Chapter 71 Official Quest

Suzuka finished her bath, carefully toweling herself off before getting dressed. She left the warm waters of the hot spring, feeling refreshed and relaxed. Climbing the stairs to her room, she took a moment to stretch her limbs and shake off any lingering droplets of water.

Once in her room, Suzuka got ready for bed. She put on comfortable lingerie and took a few minutes to tidy up, making sure that everything was in its place. She climbed into her bed, sinking into the soft mattress with a sigh of delight.

Suzuka closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep. The gentle sounds of the night lulled her into a peaceful slumber.

As a new day dawned, she struggled to drag herself out of the plush comfort of her bed. She slipped into her freshly polished armor and made her way downstairs to the cafe. The enticing aroma of breakfast wafted through the air, and she eagerly filled her plate, savoring each bite. With her hunger sated, she headed towards the Hunter's Guild, eager to begin her first quest.

As she stepped through the doors of the guild, she was greeted by the buzz of activity. Suzuka made her way to the front desk, where she was warmly greeted by the receptionist, "Hello there, how may I assist you today?" 

Suzuka, "I'm looking for Lisanna, my quest coordinator. Is she around?"

The woman at the reception desk said, "Lisanna will be available at a later time, I can't tell the exact time but she will come back today. You can wait or come back later." 

Suzuka looked around the main hall of the guild and spotted Laughing Larry sitting at a desk, alone in contemplation. He was occupied with flipping a shiny silver coin over and over in his hand as if lost in thought. 

Larry seemed to be in a world of his own, with an uncharacteristically serene expression on his face. The normally boisterous man was unusually quiet, and Suzuka couldn't help but wonder what was occupying his mind.

Suzuka made her way toward Larry, as she approached, she greeted him with a warm smile and a cheerful "Hi Larry!"

 At the sound of her voice, Larry's demeanor changed instantly. He looked up, his usual mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Hey there Helen!" he exclaimed. "What's up? Oh my, you look fantastic in that brand-new armor! I bet it cost you a pretty penny. Shall I guess? 4 gold coins, perhaps?" Larry teased, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Despite his jest, it was clear that he was genuinely impressed by Suzuka's appearance and the armor she wore.

Suzuka replied to Larry, "No, it's 250 silver for a complete set of custom-fitted armor, including weapon repair." Larry was mightly impressed and let out a low whistle. "Wow! What a great deal!" he exclaimed. "Did old man Walter hook you up with the goods?"

Suzuka nodded, "Yes, that's right, he didn't disappoint. He hooked me up with the best armor I've ever had. It fits me like a glove and I know my weapons will always be in top shape with his repair services."

Larry smiled broadly, "That's great to hear. Old Man Walter definitely knows his stuff. But I have to warn you, Walter can get carried away with his deals. He will offer you sweet deals until your butt is naked. Just keep that in mind."

Suzuka said, "Yeah, he did try to squeeze me dry. Offered me to buy a new weapon along with the armor. I mean he is not wrong I need a new weapon, a bigger weapon but the price is too high for me."

Larry said, "Let me guess, a cool-looking weapon for a strong adventurer like you. A year-long payment plan for 100 gold coins. That is his usual attempt to reel in some fools."

Suzuka answered, "Yeah, something like that."

The attendant walked away from her reception desk, Larry noticed that and looked around. Then he turns serious, his voice calm and stead, "Listen, Helen, word of advice. Do not go on adventures with people you don't know, never. Go alone or with people from the guild you are registered in."

Suzuka lowered her voice and asked, "Why so serious all of a sudden, Larry?"

Larry looked her dead in the eyes and said, "I am not joking, look, some other guild adventurers might invite you on a quest just to kill you and take your gear, then sell it for an easy silver. If someone backstabs you, no matter how strong you are, your journey will end there and then."  

Suzuka said, "Okay, thanks for the warning."

 Larry turned back to his usual self and asked, "So? Hey! What are ya doing now? Care to go on a quick adventure? I have a quest, just waiting for someone to tag along."

Suzuka hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of whether or not to accept the offer. However, after some consideration, she ultimately agreed to go on the quest with Larry, "Okay Larry, you have me intrigued. Show me what you got."

 She sat at the same table as Larry and asked about the quest. Larry suddenly turned serious and explained the objectives of their quest and the potential challenges they may face along the way, "So! This is what I got, a kill quest. A three-star difficulty quest. This is not something a rookie would be allowed to do, but I am an Advance rank 2 adventurer, so I can take these quests. Here's the thing, we would need to kill bloody wolfs, the number is unknown, it is not written. Don't worry, they don't hunt or travel in packs. I would guess it's one or two of them."

Suzuka, "Yeah, I had a run-in with them a few times, I am not too fond of them."

Larry, "Alright then, you have fought them before. That makes things easier. So, the reward is 30 silver, but don't get discouraged by the low reward, we will get a kill count to advance toward a title in our cards. Also, you will have one out of ten quests done for your rank up."

Suzuka said, "Okay, that sounds good to me. I came prepared, when can we go and kill these wolfs."

Larry said, "We can go right now, I was just waiting for any free adventurer to pass by and join me on the quest, if you really ready we can go. Oh! Almost forgot, the reward we split 50-50, deal?"

Suzuka slightly nodded and said, "Sure Larry, your quest your rules." 

Suzuka and Larry, after agreeing on a quest, embarked on a journey to the location specified in the quest description. The quest took them to the outskirts of a town, where the farthest farms were situated. 

The area was known for monster attacks, surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills. The air was crisp and fresh, with a gentle breeze blowing through the fields. As they walked, Suzuka and Larry chatted about the quest and what they might encounter along the way.

Both of them met with the client who had hired them for the quest. During the meeting, the client provided more precise information on the location of the bloody wolves. He pulled out a map and indicated the exact spot where a few bloody wolfs were last seen.

Larry was an experienced adventurer, who had traversed the terrain surrounding Rockmine town many times. He was well-acquainted with the area and knew every nook and cranny.

He knew the way where to go and had a good idea of where the wolfs could be hiding. On the other hand, Suzuka was unfamiliar with the surroundings and had to rely on Larry's guidance.

Larry said to the quest giver, "Good man, I have a pretty good idea where these bloody wolfs are hiding, you have nothing to worry about. We will handle this."

With that said, Larry walked outside and proceeded toward the forest. As they walked, Suzuka closely followed his directions, taking in the sights and sounds of the surroundings while Larry expertly navigated the path.

 Despite her lack of knowledge of the area, Suzuka was confident in Larry's ability to lead her, and she felt safe under his watchful eye. With his familiarity with the terrain, Larry took his sweet time and even showed Suzuka the most beautiful and interesting parts of that area, making their journey together an enjoyable and memorable experience.

 Suddenly Larry become serious, he crouched down and looked at the ground. He dropped his boisterous act and started talking in a normal and collected manner, "Listen, we need to be quiet. I noticed some traces, the quest giver lied. It is not a few bloody wolfs, it is a few packs. They probably fighting among themself for the territory. Regardless, there are at least 9 of them. At least I see 9 different footprints on the ground. I suggest we retreat, this is not worth our lives." 

Before Suzuka could even utter a sound, a deep growl caught their attention. To Larry's horror, he saw a large, menacing bloody wolf standing ominously behind them. Larry, however, didn't seem intimidated by the sight of the beast. With lightning-fast reflexes, he leaped in front of Suzuka, positioning himself as her protector.

"Stay behind me," he said in a steady, reassuring voice. "I've got this." Despite the danger of the situation, he remained calm and collected. "Keep your eyes open, and be ready to run if more of these creatures appear. Don't do anything that might put you in harm's way; this is your first quest, after all."

Suzuka was taken aback by Larry's demeanor. Despite having previously perceived him as a shady and unreliable character, she was now witnessing a completely different side to him. He exuded a sense of composure and assurance, leaving her feeling surprised and impressed.

Suzuka remained silent, not uttering a single word in response to Larry. Instead, she took immediate action, unsheathing her sword with a swift and fluid motion. She launched the weapon toward the menacing wolf. The sword flew through the air with great force, embedding itself deep into the skull of the beast with a sickening thud.

 The wolf let out a final, desperate howl before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Suzuka's quick thinking and excellent aim ended the threat posed by the vicious predator in a single, decisive blow. 

Larry said with a complimenting tone, "Well! Nice kill," Larry continued with advice, "I would say, that's one way to kill it. But next time, do not throw away your only weapon."

Suzuka said, "Oh, don't worry about me, Larry. I can take care of myself. But... thanks for standing up for me. I appreciate it."

Larry was surprisingly serious, "I took you out on the quest, of course, I will put your safety first. But let's chat later, back to the matter at hand. Do we continue or do we retreat? I can clearly see that you can handle yourself just fine, but this is just too much trouble even for me. Your call, I am fine either way. I will not shy away even if it's only 15 silver each."

Suzuka said without hesitation, "Show the way, Larry, we can do it." 

Larry and Suzuka wandered through the dense forest, their footsteps echoing softly on the carpet of fallen leaves and twigs. Larry was tracking the wolf pack, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any signs of movement. After about thirty minutes of searching, they finally stumbled upon a small cave entrance where three of the wolves were sleeping.

Suzuka cautiously approached the cave, her hand hovering over the hilt of her sword. She turned to Larry and whispered, "I can handle two of them. Can you take care of the last one?"

Larry nodded, a confident smile spreading across his face. He unsheathed his weapon and stepped forward, ready for action. "Leave it to me," he replied, his voice steady and reassuring.

With a final nod, the two companions split up, each moving silently toward their designated targets. The forest was deathly quiet as they closed in on the sleeping wolves.

Suzuka quickly assessed the situation and sprang into action. With lightning-fast reflexes, she grabbed her sword and with a flick of her wrist, launched it at one of the wolves. The blade found its mark, embedding itself deep within the animal's side, killing it instantly.

Not wasting a moment, Suzuka then used her magic box power, directing it towards the second wolf. The wolf howled in terror as the magical force enveloped its head and crush it, leaving it lifeless on the ground.

Meanwhile, Larry, a stealthy and cunning fighter, had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. Sensing that the time was now, he quietly approached the final wolf. In one swift motion, he plunged the blade into the beast's back, striking it with deadly accuracy. The wolf fell to the ground, defeated.