"How is it dear?"
"It is delicious grandma Enma. Thank you."
After introducing herself, the grandma managed to convince Ava to stay over at her place with various reasons but mostly because of the two things that she points out along the way to her house. Her house is close nearby, and her daughter had passed away not long ago. She wanted to do her grandma proud by becoming an adventurer. Unfortunately, she got killed by some monster. The only remaining pieces of her daughter that came back was her clothing and her adventurer card.
'Naive... Careless... What other words should I describe her? What happens to her woman intuition? Why did she accompany the old lady home and helplessly got convinced to stay at her house? In the first place, why did she change her mind to continue to stay in the kingdom?'
[What happened to your decision to camp out in the wild?]
'Don't you know? It is dangerous outside. Oh gosh, I don't know what am I going to do with you, demon.'
'And you think staying inside the house of a beast folk is safe? Sigh. It would be a bad idea to tell her about the identity of the old lady. Ava might start to spray something once again.'
"What's your name, young lady?"
"Oh, it's A... Alice." Ava smile crams up as she forces herself to lie about her identity.
Ava intentionally wants to decline but thinking about it. It is suspicious if she embarks out from the kingdom late at night. The house is located near the sewage where most of the beggers stay as the guards rarely come over due to the smell. It is a two-room apartment where one of the room is for sleeping while the other is a kitchen. As for washroom, they would have to go out to the community washroom or to the sewage to do their business out in public.
The house is dark without being given a candle to move around. Ava would not be able to see anything in front of her. Even though the house is old and the wooden walls have multiple holes on it. The inside is clean of dust. Ava is surprised. Most important for Ava is that the bed is comfortable.
After Ava had the supper which consists of vegetable soup and some bread, grandma Enma shows her the bed of where her daughter previously slept. Ava tried to avoid sleeping on the bed, but she is weak at convincing other people, at the end of the day she obedient rest on the bed.
The next morning Ava says her goodbye, and without staying any longer, she went to the adventurer guild. In the middle of her journey, Connor decided that it is time to let Ava know how she almost got killed without her knowing.
[Did you had fun staying at a beast folk house?]
'Huh? What are you talking about?'
[Grandma Enma... As what you would call it, is probably a fake name. To make it simple, Grandma Enma is a beast folk.]
'And the reason why you ain't telling me about it sooner?'
[Tried to, but you seem so confident in saving her from retards. Oh, you might try to spray something to prove something once again.]
'I am not that stupid to do something twice, and I don't believe you. Grandma Enma seems sweet and kind. I don't think she's a demi-human. I shouldn't have lived through the day if she is our enemy.'
[God knows why she didn't kill you, either way, you won't be able to escape from her successfully if she knows that you know her true race.]
'I don't believe you. Hmph.'
'She says that but I can still hear her thoughts.'
~
"May I help you?" An innocent looking young woman stood at the register counter. She appears to be relatively new to the job as there is a senior standing nearby to oversee her career.
"Is there a gathering quest?"
"Monster parts or plants?"
"Wait, Lisa."
"What is it senior?"
"If this type of people come and ask, just tell them to take a look at the big board over there." The senior point his finger on a big board located adjacent to the main door.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Such a rude guy..." Ava sigh and walked towards the big board.
[You're going alone?]
'Well if there's someone, I won't have any excuse to stay out in the woods can I? Unless I can convince them to stay out?'
[Definitely not, you're bad at choosing the right words.]
'Right...'
[But the adventurer building has their tavern.]
'Stop insulting... Me. What did you just say?'
[Tavern. There's a sign there. You might have a chance to avoid staying out in the woods completely.]
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'T-thank god...' As expected, being a noble lady that spends her entire life in the shelter of a massive mansion, she wouldn't want to live out in the forest, alone in the dark accompanied with various dangerous monsters that could anytime ambush her.
They didn't expect the adventurer guild to have their very own inn. The inn signboard is hidden away, and newcomers would miss it if they never look around properly. The only problem is the amount of time a person can book. The maximum amount of days a person can book a room is only one week. To continue staying in the room, Ava would need to book the apartment again within forty-eight hours before the week ended.
It didn't take two minutes, and Ava had finished booking a room. Fortunate for her, someone had booked out because he is planning to venture out to hunt a specific type of a monster that lives far away from the kingdom.
Ava was about to approach back to the board when a young man and a lady stood in her way. The young man gives a slight smile while introducing himself.
"Hello, I'm Faron and beside me is Janet. Would you like to party with us?"
"Faron, you're doing it wrong."
"Eh? Am I?"
"You should tell her our rank and strengths. In the first place, you don't know what role does she play."
"M-My bad, where was I... Oh yes, I am a warrior while Janet is an archer. What about you?"
"Hello, my name is Alice. My role is a mage."
"Is that so?" Janet frown when Ava says that she is a mage.
"Janet, that's rude. Anyway back to my question, would you like to be in our party?" Faron saw Janet expression and immediately rebuke Janet.
Ava nod her head, thinking ahead, going our alone is somewhat dangerous and having someone that could help her is always appreciated.
"Alice, what's your rank?"
"Rank G"
"What? You're a mage, but you are only rank G?"
"Well, it's my second day being a member of the adventurer."
Both Faron and Janet gave a wry smile giving open looks showing that they know that Alice is a noble or some sort. No sane man or woman would suddenly join being an adventurer because they like it. They participate because life rough and they need some income to live.
Sure, there are some crazy being that loves to venture out to either show off their prize collection or wants to kill monsters. Most of the time, all of them end up dead. Ava seems to be the typical kid that lives inside her house twenty-four-seven without any freedom and once in her life managed to escape and decided to explore out the world.
Janet starts to shake her head and slowly turn her gaze to Faron to show that she let him decide whether she is in the party or not.
[You pray hard to your god that he will turn you down.]
'Eh?'
"I accept!" Faron excitedly give his decision
~
"What's your strongest power?" Faron asks excitedly as they slowly walk along the plains that trail towards the forest.
"Ice."
"Oh, that's nice."
[That's the only power you have.]
'Oh shut it, demon. Grant me more power for me to use will you?'
[What kind of power would you like to have?]
'I'll say, to read the mind of someone is good. I want to know why Janet disapproves of me. She is creeping me out.'
Janet didn't seem to favor Ava. She often stares at Ava without saying anything for three seconds before busying herself with the environment. Janet that supposes to be an archer is also doing her a job of a scout.
Their rank as an adventurer surprised Ava. Faron, who is a warrior has a lower grade than Janet. He sits in rank E while Janet is a rank D.
[Simple, she's an Elf.]
'What? And you decide to tell me now? I feel like I've said this once before.'
[Do I have to tell you every race that we encounter? Don't you have eyes? Use them.]
'Didn't you read the book about the history and the happenings of this world? They don't go around showing themselves bluntly. Hey, I'm Janet, I'm an Elf. Anyone that had their family or friends killed by Elves would surely attack.'
[I forgot about the fact you, inferior beings, are unable to see through their disguises.]
'Enough of your insults. So, are you able to grant that power?'
[Unfortunately not, you're still a caterpillar. Get some more leaves will you? Though getting an upgrade on your puny icicle would do you good.]
'Then what's the point of asking me when you get to decide what power I get?'
[When you stop doing stupid and redundant things and think twice before going on with it.]
'What's the next upgrade for basic cryokinesis?' Connor ponder. Most of the abilities given and used by them would show up with an I or II.
The upgrade is as follows; Basic - Novice - Intermediate - Advance - Expert. The price is as follows; 10 - 100 - 1,000 - 5,000 - 25,000
Connor continues to question the difference between these kinds of abilities and the other that Ava already had. Raw power is the answer — anything that involves being able to kill another being. Blink is a particular case which also ranks differently.
Inferior
Normal
Superior
Supreme
'Magic creation, Novice Cryokinesis.'
Confirm creation magic on novice Cryokinesis. Enable host to form ice crystals, with a maximum size of 100cmx100cmx100cm. 100 creation point.
'Yes please.'
Updating, please wait.
'How long does it takes for Ava to be able to form the maximum size of the crystal?'
A total of seven seconds.
"Alright double check your items guys, we are going into the forest." Connor conversation with the system got interrupted by Faron, who turns to both of his teammates and making sure that they are ready before he continues to walk on the path.
Janet ready out her composite bow on her left hand after giving Ava a stare. Ava, on the other hand, ignores Janet possible social cues that she doesn't understand and ask Faron about the things which are on her mind when they were taking the quest to gather Red fire flower.
Connor immediately creates a quest in order not to miss any free creation points that he could receive to help Ava in becoming more powerful.
"Faron, what's the other quest that you have taken?" Ava is curious, Faron took another quest without putting Ava name on the list.
"It's a quest to hunt moon bear. We have been doing it for the last couple of months now. It is the fastest way to increase our accumulation point and to rank up." Faron explained
"Don't you worry, after gathering the red fire flower you can walk off if you want to. You are not needed." Janet continues, she seems to hate nobles children who don't know anything about the world and usually arrogant towards others.
"Janet, stop being so rude to Alice." Faron nods his head and wryly smile to Ava to indirectly apologize for Janet actions.
"Faron. Stop taking her side. Don't you see she is lying to us? Hmph, a mage? She doesn't even have a speck of mana inside her body." Janet scowls at Faron for trusting the lady too easily.
"Sigh, come on Janet, let's stop this discussion and find the flower." Faron didn't want to start questioning Ava as it would break their form of trust and told Janet to stop her actions.
In the meantime, Ava remembers her ability and tries it out.
'Nature please grant me a way to the nearest fire red flower.' Ava tried to take it easy by asking the nature around her for help.
|Follow the moving grass.|
Seconds after nature replied to Ava, the grass surrounding them starts to shake without any wind affecting them. It startled Faron and Janet, but after seeing Ava following the grass, they unconsciously turn and nod to each other. Both of them decided to follow without stopping Ava to ask.
The reason why Janet looks confused was how nature is somehow communicating to follow them. It is the first time this happens, and she sure doesn't want to anger it.