Chapter 55
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
It was a phrase Carpe had heard or read countless times throughout his life, and he, too, believed it to be true.
Yet… now that he was faced with such a responsibility, he couldn’t help but feel it was grossly unfair.
“Why does ‘great responsibility’ mean cleaning up after my predecessor’s messes?”
Hero, you have received my power; therefore, you must battle the looming darkness that threatens us all!
Now that would have been a noble responsibility. But being left to clean up the aftermath of a king’s recklessness…?
-Think of it like inheriting a family estate along with its debts. Isn’t that pretty much the same?
“I had hoped to indulge in joy without consequence…”
There was no escaping it now.
With things as they were, Carpe resolved to find a way to placate her wrath and complete the quest.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
“Hm?”
“I’ve heard that the previous Archmage once rendered your village a great service. Might it be possible to call things even on that basis?”
“No. The recompense for that was paid in full eight centuries ago. To create that ‘last doll’ or whatever he called it, he swept away every tear an elf had shed in the village. That year’s harvest was nothing short of dismal. Curse him, the mere memory gives me a headache.”
“…”
Carpe regretted bringing it up; instead of gaining favor, he found himself in silence.
“Are you Carpe, heir of the Archmage?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Very well, Carpe. Do you believe my anger is unreasonable?”
“…No.”
In truth, he felt it was exceedingly magnanimous of her not to shatter the artifact right then and there.
“I understand. I’ll accept responsibility for my predecessor’s actions. What must I do for you to return the artifact?”
“Ho. Unlike that shameless Drethsch, his successor seems to possess a sense of honor. I see now why Tina follows you so willingly.”
“…Tina?”
The phrasing of ‘follows willingly’ struck him as strange. Did this imply she hadn’t always been so loyal?
“Tina has always been the very embodiment of a devoted knight…”
“Really? I’ve heard many things in my time, but this is a first. Tina was the prickliest of the Archmage’s dolls.”
“Altaire! That’s quite enough. Now’s hardly the time for such tales, is it?”
The uncharacteristic flustered look on Tina’s face was refreshingly novel. Judging by her reaction, it didn’t seem like the queen was exaggerating.
‘How much of a rogue would he have to be to make Tina prickly?’
-Based on the chaos he left in this village, you can imagine. A hugely powerful, wildly self-centered menace, no doubt.
It was hard not to feel a measure of sympathy for the residents of Akram from eight centuries past, dealing with such an emperor.
“Hmm, well. In any case, I commend you for shouldering responsibility. Now, how shall we proceed?”
Altaire rested her delicate white hand against her chin in thought, before speaking.
“Ordinarily, I’d expect a storage fee.”
“…Storage fee?”
It was such a practical request that it left Carpe astonished. Simultaneously, a chill ran down his spine.
…Eight hundred years of storage fees. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the sum.
“Wait—surely you don’t mean in coin?”
“What would we do with human currency? Our lifestyles and customs are different, so goods have no real meaning here either.”
Among Carpe’s available resources, there was only one thing that would be of use to the elves.
“Labor, of course.”
-Knew it.
“I suppose that makes sense. After all, this is still a game.”
For players, assisting NPCs meant undertaking quests. Even if this was wrapped in an elaborate backstory of an Archmage’s blunders, at its core, it wasn’t all that different from the quests he’d been completing up to now.
But, considering eight centuries of grievances, who knew what kind of outlandish task might await him…
“No need to tense up. It’s nothing more than assisting with our labor shortage. Unlike Drethsch, I’m a reasonable elf. To start, clear out the pests plaguing the trees in the nearby forest.”
“Pests?”
“Yes. The sap bugs. Lately, they’ve been swarming in troubling numbers.”
According to her, the sap bugs were large, but not particularly powerful monsters.
“As the Archmage’s successor, I’m sure you’ll handle them with ease.”
“So… it’s just a standard hunting quest. I was worried for nothing.”
-Well, it’s only the first quest. They wouldn’t hit you with something impossible from the start.
But the queen’s next words shattered their assumptions.
“Let’s see. Around 800 of them should suffice to quell the problem for now.”
“…Wait, 800?”
“Heh. No need to be so impressed. As I said, I’m a reasonable elf. I’d like to ask for 80,000 but I’ll settle for this.”
“…”
Typically, hunting quests involved 20, maybe 30 monsters at most. Eight hundred?
And to add insult to injury, she seemed to feel she was doing him a favor…
“This is some kind of joke, right? It has to be?”
-It’s… a lot, but not completely impossible.
“Ugh. This is going to be pure grind.”
In an old PC game, endlessly clicking and mashing keys to mow down hundreds of monsters wouldn’t have been out of the question, but in a VR setting that demanded full concentration, 800 was a grueling task.
Tina, noting Carpe’s exasperation, spoke up.
“My lord. The elven perception of numbers is quite different from that of humans. To those who live for a thousand years or more, 800 is but a trifle.”
“Oh.”
That actually made sense.
With a resigned sigh, Carpe nodded.
“Very well. I’ll deal with the bugs.”
“A sound decision.”
[You have accepted the quest “Sap Bug Extermination.” Success will improve your favor with the elven queen, Altaire.]
“I shall assign you a guide. Syres.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The male elf, who had been standing at attention by her side, stepped forward upon her command.
“Lead the Archmage’s heir into the forest and inform him of any precautions he should observe.”
“As you command.”
As the quest officially commenced, Carpe steeled himself.
Sure, 800 was daunting, but with Mukhyang and Tina, they’d finish faster than expected…
“Oh, by the way, Carpe. While you’re hunting, I’d like to borrow Tina for a short while. After all, it’s been 800 years since we last spoke.”
“…What?”
Carpe looked to Tina in disbelief, but she met his gaze and nodded, replying with vigor.
“Altaire. Though I’d love to speak, I cannot accept. I am my lord’s knight. As long as I live, he shall never stand on the battlefield alone.”
“…This isn’t a battlefield. And yet, even after 800 years, you remain as overly serious as ever.”
“In any case, my answer is no. We may talk later.”
“Hm… very well. It is only natural for a knight to serve her master. Perhaps I should consult with the master, then.”
“Me?”
Did she even need to ask?
Naturally, hunting with Tina would make things far more convenient…
Ding.
[If you undertake the extermination alone, Altaire’s favor will increase significantly. Additional rewards will be granted upon quest completion.]
[During this quest, all experience points gained will be shared with your summoned allies automatically.]
“…It would be tactless of me to interrupt a reunion after 800 years. I wish you both a pleasant time.”
“So it’s settled. Come along, Tina.”
“My lord?!”
“Tina, you’ve worked tirelessly. Rest a bit. Unless you wish to make me out as a tyrant who overworks his retainers, take this opportunity to relax.”
“Ugh… very well.”
Though reluctant, Tina seemed to acquiesce upon hearing the term ‘tyrant.’
Altaire, visibly pleased by this outcome, nodded approvingly.
“Oh, and you—yes, the magic squirrel.”
“Kyuu?”
“You, too, shall join us. As Tina’s friend, you’ll be our honored guest.”
“Kyuu! Kyuu!”
Mukhyang, however, shook his head defiantly.
So Mukhyang remained. Carpe felt a touch of gratitude.
“Oh?”
But Altaire only chuckled and snapped her fingers.
Syres vanished momentarily, returning with a small box in hand.
“Among our forest’s specialties is something rather unique.”
At her signal, Syres opened the box with a click.
“Kyuuu?!”
Nestled on a soft red cloth were two acorns the size of walnuts.
Altaire picked them up, rolling them between her fingers, and Mukhyang’s eyes followed the acorns with intense focus.
“These acorns are a rare delicacy, found only in this forest. Still not tempted?”
“Kyuuu…”
Mukhyang let out a mournful whimper, his defiance melting away.
Amused by Mukhyang’s hesitation, Carpe laughed.
“Mukhyang, it’s fine. You deserve a break. This time, I’ll…”
But before he could finish, Mukhyang dashed over and nestled comfortably on Altaire’s lap.
“…”
So this is why they say raising a child is a thankless task.
Carpe felt a twinge of sadness.
“This is the place.”
Syres had led Carpe to a part of the forest opposite the entrance to the village.
“Ah, so those are the sap bugs?”
“Yes. I’ll leave the extermination to you.”
The bugs were unmistakable.
Giant beetle-like creatures clung to the trees, each about the size of a grown man’s head.
“They’re currently in their breeding season, so they’re consuming nutrients ravenously, preventing the trees from bearing fruit.”
“I see.”
Understanding the situation, Carpe raised his hand to cast a fire spell… but reconsidered.
“If we’re trying to save the trees, maybe magic’s not ideal. It could damage them.”
“Ho…”
[NPC Syres’ favor has slightly increased.]
It seemed Carpe’s reasoning had been sound.
“A wise choice. However, the sap bugs have tough exoskeletons, making physical attacks challenging.”
“I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”
Exhaling slowly, Carpe took a stance.
“Hup!”
With a short exclamation, he struck one of the sap bugs with a powerful punch.
Crack!
[You have slain a Sap Bug.]
“Huh, one blow? Was that a skill?”
“Nope. Just a punch.”
“Incredible…”
Syres was genuinely impressed. As expected of the Archmage’s heir.
“Excellent. There’s nothing more I need to tell you. Please continue as you are.”
“Understood.”
With a nod, Carpe resumed his hunt.
Crack!
[You have slain a Sap Bug.]
Consistently, it was one hit, one kill.
After he had felled around twenty bugs…
Ding.
[Level up! Bonus points have been awarded.]
“Huh? Level up?”
-What? You just leveled recently; how could you already level again?
“Maybe the quest refreshed my experience points?”
Since Last Savior didn’t display required XP, this was only a guess.
But after another forty kills…
[Level up! Bonus points have been awarded.]
He realized something was off.
“Hey. These things’ XP is…”
-Yup. It’s generous—more than even the Trents.
And unlike the Trent forest, Carpe had this area to himself, without competition from other players.
Plus, instead of sparse Trent spawns, this forest was packed with low-level, one-hit monsters.
“…Wow. This is…”
-Unbelievable. They say fortune smiles on the lucky, but this is absurd.
Complaining about cleaning up his predecessor’s mess seemed foolish now.
The Forgotten Forest.
It was the ideal grinding spot, the kind worth paying to access, hidden in plain sight.
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