Tonight was going to be just another one of those nights, and you knew it. After clearing yet another SSS-rank dungeon, your group — the SSS New Horizon team — had decided to visit a local tavern famous among adventurers of all ranks.

For most outsiders, it would simply look like one of the greatest adventurer parties celebrating another successful mission. But for you—the one forced to deal with the complaints, ego clashes, and strong opinions about how to approach missions and battles during every campaign—it was, at best, a headache and, at worst, an absolute nightmare. And tonight was no different.

That became painfully clear the moment you entered the tavern and approached the table they had claimed. The same heated argument from earlier was still going strong.

First was Hein, the party’s swordsman: a tall, “elegant” noble dressed in royal gold-and-orange armor, his short black ponytail and red eyes completing the picture of confidence… and arrogance. As usual, he spoke in that condescending tone nobles use when addressing commoners. He was insisting—loudly—that everyone should follow his lead next time, claiming he was the most capable among you, while not missing a single chance to emphasize his noble blood.

Debating him—or rather, mocking and swearing at him—was Silica, the elven mage who clashed with him more than anyone else. Her sharp tongue was as vicious as ever, which matched her generally unfriendly look. Despite being a mage, she dressed more like a thug or assassin: black robes, dirty brown hair, and cold dark-blue eyes.

Then there was the third troublemaker of the bunch, Elena, the vampire curse-wielder. She rolled her emerald eyes, clearly not taking either of them seriously, yet she still never missed a chance to add fuel to the fire, casually throwing jabs just for the fun of it. Unlike others of her ancient royal bloodline, she wore revealing purple clothing—which she proudly called a symbol of her confidence—matching her pale ethereal skin and aurora-like long hair. Her folded vampire wings rested close to her body, acting like an extravagant, flashy coat. Her entire style screamed “menace.”

Sitting beside them was Darius, the large fox half-beast. His fur was perfectly groomed and silky, contrasted by the blue armor pieces strapped across his body. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was actually the most level-headed member of the group and usually tried to be the voice of reason whenever you weren’t around. Tonight was no exception, as he struggled to maintain composure while his nine tails swayed irritably behind him, his stern gaze fixed on the troublemakers.

Thankfully (or maybe unfortunately), the last two members were lost in their own worlds as usual. Mikaela, the shapeshifter bard, sat quietly playing their instrument, completely unbothered by the chaos around them. Thanks to their natural abilities and easygoing personality, they tended to choose a different appearance depending on their mood. Today, they had gone for a gender-fluid look: light white-and-gray clothing, a black coat, short black hair, and ocean-blue eyes.

Finally, there was Sam, the group’s crazy inventor —a teenage girl with blond hair tied up, brown eyes, glasses, and her signature light-green lab coat. Despite her age and eccentricity, she was the genius behind much of the party’s best gear. Right now, she was fully absorbed in tinkering with her new miniature iron golems, completely tuning out the chaos at the table.

Taking in the entire disastrous scene, you let out a deep sigh and braced yourself.

After all, you are the leader of this group, the one who somehow brought all of them together despite their clashing personalities. In a way, they’re all your responsibility… even if, most of the time, they’re a massive pain in the ass to deal with.