Shadows of trees caressed the ground; sunlight couldn't penetrate the thick, overlapping layers of leaves, yet the summer heat was still oppressive enough to make anyone complain.
Three young adventurers walked in a loose line, glancing left and right from time to time, as if searching for something they couldn't quite find.
Leading the way was a red-haired girl in leather armor. She walked quickly, convinced that whatever they were looking for wasn't in this area. Her raised right hand rested on the scabbard at her waist.
Trailing behind was the only male in the party. The long march and the weight of his full plate armor had him drenched in sweat; strands of his golden hair stuck to his forehead in clumps.
He kept his head down, less because he was seriously looking for the requested herb and more because he didn't have the strength to lift it.
Thinking he'd finally spotted the damn plant, he excitedly called out to his companions to confirm whether this weed—that looked like any other weed—was the one.
"Hey, Viviana! Look!"
At the sound of his voice, the girl walking in the middle stopped, turned, and gently pushed aside a tall plant to not touch her academy uniform sleeve.
The brown-haired girl looked at the plant that had nearly been stepped flat by her companion and immediately knew it wasn't the right one. She smiled wearily.
"Frank, 'Sanguis Grass' doesn't have little white bells…"
When the brown-haired girl raised her hand, her sleeve slipped down, revealing a glimpse of pale, slender forearm. As if to ease the awkwardness, she toyed with a lock of hair that hung in front of her shoulder.
Frank saw the gesture but didn't understand its meaning. He just figured that after guessing wrong a dozen times, one of them had to be right eventually.
With a sigh, Frank straightened up. The nameplate on his chest clinked lightly against his armor. His gaze drifted toward their companion who had already walked far ahead.
Viviana's long lashes fluttered as she lifted her hand to pull her sleeve back down so the tall weeds wouldn't brush against it. Her academy uniform looked completely out of place next to the armor her two companions wore.
"Lily! Can we take a break?"
Frank's shout didn't slow the red-haired girl's pace in the slightest.
"Lily… can we… rest for a bit…?"
Viviana's voice grew smaller with each word, afraid her companion was still mad at them. By the end, she practically swallowed the sentence.
The three of them found a clearing to rest.
Frank dropped his backpack and collapsed onto a flat, moss-covered rock as though a huge weight had been lifted, sorely tempted to strip off his armor right then and there.
Not wanting to soil her uniform, Viviana found a fallen log, spread a handkerchief over it, grasped the hem of her robe-like uniform from behind, and sat down carefully. She immediately felt much more comfortable.
They'd only been walking half an hour, yet Lily's eyes already carried a look that screamed "you two are hopeless." When her gaze met Viviana's gentle smile, Lily's expression instantly softened into one of concern.
The red-haired girl leaning against a tree walked over to Frank, who was now lying flat on his back without a care in the world. Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she asked what he'd do if a monster suddenly appeared.
"You're keeping watch, aren't you, Lily…?"
Staring up at the blue sky and white clouds, Frank deeply regretted accepting this herb-gathering quest.
Lily pulled a canteen from her pack, walked over to Viviana, and handed it to her, reminding her to stay hydrated—it was easy to get heatstroke in summer. Watching Viviana take small, elegant sips, Lily muttered that you really couldn't tell who came from commoner roots here.
"Lily, you need to drink too."
Viviana was about to close the lid when Lily snatched the canteen away and brought it straight to her lips.
"There's my saliva on it—it's not clean," Viviana protested.
"What does it matter?" Lily replied, then started chugging.
Viviana's cheeks flushed as she watched Lily gulp down the water.
"Sanguis Grass…" "Is it really around here?" "That old man wouldn't have lied to us, right?"
Lily screwed the cap back on and plopped down on the log, sitting back-to-back with Viviana. She was starting to doubt the old man who had guided them part of the way.
He'd said he often gathered herbs here and that Sanguis Grass grew everywhere.
"I don't think so…" Viviana said softly.
"You never suspect anyone."
"Well… he didn't seem like the type to lie…"
"Heh. If I needed money, I could probably trick you into selling yourself pretty easily."
"That's a terrifying thing to say, Lily…"
"Don't worry, I'd sell Frank first!"
"Please don't…"
Both girls turned simultaneously to look at Frank, who was lying on the flat rock grinning like an idiot. They quickly understood why.
"You two, look! That cloud totally looks like a ribeye steak! See, there's the bone…"
Yeah, this guy would definitely get sold without even realizing it.
After a short break, the three resumed their search for the herb.
Barely a few minutes later, Frank called out to Viviana again, asking her to check another plant.
Thinking Frank's patience was wearing thin, Viviana felt a little irritated but still carefully examined the plant that was obviously not Sanguis Grass. To her surprise…
"Lily! We found it!"
"Lily! We found it!"
The two shouted for their companion who had walked ahead. When Lily turned back, she heard rustling—and saw a pitch-black figure. If not for the bare hands, she might have thought it was just floating clothes.
"Let go! That's our Sanguis Grass!"
Frank bellowed.
The figure completely wrapped in a black cloak yanked the herb out of the ground and bolted into the forest.
"What happened?!"
Lily hurried over and saw Frank suddenly sprint into the trees.
"Someone took it…"
Viviana struggled to pick up the backpack that had been tossed aside and explained to Lily.
"Frank! Don't chase!"
Chasing a stranger through unfamiliar woods was dangerous enough—getting lost or running into monsters aside—what if it was an ambush?
Not knowing if that idiot had heard her, Lily clicked her tongue, told Viviana to drop the backpack, and hurried after the guy who thought with his feet.
Branches snagged at their clothes. Viviana, who had been stepping so carefully before, now jogged clumsily to keep up with the swift Lily. An inexplicable unease settled in her chest.
Was it just her imagination, or was there a faint smell of blood in the air?
"You damn thief!"
"That's our herb!"
"Stop running!"
Frank's shouts—punctuated by heaving breaths and righteous fury—sounded almost comical.
When Lily saw Frank suddenly freeze in place, she hoped her worst fears weren't coming true and quickened her pace. Finally, through gaps in the trees, she saw what had stunned him.
Even covered in fur, the powerful muscles were unmistakable. Even half-buried in the dirt, those claws looked sharper than blades.
A monster not mentioned in the quest briefing now stood before three copper-rank adventurers.
It opened its jaws, and a chunk of bloody flesh fell to the ground, landing on the already lifeless body of a deer.
Its gray fur bristled. Its crimson eyes snapped wide.
Sinister white fangs dripped with fresh red. The beast's low growl sent chills down their spines…