Party Members

Author: Ryusui
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2121hw/55/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

At my question, Frank puts on a wry smile.

“Well it’s true there’s no profit, yeah? But that’s fine, separately.”
“Mm?”
“With a first request there might be things you don’t know, right? Especially since you jumped straight to C-rank, Rita-chan. Well, that’s it. Yeah.”

Ahh… Meaning, for my sake. Just for that, even with no benefit, he’s trying to help. He really is a good person.

“Thanks.”

When I thank him, Frank laughs looking embarrassed.

“It’s something I’m doing because I want to. Don’t mind it. So, which will you take? There are a few kinds of herb gathering.”
“Mm…?”
“For this town, there are two, D-rank and C-rank. D-rank you can find outside town but nearby, C-rank you search deep in the forest, into magic beast habitat.”

Meaning a distinction of whether you need to fight, maybe. Of course if you leave town even D-rank might need fighting, but I think it’s much less than C-rank.
Of those two, C-rank, maybe. D-rank feels a little boring.

“Then C-rank.”
“Well, figures. Then take this request slip.”

Frank peels a request slip off the board and hands it to me. A small paper with the request details written. If I hand this at reception, that means I took the request, maybe.
I head to reception right away. I don’t think Frank needs to follow, though.
When we reach reception, Frank says.

“Hand the request slip and your guild card at reception, and registration is complete.”
“Mm…?”

Eh. Wait. Hand over my guild card? Now? I only have that eye-catching S-rank card, though…

“Missy, what’s wrong?”

Frank asks looking dubious. What do I do. I don’t really want to say S-rank.

‘What’s wrong, Rita-chan?’
‘She doesn’t like standing out so she doesn’t want to hand over the guild card, right’
‘It’s a super eye-catching card lol’
‘Gold and shiny, was it, come to think of it lol’

That’s right. So I’m stuck.
While I’m stuck, the one who throws a lifeline is the receptionist.

“Ah, Rita-chan. You’re taking that request? Then I’ll take it with the card we were holding for you.”

Saying that, the receptionist takes the request slip from me, writes something behind the counter, and hands over the request slip and a card. Yes, a card too.
The card is a pure white card. It has that it’s C-rank, and my name. I can’t help looking at the receptionist, and she smiles and winks. She apparently prepared it on purpose.

“Mm. Thanks.”

I say that with all kinds of meaning in it, and the receptionist nods while laughing.

‘As expected of the guild, generous’
‘If you’re going to give it I want you to hand it over first though lol’
‘True lol’

I think that a little, but it reached my hands without a problem, so I want to not mind.
I turn to Frank who’s waiting and hold up the card and the request slip.

“I took it.”
“Haha. Oh. Then, shall we go.”

Frank shoulders a big sword and goes outside the guild. I hurriedly follow after him.

 

“Why are you two here…”

Frank lets out a tired sigh, and the other two answer looking like they’re in a good mood.

“Because it looks interesting.”
“There’s no way we’d miss an interesting event like this, is there?”

Ah, Frank holds his head. I kind of get the feeling.
At first we meant to leave town as two people. It would be sorry to drag Frank’s party members into a simple request too. The request reward would be chicken feed from Frank and their view too.
But the ones who wouldn’t allow that were Frank’s party members. Right as we left the guild, we got caught right away and ended up having them come along.

Frank’s party members are two people. An older brother with a scar on his face, and an older sister mage in a black robe. Both of them are people who talked to me when I first entered the guild.
The older brother’s name is Kaynes. He has a sword and a shield on his back.
The older sister’s name is Pearl. A mage, as she looks. Both of them are B-rank, apparently.

‘Mapped to a game, front-line swordsman, tank knight, rear mage, about like that?’
‘Hohh. Pretty balanced composition, no?’
‘Put the other way it’s a composition with no interest’
‘Lives are on the line so don’t ask for interest lol’

Really. If you think about not dying, maybe you get a party like this.

“Is that okay? It’s just gathering herbs, you know?”

I ask the two just in case, but both of them have full smiles.

“Of course. Guiding a promising newcomer is our role too.”
“You don’t have to mind anything, Rita-chan. We just want to fuss over you on our own.”

That’s a little inconvenient in its own way. A little embarrassing.
Where we’re heading is a forest south of town. Walk about an hour south of town and it becomes a big forest, apparently. It’s just not an unopened forest; there’s a proper road wagons can pass. The place off that road is the destination.
Even though there’s a maintained road, a forest is a forest. Some dangerous magic beasts come out too so don’t let your guard down, I was warned.
I wonder what kind of kids the outside magic beasts are. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Weird. I meant to warn you, at least…”
“Haha. Far from being scared, she looks like she’s having fun.”
“This kid has a good personality.”

Because I’m looking forward to it.

‘Rita-chan wanting to meet magic beasts’
‘A wild child after all, no mistake’

I’ll get mad, okay? Ah… no, this, I can’t deny. I can’t get mad. Thinking normally, looking forward to magic beasts is impossible. I have to at least keep it off my face.