Mr. Nobu’s Otherworld Chronicles Chapter 26

Despite the knock-out event, my first training day ended safely.

I've got to work hard to earn my keep from here on. After all, I didn't work at all the whole yesterday.
That said, going straight to dungeon now is tough. Yup, I acted tough back then, but that last hit was quite something.
Let's look for an easy to clear quest here. I also have to work on the quests for the sake of keeping the discounts on Solomon Pavilion.
Would be nice if there were indoor or gathering quests. I can already see the bottom of the rucksack where I put the fruits. It'd be perfect if I also got to collect emergency provisions while doing the quest.

I go to the guild board to look for quests, there's not a lot of adventurers in the guild at this time of the day.
Well, I look over the quest board while hoping that there's something good left.
Let me see... Warehouse Night Guard, Walking the Dog, Catching Panty Thief... Nothing good.
Oh, there's more below.

《　Medical Herb Gathering　》
Requesting for collection of herbs for potion making. Hira Gra.s.s, Gedo Gra.s.s and etc.
Accepting by a bundle of ten. Prioritizing people who can handle the work carefully.

Reward: Can change depending on the state of the material
Client: Alchemy Store 『Shut-in Lamia』 Shopkeeper
※Please bring the requested item to the client directly and ask for the completion mark.

It's a quest from Sefi-san. Or rather, wouldn't everyone not take this quest with this reward? This is way too obscure.
Wonder if there's any good place to collect herbs nearby. I should go ask the receptionist.

"Excuse me, I'd like to take this quest."

"Umu, this calls for quest processing dearuna. Wait a moment dearu."

Huh? Why's Ranba-san here?

"Huh? Ranba-san, weren't you in charge of the purchasing counter?"

"Umu, I take care of stuff here too when I'm free or during the s.h.i.+ft dearu. Hou, herb gathering dearuka. Lots of plain jobs like this get neglected, this really helps dearuna."

"Do you know a good place to gather herbs around here?"

"Right dearuna. The area around the forest about 30 minutes away from the north gate is a good one for that dearu. However, we've confirmed the existence of goblins and such there, be sure to take caution."

I see, I see. I'm not sure how long it'd take to gather the herbs, but I should be able to get back before sundown if I can do that in 2-3 hours.

"Thank you for the info. I'll be going then."

"Umu, get it together dearuna."

I bought two bread from a bakery near the guild and a spit-roast as a side dish. It's bad manners, but I hurry to the forest while chewing the bread.
I would have ridden on a horse carriage or something if this were a fantasy or RPG, but reality is a harsh mistress. Even the maintenance cost for that alone would be awful. Well, I probably won't have to travel a long distance for the time being anyway, gotta work my legs!

After walking while skipping on the highway a bit, I arrived at a thick woods. This is probably the place.

I'll look for the herbs with Discerning Magic Eyes from the entrance. I should equip the Iron Ant Gauntlet just in case. Now that I've learned Grappling skill and all, I'll test the skill if anything happens.

I dug out gra.s.ses that grew all over the places thoroughly to their root, packed them in a bundle with cloth and tossed them into my rucksack.
There were more variety besides Hiru Gra.s.s and Gedo Gra.s.s.

Maji Gra.s.s
Ingredient for magic potion. It looks similar to Hira Gra.s.s but its leaf vein is tinged red. It has a slight magic recovery effect by biting it even before getting processed. However, it's really bitter.

Para Gra.s.s
Herb that can recover paralyze. It has almost no effect if it hasn't been processed through a standard procedure, be aware. Really spicy chewed.

I shove them down the rucksack while I'm at it. The gathering is going nicely. I should leave some instead of rooting them all. I don't know the ecosystem here, but taking them all off would mess the cl.u.s.ters.

I've gathered quite a lot of herbs, but I don't see many fruits around. That forest might really be special. There were only wild apples and pears here. Well, I made sure to take them all though! Ah, found walnuts.

I've gone deep into the forest long after proceeding through the entrance. It's been an hour since I started gathering (at least that's what my biological clock tells me), should be about time to turn back here.

Gigigi, gyaggya

Right when I was thinking of going back, I heard rasping voices. I've heard this one before.

Peeking while holding my breath, I saw three goblins encircling several Moss b.a.l.l.s.
As I was wondering what they were doing, one goblin caught a Moss Ball and bit on it.

Eeeeh!?　Those guys feed on Moss b.a.l.l.s?
Those Moss b.a.l.l.s do look plant-like, but I never thought that they were edible. The remaining goblins are also chewing on the Moss b.a.l.l.s.
Now then, what to do. My physical condition has gotten quite better compared to after the training. Goblins are a permanent subjugation  target since they will multiply if left alone. Only five mani a goblin though...

Conclusion, let's destroy them all with magic and earn some small change! I observe the situation while readying the Iront Ant Gauntlet.

Might as well use this chance to innovate a magic by imagining it. The magic I will use is Wind Arrow. What I'm imagining is the man's romance, drill! In my mind, drill has to be the 『Variable War Machine Gettda Robo』 number II. Moving underground, drilling with a drill on its groin, it was an unprecedented show. Made the child me's groin went limp unconsciously y'know. Oops, not good, got derailed.

It just needs to be a few inch big. The important thing here is the penetrative power. Aim for the goblin's heads.
Direction green! Angle green! Fire three bullets!

Solidify all the image, shaping it into magic.

"Drill Arrow!"

CHUIIIIIIIIIN

Three drills flew toward the goblins while sounding like a dentist's apparatus. The plus point of Wind Arrow is that it's practically silent, and this makes it very obvious. Gotta do some trial and errors with this stuff.
And I feel like I've lost a lot of MP. Gonna check later since the battle has started now.

BISHUN!

Among three drill arrows, one hit right on a goblin's head, one hit another goblin's tip of shoulder, and the last one pierced the ground. Did the Gettda II image I had earlier give an adverse effect?
In any case, my shooting control is still lacking! It's necessary to train this point too.

Right after I confirmed that I missed, I quickly readied myself and charged out.
They're still in confusion from the shooting, I'm gonna take control of the situation at once.

I sprang out toward the injured goblin to finish it. Referencing Eleanor-san's movement, I make a straight line with my pivot leg and throw a straight right while increasing the momentum instead of killing it. The injured goblin got blown away to a tree behind without having the chance to turn around.
Ever since I learned Grappling skill, my movement has become the smoothest it's ever been. Moving like I want better than before.

c.h.i.n.k

The last goblin drew its rusted sword and got on guard at me. Since its companies have been done in, it's breathing roughly.
In contrary, I've never been this calm before. At the very least, it doesn't feel as frightening as Eleanor-san from that time. That was scary. It really really was.

Giiiii

The goblin seems like it couldn't endure any longer, it's coming here while slas.h.i.+ng its sword around. I can see, I can see it, I can see its movements! After watching how people stronger than me like Gian and Eleanor-san move in a row, the goblins look really slow to me.

Matching its sword's movement, with Counter Kata/Form, I put a counter... I can't! Guess it's only natural, I've been taught Kata but not the way to use it well. There's no way I can do it in just a day.

While evading the attacks, I throw a left jab. Of course, it's just an imitation, but since my center of gravity is stable due to the Kata, it's shaping up nicely.
My gauntlet hits the goblin's face. I'm testing how well I can move by throwing one two, one two jabs while judging the distance.
The poor goblin has turned into nothing but a moving sandbag, reminding me of me from the other day. I'm not keen of tormenting it any further, so I finish this up with a right straight with all my weight behind right when the goblin stops moving.

Tereretettette~♪ Fist Fighter, Otherworlder leveled up.

Geez, unlike with a sword, fighting with my fists, the sensation of reaping life with my own hands feels more real. Come to think of it, I often saw main characters feeling bad for killing humanoid monsters in light novels, but I'm not feeling that. It was already like this when I saved Futsuno-san and Mitama back then, now that I think about it.
I'm not sure if this also applies to people, but I'd better prepare myself for when it happens. I saw quests to arrest bandits and people on the quest board after all. I won't be surprised if things take turn for the worse unexpectedly.
Phew, let's stop worrying too much now. This isn't inside a dungeon, I've got to collect the subjugation proof and Soul Stones.

After I've finished collecting goblins' right ears and Soul Stones, something moves on the edge of my view.
Mu, there's survivors?

Looking closer, there's a surviving Moss b.a.l.l.s behind the goblin that died first. However, it's not moving at all from where it is.
It's twice the size of all Moss b.a.l.l.s I've seen so far, trembling staggeringly. Eventually, it stopped trembling and then deflated like a balloon.

Curious, I got closer and found a golf ball-sized Moss Ball with good l.u.s.ter.
Molting? Division? Childbirth??
And then, it approaches me while leaping like, 'poyon poyon'. Is it attacking!?

I readied myself in a hurry, but the Moss Ball isn't attacking. Or rather, it's jumping around me like, 'poyon poyon'?
Is this something like an imprinting... This raw thing has no eyes though.

I lean over and try to put the Moss Ball on my palm. The Moss Ball obediently got on my plam and jumped about. Oh, here I am thinking it looks a bit cute.

"Wanna come with me? Or maybe not?"

I tried talking to the Moss Ball in a jest. What am I doing, like Moss b.a.l.l.s can talk.

Tettere~♪ Moss Ball showed sentiment of allegiance. Activating Differing Soul Telephaty Lv1.

Wut?