***Hours Before***

"Dylan, wake up already!" Maximus exclaimed, desperately trying to rouse Dylan from his deep sleep. They had an important mission ahead — a B-rank quest involving the subjugation of a troublesome wolf.

Maximus, being the crafty schemer that he was, had managed to secure the B-rank quest through some shady connections, even though Dylan held a lowly F-rank status. He had to call in a favor from his influential friend, Julia, a member of the church known for her connections.

However, Julia, being new to the hero business, had no idea that Dylan was the supposed hero in question. Fearing that she might discover the truth about the perpetually drunk Dylan, Maximus resorted to disguising him.

(For now, let's continue like this.)

"Rise and shine, you lazy bum!" Maximus exclaimed, hurling a mug of ice water at Dylan face.

"Gah! Dude, what the f*k?" Dylan sputtered, rising up his bed because of that. "What's your big deal?"

"The deal is we've got a rank B quest to tackle, and it's high time you remembered!" Maximus retorted.

Dylan groaned, burying his head back on his pillow. "... Even though I was having the most epic dream ever..."

Although Maximus gave him the elixir in order to enliven him from his indulges, it seemed that those tendencies had seeped way beneath even for the elixir to take out.

"Forget about dreams, it's time for some real adventure!" Maximus urged, tugging him out of his blankets.

Dylan sat up, although reluctantly, still rubbing his eyes as if buying time. 

"You better have a good reason for interrupting my beautiful sleep."

Maximus scanned the room, searching for any telltale signs of alcohol. 

"Please don’t tell me that you got drunk again."

Dylan shook his head, a sheepish grin on his face. "Nah, not this time."

Maximus continued his investigation, still half-expecting to find an empty bottle hidden under the bed or behind the curtains. 

But to his surprise, there was no trace of alcohol whatsoever. Dylan had actually stayed sober.

I guess the Elixir did work in some areas.

"Well, I'll be damned." Maximus muttered in a way of a pure tsundere, while scratching his head. "You really haven't been hitting on the bottle then, quite surprising, don’t you think so?"

Dylan smirked triumphantly. "Told you, didn't I? Also, don’t act like my Girlfriend. So, what's this quest all about?"

“So here it goes.......”

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***Later at the Entrance to Town***

After an exhausting an hour with Maximus explaining the important stuff to Dylan, in addition to keep him awake, and with that, the constant struggle for Dylan to desperately get a quickie in some or another way possible, they eventually... Or should I say finally —reached Julia at the entrance of the town.

"Hey Julia! Thanks for waiting." Maximus greeted her, struggling to catch his breath. "We—we're rea—dy for —the Quest!"

Julia first looked at the panting Maximus, and then at Dylan. Her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Wait a minute... Where's the hero? I thought he was supposed to be coming with you."

Dylan twitched for a moment, about to spill the his identity, when Maximus swiftly intervened and nudged him discreetly. "Ah, this Dylan? He's just my trusty assistant. The hero is running a bit behind schedule. You can see me panting right now as well right? I had to go through his place before coming here."

Dylan's eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth and was just about to protest, but Maximus shot him a warning glare, filled with hostility.

Julia crossed her arms, giving out a rather skeptical look on her face. "~Hmm, I could've sworn he was your hero. But, are you sure about this, and him, Maximus?"

Maximus confidently nodded. "Absolutely! He's my trusty assistant, through and through."

Julia furrowed her brows, contemplating the situation, before giving up. 

"Well, if you say so..."

"Alright then, let's get this quest started!" Maximus exclaimed eagerly, trying to overcome even his own growing anxiety.

But just as they were about to set off, Julia dropped out a bombshell that sent shivers down Maximus's spine. "Before we proceed, I've brought along a friend who will help me assess your competence. If you fail to impress me, Maximus, your mentor license will be revoked on spot. So that’s how it is going to be just so you know."

Maximus's eyes widened as he frantically held his body together from trembling. "Uh, O-oOF COURSE! I'm more than ready for any evaluation you have in store!"

As Julia finished speaking, Jana, a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Julia, suddenly appeared from nowhere. She was dressed in the same priestess outfit, but had some air of mischief about her.

"Ya there~! I'm Jana," she greeted with a coyish grin.

Dylan, always eager to introduce himself was a bit taken back, but continued, "Good knowing you Jana, myself Dylan. I-"

"The assistant," Maximus interrupted again, shooting Dylan a warning glance.

Perhaps Maximus could already sense Dylan fawning on her, he made sure to make no mistake.

Yeah, the ‘taken aback’ didn’t mean he sensed something, but more like his newly found kinks getting the better of him.

Dylan's voice trailed off, somewhat feeling slightly frustrated by those constant interruptions by his mentor.

Unfazed, Jana assessed the group, with her gaze lingering mainly on Dylan for some moments than others. 

"Well, it's great to meet all of you. Also Maximus, Julia has told me so much about your heroic endeavors. I am really ~interested. ❤"

“A~ahaha... You can count on me.”

Maximus beamed with pride, making sure the conversation was moving in a positive direction. While also understanding the double meaning Jana addressed with that.

And right when Dylan could utter the next word, Maximus discreetly pinched his buttocks, effectively making sure he lose his chance to converse.

(Damn, this quest is going to be hard if we solely depend on this useless hero.)

It was a constant pressure Maximus was going through.

For, the troublesome wolf they were going to subjugate was indeed a Rank B quest.

.......——But only when it is encountered alone.