Chapter 37

Today, I planned to relax and go shopping, but it seems that’s not going to happen.

I stood up before the Adventurer Guild employee could even explain the details of the mission.

If I listened to the conditions and they were good, someone else might snatch it away.

So, it’s best to bid first-come, first-serve.

“I’ll take that mission.”

“B-but…!”

The guild employee looked at me in confusion.

Was it because I accepted without hearing the details?

But having someone take it is better than no one, so it’s a relief.

“Don’t worry. No matter the details, I won’t back out.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Don’t jump to conclusions without even trying.”

“It’s not that… This mission requires at least a Silver rank.”

The employee pointed to the urgent mission request he brought.

Fruit Tree Antlered Reindeer Awakening Species Subjugation Request

Subjugation Rank: Silver

Eligible Applicants: Silver rank adventurers or higher

“…”

Ah.

At the guild employee’s words, I felt a pang of embarrassment and sat back down.

Damn.

If Karina were here, she could have taken it for me.

Sitting back down, I had to swallow my disappointment and shame.

Then, someone spoke to me as I sat there, disheartened.

“Hahaha! Tough luck, Lizardman bro.”

“Who’s there?”

Turning my head, I saw a red-haired Dwarf woman I had seen when I went down to the first floor of the Adventurer Guild.

Unlike most Dwarves, who are muscular from physical labor, she had no muscles and looked like a human in her early teens.

Her delicate appearance even made me doubt if she was really an adventurer.

Her wavy red hair gave her the look of a noble lady, but the overwhelming smell of alcohol and her aggressive nature were the only clues that she was a Dwarf.

But why was she talking to me?

Perhaps because I looked curious or due to the Dwarves’ straightforward way of speaking, she got straight to the point.

“You seem to want that urgent request. Want me to help?”

“You? How?”

“You can’t take it because you’re not Silver rank, right? If another Silver rank adventurer accompanies you, they can take the request for you.”

She showed her Silver rank adventurer badge.

Indeed, she was suggesting the same method I usually use—proxy requests.

But why?

Although I’ve spent most of my life in the Lizardman Village after reincarnating, I’m not a naive Lizardman who doesn’t understand the world.

There’s no such thing as a free favor.

If I were Silver rank, I might have thought she was inviting me to join her party, but I’m only Bronze.

“Adding me to your party won’t benefit you. What’s your angle?”

“What? Hahaha! No ulterior motives. I just want to help you since you can’t take the request.”

She laughed heartily and kept drinking her beer.

Watching her, she seemed like a cheerful drunk.

Well, even if she has some ulterior motive, I can think about that later.

Whatever it is, it can’t be more important than hunting the Awakening Species Fruit Tree Antlered Reindeer.

Sometimes, even if it seems like a trap, you have to take the path.

Like the meat of the Fruit Tree Antlered Reindeer.

I silently shook hands with the Dwarf woman, who was waiting for my answer.

And so, my instant two-person party with a woman I just met was formed.

.

.

.

The Dwarf woman’s name was Serena.

“Just call me Rena,” she said, sipping distilled liquor from a glass bottle.

“You’re still drinking even after starting the mission. Are you really a Silver rank adventurer?”

“Hoho. You don’t know. I can only do my best when I drink.”

“Ah. Right.”

At first, I thought she had some ulterior motive, but as we worked together, Serena turned out to be more of a mess than I expected.

Even if Dwarves love alcohol, drinking during a mission?

Now I wonder if she took the request not because of some trap but because no one of her rank would team up with her, so she lowered her standards to me.

No, with that attitude, it’s pretty clear.

Still, how did she manage to reach Silver rank with such an irresponsible attitude?

Silver rank is where adventurers start making a name for themselves…

Is Silver rank something anyone can achieve?

Under my suspicious gaze, Serena frowned and said, “What? Don’t believe me?”

“Must be my imagination.”

Though I reluctantly formed a party, I didn’t expect her to be a drunk with questionable behavior.

At least it’s not a trap to backstab me, but I don’t want to carry a drunk girl around while hunting.

I’ll finish this request quickly and avoid her from now on.

Thinking this, I walked the mountain path with Serena.

.

.

.

Serena watched Kurt’s back as he led the way.

‘Even though he doesn’t trust me now and clearly doesn’t want to be involved, once he sees me in action against a monster, his thoughts will completely change.’

Karina, who assessed the Lizardman’s qualifications, seemed to think highly of him, granting him Bronze rank from the start, but he’s still just a Bronze rank adventurer.

‘Starting at Bronze rank shows promise, but compared to a Silver rank adventurer like me, who’s even more special, he’s nothing.’

According to Wendy, the receptionist at the Adventurer Guild, after registering as an adventurer, the only mission he took was hunting a Three-legged Fowl, a Stone rank mission.

Since then, he hasn’t taken any proper missions.

Of course, that was a misjudgment because she didn’t know Kurt had gone to Leila to take on a Sea Golem subjugation request.

Since the Sea Golem request was beyond Kurt’s Bronze rank, it was taken under Karina’s name, leading Wendy to think Kurt was a rookie who hadn’t done anything since hunting the Three-legged Fowl.

‘So, once he sees my exceptional skills while hunting monsters, his dismissive gaze will turn into one of admiration.’

After that, it would be smooth sailing.

This Lizardman named Kurt would obviously want to team up with her, and then she could finally achieve her true hidden goal.

Slurp.

‘Oops. I accidentally drooled…’

Her goal.

It was Kurt’s cooking, which she often noticed while drinking alone at the Adventurer Guild.

Through this mission, she would show off her overwhelming skills, making him want to team up with her, the outstanding adventurer.

Then, she would play hard to get, eventually saying she might team up with him occasionally.

In return, she would ask him to cook for her like he did for Karina.

If that happened, he would be so worried she might change her mind that he wouldn’t refuse her offer and would instead do his best to make delicious snacks for her.

Thinking this far, Serena suppressed her drooling and sipped her distilled liquor with a foolish smile.

“Hehe… Hehehe…”

And Kurt, hearing the stupid laughter behind him, thought, ‘Alcoholism followed by bipolar symptoms… I really shouldn’t acknowledge her after this mission.’

And one more thing.

‘After the mission, I should make some delicious food for Mari and Karina. Compared to them, they’re like angels.’

Thus, in an unexpected place, Kurt realized the value of his party members as they headed to the location where the Awakening Species had been sighted.