Chapter 12

We're number one for the day ('ω')!

Thank you!

I hope you enjoy today as well.

"So, what happened?"

We were alone in the carriage, the perfect setting for a conversation.

"I was followed by someone I didn't know. They threatened me to leave the party."

"Was it a chubby man?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Silk seemed to know the man.

"Oh, that weird uncle?"

"Persistent guy."

"Looks like all three of you knew him."

At my words, Silk let out a big sigh.

"He approached me multiple times at the Adventurer's Guild, saying things like 'I'll join your party' or 'You need a man's hand,' ... Even when I refused, he was persistent. It was troublesome."

"He was all talk, though. When I asked the guild about his adventurer credibility, he was actually an E-rank and had a bad reputation."

"He's the kind of fool who draws his sword in the middle of town..."

At my words, the three of them looked at me all at once.

"Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, no problem. I put him to sleep with magic and left him there. Phew... but he was quite a nuisance."

"I'm sorry, sir. We put you in danger because of us."

"It's not your fault. Besides, that kind of thing doesn't even count as dangerous."

If it had come to drawing swords, I would have won. I'm not that confident in my sword skills, but it was obvious he was full of gaps. Honestly, even if he had attacked, I could have subdued him with my bare hands.

"Well, I'll report to the guild when we get back, and if he comes again, we'll deal with him properly. Handling such troubles is part of my role as the leader and supporter. Everyone, be careful too."

"Of course, Yuki! You're reliable!"

"Praise me all you want, but all you'll get is a candy."

I took a candy from my pocket and handed it to Marina, chuckling.

"...You have it."

"It's out..."

Rain and Silk also looked like they wanted one, so I gave them candies too.

"Alright, let's switch gears. First, we need to confirm the request. The main objective is to collect four 'Yomun Waterfall Spheres.' This should be no problem once we reach the waterfall basin."

"The problem is the monsters."

Monsters are a broad category, and "monsters" are often referred to as "beasts" when they take the form of animals. While the term "monster" can include everything from Bolguls to Snakedrakes and Bloodthirsty Bears, "beast" specifically refers to the Bloodthirsty Bear. This means that the unidentified monster in the Ordan Lake Forest is at least an animal-like monster.

This is important information. Even if it's not an organized group like the Orks or Bolguls, it gives us some direction.

"Since it lives in the forest, it's probably a bear, deer, wolf, boar, or something like that. Didn't you say you went to the Ordan Lake Forest before?"

"Yeah, about two months ago. It was a request to gather 'Night Fragrant Herbs.'"

"Did you encounter any monsters?"

At my question, Marina tilted her head.

"Now that you mention it... I don't think I saw any. Not even ordinary animals."

Her response made my back shiver. If it were a new area, it might be understandable, but the Ordan Lake Forest is a rich forest, known for its abundant wildlife, to the point where nearby villages hold a carnival. It's likely that the monster was hiding in the forest even then, and we just got lucky and didn't encounter it.

"Things don't look good. We need to be more cautious."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If the surrounding animals are so tense, the monster might be a big one. We need to be careful not to run into it, but..."

It will be difficult to avoid. Given that adventurers have been attacked one after another, the monster is unlikely to let us pass through the forest. We should expect an attack.

"Once we enter the forest, we'll send 'Gopro-kun' to record. If we encounter and engage in battle, we'll switch to 'live streaming.' We want to capture the monster, whether we defeat it or not."

"Why 'live streaming'?"

Rain tilted her head.

"There are a few reasons. First, to identify the type of unknown monster that the guild hasn't confirmed yet. If we get into a crisis during the stream, the guild might send reinforcements. Also, if we manage to defeat the monster, the stream can serve as proof of the kill."

"I didn't know 'streaming' could be used like that..."

"More people should use it."

The reason the monster is 'unknown' is that low-rank parties heading to the Ordan Lake Forest didn't have streaming magic devices. Well, they require an alchemist's maintenance and aren't cheap. It's not fair to blame new adventurers for not having them.

Personally, I think the guild should distribute streaming magic devices like 'Gopro-kun.'

"Finally, we're making our streaming debut!"

"I should have bought some streaming-friendly clothes..."

Marina's enthusiasm and Rain's unexpected interest were quite amusing. I thought Rain would dislike this kind of thing.

"Is my hairstyle okay? It's not weird, right?"

I thought they might scold the others for not taking it seriously, but Silk seemed to care about her appearance too. Well, she has some cute, age-appropriate qualities.

...But is "age-appropriate" for a dark elf really age-appropriate?

"It's fine, Yuki. Silk is seventeen, not an old lady."

"...I didn't say anything."

"Marina, don't reveal my age without permission. And, sir, it's not polite to care about a woman's age!"

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

As I bowed my head, Rain tugged at my sleeve.

"By the way, I'm the oldest... I'm twenty."

"Huh? Really?"

The one who looked the youngest, Rain, was actually my age.

Women are hard to judge by appearance. After all, Rain is so...

"Mm... Did you just look at my modest parts?"

"No, no! I didn't! It's a misunderstanding!"

"Yuki, you're hopeless. Rain is sensitive about her lack of development."

"It's not like that!"

Despite the noisy time, our carriage continued on its way to the Ordan Lake Forest.

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