CASE 1. The Case of Elsa, a White Rank Adventurer
I left Vardmoi with the first customer, the White Rank adventurer Elsa.
Our goal was a rocky area deep beyond the cliff where we usually hunt Ogres.
I was told that monsters called Rock Wolves lives there.
The Rock Wolves have a dull fur color ranging from gray to brown, as they reside in the rocky area.
They always hunt in groups and are carnivorous.
However, they are intelligent and do not engage in reckless hunting.
Interestingly, these Rock Wolves seem to have evolved two stages beyond the common Plain Wolves often seen in the grasslands.
The Adventurers’ Guild requested the taming of this Rock Wolf, and although it shouldn’t be a problem, it’s quite the task.
“… Lady Lily, we’ll soon enter the Rock Wolves’ territory.”
“Understood. Continue to stay vigilant, Wildcat Claws.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Ugh… I’m sorry, Lily. All this for my sake.”
“Don’t worry, Elsa. It’s my job too.”
“Yes…”
This time, Elsa, a 17-year-old White-ranker from Vardmoi, was the escort target.
There was a reason for her being a White-ranker, despite being already 17 years old. She worked in her father’s restaurant until this summer.
However, her father fell ill and couldn’t work anymore, leading Elsa to become an adventurer this year.
Yet, the world of adventurers is tough for a former town girl, and she hasn’t been able to climb to the Black Rank yet.
It just so happened that her qualities as a tamer were recognized when another tamer’s familiar, a wolf, took an interest in her while strolling around the city.
As a result of various training, she was recognized as a highly capable tamer, leading to today’s search for a familiar.
By the way, the sponsor for this request was her father, who seemed to have pushed hard for this request to the Tamers’ Guild.
She seems to be aware of it, feeling apologetic for involving us, despite putting on a determined front.
Well, she should just take it easy.
… But still, even though we entered the Rock Wolves’ territory, we were not getting attacked.
The Rock Wolves’ territory is a place off the beaten path from the highway, so travelers are rarely attacked normally.
However, we are right in the middle of that territory now.
We’re not intimidating them, and it’s like we are shouting, “Come and attack us,” but…
“… Ah! There’s a wolf presence over there!”
“Elsa, which way is ‘over there’?”
“In the direction a little up the rocky mountain. Could we go check it out?”
“Lady Lily, most likely, that area is where the Rock Wolves’ nest is…”
“Well, if we go to the nest, there will undoubtedly be a reaction, whether we like it or not. Let’s do as Elsa suggested.”
We changed our path to climb the rocky mountain.
After overcoming several rocks, there was a square-like area where the Rock Wolves were present.
However, despite being cautious, they seemed somewhat listless.
I wonder if something happened?
After observing their situation for a while without moving, a larger Rock Wolf from the group approached us.
However, it didn’t show any signs of attacking.
Instead, it sat near the midpoint between us and started gesturing as if appealing for something.
Ah, this is something you wouldn’t understand without the potential of a tamer.
“Hmm, I see.”
“Elsa, did you figure something out?”
“It seems the Rock Wolves are hungry. Apparently, an unfamiliar monster has settled in their usual hunting grounds, disrupting the Rock Wolves’ main food source. So, they haven’t had much to eat for a while.”
“I see. So, what’s the wish of that Rock Wolf?”
“They want food. If we promise them food and accept the entire pack, they are willing to become my familiars.”
Food, huh…
I only have Wonder Deer jerky and Gaya Tortoise jerky in my backpack, so I can’t give them anything right now.
We will have to go back to the city and buy some meat.
Elsa asked the leader of the Rock Wolves what kind of meat they wanted, and we returned to the city.
By the time we got back, the sun had tilted considerably, so gathering a large amount of meat at the butcher shop was quite challenging.
The Rock Wolves requested ‘muscular and chewy meat,’ but the quantity was indeed a problem.
Also, such meat was not very popular, so it was not readily available.
By the time we managed to gather enough meat, it was close to the evening closing time.
“We somehow made it in time.”
“Then, shall we go back to the Rock Wolves?”
“Yes. But, is it okay? Going there now would mean camping…”
“Don’t worry about it. Despite being a merchant most of the time, I’m also a Green Rank adventurer, so I have experience with camping.”
“Right. Thank you for your understanding.”
With Elsa, we returned to the Rock Wolves’ nest, and several Rock Wolves that seemed to recognize our scent welcomed us.
Since it was starting to get dark and the terrain was becoming less visible, the Rock Wolves standing as markers were really helpful.
Once we reached the nest, the leader came over and received the meat from Elsa.
After tasting the meat to confirm its safety, the leader fed it to the other members of the pack.
The pack prioritized the children and females, and the fighting males were last.
The amount of meat we brought seemed to be enough for everyone.
Once we confirmed that the pack had enough food, the leader of the pack came to Elsa’s feet and laid before her.
This was a submissive pose towards the other party.
Elsa immediately tamed the leader.
The leader, with Elsa’s familiar mark appearing on its forehead, howled loudly.
Following that, the other Rock Wolves in the pack also howled, and as they howled, their familiar marks appeared, turning them into Elsa’s familiars.
Apparently, by taming the pack leader, you can make all the followers instantly become familiars through some method.
I didn’t know about this.
We spent the night protected by the Rock Wolves, and with the pack, we returned to Vardmoi.
However, even in Vardmoi’s Tamers’ Guild, they hadn’t anticipated taming such a large pack of Rock Wolves, and they were in a hurry to prepare for their arrival.
Although they had become familiars and were calm, having a pack of monsters living in the city was challenging.
That’s something for the Tamers’ Guild to deal with, though.