It was about ten in the morning when they returned to the small town.
The journey back had been surprisingly smooth. They hadn't encountered a single Demon, which actually left Lin Mo itching for a fight.
He had been hoping to farm a few Goblins or something along the way and raise his [Slashing] skill to Level 3.
Back in town, the first order of business was, naturally, to turn in the quest.
The group walked into the Adventurer's Association, and the first person Lin Mo saw was the Miss Cat Lady at the counter on the far end.
As usual, there were very few Adventurers at her counter. Even other Half-Beastmen seemed to prefer gathering around the human receptionists for a chat. Only those in a real hurry came to her, seeking convenience and speed.
Naturally, you submitted a quest at the same counter where you accepted it.
Lin Mo walked straight over and took the 150 stalks of Clear Fragrance Grass out of his backpack.
Although they had run into numerous unexpected incidents along the way, the quest he had originally accepted was, in fact, just a simple material gathering task.
But he'd somehow gotten dragged into a whole mess of trouble, which also led to a handsome profit. 'I really don't know whether to call that good luck or bad,' he thought.
"You're back!"
The girl behind the counter was clearly happy to see Lin Mo.
Of course, Lena had a vivid memory of this "oddball" who, for some unknown reason, didn't seem to hold the usual prejudice against her.
She hadn't seen him for the past two days and had been a little worried. After all, for an Adventurer, you never knew when misfortune might strike. Any given trip could be their last.
"I'm here to turn in a quest. Here's the Clear Fragrance Grass I gathered."
Lin Mo handed her the messy bundle of herbs. Lena nodded. "Okay, please wait a moment."
She took the large clump of herbs, straightened them out one by one, and began to count them.
Lin Mo watched her, his gaze naturally falling on her small hands. They looked no different from a human's, but perhaps because she worked indoors all year, her skin was exceptionally soft and smooth, so pale it was almost reflective.
"That's 150 stalks in total. At 3 Silver Coins each, the total comes to 4 gold and 50 silver coins."
"Three Silver Coins?"
Lin Mo paused, surprised. "Wasn't it 2 Silver Coins?"
"It's not just Demons lately; bandits have also started appearing outside of town. While that's created more subjugation and escort quests, the situation isn't great for rookie Adventurers. A handful of Veteran Adventurers have moved in, but many young people have chosen to try their luck elsewhere. With fewer people willing to do simple material gathering quests, the rewards had to be increased."
At this, Lena glanced around before leaning in and whispering, "Normally, the pay is based on the price when you accepted the quest. But for small jobs like this, they don't usually record the time, so the client won't know when you took it. I'll just calculate it at the current price for you. Please don't tell anyone."
Lin Mo gave her a surprised look, then broke into a knowing smile. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed. And I'll come to you for my future quests, too."
"Thank you, meow~"
Lena smiled sweetly. Such easy, equal interactions were rare for her, so she cherished them all the more.
The Miss Cat Lady took out 4 gold coins and 50 silver coins from behind the counter. After counting them carefully, she placed them in a small pouch and handed it to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo took the pouch, gave a small wave, and turned to leave.
"Done so soon?"
Evan, who was waiting in the main hall, looked astonished as he saw Lin Mo return with the pouch.
"I accepted the quest over there, since there was hardly anyone in line."
Lin Mo pointed to Lena's counter, and a look of understanding dawned on Evan's face. "Uncle Bain is still in line. Plus, we have to wait for the client to come and confirm. It'll probably be afternoon by the time he's done."
"Well, we might as well get some lunch here then," Lin Mo suggested.
Lin Mo glanced at the time. It was about time for lunch anyway.
The Association, of course, offered food services. The prices were reasonable, only slightly higher than places in town.
Including the daughter of the Yuri Commerce Association's owner, there were five of them in total. Lin Mo ordered a whole roasted chicken, a large platter of cheesy mashed potatoes, and for each person, a steak, a white bread roll, and a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.
The roasted chicken wasn't the common domesticated type from Lin Mo's previous life, but a native wild fowl of this world. It was huge, weighing over twenty pounds—about the size of a turkey.
Unlike turkey, however, the meat wasn't dry at all. Instead, it was tender, juicy, and delicious.
Bain finished his business at the counter and sat down to eat with them.
From there, the Association would take care of contacting the client and having him come over to verify the quest's completion himself.
It happened much faster than they expected. Shortly after they finished their meal, a portly, middle-aged man rushed into the Association.
"Father!"
The girl, who had been waiting for so long, immediately shot to her feet and rushed over to him in excitement.
Father and daughter were finally reunited. They embraced, sobbing uncontrollably.
Yuri knew very well that in this dangerous world, to lose contact with someone was as good as a death sentence.
When he first posted the quest at the Association, he hadn't held out much hope. He'd thought he would be content just to recover his daughter's body for a proper burial. When someone from the Association came to notify him, he could barely believe his ears.
So he immediately dropped everything he was doing and rushed over.
"Thank you, thank you all so very much!"
He grabbed Bain's hand excitedly, thanking him over and over.
"It was our mission. We were just doing our job."
Bain comforted him, while Evan turned to Millian beside him and slowly but firmly took her hand.
This time, Millian didn't pull away or roll her eyes at him. She simply watched the father and daughter before them, remaining silent for a long time.
Once the additional quest objective was confirmed as complete, the Association released the 100 gold coins that Yuri had paid in advance. Bain held the large, full bag of gold coins, feeling its heavy weight in his hands, unable to hide his excitement.
As they had agreed beforehand, he gave 40 gold coins to Lin Mo. Of the remaining 60, he first gave four to each member of the party.
Of course, he wasn't planning to pocket the remaining 48 gold coins. They would serve as the party's fund, to be used for team expenses and major purchases.
This included things like food, supplies, and lodging fees, as well as various Alchemy Medicine, Armor, and High-Price Weapons.
These decisions were usually discussed as a group, with Bain having the final say.
"Four gold coins... I remember the Iron Thorn Wood Bow at Edgar's shop sells for 5 Gold Coins."
Evan muttered as he took out a gold coin and offered it to Millian.
"Want to go check out the blacksmith's shop?"
Bain extended the invitation to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo had been planning to go there anyway, so he had no reason to refuse.
The Sword he'd picked up for 50 Silver Coins had been a great deal, but it wasn't particularly sturdy or durable. After several fierce battles, the blade was already showing signs of damage. If he kept using it, there was no telling when it might snap in a fight, just like Evan's old sword had.
Lin Mo wasn't one to cut corners on something as important as his weapon. When it was time for a replacement, it was time for a replacement. This was not the time or place to be frugal.