Volume 7, Chapter 30 – The Angel Worried About the Future

“Over here.”

Following Yisi’s words, Tiffany pointed to a nearby notice board. In contrast to the various quests plastered all over it, there were very few adventurers standing below it. Most of the newly arrived adventurers also just took a casual glance before shaking their heads and leaving.

“[Collect Deadly Pollen], [Subjugate the Small Slime Squids on the Fourth Floor], [Explore the Abyss on the Eleventh Floor], [Gather Shining Ore]… except for the deadly pollen and the abyss exploration quests, which require Mithril-rank, the others are all quests that even Wood and White Iron rank adventurers can take. The minimum reward is one silver coin. Isn’t that a pretty generous reward? Why did those adventurers leave after just one look?”

“If the monsters aren’t too difficult, then they must be quests that take a very long time to complete. That slime squid quest alone sounds very unpleasant…”

“Yes… I have the same feeling as Camilla.”

The [Omniscient Map] shows that the slime squids live in the [Pool of **]. And if I remember correctly, the Pool of ** is formed by a very resistant, foul-smelling viscous liquid that only exists deep within the earth. Even in [Ragnarøk], no player was willing to go to the Pool of ** to complete a quest.

The other quests also had their own difficulties. For example, the abyss on the eleventh floor was filled with groundwater, so exploring it required diving skills. And finding someone in the desert city of Gota who could dive and also handle unexpected situations underwater was harder than climbing to the heavens. The quest to gather shining ore was also left untouched because the ore’s distribution was irregular, requiring adventurers to spend a lot of time searching.

“Why can’t I find any information on the deadly pollen? If it has a name, I should be able to find it on the map.”

“Do you need any help?”

A female staff member in uniform appeared beside Yisi.

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“You are…?”

“I am a staff member of the Gota adventurer’s guild, specializing in explaining quest details to adventurers.”

I guess they specially arranged for such a person to help adventurers avoid danger because every adventurer is a valuable resource.

Yisi took down the quest for collecting deadly pollen.

“What is this deadly pollen?”

“Are you going to choose this quest? If you are a first-time adventurer, I would not recommend you take this on. The Bee Flowers that produce the deadly pollen only grow on the tenth floor. Although the Bee Flowers themselves are not very strong monsters, there is usually a nest of Steel-Blade Bees nearby. The bodies of Steel-Blade Bees are extremely hard, and ordinary weapons can barely harm them. There have been many cruel incidents where adventurers who encountered a nest were sliced into pieces by the bees. If you don’t have a magic chanter who is skilled in fire magic in your team, I suggest you choose the quests to subjugate slimes and goblins over here. For new adventurers, the tenth floor is too dangerous.”

“I see.”

So, because the deadly pollen is attached to the flower, I can’t search for its existence. The two have become one and the same, just like if I were to search for [Camilla’s Blood] now, the map would show no results. But if Camilla were to put her blood in a cup, the map would show [Camilla’s Blood].

“Ah, th-this young lady, you’ve taken so many quests! If you don’t complete them when you come out, you’ll have to pay the client double the reward!”

While Yisi was listening to the staff member’s advice, Pepe took down the quests one by one in order from top to bottom.

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“And if we complete them?”

“This… the guild does not encourage taking quests above one’s rank. So even if you take a Mithril-rank quest, upon completion, it will only be settled according to your team’s rank—” the staff member glanced at the wooden plaque in Mary’s hand, “—it will only be settled at Wood-rank. To advance from Wood-rank to White Iron-rank, you need to complete ten Wood-rank quests. And to advance from White Iron-rank to Mithril-rank, you need to complete one hundred White Iron-rank quests.”

“Is that so? Refina, take down all the Mithril and White Iron rank quests.”

“Understood.”

In a short while, the entire notice board was left with less than five Wood-rank quests. In contrast, Refina now held a small stack of papers, roughly estimated to be at least twenty.

“This… are you sure you want to complete these quests? The compensation fee will be at least ten gold coins. Some adventurers only earn that much in a year.”

Treating Edith as someone intentionally causing trouble, a hint of displeasure appeared on the female staff’s face. The surrounding poorly equipped low-level adventurers also wore expressions of malicious grin.

Edith let out a disdainful snort.

“That’s just because they’re not strong enough. If I open that door over there, I can enter the labyrinth, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

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Giving Yisi a smile, Edith was the first to walk towards the heavy bronze doors.

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Just like the twelfth floor, the passageways of the first floor of the labyrinth were oppressive due to their darkness and narrowness. The surroundings were filled with crawling insects and cobwebs. The dim light and rustling sounds created an undeniable sense of urgency. Although this was only the first floor, the feeling of danger was already palpable.

“Same as before. Pepe and Mary will be at the front, Camilla and Tiffany in the middle, and Refina will bring up the rear. The deepest quest Pepe took only goes to the tenth floor, so let’s aim for that.”

Hearing that Yisi’s command did not include herself, Laxy, who had been lagging at the back of the group, frowned slightly.

“My lord, are you not participating in the battle?”

“What weapon are you skilled with, Laxy? Although your level is much higher than Camilla’s and Mary’s, you’ve been sealed in an ice coffin for a long time. It would be best to start with simple battles to slowly regain your past combat skills.”

“As a Third-Rank Angel, I can use any weapon. If I had to say what I’m best at… it would probably be a staff. But a staff that can be used for both close combat and magic. I made a point to observe on the way here, and it seems that such a weapon does not exist in this era, so a normal sword will be fine.”

“A sword, huh. Surprisingly simple.”

Coincidentally, no one in the party used a sword. But Laxy didn’t focus on the weapon, instead emphasizing in an urgent tone.

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“My lord, if you do not participate in the battle, it will be difficult for me to point out your shortcomings. As an angel specializing in guidance, my original mission was to teach battle angels how to use magic and weapons. Although having your leveled-up family protect you is one option, you bear a destiny. Therefore, it is my duty to assist you in becoming a hero who surpasses all others, one who does not fear even the Demon Lords.”

Ah, of all things, she’s a mentor-type angel.

Yisi had a slight headache. It would certainly be a good thing to have Laxy point out her shortcomings in actual combat, but if it meant she would steal her companions’ experience, it wouldn’t be worth it.

“I’ll make time for you to teach me combat training, Laxy, just not today. You can teach Mary and the others first.”

Waving her hand helplessly, Yisi caught up with the five who had already walked some distance ahead.

Gazing at Yisi’s departing back, Laxy’s expression gradually became complex. She bit her lip and muttered in a low voice.

“So she’s the type to be lazy… Goddess, what kind of trial have you given me? Hmph, at this point, I can only resort to incentives.”

A black rift suddenly appeared in the space, and Laxy drew a golden longsword from it.

“Although the things I have in storage are limited, I have no other choice… If my lord levels up, I’ll give her this weapon. Haaah, this is a privilege that only young angels should enjoy. I hope a Crimson Gold-grade weapon will be enough to motivate my lord.”

Letting out a long sigh, Laxy followed the group.