Chapter 94: Blessed Side Quest 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Kaiden's disguise as a man was incredibly convincing.
Even sharp-eyed individuals like Rebecca, who possessed a beast-like instinct, myself, and a high-ranking knight like James, failed to penetrate her guise.
From the contours of her Adam's apple, her skeletal structure, body shape, skin texture, and even her voice, everything was convincingly male.
To be honest, her disguise bore more resemblance to something like polymorph found in fantasy novels than a simple act of cross-dressing.
There was no trace of mana, which ruled out the possibility of a magic-induced disguise.
Given this, it's no surprise that James, being his usual self, started to make crude jokes when all the female members retreated from the room.
He doesnt typically make such comments in front of women, but amongst men, he speaks without reserve.
"Even though we're not allowed to go into the forest, occasionally there are nobles who come inside the checkpoint to take in the divine energy. But it's a little problematic when old men with weakening waists bring women along with them. There are a lot of young, vigorous guys here, so when they start making...certain noises-""
"I... I'll help with moving the stuff as well."
Whether James took Kaiden's stunned silence as shyness or simple innocence, his words grew teasing.
Being directly involved with adventurers and mingling with soldiers, he couldn't help his nature.
His lewd laughter and suggestive sway of his hips might be unseemly for a knight...
But he's competent, which is why he rose to the rank of a high-ranking knight.
Still, watching a muscle-bound man swaying his hips in such a way was quite disgusting.
It was too much for Kaiden, prompting her to flee.
Honestly, it was off-putting even for me to watch, so I could only imagine how uncomfortable Kaiden, a woman, must have felt.
"Hmm, did I go too far? I heard he was a former mercenary, so I tried to bond a little. He's quite pure-hearted for a mercenary."
"Trying to be friends?"
"Us men bond by talking about dirty stuff. You can tell just by how comfortable I am with the soldiers."
With Kaiden clearly fleeing because she couldn't stomach it, the knight approached with an awkward smile.
He believed he was being friendly in a macho kind of way, consistent with the adventurer-military-knight culture.
As I glanced at Han Se-ah's stream, I saw Kaiden's red face join in the inventory fun.
Once I confirmed the camera was still focused on the kitchen, I directed a question at James.
"About the talk earlier regarding the princess, was it a joke, or was there a reason for it?"
"You can say it's half and half. An order did come down, but it's unclear where it came from. The mere task of investigating orcs for adventurers was passed down as if it were some classified mission. For a command to come down in such a roundabout way to the Knights Division, it suggests..."
"...that someone very high up has their hands in it."
James, scratching the back of his head, looking a tad embarrassed, responded.
Despite appearing a little frivolous and the possibility of his brain being packed with muscles, hes not one to make baseless claims.
Could it really be a character quest intertwined with a side quest?
I can only speculate since I can only see Han Se-ah's quest log if she shares it on her stream.
Mulling it over isnt going to give me a definitive answer.
"Regardless, thanks for the info."
At my response, James chuckles as though he knew I would react that way.
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Raei Translations
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The night in the military camp passes uneventfully.
The moment Han Se-ah puts her head on the pillow, the game saves, ensuring she would wake up the next morning.
The party members, weary from the journey in the carriage, silently retire to their beds, resting for the upcoming mission.
As for me, I surfed the internet from the comfort of a soft bed.
It may be a military barracks with basic beds, but it felt surprisingly comfortable.
Fit for a military unit responsible for guarding the divine energy flowing from the blessed Forest.
"...Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning. I feel light thanks to the grace of the Goddess."
Thanks to that, there wasn't a trace of fatigue on any of the party members.
What was evident was the radiant beauty of their exposed fair skin.
Given that they couldn't possibly lounge around the accommodations in their armor, this was expected.
Of course, the exposure was merely them wearing casual shirts.
Although it was a lighter attire compared to their usual leather armor or nun robes, the sight alone sent the chatroom viewers into a flurry of excitement.
-I bet Han Se-ah's right wrist that the virtue of the Saint Candidate is lust.
-This is the elegance of the world's top streamer.
-It's understandable that muscleman was worried yesterday, walking around the military base like that lol.
-A side quest that takes 3 days... the upper levels of the tower are getting scarier.
-God exists in the Korean peninsula.
Even the slightest exposure of the arm or the fact that the shirt did not hide the body's curves had the chatterboxes thanking the gods.
It was funny to see since just five minutes ago - or from my perspective, last night - they were teasing Han Se-ah relentlessly.
The group, after freshening up, gathered around the dining table, much like they would at a guild table.
With nothing grand to eat in the morning, we reheated yesterday's stew, lightly filled our stomachs, and started discussing the request.
The first to speak was Grace, who had quickly finished her bowl.
"Are we exploring the forest starting today?"
"Yeah. From what I heard, it seems the soldiers can't enter the forest."
"The forest... it looked quite big... It's going to take some time."
The conversation began to flow, with everyone chipping in.
The general consensus was that the forest was too large for just five people to explore.
The forest in the tower was straightforward as you just had to find the path, but here we needed to search for signs of Orcs which was a bit different.
"But how do we prove there are no Orcs?"
"That's a good question. We can't cover every little part of the forest..."
This concern seemed to be the focal point of the group's discussion.
Curious glances were directed at me occasionally, but there was little I could contribute.
After all, the orc search was an actual side quest, and completing it was Han Se-ah's responsibility.
Maybe Han Se-ah's quest log, which hasn't been fully shown on the stream, has some progress indicators.
There's a minimap and a quest window, so she should be able to handle it.
Well, we might need to think of ways to track where the orcs could be hiding. Maybe Hanna can mark places with her magic. What do you think, Hanna? Can you do that?
Ah, um, I think I can. I can mark spots with magic, I should be able to keep track...?
Just look at her, hesitating with those nervous eyes.
While she hesitated a little, Han Se-ah confidently assured us that she could do it, though she'll probably just be using the quest window.
Watching her, Grace and Irene, who were cleaning up the dishes, can't help but smile gently.
A party leader that was capable enough to skillfully handle the aspect that concerned them the most.
They can't help but feel relieved.
n
Though their gazes toward her looked more like an older sibling watching their younger sibling become more dependable...
Well, that's a form of trust too, so all was well.
"Now that we've finished our meal, everyone should get ready with their gear. We're likely spending a few days, so we'll be exposed to loads of divine energy."
"Alright, I'll get ready and meet you at the exit.
Leaving the fervent pleas of the viewers behind, the party members collected their equipment and gathered at the exit of the building.
As soon as they stepped out, they found themselves again the focus of the soldiers' attention.
While some of the stares were due to the beauties, but many soldiers greet Irene with a salute.
Witnessing the grace of the Goddess firsthand, they were naturally more religious than most.
As we gear up and prepare to venture into the forest, a soldier rushes toward us.
He looks flustered, perhaps surprised by the party's speed.
"Ho, hold on a moment, please!"
"What's the matter?"
"Whe, when you go into the forest, huah, take this..."
Panting heavily, the soldier offers a metal badge resembling an adventurers emblem, engraved with a sword and shield.
He must've run quite fast; he's struggling to continue explaining.
The kind-hearted party members wait patiently for him to catch his breath, looking on with sympathy as his face turns beet red.
When you return from the forest, you don't necessarily have to come back this way. Soldiers surround the forest, so wherever you exit, just present this badge.
"Oh, I see. Thank you."
It's, well, my duty.
The soldier's face brightened slightly at Han Se-ah's polite smile and gratitude.
A thought crossed my mind that soldiers, whether in medieval fantasy or in the modern era, aren't so different after all.
With this strange thought, we moved towards the forest.
Grace naturally takes the lead, walking beside me, while the others follow.
Kaiden follows up from the rear.
For a group that hasn't been adventuring together very long, we're looking quite comfortable and practiced.
Alright! The side quest begins. The goal is to search for signs of orcs in the blessed forest. Judging by the progress shown, it seems like it will be filled up as we light up the mini-map. I don't know whether there'll be orcs or not. In the quest window, it just says 'explore the forest.'"
With Han Se-ah's explanation, we crossed the barricade and entered the forest.
... Along with Kaiden, who seems to be deep in thought.
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This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦