CS c05

Chapter 5: First Quest

Translator: Tseirp

 

“Ah, um… are you okay?”

 

Luna timidly asked, but there was no reply from Oulu.

 

(Wh-what should I do, I might have really killed him… I just punched him lightly, I didn’t mean to hurt him that badly…)

 

As her eyes swam with nervousness, she heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs from behind.

 

“I heard a terrible noise and shaking, what the hell are you lot doing down here… Oulu-san!?”

 

The receptionist who came to check on the situation had her eyes wide open with shock at the unbelievable sight.

 

“Wha, what are you lot waiting for!? Everyone, hurry up and dig him out of the wall!”

 

When she said that, the adventurers who had been standing in a daze began to move nervously.

 

Three people slowly pulled the lower half of Oulu’s body and while carefully excavating the upper half of his body buried in the wall.

 

“Th-thank the Saint he’s still breathing…!”

 

The receptionist stroked her chest in relief and immediately called for support from upstairs.

 

“—Excuse me, please bring me the emergency stockpile of potions as soon as possible! Then contact the hospital immediately…!”

 

Oulu had completely lost consciousness and was unable to fight, but he was still alive.

 

By accurately predicting Luna’s next attack with [Omen of Death] and greatly improving his stats such as agility, reflexes, and luck with strengthening gifts, the unyielding punch that was supposed to have struck true was shifted a few millimeters to the side.

 

Only a few millimeters, but a few millimeters nonetheless.

That small difference made the difference between life and death.

 

(Ah, I’m so glad… I’m really glad Oulu-san is still alive…)

 

Behind Luna, who was breathing a sigh of relief, the adventurers begin to stir.

 

“W-what the hell just happened…? I blinked and the next moment, Oulu-san was blown away…”

 

“… I don’t know, it seems I blinked at the same time too.”

 

“M-me too. By the time I realized, Oulu-san was already stuck in the wall.”

 

All the adventurers present coincidentally blinked at the same time, so no one saw that moment happen.

 

Of course, the reality was different.

They weren’t blinking.

Luna’s movement was just so fast that they couldn’t perceive it.

 

“That said, that adventurer named Silver is no ordinary person…”

 

“Yeah, he must be ridiculously strong to beat up the Heavenly-gifted Sword Saint.”

 

“I-I wonder… should I get his autograph?”

 

While curious gazes pierced Luna’s back, Berg nodded in admiration.

 

“Even though that idiot let his guard down too much, I am honestly surprised by the result. Silver, you’re pretty good – you passed!”

 

“Th-thank you very much!”

 

“Okay, then let’s move to another room for the simple lesson. This way, follow me.”

 

“Okay”

 

Luna was taken to a conference room on the first floor by Berg, and then sat through an intense three-hour ‘simple lesson’.

 

“Adventurers, at any time, must prioritize your life and that of your party. Completing the quest is secondary. That is the heart -”

 

Berg’s lecture was passionate.

 

Basic knowledge and mindset for adventurers.

Furthermore, he advocated his own theories— equipment may break, the potion bottle may have a hole in it, the monster may be lurking behind the rock over there. She was taught the essence of ‘what if’ adventures.

 

“—Okay, well, I guess this is enough.”

 

“Th-thank you… very much…”

 

Luna almost had a fever from all the wisdom crammed into her brain and she bowed exhaustedly.

 

“Now take it, this is Silver’s adventurer plate!”

 

“Oh, oh…!”

 

She was handed an iron plate.

The name Silver and her registration number were carved on it, acting as her adventurer’s ID card.

 

“All rookie adventurers start from the lowest iron rank. Iron -> Silver -> Gold -> Platinum -> Mithril -> Orichalcum and so on, you’ll get promoted along those ranks.”

 

“I see……”

 

Although she received the explanation with a serious look, Luna’s heart was filled with joy.

 

(Ehehe, an iron-rank adventurer…)

 

300 years ago, she was just a ‘Saint’ and not an ‘adventurer’.

Acquiring a new status as an adventurer made her feel like she had taken a step forward in a new life and she was elated.

 

“So what are you going to do? Do you want to take one right away?”

 

“Um, what do you mean?”

 

“Idiot, I’m talking about a request.”

 

“Ah, that’s right. It’s a great opportunity, so I’d like to.”

 

“Accepting quests are handled at the reception over there. If you hand over that adventurer plate, they would go through the rest with you.”

 

“Okay, I understand”

 

Luna then headed towards the reception desk, before suddenly stopping midway and turning around.

 

“What’s the matter, do you still have to ask—”

 

“—Berg-san, thank you very much for teaching me various things.”

 

She conveyed and bowed her head.

 

Berg has a terrifying fierce face and his lectures are also incredibly long…

He doesn’t want the adventurers working in his guild to die in vain – that passion was clearly conveyed to her.

 

“You idiot, I’m just doing my job. No thanks needed.”

 

He said bluntly and turned away.

Anyone could tell that he was just covering his embarrassment.

 

Having successfully completed her adventurer registration, Luna now headed to the reception desk and submitted her adventurer plate.

 

“Excuse me, I would like to accept a quest.”

 

“Y-yes! You wesh to essept a queft!”

 

The receptionist who stood in front of her fumbled her words in a rather refreshing way.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

An indescribable silence passed – before the red-faced receptionist bowed her head.

 

“Pa-pardon me. Actually, today is my first day on the job… you’re the first adventurer I’m in charge of. ―Ah, sorry for the delayed introduction, I’m Ocho Navarro.” (TLN fun fact: Her first name is half of the term ‘scatterbrain’)

 

Somewhat embarrassed, she confessed that she was a complete newcomer.

 

Ocho Navarro, 16 years old.

She is 160 cm tall and has a slender body.

Her flax-colored hair stretched all the way down her back, and she was wearing a very stylish white blouse and a black skirt―the guild uniform.

 

“That’s a nice coincidence. I just became an adventurer today. Nice to meet you, Ocho-san.”

 

“Y-yes! Nice to meet you too, erm… Silver-san!”

 

Ocho, who glanced at Luna’s adventurer plate and confirmed the name ‘Silver’, cleared her throat.

 

“Then once again―Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, what kind of quest are you looking for today?”

 

“It’s my first quest so something relatively easy… Isn’t there something like gathering medicinal herbs?”

 

“Okay, collecting medicinal herbs. Um… Silver-san is an iron-rank adventurer, so here are the quests for collecting medicinal herbs that you can accept.”

 

Ocho grunted ‘heave-ho’ and placed a large amount of requests on the reception table with a thud.

 

“T-there are quite a number…”

 

Three bundles of papers piled up into a mountain in front of her.

Since she was shown several times the amount she had expected, she was a little taken aback.

 

“Medicinal herbs are essential for making potions. Moreover, recently, the battles with demons and demi-humans have been intensifying, and we don’t have enough potions at all. That’s why these kinds of quests are coming in quite often these days. Berg-san, the guild leader, told me.”

 

“I see”

 

“By the way, where do you plan to be active, Silver-san?”

 

“I haven’t decided on a particular location… but I’d like to go somewhere a little far away with beautiful nature.”

 

This time, Luna, while waiting for her entrance exam result― wanted to blow away her endless worrying by going outside.

She planned to use the spatial magic for movement <Gate>, so the distance didn’t matter at all.

In that case, Luna’s idea was to go out for a while and refresh herself to trick her nervous feelings, instead of going somewhere nearby.

 

“Hmmm… In that case, how about this quest?”

 

Ocho commented and presented a request form.

 

Harvesting medicinal herbs in Canopus Plains.

Requirement: 7 kg of medicinal herb Milia

Reward: 10000 gold

 

“The Canopus Plains, it’s far from the royal capital, and above all, it’s very rich in nature, and it’s a great place to relax.”

 

“Canopus Plains…”

 

Luna put her hand on her chin and traced her memory of 300 years ago.

 

(The Canopus Plains, if I recall correctly, is certainly a verdant meadow, has a beautiful lake, and a serene plain… Yeah, it seems perfect for a change of pace.)

 

It was a great suggestion that fit exactly what she wanted.

Within Luna, Ocho’s reputation skyrocketed.

 

“Then, can I accept that quest?”

 

“Okay!”

 

Ocho cheerfully nodded and smoothly completed the prescribed paperwork.

She couldn’t believe that today was her first day at work because of how quickly she worked.

 

“The deadline for completing the quest is one week, including today. If you do not meet this deadline, you will be obligated to pay 10% of the reward as a cancellation fee, so please be careful.”

 

“Got it”

 

After successfully accepting the quest, Luna bowed slightly and left the adventurer’s guild.

 

■

 

As soon as Luna left the guild,

 

“…Phew, so this is the work of the guild’s receptionist? It’s quite a rewarding job!”

 

After successfully completing her first task, Ocho made a fist pump with a cheerful look on her face – then Berg walked over.

 

“Oh Ocho, it looks like you’ve done your first job properly.”

 

“Yes! Because Berg-san taught me thoroughly!”

 

“Heh, that’s good. So? What kind of request did Silver accept?”

 

Berg asked with a curious look, but the answer that came back was completely different from what he expected.

 

“It’s a medicinal herb harvest.”

 

“Me-medicinal herb harvesting? What, he’s an unexpectedly down-to-earth guy, huh… Wait a minute! Don’t tell me you gave him this quest!?”

 

“Yes, the F-rank quest ‘Gathering Herbs in the Canopus Plains’, but is something wrong―”

 

“―You idiot! Do you know what you’ve done!?”

 

Berg’s terrifying shout echoed throughout the guild.

 

“Eh, ah, uh… wha, what did I do…?”

 

“Didn’t I announce it during this morning’s assembly!? Canopus Plains is now a ‘Special no-go zone’ designated by the Kingdom’s government!”

 

“…Eh!?”

 

Ocho’s face turned pale.

 

“I-I’ve done it… what should I do…”

 

“If he’s going to the Canopus Plains, he should pass through the northern gate… It’s not that long ago, so bring back that newcomer right now!”

 

“Y-yes…!”

 

She rushed out of the guild and chased after Silver.

 

“…Damn it, how did this happen…”

 

Guildmaster Berg scratched his skinhead and violently kicked the chair at his feet.

 

■

 

Canopus Plains of the Kingdom of Elgia.

With a beautiful lake in the center and lush grasslands surrounding it, the place was blessed with a mild climate and pleasant breeze all year round, giving visitors peace of mind.

 

That plain, which was also popular as a tourist spot, had now turned into a fierce battlefield.

 

“Now, fireeee…!”

 

“““―<Hell Flame>!”””

 

A unit of fifty magicians selected from all over the Kingdom simultaneously invoked medium-tier fire magic.

An all-out attack at their target ― the ‘Moon Wolf’. (TLN: Getsuga Tairou)

 

As many as fifty balls of scorching flames all landed on the target, causing a tremendous roar and raging huge explosive flames.

 

While the dense dust clouds billowed in,

 

“…Did we do it…?”

 

A low growl resounded as if responding to the magician’s mutter.

 

“―Absurd”

 

When the cloud of dust cleared, an unharmed Moon Wolf reigned there.

 

“““Im-impossible…!?”””

The Moonlight Great Wolf warned the stunned magician unit.

 

“Beyond this is a place of my precious memories. I don’t want it to be trampled by uncouth people. This is an ultimatum, leave immediately.”

 

The Moonlight Great Wolf, phantom beast species Moon Wolf.

A named magical beast that inhabits the Canopus Plains.

 

Although it has never attacked humans of its own volition… Dozens of adventurers who challenged it as a ‘test of strength’ have been defeated.

The ferocious magical beasts that inhabit their territory cannot be left unattended―the Kingdom government decided. So a subjugation plan was put into action.

 

“Guh… d-don’t be afraid! Prepare the second volley!”

 

The magician unit immediately began to refine their magical power and prepare for further attack magic.

The Moon Wolf that saw their actions muttered in exasperation.

 

“I did give you a warning. Black Roar.”

 

Its large maw slowly opened and the next moment, a gigantic shockwave filled with tremendous magical power exploded forth.

 

“““Guaaaaaaaaaa…”””

 

The Kingdom’s prided magician unit was annihilated with a single cry.

The difference in their abilities was too great.

 

“…Worthless. Why does such an inferior race…?”

 

Seething with loathing, the Moon Wolf shook its head slightly and let out a sigh.

And then, without acknowledging the fallen magicians, it turned its heels.

 

Then, the next moment, a large door appeared in an empty space, and a large man wrapped in full-body plate armor appeared from.

 

“…A new challenger?”

 

Moon Wolf slowly turned around while growling in a bad mood.

 

On the other hand,

 

“My goodness”

 

Utilizing the Space Magic <Gate>, Luna teleported from the royal capital to the Canopus Plains and opened her mouth wide.

 

Burnt grassland, torn up earth, and the smell of earth in the air. Where was the beautiful Canopus Plains that she remembered… and traces of the fierce battle that unfolded before her eyes.

 

And more importantly―.

 

“Oh, such a big dog…”

 

Standing in front of her was a huge silver wolf that she had to look up at.

With sharp shining blue eyes, glistening silvery fur, sharp pointed white nails, and a majestic figure, it exuded dignity and majesty.

 

“Reinforcements now?… You humans are always slow. It’s nice that you’re late every time.”

 

“No, I’m not reinforcements, I’m just an adventurer―”

 

Just as Luna was about to clear up the misunderstanding, a desperate cry echoed from behind her.

 

“―Adventurer over there, run away now…!”

 

“Thank you for coming to our rescue. But that wolf is a true monster… there’s no point in fighting it.”

 

“Leave us, save yourself…!”

 

The magician unit misunderstood Luna as ‘an adventurer who came to support them’ and told her to run away as quickly as possible.

This was undoubtedly an act of 100% goodwill, but in that case it was completely counterproductive.

 

“Hmph, you’re companions after all.”

 

“No, no, this is a misunderstanding—”

 

“— Enough. I already warned you—Black Roar.”

 

The next moment, a roar filled with a preposterous amount of magic power was released again.

 

Luna who received it,

 

“…Hn.”

 

She couldn’t help but scrunch her face.

 

(Wh-what a loud cry… hn. At this rate, it will be a nuisance to the local residents… hn)

 

While covering her ears with both hands, she pondered at high speed.

 

(Pets’ barking can easily lead to serious troubles in the neighborhood. If there are many complaints and the government takes action… it will lead to a sad outcome.)

 

The Kingdom government, which is the top of the administration chain, was already embarking on a subjugation plan… but of course Luna didn’t know that.

No matter what, she had to stop the useless barking there―she decided to do so and raised her head.

 

“For now… sit!”

 

She jumped high into the air and gave a gentle chop to its forehead.

 

The next moment,

 

“Goh, ah…”

 

An unusual shock ran through the Moon Wolf’s head and it slowly fell forward.

 

“““… Hah?”””

 

Watching that unbelievable sight, all of the magicians’ mouths dropped open.

 

Meanwhile, the Moon Wolf, that received a strong shock to its head, had a flashback to a memory of something that happened when it was just born.

It was a warm and happy time with a certain human who picked it up when it strayed from the herd and raised me.

 

[Hey, I know your teeth feel uncomfortable, but don’t chew anything right away like that!]

 

[Kyauunn…]

 

[Don’t make that crying sound anymore. Hey, I’ll give you your favorite milk, so you’ll feel better, right?]

 

[Ha, ha, ha…! ]

 

Even when it was scolded not to bite, she gently chopped its forehead.

 

“That gentle voice and great power… are you my master?”

 

Moon Wolf pulled out a tattered nameplate with the word ‘Tama’ written on it from the fluffy fur around his neck.

 

“Master… hmm?”

 

When Luna saw the old nameplate, memories from 300 years ago returned to her mind.

It was a cold, rainy night.

 

[… Oh, it’s an abandoned cat.]

 

[Kyuun…]

 

When Luna found a kitten (?) that appeared to have strayed from its herd, she picked it up and decided to take care of it.

 

[I decided, your name is Tama!]

 

[Waf? ]

 

[Look, meow. Say it with me, meow!]

 

[Meow, meow…? ]

 

[Fufu, good good. I’ll warm up milk for you, so just wait a while.]

 

[Waun!]

 

The kitten (?) that grew up drinking milk infused with the magical power of a Saint eventually becoming a Moon Wolf imbued with immense magical power.

 

[Tama… please calm down and listen to me. You weren’t a cat… you were a dog… you were a Moon Wolf.]

 

[Waf!]

 

[Moon Wolves are a race that values ​​family very much. I’m sure your father and mother are desperately searching for you in the forest by now.]

 

Luna returned to the forest where she picked up Tama and eventually found a pair of Moon Wolves.

At a glance, she knew immediately that the two were Tama’s parents.

Their face and fur color were exactly the same, and above all, Tama was happily wagging its tail.

 

[Well then, Tama, I hope you grow up healthy.]

 

[Kyuun…]

 

[Yes, a farewell present… Yeah, I can tell you apart right away with this. –Be well, Tama. Don’t forget about me, okay? ]

 

[Aooon! ]

 

Luna, who presented a nameplate, bade farewell to Tama while shedding tears.

 

“You, could it be… Tama?”

 

“…!!!”

 

The next moment, the gigantic body of the Moonlight Great Wolf rapidly shrunk, becoming the small Moon Wolf that was the size of the palm of her hand when Saint Luna picked it up.

 

“I’m glad, master, I’m so glad…”

 

A reunion for the first time in 300 years.

Tama’s tail wagged as if it was about to be torn off and it licked Luna’s face over her armor plate.

 

“I’m surprised that you’ve grown so much, and that you can even speak… Tama is a really smart kid.”

 

“Waf!”

 

On the other hand, the Kingdom’s magician unit, who were watching the situation from a distance, opened their eyes in shock.

 

“No way… that Moonlight Great Wolf was tamed…!?”

 

“Who the hell is that armored adventurer…!?”

 

“I-I don’t know… However, there is no doubt that he is at least a talented person in the ‘Mithril’ rank.”

 

Although they suffered devastating damage, they managed to retain their lives and dragged their bodies to withdraw—and to report the story of the mysterious adventurer to the Kingdom government.

 

■

 

After picking up Tama, Luna, while humming in a good mood, collected her objective―the medicinal herb Milia, and stuffed it into the leather bag she brought.

 

“Anyway, I’m surprised Tama can live for so long. You’re already 300 years old, right?”

 

“Waf!”

 

Because it grew up drinking the Saint’s magical power contained milk, Tama’s body transcended the concept of lifespan.

 

“All right, I guess that’s enough harvesting of the medicinal herbs around here. If I collect too much from one place, it will stop growing.”

 

When Luna looks around to find the next gathering spot…

 

“—Waf Waf!”

 

Tama was energetically barking towards a certain place.

 

“Hmm, what’s going on… What is this!?”

 

Surprisingly, there were a large number of Milia growing in clusters.

 

“Amazing, Tama! Did you find it for me?”

 

“Waf!”

 

“Fufu, thank you. Then let’s gather together!”

 

After that, Luna and Tama worked together to collect medicinal herbs for an hour.

 

“Fufu, a great harvest!”

 

“Waf!”

 

The leather bag, which was empty, was now bloated.

 

“This is enough, shall we go home?”

 

“Waf!”

 

“It’s dangerous, so please stay a little further away. <Gate>”

 

She activated Space Magic.

Luna teleported at once to the forest near the royal capital and headed straight for the adventurer’s guild without making any detours.

 

Incidentally… perhaps Tama was tired from joy, it skillfully laid on top of Luna’s head―on top of her iron helmet and slept peacefully.

 

When Luna arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild and opened the door, she saw― an exhausted Ocho, who was looking nervous, sitting on a folding chair with a lifeless look on her face.

 

“Ah, uh… Ocho-san, are you okay?”

 

At the same time Luna called out to her, she jumped up enthusiastically.

 

“Si-Si-Silver-san…!?”

 

“Y-Yes, what is it?”

 

After tapping her plate armor and confirming that there she had a shadow – that she wasn’t a ghost, Ocho let out a sigh of relief.

 

“I’m glad you’re safe… I’m really… glad…”

 

She spilled large droplets of tears.

 

“Eh, uh…?”

 

Luna was completely lost and confused.

 

After a while, Ocho stopped crying and started talking about the situation.

 

“The Canopus Plains is the habitat of a ferocious magical beast called the Moonlight Great Wolf, and a large-scale subjugation operation was planned to be carried out in the near future. I carelessly forgot about it and introduced Silver-san to a dangerous quest…”

 

“I see, that’s what was going on (I can’t believe there was such a dangerous monster nearby… It’s a blessing in disguise that I was able to retrieve Tama before she was bullied).”

 

Luna, with the Moonlight Great Wolf on her head, breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Because of my blunder, I put Silver-san in danger, I deeply apologize…”

 

Ocho said and bowed her head deeply.

She didn’t make useless excuses, admitted that it was her mistake sincerely and apologized.

 

It’s true that she’s always been really scatterbrained, but she’s by no means a rotten person.

 

That was clearly communicated to Luna.

 

“Ocho-san, please look up. There was nothing particularly dangerous so you don’t have to apologize so much. Besides– because of you, something good came out of it.”

 

As Luna said that, she gently stroked Tama’s head, who was sleeping peacefully on top of her helmet.

 

“When you say something good… do you mean the dog?”

 

“Yeah. I found the cat… no, the dog I used to have at Canopus Plains. We decided to live together again.”

 

“Th-that’s an amazing coincidence!”

 

“Yes, I was very lucky today.”

 

After making small talk and confirming that Ocho had recovered a little, Luna placed the leather bag over her shoulder on the reception table.

 

“Now then, let’s move on to the main topic.”

 

The moment she unfastened the leather bag, a grassy smell rose up, and a large amount of medicinal herbs could be seen.

 

“Wow, so many…!”

 

As a result of measuring with a scale, the medicinal herbs that Luna had collected weighed 10 kg.

The quest required 7kg, and she decided to gift the excess 3kg to the guild.

 

“Silver-san, this is the reward of 10000 gold.”

 

“Confirmed, I received it (I can get 10,000 gold for such a simple quest… Fufu, next time I have the chance, let’s use this money to buy a novel about a modern-day villainous heiress!)”

 

Luna, who found a place to earn good pocket money, has a pretty satisfied face.

 

“–Now then, Ocho-san, I’ll excuse myself here.”

 

“Yes, please come again!”

 

After successfully completing her first quest, Luna returned to the Spedio family.

 

■

 

After Luna departed from the adventurer’s guild, a little while later, Berg returned to work after finishing dinner at his favorite diner.

 

“Berg-san, Berg-san, please listen! Silver-san returned safely!”

 

“I see, that’s good. I’ll also apologize to the Silver guy next time.”

 

“Thank you very much. Berg-san, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused…”

 

“I think you’ve learned a lot from this incident. Being a guild employee is a job with a lot of responsibility. A single mistake can easily kill a person. You’re not going to make the same mistake twice, are you?”

 

“No… I couldn’t feel at ease the entire day today. I will do my best to pay close attention so that something like this won’t happen in the future.”

 

“Sure, do your best.”

 

Berg didn’t pursue it further.

Because he know that Ocho ran around the capital all day, looking for Silver the entire time until the sole of her feet were blistered and her voice hoarse.

 

“Speaking of which… I heard an interesting story.”

 

“Interesting story? What is it?”

 

“That Whatever Moonlight Great Wolf seemed to have been tamed.”

 

“Th-that’s amazing! As expected of the Kingdom’s best magician unit!”

 

Berg shook his head in response to Ocho, who clapped her hands with joy.

 

“No, I heard they failed. They received a severe counterattack and suffered devastating injuries.”

 

“What? But you said the Moonlight Great Wolf was tamed…”

 

“The magician unit of the Kingdom was annihilated with a single roar of the great wolf. But right after that, a mysterious adventurer suddenly appeared with overwhelming physical strength— it seems it was tamed with a single blow.”

 

“Heeeeh… There are amazing people in this world.”

 

“You’ve said it. Apparently that adventurer was a large man wearing a full-body plate armor.”

 

“A big man in plate armor… do-don’t tell me!?”

 

“Yeah…  perhaps that person might become an outrageous adventurer.”

 

It will still be a while before the name of the legendary adventurer ‘Silver’ will be known throughout the world.

 

Arc 2: Adventurer’s arc, complete.

 

 

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