Negotiation

"Ara, ara, trying to walk away already? After taking a peek on us?" A rainbow plumed harpie girl talking to us while flying above. She take a roost on a tree branch and looking down on us from above, her whip still crackling with lightning barbs.

"Isn't that impolite?" An elf girl speak politely while hugging her scepter that is as tall as her height. She must be the one who rained spells on us.

(BLAAAMMMMMM!!!!) A small quake shakes the ground. I and Reina are staggered a bit by the shock, Kiseki and Chikane seems unfazed, though. As expected of dragons. Even with lower level, their resistance are higher than me. Make me feel inferior, instead.

"Hey! Why did you two suddenly leave like that, I am almost run over by the wolves." Last but not least, the source of the quake, the Onigami finally catches up to us. She quickly notices the four of us, though.

"Ohohoho... What do we have here...? Our junior student straying in this kind of place?"

"Oh, ya know them, Ouka? I though they are strangers..."

"They are all our juniors, Layla. I rememer their faces from our campus welcoming ceremony."

"They are our juniors...? Their levels are too high... Are you sure they are our juniors?"

"What!? Too High? How high, Misha?"

"The two girls... Oh, are they the Dragon Sisters that have become popular lately? They are level 15. No wonder they are hailed as the strongest among the new students, their levels are on par with the senior students already..."

"Ehehehe...." "Thank you." Kiseki laugh cheerily while Chikane give courtesy to the Holy Elf who have remarked them.

"What? Their levels are that high?" Ouka jumped to the girls with shining eyes. For a moment, it seems that the dignity she usually have are replaced by the curiosity fitting for a girl in her age. "Our school sure a blessed with the coming of brilliant students such as you two." She comes up to the Dragon Sisters and clasped their hands together. Hmmm... Why do I somehow smell Yuri in the air here....

"I am not finished, Ouka..." The Elf continued her talk.

"What do you mean, Misha?" Ouka turned her head, her black flowing hair swaying gracefully like a river of ink.

"The boy is level 17, surprisingly he is the one with the highest level among them. And he is just a human too." Misha continued her speech.

Silence ensued.

The three senior lady all looked at me with a hint of surprise in their eyes. Well, it is really unusual to see a normal human having an achievement among all the extraordinary creatures gathered here. Come to think of it, a demon, two dragons, and three demigods.... Yes, I truly forget their real identity and seeing them only as teenage girls around my age.... While I am only a mere human....

"Now this is interesting." Layla hopped down from the tree, landing in front of me and circling me like a female bird judging their potential mate in a ritual dance. Her body fragrance wafted in the air smells so nice, I can get addicted being so close with her. But it's no time to be impolite, I should introduce myself to them as their junior.

"Ah, my name is Ranata. Pleasure to meet you, my lady" I bowed my head a bit in a gesture of politeness.

"Ranata? Are you Avadhi Ranata?" It is Ouka the elegant Onigami who reacted to my words, though.

"Oh yes, uhmmhh....Senior, you know me?"

"The name is Benifuji Ouka. You can call me just Ouka. No need to be too polite. You have the strength anyway."

"Oh, sure. That would be my honor, Lady Ouka...." I put my right hand on my left chest and bowed a bit to her.

"Isabell Misha, that is my name. You can call me Isabell or Misha, whichever you prefer." The Holy Elf also introduce herself. I also give her a humble gesture. She seems to be satisfied enough with that. Good.

"Oh, where are my manners? Quess I am the last one, huh? The name is Rania Layla. You can call me Layla or Rania. I hope we get along well." Introducing herself with a seductive tone and a wink with her eye, I am pretty sure that I have met the second seducer after a certain succu..., I mean, demon girl....

After indroducing each other and exchange greetings, we move on to our main business....

"So..., given your level, are you also on the Quest to Hunt Spiked Beast Drake?" Ouka asked us.

"Uhmh... Yes, that is right... I am sure milady also take the same Quest?" I asked her politely.

"So, you want to vie for us to complete a Quest? Interesting, to think that a junior student would be able to challenge us." Layla said that playfully. Kiseki and Chikane seems to be up on the challenge, though. I can see the gleam in their eyes. Meanwhile, Reina is staying silent in the corner, observing our interaction. Or more like, she behave like an attendant? She doesn't talk much nor interact with the other girls....

"About that, what do you say if we cooperate together instead?" I raise a suggestion to the three seniors.

"Cooperate? How will we do that?" Misha asked.

"There are three Spiked Beast Drake in this forest, if each of us slay one, then we should be able to finish each of our quest, am I right?" I tell what I know to the three seniors.

"There are three of them here? Are you sure? How did you know?" Ouka asked.

"There are three of them and if we agree to cooperate, I will lead everyone to their place. Each got at least one kill and the last one would be free for all to grab. How about it?" I try to negotiate the terms with the seniors.

"If there are really three of them, then I think it is good to cooperate." Misha is the first one to answer my terms.

"Hm, sounds good. Although fighting three beasts around level 17 are not too much for us, that would be easier with some help." Ouka also agrees with her.

"Then, what are we doing here? Let's go, I also want to see how you will lead us!" Layla chirped excitedly.

"Okay, wait for a minute. I need to calculate their position again now." Trying to act cool, I search for what I need in my knowledge, the current location of the Spiked Beast Drake, while posing to calculate with my finger.

"There they are." Without further ado, I led six girls to follow me running to the location of the Spiked Beast Drake. We run through the forest while cleaning all the monsters on our way.

That is such a smooth journey, we kill and loot with ease. Although I am a bit bothered by the look the four new girls throws at me whenever they see me put all the loots I gathered into a picnic basket.... I see all of you have a storage ring, huh. Must be nice being a Demigod or coming from a Great Family. Not everyone can afford to have such a convenient inventory item, you know! It's a rare item in the first place, anyway....