Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 203

 "Seria, I have a job for you."

"What is it?"

Winter in March is almost over. On one such day, Seriana brought up some work.

I was thinking of heading into the forest now that the canal inspection was finished.

"Look at this."

She handed me a piece of paper. It was one of the documents left by Liesel's messenger who had come earlier. The document, written in formal language, listed the names of the town's alchemists and apothecaries.

"What's this?"

It mentioned something about the solidarity of soldiers and adventurers, but why were the alchemists bringing this up?

"Remember the defense battle? A lot of potions were used up, right? They were using their original recipe potions because they were more effective and required smaller doses compared to the usual recipes. After that, there was a steady supply of materials, so the potion supply was back to normal, but they're still short on medicinal herbs."

"I haven't been out gathering for a while either..."

Seriana nodded at that.

I had been diligently gathering until the rainy season, but I hadn't gone out since. Normally, I had enough to last until spring, but with that emergency situation...

"Do you remember why the adventurers in this town don't bother gathering medicinal herbs? The apothecaries understand this too, and they know that soldiers and adventurers don’t encroach on each other’s territories. That's why they want us to work together. Liesel also understands its effectiveness, and since soldiers are now entering the forest during their patrols, we decided to address it in the form of joint training for the rookies."

"Am I participating as an adventurer?"

"No. Both soldiers and adventurers are leaving it to the rookies. They will be divided into groups for training in forest activities. I want you to scout the area for any monsters."

"Oh... So, there are more people without outside experience?"

While strong veterans are still coming in, complete novices are also arriving. They're probably looking to take advantage of the economic boom from the development... quite the challengers...

"Yes. They would be useless as they are, and leaving them be would only worsen public safety. It's better to put in a little effort to make them useful."

"Got it... But what if monsters appear? Do I fight them?"

If it were just me, I could always escape if things got bad, but with others, especially weak ones, it would be tough.

"They'll assign a veteran as the leader for a while. Just follow their instructions."

So, I just need to act as a scout.

"Understood. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow."

...That’s sudden!

◇

"Oh... There are five goblins in that thicket."

"Hmm? Got it. Did you hear that? Everyone, get ready, it's a larger group this time."

After spotting the monsters and reporting them, Alex immediately gave instructions. The goblins here were quite strong, a cautious approach was wise.

"Yes, sir!"

The rookies placed their bags of medicinal herbs down and readied their weapons. Well, it’s six against five. No problem.

So, about this joint training I heard about yesterday...

The training ground is a bit of a walk from the east gate. Gathered at the meeting point were six nervous rookies, both soldiers and adventurers, all in their mid-teens. Alex, who was their instructor, was giving a briefing. Known for his skill, protective techniques, and familiarity with handling me, Alex was chosen for the first day. I wasn’t informed beforehand, so it was a surprise, but a welcome one.

"There’s one more deeper inside. I’ll take care of it."

Without waiting for a response, I dashed forward, pierced its head, and killed it.

Turning back, I saw they had just finished off the goblins and were on alert. They had been scolded by Alex for getting too excited after their first battle... It’s good they’re staying cautious.

"Alright. Pile up the bodies and let's move on."

"Yes, sir!"

The rookies followed orders efficiently. They knew that letting their guard down could be fatal, so they were serious.

In a way, it’s like elite education, and this might be quite an effective strategy.