Chapter 7

"Hehehe, just a little more... My long-held wish will soon come true."

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated for just pulling the gacha?"

A few days have passed since we became adventurers.

We are still F-rank adventurers.

To advance to E-rank, we need to complete a quest given by a client.

However, I have something else to prioritize. The gacha, yes, the gacha.

"Exaggerated? This is a major event! Ah, I wonder who will come next."

"The fact that you're already assuming you'll get a UR is scary..."

To get the magic stones, I've been hunting Black Oaks every day.

My funds have already swelled to about 500,000G.

And I currently have 48 magic stones. Just 2 more and I can pull an 11-roll gacha.

With an 11-roll, you get one free pull, it's a great deal, right?

"Well, which quest should we take today?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Ohtsuka and Miss Fania, do you have a moment?"

"Huh? What is it?"

While talking with Noelle, the receptionist called out to us.

"Actually, we have received an urgent extermination quest, and if you are available, we would like you two to take it."

It seems we were specifically requested for this urgent quest, but why us, who are low-rank?

"An urgent quest, you say. We are still F-rank, is that okay?"

"We have heard that you two have the ability to hunt Black Oaks. Right now, the skilled adventurers are all out. This quest involves exterminating a pack of wolves, and here are the details. It's a request from the village of Tendo to the north. We will lend you horses for transportation, so how about it?"

It seems that due to the urgency of the quest, there were no adventurers available to take it.

The adventurer's guild in Brunne doesn't have many high-rank adventurers.

Apparently, once they reach high-rank, they all go to the capital, Shuting.

Looking at the paper with the details, it says to exterminate about 30 wolves.

Indeed, this number is quite challenging. However, it's a high-paying quest worth 150,000G.

We could turn it down, but if they're asking us, they must be in a tight spot.

They're even lending us horses, so it's probably best to take it.

"Alright, we understand. We'll take the quest."

●

"I thought you were going to wet yourself..."

"How embarrassing..."

"Because I've never ridden a horse before! Of course it's going to be hard!"

We borrowed the horses, but I have no experience with riding.

Naturally, I lost my balance the moment I got on and fell off backward. Who said it was fine to lend us horses?

Since I couldn't ride, I ended up riding behind Noelle.

She rides so effortlessly, it makes me jealous.

But, clinging to Noelle, her body smelled good and it made me feel better.

"Thank you for taking this quest."

"Ah, no problem. By the way, just to confirm, how large is the wolf pack now?"

About 3 hours after leaving Brunne, with a break in between, we arrived at Tendo village, where an old man greeted us.

He is the village chief and the one who issued the urgent quest.

"Currently, there are about 35 wolves and 2 red-furred wolves in the pack."

"That's quite an increase... I'm surprised they haven't attacked the village yet."

"We only discovered the pack recently. The village has some capable fighters, so we managed to drive them away. Initially, the pack was less than 20, but it has grown over time... If it gets any larger, we won't be able to handle it. Please, we need you to exterminate the pack."

It seems there were signs a few days ago.

They underestimated the pack when it was around 20, and it grew out of control.

Issuing a quest also costs money, and they probably wanted to handle it with the villagers if possible.

They managed to drive the wolves away when they occasionally raided the village's crops.

However, by the time they realized the pack had grown, it was too much to handle.

After the village chief made his request, we decided to head out to exterminate the wolves.

"Let's go and exterminate the wolves! Move forward!"

"Shouldn't it be 'Follow me'?"

"If I go first, I'll get killed. Cut it out!"

"Are you overreacting!?"

The location of the wolf pack is in a forest away from the village.

The undergrowth is thick, making visibility poor.

Isn't it too dangerous to fight monsters in such a place?

"Still, red-furred wolves. With two Blood Wolves, it's going to be tricky."

"I've heard that before. Is it really that troublesome this time?"

Saying it's close and then instantly killing them doesn't make it very convincing.

"Yes, well. Wolves are already fast, and Blood Wolves are said to be three times faster. They also have decent attack power, so I hope Mr. Ohtsuka won't take unnecessary risks."

Three times... That sounds familiar.

But if they're that fast, even Noelle might have trouble.

"Hey, there they are. Let's take them on."

As we moved forward, three wolves appeared in front of us.

I readied my mace to counter, but the wolves didn't come at us; they ran deeper into the forest.

They must be heading to their pack. We need to follow them.

"Mr. Ohtsuka, stop!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Just as I was about to run, Noelle grabbed my shoulder.

Her voice was unusually serious.

We need to catch up, but what's going on?

She was looking around, trying to assess the situation.

"We're already surrounded. This is bad."

"Huh? What, ohhh!?"

After checking, she grabbed my hand and started running.

Her speed was incredible, I would have fallen if I wasn't buffed.

What does she mean by being surrounded?

"Hey, what's going on!?"

"The wolves from earlier were bait. They're trying to surround us and attack."

"Wolves have that much intelligence?"

"Haha, that's why Blood Wolves are troublesome."

We eliminated about five wolves that were in our path.

I was a bit behind, but Noelle had already killed three with her first strike.

Is she a psychic?

"We need to break through before we're surrounded! Search and destroy!"

"That's reckless."

It's reckless because you think it's reckless! Noelle kept running without stopping.

I'm getting used to moving in this outfit, but running in the rough forest is tough.

I ran as hard as I could to catch up with her.

"Oof! Hah... hah... No time to pick up drops."

"If you do that, you'll be overwhelmed. Try to reduce their numbers before the Blood Wolves arrive."

The wolves seem to move in groups of 5 or 6. We would jump out and attack them as they moved, taking out the leader to stop their movement.

They would notice us just as we attacked, but Noelle would dash in and decapitate them before they could act.

She's faster than any beast. If she runs at full speed, I can't keep up.

She was even adjusting her movements to help me.

"Noelle! How many now?"

"That's the 23rd. The rest are the Blood Wolves and a few regular wolves."

"Still, it's impressive we've made it this far without encountering the Blood Wolves."

"Hehe, a knight's intuition is amazing."

We repeated this process, dealing with most of the wolves trying to surround us.

The pack was said to be about 35, so only the Blood Wolves and a few regular wolves remained.

"Those are the Blood Wolves?"

"Mr. Ohtsuka, I need you to focus on defense this time. This is serious, so I'll handle the extermination."

"O-Okay, got it."

Two wolves with red fur appeared in front of us.

The remaining wolves surrounded us, growling and baring their fangs.

They seem quite angry, probably because things didn't go as planned.

I gripped my pot lid tightly to defend myself.

Noelle would take care of the Blood Wolves, so I would focus on eliminating the regular wolves.

"Let's go!"

Noelle dashed forward, enveloped in a blue aura.

Her skill, "Inspire," was activated, doubling all her stats and giving her monstrous attack power.

As she moved, blue afterimages appeared.

In an instant, all the wolves surrounding us, except the Blood Wolves, were obliterated.

The Blood Wolves moved to avoid her attacks, but the other wolves were caught in the crossfire and turned into meat chunks. The surrounding wolves were almost completely destroyed.

I was frozen in the center, terrified by the battle between the two Blood Wolves and Noelle. It's too scary.

Everything in her path, including trees, was obliterated. If I move, I'll be minced too. All I can do is pray for this nightmare to end.

I don't want to... I want to go home...

The Blood Wolves managed to avoid Noelle's attacks, but one of them was finally grazed.

Though it was just a scratch, its movements slowed dramatically.

This is one of her fearsome abilities, "Regi Elitra," which reduces enemy action speed by 50%. It affects all actions, not just movement.

The slowed Blood Wolf was instantly minced in the next moment.

The other Blood Wolf, reacting to this, was also quickly turned into meat chunks.

"...Maybe we should just let her handle everything."

●

"Ugh, my body hurts..."

"Whoa, hey."

"Pyah!? Stop it..."

After using her skill, Noelle, who moved inhumanly, was sitting on the ground.

Her whole body was trembling. I poked her side.

She let out a strange sound and trembled, which made me a bit sadistic, but I stopped.

Did she get muscle pain from those superhuman movements?

After collecting the drops, I helped her up.

Every time she moved, she let out a "Nya, pyah!?" sound. I was exasperated by the completely unsexy Noelle as we started to retreat to the village.

● Noelle Fania

Level 12

HP 1780

MP 190

Attack 410

Defense 295

Agility 69

Magic Resistance 30

Cost 15

● [Leader] Ohtsuka Heihachi

Level 11

HP 770

MP 95

Attack 255

Defense 195

Agility 35

Magic Resistance 10