27 Nerine's Quest [1]
"What is it now?" Caius asked, turning around to face Nerine once again.
"I-I was wondering if you could help me with something," Nerine said hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Caius raised his eyebrows at her sudden request. He wasn't expecting Nerine to ask for his help after their previous interaction.
"What do you need help with?" Caius inquired, his curiosity piqued despite his initial annoyance.
Nerine took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "I... I need someone to accompany me to the Forbidden Forest," she said, her voice wavering slightly.
"Hmm?" Caius frowned. The Forbidden Forest was a dangerous place, filled with all sorts of monsters and traps. It was off-limits to students, and even experienced professors tread cautiously in its depths.
'Yup, it's the quest alright.' He grinned inwardly.
And immediately after, he heard a notification sound, and a Quest appeared before him.
Ding!—
[System Notification]
[Quest Alert!]
Quest Name: Nerine's Request.
Quest Info: Nerine, the talented alchemist, and potion maker-in-training, is in need of assistance with her latest experiment. She requires help in gathering some rare ingredients for her potions.
As her previous benefactor, she seeks your aid in obtaining these ingredients. She has heard rumors about a cave in the nearby forest where these ingredients can be found.
She needs someone skilled and brave to help her gather these ingredients. Are you up for the challenge?
Quest Objective:
•Collect 5 Moonflower petals
•Collect 3 Firebug wings
•Collect 1 Crystal Mushroom
Quest Rewards:
•50 Experience Points
•Increase in Affection Level with Nerine
___
Caius nodded with a self-satisfied smile as he read the details of the quest, recognizing it as similar to Nerine's previous requests for assistance from the game. He quickly pushed aside his thoughts and focused on the present.
"...Why do you need to go there?" Caius asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Even though he already knew her reason.
Nerine looked down, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "I need to collect some rare herbs for my alchemy experiments and potions. They can only be found in the Forbidden Forest, and I... I'm not strong enough to go alone," she admitted softly.
Caius hesitated, as if considering his options. After a moment, he spoke up in a tone that conveyed reluctant agreement.
"Fine, I'll accompany you," he said, surprising Nerine with his unexpected willingness to help.
"R-Really? You will?" Nerine asked, her eyes widened in astonishment as she hadn't anticipated Caius to agree so readily.
Caius nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "But you better make it worth my while," he added, rubbing his thumb and index finger together in a gesture reminiscent of a businessman asking for payment.
"...."
Nerine's anxiety grew as she realized Caius was expecting compensation for his help. "Y-Yes, of course," she stammered. "I was planning on paying you for your assistance all along."
Caius grinned, enjoying his newfound leverage. "Good. So, how much are you willing to pay me? You do know how dangerous the Forbidden Forest is, right? I'll be risking my life to accompany you and protect your weak ass the whole time. So, consider all of that before naming your price," he said, exaggerating the danger and difficulty of the task.
Gulp—
Nerine's heart skipped a beat as she recalled her brother's warnings about the Forbidden Forest of the floating island. She gulped nervously, realizing that gathering a few herbs could be more perilous than she had initially thought. Her brother, who had already graduated from the prestigious Starlight Academy, had regaled her with tales of the forest's treacherous terrain and the lurking dangers that awaited the unwary.
She remained silent, her eyes fixed on her badge as she stared at her remaining SP, contemplating how much she should pay Caius for his help.
Caius grinned as he observed her expression. While the Forbidden Forest was indeed dangerous, it was not entirely perilous. The forest was divided into different risk areas, with the beginning consisting of only low-level plant-type creatures that could be easily dealt with even by first-year students.
The deeper one ventured into the forest, the higher the level of beasts encountered. At the center of the forest, there were territorial beasts that even professors would have a hard time dealing with.
However, as long as they didn't venture too deep they will be fine. And the ingredients Narine wants can be easily acquired at the beginning of the forest inside a hidden cave.
Caius pondered to himself before finally hearing Nerine speak. "I...I only have 50 SP left in my account now. So, will 50 SP be okay?" she asked hesitantly.
'She is willing to risk all of her SP because she knew she can earn double the amount after selling her potions,' Caius mused inwardly.
"Hmm..." Caius paused, pretending to ponder her offer while Narine waited anxiously for his response.
"Alright, deal!" Caius said with a smile.
Narine's face lit up, hearing Caius agreeing to help her.
"However, I am not such a shameless person to take all of my fellow classmates' SP for helping her out. Though it is risky, I will only take 20 SP as I don't want to see you go broke," Caius said with a generous smile.
"Caius, are you serious?" Narine stammered, her hand over her mouth in astonishment. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're really willing to forego the extra SP, just to consider my financial situation?"
Narine was taken aback by Caius's unexpected generosity. She couldn't believe that he was willing to forego the extra SP, and her expression clearly showed her surprise.
'Whoa, is he an angel? Wasn't he supposed to be a scary villain who bullies and takes all of the students' money?' Narine thought to herself, her mind racing with disbelief.
As a commoner, Narine was well aware of how aristocrats often tried to take advantage of those from lower social statuses. She had expected Caius to ask for a higher price or come up with some hidden agenda in exchange for his help. But his selfless offer to only take 20 SP, considering her financial situation, left her speechless.
Her mind raced with surprise and confusion. How could someone like Caius, who she had pegged as a villainous aristocrat, reject the opportunity to take extra SP from her? She had expected him to propose a loan with exorbitant interest rates or some other cunning scheme.
Narine couldn't fathom the possibility of Caius having ulterior motives, such as wanting to get his hands on her potions or something similar.
After all, he had ranked first in the class placement examination, which also included questions related to potions and Alchemy. She believed he had more knowledge in this topic than her, and he could make potions for himself if he wanted to. His willingness to help without taking all of her remaining SP had caught her off guard.
!?
"Why do you look so surprised? Here, send half of the SP now, and the other half after your task is done," Caius said as he moved his badge toward her.
Narine snapped out of her reverie and realized she had been lost in thought. "Ah, sorry for spacing out. I was caught off guard by your words," she said, clicking her own badge with Caius and transferring him 10 SP.
Tring—
[You Have Received 10 SP From Nerine!]
"...Why? Did you think I would ask for an exorbitant amount of SP and offer you a loan with high-interest rates in exchange for my help?" he asked with a playful smile.
Narine's expression turned flustered as she heard him, as it was exactly what she had thought about him. She shook her head vigorously. "N-No, I was just surprised by your kindness and generosity, which is in contrast to your reputation," she hurriedly clarified.
"I...see," Caius replied, his smile widening.
However, he couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly at Narine's comment. 'Kindness? Generosity? My ass,' he scoffed silently. 'Just taking all of her SP is like cutting a chicken that lays golden eggs. It's tempting to take all 50 SP from her, but it's likely she wouldn't ask for my help again and would instead go to some other naive protagonist who would help her for free. You have to know when to pull out your money when you already have gains to not risk it,' he thought to himself, relishing in his cunningness.
Outwardly, Caius maintained his playful smile. "Well, I hope this shows you that not all rumors about me are true," he said, enjoying the puzzled expression on Nerine's face.
