Chapter 34: Quest – 1

Chapter 34: Quest – 1

…An hour or so after entering the forest with Melini, both Melini and I were quite flustered.

First, contrary to Melini’s guess that weak monsters would attack, the monsters all bolted the moment they caught a glimpse of me.

Especially when I pulled out a glass bottle from my inventory to help Melini from behind, they all vanished quickly as if they’d seen something they shouldn’t have.

……I had planned to get some spoils to use as ingredients, but with them all running away, it was quite a letdown.

“Did you… use some kind of monster-repelling magic?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why do all the monsters bolt the moment they see you?”

I could only tilt my head at this inexplicable phenomenon.

I hadn’t even been in this forest for long, so it seemed something had happened among the monsters.

According to the novel’s setting, monsters constantly fight over their territories, so it was probably something related to that.

“Anyway, so your goal is to hunt a grade 5 monster today, is that it?”

“I can’t do it alone, can I? So I should do it while I can exploit a strong adventurer like this for free.”

“…You say ‘exploit people’ so easily.”

“Then, shall I wrap it up in nice words for you? Like, ‘Based on the results of seeking mutually beneficial solutions through agreement…’ something like that?”

“Ugh. That’s dreadful. Just hearing those words gives me a headache.”

Saying that, Melini frowned.

…Her personality seemed no different from the novel’s timeline, or now.

Christie felt a bit softer than in the novel, but Melini was exactly the same, which made her easier to predict and adapt to.

She acted exactly as I thought, ‘Melini would do this.’

“By the way, what kind of grade 5 monster are you planning to hunt?”

“…How would I know? Still, wouldn’t it be better to catch the weakest one? Which monster is the weakest?”

“……I’ll tell you when you see a grade 5 monster directly and don’t suggest running away.”

“Oh, come on, you said it wouldn’t hurt even if you got hit by fire because of the potion I gave you.”

As I said, the effect of the potion I made was considerable.

Even when touched by fierce flames that would have immediately caused burns and required treatment for an ordinary person, there was no damage at all.

It doesn’t mean it doesn’t catch fire, but she said it wasn’t hot and didn’t cause injury.

In fact, when a small monster bit Melini’s arm with fire-imbued teeth, causing flames to erupt, there wasn’t a single scratch.

“The effect is amazing, though. If this were supplied, adventurer deaths from fire-elemental monsters would decrease by at least 20%.”

“Huh? That’s less than I thought? Looking at Melini, it seems like she’s half-immune to flames.”

“…Did you make it and not even properly know its effects? This is a potion that adds fire-resisting properties to the user’s mana.

 In other words, the better you handle mana, the better the effect, and the worse you handle it, the weaker the effect.”

It was a fact I learned for the first time.

…I quietly glared at the system’s message window, and the system made a lame excuse that it had its reasons and would explain everything later.

Oh, and of course, even while we were talking, Melini occasionally swung her sword, slicing through the miscellaneous monsters that approached.

As we went deeper into the fire zone of the forest, the monsters avoiding me decreased, and the monsters attacking us gradually increased.

However, unfortunately, there was nothing special to collect except for the common spoil, Flame Stone.

“…Oh. I wasn’t supposed to kill this one.”

“Why?”

While Melini was talking to me and casually slicing through the monsters in front of her, she suddenly stopped.

As if she had made a mistake.

“If I kill this, it’s going to be a bit of a headache….”

“If it’s a wolf-type monster, their pack loyalty is strong, so the ones all around will gather….”

“What, you surprisingly know a lot?”

Since I was just pretending to know based on settings I’d seen in the novel, I gave a vague answer and asked the system if there was anything among this wolf’s spoils that I could use as an ingredient.

…If only howling hadn’t been heard from all directions.

“Damn it, they’re fast. Let’s bolt from here. Slicing those isn’t hard, but there are so many of them that I can’t protect you.”

“Well, okay, then…”

I genuinely intended to turn back.

I didn’t want to waste time pointlessly.

The potion definitely had a duration, and about half of it had passed, so… I had to find a grade 5 monster as quickly as possible.

That was definitely the case.

*This wolf isn’t a normal monster, is it? It’s a type of summoned creature. Monsters that were born as subordinates of a specific monster.

 And… the monster presumed to have summoned these monsters is grade 5, and its spoils can also be used as ingredients?*

…Until the system informed me via message that there was a monster that perfectly met the conditions.

At those words, I immediately stopped walking.

“Melini, is there a leader-like monster that leads these monsters?”

“A leader? That’s common among these ordinary wolf-type monsters…. Wait a minute, this one… was its subordinate…? Damn it, it’s going to be tough to bolt.”

“‘That one’?”

“There’s one damn black-burned wolf bastard. Oh, and it’s also the grade 5 monster you’re so eager to see.

 It absolutely hates its subordinates dying to mere humans, so whenever a situation like this happens, it’s a crazy bastard that chases the human who killed its subordinates all the way out of the forest.”

“Then we can’t escape, can we?”

“We can still bolt. Of course, if we waste a little more time, we won’t be able to. Or move a little further towards where those subordinate wolves are.”

“That sounds good.”

Saying that, I lightly pushed Melini.

…Towards the direction where the subordinate wolves were.

Naturally, Melini, who was unprepared, was pushed slightly in that direction and looked at me with a ‘what are you doing?’ expression.

“Wolf hunt, ready, Melini?”

“What? What the……! Hey! You crazy bastard!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help from behind.”

The reason I’m doing this to Melini? There are three in total.

First, and most importantly, is to remain just ‘acquaintances’ with Melini.

‘Acquaintances’ to the extent that when I need Melini’s combat power later, I can specifically request her.

After all, Melini is a main character, and as a main character, Melini had many enemies.

It was a problem she shared with Christie.

In such a situation, if I got involved any further… based on my experience with Christie, I felt like I might experience an arrow flying at my leg again while walking down the street.

I want to stop having bad experiences by getting involved with main characters.

And second, at this point where the potion’s effect was running out, now was the only time to clear the quest the system gave me.

To escape this situation, find a new grade 5 monster, and kill it before the potion’s effect wears off? Impossible.

The potion’s effect might wear off during the fight, and in the worst case, Melini could get hurt.

I have no intention of making an enemy of Melini, so if I run away here, the quest will practically fail.

Furthermore, since I haven’t gained anything special from this hunt, it would just end with promoting that my potion was effective.

…Even that would have very low credibility since I hadn’t hunted any notable monsters.

Lastly, third, given Melini’s personality, if I hadn’t been there, she would have fought those wolves at least once.

Melini, who naturally enjoys fighting, would run away in a situation where the flames from those wolves’ mouths were no longer threatening due to the potion’s effect?

No way. She only suggested running away because I, whom she had to protect, was there. She probably wanted to fight.

As proof… after shouting at me once, she didn’t say anything more, but rather gripped her weapon with a considerably exhilarated expression.

…Additionally, since Christie was my favorite character while I didn’t particularly like the character Melini, I didn’t feel particularly sorry about exploiting her a bit.

“Then, good luck, Melini.”

“…You, be prepared after this fight is over, okay?”

“First, we have to think about winning, Melini. And… for someone saying that, you look pretty happy, don’t you?”

“I naturally enjoy the thrill of extreme situations like this.”

“Ugh. I don’t really like that. I’ll stay well behind, okay?”

Of course, I said that, but I was already preparing to activate the ‘Alchemist’s Treasury’ skill.

While Melini crushed those wolves one by one from the front… I would prepare to change the environment of the battlefield.

There’s no need to fight those who fight with fire in such a hot and burning place.

Rather… it’s better to fight on ice.

‘System, if I spray freezing potions here… what will happen?’

*One won’t have any effect, will it? This place has very strong fire-elemental mana, so freezing-elemental mana won’t even work properly in the first place.*

‘Then, if I detonate dozens of them simultaneously?’

*……Are you planning to change the environment entirely? …Huh, that’s a truly amazing idea. So much so that Melini, who will also get hit by the potions, is pitiful.*

‘If I warn her right before, she’ll survive just fine.’

No matter how strong Melini is, judging by the sound, there aren’t just one or two wolves there, and it would be difficult to kill them all and their leader.

So, I’m kindly preparing an additional attack to also land the finishing blow.

Even if they survive my attack… with the surroundings already frozen, they won’t be able to spew fire anymore.

‘This hunt is easier than I thought?’

*…I wonder if the main character slicing through the wolves in front thinks so too.*

Ignoring the system’s words appropriately, I felt mana rapidly draining from my body.

The preparations were all complete.