Ch 14
‘I need to hunt something stronger. Something more expensive. At least something worth more than 13 copper or more. No, let’s wait for a while. To do Madame Lou’s quest, I shouldn’t be hitting it with a musket’s butt. Inevitably, I have to save 5 shots for the rabbits.’
The quality of the meat is the best when the rabbit is hit in the head and gets instakilled, so it is out of the question to kill the rabbits by bludgeoning it to death.
‘It’s not that I can’t do it, Kiyomi, no, the Giant. gulp. I have to stop such a situation. Anyway, I could see the following by stopping by the general store. The reason why musketeer, which is not so popular, is becoming less popular. Maybe it’s because you can’t cross this hurdle.’
“Please. 7 each. Here is 91 copper.”
Chalkchak, Chalkchak. Leeha’s coins were stacked on the counter.
9 stacks of 10 and a coin next to it. Only then did the general store owner, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up.
He quickly put the bread he was eating in his mouth and smiled brightly.
“Thank you sir. If you have any good items, please come to our store.”
Heol! Is this the merchant NPC that wasn’t hospitable and screaming a while ago? Leeha was embarrassed, but quietly took the 7 sets and put them in his bag. Now he can shoot a total of 21 shots.
Leeha, who was stepping out the door, turned his head. He wondered if there was a quest here, too, so he tried talking first. “Oh, don’t you ever need a hand?”
However, only one corner of the owner with a one-eyed glasses’ mouth rose. “I do not know. If you buy 7 gunpowder, I will tell you. Hahaha.”
“I’ll pass.”
Leeha left the grocery store with his teeth clenched. Damn it, I’ll have to wait and see.
“Only 1 copper left?”
The joy he had, thinking that he had stepped closer to 20,000 gold disappeared. Rather than being happy, if being a musketeer is such a costly job, how can I save money?
‘I should have chosem something like a wizard too. You don’t need money when you cast magic!’
No matter how much he regrets, it’s already too late. Leeha turned his head with tears. Still, he is not completely without income. Leeha was able to get a hint from the general store owner’s words.
‘Isn’t there a separate condition for giving quests? The Guard Captain saw my level and gave me a quest. It’s the power of strangers, so what can he do? And in the restaurant? Madame Lou gave me a quest based on the quality of the meat.’
Kiyomi, no, getting the Giant to judge that the flesh is of good quality may be the prerequisite for receiving the quest from Madame Lou.
It makes sense to see meat at a meat restaurant and give quests. And what about the general store?
‘Money? It was like it was difficult to tell the people who only bought 7 gunpowder. What if I bought 10 gunpowder at once? No, wasn’t it a condition to receive the quest to prove that you had a certain amount of money other than gunpowder?’
Leeha got upset just remebering the half-bald headed owner, but he was able to get a rough feeling. If you show what they need in the store, you can receive additional quests.
It became clear from this that it was not possible to receive a quest simply by walking around the village and talking about anything.
‘Basically, you have to do what each store wants. I could have missed most of this too.’
Just like Madame Lou’s quest right now. The quality of the meat was judged to be good and was not spoiled was because he was a Musketeer and he was able to kill the rabbits instantly with a single shot, but what about the general occupations, especially characters with sword or spear?
What if he went to sell meat with a knife? If he went with a bloody and spoilt meat, he would not have passed Kiyomi’s inspection.
‘Good. Yes, yes! Since I’m a musketeer, wouldn’t I even have a quest like this?’
Even if he was a wizard or an archer, the thought that the result would have been the same passed for a moment, but Leeha shook his head quickly. Leeha’s steps stopped at the central fountain square because he felt hungry.
[Vitality has been reduced to less than 40%. Penalty is applied if it is reduced below 30%.]
“To make matters worse, I’m getting hungry now. Did it drop from 100% when I first created my character to 40% now? I don’t know what’s left and how much is left.”
Besides, what would you do if I knew I am hungry? I don’t have money to buy.
‘What can I get at Madame Lou’s shop, all I have on me is 1 copper? Huh, to hell with it. Leeha shook his head.
‘They should give some bread to beginners. Middle Earth is really too much.’
Leeha looked around, it’s a game that has a restaurant, there should be a bakery as well. And in Leeha’s eyes, a signboard in the shape of a baguette was seen.
Leeha, entered the bakery with a jingle and fragrant smell.
“Hello-”
“Oh, sorry. Business is closed now.
Before even saying hello, he was interrupted.
“Yes? Is the business closed? Do you close the store?”
“Sure, it’s dinner time for us too. The female NPC with a pigtail touched her head and smiled awkwardly. Certainly, the sun is almost set and I understand that it’s dinner time, but if the NPC says that, the story is different.
Even closing the door of the store is too cruel.
“Can’t I just buy one bread quickly?”
“Hmm, yes, okay.”
While saying “okay”, the NPC with a pigtail turned the signpost in front of the door from OPEN to CLOSE. It is very high level to give notice.
“Let’s see-aik?”
Leeha’s eyes who was looking at the prices were wide open. There were 3 copper, 4 copper, 5 copper and even a 7 copper bread which has the sae price as the rabbit meat that I sold to Madame Lou.
“Uhhom, Khom.”
In the corner where I barely turned my eyes, it says 1 copper, but only the empty bowl remains, and there was no bread.
“Uh, the bread looks pretty good. Seeing that there are quite a lot of things that have run out. Haha.”
The only bread that has ran out was the 1 copper bread. The NPC with a pigtail also smiled at Leeha’s smile.
“Yes. I can’t even make a lot of bread these days. Especially, I tend to go out as soon as I make one copper bread, which is insufficient in quantity.”
“You can’t make bread at the bakery?”
“Because the supply of wheat is difficult. Hoo, and the rabbits will kill us too. Prices are also unstable.”
The Leeha’s head began to spin while looking at the sighing NPC.
‘Rabbit? Right. The eat meat, and they also eat crops. It must be a headache.’
Just looking at her current attitude, he could understand the heart of the bakery girl. What if you think that every single conversation like this is a hint?
‘Quest What the bakery wants is wheat flour.’
Besides, is the keyword rabbit? That is great. There is no law that you have to pay money to buy bread. It was so realistic that I almost thought Middle Earth was real.
If you don’t have money, this is a place where you can use your body.
“Keuheum,heum, I got rid of some rabbits a little while ago at the request of the Guard Captain of Candle Castle. Well, I’m not bragging. But, can I get some bread in exchange for killing some rabbits?
“Oh, did you now? But there are quite a few people who say that. Eung，by the way, since the rabbit’s reproductive rate is much faster than that of the strangers, my business will be done for if I accept such a request, right?”
Leeha noticed that the bakery girl revealed her teeth.
‘Doesn’t it look like she’s saying ‘Don’t mess with me. I’m not helping you.’?’
Leeha felt it once again. The artificial intelligence of NPCs is too high. Still he didn’t give up. He needs to sink his teeth and not let go!
“Of course, there will be many people like that. But I was also asked by the holy grill owner. She appreciated my rabbit hunting skills. To catch a black-furred rabbit-”
“Black Angus?!”
“Hmm? Oh? Yes，Black Angus.”
Looking into the round eyes of the bakery girl, Leeha nodded first.. Is Black Angus the name of the black rabbit?
“Surely! Um, I don’t want to be the one to tell this to you but. I don’t think you have the skills to catch Black Angus. Ohohoho, wasn’t I little harsh?”
“Ah，i-is that so?”
You shouldn’t say it if it was bad. Even after saying that, the bakery girl still smiled brightly.
Leeha felt that the conversation is nearing it’s end, and he felt that he is the middle of one last crisis.
What can I do prove myself?
“Ah! Here, would you like to see this?”
An item flashed to Leeha’s mind.
“Omo，really……. It was from sister Lou’s. This smell……. Hmmm, so you’re talented enough to to be entrusted by Lou-unni.”
The small sachet. The baker’s face changed when she saw the smelly leather pouch..
“Then, can I ask for it?”
And finally, the bakery girl came over. Leeha press and held back his desire to sing with delight.
“Ehem，what favor do you want?”
“No big deal Black Angus, no, you can do it while you’re catching a black-haired rabbit.”
[Gathering Spices at Risk]
Description:’If you are a person entrusted by Lou-unni, you might be worth trusting… … ?’
It is said that there is an herb that grows in the spot where a black-haired rabbit turns its stool. It enhances the aroma of bread, but it must be kept secret where it was pulled.
Content: Buwak Herb (0 / 3)
Reward: 1 bread sprinkled with buwak herb powder, 30 copper
-Do you accept it?
‘At the same time……?’
Leeha, who was reading the quest window with a light heart, swallowed a dry saliva while seeing the name of the quest that does not seem easy at all.
What kind of quest can you do while risking your life?
‘And what’s this ridiculous reward?? One bread sprinkled with rabbit dung herbs and 30 copper? Spice-gathering at risk?’
Are you saying that life of a stranger is only worth a rabbit’s poop and 30 coppers? It was a reward that made him angry and embarrassed, but Leeha did not show it.
“Black Angus means that black-furred rabbit, right?”
He still needs to gather information.
With neither yes nor no choice in the quest window, Leeha spoke to the bakery girl.
“Yes, that’s right. There are rumors that that rabbit became ferocious. As the name suggests, Black Angus is covered in black fur and always gets angry.”
“That…… I see. I’d like to help you, as you said it can be done at the same time when I’m doing my quest, but this is a little……
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
When he looked at her eyes, Leeha’s heart almost weakened for a moment, before barely talking by avoiding her gaze.
“It’s not easy to eat and live even for strangers. I also like bread so much. I’m hungry now and I don’t have the strength to go catch it. I think eating a little bread will give me energy.”
“Ah, bread. If you say it like that, I could give you some bread crumbs.” But the bakery lady didn’t budge.
The subtle and awkward air flowed between Leeha and her.
At that moment, a sound came from Leeha’s stomach once, and it eventually grew louder and louder. “You don’t have to give too much First of all, once my stomach is full, woudn’t I be picking up some of the Buwak Herb or something? Trust me and give it to me, okay?”
“Right……. What if you eat and run away.”
“Yes? No way. How could I do that? No matter how strangers are, they don’t do such shameful things!”
“Right.”
Shuwook. Leeha wondered why the quest window was blurry, then, the letters started to change.
Reward: 1 bread sprinkled with buwak herb powder, 30 copper, +15% affinity with all NPCs in Candle Castle
Awards: 3 sweet croissants
Limit: It needs to be completed within 12 hours before the opening of Annie’s Bakery.
In case of failure -20% intimacy with the bakery owner Annie, -10% intimacy with all NPCs in Candle Castle
-Do you accept it?
“Ho, really. No, the 12-hour condition for giving 3 breads? Does it mean I need to finish it tonight and give to by tomorrow morning?”
Moreover, the disadvantage in case of failure is enormous.
I can lose the intimacy I gained by beating up rabbits with the musket’s butt.
I don’t even have any information on how to use the pouch and how to hang it on the tree, but I need to finish the quest in 12 hours? Leeha thought about getting angry, but his attitude changed in one sentence.
“I’ll give you bread in advance, 3 of our most popular product, sweet croissants.”
(To be continued…)