Chapter 73: Exploring the Depths of the Forest
“That ended quicker than I expected.”
“We ended up with more time than we thought.”
It was just before noon. Even if we returned now, we would only be able to report our completed quest to the Guild.
“Alright, since we’re already in the forest, how about we take a little stroll?”
“Sounds good. There might not be as many ferocious monsters as in the Forest of Enchantment, but I’m a bit curious about the Silver Wolves.”
“And we should also keep an eye out for Wild Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms.”
With that decided, we changed our destination. We stepped onto the main path through the forest, heading deeper in the opposite direction of the village. We ignored the signs that read “Deeper into the Forest” and indicated that the Heavenly Wolf Garden was no longer ahead. The monster extermination quests around the D-rank Heavenly Wolf Garden were likely limited to this area.
“Looks like we won’t run into many people here.”
With that in mind, we had a light lunch before venturing further into the depths. As we walked, I carefully observed the trees, but I couldn’t find any that seemed likely to bear Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms.
“They’re not going to be easy to find.”
“Should we pick up the pace?”
Instead of slowly traversing a path that looked the same, we decided to soar ahead to where the scenery might change. After about ten minutes, the path narrowed and eventually disappeared, leaving only faint traces of a beast trail. The presence of monsters that I had sensed near the Heavenly Wolf Garden had diminished, but I could still feel a slightly stronger presence gathering in the distance.
“Could that be the Silver Wolves?”
“Maybe.”
“It might be faster to look for monsters that eat mushrooms.”
Rather than searching each tree one by one, it would be easier to find monsters detected by my presence detection. We adjusted our course toward the gathering of monsters. As we approached from downwind, they came into view. Indeed, I could see wolves with shimmering silver fur. The appraisal results confirmed they were Silver Wolves without a doubt.
“What are they doing?”
The Silver Wolves were sniffing the ground as if searching for something. Some were digging, while others had their faces buried in the earth.
“Could they be eating Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms?”
“Wait, wolves eat mushrooms?”
“Well, there are monsters called Heavenly Wolves, and there’s a mushroom named Heavenly Wolf Mushroom, right? It seems plausible.”
“That might be true, but…”
“Then let’s find out.”
Since they were right in front of us, we could easily check.
“Good point.”
With that decided, we charged in. There were twelve of them in total, and we decided to split the task evenly between us.
As we both leaped forward, we initiated a surprise attack. I summoned my familiar Earth Needles and launched them all at once. The needles pierced the heads of the Silver Wolves, who had been engrossed in their search. However, one of them noticed and managed to evade, escaping into the underbrush.
“That was easier than I thought.”
“Our surprise attack worked well, didn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Though we let one escape, there was no need to chase after it. Our real goal was to discover what the Silver Wolves were searching for. I peered into the ground where one had been digging, but found nothing of interest.
“Hmm, nothing here.”
Rio was also searching under the moss and around the roots of the trees, but it seemed she found nothing either. For now, we decided to keep looking until we finished draining the blood from the Silver Wolves, but ultimately, we didn’t find any Wild Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms that day.
“It’s not going to be that easy.”
I nodded at Rio’s words as we made our way back to the village before sunset.
“It’s still the first day, so let’s keep searching for a while longer. I can’t forget that taste…!”
“Haha.”
With renewed determination, I clenched my fist, earning a wry smile from Rio. Even if she found me ridiculous, I would remain true to my appetite.
Upon returning to the Adventurer’s Guild, we reported our completed quest and sold the spoils we had gathered from the Heavenly Wolf Garden. I decided to hold off on selling the Silver Wolves for now; it would be troublesome if anyone suspected we had ventured into the deeper parts of the Heavenly Wolf Garden. I planned to stay low-key for a while longer.
As usual, the staff at the counter were surprised by the number of items I pulled from my Dimensional Box, but I brushed it off. This brought my total of E-rank quest completions to twenty-eight. The next rank felt far away.
“Now then, would you prefer your reward in cash or Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms?”
After calculating my rewards, the receptionist at the counter asked. I had almost forgotten that I could choose. My answer was already decided.
“I’ll take the Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms, please.”
“Understood.”
The four small Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms handed to me felt generous considering the reward amount, but they were likely close to their original cost at the source. Transportation costs in this world were no joke.
“Hmm, looking at these Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms is making me hungry.”
While they might not compare to the wild ones, regular Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms were still delicious.
“Shall we head back to the inn for dinner?”
“Yeah. I wonder if they’ll cook these Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms for us if we ask.”
“Haha, you might as well give it a shot.”
“You’re right.”
And so, we finished our work for the day and returned to the inn. The staff happily prepared the Heavenly Wolf Mushrooms we brought, and as always, they were delicious beyond words.