"Take down one of them with your magic first, Philia. I'll make sure to handle the other one's attack."
"Got it. Erik-kun, I'll leave the front line to you."
Having settled on a strategy, we engaged the horn rabbits.
First, Philia's magic struck one of them dead-on. She conjured what looked like a spear of water, taking down the horn rabbit in an instant.
Enraged by the death of its companion, the remaining one charged straight at us.
"Haaah!"
The horn rabbit lunged with fierce momentum. If I tried to take it head-on with my shield, the force would blow right past my guard and leave me injured. Anticipating that, I timed a swing of my sword to strike down upon the charging monster's horn.
My blow shattered the horn and slammed the creature into the ground. I then thrust my blade into its neck, bringing the fight to an end.
"Erik-kun, your [Swordsmanship] is amazing! You completely neutralized that horn rabbit's attack!"
"It was all about the timing. Still, we took them down much easier than I expected... It really makes a difference having a partner."
When I said that, Philia's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
"Ehehe, I'm really glad I formed a party with you, Erik-kun. With such an incredible swordsman holding the front line, I can focus entirely on my magic!"
"Does that mean I can have high expectations for your spells, then?"
"Of course! I'll do my best so you don't have to carry the whole burden alone, Erik-kun."
And with that, our first battle against a horn rabbit came to a smooth conclusion. Unlike slimes, these monsters were fairly large, so I stowed the carcass in the bag I had brought along for materials.
Afterward, we searched for more horn rabbits as we explored the forest. Whenever we came across slimes along the way, we fought them to sharpen our coordination.
"Philia, are you all right? Do you want to take a break?"
"Y-Yeah. I think I'd like to rest for a bit..."
Unlike yesterday, we had been fighting several battles in a row. Noticing that Philia had grown noticeably quiet and was working up a sweat, I suggested taking a breather.
"Are you running low on mana?"
"I'm still fine on that front... but my stamina might hit its limit first."
"Casting magic requires focus, so that takes a toll on your physical energy too, doesn't it... Ah, here. Try taking this."
I pulled out the medicine I had received from Hannah-san.
"It provides nutrients and supposedly restores a bit of mana, too. She said it has healing properties for the body, so it might help recover your stamina."
"Is it really all right for me to have something so valuable?"
"I got it from an acquaintance who asked me to test whether it's viable as a commercial product. I'd like you to try it and give me your thoughts."
With that said, Philia and I each took one tablet. Sitting there to rest for a short while, I could actually feel the revitalizing effect spread through my body.
"How is it? Feeling any better?"
"I think I am! This medicine is incredible. Do you know who made it?"
"An alchemist in the royal capital named Marina-san."
"...Whaaat?! E-Eh, y-you mean the genius alchemist, Marina-sama?!"
When I told her who made it, Philia let out a cry of disbelief. My first meeting with Marina-san had been cleaning up her filthy room. Because of that, I couldn't quite share Philia's awe, but she was indeed an extraordinary person.
"That's the one. She's one of my regular quest clients, actually."
"You're truly amazing, Erik-kun. To think you have a connection with that Marina-sama..."
"Well, honestly, anyone could have gotten the chance. She posted a request for housework assistance at the Adventurer's Guild. The very first job Reina-san ever introduced to me was helping Marina-san around the house."
"Really?! So you're blessed with incredible luck, too, Erik-kun..."
Philia then launched into a passionate explanation of just how remarkable Marina-san was. To adventurers, and to mages especially, Marina-san was someone to whom they could never be grateful enough. She was a master pharmacist who had formulated countless medicines. Among them was the magic recovery potion, which had once been notorious among mages for its awful taste. Marina-san had improved its flavor while boosting its effectiveness, earning the gratitude of countless people.
"I occasionally use magic recovery potions when I train, so I feel thankful every single time I drink one. I tried the old version before the flavor was improved just once, and even when I forced myself, I couldn't finish it."
"Was it really that bad? I've never tasted one so I wouldn't know, but hearing that, I can see why so many people respect her."
After resting and chatting for a while, we resumed our horn rabbit hunt. Putting the experience from our first encounter to use, we handled the subsequent battles with far more composure. We managed to take them down while keeping the materials in pristine condition. Continuing to fight horn rabbits after that, we gradually polished our teamwork.
A few hours later, the evening bell rang, and we decided to head back to the royal capital.
"It looks like you hunted them cleanly. Very few beginners manage to bring in horn rabbits in such good shape, you know."
"Ehehe, it's all thanks to Erik-kun. His instructions were spot-on, and he's so dependable on the front line!"
Having finished our hunt, we returned to the Adventurer's Guild. We had subjugated a total of ten horn rabbits. From among our haul, we turned in the cleanest ones to fulfill the request. Reina-san praised our work upon seeing them, and Philia beamed with pride as she replied.
After completing the quest procedures and selling the remaining five, we received a total of 14 copper coins. The five extra horn rabbits sold for 4 copper coins.
"Could you take a little extra this time, Erik-kun? You see, it's thanks to that medicine you gave me that we were able to keep exploring."
"No, that was just a free sample I received, so you don't need to worry about it. If anything, could you write down your impressions of the medicine for me instead? I'm sure the person who gave it to me would be thrilled to read your feedback."
When the topic turned to dividing the reward, I told her I would rather have her thoughts on the medicine than extra money. I managed to persuade a still-hesitant Philia, and we each took 7 copper coins.
With our work for the day complete, we parted ways outside the guild, and I headed back to the inn.