Ossan Saikyō Chapter 8 Part 02
The following morning, after meeting up with Mariane in front of the guild, we headed to the apothecary where Miss Hofena worked.
At first glance, her apothecary looked like an ordinary house.
However, once we were guided inside, the air was filled with a fragrance similar to traditional herbal medicine, giving it the unmistakable atmosphere of a place that dealt with remedies and medicinal ingredients.
In a room resembling a reception room, Mariane, the three of us, and Miss Hofena, who had brought in tea, gathered around a table.
According to my【Presence Detection】, there was one other person somewhere in the house. Probably a family member or an assistant.
Once everyone had been served tea, the beautiful elf woman in a white coat, Miss Hofena, opened her mouth as though she could hardly wait any longer.
“Thank you very much for accepting the request so quickly. So, how did it go?”
“Here they are. Please have a look.”
Mariane began placing rabbit horns on the table one after another from a large bag.
When the Bicorn Rabbit horns were finally placed down last, Miss Hofena’s eyes sparkled and she spread her arms wide.
“Amazing! This is wonderful~! So many precious horns! And even Bicorn Rabbit horns~! Choosing Soushi-san’s party was absolutely the right decision!”
She grabbed my hands, looking as if she might start dancing at any moment.
If adventurers could bring this much joy to someone, perhaps that really was the greatest reward of the profession.
Mariane cleared her throat.
After confirming that the flushed Miss Hofena had sat back down, she continued.
“We ask that you purchase all of these at the agreed price. Additionally, Soushi-san has a request. This request is also being made on behalf of the Guild, so we would greatly appreciate your cooperation.”
“Huh...? Very well. What is it?”
Miss Hofena looked puzzled, but when she saw the serious expression on my face, she straightened her posture.
“The request is that you keep it a secret that our party was the one that collected these rabbit horns.”
“A secret...? Why?”
“Because if people learn that we can obtain rabbit horns this easily, it will create various complications.”
“Complications, huh...”
Miss Hofena lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back at me.
“For example, being flooded with requests? Or having other adventurers investigate how you're able to gather them so easily?”
“Yes, exactly. Something like that. If those kinds of problems arise, we may not be able to accept your requests in the future.”
That was our strongest argument, and as expected, it was highly effective. Miss Hofena hurriedly nodded.
“I understand. I absolutely won't tell anyone. I run a business myself, so I have no intention of ruining someone else's livelihood.”
“Thank you very much. That's all I wanted to discuss. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
That should settle the matter.
Even if Miss Hofena kept quiet, our unusual circumstances might eventually become known anyway. But by then, we'd probably have moved on to another region.
“So you'll still accept my requests in the future, right?”
“Of course. Though we won't be able to do so too frequently.”
“That's perfectly fine. Actually, since Mariane-san is here today as well, I'd like to make another request to Soushi-san's party. This one isn't a gathering request, but rather an escort request to an Elven village...”
“An escort request?”
That was certainly unexpected.
I glanced at Freynil and Rani. Both of them seemed interested.
Well, I was intrigued by the idea of an Elven Village myself. It was a classic fantasy setting, after all.
Since Mariane didn't object either, I decided to hear the rest.
“Please continue.”
“Thank you. Before that, however, there is someone I need to introduce.”
With that, Miss Hofena left the room and returned shortly afterward with a young woman.
“This is Sphenia-san, an adventurer from the Elven village. In fact, the reason I requested the rabbit horns was because of a request she brought to me.”
“I am Sphenia, an adventurer from the hidden Elven village of Ardolf. Thank you for your assistance.”
The woman introduced by Miss Hofena greeted us politely.
She had radiant silver hair tied into a ponytail and possessed a beauty so exquisite that even among elves, who were already famed for their good looks, she seemed exceptional.
She resembled a finely crafted doll brought to life.
◇◆◇
According to Miss Hofena and Miss Sphenia's explanation, an epidemic had apparently broken out in the Elven village.
At the village's request, Miss Sphenia had come to Miss Hofena, an apothecary, to have medicine prepared to treat the disease.
And since the medicine required rabbit horns as ingredients, that was how the request had come to us.
“Thanks to Soushi-san's party, we now have all the necessary ingredients. However, the medicine needs to be compounded after examining the patients' symptoms directly. That means I must personally travel to the village.
…
The problem is that there are dangerous areas along the way... So I'd like to hire trustworthy adventurers as escorts.”
That was the reason Miss Hofena was placing an escort request.
“I understand. However, may I ask something? Would it be acceptable for non-elves to visit an Elven village?”
This time, Miss Sphenia answered.
“Certainly, there are villages that reject outsiders, especially those who are not elves. However, the village we are heading to is not one of them.”
“Are there any dungeons near the village?”
“Yes. There is one dungeon each of F through D rank nearby. Naturally, outsiders are permitted to enter them.”
In that case, it sounded well worth visiting.
After confirming with Freynil and Rani, I received immediate answers.
“I shall follow Soushi-sama's decision.”
“I'm interested in seeing an Elven village too, so I want to go.”
That settled it.
“Understood. We'll accept the request.”
“That's wonderful. Thank you very much.”
Miss Hofena visibly relaxed and exchanged nods with Miss Sphenia.
“Then let's complete the paperwork here and now.”
Thanks to Mariane's flawless administrative efficiency, everything was quickly arranged, and we agreed to depart the following morning.
It looked like today would be spent preparing for a long journey.
Thankfully, I had acquired the【Item Box】skill beforehand.
Yet another occasion where my【Bad Luck】had come through for me.
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E/N:
Another trope, the Elven Village, chack! 😂
Stay tuned!
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