I awoke to the sound of shouting and laughing from downstairs. Living in the Inn, while relatively cheap, had its share of disadvantages. Mainly, the loud patrons that always seemed to be in a constant state of amusement. Yawning, I crawl out of my bed, and proceed to get ready for the long day ahead of me. Being level 5, meant that I could now take on three star quests. Knowing that anything lower than that wouldn't yield any extra benefits for me, I had picked out a three star hunt quest. The goal of said quest is to head into the western forest, and deal with a group of Goblins that had been killing travellers on their way to the capital.
Grabbing my gear, I swung open the door and headed into the Inn below. I walked over to my usual table. Sitting down, I called over the waitress, and ordered some breakfast. Over the course of eating, I made sure to over my plan for the quest once again in my head. Dealing with the Goblins would be no problem. While small, they're stupid, making them ridiculously easy to kill. The thing that would be a problem, was the Goblin King. Apparently they're not only smarter than the smaller ones, but they can also summon backup. Meaning that I'd have to deal with the leader first.
Alright. No worries. I've got this. I reassured myself, before paying for my food and starting the long trek to the western forest. The walk took longer than I intended. Back when I was still a shut in, I didn't get much exercise. This resulted in me having to take several breaks on the way. I would have chosen the lazy method of teleportation, but with my current financial situation being on the borderline of terrible, I decided against it.
Eventually, I made it to my destination. Tall, dark green trees stretched out into the sky before me. My target was somewhere in here. Inside all of this. I take a quick look around in search of some kind of path. Sure enough, I find one just barely sticking out of the forest. Double checking my gear, I let out a small sigh, before beginning my hunt.
Quest Start: Kill the Goblin King.
An hour after entering the forest, I came across a small clearing. Deciding that now would be a good time to get my bearing, I stop to take a quick glance around. Nothing but trees for what seemed like miles. "Great." I muttered to myself. No signs of Goblins anywhere. If this were an RPG, I would have found my target already. *Snap* My attention was suddenly drawn to a noise that had came from behind me.
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Spinning around, I was greeted by the sight of a girl. She was wearing a dark blue cloak, along with a wizards hat of the same colour. Her blue eyes locked with mine. "Eep!" Her cheeks turned red, before she dashed behind a nearby tree. I stay there for a few moments, attempting to process what just happened. How long had she been following me for?
"You do realize that's a pretty terrible place to hide, right?" It really was. The tree wasn't big enough to hide her entire body, so I could still see most of it sticking out.
"I-I know that! I j-just panicked." The girl walked out into the open. Her cheeks were still red. "Geez, you shouldn't surprise people like that." The girl's voice was soft. It was quite apparent that she wasn't good at talking to strangers
"I'm pretty sure you're the one who snuck up me." She had no right to blame me for this little encounter. Now that I think about it, why's stalking me in the first place? Back before I became a NEET, women usually avoided me."Speaking of which, why were you following me? If you wanted to get through the forest, you'd have stuck to the path."
"I-I wasn't following you. I w-was just taking a stroll." She was obviously lying. Both her red cheeks and constant stuttering gave it away. An awkward silence fills the air. I don't have time for this shit. Turning around, I start to leave. "W-Wait a minute! You're not going to leave me here alone, are you?" It was my intention. "Alright, you win. I was following you because I got lost. I thought that if I followed you, I'd be able to find the exit." So she was lost.
"Sorry, but I don't have time for this." I point in the direction I came from. "Keep heading in that direction. You'll find your way out eventually." I didn't feel bad in the slightest. It was her fault for wondering in here in the first place. Not to mention I really didn't want to baby-sit the equivalent of a lost child. Once again, I turned to leave.
"C-Could I come with you? I may not look like it, but I'm a Mage. I'm sure I can be somewhat useful. " A mage huh? I suppose she could be a pretty good distraction if shit hits the fan later.
"Alright." Her face lights up. "But on one condition. You follow my command, no questions asked." Last thing I need is my first party member getting me killed. She nods her head. "So, what should I call you?" The girl takes off her hat, before bowing.
"I'm Luna, It's nice to meet you." She places her hat back on her head and smiles. "What's yours?"
"I'm Kaito Magami. Let's try to get along." With that, we set off further into the forest in search of the Goblin King's lair.