Uketsukejo ni Kokuhaku Shitakute Guild ni Kayoitsumetara Eiyu ni Natteta

Chapter 45: With a Gaze That Says “I want to be an adventurer too”

With Marin-chan’s guidance, we headed to the guild.

“This is the guild!” (Marin)

“It’s a very cute guild~” (Dorami)

The guild was mushroom-shaped.

It’s probably because mushrooms are this town’s specialty. Garnet-san also said that the town’s wild vegetables were delicious.

The three of us entered the guild and the first thing I noticed is the small interior.

There were only three windows—two open, one closed. There was also a poster on the wall that said “Recruiting Receptionist.”

Though, it seems like there are still two counters available.

We were the only adventurers in the guild.

“It’s completely different from the capital’s guild…” (Dorami)

“Having only this many adventurers is unusual, but it’s proof that this place is peaceful.” (Jade)

If the town were infested with monsters, many would become adventurers to protect their homes.

However, it looks like the town wants to increase the number of adventurers. There was another poster on the wall that read, “Adventurers Wanted.”

Dorami was staring at that poster.

“What does it say under there?” (Dorami)

“That if you become an adventurer now, they’d also provide a set of weapons.” (Jade)

“T-that’s a good deal…! What kind of weapon do you get?” (Dorami)

“I don’t know, they didn’t write that much…” (Jade)

“Fumu. In other words, the only way to find out is to become an adventurer…” (Dorami)

Next to Dorami, who was still curious about the weapon they were giving out, Marin-chan started talking to the receptionist.

“I’m here to take a quest!” (Marin)

“Oya, nice to see you, Marin-chan.”

The receptionist was an old lady. She was looking at Marin-chan with a gentle gaze—like she was looking at her own grandchild.

“Which quest do you want to take today?”

“I’ll take this one!” (Marin)

With a straight face, she pointed at the list.

Dorami was impressed by her dignified appearance.

“She looks like a seasoned adventurer…” (Dorami)

“Even after parting from us, she must’ve continued going to the guild.” (Jade)

“It’s great that she’s doing her best…” (Dorami)

Did Marin-chan hear the praise? She was a bit red.

After leaving the guild, Dorami curiously asked her.

“What kind of quest did you get?” (Dorami)

“Baby Mandra Subjugation!” (Marin)

“A young Mandragora, huh…” (Jade)

“Is it strong?” (Dorami)

“When it becomes an adult, it’ll be a monster equivalent to the three-petal class.” (Marin)

“It’ll be a monster on par with the Wing Bear… It’s a formidable enemy…” (Dorami)

Dorami looked horrified.

Marin-chan also looks a bit worried.

“I want to become a three-petal class as soon as possible. If I don’t, I’ll be in trouble when I meet a Mandragora…” (Marin)

Then, she clenched her fist.

“I won’t run away! I’ll do my best to defeat the monsters and protect everyone in town!” (Marin)

“You’re too dignified…!” (Dorami)

After Dorami’s applause, Marin-chan looked a bit meek.

“I’m still scared. But, whenever I wear the mithril shield that I bought with Dorami-chan, I can feel my courage welling up!” (Marin)

The mithril shield suits her even more now, probably because she’s been fighting monsters alone until now.

Looking at the shield sparkling in the sun, Dorami looked a little envious.

“Dorami also had a strong weapon called the Dorami Sword…” (Dorami)

“It sounds very cool! Did you leave it at home?” (Marin)

“Dorami lost it in a fierce battle with a Boss Cat… It stole the weapon just because it couldn’t win against Dorami…!” (Dorami)

“That Boss Cat is way too clever…!” (Marin)

“He was definitely clever… But next time, Dorami will win! Also, she will take back the stolen Dorami Sword!” (Dorami)

“I’ll help you too!” (Marin)

“That’s reassuring! …But, the opponent is a formidable foe. Dorami doesn’t want Marin to be in danger.” (Dorami)

“I’m prepared to face danger…! Besides, I’ve become stronger! I’ll definitely be of use!” (Marin)

Raising her voice, Marin-chan revealed her Floral Crest. She bent down and then—

DON!

A high jump. She jumped over Dorami’s head and quickly landed.

“Amazing…! With that, you can even catch up to the Boss Cat if it runs to a high place!” (Dorami)

“Thank you for the compliment! But, this isn’t all I’ve got!” (Marin)

Marin-chan kicked the ground.

Then, she kicked again to stop and kicked again to return.

With a speed that puts even adults to shame.

“A-amazing! With that, you can even catch the Boss Cat!” (Dorami)

“Let’s retrieve the Dorami Sword together!” (Marin)

The two of them did a high five.

It’s a heartwarming sight, but…

“Did you just use up all your crest’s power just now?” (Jade)

“Oh no!” Marin-chan exclaimed as she held her head.

“I showed off too much…” (Marin)

“What happens when you run out of power?” (Dorami)

“For a while, I’ll just be plain old Marin…” (Marin)

Even though it’s a one-petal class quest, it’s dangerous to attempt without a Floral Crest.

For safety’s sake, it’s best to wait until the crest’s power recovers.

“How long will it take to recover?” (Dorami)

“About 30 minutes.” (Marin)

“Then, why don’t we have a meal break?” (Jade)

“Agreed!” (Dorami)

“I will guide you to a delicious store~” (Marin)

With Marin-chan as our guide, we decided to walk around the town.

When we reached the square that we passed by earlier, I could smell the aroma of food from earlier.

“It’s over there!” (Marin)

Marin-chan pointed at a grilled fish stall.

It’s a sales style that’s rarely seen in the capital.

Dorami headed to the food stall and watched the grilled skewered fish with interest.

Though Dorami coughed at the billows of smoke and the pachipachi noises, she didn’t look away.

“…It looks delicious.” (Dorami)

“It’s better when it’s freshly grilled!” (Marin)

“Dorami wants to eat it quickly!” (Dorami)

I called out to the shopkeeper as Dorami’s eyes pestered me.

“Excuse me, three grilled fish please.” (Jade)

“Are you getting one for me too? I brought some money, but…” (Marin)

“Don’t worry about it. It’s thanks for guiding me to the store.” (Jade)

Then, we sat down on a bench and the two of us (Jade and Dorami) bit into the stomach of the grilled fish.

“Ahyuu, ahyuu.” (Dorami)

“Haguhagu…Ahyuu.” (Marin)

T/N: I know, it’s weird. Japanese onomatopoeia is super specific but I’m guessing it’s too hot so they’re opening their mouth and getting some air to cool it down. Also, as expected, I can’t actually tell who’s talking here, I just ordered it by how they usually talked.

“The salty taste is permeating through the body…Ahyuu.” (Dorami)

“It’s too delicious… Ahyuu.” (Marin)

“You’re right, it’s delicious!” (Jade)

After breaking the crispy skin, the fat oozes out.

The saltiness is just perfect too.

Since the fatty meat had just the right amount of salt, you could eat it without getting tired of the taste.

“That was delicious~” (Dorami)

Dorami rubbed her stomach in satisfaction.

It’s our long-awaited trip, so I’d like for her to have some more local cuisine but…

It isn’t good to eat too much before having dinner.

“Well then, we should go.” (Jade)

I left the plaza with the two who nodded cheerfully.

Marin-chan guided us to the lake where we could see a dock.

“Are we going to board a ship?” (Dorami)

“Yes. We’re going to the opposite bank by boat.”

T/N: Not a mistake, Dorami calls it a ship (船) while Marin specifically says boat (ボート).

There was a meadow on the opposite bank.

Dorami furrowed her brows and pulled out her opera glasses.

“That looks so cool!” (Marin)

“Jade bought it for Dorami~! We bought Marin’s share too!” (Dorami)

“Eh?! I get one too?!” (Marin)

“It’s a souvenir~ Dorami will give it to you when we get back~” (Dorami)

“I’m looking forward to it~” (Marin)

“So, what are we looking for?” (Jade)

“Something is happening on the other side of the river. Is that… a cow?” (Dorami)

“Yeah, the cows are grazing over there.” (Marin)

“If the cows accidentally pull out a Baby Mandra by mistake, they’ll get hurt. So, Marin-chan’s job is to subdue it, right?” (Jade)

“Yeah! Let’s head into battle immediately…!” (Marin)

Enthusiastically, she rented a boat.

Adventurers can rent boats for free so after thanking the man at the dock, we got on the boat.

In order for Marin-chan to conserve her strength, I decided to row the boat.

After rowing for about 10 minutes, we reached the opposite bank. I tied the boat with a rope so that it wouldn’t drift away and headed to the pasture.

Dorami cautiously looked around with her opera glasses.

“Baby Mandra…where is it?” (Dorami)

“They’re usually buried underground. Let’s pull up any suspicious-looking weeds.”

Marin-chan cautiously pulled out some grass.

But, it was just a regular suspicious-looking weed.

In trepidation, she pulled out another weed.

But, it was just a regular suspicious-looking weed.

“I-it isn’t appearing…” (Dorami)

“It’s common for people to think that and get hit when they let their guard down…” (Marin)

“So you can’t relax until the very end…” (Dorami)

 While Marin-chan’s heart was pounding, Dorami watched over her in never-ending suspense.

By the way, the Baby Mandra is actually hiding about 20 steps to the right from where Marin-chan is standing.

The Baby Mandra’s leaves are slightly reddish.

It’s not that difficult to find it once you notice its distinct characteristics but…

If you don’t notice it yourself, it won’t lead to growth.

But if they go at this pace, it’ll be lights out by the time they find it… I should give her a hint.

“It looks like it’s around there.” (Jade)

“Over there?” (Marin)

“From what Dorami sees, there’s nothing over there…” (Dorami)

“Can I borrow that for a bit?” (Marin)

“Go ahead.” (Dorami)

Marin-chan borrowed the opera glasses and looked through them.

Muu, she grumbled and frowned before walking forward—

She flinched.

“O-only that weed’s leaves are red!” (Marin)

“…Ah. You’re right!” (Dorami)

“N-now that I think about it, I feel like all of the Baby Mandras that I’ve seen all have red leaves…” (Marin)

“Maybe that’s a characteristic of a Baby Mandra?” (Dorami)

 “Oooh, a new discovery!” (Marin)

The two of them exchanged their joy with a high five.

Then Marin-chan pulled out her sword.

With her shield held up, she slowly moved forward and stimulated the soil with the tip of her sword—

“Kiiiii!”

With a high-pitched shriek, the Baby Mandra jumped out.

Marin-chan faltered for a moment.

The Baby Mandra exploited that gap and swung its roots like a whip.

But, Marin-chan blocked it with her shield.

Peshipeshi!

Peshipeshi!

“W-what a terrifying attack…!” (Dorami)

“I-if someone gets hit by this, they’ll get lots of welts!” (Marin)

“Huee… It looks like it’ll hurt…” (Dorami)

“If I was still a bud-class, I would have probably cried because it hurt so much but… Marin has a flower now!” (Marin)

T/N: Reminder, bud-class (no flower) is the first step. They have to bloom the flower to get a petal, which is then divided into ten ranks.

She must’ve strengthened her whole body. Marin-chan, devoid of any hesitation, moved forward while holding up her shield.

The moment the Baby Mandra entered her striking range—

Cut!

She swung her sword and cut the Baby Mandra in half.

A burst of ether came out and was absorbed by the Floral Crest.

“Uooo! That was cool!” (Dorami)

“That was a great blow!” (Jade)

Marin-chan fidgeted as she got embarrassed before picking up the seed-like magic stone from the Baby Mandra.

“With this, the quest is complete!” (Marin)

“Well done!” (Dorami)

“I-it’s not that big of a deal…” (Marin)

“It was really amazing! Even though you were being attacked like that, you still stepped forward and defeated it… It felt like Dorami was watching a seasoned adventurer!” (Dorami)

“I usually have a lot more trouble than this. Having Dorami-chan and Jade-kun around gave me strength so I was able to fight with a clear head.” (Marin)

“But in the end, it was Marin-chan’s abilities that allowed you to defeat it easily.” (Jade)

“I’m happy… I… I’m going to continue improving myself and someday, I’m going to reach Jade-kun’s level and take a ten-petal class quest!” (Marin)

Marin-chan is very enthusiastic.

Dorami, who was next to her, was looking at her with an envious expression.

“Dorami also wants to do the quest together…” (Dorami)

“Of course, Dorami-chan will be with me when I do it!” (Marin)

“But Dorami can do nothing except cheer you on… She wants to fight with you too…” (Dorami)

“If that’s the case, Dorami-can should become an adventurer too! I’d be happy if we can go on quests together!” (Marin)

“That sounds fun…” (Dorami)

Dorami was enchanted.

She seemed to be imagining waving a cool weapon around while bravely running through the fields with Marin-chan.

But, she suddenly looked like she woke up from a dream,

“Dorami can’t become an adventurer…” (Dorami)

“You aren’t 12 years old yet?” (Marin)

“Dorami doesn’t know her age but it’s impossible even if she’s 12. After all, Dorami is a dragon…” (Dorami)

“C-certainly, I’ve never heard of a dragon becoming an adventurer before but…” (Marin)

Marin-chan seemed worried about what she can say to comfort the depressed Dorami.

“H-hmm, ah!” She said, managing to come up with something.

“I’ll treat you to a lollipop!” (Marin)

“I-is that okay?” (Dorami)

“Yeah! Let’s go get the money from the guild!” (Marin)

“B-but, it’s money that Marin earned through hard work, you should buy things that you like.” (Dorami)

“I want to lick candy with Dorami-chan!” (Marin)

Marin-chan held Dorami’s hand tightly and smiled. Dorami then nodded with a brighter expression than before.

And so, we went back to town and had some lollipops.