The next day, Kousuke and the others visited the Tamer Guild.
Since they had gone through the trouble of registering, they decided to take on a request while they were there.
The requests at the Tamer Guild are handled in a slightly different manner compared to the regular Adventurer’s Guild (including Crown).
In Kousuke’s case, their achievements as Tamers were practically nonexistent, but they did have accomplishments as Adventurers.
Therefore, they were able to accept requests pertaining to combat and collection that aligned with Crown’s standards.
There were other minor regulations, but for Kousuke and the others, understanding just that was sufficient.
Some Tamer Guild requests involve caring for familiars owned by other Tamers, which are slightly different in nature, but these can only be accepted according to one’s rank.
Simply put, only those designated as ‘Tamer-exclusive’ within the requests can be accepted based on the Tamer Guild’s rank system.
Not intending to build their reputation as Tamers from the start, Kousuke and the others decided to accept a subjugation-type request that was convenient while checking the town’s surroundings.
It seemed that monster beasts appeared in this area, and there were many requests for their subjugation.
Some requests even aimed at culling monsters that had become a nuisance due to overpopulation.
Kousuke and the others weren’t aiming for the most efficient requests, so they chose one and brought it to the reception.
The receptionist, after seeing the request form Kousuke handed out, compared Kousuke’s face with the form and tilted her head. “Subjugation of Speed Moles… Are you sure?”
Speed Moles, as their name suggests, are swift moles. Despite their size, they run surprisingly fast, making them unexpectedly difficult monsters to subjugate.
“Uh…? It shouldn’t violate any regulations, should it?”
“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant. At your rank, you should be able to handle more challenging requests, shouldn’t you?”
Kousuke nodded with an “Ah” in response to the receptionist’s question.
The receptionist was not wrong. Furthermore, assessing the suitability of requests and providing advice was part of her duties, so she was actually offering sound advice.
To the receptionist, Kousuke calmly explained the reason for choosing that particular request. “We only came here to register and don’t plan on staying long. That’s why I chose a request that seemed relatively simple. I did try to pick an unfulfilled request, though…”
Not just at the Tamer Guild, but at any guild, accepting requests outside one’s rank is not looked upon favorably. This is natural, as it serves to protect the members within each rank.
Seeing Kousuke look slightly anxious, the receptionist hastily shook her head. “No! That’s not it at all. If you can handle this request, it would be a great help to us.”
In fact, the request Kousuke and the others chose had been left unfulfilled for over a month. Among requests that were considered troublesome for their reward, subjugating Speed Moles was one of the top five most avoided. The receptionist, flustered, continued, “It didn’t seem like you were in financial trouble either…”
“Ah, I see,” Kousuke nodded with a wry smile at the receptionist’s words.
As the receptionist had said, these lingering requests were often a last resort for those in financial distress. Therefore, it was not strange for the receptionist to think that way.
“I apologize for my unnecessary remarks,” she said, lowering her head. Kousuke and the others exchanged smiles. “Not at all. That’s your role. We’re not angry about it.”
“That’s true… Well, I suppose some people would get angry,” Floria added with a wry smile, nodding in agreement. Some individuals, their pride wounded, would react negatively to the receptionist’s advice.
Relieved by their response, the receptionist bowed her head lightly once more. “Then, I will officially accept this request. Please remember to bring the subjugation parts.”
“Understood.” Kousuke politely replied to the receptionist, took the processed request form, and headed outside with Silvia and Floria.
***
The reason Speed Moles are considered troublesome opponents is that, being moles, they inhabit the underground. First, it’s impossible to visually locate them, so finding them requires experience. Furthermore, as soon as a Speed Mole realizes its position has been pinpointed, it flees from that spot in an instant, true to its name. It’s incredibly difficult to catch them by ordinary means.
Their method for dealing with such an opponent was, as usual (?), brute force. Relying on Nana’s nose, they could pinpoint them even underground. Moreover, no matter how fast Speed Moles were, they couldn’t match the wolves. The problem was how to lure them to the surface for subjugation, but this was solved by utilizing the three wolves they had. In essence, they planned to herd the moles like in a drive hunt, guiding them towards holes that led to the surface.
Once they figured out the method, everything else was quick. Without Kousuke needing to give specific instructions, the three wolves repeated the same process, quickly clearing the target of five subjugations. It didn’t even take an hour from arriving at the designated location to completing the hunt.
“Well, that was surprisingly fast. Are we heading back to town now?” Kousuke, sensing his words were already a rejection, shook his head and replied to Floria. “That barely counts as exercise. We’ll hunt a bit more. Nana and the others will probably want more too.”
As Kousuke spoke, Nana, who had been listening intently, responded with a “Woon!”
Stroking Nana’s neck, Kousuke continued, “Besides, there shouldn’t be a limit, so hunting as many as we want should be fine.”
“That’s right. They’re basically considered vermin, so we shouldn’t be scolded for hunting too many,” Silvia added in agreement with Kousuke’s words. Of course, Floria had no intention of disagreeing.
The three wolves looked at Kousuke expectantly, as if agreeing with Silvia and Floria’s words. Understanding this, Kousuke made a prompt decision. “Alright. Let’s hunt a bit more, then. Let’s go!”
As Kousuke gave the command, Nana and the others dashed off as if they had been waiting for it. Watching them go, Kousuke and the others remained vigilant for other monsters, waiting on the spot for Nana and the others to achieve their results.
I thought I’d show you Nana’s hunting scene just this once.
…However, I still can’t keep it up for long.
Since I went to the trouble, I hope you can at least understand that they are doing well!
