NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 13 – The Boy and the Girl
The survivors were a boy and a girl. The boy was a platinum-level adventurer, while the girl was a silver-level adventurer. From the girl's attire, it appeared she was a support role Divine Magic Caster.
Both of them had a look of bewilderment and sorrow in their eyes. Seeing the massive corpse of the Titan Python on the ground, their bodies involuntarily shivered.
Ultimately, the boy's spirit recovered first. As a platinum-level adventurer, he managed to steady himself after drinking a bowl of snake meat stew brewed by Barrett. With a slightly trembling voice, he recounted the terrifying events of the previous night to EeDeChi and Barrett.
Their adventurer team was called "Rose of the Night," and they had taken a mission from the Golden Sheaf City Adventurer's Guild to collect 20 Frostspider Magic Sacs.
The "Rose of the Night" team had originally planned to operate only on the outskirts of Mistwood, but their teammate, a silver-level adventurer with the Innate Talent "Perception of the Sunrise Land," was bitten and poisoned into a coma by a Yellow-eyed Venom Lizard. The team lost their way and unknowingly ventured deep into Mistwood.
Last night, they were suddenly attacked by a Titan Python. One by one, the members of the team were strangled and bitten to death by the Titan Python. The boy and the girl lost consciousness after being constricted and suffocated by the Titan Python.
The Titan Python, thinking they were dead, swallowed them whole. It was only when Barrett cut open the dead serpent's belly that they managed to escape with their lives.
The boy's name was Sean Tachya, a platinum-level adventurer skilled in using a longbow and dagger, and also responsible for vigilance and reconnaissance in the adventurer team.
He was the first to notice the Titan Python's approach. After sounding the alarm, he grabbed the girl and tried to run in the opposite direction, but this only led to them both being swallowed by the serpent in the end.
Sean was not originally a member of the "Rose of the Night" adventurer team but had been added to the mission temporarily.
"Collect 20 Frostspider Magic Sacs." Barrett, with his extensive experience, assessed the task in his mind. Magic Sacs are organs used by Frostspiders to store their magic power. Collecting twenty of them in a short time involves significant risk and requires entering the Frostspider's lair. It's impossible to complete the hunt by only operating on the outskirts of Mistwood.
A platinum-level adventurer with a clear understanding of their own abilities would never join such a low-powered team for a task with such high risks. However, seeing that the boy was already anxiously concerned about the girl's condition, even while still recovering himself, and was carefully comforting the girl, whose eyes were still marked by fear and tears, Barrett understood why he joined the "Rose of the Night."
The girl's name was Stella Famillion, a low-powered Divine Magic Caster. Her surname suggested she was a descendant of a fallen noble family from the Baharuth Empire. She was originally a cleric who worshiped the deity Gaia. Due to her brother's gambling addiction and the family's debt to loan sharks, she had to leave the temple and become an adventurer to work off the debt.
Fortunately, Barrett had brought enough stamina and calming potions before setting out. His delicious Turnip Snake Meat Stew, which was incredibly tempting, helped Sean and Stella quickly recover both physically and mentally. As for whether EeDeChi helped, she drank more of the stew than the girl did. Barrett only hoped she would leave some hot soup for the survivors who were greatly traumatized.
After getting everything in order, the four set off again. Sean was always extra cautious, carefully guiding Stella through the forest, which slowed their pace considerably. Aside from that, the journey was smooth.
They encountered a group of clueless Wither Beasts, Beholders, and a rather large Gray Rampaging Brown Bear along the way, but EeDeChi handled them effortlessly with just a few strikes. Sean and Stella were stunned by EeDeChi's terrifying combat prowess, while Barrett happily followed behind, dissecting the monster corpses and collecting the loot, occasionally hoping for more high-tier monsters to come their way.
After trekking through Mistwood day and night for five days, they finally emerged from the forest on a not-so-sunny noon and reached the adventurer camp on the outskirts.
After a brief rest in a modest inn, they hired a four-wheeled carriage and headed to the heart of Golden Sheaf.
Barrett and Sean went to the Adventurer's Guild and the black market to sell the loot they had gathered from their Mistwood expedition. The Titan Python sold for a very high price, as a complete high-tier adult monster was extremely rare. Just the five vials of fresh venom extracted from the poison sacs fetched a total of 45 gold coins.
As for the remaining intact snake scales, fangs, high-quality Gray Rampaging Brown Bear hides, and even several pieces of fresh Titan Python meat, everything combined earned them a hefty sum, their pockets bulging with gold coins. Barrett even arrogantly told the buyers that he only accepted gold coins, not silver or copper, as using silver coins would overload his already insufficient spatial leather bag.
Since EeDeChi killed all the monsters alone and Barrett and Sean handled collecting the valuable parts from the corpses, the loot was split as follows: EeDeChi got 60%, Barrett 30%, and Sean 10%. Sean then gave half of his share to Stella.
The four returned to the tavern operated by the Adventurer's Guild in Golden Sheaf to celebrate their adventure and soothe Sean and Stella's pain over losing their teammates.
"How old are you two?" EeDeChi asked at the dinner table.
"18," Sean replied.
"I'm 17," Stella said.
This age was neither too old nor too young, Barrett thought as he took a sip of his beer. He had left home at 15 to work as a hunting guard for a noble.
"So young, 17, still a minor," EeDeChi said, sipping her juice.
"Huh?" Barrett, Sean, and Stella all looked at EeDeChi with confusion, unable to understand her statement.
"What's wrong?" EeDeChi frowned, as if the strange ones were the other three.
"16 is the age of adulthood," Sean said.
"Nonsense, it's 18," EeDeChi replied confidently.
"It's definitely 16. I've never heard of 18. I've even seen 15-year-olds holding coming-of-age ceremonies, and some places consider 14 to be adulthood," Barrett said.
"In our place, 16 is also considered adult," Stella said quietly.
"Never mind that, you're still a minor!" EeDeChi said firmly, pointing at Stella's nose.
"Sure, whatever you say," Stella replied meekly, not daring to argue with EeDeChi.
"As a minor, you can't participate in such dangerous adventures. Where's your home? I'll take you back," EeDeChi said.
Stella was immediately distressed and began pleading with EeDeChi. She thought EeDeChi was dismissing her because of her low skills and using the minor excuse to kick her out. She went on and on, promising to work hard, that she had great potential, that she wouldn't hold them back, and that she would do their laundry and dishes.
EeDeChi ignored all this until Stella realized that EeDeChi's only concern was protecting a minor.
Stella shifted her approach, pitifully explaining how poor her family was, how much they needed money to pay off debts and for medical expenses. Sean also chimed in, and they finally managed to somewhat persuade EeDeChi.