episode_0052

The adventurer registration exam is simple.

You just need to solve three random requests.

Question.

Then, wouldn’t it be a problem if you just chose three easy ones and quickly cleared them?

Actually, since there are no other conditions besides solving requests, this method could mass-produce new adventurers like they’re coming off an assembly line.

Of course, that doesn’t actually happen.

Adventurers who took an easy exam, like the midterm exam questions Ria made—easy enough for even a baby to pass?

Those people all died in real combat.

However, it’s also not good to simply offer difficult requests to select strong adventurers.

Since the examinees are not adventurers and cannot receive benefits provided by the guild, they ultimately share the fate of adventurers raised on easy requests.

By listening roughly up to here, you can realize that the most important thing in this exam is the selection of requests.

So, usually, to select appropriate requests, they consult an expert, or if an adventurer is training a disciple, they choose them directly.

In our case, it’s the latter, so there’s no need to worry.

Eve had been standing in front of the bulletin board, racking her brains to select appropriate requests.

I was both grateful and reassured by her dedicated efforts on our behalf.

Soon, she returned with a total of six request forms, three each for me and Yuri.

“Here, this should be good for you two.”

“Good job.”

Now then… good job is good job.

Let’s see this senior adventurer’s request selection skills.

I folded my arms and looked at the request forms Yuri was holding.

Having apparently gotten over her sulking, Yuri tilted the request form towards me with narrowed eyes.

“Ugh… Unni, look at this…”

“Let me see—”

「Karis Adventurer Guild Request Form No. 13327」 -Requester: Hans Bald -Rank/Classification: Epic/Hunting -Content: 3 Grizzly Bears -Deadline: Within 7 days of the request date -Details: (Omitted)

“—Huh.”

I immediately checked the remaining request forms on the back.

Epic, Epic, Hunting, Hunting, Killer Bee, Black Mamba…

“Are you trying to kill her?!”

The names alone seem like they’d rank in the top 10 of the ‘Animals with the Most Casualties’ list.

No, it’s true.

Those are notorious for causing the most trouble for people in the monster-infested areas near the Naphlantz Kingdom.

Saying “trouble” cutely, in fact, the damage is considerable.

Not only do they descend into residential areas and destroy fields, but farmers and adventurers trying to resist them haven’t died one or two at a time.

But to make her hunt those monstrous things…?

It’s natural that my eyes would roll back.

BANG—!

“Wait a minute, such dangerous requests—I won’t allow it. Change it immediately.”

“…Calm down first. Listen to the explanation.”

Eve picked up the request forms and placed them on the table in order.

Aligned like this, they gave off a Three Great Admirals kind of aura.

“There are three reasons. First, Yuri is generally good at work and quick at handling crises. So, in times like these, gaining combat experience is a good thing.”

“You can do that with training, right?”

“No, training and real combat are different. The experience gained from directly performing a mission will be much more helpful. If you’re really worried, you can just supervise her.”

…Now that I hear it, that makes sense.

Even if I don’t directly participate in the hunt, it’s okay for me to watch over her from the side.

“Second, they all have a weak point against water mana. Basic water magic or ice magic derived from it is enough to deal with them.”

“Indeed… All three are weak to water and cold.”

“If you skillfully utilize the things I’ve shown you little by little in magic class, Yuri—it won’t be that difficult for you.”

Yuri, quietly creating an ice ball in her palm, nodded, as if having made a decision.

However, her expression still wasn’t good.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

“…Yes, if Unni is also with me, I’m relieved.”

Eve gathered the request forms together, putting the Grizzly Bear hunting form at the top.

“Third… this is something Yuri will probably want to do more of.”

“What…?”

“Look at the details here. If you hunt and bring the whole thing back—the requester will take only the necessary materials like fur or teeth, and the rest of the parts will be added to the reward, right?”

Hmm… Definitely, the requester wants the fur and meat of the grizzly bear, the venom sac of the killer bee, and the fangs of the black mamba.

What else would be left, aside from the remaining parts?

“But, will they be valuable?”

“The gall bladder and seminal vesicle of the Grizzly Bear, liquor made from the Killer Bee and Black Mamba… These are famous among adventurers.”

Eve gulped and whispered to Yuri.

“…They’re good for sexual potency.”

Then, Yuri’s eyes lit up.

. . .

Kingdom’s southern gate.

The nearby mountains.

In the deep natural environment with nothing but grass and trees around.

Rustle- rustle- CRAW—!

I’m digging for ginseng right now.

“Ugh, damn… it’s tiring.”

From a hikikomori gamer life, I reincarnated as a noble princess, and while trying to become an adventurer, I’ve become a mountain herb digger.

The reason is simple.

“You have enough combat ability, so let’s cultivate your material gathering ability. You’ve never done this before, right?”

「Karis Adventurer Guild Request Form No. 13401」 -Requester: Brustarus -Rank/Classification: Unique/Gathering -Content: 1kg of Mandragora -Deadline: Within 3 days of the request date -Details: (Omitted)

…That’s how it happened.

Of course, that’s not the end.

After I dig up all the ginseng, tomorrow is freshwater eel fishing.

And after that, giant squid…

Why are you doing this to me?!

Of course, I tried to ask her to change it.

But when Eve saw my deteriorating expression, she quietly whispered.

“You’re sending your own younger sister into danger, and you’re just digging ginseng… You’re not going to complain about the request contents, are you?”

Seeing a faint smile spread across her face, which had been expressionless all day, I gave up.

This girl, she seems to have taken our intensive study sessions at the academy to heart. Otherwise, how could she give such a psycho-like expression while making me dig ginseng, a kind and pretty friend like me?

“Unni, hang in there—! I’ll definitely get some eel tonight and make a special stamina full course!”

“Yeah… Go…”

“Puhut- Work hard.”

I decided to just comply.

Yuri was burning with passion, charging into bear hunting.

In any case, if it’s the two of us going, she can feel completely safe.

So I’m now here, clenching my teeth, digging with my hoe in the hard ground.

“Ugh… Why can’t I find any?”

Eve probably didn’t give me this request to make me gather 1kg purely through manual labor.

She told me to cultivate my material gathering ability, not improve my ginseng digging skills.

As I thought, if I only find one, I can use a trick after that.

But I can’t find even one.

“This girl… didn’t she give me the wrong picture of the plant?”

Mandragora.

From the blatant name of “ginseng + mandrake,” it’s clearly a rare plant.

Unfortunately, I haven’t accumulated knowledge in this area.

I’ve never been good at manual labor, and even during my Acastro user days, I just bulk-bought these kinds of things from the auction house.

So, the only information I currently have is…a picture of a plant on a scrap of paper given to me by Eve.

Naturally, it’s buried in the ground, so I don’t need to worry about the roots, only the upper part of the plant and flower.

The flower petals are a striking purple color, so I thought it would be easy to find.

“Ah, it’s not blooming season yet, so I need to find it by the leaves only.”

Damn it—!

She chose this on purpose, didn’t she?

So in the end, I had to find “a long, three-pronged plant about a span long with thorny edges.”

Among only plants.

Green, green, green, green…

Green, green, green, green…

Green-green-green-green-green…

“Aaah—!!”

I rolled around in the green grass field until I got neuroses and became completely exhausted.

I seem to have gone crazy enough to find such wordplay funny.

I collapsed onto the mountainside.

The sky felt somewhat closed in.

Everywhere I looked, the sea of trees was dense.

This is a labyrinth, what is a labyrinth…

My legs were stiff, and my arms ached.

Tears were about to well up, and I suddenly thought of Yuri.

“Right now… She must be fighting hard against the grizzly bears.”

Thinking of that small, cute girl who was exerting herself for me, for Yuri—no, for us.

For some reason, I felt a little stronger.

Alright, if I can’t escape it, I’ll enjoy it.

I quickly got up from the ground, straightened my back, and shouted.

“Hey~ you little plants—! Let’s be friends—!”

I’ll show you the obsession of a gloomy man.

If they say they don’t want to be friends, they don’t want to make love.

It’s okay for me to love them alone.

And the opinion of someone who is loved by me is not important.

I concentrated all the mana in my body into my eyes.

[Mana Barrier], search vision!

Soon, I felt as if my vision had widened, and plants that looked exactly alike began to be distinguishable.

Length, width, thickness, shape, even the scent and taste became almost palpable.

“Where are you, Mandragora-chan~”

Whizz- whizz-

Quickly turning my head, I scanned the surroundings, confirming that there was none nearby.

Whoosh—!

I dashed out fast enough that the ground cracked.

Even with the search vision spread out, it wasn’t that easy since the whole mountain was covered in plants.

Around me… weeds, clovers, fallen leaves, long—no, that’s a dandelion.

While quickly analyzing the countless pieces of information streaming in…

I found a plant with the same shape!

I immediately rushed to it and grabbed its stem.

“Here’s Narita~”

Chop chop chop chop—!

I quickly dug up the surrounding ground with furious hoeing and when the roots were half revealed.

I pulled it out in one go.

Whoosh—!

[Mandragora] -Rank: Unique -This is the rarest medicinal herb found near the Naphlantz Kingdom. -Used as a raw material for a tonic.

I found it!

As I gently brushed off the soil, the smooth roots were completely exposed.

The golden outline, shyly hidden by its inner flesh and hairs.

A face-like wrinkle, as if it had a terrified expression.

It perfectly matches the picture I saw.

I brought the mandragora closer and quietly whispered.

“You’ve been kidnapped.”

First one, collecting success.

Without delay, I wrapped the mandragora with the mana barrier and analyzed its properties.

Hmm, hmm- yes… this is how it feels.

Taste, texture, aroma, everything now clearly feels.

Even the unique mana wavelength this plant has.

“Now then, shall I find your friends too?”

[Mana Barrier]!

I spread it far and wide, as if exploding the mana that had accumulated in my body.

The range, the entire mountain.

Rustle

Before long, I identified the location of all the hidden mandragoras.

All that’s left is to dig them all out.

“Alright, let’s go~”