The Tutorial Boss Visits the Lord's Castle
A basic recovery item provided in the game. In the late game, it rivals legendary healing potions. Its quantity and potency improve in tandem with Elis's recovery—from simple fatigue relief to covering even severe physical damage.
The game's one truly benevolent item from start to finish, both in appearance and effect. Born from Elis hearing about her big sister and wanting to help in her own way. Pure goodwill from a little sister.
It also serves as a guide, pointing the way toward Elis's recovery.
"I'll praise you for not immediately chugging something from a stranger. You could end up like me if you let your guard down for even a second. Whether it's malice or goodwill, never forget to stay vigilant."
"Yes, sir!"
Elis's goodwill got questioned, but in this line of work, that level of suspicion was essential to survival. I was the idiot who got hit even knowing better, but no amount of "modern sensibilities" excuses could save you when carelessness led straight to your throat.
Embarrassing as hell.
When I really woke up in the guild master's office, my blood ran cold. In the game, all sorts of creeps were always eyeing Elena during the tutorial. Pretty, strong, innocent—perfect prey. She looked like the type who'd fall for a smooth talker, and endless harassment kept her exposed.
Thieves luring her to back alleys with promises of cheap goods. Street vendors peddling "miracle cures for little sisters" laced with aphrodisiacs. Adventurers offering party invites and "help," only to force her into prostitution. The list went on forever.
This was an adult game world, sure, but it was brutally realistic in its depravity.
And I played this shit religiously.
All because the combat system hit my sweet spot perfectly.
Anyway, that's why someone like Elena was so crucial in this world. Kind-hearted enough to help strangers without suspicion, yet backed by real skill. As far as I knew, she was the only one who fit that bill.
"Tomorrow... no, sometime later when you've got time, I'll teach you how to make an antidote. For now, send just your party members as a test run. They need to learn what it's like without you."
"Got it."
I tucked the potion vial into my pocket.
"I'll analyze the ingredients and return it later." I planned to snag it for myself anyway.
"So, how's the land I assigned you? Notice anything different?"
"Still just a barren plain. Barely any monsters. It's weird how such a huge stretch has zero trees."
"Keep at it steadily anyway. You never know what might pop up."
Elena nodded. I raised my glass and took a swig, downing it without hesitation now that I knew it wasn't spiked.
"But trudging around all day sounds boring as hell."
I drained the rest and stood.
"Let's head to the main guild hall. I'll show you how to accept quests there. You ever used it before?"
"Uh, no?"
"Then I gotta teach you how to pick good ones."
We left the guild tavern. Elena hopped up and stuck by my side as we headed for the main building.
The hall was bustling with workers coming and going. I nodded toward a hole punched in the outer wall near the guild master's office.
"You do that?"
"Wasn't me."
Elena said it flatly, but she averted her eyes.
"Rebecca, then. What beef did you two have for her to smash a hole like that?"
"Ugh..." Elena grimaced but opened up. "She just heard I kidnapped you. Said she'd beat first and ask questions later. She provoked me first."
"Hm... Yeah, I can picture it."
Inside the main hall, guild members spotted us and froze like statues.
The central hall's massive quest boards dominated the space, pinned thick with parchments.
Quest boards. Adventurers earned coin by tackling these. Mostly bounties from the Lord's Castle on city-pestering monsters—kill 'em and cash in immediately. Big corporate quests from the Magic Association or apothecary guilds went straight to clans. What trickled down was pure garbage: decent pay for the work, but the risks tanked the efficiency. Stuff I'd cleared in the game with a casual mindset.
The easy, safe ones were already swept by solo adventurers. Not that I'd touch 'em anyway, but thinking back, this linked right to the game's opening moments.
Elena teared up on her first visit here—no easy quests left.
She was already down from getting roughed up by Eck. Some adventurers spotted her vulnerability and sweet-talked her into a choice: join their party or not.
Accept, and it'd end in a gangbang, dumped in the forest depths at low level, straggling back through monster hell. That opening shocked the hell out of me on my first playthrough. Decline, and it's standard bounty hunting till home.
I glanced sideways. Elena was staring right at me, eyes locking.
"What're you gawking at?"
"Um..." She hesitated. "You got a wife?"
"...?"
"Or a girlfriend?"
"Don't do that shit."
I grabbed her head and yanked it toward the quest board.
"Pay attention. These are the quests you can grab."
I forced her gaze on the postings.
"Anyone can take these. Clan sweeps and rank-restricted ones need counter verification, but if there's a quest near your target area, it's pocket change."
I ripped one off and shoved it into her hand.
"So many quests?"
Elena read the one I gave her, then gaped at the board crammed with parchments. Herb gathering, monster hunts, escorts, deliveries—every type.
"City's got way more people than you think."
Far more producers than adventurers, all needing help.
"You can read, right?"
"Basics, yeah."
Quests used simple words tailored for adventurers: goal, location, deadline. Essentials only. Detailed notes at the bottom, but she probably couldn't parse those yet.
Gonna have to teach her letters too.
"This one's good?"
"North Mountain mana grass gathering. Twenty bundles for one silver. Yeah, this works."
She eyed others but clung to the one I handed her.
"Quest picked? Head to that counter and register it. Go on."
"Okay."
Elena nodded seriously and marched to the counter. The clerk straightened at her approach.
"Quest registration, please."
She handed over the parchment. The clerk took it with shaky hands and an awkward face, processing fast.
"Assign to Elena's party?"
"Yes, my party."
The clerk found it in the ledger under her name.
"May I ask the deadline?"
"Deadline?"
"When your party plans to complete it—helps with processing."
"Huh?" Elena tilted her head.
I jumped in. "Means if your party wipes. No one reports failures, so set it generous. Deposit rises, but success refunds it. Too tight, and it clashes with other parties' routes."
"One month, then."
"D-rank herb gathering, one-month deadline. Deposit: 30 silver."
Clerk stamped it under Elena's party and handed it back.
I took her spot, pulling a parchment from my pocket and slapping it down.
"Process this too."
"Yes, sir."
The clerk unfolded it, face twitching subtly.
It was Jeina's IOU note.
The Adventurer's Guild certified adventurers' credit. Beyond quest brokering, it notarized trade deals, clan pacts, personal promises. Adventurers dropped like flies or vanished—debts made you monster bait in lawless wilds. Monsters, beasts, bandits—plenty of disguises.
Guild-stamped docs held ironclad legal weight even outside the territory.
But they weren't pure charity.
"Contents verified. Signatures and prints confirmed... penalties and breach clauses... meets registration standards."
The clerk eyed me warily before continuing.
"But 5,000 gold on the line... plus 20% fee, and registration alone..."
"Bill Rebecca. Tell her I said so—she'll get it."
"Understood."
No prying about my guild master ties; he registered it.
"Registration complete."
I turned as he mentioned sending a runner, with Elena watching the whole thing but not asking.
We left the hall.
"Mana grass'll be tougher than you think."
"Can't you just grab any grass with mana?"
"How do you sense the mana? Can your party?"
"Oh..."
I ruffled her hair.
"Good practice for honing detection, though. Work hard."
"Yes, sir!"
"Now scram."
Elena waved energetically and bolted to her party's meetup spot. I watched till she vanished, then headed to my appointment.
Lord's Castle. I'd come once for red materials, a place even Eck had never visited in the game. Towering gates flanked by the same apprentice knights from before, standing ramrod straight. They recognized me and bowed.
"Mr. Eck. We've been expecting you."
The lead apprentice sent his junior inside with the word. Moments later, a neatly dressed young maid emerged from the manor, tense but polite.
"This way, please."
I followed her into the Lord's Castle.