New Task

"The guild has the right to decline any potential candidate they deem as unsuitable to become an Adventurer. In this branch specifically, the one who has the highest authority over who gets in is me." Rose raised her head triumphantly.

"Rose.. Come on, cut him some slack, he's still so young! Why are you being so harsh on him? This isn't a good look for you!" Sheila protested. "He's just a child who wants to join us! We should be thankful, he seems sincere unlike others who came to visit us in the past. If not for people like Elgin, who would continue our task in the future?"

'Excuse me?'

[Hahah! You're still young, she said! An old man like you, you- Puhahahah!] Cecily couldn't contain her laughter.

'Shut up, Cecily. You're older than me, why would you even bring that matter up if you know you'd lose anyway?'

[Unlike you, I'm perfectly content with my age. Standards for fairies are totally different from you humans.]

"...Tch. Since Sheila is advocating for you so much, why don't we see just how great your skills are.. through a different method?"

"Rose! For God's sake!" Sheila raised her voice in discontentment.

"Don't speak, Sheila. You can tend to other matters now, I retract my previous words. I'll be the one taking care of this kid. Follow me.. Who was it again? Elgin?" Rose snorted before draping a long overcoat over her figure and coming out from behind the counter.

She stood in front of Elgin, who was a head shorter than him.

"A little kid like this dares to meddle with us.. Do you think becoming an Adventurer is a game? I'll correct you forcefully since you're so eager to be taught."

Sheila could no longer muster up the strength to protest Rose's decision.

The Rose she knew was stubborn and hot-headed, there was no way she could convince her to retract her resolve.

She could only pray that the deities of luck would shine their light upon Elgin.

"Let's see... Your task shall be to get one stick of Amaradellis. Do you know what that is?" Rose said with a smirk.

In response, Sheila's mouth gaped in disbelief, as she clicked her tongue and tugged on Rose's sleeves. Just moments ago, she wanted to go along with Rose's moves, but now she knew she had to stop her.

Amaradellis.

Elgin knew that name. It was a plant that he never got the chance to use in the previous lifetimes, but learned through medicinal books. It was a rare ingredient that only grew in the highest peaks.

It was a very troublesome ingredient to handle. Hearing that it could thrive in high terrains, where the conditions could stump most plants' life, you would think that Amaradellis was resilient.

'It's the complete opposite, though.'

The flower petals were the main provider for its benefits. In order to process medicine using the flower, you needed the petals to be in perfect shape.

To remove the plant safely, you needed to work your way around its long, thin roots and slowly store it up. The entire plant from top to bottom must be acquired. If you dug in the wrong spot and poked one thin strand of the roots, the plant could wither in seconds.

It was an incredibly masochistic task to try and procure Amaradellis.

After the plant was excavated, there was still a chance of the petals losing its energy, rendering it useless despite the troubles you had to undergo to obtain it.

Amaradellis' growth was also a variable that no one could predict. There was no specific blooming season for it.

Rose bringing this plant up meant that she wanted him to climb to the peak of Halley. A location near Valda that where Amaradellis appeared multiple times in the past.

The strenuous climbing was only part of the headache. The bottom of Halley connects with a swamp which was known to be inhabited by monsters.

They were monsters that thrived in their territory, and received a boost when they fought in their land. Monsters ranging from lizardmen, demonic frogs, and so on.

The supposed flower may also not be there once he reached the top. As said before, no one knew when Amaradellis will bloom. He could just end up encountering the plant's small bud.

The chances of Elgin succeeding in this challenge was awfully low.

'She's trying to make me fail on purpose without saying it directly.'

Rose was just causing trouble for him for some unknown reason. Hiding behind a wall of authority and acting like she was doing a favor for him.

Why did he have to come across this kind of difficult person?

He could just leave Valda and proceed to the next city and try his luck over there, he thought.

[Why not just go to Halley? The monsters there should provide extra training for you. Besides, regarding the Amaradellis... Hmm, I think it's possible.] Cecily interrupted his train of thoughts and donated her own.

'Halley doesn't have anything special, unlike the Yale Lake. I don't know if going there is a good idea.'

Elgin didn't like doing pointless things, which was why Rose ticked him off.

[What if I told you that I sense a spirit's presence? Again? It's similar to the one in Yale.]

Elgin furrowed his brows.

'Ha? I've never heard of anything strange popping out of Halley. Are you not just tripping?'

[Who do you think I am?! What a rude assumption! I'm not joking, I do sense something there.]

Elgin wasn't appeased. Rather, he became suspicious.

How come there was all of these spirits roaming around the continent out of nowhere? Cecily too, sensing them one by one like a dog, why was it that the spirits suddenly seemed common?