Saharan Successor

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Chapter 139 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 4

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[Attacks on the Silverpine Forest Villages]

Difficulty: B-A

Reports have reached out from the surrounding villages of Silverpine Forest on the attacks of the beasts. The Elders have no idea the cause of those attacks, knowing how the forest has been relatively peaceful.

The leaders of those villages have sent a request to the Count of Como to help them in their struggle but without much success they have turned toward the Adventures Guild.

Quest Clear Conditions: Investigate the cause of the beast attacks, and solve the problem.

Quest Rewards: Unknown (Because of the collectivity of the ones who suffered the rewards can increase or decrease)

'Wow, so this is how gaining a quest feels for Mat? What should I do now?'

In front of Fayrene's face was the hologram of the quest and its description, making it easy for her to read it, and understand the requirements of the quest. Then underneath the hologram of the quest, another question was in front of her.

[The User has the choice of declining or accepting the quest]

'Really? This means I can't simply reject when such visions appear in front of my eyes?'

'But I don't have to since I want to experience this adventure myself. So? I should accept it.'

In a clumsy way as if she was experiencing this "Quest" interface for the first time, she moved her hand toward the hologram and pressed the [Accept] button.

[Ding!] [You have accepted the quest]

She jumped a bit, not expecting this notification from the System, and looking left and right, and then at Vek she saw him nod his head.

"With you Mistress coming along, it will be far more enjoyable to be on the road."

"I guess."

Fayrene's interest was immediately picked up by this quest. An unknown challenge, and after she went to clean herself of her sweat from her training and sparring, she immediately went to Jeanne's house to tell her about this quest, wanting to find if she wanted to tag along. Yet when she got to Jeanne's house where she was welcomed warmly by the Priestess, she heard the latter reply to her calmly, but in an apologetic way.

"I can't accompany you sister because I also began my training after I told dad about this new desire of mine. I can only bless you if you want."

"I understand. No need for blessings on me. I'll be off by tomorrow morning. You shouldn't be worried about me if I don't return in three days or more, since this quest of mine is in Toulmont Duchy. The journey there will take some days, and solving the problem will take another couple of days."

"Toulmont? Don't tell me something bad happened there again?"

"What do you mean, again?" asked Fayrene, confused, while Jeanne looked at her with some worry on her face, replying to her uncertainty.

"I didn't tell you, but Toulmont was attacked by a Lich and also the Yatan Servants, taking the Duchess unprepared by this attack, and there was a lot of damage done to the capital city of the Duchy."

"A Lich? Servants of Yatan? Things were so dangerous there that the news didn't reach Titan?"

"It would lead to panic, the Duchess Basara did well to keep things under her control and request father's aid who sent brother Gabrils to deal with the Lich and its undead servants."

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because you had no reason to know? Right now is different since you have your way to Toulmont, so it is better you know and prepare yourself for the worst."

"I will check on some villages around Silverpine Forest, not go directly to Toulmont City." told Fayrene who filled Jeanne in with the contents of the quest Vek and her would try to solve.

"Be careful of yourself and don't get hurt." mentioned Jeanne after hearing the details while she walked to her room and later returning with a bag of potions.

"What are those for?"

"Health Potions I received from the Church. I don't need them, but now you'll need them just in case."

"Sigh, don't spoil me, you are younger than me, but I will take it. Sisters should take care of one another."

"That is a fact."

.

With Fayrene finding herself consulting with Jeanne about her first quest ever, telling Jeanne about the villages request and also listening to her advice, later on with her departing from her house it was already the 6th day inside Satisfy since Mathias's departure, while for Mathias was just the second day since he returned home, celebrating with his family Christmas.

She completed four days of training with Vek, sparring with him and having the chance of experiencing the taste of loss, even though it frustrated her deep down initially, after realizing that she was still that weak peasant girl from the beginning, it calmed her down, planting her with the feet on the ground.

Vek even told her that the fact she realized not to be arrogant will help her, with his remark sticking to her like slugs.

『 Mistress, you should always be humble in defeat, this is what Lord had keep reminding me. Being able to realize this before you even got to be trained by Lord Mathias is good, it excuses you from suffering his beating.』

'What got into me, I can only do some magic spells, and I think of myself as some Great Arcanist? If I was in the era of the Archmage, he probably would be looking down at me for even thinking that.'

It didn't take long for Fayrene to realize this truth, and slowly things would look better for her, in what regarded her magic path. She was in the end only a little girl compared to the inborn magical creatures or the mages who lived hundreds of years pursuing the art of magic.

.

Returning home, she failed to see Vek in the house, with only Lady Ann, Joel, her granddaughter and the orphans being around the house in the living room, the salon, where they were munching on some cookies.

"Fayrene, you've returned, I cooked some fresh cookies for the kids, there's some for you too." said the old lady with a warm smile on her face when she saw Fayrene enter inside the house.

"Thank you."

The fact that lady Ann was here to watch over the kids made it easier for Fayrene to continue pursuing and training herself in the magic arts. She was also a good discussion partner that made the time pass faster, listening to her life advice that ranged from how she should maintain her body to a beautiful shape, to how to keep her man from running to another woman's legs.

She also had some experience in sewing, and was a good listener to Fayrene stories about her progress in tailoring, and the stories about her mother working for some magnificent dresses while she was only a little girl.

"I still can't believe you are the daughter of Lady Jasmine, the Master Tailor of the Arundell Family. I didn't believe little Mathias when he mentioned this, but now even you, now I understand where that talent comes from. How is your grandfather doing, Master Niccolò."

"Granny Ann, my relationship with the family in Grenhaler is a bit, how should I say, not so good. Because mom had a quarrel with grandfather, who opposed her marrying dad, she broke most relations with the rest of the family. I have only visited my grandfather three times since I can remember, the first time was when I was 4 years old, the second time when I was 9, and the last time was when I was 14."

"Now things make sense, the reason Lady Jasmine no longer appears in the public and banquets at the court of Duke Grenhal."

"It is fine, I don't really care about the rest of the family aside from my parents and brothers. Still, lady Ann, how did you know about my grandfather?"

"Hah, this old hag, I used to be a Merchant that traveled around the whole world with the Caravan of my Husband. The number of important people I have met can't even be counted on my fingers. My name is Annabel Rihel, I doubt it rings a bell since I am just an old hag right now, but my goods were the pristine quality desired by the Courts of Kings and even the Saharan Emperors."

"Sorry granny, I am not someone from Titan, and most of my life was spent at the farm, I don't know a lot about people of the past and those with notoriety. However, I try to learn more from the books I bought."

"Child, don't worry. Those things are just a fragment of the past, something that no longer follows me."

Their talk continued on at some warm tea, where Lady Ann was talking about her experiences with the Caravan especially when she found that Fayrene would go on an quest outside of Titan, and beside this, there was still one more member of this party that was experiencing himself the atmosphere of Titan.

A small creature wearing leather clothes, with something being wrapped at his back, with two small horns over his head, was admiring the large world before him. Even the Lower City of Titan, the Slums, had buildings that still marked him since at his home, the biggest building was either the Temple or the Elder's Mansion.

Taking his time, he appeared to be walking around the Grand Market trying to find the entrance of this place, seeing that he was failing he decided to follow Mathias's advice to simply follow where a larger group of people moved.

Finding success with this method, his small draconic head was moving left and right at the Stalls brimming with goods, and as he was visiting different stalls, in his search for supplies, there were some words that came from his mouth. This creature stirred a lot of hateful looks from the people in the Grand Market, but the creature didn't seem to be affected in those moments as he was  murmuring certain names that made the people confused.

"Adder's Tongue, Bruiseweed and what else did Elder mention was good for treating flesh wounds and other poisons? Right, I remember, Azure Snapdragon, Briarthorn and Dreamfoil."

From what it looked, Vek had his list prepared but finding those herbs was a hurdle for him since it was the first time he arrived in the Grand Market without Mathias accompanying him, but understanding what his mentor done in his visits to the Market, he tried to mimic him.

Using his keen sense of smell, he started drifting toward the place where merchants selling medicinal plants were located, and once he found his target, a middle-aged man with a long beard and winter clothes.

Excitement could be read on Vek's face, and rushing toward the middle-aged man like a child who found the ice-cream man, he took a deep sniff from all the plants on the stall which made him salivate.

The merchant who noticed that Vek wasn't human, wasn't bothered too much by his amusing antics, and placing his hand to stop the kobold from drenching his plants in saliva, he asked him in a professional manner.

"Young man, how can I help you?"

"Ahh, sorry. Right, the plants."

It was unknown to him if the names of the plants he placed on his list was the same for the humans, but he couldn't back down now, trying to find out the one he thought to be the common type.

"Mister, do you have Adder's Tongue?" asked Vek after he arrived in front of a stall where a man was wearing winter clothes, and arranged his goods, mostly plants and herbs.

"Adder? What's that?"

Hearing that, Vek's expression shifted a bit, turning panicked, and in his silence, he started thinking.

"..."

He also had no other common name for the plant.

"Can I try explaining how the plant looks and smells?"

"If it helps me help you, why not? Go on, tell me young man, what are you looking for?"

Nonetheless, he tried to explain to the merchant what it looked like, color, and its pungent smell.

"Ohhh, Finger of Flail, I think I have some but because of the winter most of them froze."

"It is all fine, also there are other plants if you could help me with."

"I am all ears, little friend. It is rare to have a customer from afar." responded the merchant, not hostile at all by the fact Vek was a kobold, however some people at their stalls give Vek a cold, scornful look, almost superior to him.

Before going to search for his plants, the merchant in question, a late 40s man with a normal appearance of a common, simple man, stopped to ask Vek for his other plants, but while mentioning to him.

"I doubt what plants you know have the same name as what we humans use, so if you would help me by describing the plants I could find it easier for you."

"Of course, then I will start with Bruiseweed. This plant is a tall thistle plant with flowers that range from pale blue to faded purple. Usually from what I know it grows best in partial shade. When you touch or rub on the skin, it leaves a purplish, bluish stain that bears uncanny resemblance to a bruise."

"I also have that plant, go on friend, your knowledge of plants is really interesting."

"The next one? Briarthorn, is a shrub that grows in densely knotted, thorn-covered vines with a thick, woody outer coating."

"Noted, I might have it, it sounds familiar."

Vek nodded his head, and continued on telling the merchant about his plants, and after 30 minutes of talking back and forth with this herb seller, he managed to buy only 5 plants on his list, with the rarest one, Dreamfoil, being something that the merchant knew by the name, but never seen it in his life, only in books.

"Sorry, young friend, Dreamfoil is the stuff of legends, whenever these plants appear somewhere there would always be mages to pick them up. Its applications are above what you mentioned, it can do much more, but I will leave this for another time, I still have to eat some bread. So visit me the next time you need plants or herbs."

"Thank you a lot, mister Lohor. These plants will be of help to me. It will help me a lot on my adventure."

"Ohh really? Are you an adventurer? Interesting."

"Yea, I am a Silver Ranked Adventurer. This is my medallion." remarked Vek taking out the medallion from his neck, which revealed a legit Adventurer Guild Insigna that was made out of Silver and having the respective decorations.

"Wow, that must mean you are quite strong, young man."

"Haha, not at all. The people I know are far stronger, but I like helping people and defeating bad monsters."

"I see, I see. You are a good citizen of the Empire. I can only say, good luck on your adventure and I'll wait for your return in case you wish to buy more plants from me."

"Of course! Thank you. You are a good human!"

Vek, who bid his farewell to the merchant, had bought plants enough to suffice for an entire month of fighting, unknown when he and Fayrene would return back to Titan from his adventure. He left a big sum of money on the Lohor's counter, which made the scorn of the people in the city, all humans, to be targeted on the merchant.

"Hmph a "Good Citizen of the Empire"? Since when?" asked one guy clearly annoyed by such a comment from the merchant who sold plants to Vek.

"Shameless."

"Why are you so welcoming to that subhuman? Aren't you ashamed to lower yourself to take the money of that subhuman?"

Hearing all those stupid comments from the other people and merchants over their stalls, made the merchant called Lohor to snap looking angrily at those people.

"Mind your own plate you stupid idiots. That draconian is a Silver Ranked adventurer. Meaning he did more good to people than you'll ever do in your entire life.

*Spit* Just because of his race you judge his heart? Go fuck yourself you idiots.

In fact, why even bother yourself with me? I am doing business with a citizen of the Empire regardless of his race.

"Hmph, you'll learn your lesson soon." retorted another merchant, looking hatefully at Lohor, who only flicked his middle finger at them.

"As my Outlander Friends taught me. Go fuck yourself." said Lohor giving the middle finger to everyone who looked at him with scorn to the delight of the players who saw this conflict.

"Hahaha, that's right Lohor. You tell those arrogant fucks who treat us like inferior people." mentioned a player, mocking the merchants who rejected the idea of welcoming the Outlanders and even the Subspecies living in the Empire.

"YOU! I will make a report to the Guards right away! Just you wait!"

"Leave them alone you idiot! Are you so upset about the truth? Then go fuck yourself again. Remain with your goods unsold, for all I care, even starve to death. Money is the Emperor of the World."

This comment generated a round of applause from the players, who moved to check Lohor's stall, who even himself didn't expect for the players to stick around with people who defended them.

"Dude, you are one of us. Regardless if you are an NPC. If those fucks do something on you, tell us."

" … Don't worry friend. Those people are only barking."

"Indeed. *WOOF*" mocked the players, those hostile merchants.

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