"Emergency quest! Emergency quest!"
"UGGHHHH!!!! WHAT NOW?!"
I shout in frustration, startling my other party members.
"All adventurers, please gather at the front gate at once. I repeat: Please gather at the front gate at once." Luna's voice announced from the speaker. "What is it this time?" Kazuma asks, looking slightly worried. We, alongside all of the adventures present at the guild, move to the front gate. Several adventurers talking to each other, saying something about how hyped they are.
Me, however, cannot stop thinking the worst possible scenarios.
'Is it a monster?' 'Is it the Demon King's army?' 'Did some sort of disaster going to happen?'A thousand thought running in my mind. Before I knew it, we already arrived at the front gate. And the only people who looked confused are Kazuma and I.
"What is it? What's coming?" Kazuma asks. I just shrug at his question. Darkness, who's standing in front him lifts her arm, putting a barrier between Kazuma and her. "I'll protect everyone. Kazuma, stay close to me." She says.
Now I start to actually panic. Judging from Darkness reaction, this seems serious. "What's the emergency quest?" Kazuma, begin to feel impatient, frantically asking around. "Is it some kind of monster? Army?" I turn at Aqua, asking her-
Wait, why is she carrying a basket?
"They didn't say? It's cabbage. Cabbage!" she answers. I just crook my head at her. "Cabbage? As in, the vegetable?" She nods, which causing more confusion to me.
"Fufufu, looks like it'll rough this year. A storm is coming..."
"HARVEST TIME!!!"
The confused look on Kazuma's and my face are completely priceless. "Oi Aqua! What the heck is happening!" I say at the blue-haired girl, demanding some explanation.
"In this world, cabbage fly. When they reach optimal flavor and harvest season comes, they wouldn't just lie around and let themselves be eaten. They'll careen the land and the sea, over continent and oceans, until they arrive at a place to pass, unknown to man without being eaten." Aqua tells us, in a fairy tale narrator style. I look at the wide plain, and I can see swarms of green things approaching the town.
I'm... lost for words.
First, it's a good thing we're not attacked by like, an army of skeletons or something. But also, flying cabbage? What is it with this world?!
I calm myself, closing my eyes. This is in fact a fantasy world. I'm sure flying cabbages would be the least weird thing I'm yet to encounter.
"Everyone! The annual cabbages harvesting season has arrived!" Luna says, using a speaking trumpet to amplify her voice so it can be heard by all the adventures. All other adventurers cheer up, rushing at those flying vegetables.
Well, as easy as it sees, I'm not gonna waste my time hunting cabbage. Nope, thank you very much. "This is ridiculous. I'm leaving" I say, leaving the scene.
"This year's cabbages are of fine qualities, and will go for 10,000 Eris per head harvested!"
10,000?! Where those freaking green idiots at?
Hey, call me volatile, but I'm not going to say no to easy money.
I grab a basket provided by the guild and sling it onto my back. I'm now motivated to catch those cabbages (because of the rewards of course).
"Come on Kazuma! We have some cabbages to catch!" I shout at him. Kazuma doesn't look as hyped as I do though. "Kazuma, this is a perfect opportunity. See my ability as a crusader with your own eyes." Darkness says, readying her sword.
Kazuma looks at me, and I just shrug. "Well... I think it doesn't hurt for you to give her a try." I say to him. He just sighs and nods to Darkness. "Alright alright. Go give it a try." As he says that, Darkness charges to the swarm of cabbage. "Well, cannot lose to her, can't I?" I said as I join her.
I extend my left hand, concentrating on the weapon I'm creating. A bright light glows and a spiked shield formed on my left hand. It's a typical medieval round shield or buckler, incorporated with multiple spikes in front of the shield. If a cabbage bounce onto my shield, the spikes would definitely traps it.
With my other hand, repeating the same process, I created a jūmonji yari. Also known as the trident yari, it's a Japanese ancient spear with three sharp points used by Japanese infantry. It would be perfect to pick up the cabbages that miss the spike on my shield.
With all things set up, I'm ready to hunt some cabbages.
Slowly but steadily, I approach the swarm of cabbage, and they're not joking around, they're brutal. Although they're just cabbages, but they can fly, and I mean like, not like a hovering kind of fly, but predator birds kind of fly. They move fast, and they hit hard. I can see several adventurers get knocked down by the cabbages.
A cabbage notice me, and like a fighter jet, diving towards me. I hold tight on my shield and spear, steady my footing, preparing for the impact. As the impact comes, I close my eyes.
BAAMM!
The loud impact sound signals me to open my eyes. I look at my shield, and the cabbage sticks at the spikes.
"It worked! Yes!" I pump my fist in excitement. I pull out the cabbage from the spike, putting it into the basket on my back.
I keep repeating the same process. Shield and collect. Sometimes the cabbage misses the spikes, I use the spear to collect them when they're immobilized on the ground. It's going well and I'm already on my second basket.
Sometimes I look at how the others are doing. Kazuma still assesses Darkness's ability, which I can say, not going quite well. So far, she hasn't delivered even a single hit. Aqua is doing as best as she can, picking up the cabbage on the ground while keeping the cabbage in the cage fresh. And Megumin... I didn't see her anywhere. Where's she?
"Arggghhh!!!"
Suddenly, a scream catches my attention. I look at the source, and I see a guy is stuck under a larger man who's unconscious, probably were hit by the cabbage. And it seems like the cabbages are storming towards him.
"Watch out!" I yell, running at him simultaneously. I try to run as fast as I could, but he's too far away. 'Shit! I'm not gonna make it!'
"Look out!" Before I could reach the guy, Darkness already beat me to it. She stands in front of the men, shielding him from the incoming cabbages. "I'll handle this. Get away while you can!" she says.
I'm a bit stunned by her sudden action. I continue my pursuit, eventually reaching them. "You okay dude?" I ask the guy. "Help me move him!" he says, referring to the unconscious big man on him. I nod, helping him. "Darkness! Hold on! As soon as we get away, you get away as well!" I say. She didn't respond, but I'm sure she understands.
"Hiarghhhhhhhhhh!" Finally we manage to move the man. I help the man to get up and I look at Darkness. And damn, she's doesn't look good. Most of her armors were broken and her clothes were ripped off. "Darkness! We're done here! Let's-" "N-Not yet!"
Huh?
Why she wants to stay here? "What do you mean-" Ouhh... I see it now. She's enjoying the pain.
What.
The.
Freaking.
Heck.
I just ignore her, taking the other guy to safety. "Look! The knight lady stays to protect the unconscious guy!" No you fool! I can't believe everyone around here thought the wrong ideas!
"H-Hey, how about her?" The guy ask. He couldn't walk because his leg were injured earlier so I'm supporting him by his arm. I just look at Darkness and shrug. "Ehhh, she's a crusader. I'm sure she can manage." I say, dumbfounding the guy.
Suddenly, strange lights began to appear around us. "Huh? What the-" I look up, and there's a magic circle. And worse, I recognize the circle. I look around and finally I spot it. Megumin is holding her staff, chanting.
That brat!
"OI! OI! OI! ME-MEGUMIN! STOP YOU CRAZY LOLI! YOU'RE GONNA GET US KILL!" I shout in panic. Unfortunately, she's too far away.
'Shit! I have to act fast!'
Out of instinct, I grab the guy's arm, spinning him around before let him go, causing him to propel away towards the crowds. He may sustain some injuries, but at least he's out of the blast. I look back at Darkness, and she's still standing up to the cabbages. Dammit, another crazy girl for me to worry about. The magic circle is getting bigger.
I ran as fast as I could, and grab her by the armor. She fell down, just next to the unconscious man earlier. "W-What? Fajar?!" She's surprised by my sudden stunt. "Get cover!" I stand before them, raising up my shield.
This gonna hurt. A lot.
"EXPLOSION!"
*KO*NO*SU*BA*
"KAMPAI!"
"Ugghhhhhh" Damn, my body felt excruciatingly sore. Now I know how it felt to be hit by a literal explosion. "You okay Fajar?" Aqua asks me. I feel it's too much to even talk, I only shake my head. I promptly rest my head onto the table.
Right now, all of the adventurers are enjoying fried cabbage served by the guild, on the house, after the cabbage harvesting session finished. Most of the cabbage are caught, and the guild will not need to worry about the vegetable stock until the next harvesting season.
After the stunt Megumin done, most of the cabbages are immobilized making the harvesting easier. Darkness and the unconscious man are alright, most of Darkness's injuries come from the cabbages. Me on the other hand... let's just say I'm lucky to even be alive. As if I can die though. But in all seriousness, the explosion could've killed the others. And because of that, I gave Megumin a good smack on her head after I recover from the aftermath of the explosion.
Our party, more accurately the girls, are complimenting each other skills and performance during the harvest. I didn't have the energy nor interest in hearing them though, just sometimes hears a little bit "your skills are awesome" here and "you did really good" there. Kazuma just rolls with them, although I can see unsatisfactorily in his face.
"Ouh and Fajar?" The mentioning of my name force me to enter the conversation. It's Darkness who calls me. "Hmmm?" I hum, slowly lifting my head from the table. "Thank you for helping me back then." She says, slightly bowing her head. I can't help but to smile. "That's what comrades for." I say.
Suddenly, she fidgets and her face turn red. "B-But, I didn't mind to getting directly hit by the explosion though."
(sigh) This woman...
"Yeah! Fajar and Kazuma aren't half bad as well!" Aqua exclaims. "Yes indeed. Fajar's extraordinary magic really comes in handy with those unique weapons. And when Kazuma erases his presence with his Lurk skill, then attack from behind with Steal, you looked just like a skill assassin!" Megumin add to the goddess statement. I just smile at those words. I not really used to compliments, but hearing it from my teammates, it's kinda heartwarming.
"Kazuma, by my name, I hereby confer upon you the title of "The Great Cabbage Thief"!" I almost snorted into my water when Aqua says that. I can't help myself but to laugh. "Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Oh shut up!" The annoyed look on Kazuma's face is priceless.
Suddenly, Darkness raises up from her seat. "More importantly, you now understand my abilities as a crusader." She says, with a hand on her chest.
Yeah... sure, if you're talking about the getting hit by the cabbages and not dealing a single hit.
"So, once more... My name is Darkness. I can use my sword with either hand, but don't expect me to be a powerhouse in the battle. I'm far too clumsy and my attacks hardly ever hit their mark. However, I'm very good at becoming a wall!" She says, I'm not sure if she should be proud about the last part.
"Well, I can't say I agree with you just becoming a wall. You need to learn to properly hit your target eventually." I say, gaining her attention. "Well... That's..." She twirls her index fingers together. I just sigh. "How about this? I will help you out. It's really stressing me out to see you not getting a single hit to be honest." I offer her. A surprised gasp escape her mouth. "Really? I'll can do that for me?" I just nod at her question, munching on my fried cabbage. Huh, who knows fried cabbage can be this appetizing.
"Our party is turning out to have a pretty impressive roster, huh? There's me, an arch priestess, Megumin, an arch wizard, Darkness, a crusader, and Fajar, a berserker. There aren't many parties where four out of five members are advanced job class." Aqua says, pointing at the respectable person as she says our name.
"I'm looking forward to working with you." Darkness says, slightly bowing her head. Aqua nod at her formality. "Yes, pleased to have you." she says.
"So, Kazuma. Please don't hesitate to use me as a decoy or wall from now on." She informs, looking at Kazuma. I awkwardly laugh, noticing Kazuma discomfort with Darkness's statement. "Hahaha... Let's, not doing that. I didn't offer to help you just so you can continue becoming a wall, Darkness." I say, holding her shoulder. "Oh yeah, right. My apologies." She says, scratches her cheek.
I just shake my head. If we're really going to defeat the Demon King, I should start with helping Kazuma getting our party more... capable. He really has a lot of weight on his shoulder right now.
We finish our dinner, and after we chat a bit, we separate our ways. Kazuma and Aqua return to their temporary accommodation,which surprisingly a stable. Darkness and Megumin also doing the same, except I don't know where they're staying. And I return to my room at the inn. I really hope my reward money is enough to pay for the rent for at least a few more days.
*KO*NO*SU*BA
I was having a nice, beauty sleep after the exhausting event yesterday. Highlight, was.
"What do you mean I must get out of my room?!"
I awakened by a voice from the hallway. I open my eyes, slowly as I'm still drowsy and my brain is still not completely awake. I yawn while look at the door. "What now...?" I grumble as I get up from bed. I put on my pants, as I sleep in my underpants like yesterday and don't want the same accident happen twice.
I get to the door of my room and open it. I look out in the hall way, turn my head to the right, nothing. I turn to the left, and there's a customer arguing with a staff, surprisingly, it's Luna.
"Sir, we need to fix your room or else it would risk the safety of you and other guests." she says, trying to explain to the customer who's staying in the room just next to mine.
"Then give me another room then!" The customer, a tall, blond-haired guy wearing what looks like a wizard attire, tell her off. Damn, poor lady. She's just doing her job.
"All of the other rooms were already booked. Also, you're the one who uses fire magic inside the room. The guild policy strictly prohibited any use of destructive and dangerous magic inside the inn. We have the right to ask you to leave." Luna sternly tells him.
Wait, fire magic? Why the heck you use fire magic in a wooden room?! Are you insane?
I turn back into my room and look at my room's wall shared with the man's room. And indeed, it's looking a bit scorched. I'm kinda surprised the heat didn't wake me up last night. I must be dead asleep.
I approach the wall, examine the wall. It feels really dry and rough. "Damn, that guy really had issues." I say as I look at those scorch marks. I give the wall a testing knock.
CRASH!!!
"What's that?!"
As I knock on the wall, it crumbles to the ground. The fire must have cause the wall to become so fragile and brittle. Now, I can clearly see the room next door, and heck, the scorch marks were even worse. The man and Luna walk into the room and surprised to see a massive hole where the wall used to be, and a puzzled face me just standing there.
"Errrr... This is a family room now?" I say half-witted.
"Sir, I really need to ask you to leave." Luna says to the man, even more frowned than before.
"I'm sorry that you have to leave too, Fajar."
After the incident earlier, the man finally compelling to leave after an earful lecture from Luna. Unfortunately, I have to leave too, obviously. Well, I did intend to leave the inn and find another place to stay, but not this soon! Guess I just need to accept my situation.
"No need to apologize, Miss Luna. It's wasn't your fault. The wall will collapse eventually if I keep staying there." I say to Luna as I finished packing up my clothes into a rug sack.
"Still, I want to apologize on behalf of the guild. If you want, we can refund your money for the trouble we cost you." She says, a hint of guilt in her eyes.
"Nah... I'm good. Just can I collect the reward for the cabbage harvesting yesterday?" I decline her offer and ask her. She nods her head. "Alright then. The staffs should've already finished preparing the rewards. If you may follow me to the counter please." She head downstairs to the counter, I'm tailing behind her.
We arrive at the counter and Luna go behind the counter. I hand her my adventurer card. "Alright. Most of the cabbage you caught are around medium-graded. And with the cabbages you caught of total 97 cabbages, your rewards sums up to 650,000 Eris. Please verify the amount. Thank you for your hard work." She passes a tray with the money and my card back to me. I thank her and count the money I received. After I confirmed the amount are correct, I put all the money into my pouch.
Before I took my card, I remember something. "Oh yeah, Miss Luna? I want to ask you something." "What is it?" I took my card and give to her. "I've already leveled up, but it seems there's no skill available for me to learn." I say. She took my card and inspect it. "What do you mean? You have two learnable skill."
Huh?
She hands me back my card, and like she said, the empty learnable skill section yesterday, now filled with two skills. "That's... weird. Never mind then. Thanks Miss Luna." I say, leaving the counter.
I walk away from the counter and sit at a table. I just scratch my head in confusion. I look at my adventurer card.
Available skill points: 5 points
Learnable skills
Shield Bash - 2 Skill points
Rapid Thrust - 1 Skill points
Well, this is weird. I clearly remember that this section is empty yesterday. Not only that, my skill points also increased. My level doesn't seem to change, so how actually the skills suddenly appear?
'I need an expert opinion.' I thought.
I leave the table and once again go to the counter to meet Luna. "Hello, again. Sorry to interrupt your work, Miss Luna, but do you happen to know anyone who's expert in skills problem?" I ask her. She pause for a thought, before answering. "Well, I do know someone. She's not an expert, but she knows a lot of things and she's also a former adventurer. Maybe she can help you. Her name is Wiz. She owns a magic shop by the river."
I nod, thanking her before taking my leave. I exited the guild and search for the magic shop.
After a few minutes of searching and asking townfolks, I finally found the shop. Wiz's Magic Shop. The sign itself indicated I'm at the right place.
I enter the shop, hoping that this Wiz person can help me.
"Welcome customer!"
As I enter the shop, it's not quite like I expected. I expect it to be, dark and mysterious, you know, since it's a "magic shop". But no, it's just some normal shop, just with magical items on the shelf instead of normal stuffs.
And behind the counter, is an adult lady with brown, long hair with her bang almost covering her right side of her face. She's wearing a purple dress with a dark purple cloak over it. And when I say adult, I mean in a lot of "aspects".(Which I refuse to elaborate)
"Err... Wiz, I presume?" I ask for confirmation as I approach the counter. She just smiles sweetly. "Ah yes, I'm Wiz. I don't think I ever see you here before. Are you new here?" she says, putting her hands together. I just scratch the back of my neck. "Actually yeah. I just got here a few days ago. I'm Fajar by the way." I introduce myself.
"Ah, I see... Well, Fajar, what can I help you." She asks. "Well, I've been informed that you're an expert in problem regarding skills. I need your help with the skills of mine." I reluctantly ask, still don't know if she could really help me. "Oh, I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I did know a lot about skills. If you don't mind, may I look at your adventurer card." Wiz politely asks.
"Oh, Not at all. Here." I take my card from my pocket and hand it to her. She examine my card before asking. "Hmmm... A berserker, huh? Quite impressive abilities you got here. What seems to be the problem here?"
I pointed at the learnable skills. "These skills. It's not here yesterday and I didn't leveled up, so how do I suddenly have two learnable skills?" I ask. She nods, understanding my situation. She tries to figure it out, but she too seems confused.
"Yes, this is strange. Fajar, are there anything you did after you last checked your card? Maybe we can start figuring out from there." Wiz tells me.
I try to recall what I did. The last time I check my card was before we met Darkness and Chris. After that, Chris taught Kazuma the thief skills, and we talk about our mission of defeating the Demon King, and then the cabbage harvesting...
Wait a minute.
I recheck my card, and as I thought, the skills appears to correspond with the weapons I use during the cabbages harvesting. A shield and a spear. I tell Wiz about what I just figured out.
"I see... Yes, considering your special magic abilities, it is possible that your skills aren't affected by your level, but rather your use of the weapons." Wiz explains her hypothesis.
"Skills aren't only just simple power that you gain when leveling up. It also depends on the person as well. For example, if someone is a hydrophobic, he will require more skill points to learn water-based skills than others. So, I guess that in your case, it's the weapon itself that impact the skills. The more you use your weapons, the more likely for a skill to appear." She continues.
"Well, unless I use my weapons again, I couldn't prove that hypothesis yet." I say, pocketing back my card. "Well, thank you for your help Wiz. Really appreciate it" I slightly bow, already leaving the counter. "It's my pleasure, Fajar. Please, look around a bit on your way out." She says, waving me goodbye.
I wave her back, before leaving the shop and head back to the guild. 'Kazuma and the others should have been there by now.' I thought.