Chapter 8: To the Elf Village 02
The next morning, after meeting with Mariane in front of the guild, we headed to the apothecary where Ms. Hofena was waiting.
At first glance, the apothecary run by Ms. Hofena looked like an ordinary house, but once we were guided inside, the air was filled with a scent reminiscent of herbal medicine, creating an unmistakable atmosphere of a place that dealt with potions.
In a room that resembled a reception area, Mariane, the three of us, and Ms. Hofena, who brought in tea, gathered around the table. According to my Presence Detection skill, there seemed to be one more person in the house. Perhaps a family member or an assistant.
Once everyone had their tea, the beautiful elf in a white coat, Ms. Hofena, opened her mouth with an eager expression.
“Thank you for accepting the request so promptly. How did it go? What were the results?”
“Here they are. Please take a look.”
Mariane began to lay out the rabbit horns on the table from a large bag. When the horn of the Bicorn Rabbit was placed last, Ms. Hofena’s eyes sparkled as she spread her arms wide.
“Wonderful! Amazing! Such precious horns! And even the Bicorn Rabbit! Choosing Soushi’s party was the right decision!”
She took my hand, practically ready to dance with joy. If she was this happy, it felt like a true reward for an adventurer… or so I thought.
Clearing her throat, Mariane waited for Ms. Hofena to sit down, her face flushed with excitement, before continuing.
“I would like to ask you to take these at the agreed price. Additionally, Soushi has a request to make. This request is also on behalf of the guild, so I hope you can agree to it.”
“Huh…? Understood. What is it?”
Ms. Hofena looked puzzled, but when I showed a serious expression, she straightened her posture.
“The request is to keep the fact that our party was the one who harvested the rabbit horns a secret.”
“A secret… Why is that?”
“If it becomes known that we can easily harvest rabbit horns, various inconveniences may arise.”
“Inconveniences…”
Ms. Hofena lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back at me.
“For example, an influx of requests, or other adventurers trying to uncover our secret for harvesting. Something along those lines?”
“Yes, exactly. If such situations arise, we may not be able to accept any future requests from you, Ms. Hofena.”
That was our trump card, and as I expected, it seemed to have a significant effect. Ms. Hofena nodded in a flustered manner.
“I understand. I will absolutely keep it to myself. As someone in business, I have no intention of ruining others’ livelihoods.”
“Thank you very much. That’s all for this matter. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
With that, there should be no issues regarding this matter. Even if Ms. Hofena remained silent, our unique abilities might eventually be discovered, but by then, we would likely have moved to another location.
“Then, I can count on you for my future requests, right?”
“Of course. However, we may not be able to take on requests too frequently.”
“That’s perfectly fine. But since Mariane is here today, I would like to request a new task for Soushi’s party. This time, it’s a request for escorting to the Elf Village, not for harvesting…”
“An escort request, you say?”
Another sudden topic had arisen.
Glancing at Freinir and Larni, it seemed both were intrigued. Well, I too found the idea of the “Elf Village” quite captivating. It was a classic fantasy trope, after all.
Since Mariane showed no particular objection, I decided to hear her out.
“Please, go on.”
“Thank you. Before that, I need to introduce someone, so please wait a moment.”
With that, Ms. Hofena left the room and returned shortly with a woman in tow.
“This is Sfenia, an adventurer who has come from the village. In fact, the request for the rabbit horns originated from her.”
“I am Sfenia, an adventurer from the Inner Elf Village, Ardolf. I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.”
The woman introduced by Ms. Hofena greeted us politely. With her shimmering silver hair tied in a ponytail, she was exceptionally beautiful, even among the elves known for their stunning looks—a delicate, doll-like beauty.
According to the explanations from Ms. Hofena and Sfenia, it seemed that a plague had broken out in a certain elf village.
Sfenia had come to Ms. Hofena to have medicine made for the plague, which was the reason for the request for rabbit horns.
“Thanks to Soushi’s party, we have gathered the materials, but the potion must be concocted based on the symptoms. Therefore, I must go to the village, but there are dangerous areas along the way… That’s why I would like to request the escort of reliable adventurers.”
This was the reason Ms. Hofena was making the escort request.
“I understand your request. By the way, may I ask if it’s acceptable for non-elves to enter the Elf Village?”
Sfenia answered my question.
“Indeed, there are villages that avoid non-elves, but the village we are heading to is not one of those.”
“Is there a dungeon near that village?”
“Yes, there is one dungeon each of F and D class nearby. Of course, entry is permitted.”
In that case, it seemed well worth the visit.
After confirming with Freinir and Larni, they both expressed their eagerness: “I will follow Soushi,” and “I’m interested in the Elf Village, so I want to go,” leading to an immediate decision.
“Understood. We will accept the request.”
“Great! Thank you very much!”
Ms. Hofena’s face relaxed in relief as she exchanged nods with Sfenia.
“Then let’s complete the necessary paperwork here.”
Thanks to Mariane’s efficient handling of the paperwork, it was settled that we would depart tomorrow morning. It looked like today would be a day for preparing for the long journey ahead. I was grateful to have acquired the Item Box beforehand. Truly, it was all thanks to my Bad Luck skill.