First Outing (Outside the Village)
“Good morning, Dad!”
“Heh, mornin’, Vio. Let’s get some breakfast first.”
I thought I’d be too excited to sleep last night, but the outfit changes and showing everything off must’ve tired me out mentally, I fell asleep right after my bath without even realizing it. Thanks to that, I woke up feeling great!
I used [Clean], and while Dad was cooking eggs, I got the plates and drinks ready.
“Dad, which one today? First adventure? Or adventurer’s daughter?”
"Let's see here… first adventure sounds about right. It's yer first time in the forest for real, after all."
Got it! I dashed into the room with the dresser and changed into the adventurer gear I got yesterday.
“First adventure” is the shorts-style outfit. Apparently I can mix and match however I want, but since professionals picked this coordination for me, I’m going to wear it properly as intended.
Put on the tights, then the high-neck inner layer, the white shirt, and the shorts, then the whip belt. I won’t attach the daggers until I’m heading out. I can’t sit down otherwise.
Ah! Stuff like this makes me want some kind of inventory-like magic. Maybe I should ask Professor Doua about it?
I can put the vest on right before leaving.
When I changed into my boots and went back to the living room, Dad had just finished piling eggs onto the plates.
“Mhm, mhm… looks mighty good on ya.”
He praised me a lot yesterday too, but Lilium and the others were way more intense about it. Still, getting praised again like this makes me happy… and a little embarrassed.
That’s right, today I’m going to take my very first subjugation request.
I thought I’d reach Bronze rank by the end of the month, but I hit it in the fourth week.
But my weapons and gear are ready, I graduated from the academy, and Dad said, “Wanna give it a go?” So of course I said yes right away, what else was I supposed to do?
I’m not underestimating it. Even if they’re monsters, I’ll be killing living things. I know I’m excited, but I’ll be careful in the forest.
Back when I traveled with Mom, we didn’t just stay in towns, we often moved through forests.
At the time, I thought it was for gathering herbs, but looking back, I think she was avoiding the main roads.
I don’t remember any big cities either. It felt like villages about the same size as Samania Village.
And I didn’t mention this to the Guildmaster and the others, but I think Mom sold herbs not at the Adventurers’ Guild, but at small shops like pharmacies.
Because I was told Adventurers’ Guilds are built similarly everywhere so adventurers from any region won’t get confused.
The size changes depending on the town or village, but the layout is the same, reception area, waiting space, training grounds and infirmary and meeting rooms (classrooms) in the basement, reference room and large conference room on the second floor, and the Guildmaster’s room above that.
Which means… until I came to this village, I’d never stepped inside an Adventurers’ Guild even once. Thinking about it, Mom’s guild tag was kept in the Magic Bag, and both the party name and guild name had been scratched off.
When you trade at the guild, you use a guild card, and your tag has to be worn around your neck to prove your rank.
If she wasn’t doing that, then Mom must’ve been deliberately hiding her identity as an adventurer.
Maybe I’d learn more about her if I could open that treasure chest… but it can’t be helped.
So I want to reach the same level as her, Silver high rank, on my own.
Exploring dungeons is one of my goals, but I also want to look into my father, who might be dead. If he’s alive, I’ve got a complaint or two waiting for him.
Starting today, as a Bronze-rank adventurer, I’m finally beginning real adventurer work.
After finishing breakfast, I steeled myself again and did a proper stretch, Dad chuckled at me a little.
Today I’m bringing the Magic Bag. I had Lilium adjust it, adding straps so I can wear it like a backpack.
A shoulder bag would just get in the way when running or drawing daggers.
The bag used to be white, but since that stands out too much, they dyed it into a dark brown backpack. With the vest on, the sword belt at my waist, and the backpack on my back, perfect.
“Dad, how do I look?”
“Hm? Oh yeah… you look like a proper adventurer now. Lookin’ mighty cool, Vio.”
Geez, Dad really knows how to compliment someone.
I didn’t even notice the way his eyes softened as he watched me jump around happily at being called “cool,” and we left the house earlier than I usually would for the academy.
Normally, you’d register at the guild before taking a request, but today I’m going after Horn Rabbits, a standing subjugation request, so we’re heading out without stopping by the guild.
That means instead of the west gate where the guild is, we’re leaving through the east gate, which is closer to home.
“Oh? Heading out, Alke? Ohh, Vio, that’s quite the brave outfit, off to the forest, are you?”
The gate guard called out to us.
During the children’s herb gathering, village adults would join as watchers whenever they had time to keep things safe.
Because of that, I got to know adults too, even ones without kids my age. This guard is one of the people I became friendly with during gathering.
“Yeah! I’m going to hunt Horned Rabbits!”
“Is that so? Stay safe out there.”
We waved and passed through the gate.
I drifted into Samania Village in the second month of spring, around early May in Earth terms.
Three full months had passed since then, and now I’d grown strong enough to go outside the village like this.
I hate that bald jerk of a lord who abandoned me, and I’m still angry at the girl who stole my mom’s necklace, but I’m grateful that, thanks to them, I got to meet Dad. And I’m really glad my abilities weren’t discovered in that country.
Beyond the village gate, vast fields spread out.
I could see adults working in them too, this is amazing.
There were fields scattered around inside the village and even a small forest, but I didn’t expect something this wide.
And in the distance, steep mountains stretched across the horizon, making me realize all over again that this village is truly on the frontier.
“Dad, are those mountains the border? Are there dragons up there?”
“Yeah, beyond them mountains is the Empire. Far to the east of ’em is the Menexes Kingdom, and way west past the river is the Republic.
As for dragons… there ain’t supposed to be any nests on them mountains… I reckon.
The dragons oughta be on the side closer to the Menexes Kingdom, so long as they ain’t wandered over this way.”
Right, the mountains are connected, so if they’ve been breeding, it wouldn’t be strange if some young dragons had moved around.
Well, apparently they don’t just come down into human settlements out of nowhere, so unless you try to cross the border mountains recklessly, you won’t run into one.
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