NOVEL NEXT Ch24 - First Quest★
Chapter 24: First Quest★
The service at the Succubus Inn♡ was absolutely wonderful. Each room had its own bathroom, there was a shared kitchen, and the beds were incredibly comfortable. On top of that, the rooms were well soundproofed, and the lodging fees were very affordable. After experiencing this, it would be hard to stay at an ordinary inn again. Though the exterior and the owner were a bit… peculiar, these small negatives were easy to overlook. It seemed like Lena and the others would continue to stay at Succubus Inns♡ wherever they traveled from now on. After all, their master loved anything that had good cost performance.
Last night, the familiars who had taken human form were running around, excited about their first bath and the huge bed. Honestly, Lena was exhausted from taking care of them and even preparing meals.
▽Master used the [Obedient] skill for the first time! ▽Worried about Hamaru’s future…
Though Hamaru had used her [Area Effect] and [Sound Sleep] skills, they didn’t go to bed until late at night, so everyone was a little sleep-deprived.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Lena began changing into her adventure outfit—a rough-made shirt, culotte skirt, and robe. She carefully stored her Earth-made sailor uniform in her bag to keep it from getting dirty.
“…Oh my. Good morning~! Did you sleep well last night?”
When Lena, with fairy Lily perched on her head and carrying her sheep and slimes, went down to the reception, the ever-alluring succubus hostess greeted her.
“Good morning,” Lena replied cautiously, slightly bowing her head. Yesterday, this woman had teased her relentlessly, and Lena wanted to keep her distance. Dealing with her overly cheerful antics this early in the morning, especially when sleep-deprived, was tough.
“Oh, today’s your first quest, right~? Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? I’ll have a bathrobe ready for you by evening, so make sure to come back before sunset~.”
“…Yes. We’ll start with the easiest quest, so we shouldn’t be too late. I look forward to your hospitality tonight as well.”
“I’ll make sure the bed’s all nice for you! Do your best out there~♡”
…She’s being reasonable…?
Maybe yesterday was just an exaggerated first meeting, Lena thought as she breathed a sigh of relief, opening the inn’s front door. However, before she could step outside, the succubus, completely disregarding the mood, sent her off with a teasing cheer.
“Relax your shoulders! Woo-woo! Oh my~! You’ve got a hickey on your neck, darling♡.”
“…Whaaaa!?”
“Hahahaha!”
Apparently, the teasing wasn’t over—it had gotten worse. The red mark on her neck was actually from Lily’s [Vampiric] skill, but flustered Lena, with a bright red face, fled without offering any explanation. Her overreaction made it seem all the more suspicious, and the other guests in the lobby started giving her side glances. Poor Lena.
“How cute~♡” “…I told you to knock it off, owner. Geez…”
Lena’s tension had been forcibly relieved. Now, let’s head to the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Yesterday was a surprise. Who knew Lulue had a magic eye gift? I never imagined everyone would find out we were demonfolk. It was a shock, but thank goodness she’s a good person…”
As Lena and her party walked through the charming streets, decorated in white and red, they chatted, enjoying the fresh morning air.
‘Right?! I wouldn’t want to deal with bad people!’ ‘And we even got enough pajamas for everyone, which was great!’ ‘Bathrobes, right? I really liked those.’ ‘They were so easy to wear! And warm, too.’
“Haha! None of you really wore them properly, though. But I guess it couldn’t be helped—they were way too big. It’s no wonder the inn had never had kids stay before. Looking at that exterior, I guess no parent would let their kids stay there, huh?”
In other words, Lena, looking like a little girl, had entered the Succubus Inn♡ with her familiars, and of course, she attracted some strange looks from the people around her. Thankfully, she remained oblivious and upbeat, which was probably her saving grace. As usual, Lena was digging herself deeper without realizing it.
By the way, here’s a recap of the effects of the titles Lena recently acquired:
[Escapee] – Given to someone who is fleeing from something or someone. When equipped, it increases running speed, but only while being chased.
[Elder Sister] – Given to a woman adored by those younger than her. When equipped, it gathers admiration from those around, and her speech becomes more high-handed.
Both of these were surprisingly useful. [Escapee] was self-explanatory, and [Elder Sister] had already come in handy. Yesterday, when Lena used the [Obedient] skill along with the [Elder Sister] title, her familiars instantly became well-behaved. Though it drained a lot of her master’s mental energy, it was certainly effective. Combining a scolding with the [Obedient] skill seemed to increase its power.
After happily chatting, they arrived at the guild.
The Adventurer’s Guild was still quite empty this early in the morning, with only a few people coming and going. Taking advantage of the quiet, Lena and her party headed straight to the quest board.
“Hmm, which one should we pick…?”
They began looking at the requests for G-rank adventurers.
○ Herb Gathering (Ongoing Request) …Seeking the delivery of healing herbs. Additional payment for high-quality herbs.
○ Mushroom Harvesting (Ongoing Request)
… Seeking delivery of the specialty product, Panda Mushroom. If the harvested mushrooms are of high quality, additional payment will be provided.
○ Letter Delivery (Commercial Guild Postal Department)
… Seeking temporary delivery personnel. There is a possibility of carrying heavy items like gift boxes, so those confident in their physical strength are preferred. Additional payment is available depending on the delivery destination and items transported, based on performance.
○ Restaurant Hall Cleaning (Dining Place Inanaki)
… Seeking cleaning staff. Cleaning times are before the restaurant opens and after it closes. Those with knowledge of green magic [Clean] will be given preference. Daily wage is 400 Lir.
… and so on.
G-rank requests mainly involve chores and assistance, so there are many varieties. One of them caught my eye.
○ Poisonous Mushroom Removal (Mushroom Farm Warner)
… Seeking workers to remove poisonous mushrooms mixed in with the cultivated mushrooms. The appearance of the poisonous mushrooms will be explained here. Beginners are welcome. Daily wage is 500 Lir.
This was the request I picked up.
“I wonder if I can make use of the gifts from Kureha and Izumi with this. The wage is pretty high too…”
When Lena took the request to the reception desk to inquire about the details, she learned that this request is posted regularly.
In the Lanash world, mushroom cultivation is done only outdoors, so spores from poisonous mushrooms flying in from elsewhere tend to mix in with the cultivated varieties. The poisonous mushrooms that grow wild in this town are low-toxicity types like “Laughing Mushroom” and “Bitter Mushroom,” but if a different type mixes in with the products, it could damage the farm’s reputation. Therefore, they regularly recruit helpers for removal. Of course, before shipping, the owner rechecks to ensure no poisonous mushrooms are mixed in.
The owner is a gentle and kind person, so Lena and her companions decided to take on this quest after being encouraged to visit the farm.
▽ You have accepted the G-rank request [Poisonous Mushroom Removal]!
▽ Aim to rank up your Guild Card by taking on many quests.
As soon as they were handed the envelope containing the quest acceptance form, Lena and her companions were about to head to the farm when the receptionist modestly called out to them.
“Uh, um… Your familiars are really adorable, aren’t they? …Can I pet them?”
“Wow! That’s nice. Miss, I want to pet them too. Is that okay?”
“I-I want to touch them too…!”
The familiars were very popular. Even though Lily’s [Illusion] changed their colors, the small slimes were visibly cute and plump, while Hamal’s wool was irresistibly fluffy. Although Lily was invisible, it was understandable why someone would want to touch them, Lena thought as she checked with her familiars if it was okay to let others pet them.
“Do you want to be petted?”
『『Aha—! It’s fine!』』
『…My fur is for Lena-sama, though—. No.』
“Sorry about that…”
The slimes happily agreed. Hamal, who generally has a solitary disposition, seemed to dislike being touched by anyone other than his companions. The receptionists looked disappointed that they couldn’t touch the fluffy one but were busy delighting in and squishing the slimes. Gruff adventurers were enviously watching the slimes being pampered by beautiful girls. …Though they also seemed to want to touch the slimes themselves.
Seeing that Lily was left out and looking lonely, Lena decided to pamper her later. Off to the farm they went.
The small city of Toria, being the gateway to the Aness Kingdom, is indeed a spacious town. After a leisurely walk to the Mushroom Farm Warner, located on the outskirts of the town, they found that the sun was already high in the sky. The request form didn’t specify a start time, but feeling a bit uneasy, Lena knocked on the door of the farm owner’s house.
“Hello. I’m Lena, the adventurer who accepted the request for poisonous mushroom removal.”
The person who appeared from the house was a short, chubby, kind-looking man. He seemed to have already finished some work since his overalls were covered in dirt.
“…Oh! Are you the adventurer who will help us? What a remarkably cute girl you are! Poisonous mushroom removal is a meticulous task, so having someone as earnest as you to help is a great relief. Shall we head to the mushroom cultivation farm? It’s in the woods, though.”
“Yes. I haven’t seen any poisonous mushrooms yet, so please tell me about their characteristics in detail.”
“You’re eager to learn, huh? That helps a lot! I can show you the real thing when we get there.”
“Thank you!”
After revealing her familiars, they were surprised, so Lena explained that she was a tamer as they walked.
The farm they were guided to was a wooded area within a forest park on the edge of Toria. The property was properly fenced, with a large sign stating “Mushroom Farm Warner.”
It seemed to be one of the largest mushroom farms in the country. They cultivated mushrooms using a log cultivation method within this artificial forest. It was explained that if the farm were to expand beyond the town, spores from other vicious poisonous mushrooms would blow in, which is why they created the forest. In Earth terms, mushrooms are typically grown on a cultivation bed, but it seems that using logs is a feature of this other world.
Mr. Warner, the owner of the mushroom farm, carefully observed the white mushrooms growing on the logs and casually picked one. He gently tore it from the base. Then he picked another one.
“This is the poisonous mushroom ‘Laughing Mushroom.’ If you eat it, you’ll be laughing uncontrollably for 30 minutes, so if you accidentally swallow it, it can be quite tough.”
Its characteristics are that the cap is pointed at the center and slightly larger than usual.
“This is ‘Bitter Take.’
As the name suggests, it’s extremely bitter.
It has only that effect, which can be quite toxic, but if it gets mixed in with the products, we’ll receive complaints from customers, so please be careful to remove it.
The distinguishing feature is its green color.
It’s easy to recognize, so don’t overlook it.”
“Understood.”
“You’re quick to learn! Well done.
The only two things I need you to remove are these.
Also, if you find any other mushrooms that look odd, could you let me know without touching them?
If new poisonous mushroom spores are floating around, we need to report it to the Agricultural Guild.”
“Yes!”
Hearing Lena’s confident response, Mr. Warner smiled with delight.
He probably found it endearing since he has a daughter about Lena’s age.
Lena took a sweeping glance around the farm.
The cultivation area was very vast, with many logs placed at regular intervals, all covered with mushrooms.
It would be impossible to check all of them in one day, so he told her it was fine to do as much as she could.
“Mr. Warner, may I have the poisonous mushroom you showed me as a sample earlier?”
“Huh? I don’t mind, but… what do you intend to do with it?”
Receiving the poisonous mushroom from the puzzled Mr. Warner, Lena whispered something to the slimes, then tossed the mushroom into their bodies.
“…Ahhh!? Your familiars are going to become incapacitated! Why…”
“Hmm~? This is quite… delicious!”
“Just by touching the surface, we can tell it’s poisonous right away.”
“Oh, that’s good!”
While Mr. Warner was flustered with worry, the slimes with the ★4 [Status Resistance] were purely enjoying their meal.
“Ah… Mr. Warner, I apologize for startling you.
These slimes are immune to weak poisons.
It seems they can identify poisonous mushrooms just by touching their surfaces, so can I have them help out?”
“R-really!? If they can help, that would be wonderful.
If they could dissolve only the poisonous mushrooms like they did now, that would be a huge help.
Can they dissolve it all the way to the base?”
As a test, Mr. Warner handed a log with mushrooms to Lena.
“Let’s give it a try. Kureha, Izumi, I’m counting on you!”
“Yes, yes, sir!!”
The slimes began to crawl over the mushroom-covered logs.
They moved without leaving any slime on the surface of the normal mushrooms, and any poisonous mushrooms they found were neatly dissolved down to the base.
They worked remarkably quickly and efficiently, completing the check of one log in no time.
Furthermore, with this method, the normal mushrooms next to the poisonous ones were completely unharmed.
Mr. Warner blushed with excitement.
“That’s amazing!
I never would have thought of using slimes in such a way…!
It’s a shame that Beast Tamers are a rare job class. Hmm.
…Today, can you check everything you can, as thoroughly as possible?
I’ll pay you extra based on how much you accomplish.”
“Really? Is that okay…?
Alright, let’s do our best, you two!
If we manage to finish a lot of work, I’ll make a lavish dinner.
Shall I use my [Inspire] skill?”
“Food! We’ll do it!!”
The master enthusiastically infused magic into the [Inspire] skill.
The slimes’ bodies expanded significantly.
“Hooray! Hooray!”
“Do your best!”
The junior familiars cheered on their seniors.
“Good luck!”
With the voice of their beloved master signaling the start, the extremely efficient poisonous mushroom extermination operation by the slimes began.
▽ I’ll exterminate you!!!!!!