The day after his visit to the library, shortly after the morning's first bell, Rei was back at the Adventurer’s Guild. Set was waiting for him outside in the carriage area, as usual.
"It’s completely different from two days ago," Rei remarked to himself.
When he’d first visited the guild, only a handful of adventurers had been standing before the request boards, while the tavern had been far more crowded. Now, the lobby was bustling. While not exactly packed, a substantial number of people were gathered at the boards, intently scanning for requests suitable for their ranks.
It was an unexpected sight for Rei, but it made sense—mornings were naturally the busiest time for the guild. Adventurers took their jobs in the morning, completed them during the day, and returned in the evening to collect their pay. It was the most efficient way to live in the city. There were some who specialized in night work, but they were a small minority.
"Hey, that kid in the robe. Is he the one who took out Vargas and his lot solo?" "What? I heard he was a big guy, about the same size as Vargas." "The rumor I heard said it was a slender woman..."
Rei ignored the whispers as he perused the F and G-Rank boards.
To be honest, he didn't expect much from these ranks. The nature of his Beast Magic meant that absorbing the Magic Stones of weak monsters was virtually pointless. His plan was simply to take a standard extermination job and then head out to find monsters of a high enough level to provide skills for Set or his Death Scythe.
"Still, though... I suppose it can't be helped for beginner quests."
The jobs posted on the G-Rank board were mostly trivial: delivering meat from Fang Boars or Horned Rabbits, or gathering medicinal herbs for potions and anesthetics. They were all variations on the same theme.
Rei let out a small sigh. Even as a secondary objective, these targets were far too weak. Moreover, Fang Boars and Horned Rabbits weren't even monsters; they were wild animals, much like the wolves he had fought in the Forest of Magic. These G-Rank tasks were essentially permanent requests used as training for those who had just risen from H-Rank after completing chores inside the city walls.
He moved to the F-Rank board.
These were a step up, mostly involving the subjugation of weak beasts or the collection of Magic Cores—things like hunting Goblins, delivering Slime Magic Cores, or killing Poison Toads.
"Well, I'll go with this. Goblins are a staple of the genre, after all."
Muttering to himself, he read the details. Goblin extermination was a permanent request. The proof of kill was the right ear, with a minimum requirement of five. Each ear was worth three Copper Coins.
Despite knowing these were entry-level jobs, Rei frowned at the meager reward. Five ears would only net fifteen Copper Coins—essentially one Silver Coin and five coppers. His stay at the Dusk Wheat Inn cost three Silver Coins per night, but that was because it was one of the more high-end establishments in Gilm. Typically, a novice would stay at a cheap inn for five Copper Coins a night and find party members in similar straits.
Rei was an outlier in more ways than just his combat strength.
He pulled the request from the board and took it to the Receptionist with the ponytail—the same one who had helped him before.
Several nearby adventurers watched with curious looks. They found it strange that someone rumored to be a match for four D-Rank adventurers would take a job for Goblins, which were at the very bottom of the monster hierarchy. None of them suspected he’d chosen it simply because Goblins were a fantasy classic.
Of course, since it was highly unlikely that any F or G-Rank monster would yield a Magic Stone powerful enough to improve Set or the Death Scythe, his choice was as good as any other.
Goblins.
Ogrekin monsters about the height of a human child. They had green skin and a small horn on their forehead. Individually, they were pathetic—any ordinary person with a bit of brawling experience could handle one. However, they were pack animals by nature and preferred to move in groups. They possessed a rudimentary intelligence, and some were even known to use stolen or scavenged weapons.
Drawing on Zephyle’s knowledge, Rei handed over the slip.
"Goblin hunting? With your skill, Rei-san, it shouldn't be an issue, but please don't let your guard down."
"I'll be careful. By the way, where can I find them?"
"They usually appear in the forests along the main highway. Lately, there have been reports of them attacking merchant caravans and travelers in groups."
"Do Goblins really have the brains for coordinated attacks?"
"No, not usually. Which suggests a Rare Species might have been born."
A Rare Species was a mutated individual with abilities far exceeding its kin, usually bumping its threat level up by one rank. In this case, an F-Rank Goblin’s Rare Species would be equivalent to an E-Rank monster.
Once the Receptionist processed the request, Rei left the building.
While Zephyle’s ancient knowledge was proving increasingly outdated, the concept of a Goblin had apparently remained unchanged for several thousand years.
"Guru."
Seeing Rei emerge, Set stood up with a happy purr.
Bystanders gasped and retreated, some hurrying away at the sight of the beast rising, but Set ignored them. It approached Rei and nuzzled him affectionately.
"Gurururu."
"Sorry for the wait. Let's get moving."
"Guru!"
Set gave a spirited cry. Together, they walked down the main thoroughfare toward the gate.
"Morning. I haven’t seen you in a day, but I’ve already heard plenty about your exploits," Ranga called out from his post at the gate.
Knowing the "exploits" likely referred to the Vargas incident, Rei gave a wry smile. He produced his adventurer card from his Misty Ring and held it out for inspection.
"I just handled some idiots who tried to pick a fight."
"...I heard you didn't just take their money, but their weapons too?"
"Yeah. They bet everything they had. It was only fair."
Rei then removed the Tamed Monster's Necklace from Set's neck and handed it over for the check.
"The poor guys... the Falcon’s Claws passed through here a bit ago carrying weapons several tiers lower than their usual gear," Ranga said, shaking his head.
Rei was slightly surprised.
I figured they’d have tucked tail and fled the city by now. They have more guts than I gave them credit for.
"Everything’s in order. Be safe out there... though with a Gryphon by your side, I doubt I need to worry much."
"I hope so. Come on, Set. Let’s start with a bird’s-eye view."
"Guru."
Rei vaulted onto Set’s back. With a short run-up, the beast snapped its massive wings, leaving a stunned Ranga behind as they ascended into the sky.
"Gurururururu!"
Once they were clear of the city, Set let out a high-pitched cry, venting its pent-up stress. Patting its back, Rei sympathized.
Set’s still practically a newborn. Even if Beast Magic made it special, being cooped up in a stable just days after being born has to be stressful.
Rei had taken Set out whenever he could, but the constant fear from the locals and the inability to fly freely in the city had clearly taken a toll. He decided he would try to take more outside requests from now on.
His ultimate goal was to grow Set and the Death Scythe; being an adventurer was just a means to an end. However, the guild was an invaluable source of information regarding high-rank monster sightings. Unfortunately, he couldn't take those juicy high-rank jobs at G-Rank. For now, he needed to grind his way up.
While he mused, the forests along the highway came into view. It would take a normal traveler hours to reach this point, but Set had covered the distance in barely ten minutes. The Gryphon’s mobility—or rather, Set’s—was extraordinary.
"See anything, Set?"
"Guru."
Set tilted its head, scanning as they flew. To Rei, the forest below looked like a dense green canopy that hid everything beneath its leaves.
"It would have been easier to launch a surprise attack from above, but we can't see a thing. Let's head down."
"Guru!"
Set gave a short affirmative chirp. It spiraled down, landing with a grace and lightness that belied its massive size—a perfect display of its feline agility.
Rei caught a glimpse of a few travelers and merchants nearby. Upon seeing Set land, they immediately sprinted toward Gilm as fast as their legs could carry them.
Ranga’s going to have his hands full explaining things to them once they reach the gate, Rei thought with another wry smile.
He quickly focused his mind on the task at hand.
"I can't tell much from here. Let's head inside, Set."
"Guru."
With Set’s agreement, they stepped into the trees.
Strictly speaking, fighting in the cramped environment of a forest was a disadvantage for both Rei and Set. However, given their opponents were only Goblins, Rei didn't think it warranted too much concern.
An hour into their trek, Set suddenly froze.
"Gurururu."
The Gryphon looked around warily. Even though this forest bordered the highway, the interior was thick with old trees. The canopy was dense enough to block out the sun, leaving the area in a dim, midday twilight. Though Rei was perfectly comfortable in his Dragon Robe, the humidity and heat would have quickly exhausted a normal adventurer.
"Guru!"
Set barked and instantly conjured a Water Ball, launching it into a dense patch of shrubbery.
"Geee!"
A shrill, grating scream erupted from the brush. In the next moment, nearly twenty Goblins scrambled out into the open.