WHFIO16

Chapter 16

“Wh…what is this…? Give it to me.”

“Let’s see.”

Cassian raised the quest scroll just out of Elsez’s reach, keeping it high above her hands. With his other arm, he pressed down on her shoulder.

Elsez flailed helplessly, the disparity in height and arm length making her struggle in midair.

Ugh, and he’s ridiculously tall!

Elsez was already taller than the average person, yet Cassian still towered over her by at least a head.

“Hand it over nicely… please, Master?”

Before I even have to punch his chest.

Elsez gritted her teeth, forcing a smile, but Cassian ignored her entirely and began reading the quest scroll.

As he scanned its contents, a frown creased his brow.

“Who in their right mind gave a newbie such a dangerous quest?”

“It was assigned after I proved my skills properly!”

“This quest is revoked. A newbie should start at the Beginning Forest.”

Cassian snatched Elsez’s scroll and handed her a new one bound with a blue ribbon—his own.

Elsez accepted it reluctantly, frowning.

“What… is this?”

“A quest from the guild master for new recruits.”

“Give me back my quest!”

“Complete this one first, then we’ll talk.”

Elsez’s eyes widened in disbelief. She took a deep breath, glaring daggers at Cassian.

She knew why he was doing this—because he worried about her, a newbie—but still…

My 50 Luke!

She couldn’t help but feel furious at the meager reward involved.

Cassian lightly tapped her head with his palm and smirked mockingly.

“Well then, good luck.”

He waved mockingly and strolled casually into the guild hall.

Elsez watched his retreating figure, stunned, while Lety leapt in outrage.

“That guy stole my big candy!”

“Haah…”

“Let’s settle this, human! I might still be a bit weak, but at least we can take down one of them!”

When candy is at stake, Lety was always serious.

Elsez considered Lety’s suggestion for a moment but ultimately clenched her teeth and turned away.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

The Beginning Forest, a low-level hunting ground, was not far north from the central territory.

Unlike other areas swarming with monsters, this forest was managed by the mages of the Magic Tower, who controlled the population of creatures.

The reason was simple: monster byproducts were essential for consumables used in magical tools and enhancements, so a steady supply was necessary.

In practice, the mages rarely hunted low-level monsters themselves, preferring to assign the task to guild members. Time spent killing weak monsters was better invested in research or honing magical skills.

The monsters here posed little threat, making the forest a common place for both new guild recruits and independent adventurers to take on quests. Hence, it was widely called the Beginning Forest.

Arriving at the forest, Elsez heard the cries of beginners and resolved:

I’ll clear this as quickly as possible and earn Cassian’s recognition.

Since she couldn’t punch him, she reluctantly opened the scroll she’d been given.

Quest: Hunt 10 Corpse Crows
Location: North Beginning Forest
Reward: 3 Luke
Progress: 0/10

Corpse crows weren’t particularly dangerous, but as flying monsters, they were tricky for melee specialists to catch.

“It’d be easier if I could use magic.”

Ruel, an elementalist, could, but Elsez was a melee damage dealer and had no magical skills. Teleportation magic was simple and low-cost, allowing anyone to learn it, but beyond that, only those chosen by mana or spirits could wield other magic. Sword-and-magic hybrids existed but were extremely rare.

Suddenly, Lety, nestled in her pocket, piped up.

“You can use magic.”

“What? Really?”

“Ahem. I excel at both magic and melee combat.”

Lety puffed out her chest proudly. Right—Lezantia could use both area magic and close combat.

With that power, Elsez could use magic too.

“Then I can finish this in no time with magic—”

“Not yet. Your power needs to recover a bit more first.”

“…Figures.”

Elsez glared at Lety, but a sudden unwelcome voice interrupted from behind.

“Well, well… isn’t this the newbie who ran off from the drinking party?”

Two days ago, a guild member had tried to get Elsez drunk. Seeing his face made her frown instinctively.

“If we’d had fun drinking together, I’d happily help you with your quest.”

“….”

“Maybe tonight if we drink, I could lend a hand.”

His voice was generous, but his gaze was laced with ulterior motives.

I need to endure… They say patience can prevent murder.

Elsez gritted her teeth and replied coldly:

“I’m fine. I can handle it alone.”

Unfazed, he continued boasting about his exploits:

“This hunting ground is like home to me. I could really help you out here…”

He glanced back, but Elsez had already vanished into the forest.

Amidst the dense, shadowy woods, the sun caught on the clasp of Elsez’s cloak, reflecting a flash of light onto the trees.

The crows, attracted to the glinting shine, swooped toward her. Elsez watched them carefully and struck down with a swift punch.

“Ughk!”

A crow the size of a small child fell at her feet. At the same time, the quest scroll’s counter updated:

Hunt 10 Corpse Crows
Progress: 10/10

“Hah, easy without magic.”

Instead of magic, Elsez relied on her wits, exploiting the crows’ attraction to shiny objects.

Last run, playing an elementalist didn’t suit me at all…

As someone accustomed to martial arts, swimming, and other physical hobbies, the role of elemental summoner never fit her. But as a melee fighter this time, she could move freely.