I wanna reach Copper-rank by spring!
I hate running into Matthew at Carlton’s Adventurers’ Guild… even if it’s only now and then.
Ugh, even if I don’t make Copper-rank, I’m kind of in the mood to move to Raymond City.
“Zoe! I’m going out to prune trees today. Want to come along? We’re helping with the logging near the Great Forest by Lang Village.”
Sure, I get that Lang Village matters to him, but I wish he wouldn’t rope me into everything.
“I’m gathering herbs today, so no tree pruning!”
I have to refuse clearly, or he’ll take it as me just being modest.
Is he hard of hearing? Or just thick?
He’s supposedly studying in Carlton during the winter while picking up adventuring work, but it all feels so half-hearted.
And his little gang bothers me too! Since they’re from Lang Village, they all know who I am.
I wonder if being “the forest witch’s granddaughter” is somehow useful to them?
Even if they think solo quests are dangerous and mean well, it’s none of their business!
Still… herb gathering might start looking suspicious once the snow starts piling up.
I was planning to go twice a week, but at that rate, it’ll take forever to complete fifteen requests.
By the time I make Copper-rank, winter will be in full swing.
And I really don’t want to be trudging around in blizzards. It only snows a bit inside the Great Forest.
Maybe three times a week wouldn’t be too odd? That way I could probably rank up by spring.
Plus, once there’s enough snow, I’m planning to secretly help out with some logging near the edges of the forest.
I really wanna get better at concealment magic.
I’m in the mood to sneak into the guild under concealment, even if it’s still clumsy.
Matthew’s easy enough to deal with—I just have to say no. But a tiny Iron-rank adventurer showing up with mid-grade herbs is bound to attract the wrong kind of attention.
Maybe that’s why Matthew keeps trying to look out for me? Still, it’s not his business.
“If someone attacks you with hostile intent, don’t hold back. Inside Schwarzwald, you won’t even have to bother disposing of bodies.”
That’s what Selina told me when I became an adventurer.
Still, I guess I’m kind of soft, because killing seems like a lot.
But I’m definitely prepared to make sure people never mess with me again!
I cast concealment—clumsily—to make myself less noticeable. Every little bit helps.
But I can’t keep it up while waiting in line at the reception desk.
If someone cuts in front of me, I’ll lose my place!
So I’m just standing there, concealment off, in the middle of the line.
“Hey, where’ve you been finding those mid-grade herbs?”
Can I ignore this guy? I think I can. But he keeps pushing.
“Hey, kid, can’t you hear me?”
Ugh, that got to me a little.
I am not a kid! I’m going to grow!
Still, I hold it in and keep ignoring him. I just want to turn in my herbs and go home.
I haven’t done anything wrong. He’s the one picking a fight.
I’m trying to keep things peaceful, but then the idiot tries to grab my shoulder.
“If you touch me, I won’t forgive you!” I give him one last warning.
“Cheeky little brat! What are you gonna do?”
He turns his palm toward me—that’s definitely hostile!
I pull a rope from Storage, making it look like it came from inside my robe.
“Bind!”
The rope lashes out and wraps around the rude adventurer, binding him tight.
I tie his feet too, so he hits the floor with a satisfying thud.
“What the hell?! Let me go!”
He’s too loud, so I cast Hush to silence him.
Ah… finally, peace and quiet. And it’s my turn at the counter!
I ask Miss Lena, “Um, if I turn in twenty herbs, can that count as two requests?”
She keeps glancing at the idiot flopping around behind me.
“Um, he’s…”
“I’ll release him after I leave the guild. Oh, and I’d like my rope back later, so please keep it for me.”
That’s fair, right? I use that rope a lot.
“Please try not to be so rough next time…” She sighs, sneaking one last glance at the adventurer on the floor. “Yes, twenty herbs will count as two requests.”
“Yay! That means just ten more times till Copper-rank!”
Actually, I’ve got twenty mid-grade herbs in Storage already.
I’ve got about a hundred high-grade herbs too, but I have to go out and gather the mid-grade ones myself—can’t cheat with leftovers.
I receive eighty pennies for the twenty herbs.
“Um, just a hypothetical question, but… high-grade herbs are silver-rank requests, right? What would happen if someone turned those in?”
Lena’s eyes dart around. She looks more flustered than when she saw the guy get tied up.
She lowers her voice, almost whispering. “Does that mean you’re gathering high-grade herbs?”
“It’s just a what-if. But yeah… probably bad, huh?”
Normally calm and composed, Lena now looks completely rattled.
“We do want high-grade herbs. But if we accepted them from a star-less Iron-rank adventurer, it’d be… complicated. And if we used that to justify a promotion…”
Yikes! Tactical retreat time!
“If I ever happen to find high-grade herbs, I’ll bring them by!”
I give her my sweetest “tee-hee” and leave the Adventurers’ Guild.
I sell the high-grade herbs to the old apothecary and head back to the cabin—completely forgetting to remove the idiot’s restraints.
Oh well. I’m sure it’ll be fine.