As soon as I closed the door, Isti clung to me.
“Darling, darling, darling…”
Her spoiled behavior, as if she didn’t want to part from me, was utterly adorable. Having spent a long time with her at the Eight-Colored Clam Castle, I felt a deep sense of regret too. But I had to go.
“I’ll be back.”
For an urgent mission.
I had no interest in being a hero candidate. My goal now was only Karen.
“You know how to call me with the wind spirit. Don’t forget. I’ll rush to save Decal faster than a blink.”
“Don’t worry. If it gets dangerous, I’ll call you right away. You can wait nicely, right?”
Isti reached out, gently cupped my chin, and k!ssed me.
“I’ll wait.”
With Isti seeing me off, I left the room.
Descending to the first floor, I saw quite a few guests eating.
Huh? Since when was the Water and Grass Inn this crowded? I asked Anais, who was tidying cleaning tools.
“More guests lately?”
“Yes! Word spread that his food is delicious… Maybe thanks to you. Rumor has it people come here curious about the elf party, so lots visit.”
Indeed, elves.
Just walking around creates a promotional effect.
Scanning the hall, I spotted Karen standing against a wall in the corner.
She seemed lost in thought, not yet noticing me. Her b0dy was strikingly provocative again.
If Isti’s beauty stole attention, the gazes Karen drew from guests were mostly lewd.
B00bs half-spilling from her cl0thes, thighs that looked ready to burst, yet a slim waist and sharp jawline.
Her red hair, reminiscent of Bella, was tied back with a yellow ribbon.
Bella had an undeniable allure. An allure that made you imagine s9x with her.
“You came for me?” I approached Karen and spoke.
Let’s recall the situation.
Due to my suggestion, Karen was set to visit this inn the morning I undertook an urgent mission, seeking my help. Meaning she’s convinced she absolutely needs me. But from her perspective, unsure if I’d join her, she’d have to try hard to win me over.
“You remember me?” Karen started with a nuance hoping I’d recall her.
“Hmm…”
“We met in the forest. During the monster outbreak.”
“Hmm…”
I wanted to ask instead.
Is there a way to forget after seeing those b00bs?
But recognizing her too quickly would be dull, so I feigned ignorance.
“Maybe if I hear your name.”
“I didn’t tell you my name then… It’s Karen. You?”
“Decal.”
“I’m aiming to be a hero. My goal is to clear this urgent mission and become a candidate. I noticed your skills. Won’t you… come with me?” Karen mustered her courage to ask.
I gripped my sword hilt, pretending to mull it over leisurely.
Feigning recall while eyeing her b00bs.
Whether she’s dense or just doesn’t care, she didn’t react despite my blatant staring. She must know what I’m looking at, but with b00bs like those, it’s probably routine.
“You’re saying I absolutely have to join you?”
“Yes! Absolutely!”
“…Sigh. What to do.” I acted like it was the dilemma of a lifetime.
“…Oh, come on! Let’s go together? Please?”
Whoa! Karen suddenly stepped closer. Her b00bs nearly brushing me—it was agonizingly close.
“I’d really like your help!”
D*mn, her pleading skills were top-notch.
Faking deliberation any longer hit its limit.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Karen clenched her fist in a joyful gesture. Her lively personality could infect anyone watching.
“Helping is fine, but I don’t know much about this urgent mission. Can you explain on the way to the guild?”
Grrrrrr…
Then Karen’s stomach growled. “Oh. I… didn’t eat breakfast.”
“Want some meat?”
Karen’s eyes sparkled, “Really?”
“Let’s go.”
“Yay~!”
Ah. My hands itched. I was dying to eat her.
Karen, oblivious, walked beside me with a smiling face.
“This meat’s delicious! Can I have more?”
“Sure, eat plenty.”
She ate heartily.
“First, we should know what each can do. What’s your specialty?”
“Me? Fire magic.”
“I’m a swordswoman. Close combat’s my strength. I’ll protect you, and you use magic.”
…Fighting close with those b00bs?
Pointing, I said, “Don’t those b00bs get in the way when you fight?”
Karen flinched, then covered the exposed part with her arms.
“You’ve been staring holes through me. Can you mind your gaze? It’s embarrassing.”
“What’s it like? Can you fight?”
“Trust me. Being a w0man isn’t a handicap.”
A blunt question, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“The urgent mission is to hunt a Sin Wolf in the Black Forest. It might take days, so camping gear’s a must.”
“Camping too?”
Huh. Didn’t know that. Seems like a harder-to-find monster than expected.
“They say it’s as smart as a human. Normally unhuntable.”
“What’s different now?”
“With so many entering the forest to become hero candidates, it naturally turns into a large-scale operation.”
“Oh. That’s how it works.”
“I’ll definitely become a candidate.”
Karen clenched her fist, burning with determination.
“What’s good about being a candidate?”
“You don’t even know that and still joined the mission?”
“Why? Should I not?”
“No, no! Please do! Do it with me!”
Her full-body reaction was cute.
“As a candidate, you can join the hero’s party and fight the Demon King’s army. Cool, right?”
“…”
Not cool at all.
It sounded like pure hardship.
“Candidates can also go to the Hero Academy in the Holy City!”
“What?”
That phrase snapped me to attention.
“Hero Academy? That exists?”
“Yeah. An academy to train candidates. Only those selected there can join the hero’s party.”
“Academy…”
An academy you can only attend by completing tough missions. Wouldn’t that mean all the students there have exceptional skills?
And a high chance they’re as stunning as Karen.
An academy—a perfect place to use hypnosis to sway people.
An unavoidable opportunity, right?
“What’s wrong? You look serious.”
“Just had a thought. Back to the topic—any plan to catch the Sin Wolf?”
“Hmm~~. We’ll just have to enter the forest and see.”
No plan, huh.
Well, without my suggestion, wouldn’t Karen have gone alone?
She was solo in the orc-infested forest too.
“Ehehe. It’s my first time teaming up… Want to lead, Big Bro?” (G: She’s using Big Bro.)
“…”
Normally I’d refuse, but entrusting her with leadership worried me deeply.
“Fine. Then we register the party, take the mission, and buy supplies. That order work?”
“Yeah! Oh, can I keep calling you Big Bro?”
“Now you ask? I like it, so keep it up.”
“You like it? ‘Big Bro’? Why?”
“…”
How do I explain this?
“I have a little sister your age back home. Reminds me of her.”
I brushed it off lazily.
Truth is, I don’t have a sister. Maybe that’s why I like it.
Anyway, no one would dislike a girl like Karen calling them Big Bro and following them.
“I seem like a little sister? Hmm~. Got it. I’ll think of you as Big Bro too. Decal Big Bro!”
Karen flashed a bright smile, showing her white teeth.
Her radiant innocence pulled a smile from me too.
By now, I was used to making my mark at the adventurer’s guild.
The envy and admiration I felt bringing Isti peaked when I brought Karen.
Some shook their heads or sighed, like “You again?”
Ignoring them, I took Karen to the mission board.
“Urgent mission. This it?”
[Thin Wolf Hunt
Rank B+
Recommendations: Level 90+, 4+ party members, combat skills, tracking skills
Notes: Extremely dangerous. Sin Wolf is a lone entity with superior combat ability, requiring seasoned skills.]
This mission is an urgent task for 「Next Hero Candidate Selection」, granting all solving party members candidate status.
Byproducts—Thin Wolf’s hide, teeth, eyes—must not be kept personally and must be reported to the guild.
Hmm. Level 90+ and 4+ recommended…
A lone wanderer that dangerous?
Fear crept in.
I could call Isti if it got risky, but would two be enough?
What’s Karen thinking, seeing this?
“Big Bro. How do we register a party?”
…Feeling foolish for hesitating, Karen had zero doubts.
“To the counter. This way.”
“Huh?”
Karen glanced at the next line.
“That line’s longer. Why wait here?”
“The receptionist is someone I know. She’ll handle it well.”
Karen’s eyes sparkled, “Big Bro, you’re a big-shot adventurer? Hanging with examiners too!”
“I left that guy behind. You’re not trying to charm me for an edge, are you?”
Karen poked my side.
“Do I seem like that kind of person?”
“Oh, really?”
Naturally, I slid my hand along her side for some skinship.
“Haha!”
Karen squirmed, dodging my hand like it tickled.
“Stop, stop. Silly Big Bro, that tickles. People are watching.”
I sneaked a b00b touch while tickling. Profit.
“I’ll become a candidate fair and square with my skills. No shortcuts.”
Her expression turned serious saying this.
Waiting in line, my turn came.
“Oh, Decal-nim. How can I assist?”
“Ashelin, I want to register a party and take an urgent mission.”
“Yes. I’ll help right away. You’re the leader, Mr. Decal?”
“Yeah, her name’s Karen.”
“What about soul stones?”
Hmm. No need to think.
Personal storage frees my hands, so max out the soul stones.
Was it… 5 per person?
“Karen. Got an adventurer’s license?”
“Me? No.”
“Then… we can’t get yours. Give me 5 medium soul stones.”
“Here are 5 medium soul stones.”
I took the stones from Ashelin and stashed them in my storage.
“The urgent mission is to deal with a Sin Wolf in the Black Forest. Since it’s a lone entity, the mission’s complete once someone downs it. Also, taking its byproducts personally can lead to penalties, so be careful.”
“Byproducts. Like hide, eyes, teeth?”
“Yes. They’re rare, so guild adventurers must submit them.”
That’s how they profit, huh?
I’ve no interest in smelly beast hides, so they can take them. No one around me could process that stuff properly anyway.
“Thanks, I’ll go.”
“Uh, um.”
Ashelin hesitated, like she had more to say.
“Yeah?”
“The bathroom… not using it today?”
She looked down shyly, glancing at me—adorable.
It was her way of inviting me.
I nodded toward Karen and said, “Got her today.”
“Oh…” Ashelin seemed deflated.
“But…” I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“Work without panties ‘til I’m back, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“…” Ashelin nodded.
Stepping away from the counter, Karen asked, “Big Bro. What’d you say at the end? Because of me?”
“With you here, I don’t need other help.”
“Heh. Glad you see my skills.”
The truth—that I’d put off other snatches since I planned to use Karen as one—stayed buried in my chest.
“Now to get camping gear?”
“Yeah! You handle your stuff, Big Bro. I don’t know men’s needs. Um… spare underwear and socks are a must.”
“Where’s good to shop? Any recommendations?”
“You don’t know stores? Let’s go. I’ll show you!”
I followed Karen’s brisk pace.
I learned there were plenty of shops targeting adventurers on a street I’d never visited.
A bustling adventurer district like this existed!
“Didn’t know about this place.”
“Big Bro, this way!”
Karen led excitedly.
Why she’d never had a party until now was a mystery.
“Hey, handsome newbie. Need an adventurer’s map?”
Amid the busy crowd, a hawker singled me out.
Before exploring Bordeaux Dungeon, I might’ve needed it, but not now.
I waved him off and followed Karen.