We pass through Firo, and reach the capital of the Republic of Eldo, Flamen.
It’s been about two weeks since we passed through Belka, meaning, the border.
And it really does take a long time to get in, apparently because we arrived just as adventurers are coming back from their hunts.
It’s late at night by the time we are allowed inside, and we only manage to get a room in an expensive inn.
It’s so big that we can all stay in the same room, but I think it’s out of the price range of regular people.
“…I should not get used to this…”
I hear Chris say.
Yes, they have specialized staff, and meals are brought to the rooms.
Speaking of the food, apparently it’s all made of prime ingredients, but there are so many ingredients I don’t know that I can’t tell if it’s good or bad.
It all tastes good, but part of it feels kind of peculiar.
And the next day, when we go around the stalls, I find out why.
As we walk around and taste things, sometimes there’s a strange feeling when I chew, or things taste lighter than they look.
“Master, it’s iffy…”
A stall owner hears Hikari whisper as she frowns, and explains politely with an awkward smile.
“Little lady, in this country, people’s tastes vary a lot. A lot of stalls take that into account.”
So basically, since different races have different tastes, they try to adjust the flavoring and texture accordingly. What feels like tough meat to us, is normal for some beast people, who would feel like they were chewing on nothing otherwise.
I think he’s explaining it because he saw Hikari go from stall to stall.
“I like this.”
Says Hikari while eating. That’s because this man is human.
“But you sure eat a lot for a small girl.”
“There’s a different stomach for tasty food.”
I haven’t heard that one before.
He’s happy to hear it too, but come on, don’t give her a meat skewer too.
I take it and put it in the Item Box.
He makes a weird face, but Hikari tells him it will keep it warm for when she eats it later, and he doesn’t complain.
Then we go around some item shops. And we check our equipment and buy some reserves.
But since we also ask to repair some of the stuff we have, that means we have to stay here for a bit.
“…Should we look for another inn?”
Asks Rurika, and everyone nods except me.
Hikari looks particularly happy, because there are still stalls she hasn’t visited.
And so, we drop by the adventurer guild too, so we can look for a quest we can accept while our stuff is being repaired, and ask about a more reasonably priced inn.
There are a few hunting quests, but Rurika, Chris, and Sera are currently rank B. The quests listed that match their rank would send us a little far away.
As we’re wondering what to do, a guild employee sees faces he doesn’t recognize, and approaches us.
“Is there something you need?”
It’s a receptionist who was talking to Rurika and the others just now.
“We were thinking about accepting a hunting quest, but all the B ranked ones that are left are kind of far.”
One about hunting orcs, and one about hunting a tempest wolf, a superior species of wolf.
Either would take us three days to get to our destination, and it would take us even longer to actually go into the forest to look for our targets. The quests come with notes about where they were sighted, but who knows if they’re still there.
It would be different if they were attacking a village though.
“…Yes, it might be tricky if you are eager to continue with your journey. But what about this one?”
“…Isn’t this the sort of thing lower ranked adventurers accept?”
A wolf hunting quest. We would have to spend the night there, but it sure doesn’t look like the sort of quest B ranked adventurers would accept.
“We don’t have enough people. And if you take down these wolves, it would really help the people picking medicinal herbs.”
Medicinal herb picking is something pretty much anyone can do, regardless of rank. Not to mention that they’re used to make potions, something regarded as the lifeline of adventurers and knights.
That said, people gradually stop doing it as they go up in rank, and high ranking adventurers don’t usually go out of their way to pick medicinal herbs.
So basically, she’s asking us to hunt the wolves for the sake of the beginners who can’t hunt them. The goal being not to eliminate them all, but to hunt them enough that they won’t get near the place where the medicinal herbs are.
“Maybe we will accept it. There’s no problem if we pick medicinal herbs too, right?”
“Y-yes. We also could use more, so please pick them if you can.”
I have noticed from going around item shops that the prices of potions are going up. I assume the invasion of the dark forest is having an effect.
Maybe we should be in more of a hurry than I thought.
Rurika accepts the quest, and we’re introduced to a new inn. We spend the night there, and the next day, we’re off to hunt wolves and pick medicinal herbs.
And of course, Mia and I are left to pick the herbs while the others go out looking for the wolves.
We’re going to sell them not just to the adventurer guild, but to the merchant guild and alchemist guild too. And I’m keeping the rest.
That said, I don’t want to go all out picking in a place for beginners, and I make sure to hold back.
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End of another week of chapters. Sure seemed a pain for them all those entry requirements and delays. Wonder why sora was only 1 OK staying in pricey inn.
well he was paid 5 platinum
Thanks for the treat.
Tempest wolf? Are they trying to hunt Ranga?