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n“Two quests, with rewards of sixty-three gold coins and fifty-five gold coins, respectively.”

n“The first reward is for hunting five wolfrats, a spellbeast subspecies that resides in the hills outside the city. These creatures are known for their ferocity, social nature, carnivorous habits, and size—several times larger than average rats, some even weighing as much as a domestic dog. A typical pack numbers between seven to twelve individuals, with the possibility of the rat king possessing the strength akin to a lower-tier spellbeast.”

nPicking up the documents, the young lady methodically explained each quest to Howard, “The second involves the collection of a rare herb used in magic potions, known as Silverweed, also found in the hills outside the city. It typically grows in areas inhabited by silver ring snakes, a low-tier spellbeast noted for its lethal venom. Though not particularly strong, the venom these snakes carry is exceedingly potent.”

n“Both quests are accompanied by specific maps and further detailed instructions. The individuals who issued these quests are highly reliable—a prominent local fur merchant and a renowned herbalist physician,” she said as she pushed the documents forward.

n“Should you decide to undertake these quests, simply sign the documents or stamp them with your badge. The guild will vouch for your undertaking.”

nAfter reviewing the documents, confirming the rewards, and the conditions for completing the quests, Howard nodded in agreement.

n“I’ll take on these two quests.”

n“Very well, please sign here,” the young lady directed him to the signature line.

n“The specific deadlines for each quest are detailed in the documents. I hope you manage to complete them on time.”

nHoward signed his name on the documents and stamped them with his badge.

n“I’ll make sure to return and complete them on time,” he stated, his face carrying a light, confident smile.

nTo the average person, wolfrats and silver ring snakes might pose a significant danger, even resembling the presence of death itself.

nHowever, against a certified magus, even one of the lowest rank, a level 3 magus, they stand no chance of retaliation.

nWith a bit more caution, Howard might complete these two quests unscathed.

nTaking the maps included in the documents, Howard didn’t linger any longer and turned to leave.

nHis time was limited; Nula would only stay in this area for five days, and within that time, he needed to earn enough gold coins.

nThe last thing he wanted was to find his pockets empty when he needed money the most.

nExiting the guild, Howard observed the sky.

nDusk had passed, and the darkness of night began to settle in, with stars already hanging early at the edge of the sky.

n“I wonder if one night is enough time,” Howard murmured to himself, touching the back of his neck as he walked towards the city gates.

n…

nAs night fell at the adventurer Rodel branch guild, Service Worker #12 was tidying up her things, preparing to hand over her shift.

nAs a 24-hour operation, the branch guild always had one or two workers on duty, even during the late hours, in case of emergencies.

nIt was more than half an hour past the time for shift change, but the person supposed to take over hadn’t shown up, leaving the young girl feeling somewhat impatient.

n“I wonder how that preparatory-level magus is doing now, Howard. A name I’ve never heard before; must he be from out of town?”

nSitting behind the counter, the girl leaned on the desktop, fiddling with a pen.

nShe had been working at the Rodel branch guild for several years, encountering numerous preparatory-level magi and even two level 3 magi.

nYet, they all differed from Howard, whom she met today.

nThe most significant distinction was their age.

nThe magi she had previously met were at least twenty-five years old, with the level 3 magi being well into their forties, nearing fifty.

nHowever, Howard was markedly younger than any of them.

nThen there was the matter of demeanor.

nNo matter how polite those magi tried to be, a certain arrogance was always palpable.

nWith Howard, however, she felt none of that; he seemed more like a somewhat shy boy.

n“Whoever marries him must be incredibly fortunate,” she sighed, knowing such a fate was not hers to have.

nSetting aside the age difference, she neither boasted remarkable looks nor a notable figure, and her family background was nothing to speak of. 𝘪.𝘤𝑜𝘮

nThe more she pondered, the more disheartened she became.

n“Why wasn’t I born into a noble family?” she thought, wallowing in sorrow until a voice snapped her out of her reverie.

n“Hello, are there any quests available here? Preferably non-combat ones with a reward of over twenty gold coins.”

nLooking up, the young lady saw a girl, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen, standing before the counter.

nShe was cloaked in an oversized mantle that concealed her figure, leaving only her face visible.

nAs her gaze dropped, she noticed the girl’s adventurer badge placed on the counter.

nThe badge’s dazzling, icy blue hue took her aback.

nThis girl, seemingly no older than seventeen or eighteen, was a steel-blue-ranked adventurer!

n“Let me check for you,” she said, taking the badge to authenticate its authenticity with the adventurer guild’s device.

n“Vivia,” the young lady whispered the name she read from the data.

nHoward could never have anticipated that shortly after his departure from the Rodel branch guild, Vivia would arrive in search of him.

nEven more unimaginable to Howard was that Vivia had reached Rodel ahead of him and came looking for him less than an hour after he left the guild.

n“Young miss, what kind of quest are you looking to undertake?” The sister quickly regained her composure from the surprise.

nHaving just encountered a young preparatory-level magus and now facing a young Bluesteel adventurer of the same age bracket, she felt she could maintain her cool even if another extraordinary individual of similar caliber were to walk in.

n“I’d prefer something that can be completed in a short time, related to herbs. I’m not interested in quests with too low a reward, nor do I want any that are purely about combat and hunting.”

nAs expected, this young girl didn’t seem the type inclined towards battle and bloodshed, possibly a well-trained herbalist from a reputable lineage.

n“Just a moment, let me check.”

nThe sister browsed through the panel and pulled out several documents from beneath the counter, “Here are three quests with rewards ranging from forty to seventy gold coins, all related to gathering and processing herbs. You might find these interesting.”

nThe girl scanned the documents and selected two, “I’ll take these two.”

nGlancing at the quests the girl chose, indeed, both were directly related to potion brewing.

nOne was for recruiting a temporary assistant, while the other involved potion brewing, with the client providing the herbs.

nThe combined reward for the two quests approached nearly one hundred gold coins, an amount that constituted the income of most ordinary people for half a year!

nThis was notably because they were not combat-related quests.

nIf these had been combat quests of the same level, the rewards would at least be fifty to one hundred percent higher. .

nAfter setting aside the unused quest document, the service sister took the two chosen by Vivia, guiding her to sign and stamp them, thus completing the registration.

n“By the way, sister, if you see a very young magus, with at least the strength of a preparatory-level magus, black hair, and black eyes, could you keep an eye out for me?” Vivia asked, looking up after signing.

nThe sister thought of Howard, who had come earlier to take on quests.

nThe description seemed to match perfectly.

nCould it really be such a coincidence?

n“What’s he to you?” the sister casually inquired, only to see Vivia’s face reveal an expression that was hard to describe with words.

nWas it admiration?

nA crush?

nIt was all ambiguous, like meeting an old friend after a long time, expecting nothing to have changed, yet finding the reality somewhat different.

n“He’s a companion, I guess,” Vivia finally settled on a neutral term.

nShe had considered more dramatic terms like “fiancé” or “faithless lover,” which instantly conjure stories, but thinking about how Howard might react unfavorably to such labels, she opted for a descriptor that seemed neither too close nor too distant.

nAlthough Vivia did not verbalize her feelings, the sister caught every nuance of her expressions, sensing a story brewing.

nYet, adhering to professional ethics, she refrained from probing further or directly mentioning Howard’s visit.

nInstead, she ambiguously acknowledged having seen such a person and promised to inform Vivia if he appeared again.

nVivia’s reaction was a mix of surprise and apprehension.

nShe had no way of knowing Howard’s intended path; while this location served as a gateway to the Goldencharm Prairie, there were other routes to explore.

nBut it seemed her luck might be turning.

n“I’d appreciate your help. I’m currently staying at the Silverfish Inn on Red Rooftop Street. If you hear anything, you can send word there, and I’ll come as quickly as possible,” Vivia said before turning to leave the Rodel branch guild.

nInside, she was fraught with unease.

nShe didn’t know how she would face Howard.

nHer impulsive decision to follow him, she realized, might only burden him further.

nYet, the thought of idly waiting in Breeze City was unbearable to her.

nDespite the slim chances, she felt compelled to follow Howard’s trail.

n𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮

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