chapter 10 - A Suspicious Quest and Mamal's Warning
After two days of rest, I headed to the adventurer’s guild early in the morning and stood before the job board, contemplating.
"Hmm…"
"What seems to be the problem?"
Mamal, who had just come over to pin up some new job listings, gave me a wry smile.
"I’m trying to find a quest that’ll help the girls gain experience while also offering good Adventurer Credibility Scores and rewards."
"That’s quite the wishlist," Mamal chuckled.
"I know. Skill-wise, I think we could handle a B-rank quest if I support them, but completing it under my name wouldn’t really benefit them. It wouldn’t feel like their achievement."
Mamal chuckled again at my reasoning.
"My, you really do act like a teacher. No wonder Silk calls you that."
"Even you, Mamal? Cut it out," I groaned.
After all, the whole "teacher" thing started because of that instructor gig Mamal herself roped me into.
"How about this one?"
She handed me a quest slip.
"A C-rank quest? Let’s see… Hmm? Why is this ranked C?"
The quest was titled: "Deliver Four Round Stones from Yormun Falls."
Yormun Falls, located a day’s travel from Finis in the depths of the Ordarn Lakeside Forest, is known for its round stones, which become translucent like crystals when infused with magic. Wealthy patrons often use these stones as light sources in Light artifacts.
However, such a quest would typically be rated D-rank at most. It’s the kind of job beginner adventurers take when they’re learning to camp outdoors.
Which means…
"Has something happened in the Ordarn Lakeside Forest?"
"Yes. It seems a large magical beast has made its home there. Lower-ranked adventurers have repeatedly failed to complete the quest. The client requested a C-rank rating for the sake of reliability."
Quest ranks range from A to F.
The closer the rank is to A, the higher the difficulty, the stricter the Adventurer Credibility Score requirement, and the greater the reward and guild fees.
The quest had a tight deadline of one week, making it a little suspicious.
But with the chance to earn C-rank rewards and Credibility Scores for what’s essentially a D-rank task, it seemed like a good deal. Still, I decided it’d be best to consult the girls before accepting.
"Can I hold onto this for now?"
Holding a quest slip—taking it down to discuss with your party before formally accepting—is a gray area in guild etiquette. While it’s frowned upon, the "first-come, first-served" nature of the guild system makes it common practice, and the guild often turns a blind eye.
"You shouldn’t ask a guild staffer that, you know," Mamal teased, handing me the quest slip.
After nodding my thanks, I spotted Marina and the others entering the guild.
"Yuke!" Marina called out, bounding over like an eager puppy.
Suppressing a smile, I showed her the quest slip.
"I found a good quest. What do you think?"
"Let’s take it!"
I couldn’t help but wonder if Marina was a bit… impulsive.
"If Yuke says it’s good, then it’s fine, right?"
"Indeed. You’re the leader now, after all," Silk said.
"No objections," Rain added.
"Alright, I’ll process the acceptance then," Mamal said, smoothly taking the quest slip from my hand and heading to the counter.
"Hey, hold on. Are we really doing this?"
"Sure! I’ve been to the Ordarn Lakeside Forest once before. But why is it C-rank?"
That was exactly the point I intended to discuss.
"It seems there’s a magical beast in the area. We can still back out if you want."
"No, we need the Credibility Score. Let’s take it. It’s not certain we’ll encounter the beast, and if we do, we’ll handle it."
"With Yuke, we’ll be fine," Rain said confidently.
Where did all this trust come from? I was the one who suggested taking the quest, but still…
"Alright then, go prepare your gear. Let’s meet back here in an hour."
"Just our gear? Nothing else?"
"We’re always stocked on adventuring supplies and food, so there’s no need. If we leave in an hour, we can catch the midday carriage."
"Got it! I’ll hurry!"
The three of them nodded and headed out of the guild.
As I watched them leave, Mamal returned with the acceptance certificate in hand.
"Here’s the certificate. Good luck out there."
"Did you plan this?"
"Maybe," she said with a sly smile. "There’s already talk about Clover’s next stream, you know."
The video of the Steel Crab takedown had surpassed 10,000 views. With the widespread availability of "tablets"—magical devices used for watching streams—adventurer broadcasts had become one of the most popular types of content.
Perhaps we stood out a little too much.
"Guess there’s no avoiding it."
"I’m looking forward to it too," Mamal said cheerfully.
"Even you? Really?"
With a small sigh, I accepted the certificate.
"Well, if it helps the girls, I’ll keep streaming. Identifying that magical beast could also be valuable for the guild, right?"
Streaming isn’t just for entertainment—it also supports Credibility Score applications for adventurers.
If we could document the mysterious beast in the Ordarn Lakeside Forest, or even defeat it, the additional Credibility Score could open up more opportunities for Marina and the others.
"One more thing," Mamal added.
"What is it?"
"Because of the rumors, some unsavory people have been talking about you. Be careful."
"…Got it. Thanks, Mamal."
With that warning in mind, I left the guild, staying alert to any suspicious presences around me.