Chapter 8 : 1 Month Later

One month had passed since my aptitude test.

I had been taking lulu grass gathering quest everyday.

Lulu grass was used for creating recovery potions so the gathering request was always available for me to take.

The grass grew in the forest where Malik-san first found me, I could easily gather it thanks to [Search] magic.

It was a part of support magic so I had great aptitude with it.

For every 100 grass I turned in, I got 5000 elk.

My daily routine went like this.

In the morning, I went to the guild, took the quest and gathered the lulu grass. When it was time for lunch, I returned to the guild and hadlunch with Malik-san and the others. After I finished lunch, I practiced my swordsmanship and magic with Malik-san in the training ground.

"I wonder when I will be able to improve my combat magic skill…"

I slumped my head down on the counter gloomily.

Even though I'd been practicing everyday, my combat magic didn't improve at all.

On contrary, I didn't have any problem with my support magic, in fact Malik-san and the others gave me their stamp of approval for support magic.

But, my support magic would be useless if I couldn't defend myself properly…

If I didn't improve my combat abilities, I wouldn't be able to take any other request.

Aside from gathering lulu grass, there was also baggage carrying quest but the luggage weight was too heavy for me so it was impossible as well.

So, lulu grass gathering was the only thing I could do.

Seeing I was being depressed like this, Tord-san asked me.

"Ren-san, your support magic is good but you won't be able to do the quest with support magic alone. So why don't you join a party instead? It's been a month since you came to Alsar and you're pretty popular here. I wonder why you're still alone?"

"I've been asking around but there's no party that Malik-san approves. Malik-san keep on rejecting party after party. He said that party is not strong enough to protect Ren. That party has ulterior motives, Ren chastity will be in danger. And so on.."

If I joined a party, I could take different variety of quest, my rank would also increased.

But Malik-san was being really strict in which party I should choose.

I heard there was some party that requested for me but Malik-san turned them all down without telling me beforehand.

"Well I agree with Master! Since it's for Ren-san of course the party has to be a good party! Heck, even if it's not Ren-san even I wouldn't allow people to join such suspicious party! Ren-san you don't have good eyes at reading people!"

"Is that so? I don't have a good eyes huh.. Well that means I have to keep collecting lulu grass for now huh.."

Was I that bad at seeing through people's intention?

I wonder if there was any simple method to know which one was a good party and which one was not..

But even if I were to find one, all the good party already had support magician in their party anyway.

"Ren-san, not only you're the Master's son you're also this guild's idol you know! Of course we will get protective over you!"

"I-Idol..? Is it because I'm small so you guys treat me like a child..?"

Recently, not only the guild's staff but the people in the market also seemed to recognize me as Malik-san's son.

They also knew about my age and they always looked so shocked when they saw me for the first time.

Furthermore, some of them would even pat my head! No matter whether they were a woman or a man, they treated me like a kid..

"Ah, what to do.. You're so clueless.."

"Eh? What? Anyway, I guess I will go take another lulu grass request tomorrow."

Tord-san seemed to said something about me but his voice was too low. Maybe I was just imagining it?

"Ah! That's right! Ren-san have you seen the quest board? There's new request! Apparently there's a huge swarm of monster in Calhea Meadow so they requested for massive monster subjugation there!"

Monster subjugation?!

Moreover, not just an ordinary monster subjugation but there was heaps of them?!

I thought I had good relationship with Tord-san but did he hate me after all?

Was he trying to push me to my deathbed?!

"Ah.. Tord-san if you truly hate me please say it straight away.. I will stop bothering you if you hate me that much.."

"E-eh? What are you saying Ren-san?? There's no way in hell I would hate you!"

"Really? I thought you were trying to kill me off.."

I guess I was wrong.

But still… Let alone a bunch of monster, I think I wouldn't be able to kill one single monster!

"You see, I don't know why but every year there's a surge of monster in Calhea Meadow. It's almost like an annual event.There's no rank limit for this quest so a lot of people take this quest. There will be a lot of party there, so it's going to be safe,Ren-san!"

"Really Tord, is that all? You're bad at explaining things.. Listen, since it's a huge quest there will be a campsite near the area where a lot of monster often appear. In the camp, the support magician can offer their assistance there. Since support magician is rare, most party doesn't have one. So your assistance will be highly requested. You can give your buff magic or recovery magic in the camp for the people that need it. There will be also a group of adventurer guarding the camp so it's a relatively safe quest to take even for you."

"Hugo-san!"

Hugo-san suddenly appeared before us and explained the quest in detail for me.

But how would they calculate the quest reward?

Since there would be a lot of people, it would be hard to determine the participant's reward.

"Is that so.. Then I will take the quest. But how do I get my share of reward?"

"Ah Ren you've never taken any subjugation quest before so you don't know huh. For subjugation quest, the monster that you kill will be listed on your guild card. If you kill the monster in a party, the monster will be displayed as party kill too. Of course, after you settle the prize in the guild, the list will disappear. As for you Ren, since you will be assisting people with your support magic, that means your guild card will show how many people you've recovered or you've given buff to."

Ooh! Guild card was really amazing! To think the guild card was able to track such things!

"Everything listed in the guild card cannot be manipulated in any other way so it can be used as legal reward counting tool. If you participate in this hunt you might get 20.000 elk!"

"In other words if I slack off, I will get less money but if I work really hard, I will get better reward too! Wow, guild card is so amazing! I can even get 20.000 elk by just participating in this quest?!"

I wanted to do it! I really want it !

This will be my first subjugation quest, yay!

And it was relatively safe too!

I wonder whether such good and easy quest like this would be alright as my first subjugation quest experience?

"It will take you 3 days by foot to reach Calhea Meadow and you will be hunting for about 1 week there. Usually most adventure will get around 20.000 elk by hunting the monster but Ren-san.. I think you might get more money if you keep collecting lulu grass instead you know."

"Ugh back to lulu grass again. Are you trying to make me reconsider my choice, Tord-san? So cruel."

It was true I could get 20.000 elk in just 4 days.

Usually the normal adventurer in my rank wouldn't be able to get 5000 elk per day but since I had my support magic, lulu gathering was like a walk in the park for me.

But it wouldn't do me any good if I only took lulu grass quest even though it was more profitable!

I had to broaden my horizon to improve myself!

"No! Of course not! I'm sorry!"

"Well what you said was true though but I really want to take this subjugation quest. I want to experience more things!"

Tord-san seemed perplexed when I teased him but I actually didn't mind it.

Moreover I was more excited in taking my first subjugation quest!

"Right now, Master is handling the request counter. Do you best in convincing him, Ren-san!"

"Ugh, convincing him might be harder than doing the actual quest…But I will do my best!"

Even if the one manning the counter wa not Malik-san, I still had to tell him eventually anyway.

I saw in the map the location of Calhea Meadow.

It seemed the Calhea Meadow, Pedrell City and the capital was connected together in triangle shape like.

Since it would take me 3 days to reach Calhea Meadow and one week to finish the quest and another 3 days to come back that means I would be going out of the town for at least half a month.

I braced myself and went to the counter to face my first obstacle, Malik-san.

Good luck,me!