Haze

For as long as Haze could remember, her village had always been shrouded in thick fog. The mist never fully dispersed, but it was harmless, forming a natural barrier. Yet monsters constantly threatened the lands beyond the village, so the village trained its youth and formed expedition squads to venture out and gather necessary ingredients and materials. Haze showed exceptional eyesight from an early age, always the first to spot traces left behind by monsters, allowing her to position herself downwind and avoid triggering their alertness. Thanks to this risk-minimizing tactical instinct, she naturally became the top candidate to succeed the expedition squad's chief.

Being naturally reserved, she once turned the offer down. "I don't think I'm suited to be a leader. I could never become as good a leader as you."

The chief replied, "No one is born suited to lead, and you don't have to become a leader just like me."

"I haven't figured out what kind of leader I could be."

"Then take your time figuring it out. It's fine." The chief simply patted her shoulder. "As long as you keep moving forward, you'll surely find the goal you're looking for."

The encounter with the Great Girros was entirely by accident.

That day was still, with neither wind nor rain, but the heavy air and thick fog obscured Haze's vision, and masked the monster's sense of smell as well. The two sides crossed paths through a chain of coincidences.

The Great Girros reacted first, letting out a roar the instant it spotted Haze and her group, summoning nearby Girros to its aid.

Haze had never faced a Great Girros head-on before, but as she maneuvered through the pack of Girros, she calmly observed the monsters' blind spots, analyzing her teammates' strengths and issuing instructions without hesitation. Under her flawless coordination, the expedition squad achieved the miraculous feat of hunting down this regional apex predator without a single casualty.

Back in the village, she officially took on the role of chief.

"Have you figured out what kind of leader you want to be?" the now-former chief asked as she tied the armband symbolizing leadership onto her arm.

Haze nodded, not quite certain herself. "Well... I'll just try, for now."

Later, the village finally established contact with the outside world, and the expedition squad was no longer needed to take on risks. Her old teammates all decided to move on to new environments. Having grown accustomed to staying alert amid fog and danger, Haze suddenly realized that in this now-peaceful homeland, there was no longer a place for her.

After much thought, Haze chose not to simply drift along with the others. Instead, she shouldered her pack alone and walked in the opposite direction from everyone else.

She began drifting between different squads, taking on investigations related to monsters, observing the ecology of various creatures while continuing to search for her own ideal image of a leader. She made full use of her observational skills and leadership, guiding countless temporary teammates to complete their missions brilliantly. During a chance collaboration with the Crimson Crest Adventurers, she witnessed the seamless teamwork and mutual trust between Freya and her companions, and quietly made up her mind.

So when the mission ended and Freya smilingly asked if she'd like to try joining the Crimson Crest Adventurers, this ever-aloof, detached tactician accepted the invitation without a moment's hesitation, for the first time in her life.

When Haze first joined the Crimson Crest Adventurers, she spent a while drifting between different squads.

She was able to blend in well with different teammates and quickly earn everyone's trust out in the field, yet she herself still felt something was missing.

That changed during another Great Girros mission, when she teamed up with Luka and Keres. The two of them were each more free-spirited than the other, so much so that even Haze nearly threw up her hands while they scouted.

But it was precisely because of Keres's sharp instincts and Luka's boldness that they were able to trust Haze's plans and instructions completely, entrusting their backs to her without hesitation. Watching the monster finally crash to the ground gave Haze a sense of pride she'd never felt before.

Still, as for how well the two of them worked together as a team... Haze figured there was probably still a long way to go on that front.