Three Beginners

Chapter 11 — Three Beginners

Two days had passed since we visited the Adventurer’s Guild.

Ever since that day, something felt different.

The idea that we had to earn AP on our own made everything feel more real. Less like a school, more like the beginning of an actual life in this world.

Classes ended, and the three of us headed straight to the guild.

The streets were still crowded, though not as chaotic as before. Students in academy uniforms walked beside normal townspeople. Merchants shouted about their goods, and the smell of grilled meat and fresh bread filled the air.

I looked around as we walked.

This place really feels alive…

Not long ago, I was stuck inside the academy, thinking only about classes and training. Now we were heading out for a real mission.

Even if it was something simple.

Inside the guild, the atmosphere was lively. Several students gathered around the quest board, talking, pointing at different requests, arguing about which ones were worth it.

We stepped closer.

The wooden board was covered with papers of different colors and sizes. Some were simple requests written by hand. Others had the academy’s official seal.

Latris leaned in, scanning the papers.

“Hmm… there are a lot more than last time.”

Izuo crossed his arms.

“Yeah, but most of them look annoying.”

“Carrying cargo… cleaning sewer tunnels…” I read quietly.

None of them sounded interesting.

Latris suddenly tapped one of the papers.

“Oh. This one’s good.”

We leaned closer.

Herb Gathering – East Forest
Reward: 18 AP
Required: 12 bundles of Blueleaf and 6 bundles of Sunroot

Latris turned toward us.

“We should take this one.”

Izuo tilted his head.

“Herbs?”

She nodded.

“My Sigil lets me sense living things. Plants included. It’ll be much easier for us to find them.”

I thought about it.

That actually makes sense.

Compared to fighting monsters or carrying cargo, this sounded simple. Safe. Efficient.

“Not a bad idea,” I said.

“We can finish it fast and still have time for training.”

Izuo shrugged.

“If you two think it’s good, then I’m in.”

Latris smiled.

“Then it’s decided.”

She pulled the request off the board and brought it to the reception desk. After a short confirmation, the mission was registered under our group.

Our first official quest.

We left the city through the eastern gate not long after.

The stone roads slowly turned into dirt paths, and the buildings gave way to open fields. In the distance, a thick forest stretched across the horizon.

The air felt different out here. Fresher. Colder.

Latris walked slightly ahead of us, her eyes half-closed.

“You’ll have to give me a moment once we get inside,"

"It’s easier to sense things when I’m surrounded by plants.”

Izuo nodded.

“Take your time. It’s not like the herbs are going anywhere.”

I looked at the forest as we approached.

First mission…

Feels strange.

We crossed into the forest, stepping beneath the shade of tall trees. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating shifting patterns on the ground.

Latris stopped.

“Give me a minute.”

She placed her hand on the bark of a nearby tree and closed her eyes.

Izuo and I waited in silence. The only sounds were distant birds and the faint rustling of leaves.

After a while, Izuo stretched his arms.

“So… this is it, huh. Real missions already.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Ten days sounded like a lot, but it’s going by fast.”

He chuckled.

“If we mess around too much, we’ll run out of AP and end up cleaning toilets for the rest of the year.”

I smirked.

“That would suit you.”

“Hey, why me?”

“Because you’d probably break the brush while trying to clean.”

He laughed.

“Fair point.”

We kept talking after that. About classes. About how brutal Instructor Doran’s training was. About how strict Instructor Seraphine’s magic lessons were.

Time passed quickly.

Then Latris opened her eyes.

“I found them.”

We both looked at her.

“Already?”

She nodded.

“There’s a clearing deeper inside the forest. A lot of different herbs growing there. It’s probably what this request is referring to.”

I straightened up.

“Lead the way.”

We walked for nearly half an hour.

The forest grew denser as we went deeper. The trees were thicker, their roots twisting across the ground.

Eventually, the trees began to thin out.

We stepped into an open clearing hidden in the middle of the forest.

I stopped.

“…Whoa.”

The ground was covered in patches of colorful plants. Blue-tinted leaves shimmered under the sunlight, while small golden roots poked through the soil in other areas.

Latris smiled.

“Told you.”

Izuo crouched near one of the plants.

“So these are the Blueleaf herbs, right?”

Latris nodded.

“Yes. And those yellow ones are Sunroot.”

I looked around.

There were far more than what the mission required.

Latris seemed to notice the same thing.

“We should gather as much as we can,” she said. “Even if it’s not part of the mission, someone in the academy will probably buy them. Especially alchemy students.”

Izuo grinned.

“Extra money. I like the sound of that.”

I nodded.

“Let’s do it.”

We spent the next hour collecting herbs.

Latris carefully identified each plant, explaining which ones were useful and which ones were worthless. Izuo and I filled our bags, trying not to damage the roots too much.

By the time we were done, all three of us had nearly full bags.

Izuo lifted his over his shoulder.

“This thing’s heavier than I expected.”

I adjusted my strap.

“Still better than fighting monsters.”

Latris nodded.

“And safer.”

We started walking back the way we came.

The forest felt quieter now. The sunlight had shifted, and long shadows stretched across the ground.

Something felt… off.

I slowed down.

“Hey… do you feel that?”

Izuo frowned.

“…Yeah.”

Latris stopped walking.

A low growl echoed from between the trees.

Then another.

And another.

Shapes moved in the shadows around us.

One wolf stepped into the open.

Then another.

Then more.

Within seconds, we were surrounded.

One of them bared its teeth and growled.

Izuo clenched his fists.

“…So much for a peaceful mission.”

I slowly set my bag down.

First quest… and we’re already in trouble.

The wolves began to close in.

The wolves didn’t rush us immediately.

They circled.

Four of them.

One in front, two spreading out to the sides, and another lingering a bit farther back, watching. Waiting.

Their bodies were larger than normal wolves—almost up to my waist. Thick gray fur covered their frames, matted with dirt and dried leaves.

Their shoulders were broad, muscles visible even beneath the fur. When they growled, their jaws opened wide enough for me to see long, uneven fangs.

Not monsters.

But definitely not animals you’d want to meet alone in a forest.

I swallowed.

If they attack at the same time, we’re in trouble.

Izuo stepped slightly forward, placing himself between us and the closest wolf.

“…Stay behind me.”

Latris shook her head.

“No. I’ll control their movement. Just give me a moment.”

The wolf in front lowered its body.

Then it leaped.

Straight at Latris.

“Izuo!” I shouted.

He didn’t hesitate.

He moved like a wall being thrown forward. The moment the wolf reached midair, Izuo stepped into its path and raised his arm.

The impact was heavy. I heard the thud as fur and muscle slammed into him, but he didn’t budge.

Instead, he grabbed the wolf by the scruff of its neck with one hand.

“…Got you.”

He slammed it into the ground.

Hard.

The dirt cracked under the impact, and the wolf let out a short, pained yelp.

Another one rushed from the side.

Latris raised her hand.

Thin roots burst out of the ground like fingers clawing their way to the surface. They wrapped around the wolf’s legs just as it tried to leap.

It crashed face-first into the dirt.

“Nice!” Izuo said.

But the third wolf was already moving.

It came straight at me.

Fast.

Too fast.

My body tensed, instincts screaming at me to jump back—but I knew I wasn’t fast enough.

So instead of jumping…

I moved the space around my own body.

Just a little.

My position shifted a few centimeters to the side.

The wolf’s jaws snapped shut right where my shoulder had been a split second earlier.

Its teeth cut through empty air.

It landed awkwardly, confused.

That worked.

I grabbed a small stone from the ground.

No time to aim properly.

I pushed it with the Sigil.

The stone lifted slightly into the air, trembling.

Then I forced it forward.

It shot straight into the wolf’s snout.

Crack.

The wolf yelped and stumbled back, shaking its head.

“Rikuo!” Izuo shouted.

I looked up just in time to see him hurl the first wolf he had slammed earlier.

He threw it sideways like a sack of grain.

Right toward the one that had been stuck in Latris’s roots.

I reacted on instinct.

I focused on the flying body and pushed the space around it—just enough to alter its path.

The wolf’s trajectory shifted slightly.

Instead of landing beside the other one, it slammed straight into it.

Both of them crashed into a nearby tree.

The trunk shook from the impact.

Latris raised both hands now.

More roots spread across the ground around us, forming a rough circle. Small thorny vines crawled across the surface like a living carpet.

The wolves hesitated.

One of them tried to step forward.

A thorn pierced its paw.

It pulled back, growling.

“…That should slow them down,” Latris said, breathing a bit heavier.

Then the fourth wolf—the one that had stayed back the entire time—finally moved.

It was bigger.

Noticeably so.

Its fur was darker, almost black along the spine, and one of its ears was torn. A long scar crossed its muzzle.

It didn’t rush.

It walked forward slowly, eyes locked on us.

Then it lunged.

Straight at Izuo.

Izuo met it head-on.

Their bodies collided with a heavy thud. He grabbed the wolf around the neck, but this one was stronger. Its hind legs dug into the dirt, pushing forward.

Izuo’s feet slid back.

“…Tch—this one’s heavier!”

Latris slammed her hand into the ground.

Roots shot up around the wolf’s legs, trying to bind it.

But the wolf twisted, muscles bulging, and tore through them.

The roots snapped like dry rope.

It broke them?

Izuo was being pushed back step by step.

If he lost balance, the wolf would be on top of him.

My head started to throb.

Think.

The wolf opened its jaws, trying to bite into Izuo’s shoulder.