Seeker 367

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Chapter 367. Wolf Fang Tribe Female Adventurer

Aira, a she-wolf adventurer.

She’s a beast-woman who looks about twenty in human terms, with a charmingly tough demeanor. Her fluffy silver tail and wolf ears are her signature features.

Aira works primarily as a solo adventurer, currently at level 25.

She usually completes C-rank or D-rank quests alone, earning her daily living.

One day, when Aira dropped by the adventurers' guild, she witnessed some sort of dispute at the quest request counter.

A man, seemingly a villager, was arguing with a rookie receptionist.

"Many people have said that, but even if you demand an immediate solution, there's little we can do right now..."

"But someone from our village might turn into a zombie by tonight! Can't you do something?"

"As I said, most adventurers have already left for quests today..."

"What's going on? I heard you say 'zombies'—is this about a quest?"

Aira approached them, inserting herself into the conversation.

She was somewhat acquainted with the rookie receptionist and held a favorable impression of her.

Aira couldn’t stand idly by while the inexperienced receptionist was being cornered.

"Ah, Aira! Um... This man is from Midna Village, and apparently, zombies have appeared there. He’s asking us to send adventurers right away, but all appropriate-level parties have already gone out on quests today..."

"Hmm. What rank is the quest likely to be?"

"It would probably be E-rank since it’s a zombie extermination. The reward is modest, too. But... there’s one concern..."

"He said something about 'another villager turning into a zombie by tonight,' right? Is that the concern?"

"Yes. According to him, 'a villager bitten by a zombie became a zombie,' which sounds..."

"Huh? A person bitten by a zombie turned into one? No way. Must be a misunderstanding."

Aira burst out laughing.

She initially thought some dark magician capable of raising zombies might be involved, but instead, she found herself listening to a far-fetched story.

Zombies are among the weakest monsters, generally manageable even by beginner adventurer parties.

Their extermination quests are typically rated E-rank, on par with goblin hunts.

Of course, getting bitten by a zombie could result in severe injury or death for an ordinary person.

Even a low-level adventurer would take some damage.

But Aira had never heard of anyone becoming a zombie from a bite.

"I-I’m not lying! Thomas, the guy bitten by the zombie, really turned into one! I saw it with my own eyes! The rest of the village saw it too!"

"Even if you say that... Wait a minute. Could it be a mutated zombie with some kind of special ability?"

When Aira glanced at the rookie receptionist, the girl nodded.

"I’m not sure, but it might be wise to consider the possibility of an irregular case. However, the reward amount remains limited to E-rank."

"This is everything we could scrape together from the villagers! We’re a poor, small village, so this is all we can offer!"

"Y-Yes, I understand the situation..."

The receptionist smiled awkwardly, trying to calm the distressed villager.

Watching her, Aira brought a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment.

After a brief pause, she made her decision.

"Alright, I'll take the quest."

"Really!? That would be a huge help, but are you sure? The reward isn’t much, though..."

"Eh, it’s fine. A light job now and then doesn’t hurt."

"Th-Thank you! We’re counting on you!"

"Okay, I just need to go home and get ready. Wait here for a bit."

With that, Aira left the guild.

＊＊＊

Back at her house, just a five-minute walk from the guild, Aira started preparing for the quest.

As she checked the contents of her [Item Box]in the living room, a boy in an apron came over, holding a ladle.

The boy, who looked about ten, had the same silver tail and wolf ears as Aira.

He gave the older adventurer a deadpan look, clearly unimpressed.

"Didn't you say you'd stay home for a while? And now you're off on another job?"

"Oops, sorry! Something urgent came up. I should be back by tomorrow morning, though."

Aira clapped her hands together in apology and winked.

The boy sighed deeply at his sister's response.

"Really? You’ll be back by tomorrow morning?"

"Probably. It’s about a three-hour trip to Midna Village, so I plan to wrap it up quickly and come right back."

"Alright... Should I prepare breakfast for you tomorrow, then?"

"Umm... Better not. In case something unexpected delays me, I wouldn’t want to cause trouble. Thanks anyway, Roa."

Aira ruffled the boy's hair playfully.

Blushing slightly, he let her do so without resistance.

Once Aira finished getting ready and stood up, the boy spoke again.

"Hey, um... Do you remember what day it is the day after tomorrow?"

Aira blinked in confusion at first, then walked back to him and gave her little brother a tight hug.

"Idiot. How could I forget your birthday?"

"Oh, so you remembered."

"Of course! No matter what, I’ll be back by the day after tomorrow. Even if I must ditch the job, I’ll be home."

"Well, I guess that’s good, but... isn’t that a bad idea?"

"Haha! Maybe."

The two exchanged smiles and chuckled softly.

Afterward, Aira left the house, waving goodbye to her little brother, and set off for the zombie extermination quest.