Seeker 159

Test

Chapter 159. Going Home

We descended the mountain path and returned closer to town, our surroundings completely enveloped in the darkness of the night. Our group's appearance had changed slightly from when we had left the town. 

The cart that had been empty at departure was now loaded with mined ore. 

Additionally, the 7 members had become 7 humans and 1 monster.

That "monster" was, of course, Griffin I had tamed.

"Griffy, you're so fluffy~"

"Fluffy, indeed~"

Currently, Kazane-san and Yuzuki are riding the griffin together.

The two of them were unexpectedly enchanted by Griffin's soft and full feathers, cuddling and nuzzling against it without getting bored.

"Hey, Kazane-san, Yuzuki, you should probably get off soon since we're about to reach the town."

"Okay~"

At my urging, the 2 girls reluctantly dismounted Griffin, resembling children being told by their parents.

"By the way, senpai, can we bring this griffin into the town?"

"It might be difficult as it is now. But there's another application for [Tame]."

"Another application?"

"Yeah. - [Tame]"

I directed [Tame] again toward Griffin I had already tamed. 

When the light sphere released from my hand hit Griffin, its form shrank considerably. 

Eventually, Griffin had shrunk to the size of a small dog, akin to a Chihuahua. 

Its appearance itself seemed to have become more adorable.

"Kupi, kupi!"

It made a cooing sound, and I picked it up and held it with both hands.

The small Griffin, when petted by me, closed its eyes comfortably and made another "kupi" sound.

"So cuuute!"

The two girls exclaimed with a high-pitched voice. 

Since they seemed eager to hold it, I handed it over, and both Kazane-san and Yuzuki showed expressions of bliss.

"Daichi-kun, this skill is revolutionary! Why is it only you who can possess it?"

"That's right, senpai! It's unfair for you to monopolize such a skill!"

"Well, even if you tell me that..."

They can complain to the gods for all I care.

By the way, using [Tame] on this small Griffin again could restore it to its original size. 

It's a bit of a drawback because it consumes 20 MP each time, but I think it's worth it. 

By the way, after Kazane-san and Yuzuki held the small Griffin, it started to look uncomfortable, much like a baby separated from its parent. 

When I took it back and held it, the small Griffin snuggled up and showed a contented gesture.

"I-I'm so envious of you, Daichi-kun..."

"I have mixed feelings. I want to hold Griffy, but I'm also envious that senpai gets to hold it."

"Hotaru-chan, I understand! Daichi-kun is unfair, and so is Griffy!"

My female companions seemed to be harboring some inexplicable envy.

I hope they're okay.

Eventually, we arrived at the entrance of the town.

We passed through the city gate just before curfew. 

We were a bit anxious about whether they could bring Griffin through, especially given its reduced size. 

However, as I attempted to pass with it cradled in my arms, the gatekeeper said, "Oh, a pet? Go ahead!" and granted us passage without any issue. 

The lax checks made them worry oppositely, but it was convenient for us, so we decided not to dwell on it.

And so, we returned to the town. 

Eslyn-san, who had been leading the way, turned around and smiled brightly.

"Well, adventurers, you helped us this time. Here's your promised reward. It should be 80 gold coins for the quest reward and 3 gold coins for helping with the mining, totaling 83 coins. Make sure to check."

Eslyn-san handed me a drawstring bag. Inside, golden coins clinked together. 

Upon counting, there were indeed 83 coins. 

Then, with a "ping" sound, the mission completion message board appeared.

───────────────────────

Mission completed: Clear B-Rank Mission Quest once!

All party members gain 8000 experience points!

Unlock New Mission: Clear A-Rank Mission Quest (15000 experience points)!

Current Experience:

Musou Daichi... 230444/235435 (Next level: 4991)

Kodachi Kazane.. 246056/267563 (Next level: 21507)

Yuzuki Hotaru... 253441/267563 (Next level: 14122)

───────────────────────

We managed to clear the mission smoothly again. 

I had already booked an inn for tonight; all that was left was to rest. 

Or so I thought.

 It was then that Eslyn-san came up with an additional proposal.

"Listen, if you all are up for it, I have another request I'd like to ask you about."

"An additional request? It depends on the details."

Seeing my willingness to listen, Eslyn-san explained the additional request as follows:

"It's a bit of a longer task. We need to transport the ore we mined at Griffin Mountain to the Dwarf city of Dagmahar. We were planning to make it an A-Rank quest from the start, and we'd like to ask you to be our escort. It'll take about a week, and as for the reward, we're willing to offer a whopping 600 gold coins. What do you say?"

"The Dwarf city of Dagmahar, you say?"

Should I say, "Opportunity knocks when you least expect it."? 

It seems like a chance has finally arrived for one of the missions we put on the back burner.