The next morning, upon waking, Hikaru began meditating to replenish the mana he had expended during the previous night. Donning his adventuring gear and carrying the camping kit he acquired from the Elvira kingdom, he made his way to the tavern nestled within the hotel lobby to enjoy his breakfast. He decided that today he's going to take on a quest from the adventure guild so he can advance his adventure rank faster.
He then went to the Adventure Guild, where Tiana, the receptionist, greeted him. “Morning, Hikaru. Nice gear!” Tiana commented, noting Hikaru's new adventure gear.
Hikaru was pleasantly surprised that Tiana still remembered his name. He returned her greeting with a warm smile. “Good morning, Tiana. Thank you!”
After exchanging greetings, Hikaru headed to the guild mission board to search for a suitable task, prioritizing a D-rank mission so he can advance his rank swiftly.
'From what I've gathered,' he thought to himself, 'tackling a D-rank quest usually demands three days’ worth of effort and a team of at least three individuals. If only I were born into nobility.' As he continued to search for a suitable mission on the board, he contemplated the hurdles he faced.
In Erudite, an adventurer's rank doesn't necessarily correlate with their strength. Guild quests can be delegated to others, allowing nobles to more easily attain higher ranks by taking on multiple quests and assigning them to their subordinates.
"Got it, maybe this could work," Hikaru muttered to himself as he examined a D-rank quest card, outlining the task of acquiring three pieces of Twin-tailed wolf's pelt.
‘Both Twin-tailed wolf meat and pelts can be sold for money. Killing them isn’t that difficult for me, but the problem lies in carrying them whole, as each of them weighs similar to a human. I have no choice but to only harvest their pelts; even then, all three of their pelts could weigh more than 15 kg,’ Hikaru thought to himself.
Adventuring in the wild is typically done in groups of at least three individuals due to the challenge of carrying the adventuring haul. Even in missions where the objective isn't to obtain specific items, adventurers often encounter enemies, whose resources can be harvested. Therefore, Hikaru's decision to embark on solo adventures is uncommon.
Hikaru took the quest card and proceeded to the receptionist desk to register it.
“Tiana, can you please register this mission under my name!” Hikaru politely asked Tiana.
Tiana glanced at Hikaru and the mission card before inquiring: “Who will you be doing this mission with?”
“Alone,” Hikaru replied confidently.
Tiana's expression turned troubled as she exclaimed: “Alone? Are you sure about that? You could end up as just another statistic in Bailey's adventurer mortality rates! I can't stop you, but I strongly advise you to reconsider. If you have no one to go with, I can recommend other adventurers.”
“Trust me, Tiana, I've got this,” Hikaru assured her.
Tiana’s concern persisted as she continued: “You really need to think this through, especially since it’s your first adventure mission. I’ve seen many adventurers overestimate themselves and meet unfortunate fates out there. How do you plan to transport your haul or sleep at night? Who will stand guard against potential threats while you're asleep?”
“Tiana, I appreciate your concern, but I’ve thought this through. Trust me, I have my own plan. I’ll be cautious and vigilant throughout the mission.” Hikaru answered.
Observing Hikaru’s confidence, Tiana reluctantly registered him for the mission. However, she couldn’t resist offering a final piece of advice: “Just remember, Hikaru, caution is key out there. Don’t let your confidence cloud your judgment.”
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“Thanks, Tiana. I’ve got this covered,” Hikaru reassured her with a grateful smile.
After completing the necessary procedures, Hikaru headed to a nearby market in search of a map detailing the surrounding hunting grounds. Eventually, he found one that not only cataloged the local beasts but also revealed the diverse vegetation and lurking monsters of the area. He then made his way to the Twin-tailed wolf sighting spot indicated on the map, through the East Bailey Customs Checkpoint.
Once outside the gate, Hikaru sought out a quiet spot and swiftly flew to the marked area. However, due to the dense forest canopy, he couldn't effectively scan the area from above as the land was almost entirely obscured by vegetation. Upon arriving at the indicated spot, he landed and scanned the surroundings for any signs of Twin-tailed wolf activity.
He wandered through the forest for about fifteen minutes until he caught sight of deep scratch marks etched into the bark of a nearby tree. Instinctively, he understood these marks to be the territorial indicators left by Twin-tailed wolves. He then decided to cautiously follow their distinctive tracks.
As Hikaru trailed their tracks, he was taken by surprise when a pack of eight Twin-tailed wolves detected his presence first, encircling him before he even had a chance to notice their approach.
[Phoenix Wings: Activate] (L1 Fire Sovereign innate skill)
*Rush –Rush -Rush* Hikaru took to the sky to break their encirclement, realizing he was at a disadvantage on the ground. Some of the wolves attempted to leap at him, only to find themselves reaching for his fleeting silhouette. He then used a hit-and-fly tactic, wielding his short sword to attack the wolves.
[Lunge] [Slash x2] [Thrust] (Common Skill)
*Swish –Swoosh –Swoosh -Shink* with precise strikes, Hikaru swiftly dispatched each wolf with four strikes. As the fourth wolf fell, the remaining members of the pack hesitated before swiftly retreating. He didn’t pursue them as he had already obtained what he needed. In this battle, he refrained from using his fire magic or innate abilities to avoid damaging the pelts, which would have defeated the mission objective.
After skinning the wolves to acquire their pelts, he created a fire and cooked some of their meat. Unlike during his first adventure, he now seasoned the meat with all the spices he had prepared beforehand, enhancing their flavor.
His first adventure mission went well without a hitch, largely due to the accuracy of the map. Initially, he planned to spend the night in the wild, but unexpectedly finished his hunt much earlier than anticipated. Therefore, he decided to return to Bailey before the sky grew too dark.
Tiana, the Adventure Guild’s receptionist, was shocked to see Hikaru back so soon, carrying four Twin-tailed wolf pelts on his shoulders. She instructed some of the guild staff to check the condition of the pelts while she spoke with Hikaru.
“Wow, that was quick! Looks like my worry was really unwarranted! By the way, how did you manage to hunt down these wolves in just half a day, Hikaru?" Tiana's curiosity was piqued as she couldn't help but ask Hikaru about his impressive feat.
Regular hunters who specialize in hunting Twin-tailed wolves typically take about a week to complete their hunt. On the first day, they cautiously navigate towards their hunting spot to avoid confrontation with other individuals, monsters, or beasts. On the second day, they track these wolves and hunt one of the packs, usually using bows and arrows. This often leads them to engage in a melee combat with the pack, as the rest of the wolves tend to converge on their location after being shot. On the third day, they rest and tend to their wounded party members while cleaning up their remains. From the fourth day onwards, they return to Bailey, facing increased difficulty as they carry the remains of the wolves, each weighing as much as an adult human. During their journey back, they also must fend off other monsters or beasts attracted by the smell of blood of these wolves.
"Ah, well, you know how it is, Tiana," Hikaru said with a modest shrug. "Just a stroke of luck, I guess. Right place, right time, and a bit of quick thinking.”
"Luck, huh? You didn't happen to buy these on the market and bring them here, did you? You know, I can't really stop you, but taking shortcuts like this might drain your resources sooner or later," Tiana remarked, her replied tinged with a hint of concern.
Hikaru thought to himself: ‘What a convenient misunderstanding! It’s better if she believes this misconception rather than knowing my true capabilities, as she might inadvertently reveal them to others when I prefer to maintain a low profile.’
Hikaru just laughed it off, which only made him seem more guilty. Not long after, the guild staff informed Tiana about the pelts’ quality.
With a sigh, Tiana relayed the findings to Hikaru: “Hikaru, congrats on wrapping up your first D-rank mission! However, since each pelt has multiple cuts, their quality has dropped, so we'll have to reduce your mission reward by 20%. The guild is also willing to buy the additional pelt you obtained for the same price.”
Hikaru flashed a wry grin before affirming: “Absolutely, let’s proceed with selling them. I trust the guild judgment.”
"Great," Tiana replied with a nod, doing the paperwork as she asked him, "Just need your Guild Card, please."
Hikaru handed her his card as she continued filling out the paperwork. Once she finished, she handed him a pouch containing 3 gold and 20 silver coins, as the reward for each pelt was 1 gold coin minus the 20% cuts. Hikaru thanked her for her assistance and left the Guild with a satisfied smile.
‘Now that I’ve completed my adventure mission, the day still feels so young. Perhaps I should visit Prince Clay? But first, let’s head back to the hotel,’ Hikaru thought to himself.
Once he arrived at his hotel room, he took a long bath and went to the hotel tavern for dinner. After finishing his meal, he returned to his hotel room, changed into attire adorned with the added insignia, and then headed to the Fujimoto residence through the Aristocratic Checkpoint.
Hikaru didn’t have a fixed schedule for meeting with Prince Clay, but he was ordered to report to him within a week. The prince said he will be in Fujimoto residence every evening for the whole week. With this in mind, Hikaru decided to head to the Fujimoto residence to meet with Prince Clay as soon as possible, demonstrating his seriousness regarding the mission entrusted to him.