The next day, Ryo brought me a rusted knife and a box with multiple herbs in it. In the box contained 5 different plants. I make sure to remember their smell and use my [Identify] on them.

Dire Milkweed

A weed that tends to grow next to high traffic areas and grass fields. Often used in the making of low level health potions.

Quality 1/10

Lavender Ginger Roots

A herb that grows next to trees. Often used in the making of low level antidotes.

Quality 1/10

Violet River Grass

A grass that grows by the side and bottom of rivers. Often used in the making of low level mana potions.

Quality 1/10

Vile Nightshade

A shrub sometimes found in forests and fields. Often used in the making of low level confusion poison.

Quality 1/10

Black Lobelia

A type of flower that grows in forests. Often used in the making of low level paralyzing poisons.

Quality 1/10

Behind Ryo is the oldest of the Foxkin who is standing by. After I confirm that I remember the scents he turns to her and says.

“Take care of the retard and make sure she does not get herself killed. Be sure to be back before dinner.”

“Do I have to?” she asks while looking at me annoyed.

“This is an order from the boss, so make sure you do it properly” he reprimands.

“Yeah..yeah...lets go and get this over with retard.” she responds.

GRRR!

“Why does everyone keep calling me that?!?! My name is Shiro!” I exclaim.

“I don’t really care what your name is. Why do I need to remember someone who is not going to live past the next hunt? Especially when you stand out like a sore thumb. If you manage to live through 10 battles, then I’ll ask for your name. Either way lets go, of course if you want to stand here all day I am fine with that too. The one who is going to get punished is you not me retard” she points out.

Guuuh! I really want to get to the bottom of this but she is right. My neck is on the line here and I can’t afford to waste anymore time. Not only do I need to get 50% more than a dogkin. I am also not familiar with the area. [Identify] helped a bit in knowing where things usually grow, but I have no clue about the geography of this area.

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We leave the base and head outside the village into the forest. I first spend an hour making another wooden spear for protection using the rusted knife and then I activate my [Smell Sense] and begin scanning the area. I pick up some scent and begin to move. Like this we walk for half an hour through the forest.

I would have liked to start a conversation to see if I could get some information from the foxkin girl. But [Smell Sense] Level 4 takes up a lot of [Mental], if not for my high [MNT] stat I may not have be able to have it last through the day. And I have a feeling any conversation with her at this point isn’t going to end well for my [Mental].

Surprisingly enough she is the one who starts up a conversation first, of course the contents of the conversation though are not so surprising.

“So how long are you going to sniff pretending to be a dogkin? I have [Smell Sense] level 1 as well and am well aware you are not picking up anything. So why not just give up and accept your punishment?” She asks in a less then pleased voice.

“We are almost there...” I nonchalantly respond.

She rolls her eyes and ends the conversation. After 5 minutes we arrive at our destination. Over there are 2 small [Vile Nightshade] shrubs. On one there are 3 bulbs and on the other there are 2. For a total of 5! I start picking them off and placing them in a bag.

“That was just blind luck!” said the ticked off voice behind me.

I just shrug it off and ignore it, not willing to start a pointless argument. Once I finish collecting, with no help from the foxkin I might add. I continue on in a different direction following my [Smell Sense]. Within 2 hours I mange to collect 2 [Dire Milkweed], 3 [Lavender Ginger Roots] and 1 [Black Lobelia]. I am on a roll! I have already collected 11 within less than 3 hours! Which makes me really happy, contrary to the foxkin following me who seems really irked.

There is still about 10 hours till dinner time. At this rate I may be able to get 15 of them and have extra to spare. Maybe make some money on the side and hide it. The question is I do not know the limits of the [Slave Collar], for all I know it triggers if I try to deceive the master or the like. I need to get some information on that as well.

Regardless, with the foxkin here, I can’t exactly do that anyways. Even if the collar does not have such options. If that middle aged man asks her to tell him what happened, I doubt she wouldn’t be willing to rat me out. It isn’t like I don’t want to trust her and all, despite how she is acting towards me. But I know all too well how terrifying the collar is. So for now I’ll wait till I am allowed to do this alone. Then figure out a loophole in the collar and make money on the side.

As I was thinking that, the foxkin suddenly stopped me.

“Stop! We shouldn’t go any further in this direction. Past this point the probability of a monster showing up increases dramatically. Normally, I don’t care if you go there and get yourself killed, but I am under the orders to make sure you don’t get yourself killed doing something stupid” she exclaims.

I nod and turn to walk in a different direction. With a plan made up, I on purpose start slowing down the rate at which I find the herbs, finding one about every 2 hours. As time goes on, the foxkin girl becomes more and more smug. And randomly says things like “Told you it is beginners luck”. By the time we get 15 it is time to return for dinner. Of course she was not too thrilled about me making the agreed upon quota.

Standing next to the entrance of the base is Ryo who seems to be waiting for us.

“I hope you are not planning on making excuses prior to your punishment” he says.

For the first time since coming here, my face breaks out into a grin. Just imagining the look on his face is going to be epic!

“No excuses! I made my quota just fine!” I say in a proud voice while showing the bag.

He makes a crooked astonished face which by the way I make sure to commit to memory and then he turns to the foxkin.

“She didn’t cheat by stealing them or asking others for help?” he asks in an accusatory tone.

I feel offended…

“No, it was just blind luck!” the foxkin exclaims somewhat ticked.

It’s like everyone hates me or something...what did I do to them?

“Anyways, we will report to the boss, you are dismissed” he says while grabbing me and dragging me to the middle aged man indoors.

You know… I can walk just fine by myself without being dragged there...I am more than capable of doing that on my own..no need to get rough! I ain’t scared of him. Especially now that I met my quota.

We come to the main room where he is again playing cards with his companions.

“Boss, she finally came back” said Ryo.

The middle aged man turns around and stares at me. I shrink back and start trembling…

“So how did it go, was she able to find at least one?” he asks in an amused voice.

“No boss, she managed to somehow get all 15. I asked Kuina if she somehow cheated or something but it was a negative. So she somehow managed to pull it off” replied Ryo.

The middle aged man freezes up for a second trying to process the information and his bemused attitude disappears.

“How is that possible? You ain’t kidding me right?” he inquires for confirmation.

“I don’t know how but it’s right here” Ryo replies while handing over the bag with the herbs.

The middle aged man looks over the bag while pondering something. During this time the woman in the group interjects in the conversation.

“Maybe she is some kind of mutation variant? She might be retarded but started out with high [Smell Sense] skill” she explains.

GUH! STOP CALLING ME RETARDED! I think I use up more [Mental] per day from people calling me that over looking for herbs! That is how pissed off I am at this point! Of course I know better than to actually voice out my complaint here…

“That might be the case...” replied the middle aged man then after pondering for a bit added “Alright. I’ll let you be a tracker and see how you do. You will collect 15 herbs per day. If you fail to do so, there will be [Punishment]... Ryo, tomorrow, take the the herbs to the adventurers guild and sell them, bring the retard along as well and get it registered in the guild. You know the drill. Also, make sure Kuina goes as well to keep an eye on the retard”

“Yes boss!” Ryo responded.

Did he just say adventurers guild?!?! And they are going to register me into the guild?!? While I am totally stunned, this also isn’t the way I imagined to be registered...I mean being registered as a slave...this isn’t how its suppose to be!

Wait! Maybe I have this all backwards and this is the reverse route...where a dashing hero will show up wanting to add me to his harem. Listen to my story, free me from slavery while giving me a legendary weapon and lots of other awesome loot. To which I will go “My Hero!”. Then when we leave town I’ll say “Thanks again! I will always remember the favor! Well then...It’s about time we split ways. I doubt we will ever meet again. K thx bye!~ Sayonara~ Adios~ So long and thanks for all the fish~”... a girl can always dream...

Anyways, back to reality. If I register for the guild I wonder if more options will open up to me...I also hope I don’t trigger the old fight in the guild flag...I definitely don’t stand a chance if that happens...

…