Chapter 10
Episode 8: Selen Gets Harassed
Gai-san and I headed to the Adventurers’ Guild to complete the material gathering quest.
The receptionist praised us when we handed over the materials.
「You did a very meticulous and excellent job.」
「Thank you!」
「The reward for completing the quest is 100 silver coins.」
「Thank you very much!」
Since the reward for the gathering quest was 100 silver coins, Gai-san and I split it evenly, giving each of us 50 silver coins.
I was smiling from ear to ear as we left the guild, happy about both the reward and the receptionist’s praise, when two people, a man and a woman, blocked our way.
「Hey, are you kids playing adventurers?」
「Little girl, to pass through here, you need to pay a toll of 25 silver coins each!」
It seemed like they were harassing me…
I was scared…
As I shrank back, Gai-san stepped forward to protect me.
「We are not playing. We are adventurers who just completed a gathering quest. It’s not right to block our way and demand a toll.」
Suddenly, the man punched Gai-san.
「Shut up, kid! How dare you talk back to an adult? Pay up already!」
I was terrified…
I started crying because of what was happening in front of me.
Just then, someone gently spoke to me.
「Selen, you must have been scared. It’s okay now, Uncle Roy is here.」
「Uncle Roy… (cry)」
Uncle Roy, who happened to be at the Adventurers’ Guild for some errands, saw us being harassed and rushed over to help. He glared at the two who were bothering us.
「Threatening a little kid for money, you’re the lowest scum among adventurers.」
「Oh, so you’re getting your daddy to help? Hey, daddy! You sure you want to act tough when it’s two against one?」
「Yeah, even if there are multiple weaklings, it’s not a problem.」
「You’re asking for it! Take this!」
The furious man tried to punch Roy-san, but Roy-san easily dodged and countered, hitting him in the face and sending him flying.
He then approached the shocked woman and hit her in the solar plexus, causing her to collapse.
He took them both down in an instant.
Roy-san was incredibly strong.
「Selen, are you okay? Not all adventurers are idiots like that. So please, don’t hate adventurers.」
「Okay… Uncle Roy, thank you for saving me (sob).」
Roy-san carried me, still crying from fear, back home.
By the time we arrived, I was exhausted from crying and had fallen asleep…
–
Episode 9: Gai’s Carelessness and Weakness
I returned home from the Adventurers’ Guild and locked myself in my room to reflect…
I had made Celestia-sama scared… It was dangerous for her to act as an adventurer alone, so it was my duty to form a party with her and protect her…
「Gai, I’m coming in!」
My parents entered my dark room.
「You took your mission too lightly. That’s why you let something like that happen. The Shadow Leader told me to relieve you of your duty to protect Celestia. However, Carmen-ojou-sama expressed concern for you, knowing you were injured while trying to protect Celestia-sama. She also said that disbanding your party could deeply hurt the kind-hearted Celestia-sama. Considering all this, your mission will continue.」
「I…」
Unable to say anything, I remained silent as my mother spoke to me sternly.
「Gai, you’re still a child, but you’re also a 【Shadow】. As a 【Shadow】, you must prioritize the safety of Carmen-ojou-sama and Celestia-sama above all else. This incident can only be seen as your negligence.」
「What should I do…?」
「It’s simple. You need to realize your responsibility and strive to become stronger. As a 【Shadow】, your life is dedicated to serving Carmen-ojou-sama and Celestia-sama. This incident has shown you your own weakness, hasn’t it? Then, focus on self-discipline and become stronger! It’s not just your body that needs training; your heart does too. There must be no room for error in the duties of a 【Shadow】!」
My father’s words, both harsh and encouraging, made me straighten up.
「Father, Mother, I will strive to become stronger. Please be even stricter with me from now on. Please train me. I’m asking you both!」
「Understood.」
I vowed to become stronger and protect Celestia-sama without fail.
From now on, I will not let my guard down and I swear never to let Celestia-sama experience fear or sadness again.
–
Episode 10: Restart
Since the incident at the Adventurers’ Guild, I hadn’t participated in any adventuring activities.
Although I wanted to go on a gathering quest the very next day, Mom decided that my mental state wasn’t stable enough yet.
I didn’t quite understand it myself, but I knew I could trust Mom’s judgment, so I obediently followed her advice.
A week passed since I paused my adventuring activities, and Mom finally gave me the green light to resume.
So, starting today, I’m back to doing gathering quests as an adventurer.
During my break, while I didn’t engage in any adventuring activities, I did go shopping with Uncle Roy to get some equipment needed for gathering quests.
We bought a shoulder bag and a waist belt to hold my fan.
Of course, I also kept up with my 〘Daily Gacha〙!
Here are the results:
〘Amber Earrings〙Rank C
〘Silk Fabric (Yellow)〙Rank C
〘Magic Canteen〙Rank B
〘10 Silver Coins〙Rank B ×3
〘10 Gold Coins〙Rank A
I gave the earrings to Mom.
The magic canteen looks like a small flask but can hold a whopping 50 liters, which should be really handy for quests♪
During my break, Gai-san continued his adventuring activities solo. I deeply regret having caused him so much trouble.
After finishing breakfast and preparing thoroughly for the gathering quest, I called out to Mom before leaving the house.
「Mom, I’m off to the gathering quest.」
「If you feel unwell even a little, don’t push yourself and come back right away, okay?」
「Yes, I promise to keep my word to you, Mom. I’m off now. I love you!」
「I love you too, Selen.」
After our usual hug, I left the house.
Gai-san was waiting for me outside, so I cheerfully greeted him and ran over.
「Good morning, Gai-san. I’m sorry for the trouble during my break. I’ll do my best from today, so please take care of me.」
「Selen, I’m the one who should apologize for not being able to protect you back then. From now on, as the party leader, I’ll make sure to keep you safe. Let’s start with a regular gathering quest since it’s been a while.」
「Okay!」
And thus, the hopeful light of our party restarted!
–
Episode 11: First Hunt
Today, we took on a gathering quest from the standing requests list.
With standing requests, you don’t need to go to the Adventurers’ Guild to accept them.
Since I had taken a break after the incident, I think Gai-san was being considerate by choosing this type of quest.
We didn’t stop by the Adventurers’ Guild and instead headed straight out of the west gate and made our way westward towards the grasslands.
After about 30 minutes of walking, we arrived at the gathering point.
We started gathering herbs, keeping within sight of each other as we did before.
About 30 minutes into our gathering, Gai-san approached me and spoke in a low voice.
「Selen, can you see the one-horned rabbit a bit further away?」
When Gai-san pointed to a spot a little distance away, I saw a one-horned rabbit eating grass.
「Yes, it’s eating grass.」
「That’s right. How about you try getting a little closer and see if you can take it down with your magic?」
「Okay, I’m not sure if I can take it down, but I’d like to try. Is that alright?」
「Yes, it’s all about gaining experience, so give it a try.」
I was going to use my magic to hunt the one-horned rabbit.
Following Gai-san’s instructions, I gradually closed the distance to the rabbit until I was within range to cast my spell.
I aimed carefully and activated my magic.
『Please hit it, Water Cutter!』
Imagining a blade of water, a palm-sized water blade decapitated the one-horned rabbit.
「Selen, can you use magic without incantations? And to accurately decapitate the rabbit, that’s amazing!」
Gai-san praised my magic, so I happily told him about my time attending the adventurer training course in Criceto Town.
「Hehe, I attended an adventurer training course in the town where we used to live. I practiced a lot with my special instructor, Marie-sensei, which is why I can do this♪ Also, I’m not sure what you mean by ‘no-incantation’ (sweat).」
「Well, normally, to cast a spell, you have to recite an incantation. Incantations are words that describe the spell you’re casting, but you didn’t say anything, right? That’s what no-incantation means.」
「I see. I thought magic was something you could activate by just imagining it in your head.」
「Only a few people can use no-incantation magic, so it’s better not to show it off in front of others. Does your mom know about this?」
「No, she doesn’t. I’ll report it to her when I get home.」
「That sounds like a good idea. Alright, let’s get back to gathering.」
「Yes♪」
After Gai-san butchered the one-horned rabbit and collected it, we continued gathering herbs until around noon.
Once we had gathered about ten sets of herbs, we returned to Cavia Town and headed to the Adventurers’ Guild to complete the quest.
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