Chapter 35

After Master's class ended, while my brother was preparing dinner, I went to the Adventurer's Guild.

At night, more people gather at the Adventurer's Guild. Many are in high spirits, drinking alcohol, and most have bright expressions. I don't think the guild is actually serving alcohol, but still, it's quite lively.

At the very least, it's clear that the security is worse than during the day. I want to avoid getting into trouble.

While I was at the reception, I heard voices. "That's not it. This new recruit just happened to be around at the same time," and "Leonis is taking care of it... you know, like Fin..."

I glanced over... it was indeed the people from the adventurer party who investigated the eastern forest. They waved at me, so I bowed in return.

"Miss Mary... I'm sorry, but I need to report something."

"Sure, sure. Then, let's go to that room."

Once again, I was led to a separate room.

It's a bit awkward with so many people around... but since there were foreign adventurers today, I wanted to avoid staying at the reception for too long, so it's a good thing.

"Everyone seems to be in a good mood today."

"Yes. A Rank A monster appeared nearby, but it was defeated without much damage... it's a celebration. However, it's just a cover, and some issues have arisen within the guild."

The treatment of foreigners has become harsher.

It seems that after the investigation of the eastern forest ended, the adventurers spread the word about the mistakes made, and the prejudice against foreigners has intensified.

Adventurers and foreigners have fought and been thrown into jail, and complaints have been pouring in from the foreigners. "We're being blamed for things we didn't do" and "What's wrong with the information management?" The influx of inquiries has made it busy... The foreigners seem to be holding up well mentally...

Still... foreigners are being avoided by the adventurers. Even the adventurers who initially tried to recruit them are now keeping their distance. They avoid interacting positively and show no friendliness.

"So, how was it?"

"First, I can't make the compound medicine. It will take some time to learn how to make it. Also, it seems that all the recipes will be provided. And... I have a request..."

"What is it?"

"The materials for the poison are supposed to be from D-rank monsters, right? Could you please raise it to F-rank or E-rank? If so, I can go and get them myself."

"Oh, yes. The recommended monsters for paralysis and sleep poisons are E-rank, and... D-rank monsters, while Crane is surprisingly strong, are tough to handle solo..."

"Ah, well... my brothers from my hometown are chasing me, so I might not be solo for a while."

"Oh! ...So, that's why you have three bags... Hmm. In that case..."

"Is it difficult?"

"Can you wait a moment? I'll go consult with the Guild Master."

A simple receptionist can't decide to raise the rank. It might be suspicious to negotiate for a rank raise, but I want to gather the materials myself. It's difficult...

Gathering itself isn't hard... I've even been praised by my master for my processing skills. However, I can't appraise the quality, so it's up to my own judgment. If I gather them myself, I can accept the results, but if I request them and get poor quality, it would be frustrating.

According to my master, adventurers who aren't used to gathering produce poor quality. I have no connections, so I want to go myself.

"Well then, miss. I've heard from Mary. I'm sorry, but I asked her to step out because I didn't want her to hear."

"Ah, yes..."

After waiting for a while, the door opened... and in came a dignified old man, the Guild Master Joseph.

Well, that's to be expected.

I knew it... ultimately, the decision would be made by him. It seems Mary conveyed my request as it was.

"Since you're willing to take on the delivery of the medicine, it would be a great help to us, so I'm willing to approve it."

"Is there a condition?"

"Yes... the materials for the medicine, you will gather them yourself, correct?"

"That's the plan... since I can't appraise the quality yet, I think it's more reliable to process them on the spot rather than asking someone else."

"Indeed... it's true that processing should be done quickly... Miss, do you have any issues with making the medicine?"

"Except for the higher-level compound medicine. I haven't made it yet because I don't have the materials, so I can't guarantee I can make it."

Well, from the way my master talks, he doesn't doubt that I can make it.

Even with magic pills, the success rate was 1 in 10 at first, but now it's 1 in 2. If I keep making them, I can't fail. If I can afford the material costs, it's better to gather a lot myself even if I fail... the problem is that there's no recycling option for failed poisons.

Garbage goes in the trash... but it's not something that can be easily thrown away, so I need to think about it.

"Hmm... about the E-rank upgrade, do you have time after this?"

"...Yes."

"Then, the practical exam will determine the result. Is that okay?"

"Um... I made a rather unreasonable request, but is it okay to take the exam?"

"Yes... first, you can upgrade based on the results of monster slaying. There's a record of slayings on the adventurer card. However, you don't meet this requirement. Next is the duration. The longer the duration, the more likely you are to upgrade automatically, but only up to D-rank. You haven't met the duration requirement yet. The next is recommendation. In your case, you have three recommendations from other adventurers, and the receptionist has judged that there are no issues. Also... from our perspective, if you can gather the materials yourself, it will be easier to proceed secretly and be a great help."

Ah, there's something going on.

It seems there are hidden troubles beyond the relationship with the Alchemist's Guild.

That's fine. If I can get support for what I want to do, it will be a great help. Just being allowed to hunt D-rank monsters is a big deal.

I followed the Guild Master to the guild's training ground.

After waiting for a while, people started to come in.

The opponent for the exam came in front of me with a troubled look.

"Hey, you're taking the upgrade exam, kid? Why did you want to upgrade without waiting for the required duration?"

"Please, I need to go and gather some necessary materials."

"Huh? Materials... in a hurry?"

"Yes."

Since you don't meet all the requirements, the exam will be conducted not only within the guild but also externally.

If you have the skills, you can shorten the required duration, but in that case, you need to show your skills to the adventurers as well, not just the guild.

The people in the guild earlier... apparently, they weren't drinking.

The opponent for the exam was a C-rank adventurer.

At first, he seemed annoyed, but when I mentioned the materials, he seemed to think about it. His expression changed when I said I was in a hurry... I think.

A C-rank attacker, I guess. His weapon looks good, but his armor isn't that great, which means he focuses on offense. He's not a tank or a mage. Moreover... he seems like he'll attack immediately when the exam starts.

The exam content is simple. It's a mock battle to confirm your skills. The examiners are the Guild Master, Leonis, and three others.

If these people judge that your skills are sufficient, they will raise a flag. Three flags mean you pass.

"...Start!"

As expected, he closed the distance quickly and swung his sword.

He's fast, but he doesn't move unpredictably like my brother. If he swings down, I can parry...

"Too easy! Come on!"

He noticed I was trying to parry the first strike and came at me with a second strike without losing balance.

"..."

My plan didn't work, so I blocked with my sword and faced him... but his strength isn't as great as Nagah's, so I'm not being overpowered.

After a few exchanges, I stepped back and deflected his attack.

"Wha...!"

"Haah!"

This time, the deflection worked, and his stance was broken, creating an opening. I struck with the sword skill <Slash> and put some distance between us.

"I'm going! Water Splash <Splash>!"

I cast Water Splash <Splash>, a level 2 water magic. Water splashed up around the opponent.

He didn't expect magic and couldn't defend at all.

"Ugh... n, no, m, m..."

I didn't wait. Confirming that he was being pushed back by the water, I ran forward. Before the water splash dissipated, I circled behind him and placed my sword at his neck.

"That's enough! ...Hmm, four flags. You pass."

"Wait, Guild Master! Hold on, I haven't shown my best yet!"

"Thank you for your hard work."

I bowed and went to where Mary was waving.

The crowd was excited, saying things like "Lost!" and "Damn, I missed!"

Yeah, it seems almost no one bet on me. Everyone was disappointed.

Or, are the people waving at me the ones who bet on me? They were the ones who investigated the eastern forest.

"Hey, hold it. I didn't hear anything about magic?"

"...I'm more of a magic user, but I want to be a solo adventurer, so I can handle myself in the front line to some extent."

"...Ah... damn. Well, you passed. Good for you."

"Yes. Now I can go hunting."

"Right... tell Pamela I said hello."

"Huh...?"

"If you need anything, call me. I owe her one."

"...Yes. I'll tell my master I owe you, so please give me your name."

"Stop it! I don't want to be treated like a kid again!"

When it comes to materials, they think of deliveries to someone... Master... he's well-liked by adventurers.

I glanced at Leonis, who gave me a thumbs up, so I think he's the cause. However, Leonis didn't raise his flag. I carefully confirmed the flags.

Rather, I thought I would pass with the two votes from the Guild Master and Leonis, and the other two would be a formality... but it seems the C-rank adventurer held back a bit.

Mary's applause is quite encouraging. I'll go through the procedures.

...I was thinking.

"Then, miss, that was impressive."

"Thank you."

"You've certainly improved."

"I'll keep working hard."

Instead of going through the procedures, I was led to the Guild Master's room. Leonis came with me.

His smile is really scary, and my responses are robotic.

Well, I had to take advantage of the fact that he held back. I couldn't win with my raw skills, so I used magic to surprise him.

"With this, you're E-rank. You seem to already have D-rank skills, so I'll look forward to your future."

"Yes... for now, I'll gather materials and deliver the requested items. Except for the compound medicine."

"Is it absolutely impossible to make compound medicine?"

"...My master says I have potential and will eventually be able to make it."

"I see... so you have the potential to make higher-level medicines."

"Thanks to my master's teaching."

They knew about the higher-level compound medicine and requested it. According to my master, there are few people who can make higher-level medicines, but it seems he doesn't deliver them.

The medicines in this world have a long shelf life. Considering they last a year, it's possible they are made in other towns and transported... Also, the problem with sage leaves is only in this town... Eventually, the guilds will mediate, so I need to do what I can before that happens.

"Well then... Crane."

"Yes, what is it, Leonis?"

"Here's a note on where to get the materials you'll need in the future. These are items I gathered for the old lady, not part of the guild's request, so it might not be enough, but it should be a reference."

"Thank you."

It lists items that can be gathered in the <Eastern Forest>, <Western Hill>, <Green Swamp>, and other locations. The dungeons are listed separately, so it's easy to find. I see... I'll have to test the monsters to see what I can gather.

"Miss, I think you'll be fine, but be careful outside the town. The relationship between adventurers and foreigners has worsened more than you think. In your case, you might be approached by both sides."

"Ah... well, I kind of noticed from what I saw earlier... Is it okay? If they see me pass, the foreigners might say they want to as well?"

"I understand. But there are no adventurers who would recommend them. It won't be discussed."

Hmm. I don't quite understand the intention.

I can read two purposes.

One is to put pressure on the Alchemist's Guild. It's not known that my master has taken on a disciple. The Alchemist's Guild planned to stockpile materials but failed, and they're not happy. They know the medicines are being supplied from somewhere, and eventually, they will find out about my master's disciple.

This is not a problem that can be resolved within this town, so the guilds will eventually reconcile. At that time, whether the guild actively supported me or not will be a point of contention... I guess. Since the guild itself doesn't supply materials to disciples, they can't blame the Adventurer's Guild. Therefore, they will provide some support if I gather the materials myself.

The other is to deal with the foreigners.

Currently, they can only hope for slaying rewards. If they form a party, their income is barely enough. They are upset that someone with lower skills than them has been promoted, but they are not recognized.

It's a bait to gauge their actions. It seems they are intentionally making them feel dissatisfied. Maybe to make them think that being an adventurer is not worth it. I don't understand the guild's purpose in this.

"Crane, I have three magic bags ready. Do you want to take them home?"

"Ah, yes. But I don't have enough money for three..."

"Don't worry. It's possible to pay an advance to fulfill the contract. I intended to bind you to the contract by providing you with recipes and materials, but since you will gather them yourself, there will be no binding. This is the advance. Three large magic bags. 300,000G as an advance for the contract."

"...Large?"

"Yes. If you can deliver all the requested items, it will be twice that amount... so this is half as an advance."

"...That's a lot."

I wanted medium, but it became large.

If I can't make the compound medicine quickly, the debt to the Adventurer's Guild won't decrease. With large bags, my future activities will be easier. Moreover, there's no additional 30,000G for ordering, so it's much cheaper than buying them normally. I can't miss this opportunity...

The method is harsh. They know I can't refuse and are binding me.

Is this to increase the stock of medicines? My master's words about not trusting too much are sinking in, but I can't refuse.

"Is there a problem?"

"I'll start delivering the items as soon as I can, but if possible, I'd like you to update the list once a week. That way, I can adjust the production pace based on the actual needs."

"Understood. First, 100 magic pills and 100 mana pills are a priority. Then... this is the party formation sheet. You can submit it tomorrow."

"Yes..."

Don't go hunting alone... Since my brothers are here, they gave me permission to challenge D-rank monsters. Leonis didn't raise his flag because he's strict about D-rank monsters.

Sigh... I can't help it, but with the current mountain of problems, I need to solve them one by one. The only way is to continue training and increase my synthesis pace.

"...Crane."

"Yes, Leonis."

"I've already talked to your brother, but this is your background. You are the child of an adventurer father, Fin, and a woman, Evely, who fell in love with a man and was ostracized by the village. Fin was an adventurer in this town, so those who know will recognize him. You can answer if asked. I am acting as the guardian of my friend's child."

I heard from my brother, but from the situation in the guild earlier, it seems the story has spread quite a bit. Both Leonis and my master are popular, so I was accepted as a side note.

"Yes... thank you for everything."

"Don't overdo it. You're already strong enough. Your movements were good."

"No... my stats are biased towards magic... I'm trying to improve my base, but it's still not enough, right?"

"D-rank monsters can be tough. Also, the old lady seems to be having fun. Thanks."

"I'll do my best to make my master's life easier as soon as possible."

"Good, that's the spirit."

In the end, I returned home and gave the bags to my brother and Nagah, but I got a lecture.

I can't deny that I'm taking on too much alone... but I think it's necessary...

I convinced them that being useful is a good thing and that it will help establish their base... The party was formed.

I intended to go solo... but since it's for gathering and not a tough battle, the purpose hasn't changed... The problem is whether the party will disband after this is over.