There’s a wall of muscle in front of the quest board! I can’t see a thing!
Move it! I grumble inwardly… but I behave myself and squeeze through a gap.
I’m so done with causing scenes.
“Hmm, Almiraj hide and meat?”
This one looks doable.
I reach for the notice—only to be laughed at.
“A beginner like you? No way!”
Ugh, are they making fun of me?
“Zoe! Over here!”
The receptionist calls me over. Probably thinks I’m about to throw hands.
“The guild master didn’t explain this part, but quests are ranked by grade,” she says. “Since you just registered today, you’re Iron-rank with no stars. You can only take Iron-rank quests. Want me to explain how the system works?”
Might as well. And while I’m at it, I should figure out how to get promoted too.
“You get one star after completing five Iron-rank quests,” she continues. “Finish five one-star quests to reach two stars. Then five three-star quests gets you to Copper-rank, no stars.”
“Ummm… Can I just do any Iron-rank quests?”
“Nope. To get two stars, you need to complete five one-star or higher quests.”
So just doing a bunch of easy quests won’t cut it, huh?
“Then if I do fifteen three-star quests, I’ll hit Copper-rank?”
She laughs. “That’s right.”
Was that a how cute laugh?
When the old guy laughed at me, it made me mad. But when a pretty lady laughs, it makes me want to try harder.
Maybe that’s why all the receptionists are pretty?
“Um... about that Baz guy who got fired,” I ask in a whisper. “He doesn’t hold a grudge against me, right?”
I’d defend myself if he came after me, but I don’t want people feeling sorry for him.
“Oh, everyone hated that guy... He should’ve been fired ages ago. But he’s the nephew of someone who works for Viscount Carlton or something like that.”
So he was just some loser clinging to barely-there connections.
“I’ll stay alert just in case.”
Now, looking over these Iron-rank quests... are these really meant for adventurers?
“Mostly cleaning... organizing warehouses, weeding gardens... herb gathering?”
Actually, I heard the orphanage kids do that stuff too when they can’t register. Is this the same level?
Cleaning doesn’t bother me—I did plenty back at the cottage—but cleaning other people’s houses feels weird.
And I’ve been using utility magic to take shortcuts lately, so it’d be annoying not to use it with people watching.
Herb gathering sounds safest. Plus, I already have herbs in my Storage.
Does that count as cheating?
Nope! I picked them myself! Though... the pay seems kinda low.
Oh, right. That’s the beginner rate for herbs gathered near the Great Forest’s edge.
Ugh, decisions! Do I turn in what I’ve already got, or go pick more?
“I’ve decided! I’ll take this one!”
I snatch the quest notice and head to the reception desk.
Most of the adventurers must’ve already left. It’s pretty quiet now.
“Herb gathering?”
I should’ve gone to the receptionist who registered me and explained everything.
This one’s cute and young, but kinda scatterbrained.
“This one!” I say proudly.
“Um, next time, please don’t tear off the brown-bordered permanent quest notices. And you don’t have to wait in line to accept quests.”
What?! That was me doing it wrong?!
“Sorry! I’ll remember next time!”
I bolt from the Adventurers’ Guild like a startled rabbit.
I run pretty far before stopping.
“Aaaaaaahhhhhhh...!”
I’m so embarrassed I gotta yell.
Shaking it off, I head for the gate. I show my guild card to the guard and get my five pennies back.
“What quest did you take?” He sounds bored.
“Herb gathering!”
It seemed like the easiest one.
“You’re going into the Great Forest alone? Don’t you have anyone with you?”
Hey now, I was raised in those woods!
Well... I lived inside Selina’s barrier until I was seven, but still.
“Today’s quest is just for herbs on the forest edge, so it’s fine!”
I’m planning to wrap this up fast and sell the herbs in my Storage to that apothecary in the back alleys!
“There aren’t any herbs left on the forest edge. Everyone’s picked it clean.”
Oh. That makes sense too!
“I’ll give it a try anyway!”
I appreciate his concern, but I can’t let it slow me down.
“Be careful out there!”
I wave and head into the forest.
“Yep, no herbs here at all.”
It’s not winter yet, but the late-autumn grass at the forest’s edge is already dry and withered.
Deep inside the Great Forest, the seasons don’t follow the same rules, but still—herb gathering might be a bust.
Even so, I don’t want to sell high-quality herbs to the guild for low-level prices.
I would give some to the general store lady back in Lang Village, though.
“All right... I’ll teleport a little deeper in!”
Making sure no one’s around, I teleport into the Great Forest bit by bit.
I almost stumble across some adventurers fighting what looks like a giant mole, but I’m hidden behind a tree.
I think I’m safe?
“Yes! Herbs!”
They’re not as nice as the ones that grow near the cottage, but I find a few hiding under the dead grass.
“For permanent quests, I guess any amount should be fine?”
The notice I tore off said ten plants.
“Well, taking everything wouldn’t be right... I’ll gather twenty!”
That should cover the next quest too! If I store them, they’ll stay fresh.
I put ten herbs in my basket and teleport back toward the forest edge.
A little closer would be more efficient, but I don’t wanna get spotted by other adventurers.
I walk the rest of the way back to the gate.
“That was fast! I bet there weren’t any herbs left, huh? Spring’s the best time for those.”
“In winter, cleaning jobs are good! Lots of families do big cleaning for the New Year!”
The guards try to cheer me up, but it’s too much trouble to correct them.
Anyway, I completed my first quest!