episode_0036

The buzz in the adventurer’s guild meant one thing.

A party that had gone on a mission had returned.

That’s why the guild was bustling with activity.

As I was thinking about this, a familiar face approached.

“Hey, how are you doing!”

“Oh, hello.”

The first to arrive was Hartz.

As a holy knight, he seemed to be good at keeping time for appointments.

Well, I haven’t known Hartz for long, but that’s the impression I got.

As I chatted with Hartz, the latecomers started to arrive one by one.

“Ahem… Oh, is that the lightning-fast swordsman?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? Of course, he’s lightning-fast with his sword.”

“Looks like it.”

Violet yawned and sat down next to me, making that remark.

Then she turned to me and spoke.

“How did you manage to recruit a holy knight? He seems quite skilled.”

“Oh, well… it just happened by chance.”

“That’s what they all say when someone’s skilled.”

“Haha… is that so?”

Violet seemed to be treating me like a kid.

I’m not that tall, but still, being treated like a child was a bit annoying.

Just as I was about to say something, Dante joined us.

“Oh, sorry for being late. Overslept.”

“Hmm? Oh, it’s the dwarf again.”

“Oh, it’s the rogue woman. Didn’t expect to see you again.”

“I’m not a rogue, I’m an assassin.”

“Rogue or assassin, same difference.”

“Sigh… whatever.”

I think “rogue” sounds better than “thief.”

With that pointless thought in mind, I asked Hartz.

“So, what mission did we get? That’s what I’m most curious about.”

Even though I’m not the party leader, since I brought Violet along, I needed to take the lead.

That way, I could reassure everyone and take charge.

Hartz then took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“This is the mission… read it and let me know.”

I quickly read the paper with the mission written on it, feeling curious.

After a while, I exclaimed, “Wait, we’re going that deep?”

Violet’s surprised voice was understandable.

The mission was to venture deep into the ‘Forest of Illusions,’ known as the most dangerous place in Baruk, to collect as many Illusion Flowers as possible.

Honestly, I was a bit worried.

Will there be no casualties?

That thought crossed my mind.

Of course, adventurers face such risks often, but I’ve never experienced losing a comrade in my adventures.

It made me anxious.

“Well… knowing that, I brought a special artifact from my side!”

Hartz said, placing four necklaces on the table.

He then explained the effects of the necklaces.

The effect was simple but powerful.

In the ‘Forest of Illusions,’ it increases mana and health regeneration.

That was the effect of the artifact Hartz mentioned.

“Since this artifact is made from Illusion Flowers found only in the Forest of Illusions, it’s possible!”

“It seems quite expensive. Can you just give us something like this?”

Dante’s rational doubt followed.

Even with the condition that it only works in the Forest of Illusions, it was a remarkable effect.

Boosting health and mana regeneration.

The Forest of Illusions was vast, so there were plenty of places to benefit from this effect.

As I was thinking about this, Hartz smiled and said.

“Haha, it’s not that expensive! And you can easily get these items if you set your mind to it, so don’t worry!”

“Oh..”

So this is what they mean by a well-sponsored paladin.

It could definitely be considered impressive.

To think that kind of artifact doesn’t cost that much.

It was definitely sponsored well.

I felt a bit envious, but I let it go.

Being a paladin meant having a lot to uphold.

When Hartz showed me the necklace, the plan progressed swiftly.

We didn’t have much to prepare.

At most, some preserved food and torches.

“..Carrying torches is a bit of a hassle.”

If I were to run out of mana, there was a possibility of being attacked without a means to illuminate my surroundings.

That’s why I bought the torches under the guise of saving mana.

Getting preserved food was not difficult.

The general store sold a lot of preserved food.

Buying in bulk made it cheaper.

This time, we all went together to buy supplies, and the others were surprised to see me.

“..Are you just getting preserved food?”

“Oh, yes. It’s delicious too.”

In my opinion, preserved food was tasty.

Sometimes I would eat it instead of having a meal.

If there were any urgent situations.

Thinking that, I checked what the others were buying.

Except for me, the others were also buying bread.

They were also preparing water.

“I can provide water, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Oh, is this a wizard? It’s definitely convenient.”

For adventurers, most things could be made with magic.

However, wizards carried emergency supplies in case they ran out of mana.

With that in mind, we finished our preparations.

In reality, there was nothing more to prepare.

We had torches, preserved food, and special containers for anything we might find.

It was inevitable to feel a bit excited about all the preparations we made.

I had been feeling a bit bored until now.

I hadn’t met a proper opponent.

“Kkum.”

Of course, I didn’t have an overwhelming desire to win, but it would be fun to face a strong enemy.

I could also test my magic.

With that thought in mind, I wrote a post on the gallery.

I planned to read it later while walking.

There might not be time to read it once we reached the Fantasy Forest, but I could read it on the way there.

I considered it making the most of my time.

[Author: RealTrash]

[Title: Fantasy Forest <<< Anyone been here before?]

[Content: Is it good? I'm going on a commission, is it okay?]

Our party was quite strong.

Although we didn't have any top-tier players on the surface, skill-wise, we were all top-tier.

That's why I was able to relax now.

I felt like I could gather a lot without having to do anything this time.

After writing the post, some time passed.

I received a notification that there were many comments, so I opened the post again.

There were a lot of comments.

[Author: RealTrash]

[Title: Fantasy Forest <<< Anyone been here before?]

[Content: Is it good? I'm going on a commission, is it okay?]

L: There are a lot of bandits there, it's a crazy place for real

N: Seriously lol I went there and barely survived after getting stripped of all my clothes

N: Just imagining getting stripped of my clothes makes me feel terrible..

N: Ah damn, seriously

LAssassin: I've been to the Fantasy Forest, it's okay as long as you don't let your guard down

N: Wait lol what do you mean by okay

NAssassin: It's just that dangerous

LPerus: Why go there in the current situation?

NPerus: Even if you want to take on a commission, that's not the place to go.

N: Seriously, the Fantasy Forest is a bit intense lol

ㄴ: Only those who have seen it know.

ㄴ: How severe must it be to talk like this?

Reading the comments, a sense of unease began to creep in.

At the same time, curiosity also arose.

How severe must it be for them to talk like this? I wonder how extreme it is.

I guess we'll have to arrive at the Fantasy Forest to find out more.

And so, we continued walking.

How much time had passed?

"Ah, we finally made it!"

We arrived at the entrance of the Fantasy Forest.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of mana filling me up.

"Is the necklace effect really working? My mana is increasing rapidly."

"Could it be an artifact! In that case, I'll make sure to take the lead."

Hartz was holding a huge shield in one hand, so it seemed appropriate for him to take the lead.

I stood in the middle.

It's best for a mage to stand in the middle.

There's a possibility of being ambushed from the front or back.

It's better for a mage at full power to be in the safest place possible.

And so, we entered the Fantasy Forest.

*

"Do you see the artifact around their necks?"

"I do. But isn't that an expensive one?"

"That's why we should take it."

"Well, that's true."

A group wearing masks had just entered the Fantasy Forest, following behind the party.

Ready to attack whenever an opportunity arises.

It was a perfect ambush.