I was seen off by Milia and walked out of the adventurer's guild. Of course, I was accompanied by Iris.
"Kou, do you know what the first thing you should do?"
"First, I need to gather information."
When playing a game, I'm the type of person who looks for a walkthrough site and bookmarks it.
"I need the map of the area, and I need to know what kind of monsters appear where. I also need to find out what Naose grass looks like and where it grows most."
"That's right. If you're well prepared, the results will come. …You are indeed a very promising rookie. I don't usually get answers this smoothly."
"You're overestimating me. Anyone can figure it out with a little thought."
"Well, let's put it that way. If it's a map of the area and the location of the monsters, it's easy to find out. When you registered with the guild, you were given a booklet of rules, right?"
"This one?"
I took the booklet out of my [Item Box].
"The second part of the booklet is completely devoted to information. It contains everything you need to know about being an adventurer in Aunen."
"Huh… Let's see."
I flipped through the booklet.
The first part of the booklet lists the terms and conditions of the guild, but the second part is a compact collection of information that I need right now, such as Appendix 1: Map of the area around Aunen and Appendix 2: Materials that can be collected around Aunen. It also contains a sketch of the Naose grass… the subject of my quest, and its location.
"It's like a walkthrough book."
"Walkthrough book? What's that?"
"Don't worry about it. It's like a local term. …Anyway, I'm grateful for this appendix."
"Speaking of which, Milia made it all by herself."
"Milia did?"
I was a little surprised.
The appendix was very carefully composed and did not fit the image of the frivolous Milia.
"That girl originally belongs to the guild headquarters in the royal capital. But the current branch chief brought her in to help rebuild the Aunen branch."
"Rebuilding? Was this branch in such a dangerous situation?"
"The guild was in a downward mood, and the management was not in good shape. But after the new branch manager and Milia arrived, everything changed completely. She will be an executive when she gets back to headquarters, so it's best to get to know her while you still can. …Well, since you seem to be Milia's favorite, I guess there is nothing to worry about."
Favorite? Me?
It is true that Milia is kind to me, but isn't that part of her personality, or is she like that to everyone?
"…Well, whatever the case, that appendix is enough for information gathering. I'll add the details in the field. Is there anything else you want to do?"
"Supplies, I guess. I have weapons and armor, but nothing else. At this rate, I won't even be able to provide first aid if I get injured during the quest."
"In that case, let's make sure you have everything you need for the future. …Or rather, you are quite familiar with it. I wonder if you're really just starting out."
"I'm not faking my career, you know."
It's just that I've played my fair share of games. I'm just applying that experience.
Before you go on an adventure, be sure to stock up on recovery items. Don't forget to take precautions against abnormal conditions.
This is a principle that applies to all RPGs.
The stores for adventurers seemed to be clustered in one place, and Iris took me to one of them.
It's called "Adventurer's Street," and as the name implies, several weapons and armor shops are lined up.
Seeing these shops made me realize once again that I was in a different world.
It's a sight that I would never have encountered in my original world, and to be honest, I'm pretty excited about it.
After the quest is over, it wouldn't be harmful to take my time and look around, door to door.
Iris led me to get the things an adventurer needs. Rope, torches, flint, water bags…
After buying them, I threw them into my [Item Box].
Iris asked me how many items I could store, and when I told her it was unlimited, she was very surprised.
Chrome-san also said something similar, but it seems that the capacity of the normal [Item Box] is very small.
"The normal [Item Box] is treated as a failed skill, and there are a lot of magic tools that perform better than that."
Iris was wearing a pouch on her waist, which is a kind of magic tool that can store much more than it looks. It's the otherworldly version of the four-dimensional pocket, I guess*.
[T/n: From Doraemon, maybe?]
"I'm a spearman, but it's too much work to carry around, so I keep it in my pouch."
Iris took out a spear from her pouch. It was about two meters long, and it's not something that would normally fit in a pouch.
"A-rank and B-rank adventurers all have similar magic tools, but they don't have unlimited capacity, as expected. In that sense, your [Item Box] is out of the ordinary."
The other skills are also a variety of cheats, but well, it's nothing to brag about.
Now that the preparations are in place, it's time to set out on the quest.
We walked out of the south gate of the city. I hadn't noticed it yesterday, but a little further away from the gate, the city was undergoing expansion.
I could hear the pounding of hammers all the way up here. It sounds like a lot of work.
Leaving the city and heading southeast, we soon came upon a forest.
This forest is called the Cello Forest, and it's one of the areas where Naose grass is grown. Low-ranked monsters also appear in the area, making it a good place for novice adventurers to hone their skills.
As soon as we entered the forest, we found the first Naose grass.
"I just have to take this one, right?"
"Yes. But it isn't easy to pull it out because it is a plant with strong roots. If you're not careful, you'll tear the grass to shreds, so be careful."
"So a shovel is a must when collecting. …No, wait."
I have a small shovel among the tools I got in the city, but isn't there an easier way?
Let's give it a try.
I kneel down on the ground and reach out to touch the Naose grass.
When I thought of storing it in the [Item Box], a small magic circle appeared on the ground.
The Naose grass is enveloped in a golden light and is sucked into the magic circle.
As expected, there's the Naose grass stored in my [Item Box].
"What did you just do, Kou? The Naose grass suddenly disappeared…"
"It's a small application of the [Item Box]. You can store things that you touch, so I put the Naose grass directly into my [Item Box]. This will save you the trouble of having to pull it out and make it easier to collect."
"I thought it was just a failed skill, but I didn't know it could be used that way…"
Iris repeatedly nodded as if she was impressed. It wasn't just flattery; it was a genuine surprise.
I felt a little better as I continued my search.
According to the guild's booklet… Naose grass doesn't grow in clusters but is scattered all over the place, and there is also a similar kind of plant called Naolana grass that grows in the same areas, so I had to be careful.
In fact, the next plant we found was Naolana grass.
The plant's surface was covered with red spots, which distinguished it from the Naose grass.
"The quest to collect Naose grass is much harder than it seems."
Iris commented next to me.
"They grow in different places, so you have to travel a long way, and when you finally find one, you often find it's actually Naolana grass. This time you need to collect fifty of them, but it will probably take all evening."
"Patience is the key, huh?"
…As I spoke, I was thinking of ways to make the quest as easy as possible.
When I was transferred to another world, I received many cheat skills, and this time, I think this will help me.
──[Artisan's Divine Eye].
It's a skill that automatically tells you when an item in your [Item Box] is in your sight.
Let's try activating it right away.
"….."
I felt as if the depths of my eyes suddenly popped open. When I looked at my surroundings again, I saw that the plants a short distance away were shining brightly. When I approached it and checked it with [Appraisal], I found that it was indeed Naose grass.
The next step was quick.
Thanks to the [Artisan's Divine Eye], I could cut down on the time it took to find the Naose grass and distinguish it from the Naolana grass from far away.
In about an hour or so, I had cleared the quest requirement of fifty plants.
"…That's amazing."
Iris had a look of surprise on her face.
"I've never seen a rookie complete a Naose grass collection quest in such a short time."
"It's thanks to my skills. Now, all we have to do is return to the city."
"Yes. I'm sure Milia will be surprised."
Iris gave a small chuckle.
When we first met, she seemed somewhat cold, but now she seems to be opening up a bit. Her cool atmosphere had also faded considerably.
We left the forest and headed back to the road.
The sky was blue, and the sun was still high in the sky.
"Come to think of it; we didn't see a single monster."
"We must have been lucky. Well, even if they had appeared, I'm sure it wouldn't have been any trouble given your abilities. …It seems like the quest is over, but is there anything you want to ask me? Anything not directly related to the quest is fine."
"…Can I ask you something a little more personal?"
"Personal?"
Iris tilted her head in surprise and blinked her crimson eyes.
"It's fine, but… what is it?"
"I've been living deep in the mountains, so I don't know much about them, but what kind of people are the dragon-folk?"
"So that's what you mean by personal."
Iris nodded as if she was convinced.
"The first thing you need to know is that dragons are the most powerful monsters that have ruled the world since ancient times. We're the descendants of those dragons. Our lifespan is much longer than that of humans, and our bodies are much stronger."
"That's enviable."
At that time, I thought I was just expressing my honest opinion. However, Iris looked surprised.
I wondered what was going on. Did I say something that offended her?
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that it's the first time I've heard someone say something like that…"
"Isn't that normal?"
"Most people are afraid of the dragon-folk and stay away from them. In the worst cases, they treat us like monsters."
"Is that so…? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."
"I don't mind. You said you were envious, and that made me a little happy."
Iris muttered in embarrassment.
If I had been five years younger, I might have been struck by the gap between her usual coolness.
It was exactly four o'clock in the afternoon when we returned to the adventurer's guild in Aunen. We walked through the lobby where the adventurers were hanging out and went to the counter, where I saw Milia.
It was just perfect. I'll report the completion of the quest.
"Welcome back, Kou-san and Iris-san. …Please wait a minute. Did you already finish the Naose grass gathering quest?"
"Yes. There are fifty of them here. Check it out."
I took out a leather bag from my [Item Box].
"I-I understand. Please wait a moment."
When Milia received the leather bag, she retreated to the back of the guild. It took her about five minutes to come back, but her expression was as if she saw an illusion.
"I checked with the guild's magic tools, and without a doubt, it was all Naose grass. And it's fresh, and the roots are still intact. …Normally, it's impossible to collect them in such a clean state. What method did you use?"
Of course, there is no reason to hide it.
When I told her that I used the [Item Box] to store it, she rolled her eyes.
"I never knew there was such use for that skill… If you do not mind, can I report to the guild headquarters about Kou-san's collection method? I'd like to use it as a reference for future quests."
"Of course. Feel free to use it."
"Thank you very much. The [Item Box] is a rare skill, but because it is not very effective, it has not been researched very much. Maybe Kou-san will be the trigger that will change the positioning of the [Item Box] drastically."
Hey, hey, this is turning out to be kind of important.
As for me, I just tried out a spur-of-the-moment idea and happened to be successful.
"For now, I'll give you 20,000 Komsa as a reward. If Kou-san's collection method is approved by the guild's headquarters, there will be an additional reward. It may take some time, but please look forward to it."
"Good for you, Kou."
Iris smiled kindly as she listened to the exchange between Milia and me from the side.
"As expected from the promising rookie. It's a simple quest for beginners, and yet you get such a major credit."
"It's just a coincidence."
"Being able to use coincidence as an advantage is a great weapon for an adventurer. The most important thing in a quest is preparation, but luck often saves the day at the last minute. …Well done on your quest. I bet you'll be an A-ranked adventurer in no time."
"Thank you. Well, I'll try not to overdo it."
And so, my first quest ended up being a great success.
Ever since I arrived in this other world, things have been going well, and that makes me feel pretty good.
Since I'm in the mood, why don't I enjoy a drink tonight? When I was working at the company, I was always exhausted and didn't have time for that.