Chapter 60 – First Request
Chapter 60 – First Request
Sewer cleaning, garbage incineration…
In the midsummer heat, this was pure hell. Even ascetic monks would throw in the towel.
“Not adventurous at all…”
Looking up at the bulletin board, a sigh escaped along with her honest thoughts.
Well, F-rank stuff was probably like this…
“How about this one? I think it’s right up Marie’s alley?”
Ted tapped on a herb-gathering request posted high up.
Ah, he heard me.
Oh, that herb’s plentiful in the backyard herb garden, but heading to the mountains is the true adventurer way, right?
Ufufu.
“Sounds great!”
She gave him a thumbs-up, and Ted headed to the counter with a smile.
What a gentleman.
Still, first escort duty. First mission. Mufufu.
Once they left the Adventurer Guild, Marie tensed up for Ted’s escort mission.
Keeping watch in every direction while walking to the mountain was exhausting.
The smiling gate guard at the outer wall politely saw them off as they strolled down a clean, paved road bustling with people.
…Not at all what she’d imagined.
In light novels, slimes or something would pop up along the way.
Of course, they didn’t encounter a single magical beast.
He was awfully quiet, though.
After about thirty minutes at a leisurely pace, when she’d gotten used to the silence, they reached the mountain.
“They probably cluster in damp spots near water. Let’s head that way.”
When Marie pointed off the mountain path into the depths, Ted broke into a happy grin.
The cool air drifting from the back of the mountains felt wonderful.
“Marie knows everything.”
On a particularly steep drop, he gallantly offered his hand like the gentleman he was.
Super gentlemanly.
Maybe his silence came from nerves?
He was scanning their surroundings awfully intently.
…No way he thought he was my escort?
Ah.
That could be it.
To her, it was Ted’s escort mission. To him, it must’ve been hers.
Makes sense.
Walking while staying that alert really wore you out.
Lost in such thoughts, they arrived at a dim hollow overgrown with thick greenery where sunlight barely reached.
A bit chilly even for summer. Perfect for cooling down her stuffy, overheated body.
“There they are. This isn’t your standard herb for recovery potions—it’s a specialized one that rapidly seals wounds with regeneration. Wonderful stuff.”
“I see.”
Ah, she’d done it.
Full-on otaku mode, spouting trivia. So embarrassing.
“Then, just leaves about this size, please. And keep hydrated.”
She waved a palm-sized leaf to hide her flush, then quietly got to work gathering.
They’d be working together from here on out, so maybe it was fine if her otaku side slipped.
He gathered quickly too, without mistaking them for similar weeds.
Impressive—he had some knowledge after all.
“A little extra… This enough?”
“Yes. The surplus should sell.”
She didn’t need any for experiments—the backyard herb garden had plenty.
Fufufu. Descending the mountain in high spirits, she spotted a brown, fluffy horned rabbit.
“Rabbit-san!”
“Hey now.”
As she dashed to pet it, Ted grabbed her shoulder with one hand.
The moffy rabbit that had leaped toward her instantly twisted into a ferocious scowl.
Eh?
Marie froze in shock.
“Fufu.”
Ted chuckled as he swiftly took it down.
But usually Heart-san beat them before they made that face…
Ted froze the rabbit with water magic, bagged it, and stowed it in his pack.
Same water aptitude as her master.
“Sorry. I just wanted to pet it once… I mean, its cute face got the better of me…”
“It’s fine. Gain-san told me.”
Curious what he’d heard, but it was surely nothing good.
Probably called her a clueless idiot or something.
Not that he was wrong.
“Your first monster subjugation?”
“Nah, I fought alongside Gain-san and the others a bit.”
“This’ll be my first monster.”
When Ted pulled a slight senior act with “Next one’s all yours, Marie,” it irked her a little—but that was her secret.
“Reporting request completion.”
They turned in the gathered herbs at the completion counter.
And one rabbit to boot.
“Let’s see… This the request you took today?”
“Yes.”
Any issue?
Marie and Ted both tilted their heads.
“These herbs don’t cluster, but you brought so many?”
No, they totally did…
You saw them roadside sometimes, but those were like super resilient weeds.
Couldn’t count on spotting enough that way—you’d walk tens of kilometers without finishing the quest.
Both made puzzled faces, so the receptionist sighed, processed the completion, and bought the extras along with the rabbit.
“Not widely known they cluster in humid shade?”
“I figured you’d scour roadsides, so I didn’t know the details…”
Heh… Good to know.
Meant they could make bank.
Ted seemed to realize it too—they both grinned wickedly.
Guhehe, you rascal.
While they were at it, they circled to the back of the guild to check on her master.
He had the child adventurer apprentices lined up single-file, teaching them magic.
They were struggling to produce water, fire, or wind in their palms.
Fufufu. Nostalgic.
“Teacher! My mana ran out.”
“Rest up first, then sword practice. Don’t push yourself.”
“Yes!”
Master sure loved kids—he looked like he was having fun.
Though he’d never told her not to push!
“You two off on a request now?”
“No, we just finished and got our reward.”
Ted chimed in, and Marie nodded vigorously.
“Ehehe. It was herb gathering.”
“Makes sense. Knock out a few more, and E-rank’s yours.”
“Yes!”
Who knew herb knowledge would pay off like this!
She knew zilch about monsters, so she’d leave those to Ted.
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thanks for the chapter