“Are they doing a skit or something…?” Flores watched Gen, Louis, and Lily with a bemused expression. The way they huddled together before heading off in completely different directions, only to spin on their heels to face the request board… It felt overly exaggerated in a way that nobody would act like in real life, as though they were part of some sort of comedy story.
Menez simply seemed amused by their antics.
“You have some pretty weird friends, Fennie~”
“... Nn, that's right.” Fenris replied, happy to confirm that they were in fact his friends.
Louis twitched.
… That's probably just Fen being-- uh, however he is.
Louis tried to reassure himself that Fenris wouldn’t just diss him out of hand, but then he remembered being called ‘Loudass’ and realized that Fenris absolutely would do that.
“A-Ahaha, that's a good joke, Fen!” Louis gave finger guns with a cramped smile, trying to deflect the mental damage he was taking.
However, Fenris ruthlessly dealt the killing blow with a tilted head and disdainful (?) eyes.
“... But, you are (my friends), aren't you…?”
“Guh.” Louis collapsed to his hands and knees.
… In reality, Fenris was just sad because he thought Louis was denying their friendship. However, seeing as that last reaction probably wasn't an outright rejection, he figured that they were on good terms with each other; that said, Fenris still wasn't quite sure what Louis’s reaction was supposed to mean, so he went over to him and started patting him on the head... As one does.
Gen and Lily looked at each other before also starting to pat Louis. Louis stayed as he was, utterly baffled as to how he was supposed to react to this situation.
“What the heck is this…”
Flores and Menez were similarly watching this scene with complicated expressions.
“This kid is also a bit weird, huh…” Flores muttered.
“It's good that they’re getting along~”
———
“... I’m not finding anything…” Louis mumbled to himself while browsing the request board. “Hey, Flores—you got any jobs for the Steppes?”
None of the jobs seemed to be located in the southern steppes, where their party was planning on going. Certainly, there were a few that they could complete on the way over, but Louis didn't want to spend too much time hunting in the lower level areas. Unfortunately, Flores shook his head.
“I haven't processed any requests for that area recently, so what you see is probably all you’ll get,” Flores replied after racking his brain. “We’ll be posting new ones at one o’clock, if you want to check back then.”
“Ooh, why don't you ask me if I have any requests for you~?” Menez’s eyes glittered expectantly.
“... Well, Menez—do you have any jobs for the Steppes?”
“Hmm… nope~!”
““Hey.””
While everyone else was busy retorting to Menez, Fenris’s attention was instead drawn to a piece of paper that had fallen to the ground.
“How about… this one…?” Fenris presented the sheet to the others.
“Huh….” Louis took it from him, with Gen and Lily looking over Louis’s shoulders.
[“Foetida Herb Gathering” () (Caguan Steppes)]
[300 geld, 1000 EXP]
- “My mother is sick, but I can't afford the herb needed for the medicine. Please help!” (Client: Little Annie)
“The rewards seem a bit low for the difficulty level…” Louis noted with a frown.
“Oh, is that little Ann’s request?” Flores let out a troubled sigh, seemingly familiar with the details. “We had to raise the difficulty rating because of where it's located, but it seems like that discouraged people from taking it…”
“Well, let's do it, then.” Louis immediately decided. “You guys have any objections?”
““None,”” the others replied just as quickly.
“Alrighty then, let’s--"
“Oi—wait a minute, you lot.” Flores cut in. “I’d be grateful if you could take on that request—but at your current strength, you’ll probably be forced to retreat before you can actually complete it.”
He pulled out a map showing areas surrounding Firrstad, which included the steppes to the south, and circled a small point on it.
“There's only one place that foetida grows around here, and the entire thing is stuck in the middle of Goretusk territory.”
“Goretusk,” Fenris repeated the unfamiliar part. Having caught on to Fenris’s mannerisms, Flores elaborated.
“They’re big beasts—about the size of those carts you came into town on, but much, much faster. They’ll attack anything bigger than a rabbit if it's in their territory. Fortunately, they're hard to miss and their eyesight sucks; if you see one on the horizon, get the heck out of there, because you ain't outrunning it if it sees you.”
Flores crossed his arms and let out yet another sigh.
“In any case—as a guild employee, I can't let you take that request if you're not strong enough to fight a Goretusk. The risk is too high.”
“Alright, alright, I get it…” Louis put his hands up in resignation. “Come on guys—we still have to get Fen’s gear. See ya, Flores.”
The rest followed Louis out as he left the guild. They walked in silence for a few seconds before Lily finally spoke.
“... Even if it's just a game, I still feel a bit bad about not taking that request.”
“Yep.” Louis agreed, pushing up his glasses with a mischievous glint. “That's why we're gonna do it anyways.”
“E-eh?!”
“It’s not like we have to take the request in order to harvest the herbs, y’know?” He shrugged. “We’ll just… turn ‘em in after we’ve gotten them.”
Gen and Lily’s jaws dropped.
“Louis is… super smart.” Fenris’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“That's right, praise me more!” Louis cackled.
“Kuh… To think that Louis would outsmart me…” Gen hung her head, her hands clenched in bitter defeat.
“I have failed as well,” Lily put a comforting hand on Gen’s shoulder. “We’ll improve… together.”
Watching this scene of camaraderie, Louis had an inscrutable smile on his face.
“... At least you're on my side, Fen-buddy.”
“Nn.” Fenris didn't understand what was going on.
———
(EXTRA:)
“There's no real reason for us to not try,” Louis reasoned. “Worst case: we die and lose some EXP—no big deal.”
“Death is normally a pretty big deal, though…”
“Are they doing a skit or something…?” Flores watched Gen, Louis, and Lily with a bemused expression. The way they huddled together before heading off in completely different directions, only to spin on their heels to face the request board… It felt overly exaggerated in a way that nobody would act like in real life, as though they were part of some sort of comedy story.
Menez simply seemed amused by their antics.
“You have some pretty weird friends, Fennie~”
“... Nn, that's right.” Fenris replied, happy to confirm that they were in fact his friends.
Louis twitched.
… That's probably just Fen being-- uh, however he is.
Louis tried to reassure himself that Fenris wouldn’t just diss him out of hand, but then he remembered being called ‘Loudass’ and realized that Fenris absolutely would do that.
“A-Ahaha, that's a good joke, Fen!” Louis gave finger guns with a cramped smile, trying to deflect the mental damage he was taking.
However, Fenris ruthlessly dealt the killing blow with a tilted head and disdainful (?) eyes.
“... But, you are (my friends), aren't you…?”
“Guh.” Louis collapsed to his hands and knees.
… In reality, Fenris was just sad because he thought Louis was denying their friendship. However, seeing as that last reaction probably wasn't an outright rejection, he figured that they were on good terms with each other; that said, Fenris still wasn't quite sure what Louis’s reaction was supposed to mean, so he went over to him and started patting him on the head... As one does.
Gen and Lily looked at each other before also starting to pat Louis. Louis stayed as he was, utterly baffled as to how he was supposed to react to this situation.
“What the heck is this…”
Flores and Menez were similarly watching this scene with complicated expressions.
“This kid is also a bit weird, huh…” Flores muttered.
“It's good that they’re getting along~”
———
“... I’m not finding anything…” Louis mumbled to himself while browsing the request board. “Hey, Flores—you got any jobs for the Steppes?”
None of the jobs seemed to be located in the southern steppes, where their party was planning on going. Certainly, there were a few that they could complete on the way over, but Louis didn't want to spend too much time hunting in the lower level areas. Unfortunately, Flores shook his head.
“I haven't processed any requests for that area recently, so what you see is probably all you’ll get,” Flores replied after racking his brain. “We’ll be posting new ones at one o’clock, if you want to check back then.”
“Ooh, why don't you ask me if I have any requests for you~?” Menez’s eyes glittered expectantly.
“... Well, Menez—do you have any jobs for the Steppes?”
“Hmm… nope~!”
““Hey.””
While everyone else was busy retorting to Menez, Fenris’s attention was instead drawn to a piece of paper that had fallen to the ground.
“How about… this one…?” Fenris presented the sheet to the others.
“Huh….” Louis took it from him, with Gen and Lily looking over Louis’s shoulders.
[“Foetida Herb Gathering” () (Caguan Steppes)]
[300 geld, 1000 EXP]
- “My mother is sick, but I can't afford the herb needed for the medicine. Please help!” (Client: Little Annie)
“The rewards seem a bit low for the difficulty level…” Louis noted with a frown.
“Oh, is that little Ann’s request?” Flores let out a troubled sigh, seemingly familiar with the details. “We had to raise the difficulty rating because of where it's located, but it seems like that discouraged people from taking it…”
“Well, let's do it, then.” Louis immediately decided. “You guys have any objections?”
““None,”” the others replied just as quickly.
“Alrighty then, let’s--"
“Oi—wait a minute, you lot.” Flores cut in. “I’d be grateful if you could take on that request—but at your current strength, you’ll probably be forced to retreat before you can actually complete it.”
He pulled out a map showing areas surrounding Firrstad, which included the steppes to the south, and circled a small point on it.
“There's only one place that foetida grows around here, and the entire thing is stuck in the middle of Goretusk territory.”
“Goretusk,” Fenris repeated the unfamiliar part. Having caught on to Fenris’s mannerisms, Flores elaborated.
“They’re big beasts—about the size of those carts you came into town on, but much, much faster. They’ll attack anything bigger than a rabbit if it's in their territory. Fortunately, they're hard to miss and their eyesight sucks; if you see one on the horizon, get the heck out of there, because you ain't outrunning it if it sees you.”
Flores crossed his arms and let out yet another sigh.
“In any case—as a guild employee, I can't let you take that request if you're not strong enough to fight a Goretusk. The risk is too high.”
“Alright, alright, I get it…” Louis put his hands up in resignation. “Come on guys—we still have to get Fen’s gear. See ya, Flores.”
The rest followed Louis out as he left the guild. They walked in silence for a few seconds before Lily finally spoke.
“... Even if it's just a game, I still feel a bit bad about not taking that request.”
“Yep.” Louis agreed, pushing up his glasses with a mischievous glint. “That's why we're gonna do it anyways.”
“E-eh?!”
“It’s not like we have to take the request in order to harvest the herbs, y’know?” He shrugged. “We’ll just… turn ‘em in after we’ve gotten them.”
Gen and Lily’s jaws dropped.
“Louis is… super smart.” Fenris’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“That's right, praise me more!” Louis cackled.
“Kuh… To think that Louis would outsmart me…” Gen hung her head, her hands clenched in bitter defeat.
“I have failed as well,” Lily put a comforting hand on Gen’s shoulder. “We’ll improve… together.”
Watching this scene of camaraderie, Louis had an inscrutable smile on his face.
“... At least you're on my side, Fen-buddy.”
“Nn.” Fenris didn't understand what was going on.
———
(EXTRA:)
“There's no real reason for us to not try,” Louis reasoned. “Worst case: we die and lose some EXP—no big deal.”
“Death is normally a pretty big deal, though…”
