After the quest was over, Iris was taken by Milia to the back of the adventurer's guild. She said she had to make a report regarding the mentoring of newcomers. It's tough to be a senior in any industry, isn't it…?
I'm older than her, so I feel bad that I'm constantly being taken care of.
I should probably buy her a meal or two if I get the chance.
I was told that I was free to go, so I left the guild and headed for the inn.
"I'm sure Chrome-san had already booked the inn for me."
The inn's name is "Quiet Moon Pavilion", and the location is listed on the map in the guidebook.
It seems to be a famous inn.
It was evening and the city was tinged with vermilion, with the shadows of carriages on the road stretched long.
As I passed by the market, I saw many people – mainly housewives and children – gathered there. It was pretty lively.
Soon I arrived at the inn… the Quiet Moon Pavilion.
The building was painted black and was much larger than the other inns. It was also four stories high. It had an air of luxury about it. It was not an inn for adventurers, no matter how you looked at it.
"I'd better change my clothes."
I was wearing armored bear armor right now, but I didn't feel comfortable stepping into the place dressed like this. I should probably change into something better.
I hid in the shadows and opened my [Item Box].
The clothes I wore when I first arrived in the other world were stored there.
Jacket, shirt, tie, slacks…
I specified them all at once and thought of changing my equipment. The armored bear armor vanished, and in an instant, I was dressed in a suit.
"…So it can fasten my tie as well, that's convenient."
That's not all. The jacket and shirt were as neat and crisp as if they were brand new. It seemed that when I put my clothes in the [Item Box], they were automatically cleaned.
This way, I would not be embarrassed to enter a high-class inn… Maybe.
I stepped into the Quiet Moon Pavilion with trepidation.
The lobby had the atmosphere of a modern luxury hotel. There was a large vase in the center of the lobby, beautifully decorated with various flowers.
They seemed to be fresh flowers and smelled good.
At the front desk, I told the man at the reception desk my name, and he said, "Kou Kousaka-sama, right? I've heard about you from the Grand Master." And he thanked me very much for the opportunity.
I was shown to a suite on the fourth floor ─ the top floor.
It not only had a bedroom but also a living room, a parlor, and a private bathroom.
"This is bigger than my room in Japan…"
As someone who had been living in a small Japanese house, I was about to die of shock from the sheer luxury.
I laid down on the bed, and my body sank into it. I wanted to fall asleep like this, but I was hungry.
I looked at the clock in my room and saw that it was past 6:00 p.m. It was a little early, but I decided to have dinner.
The Quiet Moon Pavilion has a restaurant attached, but it's a bit difficult to enter because of its prestigious atmosphere.
"I should look for another restaurant."
I left the Quiet Moon Pavilion and headed towards the downtown area.
For some reason, the guidebook even included a gourmet guide to Aunen, and according to it, a restaurant called "Golden Bear Restaurant" seemed to be the top choice. Since I was going out of my way, I decided to go there.
"It's really packed."
When I entered the restaurant, I found that although it was quite spacious, the seats were almost all occupied. The customers were mainly adventurers, many of whom I had seen previously in the guild's lobby.
As soon as I was shown to my table, I ordered the signature dish, " Grilled Chicken Aunen with Salt."
As it turned out, this was a hit. Every time I bit into the crispy chicken meat, the fatty flavor overflowed.
It's no wonder this was a popular restaurant. As one would expect from a restaurant that catered to adventurers, the portions were generous, and the meal came with bread and salad.
The cost of the meal was an astonishing 750 Komsa.
I'm impressed with this other world lifestyle.
After the meal, I had a light glass of wine and returned to the inn feeling tipsy.
Perhaps it was because I had exercised so much since this morning, but I felt very sleepy.
I think I'll just take a bath tomorrow and go to bed early today.
Good night.
The next day, I woke up at a little past eight in the morning.
"Fuaahh…"
I opened the window, and the fresh morning air caressed my cheeks.
"It's a beautiful day."
The sky was blue and clear as crystal.
Compared to the days when I used to wake up before sunrise when I worked for a black company, my life here is like a paradise.
Viva another world.
Yesterday, I fell asleep as soon as I got back to my room, so this morning I decided to take a bath first.
The bathroom was quite spacious, with not only a shower but also a large bathtub. Both of them used water magic, and I could use them just as I would in a modern hotel.
After the bath, I took my time to get ready and left the inn at around ten in the morning.
The first place I went to was the Golden Bear Restaurant. Apparently, they are also open in the morning.
I ordered a lettuce salad and an egg muffin.
"…Delicious."
The eggs were from the local Aunen chicken and had a simple but rich flavor.
They also sold sandwiches for lunch, so I bought one to go.
It was a little past eleven when I arrived at the adventurer's guild.
I saw Milia at the counter, and when she saw me, she beckoned me over.
"Good morning, Kou-san! Are you looking for a quest?"
"Yes. Do you have any good ones?"
"Fufufu, I've prepared something for you. This time, I'd like to recommend… this one!"
Milia spread out the quest form on the counter.
"This is a subjugation quest and the client is the adventurer's guild. The quest is to defeat five wolf-shaped monsters called Lonely Wolves that live in the northern mountains. As its name suggests, the Lonely Wolf has a habit of acting alone. The danger level is E-rank, and I think it is an easy opponent for Kou-san. The basic reward is 20,000 Komsa, but since the fur of the Lonely Wolf can be used as material for clothing, we would appreciate it if you could bring it back. Depending on the quality of the fur, you can expect to get about 5,000 Komsa per pelt."
So, if I brought back all five pelts, I could make about 45,000 Komsa.
I guess that includes the risk allowance, but this is a pretty good job.
I immediately took the job and left the adventurer's guild.
I passed through the north gate of the city and headed for the mountains along the road.
According to the guidebook, the mountains are called the Fatos Mountains, and it's an excellent place for a novice adventurer to get some real-world experience. The monsters that live here are all low-ranked, and there are not that many of them.
However, if you accidentally step over the mountain into the forest on the other side, it becomes a dangerous area.
So, I should be careful about that.
"Okay, let's do this."
I'm not just going to hunt the Lonely Wolf and call it a day.
Since I'm out here, I'll also collect some materials that could be used for [Creation].
I explored the mountain for about an hour, but I didn't encounter any Lonely Wolves at all. Instead, I was able to find three kinds of material items.
Wet Mushroom: A mushroom with a lot of water stored in its cap. It has a slight magical power.
Naose Grass: A medicinal herb found within the monster's habitat. When mixed with certain materials, it has a healing effect.
Lilium Herb: A medicinal herb that grows abundantly in low mountain areas. When mixed with certain ingredients, it has a detoxifying effect.
Naose grass was the target of my gathering quest yesterday, but apparently, it can also be used for [Creation].
Two recipes flashed through my mind.
The first recipe was for a "Heal Potion" using one Wet Mushroom and one Naose Grass. Another recipe that came to my mind was for a "Detoxification Potion" using one each of the Wet Mushroom and Lilium Herb.
Potions are one of the most popular recovery items in RPGs, and as a game enthusiast, I'm very interested in them.
First, let's make the heal potion.
The first step to create a heal potion was by selecting Wet Mushroom and Naose Grass, then [Creation] was activated.
The heal potion was added to the list in my [Item Box].
As I immediately reminded myself to take it out, I heard an inorganic voice in my head.
You will need a container to take out the liquid. Do you want to put the Heal Potion into the water bag?
The answer, of course, is "yes."
The water bag was one of the supplies I had purchased in the adventurer's street, but I hadn't expected it to come in handy here. You never know what's going to happen in life.
I took out the water bag with the heal potion from the [Item Box].
Now that I've obtained a potion, I'll taste it.
"It tastes like mint."
A refreshing feeling spread in my mouth. I was reminded of my days as a company employee when I used to use mint tablets to blow away my drowsiness.
I wonder if adventurers used heal potions to cover up their injuries from a fight, just like how office workers used tablets to cover up their fatigue. Either way, it's a dark story.
By the way, the items I created before had powerful effects, but what about this time?
The results of the [Appraisal] were as follows.
Heal Potion: A top-grade heal potion refined by a skilled apothecary. It has a high-quality taste that harmonizes a recovery amount that is at the limit of healing potions with a moderate sense of refreshment.
Added effects: "Increase Recovery Amount S+""Increase Recovery Speed S+"
Aside from the fact that it had comments that sound like a wine review, the fact that it had"Increase Recovery Amount S+"and"Increase Recovery Speed S+"was very encouraging.
It seems to be able to heal you in a matter of seconds, even if you are seriously injured.
…It's more like an elixir than a potion, isn't it?
Next, I tried to make the detoxification potion with Wet Mushroom and Lilium Herb.
When I retrieved it after putting it in a water bag, it was a brown liquid that looked like mouthwash.
Detoxification Potion: A top-grade detoxification potion produced by a skilled herbalist. It can quickly counteract mild to moderate poisons. The smell is elegant, and the taste is refined with a balance of acidity and fruitiness. This is the king of detoxification potions.
Added effects:"Delicious A+""Increase Detoxification Effect S+""Increase Detoxification Speed S+"
Delicious, huh?
Considering its color, it's hard to believe, but I don't think the [Appraisal] would lie.
I decided to try drinking the detoxification potion.
"It's surprisingly good."
If I had to compare it to something, I'd say it tasted like a high-grade grape juice. It had a clean sourness and a fruity sweetness. These two flavors were well matched to create a high-quality taste. It was just exactly as the [Appraisal] described.
Sorry for doubting you.
Maybe this was not a punishment I deserved, but I finally encountered a monster.
"Grrrrrr…"
It looked like a wolf, and it's bloodshot eyes were looking at me.
Could this be the Lonely Wolf which is the target of my subjugation quest?
I activated [Appraisal] to confirm it.
Lonely Wolf (Male): A wolf-shaped monster that prefers solitude. They mate during the mating season but run away when the female becomes pregnant.
It's complicated to comment on, but I think it's not a good idea to run away when your partner becomes pregnant. If you're a man, take responsibility.
Well, that's a joke…
"Now that my subjugation target has shown up, there's no way I could let it go, right?"
I took out a weapon from my [Item Box].
This time, I decided to use the hikino wooden sword.
The granted effects were"Slash Enhancement S+"and"Strength Enhancement A", but I wonder how sharp it really was.
I held up the wooden sword and activated [Dexterity].
As I switched to become the world's strongest swordsman, the Lonely Wolf attacked me with a growl.
"Gaahh!"
"Haaaaaaah!"
I avoided the Lonely Wolf's charge with a sidestep and swung my sword out in a horizontal line. It was a perfect counter.
With the centrifugal force to my advantage, the wooden sword sliced through the Lonely Wolf at its highest speed.
The Lonely Wolf was cut in half from top to bottom and fell to the ground.
"…That's one hell of a cut."
It was as sharp as a metal sword, or perhaps even sharper. It's a sharpness that you wouldn't expect from a wooden sword.
Oops, this is not the time to be surprised.
I should collect the carcass of the Lonely Wolf.
If I bring the pelt with me, I can get an extra reward.
"There are only four left to complete the quest. …They're not too strong, so even if they all show up at once, I think I can handle them."
That's when I muttered to myself in a light tone.
"""""Grrrrrrr…"""""
Multiple growls could be heard from all around.
Soon after, I was surrounded by a pack of Lonely Wolves. There were twelve of them. That's quite a lot.
"Aren't Lonely Wolves supposed to act alone?"
There are always exceptions to rules, and maybe there's a behavior I don't know about.
In any case, let's put off thinking about it and focus on the current battle.
"""""Gaahhhh!"""""
The Lonely Wolves attacked me all at once.
If I was just a novice adventurer, I would have definitely lost my life.
But, [Dexterity] came in handy here as well.
"Oooooohhhh!"
The first thing I did was slash at the Lonely Wolf directly in front of me and chop off its head. Blood splattered, and at the same time, the inorganic voice echoed in my brain.
With this experience gained, you are now at level 9; your HP and MP will increase, and your physical abilities will improve.
Since you have reached the specified level, a new skill── [Automatic Collection] has been unlocked!
…Hmm?
More skills?
It would be absolutely impossible to apply this to the common sense of this world, but it would be a kind benefit for a transmigator.
The [Full Assist] automatically activated and input the features of [Automatic Collection] into my brain.
This seemed to be a skill that automatically stores monsters' corpses into the [Item Box].
I immediately activated it, and the Lonely Wolf's head and torso disappeared in a flash.
In the [Item Box] list, "Lonely Wolf Carcass x 1" was added.
I'm very grateful for this because it saved me the trouble of collecting the carcass.
Then, the second one.
I unleashed a stabbing attack on the Lonely Wolf that was closing in on me. Skewered from head to tail, the Lonely Wolf died instantly and was collected in my [Item Box].
After stroking and slashing the third and fourth wolves, I held the wooden sword in my left hand alone and used my right hand to take out the hikino wooden axe from my [Item Box].
"Take it!"
As a fifth one was watching me from a distance, I threw the wooden axe at it.
The wooden axe spun like a boomerang and flew off, decapitating the Lonely Wolf.
The sixth one, the seventh one, the eighth one…
Each one was weak, but there were so many of them.
Despite the fact that their friends were being killed one after another, the Lonely Wolves attacked me as if driven by something. Even after the first twelve were killed, new Lonely Wolves continued to appear one after another.
What the hell is going on?
Is today a bargain sale for Lonely Wolves?
"…..!"
Halfway through, my body was moving almost by reflex. I don't know how many Lonely Wolves I've killed.
Strangely enough, I hardly felt tired.
Every once in a while, I would hear the inorganic voice announcing that my level had increased, and my movements would lighten up.
I guess my physical ability was improving.
"This is the last one!"
I slew the last of them.
After taking a breath, I checked my [Item Box] and found that I had over 2,000 Lonely Wolf carcasses in my inventory.
"That was a hell of a horde for the Lonely…"
I had the impression that the entire Lonely Wolves population in the mountains had swooped down on me. It's an unusual situation, and I think I should return to the adventurer's guild and report it.