Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Quest (2)
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"Oh my! I put in the request, but I didn't think you'd actually take it. Oh! Niki, you've come along too!"
"Yeah! I followed Obbang."
Mrs. Shumia took Niki from my arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world and led me inside.
"Rats have made a nest on the rooftop, and they keep showing up, so I haven't been able to go up there for days. Could you get rid of them for me?"
"Can I kill them?"
"I don't care. Just clear them all out."
I nodded and headed up to the rooftop. Mrs. Shumia shuddered at the thought of rats and stayed behind, but our fearless little girl Niki clung tightly to my pants, her eyes wide open.
"Where~ where~ let's see~~ Where could the rats be hiding?"
"Where~ where~ let's see~~ Where's the squeaker?"
I stroked Niki's head as she adorably mimicked me, then activated Sun's Eye to search for living creatures.
"They're in that hole!"
"Hole! Squeaker!"
"Shall we catch the squeakers then?"
"Yeah!"
Normally, I'd hate touching rats and just burn them all to ash, but I couldn't show that to a young lady. I opened my inventory, rummaged through it for a while, and pulled out one item.
"What's that?"
"It's a secret box for catching squeakers."
Its exact name was Rat Trap Box [Advanced-F]. A consumable item made specifically for killing rat-type monsters.
Just set it up, and the scent inside would lure the rats in and trap them. It was instant-acting—leave it for 10 minutes, and all the rats in the area would be drawn to the aroma.
I opened the box's entrance, infused it with mana, and then picked up Niki and pressed myself against the corner.
"Now we just wait, and the rats will go into that box."
"Huh? Why?"
"That box will give off a smell that rats love."
"A smell they love? What kind?"
"Candy smell?"
Niki's eyes sparkled at my words as she sucked on the candy I'd given her earlier, and she stared at the box. She looked ready to rush over and check if there was candy inside, so I laughed and covered her eyes.
"It's not candy for Niki. It's candy smell that only rats can eat."
"Ohhh."
"Niki should finish that big candy first."
As we chatted like that, before I knew it, a generous thirty rats were trapped inside the box, wriggling around.
Twenty minutes had passed already, and figuring that was all of them, I sent Niki downstairs and summoned the power of the sun with my pride mana to incinerate the box and rats together.
"Thank you! Players usually ignore our requests because they don't pay well, so we always had to handle them ourselves. You're a lucky find."
"No need to thank me."
"Come by around 7 tonight. Bring Niki too. I'll treat you to a delicious dinner."
"Thank you. Then I'll go take care of the next request."
"Good luck with the requests!"
After that, I managed to complete all ten requests I'd accepted before sunset. Most of the residents showed me kindness and gratitude.
It was only natural. Even though these were minor requests with little reward, unlike other players, I stepped up to handle the annoying and troublesome ones, so they were grateful.
Aside from one drunk troublemaker who was out of it, everyone was kind and warm, which made me feel fulfilled too.
The affinity-building seemed to be going well. After following me around all day, bouncing with excitement, Niki had gotten tired and fallen asleep against my back at some point. I carried her to Mrs. Shumia's house, where a man who looked like her husband greeted me.
"Hahaha! Our little celebrity is here! Nice to meet you. I'm Hatte, Shumia's husband."
He clapped me on the shoulder and laughed heartily. His massive build and chiseled muscles made it easy to guess his occupation.
"You work for the guard squad. You're in great shape."
His eyes changed at my words. Like a fisherman eyeing prey before the hook sets, he grinned wickedly and approached me.
The moment I instinctively stepped back, Mrs. Shumia burst out the door and smacked Hatte on the back.
"Stop fooling around and show him in already! He's carrying Niki—don't play pranks! What if she gets hurt? Are you going to take responsibility? Get inside before I tell the captain inside you."
"Ahem. Come on in. We invited you for dinner because someone wanted to meet you. Don't worry, it won't be uncomfortable. They think well of you too."
"Thank you. Then excuse me."
I followed him to their dining table, where a man and woman were already seated.
'The captain and vice-captain?!'
The two people who were practically the final goal of my quest sat side by side, chatting amiably, until they turned to look at my entrance.
Correction. They weren't looking at me. They were looking at Niki, sleeping on my back in her hundreds-of-thousands-of-won outfit, drooling away.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Brymun, captain of the Teraium City guard squad."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Silian, vice-captain of the Teraium City guard squad."
"Uh... nice to meet you. I'm Shin Juha, a player and Niki's adventure companion."
They both smiled and welcomed me. The vice-captain, who was also Niki's mother, lifted Niki off my back with practiced ease and shook her awake.
Niki blinked sleepily, then lit up with a huge smile when she saw her mom and dad, showering them with affection.
It was a happy family. A family bound by deep love. The kind of relationship I'd never have.
I swallowed back the tears threatening to well up and smiled. Just seeing that scene made the whole day with Niki worthwhile.
"Ah! You must be hungry. I heard you did requests all day. Here, eat up!"
"Yeah, let's eat first and talk later, Shin Juha."
The meal was delicious. With a whole roasted pig as the main dish and the table overflowing with all sorts of food, how could it not be? Mrs. Shumia's cooking skills were top-notch too, so I ate my fill before quietly stepping outside to catch my breath.
"What are you thinking about?"
The one who followed me out was none other than the captain, Brymun. Unlike Niki's adorably cute face, his was cold and stern.
"Nothing much. Just feeling good seeing such a happy family."
"...Do you not have a family? You don't have to answer if it's rude."
"My parents were exiled somewhere in this Abyss and went missing. My little sister has been in a coma for over five years for some unknown reason."
He let out a sigh on my behalf. It was so funny that I chuckled and shrugged.
"Eh, I'm used to it. As long as I do well, everything will work out anyway."
Yeah, as long as I do well. If I just get strong enough, I can't reverse everything, but I can change a lot.
Watching me, the captain placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't try to carry that burden alone. Everyone thinks the weight on their own shoulders is the heaviest. Even the gods in the depths can't escape it. Sometimes, sharing the load isn't so bad."
I smiled and nodded at his words. That's why I was building a force.
Modifying my plan to handle everything alone, trying to gather some comrades (or something like that).
"Thanks for watching Niki all day. Really grateful. With her dad and mom both so busy, she spends her days lonely. She doesn't get along well with other kids, so it was a worry, but thanks to you today, I could work with peace of mind."
"I had fun too. It'd been a while since I felt that kind of joy."
It was a different pleasure from the thrill of growing stronger and getting items. The joy you find in everyday life, I suppose?
He laughed at my response, turned around, patted my shoulder, and said,
"Come find me tomorrow when you visit the city again. I have a quest to ask of you. You're the adventure companion who won over our wild princess's heart, so I can trust you."
NO. 478: Underground Capital Monster Subjugation (Advanced-E+)
The quest I'd thought would take at least a few weeks to unlock had opened already.
"See you tomorrow."
With that, he headed back inside without hesitation to chat with the couple again.
"How did things turn out like this?"
I was stunned. I'd just spent the day playing with a cute, lonely little girl...
"Guess good deeds really bring good fortune."
I smirked, pressed down on my reddened eyes to suppress my emotions, and headed to the hotel.
"The best room for one night."
"3,000 coins."
3,000 purple coins for one night—3 million won in real money. It was the city's top hotel, so it was pricey, but worth every coin.
I entered a room like a luxury suite, washed up, and changed into the clothes I'd prepared.
"Now, time for the remaining preparations?"
Getting the quest had gone smoother than expected, so I needed to prepare for tomorrow's battle.
'It's Advanced-E+, but if I take the route I have in mind, the difficulty skyrockets.'
That's probably why the guy who got this class later spent nearly half a year powering up here before challenging it. I don't know exactly how dangerous it is, but from his interview, the tier didn't change but the rank rose a lot, so probably around A~S rank?
If so, with good prep, I can handle it. It won't be easy, of course. But unlike before, I've grown.
I have the origin-level stat Pride, and my stats are already F-70. Right now, I could even aim for victory against D-rank hunters in a spar.
"And the final preparation is this."
I opened my inventory and took out a ticket. Rank 0 Merchant Summon Ticket. Knowing even the Thrones cherish black and white coins and have few of them, I understood its value: 10,005 coins.
Worth summoning a Rank 0 merchant for. Without hesitation, I tore along the perforation.
A bright light blinded me, and when it faded, a being appeared before me.
"Eiiiish~! Someone actually has a summon ticket? And I got picked? Damn Abyss! Worst luck ever. Ptui!"
It was a race I knew. Or rather, one I knew all too well.
"Golden Goblin?"
No, not quite—its color was too pale. Half-breed or something?
Anyway, this Rank 0 merchant seemed like a weird guy.