Chapter 150: Urgent Mission
Chapter 150: Urgent Mission
“About this mission…” Mira hesitated, gripping the mission sheet tightly.
Rod leaned in and read softly, “Find the Divotian Herb, reward: 88,600 J, location: Galantos Snow Mountain. Is there something wrong with it?”
“It’s a pretty standard mission, but the reward seems a bit low considering the difficulty,” Mira explained.
“Galantos is home to a fierce carnivorous magical beast. Normally, a mission this risky would fetch at least 100,000 J. But the client marked it as urgent…”
Low reward, high risk, and urgent?
“There’s probably some backstory,” Rod said. “What’s the Divotian Herb used for?”
“It was initially used to treat colds and fevers, but due to its harsh growing conditions and the availability of alternative medicines, it’s not used as much anymore. However, it was later discovered to treat a specific epidemic…”
Mira flipped through the files. “Sure enough, the client’s family member has contracted that disease and urgently needs the herb for treatment.”
“It seems they’ve spent all their savings on medical expenses…” Rod looked at the precise reward amount and took the mission sheet from Mira.
“Rod?”
“Do you think we can handle that beast, along with Elfman?”
“It’s a pack animal that likes to swarm during battles…” Mira glanced at Rod, but this didn’t seem like a major issue to her.
“The tricky part is that they can trigger avalanches using special techniques, which can be very challenging in the mountain environment.”
“I’m not afraid of a group fight, and we can fly away from an avalanche…”
Rod said, “Let’s take it. It’s not a popular mission, so we’ll handle it.”
He wasn’t sure if this would disrupt the market, but since they would meet the client, he could gauge whether they were genuinely unable to pay more or just trying to haggle.
“Alright.” Mira nodded. Since Rod had made up his mind, she didn’t say anything more.
As for whether Elfman would care about the low reward, Mira didn’t think so.
“Elfman~”
Elfman walked over from the notice board. “Sis?”
“The mission is picked, come take a look.” Mira showed him the mission sheet and explained the key points to watch out for.
“No problem, Sis. A real man doesn’t care about the reward in a situation like this!”
If it were anyone else, Rod would have said, “Then your share is mine,” but since it was Elfman, he simply said, “Let’s prepare separately. Meet back here in half an hour, and remember to bring enough winter gear.”
“Man up!” Since it was an urgent mission, Elfman casually agreed and ran off.
Rod, familiar with the routine, headed to the warehouse and library to gather the necessary items before going home to pack.
Half an hour later, Mira looked at the two, ready to go. “Elfman, remember to listen to Rod’s advice.”
“I know, Sis.” Elfman was already looking for a chance to spar with Rod again.
But because they often fought, he knew Rod was a reliable guy.
Mira opened her mouth as if to say something more to Rod, but in the end, she just looked into his eyes. “Be careful on the way.”
Rod smiled. “Sure, let’s go.”
…
This time, they had to leave in a hurry, so Rod brought a book to read on the carriage.
Elfman, not fully understanding Rod’s process, asked, “What’s that?”
“It’s information about the Galantos Snow Mountain. It’s always good to know more about the mission location.”
Rod showed Elfman the cover of a magic book and then handed it to him. "Take this. Use it when you need to."
"Manly..."
Rod quickly interjected, "If you're a real man, take it and don't make your sister worry."
"You... really think of everything." Elfman pondered for a moment and then asked, "So, you're planning to make a move on Mira, huh?"
Rod thought for a moment. Elfman seemed to prefer straightforward communication, but it wasn't the right time to be completely blunt.
So, he gave a response that was both direct and vague.
"Well... I can't acknowledge it just yet."
Elfman was taken aback and shouted, "What do you mean you can't acknowledge it, you jerk!"
"Exactly what I said. And it's best not to mention this to Mira."
"Why should I listen to you?"
"Then let's decide the manly way. The next time we fight, the winner gets to call the shots."
"Alright, manly!" Elfman agreed without hesitation at the mention of a "manly way."
Then he remembered the giant golem he had seen last night.
Should he restrict Rod from using that move?
No, that wouldn't be a real manly battle!
Damn, if only he could fully accept the Beast King's power...
The magic book in Elfman's hand slipped onto his lap, and he instinctively wanted to hold his head in his hands.
Rod frowned. This kid had some serious psychological issues. He said he wanted to move forward, but it wasn't that easy.
Forcing the Beast King's power to protect his family was a desperate act in a dire situation, not his fault.
But because he had acted without consciousness, he couldn't forgive himself.
"Elfman is a gentle boy," Mira had said.
Rod had seen Elfman's old photos in the guild's album. His demeanor was completely different from now.
The gentler the heart, the harder it is to overcome such a trauma.
Rod patted his shoulder, not trying to persuade him. If words alone could solve this, the Guild Master would have done so long ago.
Even if he wanted to talk it out, there had to be the right moment.
The journey from Magnolia to the client's village took about two hours.
"Elfman, we're getting off here."
"Ah." Elfman responded, then seemed surprised. "How did you know?"
"Because my Swift Crab from the Summoner's Rift is already there." Rod pointed to his eyes. "It can see our carriage."
What a convenient magic.
Elfman put away the magic book and slung his backpack over his shoulder.
As they entered the village, the children playing in the streets ran away from Elfman's intimidating appearance.
Rod told Elfman to wait there while he approached an elderly, kind-looking villager to ask for directions.
"Excuse me, I'm a mage from Fairy Tail. Could you tell me where Mr. Karut and Mrs. Weiss live?"
"Karut? Ah, I see. You're here to help him. He's a poor boy, barely holding on. Just a few days ago, he was lively, driving his carriage to deliver goods..."
The old man rambled on for a bit before pointing in a direction. "Over there, the house with a stable but no horses inside is the one."
What an unusual way to identify a house...
Rod thanked the old man and called Elfman over to head to the house.
Thinking about it, Mr. Karut must have sold his horse to pay for his treatment.
(End of Chapter)
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