Ch. 255: The Starter Village Fetch Quest

The volunteer glanced at his companions, who were busy lashing the cages onto the cart.

He nodded and walked past the cart with Mo Fei. Inside a cage, the yellow dog whined, its front paws scrabbling at the door again and again. Mo Fei looked at it but kept walking.

The two reached the street corner.

"You've been catching a lot lately?" Mo Fei asked.

"Yeah." The volunteer brightened a little at the topic. "The higher-ups want us to catch more, and the cart's been making a lot more runs than before. More and more people on the streets are sick. If we get the strays taken in early, everyone can rest easy."

"Where do the carts go?"

"First to our shelter out in the suburbs. If it can't hold them, they get transferred on. They've changed direction lately, though." The volunteer scratched his head. "Where exactly, we don't ask."

The place caved in. Of course they had to find somewhere else. Mo Fei grumbled inwardly.

The volunteer gripped the handle of his net and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Uh... that kitten you were looking for the other day. Did you find it?"

Mo Fei was silent for a moment.

"I found it."

The volunteer's shoulders had only just relaxed when Mo Fei went on: "It's dead."

"D-dead?" The volunteer's voice shot up. "How could... Was it sick, or..."

"They weren't treated right."

That was all Mo Fei said.

The volunteer stood there with his mouth open, silent for a good while. He turned to look at the cages of cats and dogs on the cart, and his grip on the net handle slowly tightened.

"But... the rule is real. If they've got a ribbon, we don't catch them. We take the others back to be neutered and housed..." His voice got smaller and smaller. "The ones we can't fit get transferred out. Where to... we never asked either..."

He didn't finish. He turned back to face Mo Fei.

"How do you know? Where did you find it?"

If I tell him, he might not believe me. He has to see it with his own eyes.

"That doesn't matter." Mo Fei jerked his chin toward the cart. "I want to ask you for a favor. That yellow dog just now. When you get back to the shelter, keep an eye on whether it gets neutered first, or just gets shipped out."

The volunteer didn't agree right away. A hint of appraisal had crept into the way he looked at Mo Fei. After a moment, he looked back at the yellow dog still scrabbling at its cage door.

"I... I'm only in charge of catching. What goes on inside the shelter..."

He stared at the tips of his shoes, and it was a long while before he squeezed out, "...I'll keep an eye out."

"Hey! Aren't you coming back? We're leaving!"

Someone over by the cart was shouting at the top of his voice. The volunteer jumped, called back that he was coming, and jogged back clutching the net.

The man who had called him glanced toward the corner and, head tilted, asked him a few questions. The volunteer shook his head, scratched the back of his head, and waved a hand. The man stared at him for a moment before turning to pull the cart.

The cart rumbled into motion, and the yellow dog's cries faded with it. Mo Fei stared at the back of the cart, watching it turn left at the intersection ahead and vanish at the end of the street.

He walked back to Adai.

"Just now..." Adai studied his face and swallowed the rest of the sentence. "...Never mind. Let's go. The pay's still waiting."

Mo Fei didn't answer. He just stepped onto the footboard.

"Hold tight. Here we go."

---

Back at the Guild, Adai handed in the job at the counter, returned, and counted out 20 gold coins in front of Mo Fei.

"Wasn't it 10 gold last time?"

"This batch of medicine was a lot bigger than last time, so of course you get double."

"Then I won't be shy." Mo Fei pocketed the 20 gold.

Adai added, "Also, I really can't keep up with making the Universal Adaptation Potion... If you have time, could you help?"

Mo Fei thought of that 100,000 Proficiency and scratched his head. "Actually, I've never managed to brew it successfully so far. But I'll keep working on it when I have time."

Adai nodded, said he was heading to the materials trading area to restock, and walked off toward the other end of the hall.

Mo Fei slowed as he passed the commission board.

Since I'm here, might as well take a look.

Two people stood in front of the board. One of them, a middle-aged man with his arms folded, was sighing.

"My wife's been coughing for days. The apothecary says the Lungclear medicine is out of stock and I'll have to wait. Who knows how long."

The other one gave a shake of the head. "Even if they had it, at that price, how could we afford it?"

Mo Fei stopped in front of the board. Commission slips overlapped one another, most of the board taken up by requests for herbs and Lungclear medicine.

Wedged among them was one that looked different. It called for a large purchase of sedatives for animals, with "shelter" written in the purpose field. The delivery address was one he recognized: Chimimi's shelter.

The quantity requested was frighteningly large.

I don't believe for a second that this amount is for neutering.

He stared at the slip for a good while before looking away.

The next commission, stamped with a black steel seal, read:
"Buying fresh Lungclear Herb. Paid per plant, 1 gold each, no quantity limit. Urgent."

1 gold a plant. That's not a cheap price. No wonder Jimmy said it's in hot demand lately. Speaking of which...

Mo Fei called up the quest panel. On it was the next quest after "New Member."

【General Quest: Herb Gatherer】
【Objective: Gather 10 fresh herbs.】
【Reward: 5 EP.】

Looks like I can knock out this classic starter-village fetch quest, straight out of a traditional RPG, while I'm at it.

He reached out for the slip, but stopped halfway.

But where does Lungclear Herb even grow?

Just then, Adai came back from the materials trading area with an armful of packages.

"Adai, do you know where I can gather Lungclear Herb?"

Adai thought it over. "I know the herb, but where it grows, I couldn't tell you."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the knot on the top package in his arms suddenly came loose, and several small paper packets slid out. Adai scrambled to catch them. He caught one and dropped two.
He finally gathered them up, only to bang his forehead on the corner of the commission board.

He straightened up, clutching his forehead, and his face changed.

"...The effect's worn off. I have to get back before something happens." He hugged his materials tighter. "I'll probably need to trouble you for a ride again later."

"Sure. Find me when you need one."

Before they parted, Adai added, "If you run into trouble making the Universal Adaptation Potion, come find me."

---

When Mo Fei got back to the workshop door, workers were putting the finishing touches on the renovation next door, with Lily standing by watching.

He walked over. "Lily, have you heard of Lungclear Herb?"

Lily turned around. "I have."

"Then do you know where to gather it? I need some."

"It's hard to find in the wild now. It only grows well where mana is rich. In recent years, less and less."

"How do you know so much?"

"My lungs are bad." Lily paused. "I grow some myself. Very little. Only enough for me."

She said nothing more, and her eyes returned to the workers.

It's for her own use. I can't just ask her to hand it over. But...

"Then... could you grow a bit more?"