Volume 1 Chapter 18 No Wonder I'm Treated Like a Rare Animal
"I'm back, Ms. Anne."
"I'm back!"
After Lene and I left the mine, we stopped by Bern Village and warned, "We've dealt with all the goblins at their stronghold, but there might still be some escaped individuals, so stay vigilant," before setting off towards Sartzstadt.
Since it was late at night, we were kindly allowed to stay in the village and, gratefully, even received a warm welcome.
"Welcome back, you two from Altena. You're home earlier than expected. Was the goblin hunt completed without incident?"
As usual, with so few people around, Ms. Anne seemed to be somewhat bored.
If the nearby adventurer guild is in this state, there likely aren't many who can take on requests for goblin extermination and if there has been any damage, they may not have been able to respond right away.
Perhaps that's the reason goblins have multiplied so much.
By the way, "Altena" is the name of our party.
In the adventurers' guild, when working as a group, a party name is necessary, so we chose a term from ancient language meaning "craftsmen."
"It wasn't exactly incident-free, but well, it's done."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
I silently took out the magic core of the Goblin Hero and placed it on the counter, leaving Ms. Anne tilting her head in confusion.
"Oh, that's a big magic core. You even encountered a hobgoblin?"
"No, it was a hero. Goblin Hero."
"...Huh?"
It seemed Ms. Anne did not understand what I was saying for a moment, her eyes wide, but she quickly began checking the magic core with the spell <Identification>.
This was because using <Identification> allows one to grasp how much power the original monster possessed.
"...As you said, this magic core is unique to the Goblin race and possesses enough power to be deemed a Hero..."
"So it really is a Hero, right?"
I replied calmly to Ms. Anne, who seemed apologetic.
An assignment involving a Goblin Hero is generally one meant for parties of at least Fourth Rank or higher.
Since this was a Seventh Rank assignment, I couldn't help but think the guild's background check was lacking.
If we weren't careful, lower-ranked adventurers could have gone in and there was a possibility of casualties.
"By the way, there are still magic cores from Hobgoblins and Goblin Mages."
"W-wait a moment! I'll go call for reinforcements!"
As I pulled the rough magic cores from my magic bag, Ms. Anne froze, eyes widening. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the door.
In the meantime, murmurs spread through the guild like wildfire. Adventurers gathered, drawn by curiosity.
"Did you just say Goblin Hero's magic core? You actually defeated one?!"
Their gazes dropped to my wrist.
"That bracelet... You're a Third Rank adventurer!?"
"Wait—this kid's wearing one too!"
"No way... Two Third Ranks?!"
The awe in their voices turned into excited chatter. The Sixth Rank adventurers—among the highest in the room—gawked at us like we'd just sprouted wings.
"W-w-wait..."
Lene, overwhelmed by all the attention, spun in place, looking dizzy.
"Thank you for waiting! Alright! Everyone except for the two from <Altena> disperse!"
Ms. Anne, who had called 2 staff members from the back, clapped her hands, and the gathered people left the scene with disappointed looks.
"Tell me about it later!"
"Sure, but I'm tired today, so maybe next time."
I raised my hand in response to a Sixth Rank adventurer who looked about my age.
We're both adventurers, and it's best to get along since we might team up someday.
"By the way, are high-ranked adventurers rare? They said there were up to Second Rank in Bechmer."
"It's become less convenient, you see. The higher-ranked adventurers left town."
Ms. Anne sighed while identifying the magic core.
If that's the case, requests for higher-ranked adventurers must be piling up.
But we're primarily enchanters and alchemists focused on production.
If only some higher-ranked adventurers would come──
"Ahh! I found you!"
While I was absentmindedly watching Ms. Anne and the others work, a very familiar voice echoed from the entrance, and I turned around instantly.
Ah, she's here.
That was fast.
"Hey, Minori. Welcome back from your long journey!"
Standing there was a Second Rank adventurer girl with a short bob of chestnut hair, looking happy as she pointed at me with 2 magic swords strapped to her back.
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