Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Humans are Animals of Adaptation - 2
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I handled my afternoon duties in the office, a pleased smile on my face.
"...".
The office fell quiet during work hours.
With the process of issuing daily quests to dozens of climbers one by one now skipped, I was processing everything with remarkable leisure.
'Putting them all in at once is definitely more efficient.'
Climber's Hall.
It had been three days since I'd set up this makeshift labor office. Daily quest throughput had skyrocketed beyond comparison. That was because requests were now handled via paperwork all at once, rather than verbal handoffs.
'Milla picked a great staffer for the job, too.'
Carmen, the most outgoing among the administrative clerks. She'd memorized the guidelines I sent over and started handling things with the efficiency of a seasoned market merchant.
-Got it, my Lord! Leave it to me!
Reception at the Climber's Hall.
The first morning, Carmen sat down at the Climber's Hall and immediately lined up the climbers in neat rows.
-From today on, I'm in charge of your quests. All you have to do is complete the Lord's requests posted on this board.
-Whoa, it's true. Peel off the paper, and the quest pops right up.
One of the climbers asked,
-Until when can we pick them up?
-Until sunset in the evening—just let me know!
-Do quests have to be done solo?
-No, you can team up. But the Lord said, 'In that case, you'll split the experience.'
-Ah....
And so began the mass issuance of daily quests. Even now, tiny text sparkled in the corner of my vision. Of course, far faster than before.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ A climber has completed the designated quest. Completed Quest: Carrying Bricks to the Top of the Wall A climber party has completed the designated quest. Completed Quest: Lake Cave Dungeon (3) Cleared A climber has completed the designated quest. Completed Quest: Carrying Wheat Sacks to the Church A climber party has completed the designated quest. Completed Quest: Recovered 2 Boxes of Mana Stones A climber has completed the designated quest. Completed Quest: Accompanied Scout Patrol ... I could hear the sound of my city growing more comfortable day by day.
Ah...!
The satisfaction of working the strong climbers ragged!
Subcontract of a subcontract of a subcontract!
It was thrilling.
I nodded.
"...".
'All thanks to the hierarchy lord system.'
The convenient tower system.
Exchanging documents instead of verbal contracts seemed to count as a form of 'quest exchange.' So when quests were completed, it automatically deducted the pre-set experience, currency, or food rewards.
'If reward collection was manual too, I'd have been agonizing over a separate department—but this is a relief. And no penalty for splitting experience.'
Of course, even with virtually infinite resources, overdoing experience and rewards would sap the climbers' motivation, so I kept it moderated.
Just enough to live day by day.
'Except for special cases like Niva, I need to be cautious with experience distribution. Just like now—quests for a day's moderate work.'
My delicate tuning.
Thanks to it, all the headaches and manual labor plaguing Walled City Baran were being fully outsourced to climbers.
In a way, it resembled the imperialistic excesses of my past life's era. But to climbers with Luciana-level superhuman strength, it probably felt like 'casual daily content,' which was a relief.
-These daily quests feel pretty peaceful.
-I was scared they'd have us gathering poisonous herbs off cliffs.
-Hauling bricks for an hour then grabbing a beer? Makes life worth living.
-Hehe, giant nun sis.... smells like milk....
"...".
For reference, that last type was pretty common.
'Never knew so many were into tall nuns, guys and girls alike.'
Thanks to them, church-related quests were in constant competition, Carmen had added.
But.
There was one quest no one touched.
Quest Goal: Submit Advanced Grimoire (Any Element) Quest Reward: 1,000 Etel Currency, 1,000 Experience, Custom Gear Forged 100 times the reward of an average daily quest.
Just this one quest would let you live like a wealthy idler inside the city for a year. Plus custom gear made with the city's full resources.
My personal upper limit on what I could offer.
I'd dangled it as bait, but...
'...No one's touched it.'
To offer anything better.
Would mean handing over 'treasure collection' items from the Lord's Manor or 'city rights' themselves. Basically pulling out pillars. But with food and living rights already holding massive value, I didn't want to bleed that much.
'The gallery said the same.'
📰 Breaking News [General] Title: What's the market price for an advanced grimoire? Author: National-Power Troll An acquaintance just gave me one, and lent me another to read. I have no idea how valuable they are.... I really want to repay them, but what should I give? — Magicstick10inch Magicstick10inch: Girlfriend or boyfriend? — National-Power Troll Nah, just an acquaintance. — Magicstick10inch Not a lover from the magic tower? — National-Power Troll Yeah, acquaintance. — Magicstick10inch LOL, must've been a real lifesaver? Owe them your life or something? — National-Power Troll That pricey? — Magicstick10inch Not impossible to get, but they drop from late-hierarchy dungeons or guardians.... Usually traded for stuff that takes a year to farm. These days it's basically food equivalent lol Not treasure, but still valuable.
Probably why other climbers wouldn't part with them easily, even if they had them—opting for day-labor quests instead.
'No matter how broke you are, nobody pawns their phone or watch right away.'
In contrast.
There was one person who'd handed them over easily.
'Niva gave them so casually that climbers must think they're worthless. Like getting repaid with two year-long salary worth of watches.'
Suddenly.
Recalling that...
"...".
A complicated feeling welled up.
Reason said she'd given them willingly, I'd provided ample compensation and living rights, so forget the closed deal. But a strange emotion crept in from a corner of my heart.
Gratitude?
Guilt?
Warmth?
I didn't know.
"...".
And somehow—
For some reason.
Niva's smile just popped into my head. The smile she'd worn yesterday evening while eating apple pie together. The wary middle-aged rabbit face from day one completely shattered.
-Hehe.
"...Hm."
I finished my afternoon paperwork,
and was lost in thought for a moment,
when a knock came at the office door.
Knock knock!
"!"
I replied,
"Ah, Milla. I've just finished—come in. Missing paperwork?"
But the voice from beyond the door was someone else.
-...No.
"...!"
It was Niva. Wearing sunglasses in her Black Noble guise, she entered with pursed lips. Then crossed her arms primly and said,
"Hmph, you must be super busy? It's evening already."
I glanced out the window.
Just as Niva said,
the sun was indeed dipping low.
I muttered,
"Evening magic lesson time already. I was so lost in thought I didn't notice."
Niva tilted her head curiously.
"Weird."
"Is it?"
"You always finish work early and show up right on time, like a clockwork person. So what were you thinking about today?"
"...".
You.
If I said it honestly—
'She'd get seriously pissed.'
Might even bolt on the spot.
I could calculate that much. Not the kind of thing to say after just over a month. Especially since to her, a climber, I was just an NPC.
'Not a game, but still not fully sharing the same world.'
She'd think that.
Even if I revealed I was a reincarnator.
That fact wouldn't change.
'If anything, it'd make me creepier. An NPC who knows climbers' habits better than anyone.'
"...".
So I shook my head,
and gave a socially acceptable answer.
"Nothing at all."
"Hmm...."
"I'll apologize for being late—shall we start the lesson?"
"Hmph, knowing you're sorry is enough."
"Haha. Thank you."
Unlike her prim tone, Niva stuck out her hand like a mischievous kid. Her eyes behind the sunglasses crinkled with laughter.
"Then, wanna try writing the new spell we learned today?"
"!"
That one line blew away my tangled thoughts and flooded me with dopamine.
It's explosion time!
*
I stretched my hand toward the opposite cliff. And shouted,
"Appear, Flare—!" ⟨ Flare ⟩
The incantation that had fizzled until recently.
The advanced fire magic launched with my chant. Mana flew off as a red orb. It began slowly expanding on the opposite cliff.
Until it became house-sized.
Grooooan—!
Then, explosion!
KABOOOM—!
Scorching heat and thunderous roar.
House-sized flames roared across the jagged cliffs. The blasts blackened the rough surfaces and sheared off chunks of rock.
The forest shook, birds scattered at the boom.
I smiled at the exhilarating sight.
"Heh."
'Fire magic has lower versatility than water or earth, but that raw destructive power? That's the appeal.'
Every element had its uses, but
the aesthetics of fire's destruction set the heart ablaze.
'The hottest is our combo move with Niva, but that's basically an area-wipe ultimate....'
Niva nodded beside me.
"Yeah, perfectly mastered again. Seeing this level after one look at the grimoire holds for other elements too. Ready to try shortcuts?"
"Yes, if I think a bit—"
I closed my eyes,
dismantled the incantation,
and reassembled the result.
'Fire's essence.'
Instinctively,
I uncover the 'concept' hidden in the magic.
I see it.
The principle behind this spell.
'The shortcut concept that fits this magic.'
I said,
"Annihilate."
And snapped my fingers.
Snap!
Once more, mana shifted to a red orb and launched from my hand. But unlike before, it clung stickily to the cliff.
Like slime,
the gooey orb expanded very slowly.
Grooooowing...!
At last.
Explosion.
KABOOOOOM—!!
Hellfire recreated.
A far fiercer blast than before, white and blue flames flickered and surged everywhere. Chain micro-explosions rippled through the massive detonation.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
It evoked 'dropping rocks from the sky.'
'The rocks crumbling into chain blasts at the end—must've burned that image of destruction deep into my mind.'
I glanced at Niva.
She'd taken off her sunglasses for a closer look at the flames, squinting in her bunny girl form.
Niva said,
"Really unique. Explosion, expansion, chaining—all bundled into the 'flame' concept."
"Indeed."
"...".
Niva put her sunglasses back on, reverting.
"Honestly, I still don't get it."
"What part?"
"Before catching Hrekal, I could memorize spells but not truly learn them—yet you master them instantly."
"...".
"And this weird way of pulling out just the concepts and wielding them freely."
"True enough."
Niva pondered seriously.
"...".
"...".
Truth be told.
I don't really know either.
'Like trying to explain automatic breathing to someone.'
So I stayed quiet.
I didn't want to pretend to know in front of Niva, who'd studied professionally. And this silence seemed the right answer.
She shrugged soon enough and said,
"Eh, I'll figure it out someday. Shame, though—this is the last advanced grimoire I have."
"Can't be helped."
I handed back the 'Flare' and 'Earth Fortress' grimoires from my pocket. It felt wrong to just swallow Niva's assets like this.
'The real value's the knowledge anyway, and I've memorized it all.'
I said,
"I'll return the advanced grimoires. They helped tremendously. Truly, thank you."
"...".
Niva stared, then shook her head.
"Nah, you keep 'em."
"Pardon?"
"Don't need 'em. Pass them to someone you wanna bequeath them to someday."
"But...".
"It's fine. Letting me stay here's plenty."
The bunny-eared archmage lady grinned and pulled out her staff from somewhere. I'd noticed watching closely—she used warp-like energy when retrieving items.
"...".
'Probably a feature of that bunny ear artifact.'
Niva held out her hand.
"Let's head back."
"...".
Grimoire in pocket,
I reached for her hand, then asked,
"Lady Niva, by any chance...".
"?"
"Any food you're craving? Or complaints?"
"Oh, trying the apple pie drip again? Gets old."
"Not that."
"Hm? Really?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, nothing really. I eat whatever I want whenever."
"I see."
Niva raised a finger.
"Oh, but there is something I wanted to see."
"What?"
"The campfire event on the festival's last day... Well, I missed it and it fizzled out. Kinda bummed."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I love fire-gazing. Hehe."
Behind the sunglasses, her amber eyes caught the sunset glow. Seemed casual, but sincere.
"...".
I replied,
"True. The Harvest Festival got cut short because of Hrekal."
"Nothing else to complain about."
I nodded,
and took her hand.
And.
Thought inwardly,
'Yeah, better to wrap up the Harvest Festival together.'
*
As we headed back thinking that, urgent word came from Sir Jayden at the checkpoint.
—The climbers’ guild, the ‘Holy Knight Order,’ has arrived, leading several climbers and demi-humans!
"!"
I grabbed Niva's hand and rushed to the Gate of Light.
And what I saw there—
Catfolk with twitching ears, shaking suspicious potion vials in one hand. The lead catfolk girl hawked to the climbers scarfing food,
"Hehehe, good sir climber. Interested in stamina boosters? Or digestion aids?"
"...".
No.
These potion peddlers...?