Reborn As A Maid

Chapter 53: Chapter 53 - The White Sword Hunter ( Part 7)

The morning sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows of the Hunter Association’s headquarters.

Different from the excitement of yesterday’s examination, today everything went back to normal.

Receptionists sorted out the requests.

Hunters were around the quest boards.

Messengers rushed from office to office with the report from different places in the kingdom.

The Association worked without stop.

Somewhere...

There would always be another monster.

Another village in need of help.

Another life needing to be saved.

Raven, the false name of Jennie, entered the building quietly.

Her temporary hunter badge was securely kept in her pocket.

With just a plain white traveling cloak on top of her common dress, she looked like any other person, nothing special to attract anyone to suspect that she was the attendant of the princess.

Excalibur was a dragon-shaped hairpin hidden among her silver hair.

Jennie surveyed around and smiled.

"I still love this place."

Excalibur responded gently.

"It suits you."

"I agree."

"There’s no noble politics here."

"No endless etiquette."

"No royal dinner party."

She sighed.

"Just plain work."

Approaching the reception counter.

Emily, the same lively receptionist from yesterday, saw her at once.

"Good morning, Miss Raven!"

Jennie nodded.

"Good morning."

Emily handed her a small leather bag.

"You’ve gotten your hunter badge already."

Jennie took it carefully.

It was made beautifully.

An elegant bronze emblem of crossed wings and a sword.

The title ’F-Rank Hunter’ was written below it.

Simple.

Classy.

She traced it with her finger.

"So..."

"Right now I’m a hunter."

Emily nodded happily.

"Well done."

"Welcoming to the Hunter Association."

Jennie put the badge in her traveling cloak.

Somehow...

She felt unexpectedly delighted.

Not because of the rank.

Because of the freedom she got.

Emily smiled warmly.

"Going to look for your first quest?"

"Yes."

"Great."

She indicated the huge quest board.

"Beginner quests are on the eastern side."

Jennie said thanks before heading there.

The quest board was separated into several parts.

Gathering Missions

Collect medicinal herbs.

Harvest Moon Mushrooms.

Collect Crystal Moss.

Escort Missions

Protect merchant caravans.

Guide scholars through the forest.

Escort villagers between towns.

Subjugation Missions

Forest Wolves.

Wild Boars.

Goblin Scouts.

Jennie carefully read every request on it.

She didn’t care about rewards.

Instead...

She looked for something useful.

That could let her go somewhere.

One parchment attracted her.

Quest No. F-271

Location:

Emerald Forest.

Mission:

Find out the cause of the strange disappearance of medicinal herbs.

Suspected Possible Causes:

Unknown monster.

Magical beasts.

Reward:

Eight silver coins.

Jennie blinked.

"...Someone is stealing herbs?"

Emily noticed her interests.

"This request was ignored."

"Why?"

"The reward is poor."

Jennie tilted her head.

"But herbs are important."

Emily smiled helplessly.

"Most hunters prefer to exterminate monsters."

Jennie took the parchment quietly.

"I’ll take this one."

Emily seemed shocked.

"Are you sure?"

"It’ll take me almost the whole afternoon."

Jennie nodded.

"I don’t mind."

Half an hour later...

Jennie came out of the southern gate of the capital.

The city slowly faded from her sight.

Endless open fields were stretching toward the horizon.

Wild flowers danced in the gentle spring breeze.

Birds sang from the trees.

Jennie inhaled.

"...So peaceful."

She hadn’t known that she missed such peaceful walks that much. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Without armies marching with her.

Without escorting someone politically.

Without accompanying the procession of princesses.

Only...

Walking.

Several hours later...

The Emerald Forest was ahead of her.

Ancient trees stood tall to form a green canopy above.

Light filtered from the countless leaves.

The air was refreshing.

Filled with the scent of soil and flowers.

Jennie kneeled beside a spot of dug ground.

Someone had been here lately.

She touched the ground.

"...Interesting."

The footsteps weren’t those of humans.

Too small.

Too light.

Excalibur whispered.

"Goblins?"

Jennie shook her head.

"No."

"The footstep spacing is wrong."

She continued to follow the track into the forest.

Before long...

She found the stolen herbs.

Or rather...

What was left of them.

Flowers had been uprooted in entire patches.

Medicinal herbs were scattered all over the place.

Beside...

Footsteps were covering the forest floor.

Jennie smiled faintly.

"I’ve seen this before."

A squeaking sound suddenly echoed from behind her.

She turned slowly.

Six tiny creatures standing on top of a broken tree.

Green skin.

Pointed ears.

Round nose.

Each was carrying a huge sack filled with herbs.

One of them even had a flower larger than himself.

Jennie blinked.

"...Herb Goblins."

The tiny monsters stopped still.

Jennie gave a polite wave to them.

"Hello."

They stared at her for a second.

Then one of them pointed dramatically.

"Human!"

Instant panic erupted.

They dropped flowers.

One of them tripped over himself.

Another accidentally hit his partner with a mushroom.

Jennie watched silently.

"...They’re quite clumsy."

The leader of the group puffed his chest out.

He brandished his tiny wooden club.

"Attack!"

But none of the rest did anything.

Instead...

They were all looking at him expectantly.

"...You first."

The leader’s confidence immediately vanished.

Jennie laughed aloud.

"You guys are not frightening at all."

They seemed to be offended.

The leader rushed at her.

"...For honor!"

Swinging his tiny wooden club.

Jennie gently caught it between her fingers.

"...Good try."

She flicked the tiny weapon.

The club spun through the air and fell down harmlessly in a bush near her.

The leader blinked.

"...Eh?"

All of them surrendered immediately.

Every single one of them threw their tiny weapons to the ground.

One even offered a flower to Jennie.

Excalibur chuckled.

"Master..."

"You managed to defeat monsters without fighting them."

Jennie smiled sheepishly.

"I think they didn’t want to fight at all anyway."

After talking to them with some sign language and a little bit of spirit magic...

Jennie learned the true story.

The Herb Goblins didn’t steal herbs with ill intentions.

Their own forest home had been destroyed by a rampage monster.

They were collecting medicines to heal their injured fellow goblins.

Jennie’s expression softened.

"So that’s the reason..."

She looked at the frightened little creatures.

They weren’t the villains.

They were simply trying to survive.

She sighed.

"...Let’s deal with the true problem then."

The Goblins looked at her hopefully.

Far away...

In the heart of the Emerald Forest...

A powerful roar echoed between the ancient trees.

Birds flew into the sky.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet.

Her crimson eyes sharpened.

"There it is."

Whatever drove the Herb Goblins out of their home...

Lay somewhere deeper in the forest.

And without realizing it...

Jennie’s very first hunter quest was soon to become way more dangerous than any other quests at the Hunter Association.