Chapter 91: Blessed Side Quest 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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[Heroes Chronicle Forum]
Seems like the 20th-floor event is different for everyone
BB Games sure knows how to make it fun
??? : What should we prepare when going to the capital?
Honestly, it feels good to spend gold.
The Knight Division is insane, lol
The main event of the 20th floor, following the 10th, is now complete.
The important reward is delayed due to a dispute between the Knights Division and the Magic Tower, but that's not the viewers' concern.
The progress of the current top-ranked player is the hottest topic.
And if there's a close contender, the excitement only doubles.
Thanks to the trailblazer named Han Se-ah, more users are starting to explore the story of the 20th floor.
Seems like the 20th-floor event is different for everyone
[Orcs pouring out from the pyramid.GIF]
[Knights rushing out from the forest.GIF]
In Han Se-ah's stream, it was a mage that destroyed the orcs with lightning, but here, knights are harvesting them like crops
Harvesting, lol. What a weird term
The Adventurer's Guild Master looks different, doesn't he?
Looks like NPCs have some randomness, we don't have Roland in our city
Someone went to see if Irene is at the temple, but she wasn't there
Not as fun as watching a mage wreck them
Among the posts on the internet forum, there was the same pyramid we had seen.
The scene of orcs streaming out from it was the same, but instead of a mage, the Kingdom's Knights were there to kill the orcs.
'So there aren't copies of me... should I feel relieved?'
This is a scenario where NPCs actively intervene.
So, other users also started to search everywhere in their worlds for Roland, Grace, Irene, and Kaiden.
Luckily, there were no reports of a second Roland showing up, but it was bound to turn into an NPC boasting competition.
What's their star rating, are they cute, are they friendly, are they curvy - posts bragging about the NPCs from their worlds flooded the forum.
It became less fun to read, especially when dozens of pages were plastered with the same content.
'There's nothing to read...'
Grace and Irene, who had been chatting away, had fallen asleep leaning on each other from boredom.
Kaiden seemed deep in thought as she looked out the window, and Han Se-ah was mindlessly playing with her fingers in the air.
We were traveling by carriage, so she hadn't started streaming, but she was either checking the system window or the minimap, or she might be looking at the internet like me.
While some people hide their fingers and cross their arms while doing it, Han Se-ah is doing it quite openly.
Every now and then, she would chuckle; she was likely on the internet.
Poking the air and laughing to herself, she would look crazy to anyone who can see.
"A scouting request? Do you really think there are orcs left?"
With two of us already asleep and two of us sneaking peeks at the internet, Kaiden, who had been deep in thought alone, slowly started to speak.
Monsters had appeared in a place blessed by the Goddess and attacked the knights there.
Being unaware of the quest and the existence of a player, it would seem like an ominous sign.
I do think some might still be there.
"Really?"
It is the forest blessed by the Goddess after all, not a purifying ground. There were rumors that when I was in the capital, a sick peasant could sneak in and survive on the fruits. If that's true, one or two orcs could hide and survive."
Roland, what exactly is this blessed forest?
Kaiden went straight to the point.
Han Se-ah, bored of internet surfing, turned, her eyes shining.
She, very clearly, wants to gather some information before she starts the stream.
Like before, she's going to ask me questions to gather information in advance, and when the stream starts, she'll show off to her viewers.
"I haven't been there myself, but I've heard quite a few stories from nobles. There might be some exaggeration..."
Kaiden's eyes were full of curiosity.
Han Se-ah on the other hand, was smiling, probably thinking of impressing her chat with this new tidbit.
The real issue was that the stories I knew weren't entirely accurate.
Who would be the ones telling me stories of beautiful forests?
Naturally, it's the ladies who, lonely at night, whispered to me as they rest on my arm.
These are rumors spread at ladies' social gatherings, not stories from knights or nobles who had visited the forests for work or to hunt.
Naturally, the trustworthiness of the information is pretty low.
I wonder if Han Se-ah will end up a joke amongst her viewers for getting everything wrong?
...But that could be fun.
"Obernu Forest is literally a forest blessed by the Goddess. The soil is rich, the air is fresh, and it's a forest full of divine energy and the power of life.
The reason why the royal family and some high-ranking nobles go hunting there is also because of that divine energy."
"It's weird that orcs are hiding in a forest full of divine energy..."
"The Goddess's kindness is equal to all living things. Unless it's an undead or something, even a simple orc can receive the blessing of divine energy. That's why the forest is tightly controlled."
In RPG games, the ones who get hurt by heal skills are undead races, not orcs with green skin.
If orcs establish themselves in such a bountiful forest, their numbers could swell rapidly, much like rabbits did in Australia.
Of course, it's a forest I've never visited, and the unprecedented historical event of orcs entering a place blessed by the goddess is already a scandal in itself.
If this kingdom has historical records like the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty*, wouldn't the name of the current king be absolutely ruined?
Just how inept does a king and his knights have to be to let a sacred sanctuary be breached by orcs, of all creatures?
"There are stories that merely entering the forest grants one a baptism of divine energy, and that the fruits and meats cultivated within the forest are exceptionally beneficial to one's health.
The church might have exaggerated a bit, but there must be some truth to it."
"Why do you think they invited our party to such a precious place?"
"The mere fact that we were entrusted with this request is likely a reward in itself. Even if we had rejected their 20th-floor request, we're still the adventurers who rescued a member of the Knights Division."
What Han Se-ah said to her viewers, 'It feels more like a hidden quest?', hits the nail on the head.
It seems the request might have come as a reward for rescuing the kidnapped knight from the orcs.
Both of them nodded to my explanation.
If the request itself is a reward, then it would explain why the requester would send a carriage and coachman to bring us to the capital.
Carriages from the medieval era are notorious for their jolting and rattling, inducing nausea and often leaving bruises on one's back and bottom due to the lack of cushioning.
But the carriage sent by the Royal Knights Division was luxurious, complete with cushions, shock absorbers, and even soundproof walls to block out external noise.
"The carriage was very fancy... It's nothing like the one we rode when we first got to the city."
"Even mercenary groups wouldn't consider buying such an extravagant carriage."
"You can tell how good the carriage is just by looking at how comfortably those two fell asleep."
No matter how well the road from the city to the capital is built, it's still a medieval fantasy highway.
If a modern asphalt road has parts where cars shake, wouldn't it be normal for a carriage driving on a medieval road to shake?
However, Grace and Irene, who had fallen asleep during the boring carriage ride, were sleeping soundly, leaning on each other.
It showed just how amazing the carriage was.
"Well, they do look very comfortable. Maybe I should get some sleep too..."
From stories of the blessed forest to details of the fancy carriage, our idle talk went on.
But now, the only sound in the carriage is faint snoring.
Just when it seemed the carriage would continue rolling endlessly, it came to a gentle stop.
The soft, rhythmic sound of the horse's hooves slowed, and the carriage jolted slightly as it stopped.
Sensing the movement, Grace was the first to stir.
A knock echoed softly.
"Adventurers? We have arrived at a resting point. It looks like we will have to stay here for the night."
We had stopped at an inn with a spacious stable, likely reserved for the Knights Division.
Interestingly, it appeared we were the only guests, as the establishment welcomed us in a perfect state.
Kaiden and I, who were awake, got off first, followed by Han Se-ah, Grace, and Irene.
They all took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air, and then disappeared inside the building.
"Welcome, adventurers. All the rooms upstairs are empty, so please use them as you like."
Even though the outside was empty and there were no guests, three women were waiting inside.
One was cooking, and the two others seemed to be managing the building.
Even though it had gotten dark, since Grace and Irene had had a good sleep in the carriage, they didn't go in to rest.
I settled at a table on the first floor.
Shortly after, the rest of our party joined, opting to sit at the table rather than heading upstairs.
"Since it's getting dark, shall we start with dinner?"
"Sounds good!"
"Hm?"
A familiar but somewhat unwelcome voice answers the suggestion.
I was sure that the inn was run by the three women, yet now there was this unexpected male voice.
We all turn our heads together to look at the uninvited guest.
The man was so tall that one would have to strain their neck to see him properly.
A man who is a knight affiliated with the Kingdom's Knight Division and is in charge of matters related to adventurers.
"Roland! It's been a while, how about a drink?"
"Well, about that..."
And, there he was, an overly excited uncle. My #1, middle-aged fan.
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