come now, don't be shy. I'll only bite if you ask me to~"
Alexander clenched his hands into fists, grinding his teeth together.
"Alexander... I'm a fighter. I focus on drawing fire and absorbing damage."

The moment the words left his mouth Diamante threw his head back, a loud laugh erupting from deep within his chest.
"Oh, a tank then! Well, that's my job too! I do hope you don't feel threatened by a little friendly competition!"
He glanced down at Alex for his reaction, not receiving any. Diamante hummed slightly before giving the four a wide smile.
"Anyway, we'll be setting out soon. So stock up on anything you need, get to know everyone else, and come straight to me if you have any questions! I'll be right over there if you need me."
He waved to them all before turning and walking over to the gate.

Alexander immediately stormed to the side after he left, Louis watching him go with a confused frown.
"He doesn't seem to like Diamante that much..."
He stated, Pierre sighing slightly.
"I wasn't fond of him either. The difference is Alexander is incapable of keeping his animosity hidden."
Petra tilted her head and crossed her arms at Pierre's words.
"Eh? What the hell am I hearing? Mante is great! Hey, think he has enough time to give me some tips about muscle building before we start the raid?"
Before either of them could respond Petra dashed through the group of Pathfinders, going to find Diamante.

Pierre and Louis, suddenly finding themselves alone, fell into a awkward silence. The young merchant shifted from one foot to the other and looked around. He considered following after Alex and asking what was wrong, but guessed that he wouldn't tell him. He then turned his attention towards where Petra had disappeared. She would be too busy talking with Diamante. He finally turned to Pierre.

His pale companion clearly didn't know what to do either, glancing around the small group with his lips pressed thin. Louis, eager to break the silence, took his backpack off and placed it on the ground. The young merchant crouched down to open the main flap.
"I had best make sure we have everything before the raid starts. Want to help me look?"
He asked, looking up at Pierre. His companion considered him for a moment before folding his arms behind his back.
"Well, I suppose it would be the sensible thing to do. Let us be quick about it, that warlock may take issue with us if we cause the raid to be delayed any longer."
Louis nodded in agreement and began going through the contents of the backpack, Pierre leaning down beside him to help check.

"Annnd rope, we're done!"
Louis exclaimed, placing the coil of rope in a side pocket and closing it up. The process of going through the backpack had taken them seven minutes, as there was a great deal of digging around and rearranging involved. As Louis slid his arms through the straps and stood up Diamante's voice reached them from in front of the group. Looking up Louis could see him standing in front of the gate, hands on his hips.

"Okay people! It's time for this raid to officially begin!"
His statement was met with a chorus of cheers, during which Alex found his way back to the two. Pierre looked him up and down but said nothing, while Louis leant forwards.
"You were gone a while; did you manage to calm down?"
Despite his better judgement he still asked to see if he was okay. Alexander grunted and planted his spear into the ground.
"I'm fine."
He mumbled, staring ahead and waiting for the raid to commence.

Diamante laughed and raised his hands, slowly lowering them. The cheers faded away.
"Now, before we begin, I just want to set some ground rules."
This time his statement was met with a wave of moans and groans. Diamante nodded his head in understanding and raised his arms once again. He lowered them, the sounds of complaint steadily vanishing.
"Now, first things first, absolutely no being a lone wolf. We work together in this party! Unless I give you the go ahead, you must stay in a group of no less than three! Okay?"
He looked around, smiling when he heard some mumbled confirmations.
"Fantastic! Secondly, if things get too dangerous and our lovely and handsome cleric can't keep up-"
Pierre actually took a step behind Louis and tried hiding behind his backpack.
"We're marching our butts straight back through the portal!"
Again, there were some mutterings of approval. Diamante smiled and breathed in.
"Now, I know most of you won't like this, but those of you who have raided with me before will know what's coming. In this party we pull our own weight! So, you can keep whatever you pick up, loot or kill, but absolutely no sharing!"

There was an uproar of disapproval as Diamante said this, people shaking their fists and yelling.
"What about us support classes?! We put in just as much work as you frontline guys! We deserve just as much of a cut dammit!"
One yelled from the back, Diamante opening his mouth to try and address it.
"You know how strong C-Rank monsters are, only two or three people will be able to take out the special monsters! They'll get all the gear!"
Another called, Diamante unable to find a space for him to speak.

While all this was happening, Louis watched with wide eyes. He depended on getting a share, he was way too weak to actually kill anything in a C-Rank gate! The young merchant nervously fingered the straps over his arms and looked around at his fellows. Louis tried to look for any signs of outrage on their faces. Pierre looked disgusted, visibly swallowing a spiteful remark. Louis couldn't see past Alex's visor, but could tell by how tightly he was gripping his spear he didn't agree with it. Weren't they going to say anything as well?

Louis nervously looked back towards Diamante, now growing pale. He had come all this way for nothing! As embarrassing as it was to rely on everyone else like this, Louis knew the only possibility of him making any money was from others giving him a cut of their own shares. He wouldn't be able to pay for the usual supplies, he could forget about any food- What could he do? 

His panic did not go unnoticed, however. The young merchant felt a hand on his shoulder. Louis turned to see Petra smiling down at him. He blinked a little in surprise from her sudden reappearance, the blonde rouge leaning close.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there."
She apologised.
"Relax Louis. He can stop us from sharing in the dungeon, but not when we go back home. I'll give you a cut, just like usual."
Louis alarmed expression faded slightly. He craned his neck even more to get a better look at her.
"You're sure? It's a large group, if supporting me on your own leaves you with less than you need then-"
Petra shook her head and grinned, cutting him off.
"I'll just kill enough for both of us."
Louis, after a brief moment, gave her an extremely thankful smile and nodded.

While they had been talking the complaints had only grown. Most everyone in the group were yelling at Diamante for his rule, the muscular man having difficulty silencing them this time. He eventually stopped trying to control the situation and sighed. Diamante, still enduring the groups yelling, calmly walked over to a spare iron chest plate on the ground. He raised his foot and sucked in air until his cheeks puffed out.

There was a deep, resounding thud from deep within his body. It repeated itself after a few seconds, slightly louder. It repeated once again, faster this time. The process continued until the noise was constantly beating against everyone's ears, the enraged voices slowly stopping as he put on this display. The muscles on his raised leg, in time with the beating, quickly swelled. They expanded until they were double what they were originally, the veins bulging and muscles angrily throbbing. Diamante then, with a quickness one wouldn't expect from a man of his size, brought his foot downwards.

The iron chest plate was obliterated, nobody was surprised by that. What did surprise them, however, was how a nearby outcropping of stone exploded outwards immediately afterwards. They were showered with dust and small pebbles, throwing their arms up to protect themselves. Pierre slinked behind Alexander as he raised his shield, Petra raising her arms over her and Louis head. Only when the shower of rock ended did they all look towards Diamante. The heavy pounding steadily subsided, his leg shrinking back to normal size. He raised his head and looked around at them all, lips pressed into an agreeable smile.

"I'm only doing this to encourage you all. I want to see you all do your absolute best! You can't be the best you can be when you know you have a safety net, right? You may not see it now, but you'll all be the better for it afterwards. You'll emerge as beautiful, powerful warriors!"
He slowly, carefully turned his head and peered around at them all.
"We're all in agreement then?"
He asked, his deep voice coated with honey that masked the power behind his tone. It took a moment, but he eventually received some reluctant and quiet sounds of agreement.
"Perfect. Oh, I do hate using tough love. But you can't hug and coddle them all their life, you know."
He relaxed his tensed body and placed his hands on his hips.
"Then let's get moving!"

Everyone began gathering their equipment, strapping armour on and hoisting up weapons. Louis glanced to the side and saw the warlock from earlier with her head against her cane, a crystal eye held in her right hand. She whispered to herself, Louis tilting his head to the side.
"Pay her no mind. Her power comes from... a source far more unnatural than common magic. Leave her to her rituals."
Pierre advised as he moved past the young merchant. Louis continued to watch for a moment before turning and following his companions.

"Now, here's the plan everyone! As I'm sure you all know, C-Rank dungeons are much less forgiving than those ranked D and E. We might get attacked the second we step through the gate. So, we'll let our tanks go through first, meaning me and that huge hunk down there called Alex will be going in first!"
Alexander almost snapped his spear in two upon hearing this, his fingers creating gentle grooves in the shaft. Diamante took no notice and swiftly moved on with his explanation.
"Our damage dealers will follow behind, with the support and magic users coming in next. Which means our adorable merchant Louis will be bringing up the rear!"
He motioned towards the young merchant as he said this, Louis sheepishly smiling at the group.

"We'll clear the way for you two."
Petra promised Louis and Pierre, winking before moving ahead of them. Alexander went to the front and joined Diamante directly in front of the gate, the muscular man smiling.
"Let's see which of us can kill the most, hmm? Oh, I do love a good contest!"
Diamante said with a smile, Alex looking to the side with a grunt. He glanced over his shoulder at the gathered group of Pathfinders and raised his fist.
"Let's do our best!"
He yelled, voice brimming with positivity.
"You can count on us!"
Petra enthusiastically called back from somewhere ahead of Louis, Pierre rolling his eyes.

Louis wasn't able to see them enter the gate from his spot in the back, unable to peer over Pierre's shoulder or look around the group. He could tell when the damage dealers went in however, hearing Petra cheer as she ran through the gate. That only left the magic users, support classes and... him. While waiting he heard Pierre conversing with the warlock.
"Do try to keep those spells in check, one can only imagine how unstable they are."
Juno growled and grit her teeth at his remark.
"If you try to heal so much as a paper cut on me, I'll turn you into a tree stump."
She spat back, the two of them marching towards the gate together. Louis gave them a smile and thumbs up as they went through, letting out a slight sigh after they did. It was just him.

Louis found himself staring at the gate once again. He carefully, almost affectionately watched it swirl and churn. He reached forwards and let the mist seeping from the edges curl around his hand. Louis let out a heavy breath. He wanted to admire it for longer. Of course he did. But he knew they were waiting for him. Even if he couldn't do much, he needed to be there. Besides, it would still be here afterwards. For a small while at least, before closing. He could marvel at it then. With this thought in mind Louis sucked in a deep breath and stepped through the gate.