309 A Month After, Winter Comes With Bandit Extermination
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The month came to an end and winter was coming closer, the warm and sunny days were soon going to become darker and colder. We usually deal with winter by accumulating a lot of firewood to burn so we can keep ourselves warmth. Even with my utility magic, this hasn’t changed. We also usually buy a lot of salt to preserve food because in Winter nobody goes to hunt for meat, so we usually dry out our meat with salt. Crops also can’t survive in cold, even less when it is snowing, so the yield of crops is very small, which are mostly tubers that barely survive thanks to my magic and the new [Harvest] Skill.
Through the month, I’ve been completing H and G Grade Quests from the Adventurer Guild with Eleanora. Because we didn’t wanted to bring any attention to us by doing something ridiculous like completing D Rank quests or something, we remained low key while slowly saving up the money we made from the quests. The quests were similar but slightly harder, often hunting horned rabbits, walking mushrooms, and the occasional gray wolf pack extermination, which had been becoming more prominent and aggressive as the forest is slowly healing as winter comes. They’re hungry and probably trying to save food for winter as well.
I had yet to step into the “Lowlands” which is the area where the road that leads to the capital is located. In carriage, it usually takes three to four days to reach the capital, so it is a very vast and empty area of the territory where wild animals and monsters roam freely. This is where newbie adventurers go. However, we have restrained from going there yet, as we wanted to finish some things in the adventurer guild such as getting Eleanora to F Rank.
“Congratulations in your Rank Up to G Rank! This is the first time in years that somebody has reached a higher Rank in this small Adventurer Guild!” The receptionist lady said, happily giving Eleanora her medal, which was still made of Bronze, but said “G” instead of “H”.
Of course, Ranking Up in the Adventurer Guild doesn’t come without benefits. More quests become available, and there is a chance to be able to participate in Emergency Quests, which happen when a group of monsters grows exponentially, which rewards with a good amount of Telis.
Additionally, there are also discounts in the Guild’s official shop, which even sells the very expensive Mana Potions, alongside Health Potions, Armor, Weapons, and even special “Spirit Armor” special armor that can be equipped into spirits to enhance their power. They’re incredibly rare and expensive though.
“Thanks.” Eleanora said.
“With this you’ll be able to receive a 10% discount in the Adventurer Guild’s Shop, so please make sure to use it to buy things at a more affordable price!” The lady said, she was quite cheery and nice.
“Will do.”
Eleanora walked away with me at her side. I had already been introduced to the receptionist and everybody else, and I was known as “Elearose’s little brother”. I simply said I was a support magician, and they seemed to buy it. Oh, and about the disappearance of Fat, Scrawny, and Midget, nobody has really cared. It was mentioned sometimes, but most adventurers hated them, so their topic was always dismissed.
As we were about to leave, we checked the Quest Board one more time, looking around at the various Quests until we ultimately found what we wanted…
“Bandit Extermination… E Rank quest.” Eleanora said.
“Hm, with winter approaching, bandits might try to pillage smaller nearby villages for food and resources… It might do good if we capture them before winter comes completely.” I nodded.
“Yeah, I think the same.” Eleanora smiled a bit.
We quickly gave the receptionist the paper.
“Bandit Extermination- Eh? Are you sure?! You should do this with a big party! A-Also, they’re always moving so its hard to find them, they might ambush you and-“
“Don’t worry, we have our Spirits.” Eleanora said, showing her “spirit” which was just Fenrir.
“Hm.” I nodded, showing Huginn.
Both were intimidating enough to make the receptionist sigh a bit. A small butterfly flew around her, which was her own spirit named “Moonlight Butterfly”. Aside from being pretty, it seems to have the ability to emanate a scale powder from its wings that can confuse a target or create illusions. I saw her in action when she defended against a perverted male adventurer trying to take advantage of her.
It would certainly be a good Familiar if I could get it… But of course, I won’t do such a thing to this woman, who had been so nice to us, and which is loved by everybody around here.
…But there won’t be much mercy to the Bandits, however.
As we walked away from the Adventurer Guild and returned back home, we found a man carrying away a large basket filled with vegetables and meat. This was the Taxer, he comes to ask taxes to all serfs and commoners that occupy this land through the year, usually three times per year.
He takes roughly 60% of everything we hunt and harvest, which would sound unfair, but as we are serfs with no citizenship and are lower than commoners, it is a fitting pay for staying in these protected lands, I suppose…
Of course, I’ve also kept what I hunt with myself in my underground storage, and I also save veggies and other things there. This would be considered illegal and I might even face capital punishment for evading taxes, but it is not as if they’ll ever find my secret hideout so far away from home.
“It seems that the taxes were paid today as well.” I said.
“Yes, everything’s done for now. There as a plentiful harvest this year so the man walked away rather happily… The end of the year is coming closer.” My mother sighed, caressing her belly. “I might end up giving birth in the middle of winter, what a chore…”
“Don’t worry mother, we’ll take care of you and keep the house warm.” I reassured my mother, calming her nerves a bit.
“Sigh… You’re such a good kid.” My mother caressed my head. “Let’s go eat lunch now, everything’s almost ready.”
“Alright.”
After this, we’ll go Bandit Hunting.
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