It was just another ordinary morning in Ode, the imperial capital of Pajan, a peninsular country in the Far East. There, in the center of the city, one particular inn—one with the Adventurers’ Guild’s seal of approval, no less—was bustling with activity.
The strong, the weak, the renowned, the obscure, and all those in between had gathered with their fellow party members for a quick meeting over breakfast. Some were perusing the latest quest listings, while others were taking stock of their inventories, reciting their party vows, squabbling with their comrades, and so on.
Truly, it was a peaceful morning no different from the last... except for one small detail.
Tanya Artemiciov, a Mage affiliated with a well-known mid-tier party, had just received the worst news of her life.
“I’m sorry, Tanya, but you’re off the team.”
“Wh... Excuse me?!” Tanya shrieked.
Off the team? As in kicked out? Fired? Is this a joke? It was just so sudden—so harsh—she couldn’t begin to process it.
The man who delivered the news was one Ryan Daars, leader of their party and a longtime friend of Tanya’s. Five years ago they had both started adventuring, and founded this party together. They were 25 now.
“Let’s take a step back here! You’re kicking me out?! Are you going to explain yourself, or am I just supposed to shrug and accept it?!”
“Mmm... Look, I get that this is hard for you, but try putting yourself in my shoes, yeah? This was a really hard decision, but at the end of the day, babe, I gotta do what’s best for the party.”
“I beg your pardon? I’m not your ‘babe’—and don’t touch my ass! My point is, you can’t just fire me for no good reason! Explain yourself!”
Tanya fixed Ryan with a sharp glare. Granted, she’d never had much respect for him, but this sudden, inexplicable dismissal was patently ridiculous, even for him.
But Ryan merely grinned back, smugly self-assured in the face of her anger. It was the same contemptible grin he always wore when he was trying to weasel out of trouble.
“C’mon, think about it. You’re a woman, Tanya.”
Okay, and? What of it? Are we seriously going there right now?
“...So what?” Tanya asked. She could feel her hands starting to shake. What did gender have to do with anything?
Of course, working as an adventurer generally involved some level of danger. The quest listings varied widely, from defeating legendary monsters to exploring ancient dungeons to search and rescue missions to item deliveries. Some chose to make a living running their own businesses, but that naturally came with its own risks. Hence, the vast majority chose to supplement their quest earnings by enlisting in the imperial army draft and thus securing a guaranteed minimum income from the government.
To be an adventurer meant polishing one’s skills and knowingly casting away a life of stability and regular meals in the hopes of striking it big; surely that ambition was unisex.
“I’m just saying, we’re not exactly getting any younger, you and me. But in your case, I’m sure you’re thinking about... you know, marriage and kids and all that! Am I right?” Ryan asked, his expression dead serious.
Meanwhile, their fellow party members had gone completely silent.
“So yeah, maybe you should take this opportunity to change classes into something more beneficial for settling down. You could work as a Healer at a hospital—maybe in the maternity ward? I mean, since you’ll be headed there anyways. Haha!”
Keep talking and I’m gonna punch your fucking teeth in, Tanya thought to herself. Ryan would frequently go on rants about how “women are better off as Healers,” but not for a moment did she imagine he would actually kick her out over it.
“Being an adventurer takes a lot of stamina, you know? Us men are just naturally better equipped for the job. And you Mages are always casting those dangerous high-level attack spells. It’s just not safe!”
“What are you talking about? My so-called dangerous spells totally saved our asses on that last quest, I’ll have you know!”
“Eh, that was just a fluke.”
“What?”
It felt like the floor had given out beneath her feet. A fluke? Everything I’ve accomplished for the party—you’re saying I was just lucky this whole time?
How could that be possible, considering the sheer effort it took simply to make it to Mage status? This advanced-level class could only be attained by attending one of just three magic academies in the entire country. Then, upon graduation, students were required to transfer to a vocational training school for adventurers and graduate from there, too.
In Tanya’s case, the village elders had all tried to tell her that “women have no business trying to be adventurers,” but she fought them all until they finally let her enroll. From there, she spent every single night studying and practicing her spells like her life depended on it. All their lives, she’d never let Ryan surpass her in anything, be it classwork or practical exams, and she’d graduated top of their class.
But now all that effort had flown out the window. All because she dared to be female.
“Come on! I can’t just accept this!” she shouted, pleading.
Then she glanced around... and instantly, a chill shot down her spine.
The dining hall was filled with adventurers—elves, dwarves, humans, beastkin. All men.
She was outnumbered on all sides.
“Hello?! Anyone?!”
Even when she was in school, the student population was still 80% male. Only the Healers’ training program was female-dominated—the men referred to them as “party favors,” because once they graduated into full-fledged adventurers, the vast majority of them promptly paired off with male Warriors or Mages and left the party.
“I’m telling you, Tanya, this is for your own good,” Ryan insisted.
The Adventurers’ Guild Regulations, Article 134: Recruitment and dismissal of party members shall be handled by the party leader or a majority vote. And Ryan was the party leader.
“We’re all on the same page here, right, guys?”
The other party members all nodded. Unanimous. The proposal was approved.
Why? Why this? Why now?
“Soooo yeah, there you have it,” Ryan continued slowly—leisurely. “As of today, you are dismissed from this party.”
“This... can’t be happening...!”
And so Tanya Artemiciov balled her hands into fists and silently vowed to herself: I’m gonna fucking kill you.