Returning to the Frontier town with the mandragora in hand, Allen headed straight for Vanessa’s forge. It had taken him some effort to locate the plant, but there was still time before sunset. Besides, if this had truly been a test to determine whether he could take on her real request, then it was best to report back as soon as possible. That was his thinking, which was why he wasted no time heading there.
Vanessa stared intently at the mandragora he handed her, and Allen swallowed nervously. He had brought what she’d asked for, just as instructed, but based on what he’d heard, it was still entirely possible she might turn him down at this point.
As he waited anxiously to see what her verdict would be, Vanessa let out a sharp exhale through her nose.
“It’s definitely a mandragora. Good condition too. And you brought it back fast. Looks like someone finally showed up who’s actually fit to take on my job.”
“So...that means I passed?”
“Yeah. This’ll do.”
Hearing that, Allen let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, a question bubbled up in his mind. Honestly, he hadn’t done anything all that special. He’d just delivered what was requested, exactly as he’d been told. Adventurers varied widely in quality, of course, but there were still plenty of competent ones out there. Anriette was certainly one of them. So why hadn’t anyone else been able to get a job from Vanessa until now?
Come to think of it, Anriette had seemed more interested in getting to know her than in the reward. Maybe that had rubbed Vanessa the wrong way. In contrast, Allen had only cared about the reward. That might’ve been what matched her expectations. Or maybe there was some other reason. But speculating wouldn’t get him anywhere.
He could try asking, but he wasn’t all that desperate to know, and if pressing the issue ended up costing him the job, it wouldn’t be worth it. He was a little curious, but it was better to let it go. Allen decided to move on to the main topic.
“Then, about the real job...can I hear the details now?”
“I figured you’d ask. I don’t have time to waste either. Not that it’s anything complicated. All I need is for you to go to a mountain and bring something back.”
“A mountain...and a retrieval?”
Allen cocked his head at how vague the job was. It really didn’t sound like a difficult task at all. If that was the extent of it, there was no reason to test people beforehand, and above all, the reward was unusually high. That meant the task itself might seem simple, but for some reason, actually doing it would be significantly harder.
Vanessa continued. “I can guess what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. Like I said, my request isn’t difficult. That’s exactly what I meant.”
“In that case, why the high reward?”
“Well, I’m not an idiot. Money doesn’t mean much to me, but it’s not like I don’t understand its value. That’s why I set the reward at what I believe is appropriate for this request.”
So in other words, it wasn’t some careless number she’d thrown out. There had to be a reason, a rationale behind a reward that, on the surface, seemed far too generous.
“It’s nothing complicated. It’s just that getting to the mountain is a bit of a pain.”
“A bit, you say?” Allen asked.
Considering the reward on offer, he found that hard to believe. But Vanessa merely shrugged, as if it was no big deal.
“Yeah, just a bit. I don’t know where the mountain is, and I’m not going to guide you there either. That’s all.”
“So basically, I’ll have to start by figuring out where this mountain even is?”
That certainly explained the generous reward. In fact, Allen began to wonder if he should reconsider taking the job at all. But just as he started seriously thinking about turning it down, Vanessa snorted, as if telling him not to jump to conclusions.
“Don’t just hear what you want. I said I don’t know where it is.”
“Meaning someone else does?”
“Exactly. And while we’re at it, I’m pretty sure that person’ll guide you there too.”
“Who is it?”
Allen asked the question, but he already had a pretty good idea. And sure enough, Vanessa named exactly who he was expecting. In this town—no, among elves in general—there was only one person who fit the bill. It had to be Noel.
“So, she’ll be acting as a guide too. Does that mean you asked her in advance?”
“Nope. But if you ask her, she’ll go. Definitely.”
That probably had something to do with the odd behavior Noel had shown earlier. Allen thought so, at least. But in the end, it was a matter between them. Not something he should interfere with. Still, that thought led to another question.
“Wait a second. You didn’t post this job today, did you?”
“Hm? No, I didn’t.”
“But the person who’s supposed to guide me only arrived in town today, didn’t she?”
“Heh... Well, that’s just how it worked out. Lucky you.”
“I see. No wonder the reward’s so generous.”
It seemed that, under normal circumstances, the job would have required tracking down the mountain from scratch. He was fortunate to have avoided that. And if Vanessa was right, Noel would guide him there personally. In a way, it was killing two birds with one stone.
“All right, I understand how to reach the location now. So, what exactly is it that I’m supposed to retrieve?”
“Ah, right. What I want is a sword.”
“A sword?”
Allen repeated the words, tilting his head slightly as he glanced toward the weapons displayed near Vanessa. She forged swords here, after all...or was this one different? One she hadn’t forged herself, perhaps?
Thinking that, Allen posed the question, but Vanessa shook her head.
“Nope. That sword’s definitely one I forged. But while I could make another sword here, that one’s different. It’s the greatest masterpiece of my life.”
“Your greatest masterpiece? Then why is it on a mountain?”
“Well, let’s just say a lot happened and I buried it. But now I need it.”
“I see.”
To bury your life’s greatest work on a mountain... What could have possibly happened? And why had she suddenly decided she needed it now? Allen was curious, but he had a feeling that even if he asked, she wouldn’t give him an answer. Besides, it wasn’t necessary information to accept the job. It intrigued him, sure, but that was natural.
“So? Are you taking the job or not?”
“Yes. All right, I’ll take it. I look forward to working with you.”
Based on everything he’d heard, there didn’t seem to be a good reason to decline. The reward was high, and there were plenty of questions still lingering. In fact, if anything, those questions made him more inclined to accept.
Noel might know something about it too. If she was guiding him, there’d likely be opportunities to ask along the way. Of course, she might not know anything, but if that was the case, so be it.
For now, the question was what to do next. It was still a little early in the evening, but going to visit Noel and the others might be a bit much.
That said, Noel mentioned she’d be leaving town in about three days. It might be better to talk to her as soon as possible. Actually, there’s also the question of whether she really will guide me.
Vanessa had sounded completely confident, but Allen wouldn’t know if she was right until he confirmed it himself, which meant the sooner he went, the better.
And yet, he let out a long sigh, still unsure what to do.