Having wrapped up our hunt in the forest, we made our way back to the royal capital.
We headed straight to the Adventurer's Guild to complete our quest report and cash in the monsters we had slain.
◇
Goblins: 15
Horn Rabbits: 68
Slimes: 20
◇
That was the haul from our outing.
To start, we turned in three intact goblin corpses and three intact horn rabbit corpses to fulfill the request.
With those deducted from our total kill count, we received 50 copper coins as the base quest reward.
"Alright, let's tally up the payout for the rest of your kills," Reina-san said, counting out loud as she verified each item.
Ten sets of slime materials went for 5 copper coins, bringing in 10 coppers.
As long as horn rabbits were brought down cleanly, the guild would purchase the meat as well.
Proof-of-subjugation parts paid out 4 copper coins for every 5 parts, yielding 52 coppers.
Ten clean, intact carcasses were bought at 2 copper coins apiece, adding another 20 coppers.
Goblins were culled simply to keep their numbers in check, meaning there was little demand for their materials.
Consequently, we only received money for proof of subjugation.
With goblin parts going for 1 copper coin per 3 parts, that came out to 4 coppers.
All told, it came to a total of 1 silver coin and 36 copper coins.
"...Slimes are worth more than goblins, huh?"
"Goblins are tougher, but slimes actually have practical value as materials. That's why the payout is structured like this."
"If that's the case, wouldn't everyone just target slimes instead of goblins?"
Leticia-san raised a question regarding the reward balance.
"Allow me to explain. Looking at these rates, you'd think goblins would be ignored, but surprisingly, plenty of adventurers hunt them."
"Why is that?"
"Because goblins exist in sheer numbers. Slimes and horn rabbits will multiply over time if left unchecked, but goblins breed at an astonishing rate. That's why so many adventurers still take them on, even at these low rates."
Hearing Reina-san's explanation, we divided the final earnings into five equal shares once again.
There was a single copper coin left over, which we deposited directly into the party fund.
After that, we parted ways outside the guild and I headed back to the inn.
Once I finished maintaining my gear, eating dinner, and taking a bath, I returned to my room and settled into a chair.
"We really took down a ton of monsters today."
Expanding our party to four members was a major factor, but above all, the contribution of Leticia-san's tamed beast, Garm, was undeniable.
Its detection range was vast, and it could pinpoint exactly what kind of monster was lurking nearby just by scent.
Thanks to that, we were able to keep fighting in the forest while handpicking our targets.
"And best of all, it bumped up my level."
Still sitting in my chair, I called up my status screen to check my progress.
◇
Monster defeated.
Acquired 1 EXP.
100/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Level increased.
0/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Monster defeated.
Acquired 1 EXP.
85/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Swordsmanship].
Acquired 1 EXP.
49/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Physical Enhancement].
Acquired 1 EXP.
35/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Parallel Thinking].
Acquired 1 EXP.
84/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Mana Control].
Acquired 1 EXP.
71/100 to next level.
◇
Not only had I leveled up, but I had already banked a decent amount of EXP toward the next one.
Because I had made a conscious effort to practice my skills throughout combat, their respective EXP pools had steadily filled up too.
Next, I pulled up my full status.
✤
Name: Erik
Age: 10
Level: 5
Strength: 15
Mana: 15
Stamina: 14
Agility: 14
Dexterity: 14
Skills:
[Swordsmanship: 3] [Physical Enhancement: 2] [Cleaning: 7]
[Earth Magic: 2] [Parallel Thinking: 3] [Mana Control: 2]
[Appraisal: 1]
Special Skills:
[Fixed EXP]
Divine Blessings:
——
✤
"I've really come a long way..."
Compared to when I first arrived in the royal capital right after undergoing the ritual, my progress was remarkable.
My level and raw stats were still modest, but my skill lineup was shaping up quite nicely.
"Though [Cleaning] is still stubbornly sitting at the highest level of them all..."
My eyes drifted toward that glaring, prominent number 7.
"If I pushed for it, I could probably max it out in no time, but I suppose there's no rush."
If it were [Swordsmanship] or some other combat-oriented skill, I would have thrown myself into grinding it.
However, [Cleaning] only ever came in handy during domestic odd-job requests around town.
There was no pressing need to rush its growth.
"On that note, [Parallel Thinking] is immensely useful in battle, and it's already racked up plenty of EXP..."
Gazing over the screen, I weighed which skills I should focus on training tomorrow.
Before long, a wave of exhaustion hit me. I shut the window and lay back on the bed.
"Come to think of it, if I leveled up, wouldn't Philia and the others have gained levels too?"
Even if the prey consisted of low-tier monsters, we had felled quite a large number of them.
It was entirely possible that we had already outgrown that hunting ground relative to our collective strength.
"...Well, I can always check with them in the morning."
Letting the thought settle, I closed my eyes against the pillow and naturally drifted off to sleep.