Venti: "Don't worry about me."
"I swear, I, Venti, will discover my past, I will discover who Barbatos is."
"And I will become one of the "The strongest adventurers in history."
The day had only just begun, but for him, a new life had truly begun.
Venti had barely turned around when the silence left by Arlan and Leona's departure was replaced by a feeling of momentum.
He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the calm rhythm of his heartbeat.
Returning to the city, he strolled through the streets until he reached a certain building and gazed at its stone and wood structure:
The Adventurers' Guild.
He took a deep breath.
Venti: "If I want to become stronger... this is where it all begins."
He had no time to waste.
Even though he had only recently received his adventurer's badge, he decided to undertake his first mission that very day.
Inside the guild:
As he pushed open the heavy guild doors, Venti immediately felt the noisy, vibrant atmosphere engulf his senses:
- Adventurers were laughing.
- Other adventurers were bickering.
- Some were placing their rewards on the counters while others were examining the mission boards.
As soon as he entered, several glances turned towards him.
Some adventurers, those who had witnessed the test a few hours earlier, exchanged mocking or perplexed smiles:
Adventurer #1: "Hey, it's the kid with the bow!"
Adventurer #2: "He's back already?"
"He doesn't even look like he slept!"
Adventurer #3: "He's going to take a window-cleaning mission, you'll see..."
Venti ignored the snickers with a slight smile.
The receptionist, on the other hand, seemed delighted to see him again.
She placed a file to the side and approached the counter.
Dialogue with the receptionist
The receptionist: "Oh, Venti. Hello!"
"I take it you're here to choose your first mission?"
Venti: "Yes!"
"I want to start today, I'm ready."
She smiled gently, like a caring older sister.
Even though Venti had only received her adventure card a few hours ago, she was surprised to see someone starting their first mission so soon.
The receptionist: "In that case, let me explain. New adventurers can only accept simple missions:
- Gathering plants.
- Delivering items.
- Hunting small creatures…
These are basic tasks, but perfect for getting started and understanding how the guild works."
She leaned slightly towards him, a look of amusement and concern on her face.
The receptionist: "Of course… nothing prevents you from using your strange magic that you call Anemo."
"Although… judging by the others' expressions a moment ago, I advise you not to overwhelm them on your first day!"
Venti gave a small laugh, innocent but trusting.
Venti: "I'll be careful."
"I promise."
But deep down, he could already feel the wind stirring gently in his palm, as if it wanted to escape, eager to be of service again.
The receptionist turned a wooden panel, revealing a series of small ads tied together with string.
All simple, all tiny compared to the large, gold posters for high-ranking missions.
She pointed to several papers:
The receptionist: "Now, all you have to do is choose one of these missions."
— Harvest 10 apples in the northern forest: 2000 Moras
— Deliver a letter to a neighboring village: 3000 Moras
— Hunt a boar from the plains before it ravages the crops: 4000 Moras
— Clean the moss and seaweed from a dock in the port: 3000 Moras
— Find a cat that has run away in the merchant district: 2000 Moras
Author's Note: I decided to keep the Mora currency because it makes it easier for video game players to understand the value of a quest.
The receptionist: "You can choose just one for today."
"After completing your first mission, you will again have access to quests of the same rank."
"And if you want to climb the ranks, you'll have to prove yourself!"
Venti examined the papers, and a mischievous smile played on his lips. stretched her lips.
Venti: "Picking apples... hunting a wild boar... Good."
"Even if they're small tasks, I can put my whole heart into them."
Among all the small cards placed before him, one in particular immediately caught Venti's attention.
A very light, sweet scent, imperceptible to most people, suddenly seemed to waft through the air towards him.
He blinked, raised his hand, and touched a parchment with slightly perfumed edges:
- Collect 20 Sweet Flowers: 3000 Moras
A smile instantly spread across his face.
Sweet Flowers… he felt like he'd heard that name somewhere before.
Archive : Particularly fragrant flowers, they can be easily located, even in the dark, thanks to their sweet scent, commonly used in the world to make sugar.
Small, sweet, delicate flowers, used in cooking, perfumery, potions… but above all, known for giving off a sweet fragrance that attracted both animals and humans.
(And slime too.)
The Sweet Flower is a flower composed of five white petals and five green petals, and in its center was a small yellow fruit from which the sugar was extracted.
But what intrigued Venti most was the almost familiar feeling these flowers evoked in him, like a little nostalgia tickling his memory.
The receptionist noticed his interest.
She rested her elbows on the counter, an amused smile playing on her lips.
The receptionist: "Oh, Sweet Flowers?"
"A good choice to start with!"
"They grow on the outskirts of Rillmont, especially near sunny areas or low bushes."
"But be careful, they often attract insects… and sometimes little slimes."
Venti nodded, looking more motivated than ever.
Venti: "That suits me just fine."
"I'll take this mission."
Ventil didn't know where these memories came from, but he felt as if he knew this flower and how many meals could be made with sugar.
The receptionist detached the slip and handed it to him, but continued explaining as if she were speaking to a rather reckless child:
Even though Venti seemed more mature than he appeared, he was still a bit of a child at heart, but he did take certain things seriously.
Like, for example, when a father and daughter are threatened with being killed by bandits.
The receptionist: "To harvest them, simply pick the whole flower."
"And don't pull too hard; their petals are fragile."
"Then you'll have to bring them back here so they can be counted and recorded."
Then, her expression became slightly more serious:
The receptionist: "If you encounter any slimes or beasts, remember this."
"The goal isn't to fight, but to collect flowers."
"If it's too dangerous, back away and return to town."
"No one will fault you for being cautious on your first mission."
Venti inclined his head slightly, almost theatrically.
Venti: "The wind will guide me, don't worry!"
She rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself.
Vinci took the sheet of paper, accepting the mission, and headed towards the exit to begin.
The receptionist: "Now that I think about it, he uses the word 'wind' a lot..."
As he left the counter, Venti felt a little thrill of excitement coursing through his veins.
It wasn't a dangerous quest, nor a heroic ordeal...
Yet, it was important.
Except it wasn't important because it was incredibly valuable; on the contrary, with only 2,000 moras, one could only live for a day or two.
If it was important, it was because it was his first mission...
Every great adventure began with a small task.
And somewhere in the forest, the breeze already seemed to call to him, light, curious, almost... Impatient.
As he stepped through the guild door, the wind fluttered his green coat, like a sign of encouragement.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Venti tightened his grip on the mission sheet.
Venti: "Pick some Sweet Flowers…"
"Very well."
"I'm going to show this world that even a simple flower can become the first step towards something greater."
"And I love sugar."
With that thought, he headed towards the plains, ready to officially begin the most unexpected adventurer's career in history.
Fortunately, these kinds of flowers are easy to find, so all he had to do was leave the city and head in any direction.
As long as there was a place with a minimum of humidity, he should be fine, since these flowers form just like any other. flower.
But Venti still had a question about these flowers.
Venti: "Wouldn't it be simpler to grow your own flowers at home instead of always sending adventurers to find them?"
A few moments later:
Venti stepped lightly out of Rillmont, breathing in the fresh air that stretched beyond the walls.
As soon as he passed through the last stone arch, the city's hustle and bustle subsided, giving way to the vibrant calm of nature.
Before him, the bridge leading to the city entrance was still crowded with people queuing to get in.
Venti: "I imagine the checks happen every day."
And he was right; he had entered the city the day before without a map and had to wait until the next day to get one that would grant him access.
He left the city to say goodbye to Arlan and Leona, then went back inside to choose a quest, and now he was out again.
As he left the city, Venti greeted the guards on duty, wishing them a good day.
Venti: "Good luck with your work!"
Guard #1: "You too."
Guard #2: "....."
"Who were you talking to?"
Guard #1: "The boy who just passed by."
Guard #2: "..."
"By any chance, was that the bard who didn't have any documents on him yesterday?"
Guard #1: "..."
"Ah, yes, that's him."
A few minutes later, on Venti's side:
A few kilometers away, a vast plain opened up, undulating in the sunlight.
The grass was high in places, probably because certain animals didn't graze there.
Venti followed a small dirt path, sometimes barely visible because of the growing grass, and let his senses adjust.
He noticed that many scents lingered in these plains:
- The scent of wild plants.
- Ripe fruit falling from nearby trees.
- The dampness of the soil, still warm from the day…
- And above all, that almost imperceptible sweet fragrance that announced the presence of sweet flowers.
Venti: "If I were a sweet flower… where would I grow?"
He thought with amusement.
Sweet flowers are generally easy to find for several reasons:
- Firstly, because their flowers are full of sugar, no animal wants to eat them.
- Secondly, because their sweet scent makes them easy to find.
- and thirdly, because they are flowers that grow quickly (between 15 and 20 days).
And luckily for Venti, the plain wasn't completely deserted:
- A few rocks protruding from the ground provided natural shelter.
- And here and there, yellow butterflies fluttered among the grasses.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffff
Venti: "Whoa."
The wind brushed against his hair, as if inviting him to listen, having almost knocked his hat off.
Venti: "Okay, let's start looking."
After a few minutes of walking, he finally spotted a small rise in the terrain, a mound where the grass was a little shorter and the soil richer.
At its summit, a soft light bathed the petals of a familiar plant in pink.
They were three small flowers with five white petals and a small fruit in their center.
Venti: "Ah, finally…"
The sweet flowers swayed gently in the breeze, releasing a sweet scent that lived up to their name.
Venti approached cautiously, observing their color, size, and how they were clustered together.
He knew that these flowers were sometimes surrounded by small creatures attracted by their sweet fragrance:
- Dendro slimes.
- Aggressive insects,
- Or even some curious little animals.
Venti: "Perfect."
"Three flowers out of twenty, only seventeen more."
He placed a satchel beside him and began to carefully pick the first sweet flowers, taking care not to damage their stems so that others could grow back.
If he were to undertake another harvesting mission later, it would be best to know the best locations for gathering produce.
Each flower he added to his satchel released a delicate, almost comforting fragrance.
And as he methodically carried out his task, Venti couldn't help but smile.
His first official quest… even if it was just a simple harvest, it marked the beginning of his adventure.
The wind was already whispering the next chapter to him.
Venti was already imagining the ways the flowers he was gathering could be used.
Venti: "Maybe it's a baker who wants to make a cake but has run out of sugar."
"Or maybe a mother who wants to make sweets for her children."
Venti had just harvested the last bud from the cluster of flowers he'd found, but another one entered his field of vision.
Venti: "This will be quicker than expected."
As he continued harvesting, Venti moved toward another small group of sweet flowers a little further down the slope.
Light filtered through the grass.
And a wet rustling suddenly caught his attention.
Plop
He looked up…
Venti: "What was that?"
A few feet away, a small Hydro Slime was hopping gently, almost as if playing with the dew on the grass.
Archive : A small monster created by the sedimentation of Hydro dispersed throughout nature.
Legend has it that some people would use Hydro Slimes as an emergency water source, packing them in preparation for travels through dry regions or deep domains. But due to the high concentration of Hydro within these slimes, direct ingestion is, in fact, harmful to the human body.
Its bluish, gelatinous surface reflected the sky, and it didn't seem aggressive at all; on the contrary, it swayed peacefully, like a curious animal observing the intruder that was Venti.
Plop plop
It continued to hop toward the flower.
FFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffff
Venti, instinctively, summoned his wooden bow, channeling some of his Anemo energy through his fingers.
A slime, even a small one, was still a monster… and eliminating one would give him some experience.
He needed it, especially at the beginning of his career. of an adventurer.
Venti: "Maybe I should…"
He thought, analyzing the situation.
The slime, for its part, still hadn't adopted the slightest defensive posture.
It simply waddled gently, even cautiously approaching a sweet flower as if it wanted to smell it.
The contrast between its "dangerous" nature and its harmless behavior made Venti smile slightly.
Plop plop
Venti relaxed the tension in his arm.
Venti: "Hm… you didn't do anything to me."
He murmured almost as if he were talking to a small animal.
Venti: "Sorry for scaring you, I'm not going to attack you just for a few experience points."
Plop plop plop
The Hydro slime seemed almost… pleased?
It bounced one last time, making a little plop wet, then slowly moved away toward a watering hole further across the plain, disappearing behind clumps of reeds.
Even though hydro slimes can move on water, they can also hide in it to hunt predators or rest.
Venti gazed in its direction for a moment.
Venti: "The world is vast… no need to make life harder than necessary."
He thought.
Venti: "I should learn more about slimes."
With a soft sigh of satisfaction, he resumed his gathering.
The wind brushed against his cheek as if to approve his choice, and Venti felt strangely lighter.
Even a simple decision like this reminded him that adventure wasn't just about fighting; it was also about encounters, judgment, and respect for his surroundings.
Even for a small elemental creature.
He puts away his He resumed his search for sweet flowers, a discreet smile playing at the corners of his lips.
The afternoon was going well.
Chapter 12: Sweet Flowers and hydro slime
The End