When the mission desk ninja reported the details, Might Duy felt a little ashamed. Just as he was about to promise to give it his all and not hold Kaede down, Kaede spoke up first.
"It's alright," Kaede said calmly.
"Duy-senpai is very strong. He can handle all kinds of situations."
Those two simple sentences made Duy tear up with emotion again. He instinctively wanted to give Kaede another hug, but restrained himself out of fear of causing trouble for the young man.
Strong...
The mission desk ninja twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth. It was the first time he'd ever heard someone describe Konoha's eternally-low-ranked genin as "very strong," especially coming from someone like Kaede, a recognized prodigy. He honestly didn't know how to respond.
Maybe this is how geniuses train, ordinary difficult missions aren't enough, so they challenge themselves further by bringing along someone who might hold them back...
"There aren't many C-rank missions left," Kaede murmured as he looked over the bulletin board. only about a third of the board had mission slips posted, plenty of open space.
Although the number of commissions was small, the rewards were quite generous, most of them around 100,000 ryo. A large portion were escort missions.
"Escort a merchant caravan from the Land of Grass back home. Commission: 150,000 ryo... Let's go with this one."
Kaede carefully reviewed the list and picked the one with the highest payout.
The main goal this time was to help Might Duy earn some money, and Kaede himself could use the extra cash to cover his daily expenses too.
Given Duy's poor performance in most areas outside of raw strength, choosing a reconnaissance mission would've been foolish. Escort missions were by far the better fit.
Let's hope nothing unexpected happens, Kaede thought to himself. Though he felt confident that even if trouble came up, he and Duy could handle it, a smooth, uneventful trip was still the best-case scenario.
"Alright, this one's good."
The mission desk ninja took the commission slip, checked the details, and recorded it before saying, "The clients are currently staying at the Konoha Inn. You can find them there."
Kaede nodded and called to Duy, "Let's go, Senpai."
The two of them left the mission office under the curious gazes of those around them.
As they walked away, a group of nearby ninja exchanging tasks looked toward the mission desk ninja.
"Hey... was that okay?" one of them asked. "Letting him take that eternal genin on a mission? Even if he's a prodigy, isn't this his first mission?"
"It's all within the rules," the desk ninja said with a helpless shrug. "No regulations were broken. I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to. That said, the Land of Grass caravan might not accept it. They'll probably come back to request a reassignment."
"Yeah... makes sense."
Even if the caravan didn't know about Might Duy's infamous genin status, they'd be able to tell at a glance that he didn't look reliable, he gave off the vibe of someone weak. And Kaede, despite being a Chunin, was so young that he likely wouldn't inspire much confidence either.
Chances were, the mission would get bounced back and they'd be asked to send someone else.
…
Konoha Inn
After leaving the mission office, Kaede and Duy headed straight for the Konoha Inn, where they quickly found the caravan in need of escort.
There were only seven people in the group. According to them, they'd transported a shipment of goods to the Land of Fire, sold everything, and were now ready to return to the Land of Grass.
"You're telling us you two are our escorts?!" one of the younger boys in the caravan stared in shock at Kaede and Duy. "Just the two of you?"
"That's right," Kaede replied with a nod.
The boy's eyes widened with disbelief. "Hey, come on, Konoha! You seriously think you two can handle an escort mission?!"
Might Duy stepped forward, his voice filled with determination. "Please rest assured! I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety!"
The boy still didn't look convinced and was about to say more when a white-bearded middle-aged man stepped over and whispered something in his ear.
The boy froze for a moment, confused.
The man gently stopped him from continuing and turned to Kaede and Duy with a warm smile. "I'm urube Daisuke, the leader of this caravan. We trust in the abilities of Konoha's shinobi. We'll be counting on you for our safety."
Kaede raised a brow slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing through his eyes. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Alright. In that case, let's get ready. Please make sure everyone is prepared. We'll meet at the village gates tomorrow."
"understood," Daisuke nodded politely.
Kaede gave a quick signal to Duy, and the two of them left the inn.
Moments later, the boy turned to Daisuke again.
"Why didn't you ask Konoha to send someone else? Those two look like total nobodies..."
"The more unremarkable, the better," Daisuke said seriously. "We're tight on funds. Even if we spent everything, the best we could afford would be a team of jonin, but that would risk drawing attention from them. Better to move quietly like this. Don't worry, young master. I'll get you back to the territory safely, no matter what."
The boy's expression flickered for a moment, then he sighed.
…
outside the Konoha Inn
As they walked, Kaede spoke casually. "oh, by the way, Duy-senpai. Let's split the commission fifty-fifty this time."
"Huh?"
Might Duy was momentarily stunned.
Kaede gave a slightly apologetic smile. "I'm running a little short on cash too. But if you're not okay with it, you can take sixty percent."
"No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" Duy waved his hands frantically. "Fifty-fifty is already way too generous. You're the team captain!"
Kaede chuckled. "Then it's settled. And don't worry too much, this commission might even end up paying more than expected."
Still surprised at being offered half, Duy looked puzzled. "...More than expected?"
"Yeah, it's just a possibility," Kaede nodded.
Thanks to the effects of his cell activation, Kaede's hearing was two to three times sharper than normal. He had partially overheard what urube Daisuke had whispered to the boy.
It was brief, but enough to catch that the boy was likely some sort of young lord or noble. Clearly, this caravan wasn't as simple as it appeared.
The safest move would have been to swap missions.
But with his current strength, plus Duy's presence, Kaede was confident they were well-prepared. Even if things didn't go as planned, they could handle it. And if the mission turned out to be more than advertised, they could demand extra compensation in line with higher-tier mission pay.
If all went well, this job alone could cover Kaede's expenses for over half a year. And once wartime began, the higher-ups would issue supplies regularly. That would be more than enough.
As for Duy, his needs weren't as high. Just this one mission could likely support him for two or three years.
After weighing all the pros and cons...
This mission was worth taking.