Kays Translations

Chapter 30 "Let's Go to Battle!"

"Alright, everyone! Do your best!"

With a cheerful smile from Terrine, the examinees were sent off to start the practical exam.

The content of the exam was quite simple.

The exam papers distributed randomly listed several quest items, and the task was to collect three of them.

The quantities and types varied greatly; some items required only one of a kind, while others needed multiple pieces.

"Ugh!! All my quest items are useless?!"

"What?! Five 'Grazing Grass' at this time?!"

Examining the items listed on their exam papers, candidates experienced a mix of emotions, ranging from joy to despair.

Because some items were not easily obtainable, there were examinees overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness.

...There were rumors suggesting that the guild might be using the exam as an excuse to gather items that were in short supply internally, and so on.

Well, leaving aside those circumstances...

Among the quest items, there were items that could be bought in town...

You could purchase them in the town, or

You can also hire people to collect them for you.

...In essence, the purpose of the exam seems to be to achieve the quest using any means necessary...

...However, to ensure fairness,

The exam papers are assigned completely randomly, and candidates cannot know the quest items in advance.

Nevertheless, it's generally observed that forming a party is often more advantageous than going solo throughout the exam.

Because...

"All right!! Three of the quest items in my party are overlapping!"

"Darn it...! Only one overlap. But, there are items we can buy in town!"

The exam venue buzzed with activity.

Holding the exam papers handed out by Terrine, candidates conferred with their party members and peers, strategizing efficient ways to collect the items.

On the other hand, Klaus, being solo, was totally at ease.

Why, you ask? Well, it's because, you see, he didn't need to share information with anyone, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter at all──!

...Or rather, you could say he was a lone wolf, sniffling.

"Hey! This is great! Four of mine are overlapping! It's destiny!"

"Destiny my foot, get away from me!"

─Too bad, but you don't count, you know.

"Don't be stingy~"

"Ugh, I'm not stingy!"

Sniff, sniff...

"It's fine, nothing to lose─"

"I feel so down!"

Merim peeked into Klaus's exam paper without permission and compared it with his own.

"...Let's see, what else... Krumel Fruit ×5, Ghoul's Lower Jaw ×5, Cave Slime's Murky Liquid ×5, Phantom Nuts ×5, Unicorn Horn ×1, Wandering Leather Armor Breastplate ×3, Silk Spider's Morning Thread ×3, Salazar's Hairpin ×1, and..."

"I told you, stop peeking!"

Snatching back his stolen exam paper and hiding it in his pocket, Klaus sighed.

Well, it was a pointless act now that it had been seen...

"Hehehe. Ta-da!"

Saying that, Merim happily showed off his exam paper.

... Ghoul's Lower Jaw ×5, Cave Slime's Murky Liquid ×5, Unicorn Horn ×1, Silk Spider's Morning Thread ×3, Magic Grass ×3, Grazing Grass ×10, Moving Land Urchin ×5, Salazar's Hairpin ×1, Terrine's Handbag.

(Hmm... Sure, there are overlaps, but─)

The horns of a unicorn are quite difficult to collect.

Magical herbs don't grow in abundance, so obtaining three of them is relatively challenging.

It might be more efficient to buy them in town instead.

Whether they are available for sale at this time of the year is uncertain...

And this, Sarazar's hairpin... isn't this the Guild Master's lost item!!?

And then, Terine's handbag, too, seriously!!

────... You guys, focus on your work for real!!

(Don't use the exam to look for lost items!!!)

"Huh?!"

Terrine glared at Klaus with a sharp look.

"S-Sorry."

"Tch."

What's up with this person?!

Lately, they've been really scary...

Klaus let out a relieved sigh as he quietly watched Terrine walk away to check on the other examinees' conditions.

"Seriously...!"

One thing,

So, when it comes to items you can actually collect, it would be limited to spider silk and ghoul-type lower jaws, I guess.

Among undead creatures, normal ghouls are pretty weak, similar in strength to skeletons.

Ghouls might be slightly easier to hunt, but for seasoned veterans, there isn't much of a difference.

Among these, the only item Klaus can easily collect using his skill "Automatic Resource Gathering" is the Kurumel fruit, which is easy to obtain by going to gather.

However, if he puts his mind to it, he could also collect items like Phantom Nuts or monster materials...

"Tch... It's troublesome that there are hardly any natural materials."

With so few options, he can't fully utilize "Automatic Resource Gathering."

"Hey, hey. Which one should we collect first? I think 'Spider Silk' would be the fastest, you know?"

Merim, who was full of enthusiasm to tag along.

"I don't care. Go collect whatever you like on your own."

Klaus, on the other hand, had to figure out his own way of gathering items. 

The deadline was from this afternoon until tomorrow's sunset. It seemed like there was plenty of time, but not really.

"Aw, come on! Let's go together!"

"I don't know!"

Geez, if it were up to Merim, it would've been a piece of cake...

Oh well.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going? Isn't that the ‘Exposed Graveyard' over there?!"

"That's right. We don't have time. Obviously, we'll go to the nearest place available."

Undead monster materials are here— the lower-level hunting ground, the 'Exposed Graveyard,' is the closest option.

It's a dungeon teeming with zombies, skeletons, and ghosts, but undead creatures offer high experience points, and there are regular subjugation quests, making it quite popular among novice adventurers.

However, because of the popularity, there are also many casualties. It's commonly referred to as the "Graveyard of Beginners."

And so, beginners gather again to target the belongings of those earlier beginners... It's an unpleasant place with a subtle cycle like that.

Well, it doesn't matter for veteran lower-level adventurer like Klaus, right? If you're going for ghoul materials, that place should be fine.

"I said no! Let's start with the spider silk!"

"Fool, go on your own. And waste your time while you're at it."

As the name suggests, "Morning Silk from Silk Spiders" can only be obtained in the morning.

In other words, even if you go now, you'll have to wait until morning.

Knowing this kind of information is probably one of the challenges in the promotion exam.

...I see, it is advantageous to have a party after all.

However, Klaus has the unique skill "Automatic Function.

Until he fully understands the compatibility of this unique skill with party dynamics, he can't just team up with anyone. After all, he acts unconsciously. It's hard to believe he could coordinate with others.

...So, teaming up with Merim is absolutely out of the question.

"Cooler Woosoo! I'm reaady! I'm coming, so wait for me!"

"Who's gonna wait..."

*Sigh...* Somehow, I've been approached by a strange person.

Klaus slumped his shoulders

Then he quickly headed to the graveyard, riding the cart he had purchased and the donkey he had borrowed a few days ago.

"I told you! We're taking a shared carriage!"

Ignoring Merim completely...

(Shut up. I can't wait for a slow carriage.)

...What do you think I borrowed the cart and the donkey for?

Of course, it's for this day!!!

Now, it's time to show the true power of "Automatic Function Auto Mode"!!

I'm gonna hunt smoothly!! Yaaahhhh!!!

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