Chapter 18: Lucky Star 3
Chapter 18: Lucky Star 3
The signs of slimes flattening the grass, traces of horned rabbits nibbling on the foliage, marks of horned foxes scratching the ground, and the spots where weary goblins had collapsed were all telltale signs.
In the vast expanse of the plains, where the only difference was the varying height of the grass, the pathfinder focuses on the details that escape our notice.
"Wow, truly remarkable!"
"It's like the tracks are found the momemnt we step into the tower."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Of course, Grace also looked at Han Se-ah with great satisfaction.
After tracking a goblin that had been dragging its feet, Han Se-Ah had effortlessly dealt with it alone.
Her unwavering incantations, swift magic missiles, and precise control targeting vital points were all exemplary.
Having met a few inadequate mages, Grace's eyes practically dripped with honey when looking at Han Se-ah.
Naturally, she would be thrilled to have such an talented mage be in the same party.
A talented pathfinder had encountered a promising mage.
If their relationship didn't crumble due to personal issues, the two could potentially climb the tower together to the highest levels.
"I think we've tested ourselves enough. Let's head to the path leading to the second floor."
"Shall we take a break and have lunch first?"
"Lunch, you say?"
She seemed puzzled by Han Se-ah's suggestion.
We didn't bring any porters, and she wasn't carrying a backpack.
It seemed like Grace had planned to satisfy her hunger by chewing on jerky from her pocket instead.
Han Se-ah enjoyed the puzzled look and reached into thin air.
"Ta-da! Roland recommended an inn yesterday, and their food was absolutely delicious."
"Stew just appeared out of thin air?!"
Damn it, can she just use it out of nowhere like that...?
I guess so?
Then again, what kind of absurd game would prohibit using inventory in front of NPCs?
It seemed as if there was an unspoken agreement about the inventory, just like how NPCs didn't react when players conversed with their chat.
Had other streamers avoided using their inventory in front of their party members out of respect?
Regardless, Grace didn't show any signs of suspicion.
Even as a steaming pot of stew and freshly baked bread appeared from an 'extradimensional magical artifact', something rarely seen even in the Magic Tower.
It was a situation that defied common sense.
"Is this Marianne's inn's stew? I never thought I'd eat warm stew inside the tower."
"Having a mage in the party is definitely convenient."
The party naturally found a spot with low grass and sat down together. In the center of the circle, a large pot of stew materialized, followed by ladles, plates, spoons, and bread.
It seemed as though Han Se-ah had prepared an entire picnic set in her inventory.
Nonetheless, the ability to enjoy a warm meal was a considerable advantage.
If one didn't bring numerous porters into the tower, an adventurer's provisions would be limited to jerky, dried fruit, and hardtack.
While water could be procured through magic or magical artifacts, there wasn't a spell capable of conjuring delicious bread from thin air.
Thanks to that, the gaze in Grace's eyes as she looked at Han Se-ah transformed from honey dripping to that of a lioness stalking her prey.
She seemed to be scheming to sink her teeth the party as she chewed on the beans in the stew, perhaps more invested in the meal than one normally would be.
"This inn must be quite famous."
"Yes, it's essential for novice adventurers. I heard that Marianne, the owner, had a husband who was also a renowned adventurer, but he never made it back from the tower."
"Ah"
It was a rather heavy topic for a pleasant mealtime, but Grace, no stranger to death, casually mentioned it while dipping her bread into the stew.
It wasn't uncommon for adventurers to never return from the tower.
Of course, death was surprisingly common in the outside world as well.
With shepherds being bitten by wolves, herb gatherers accidentally disturbing goblin dens, or settlers and merchants being swept away by monster waves, such incidents occurred almost monthly.
In this world, it was more natural to assume someone had died if they lost contact.
"Many inns take advantage of novice adventurers, you see. Since wealthy, intermediate adventurers wouldn't come anyway, they prey on the inexperienced or the poor who know little of the world. It's a place no one would visit if they knew better."
While I provided Han Se-ah with a beginner adventurer's guide from a senior adventurer to a novice, Grace shared everyday stories from one beginner adventurer to another.
As the content and viewpoints differed, Han Se-ah focused on the conversation, forgetting to even chew her bread.
Although time had passed long enough for them to scrape their plates clean with bread, the food on their plates hardly diminished.
It was said that when three women gathered, plates would break, but here, two beauties had cooled their stew instead.
"Ah, I think we talked too much."
Han Se-ah, who had been listening to the conversation while absentmindedly holding her plate, suddenly stuffed bread into her mouth in surprise.
She glanced vaguely upward, perhaps the chat had a comment to make.
Was it a donation notification?
It seemed like someone had donated to scold her.
No matter how absurd Han Se-ah's actions were, NPCs wouldn't notice due to the game system's assistance.
However, her actions were often too conspicuous, it was easy to identify when she was staring into space or talking to herself.
She appeared a little embarrassed as she gave an awkward smile, she was obviously getting an earful from both paying and non-paying viewers.
"Right, let's head to the second floor. Do you have a lantern?"
"Yes. It's a new one, though"
She took out a lantern from thin air.
It seemed like she had put it in her inventory while it had been hanging from her waist.
The new lantern, with its magic stone fragments still settled, was in Han Se-ah's hands.
Grace nodded at the sight of the lantern and continued her explanation.
It was convenient to have someone else explain the role of a Pathfinder.
Was this why college professors employed graduate students and teaching assistants?
"It's best for each party member to carry a lantern and an adventurer's badge so as not to lose them. If the party is scattered due to unforeseen circumstances, the only thing you can rely on is the lantern. As a mage, you're less likely to lose it, though."
Starting with the harsh reality of beginner adventurers, followed by tales of the outrageous people Grace encountered.
A talented player, a reliable 3 ranger, and a 6 tank with outrageous stats, our party felt at ease on the first floor of the tower, navigating the plains without any major difficulties.
From the first floor to the second, and from the second floor to the third.
"Let's stop at the third floor today."
"Huh?"
"The sun is about to set outside, and I have some places to visit in the shopping district. Besides, let's celebrate our new partnership with dinner."
The stone archway, standing alone in the middle of the plains, serves as the entrance to the tower.
Passing under the empty archway would distort one's vision and transport them to the next floor.
I suggested leaving as Han Se-ah tapped the arch curiously while checking her lantern, and Grace gazed at her adoringly.
After all, I needed to visit the caf and present Ellis with a luxurious dessert set before she got upset.
Although they weren't romantically involved, it was advantageous to keep the senior receptionist, who had kindly approached him and assisted with various guild matters, in good spirits.
A few desserts were a small price to pay for networking and a bypass from tedious paperwork.
"Hehe, food provided by a senior adventurer. It's something to look forward to after a long time living the adventurer life."
"Long time, you say. Who's been doing it for a long time?"
"Oh my? I don't have anything to say if you put it like that. There's a veteran of 10 years in our party."
Exchanging playful banter, we began our journey back to the first floor from the third.
Having proved her magical and exploration abilities, Grace didn't bother tracking goblins, and we simply checked our adventurer badges to locate the exit.
Arriving back on the first floor,
"We'll need to split up for a bit here. Should we meet at the tower entrance?"
"Let's meet at the Adventurer's Guild instead. It'll be less crowded, and I need to tell them we've found an ranger for our party."
Grace, taking my words as confirmation, waved goodbye and leisurely walked towards the plains.
Watching her leave, Han Se-ah quickly turned and began striding across the plains with a pouty expression, like a child protesting.
Of course, I knew her frustration wasn't directed at me.
The chat could be quite cruel.
Grace, as it turned out, was a stunning beauty with an hourglass figure.
It was worth noting that Grace was a glamorous beauty. While Han Se-ah's figure was feminine and curvy even in leather armor, Grace's physique left no doubt about her womanly assets, despite wearing leather armor as well.
It's no wonder the viewers quickly nicknamed her "Eye-Candy Ranger."
With these two shapely women sticking close together and constantly conversing, the viewers couldn't help but discuss them. As soon as the topic of forming a party came up, they flooded the chat with talk of bikini armors and voluptuous knights.
The chat had become so lewd that the broadcast itself seemed on the verge of being rated 19+.
"Hanna, do you drink?"
"Of course! I'm not a child, you know!"
How sensitive.
***
Thats 3/4!
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