Chapter 21
Hearing my words that the request was a failure, Erika showed a blank expression for a few monts before, for so reason, lowering her face slightly and starting to look embarrassed.
I'm taken aback by this unexpected reaction; it's just too cute.
"Um, well, yes, I'm aware that I got a bit too carried away."
She says this while glancing at furtively.
"I do understand that in such situations, a lady's etiquette is to give a gentleman so credit, but I couldn't help getting caught up in the excitent, you could say..."
Our eyes et.
"I'm sorry, I got so caught up in the fun that I forgot to leave so for you."
Erika bows her head.
"No, I'm not saying it's a failure because there's nothing left for or anything like that, okay?"
"Is that so?"
"Hunting monsters isn't the sa as noble hunting, after all."
Indeed, with her skill, a herd of about a hundred Bonbo is probably no different from the deer hunts nobles do for sport.
"It's my fault for not explaining earlier, but honestly, I underestimated your abilities."
I bow my head.
"I didn't think you could use that many spells simultaneously and continuously with such precision against multiple moving targets. If I had known, I would have explained beforehand. I'm really sorry."
Erika shows a puzzled expression at my apology.
It's probably because she still doesn't understand why the request failed.
From her perspective, the target monsters have already been reduced to ashes.
"I'll explain, Erika, about the work of adventurers."
I gesture for her to follow and start walking toward the place where the Bonbo once were.
*
A neat circle of scorched grass has ford in the grassland.
Judging by the size of the circle, there were probably two or three Bonbo here.
No remains are left, just a small amount of ash.
Honestly, I thought there'd be a bit more left, but this level of power is unexpected.
Or rather, the fact that she can do this to multiple targets simultaneously shows just how extraordinary Erika is as a human.
If the royal family and upper nobles wanted to keep her away from the academy, they should have made an exception and let her graduate early instead of trying to exclude her.
The purpose of the academy's establishnt is to train individuals who can match adventurers.
With her skill at this level in just three years, no one would have complained if she had graduated.
I think this while marveling at the ridiculous power of her magic and the astonishing precision with which it didn't affect anything outside the circle.
"What do you see?"
At my question, Erika tilts her head slightly.
"Ash, isn't it?"
"That's right, there's nothing but ash."
Even for soone called a genius like her, having lived only as a noble, it's no surprise she doesn't understand.
Rather, her combat style would likely be praised if she were acting as a noble.
But as an adventurer, it's a problem.
"Do you rember what happens when a monster dies?"
"The core becos a magic stone, along with magic stone fragnts, and sotis parts of the body remain without turning into fragnts, right?"
Erika answers with a slightly confused expression, unsure of the intent behind my question.
"That's right, and we adventurers prove our kills with those magic stones."
As I say this, Erika quickly realizes.
"Then... I see, indeed, in that case, this request is a failure, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, I should have explained from the start. It's my fault."
I apologize to Erika, not to spare her feelings or anything like that, but because it's the natural thing to do as an adventurer.
Sharing information and understanding is the most basic principle for adventurers.
This ti, I neglected that, and if my ntor found out, I'd get a lecture.
"But the real problem isn't that the request failed."
Honestly, our lives as adventurers are just a cover, so failing a request doesn't particularly trouble us.
However, there are definitely people who will be troubled by this failure.
"It's that we have to tell the client that we defeated the monsters but can't show proof of it."
The people of the farming village who issued this request will be forced to make a difficult choice between two options.
Do they believe the adventurers who say they defeated the monsters but have no way to prove it, or not?
If even one or two magic stones had remained, the conversation might have been different, but everything has turned to ash.
I an, even if they're just Bonbo, for magic stones to turn to ash in an instant is ridiculously overpowered.
Continuing to issue requests through the Adventurer's Guild costs money, and even if they believe the story that the monsters were defeated, doubts will linger.
After my explanation, Erika thinks for a while and then says this.
"Let's go take responsibility."
*
Erika said she would take responsibility.
Since we failed, she said it's her duty to explain it.
I told her it wouldn't make a difference if she explained through the Adventurer's Guild, but Erika insisted on explaining to the villagers herself.
That's very much like her.
The farming village was just a short run from the grassland where we defeated the Bonbo, using physical enhancent.
Though it's called a farming village, it supports Hekatai's food supply.
It's well-maintained and quite large in scale.
Naturally, there's no barrier device, but it's surrounded by fences, and everywhere there are magic tools to ward off monsters, which, by the way, are shaped like scarecrows.
Releasing our physical enhancent at the village entrance, we call out to an elderly guard who is waiting with a spear at the ready, wary of us approaching.
"We're adventurers from Hekatai. We're here about the request you submitted to the Guild. Could you take us to the person in charge?"
Saying this, I show my guild card.
The man looks back and forth between my guild card and Erika's with a suspicious expression.
Well, we're both Rank 1 right now, so I can understand his feelings.
He's probably wondering what two Rank 1 adventurers are here for.
Though suspicious of us, the man seems to trust the guild cards and allows us into the village, telling us the location of the village chief's house.
Now, how will this turn out?
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