Role Play Fails

The next morning, Ina and Ian were still not back. We were collecting frozen saffron on the way back with Xander and Casey. They didn't mention Ian or Ina, so do I.

I checked my friend list and they aren't there. Then I looked at my level-up quest and sighed. I was hoping the system wouldn't define a quest for me every time I leveled up.

''Don't worry,'' The fox said. ''It is probably a temporary situation. I have never heard of anyone who has to complete a quest for each level.''

''Me neither,'' I said and grabbed a saffron herb and threw it into my leather bag. Luckily, it wasn't a rare herb for this region. Xander and Casey, on the other hand, were pretending like they are on a date, not a quest. Picking flowers, having a picnic as breakfast among the saffron herbs, kissing exposingly... Ah, honeymoon.

''What about the quest you created?'' The fox asked.

''Almost complete,'' I clicked the quests section to see the process.

{A quest named [Gathering some stuff from the forest] has been created by the user named Sora ******* for the guild whose information is given below.

Name: Frozen Drop

Grade: D

Founder and Leader: Hermes D'abi

Quest: Accompanying and guarding the creator of the quest while obtaining certain plants and materials. The quest may entail fighting demonic bees and some other demonic creatures.

The quest will be deemed complete after all the following materials have been obtained and the creator of the quest returned safely to the town named Snowflake.

1. Frozen saffron herb (215/500)

2. Demonic bee honey (1 kilogram) ✓

3. Demonic bee pollen (20 grams) ✓

Rewards: A silver coin. Except for those mentioned, all the materials obtained during the quest will be shared equally.}

I read the quest I created, we'd share the materials including the queens' antennas when we got back to the guild. I was hoping to find a way to get antennas to make the recipe that helps the mind. Since we obtained demonic bee pollen and demonic bee honey, all we need was frozen saffron. If everything went well, we would be back in town before the sun went down.

I didn't in need of being fed anytime soon, as I fed before midnight last night. Still, It was annoying to have to carry food with me all the time. Especially when the food is human.

''It doesn't have to be human,'' The fox said. ''Other neutral life forms such as fairies, even some other demons and angels would do as well as humans.''

''Angels don't do lust,'' I said and checked the quest window.

{Frozen saffron herb (397/500)}

The fox chuckled, ''You think so. Temple and church claim that angels don't lust, what a crap. How do you think the angels fell?''

I paused, ''Are you serious?''

''Yes, I am. Seducing an angel is the succubus' ultimate task. Of course, it will take a lifetime to reach that level. You're so young for this. If you run into an angel, run as fast as you can without looking back.''

I frowned my eyebrows. Angels? Really? I shook my head and sighed. Angels aren't something I should be worrying about right now. Gather ingredients, make an aphrodisiac, and if possible sell potions to the guild. I could worry about angels later, maybe at level 99.

Then, I got a system notification out of blue.

{Honorable demons of The Snowflake Forest! Come and fight for your homeland! According to the latest intelligence we received, the northern human kingdom is preparing to wage war on Snowflake demons. To join the folds of the demons, apply to your nearest devil.}

I read the notification, then took a breath and read it again. ''There is no way I'm gonna fight in a war for the sake of demons,'' I said. ''...and a devil? You mean an arch-demon?''

''So are you on humans' side?'' The fox asked.

I shook my head as I grabbed another saffron herb and threw it into my leather bag. ''No. I don't care about the northern kingdom or Snowflake demons. Not my business,'' I said.

The fox said nothing. I assumed it was on the demons' side, but the clan I'm part of had nothing to do with de Snowflake demons as far as I know. Minutes later, the notification I was waiting for appeared.

{1. Frozen saffron herb (500) ✓

2. Demonic bee honey (1 kilogram) ✓

3. Demonic bee pollen (20 grams) ✓

All the required materials had been obtained. The quest will be deemed complete after the creator of the quest returned safely to the town named Snowflake.}

I sighed in relief. A few days more, and I could eventually get to level two. ''Hey,'' Someone said. When the blonde woman with long hair suddenly appeared in front of me, I had to try hard not to scream. ''Are we going back to town?'' Ina asked.

I nodded and headed to the others. I wasn't sure how to behave because her illusions weren't affecting me anymore, so I was imitating Xander and Casey. If I'm not mistaken we weren't far from town.

I was right. We were on the path we used to leave town after a half-hour walk and there was no way those tracks could be good news. Ina touched my shoulder, ''What is the problem? You've been looking down for minutes,'' She said.

''A really crowded group has recently passed this path. Horses, carriages, people,'' I said.

Ina and Ian looked at each other with worried eyes. Casey chuckled, ''What now? Are you a healer and a tracker at the same time?''

I looked at her indifferently. Since I fed on her yesterday, I could easily read her heart. She was underestimating the healers. She underestimating the trackers. In fact, she thought the warriors were the ones who do all the work and that the others were parasites who took advantage of them.

''I'm not a tracker, but I have some training in every subject I might need. Including tracking,'' I said.

''When did they use this path and were they heading towards town or towards the forest?'' Ina asked in a serious manner.

''Probably right after we left town. They were heading to town,'' I said. Ina and Ian looked at each other for a while.

''I will go to report,'' Ina said and Ian nodded. Ina turned and began to walk towards the forest.

''Hey, where are you he-'' Ian looked Xander in the eye and Xander stopped talking. Then he did the same thing to Casey and me. We walked in silence for a while until two soldiers stop us.

One of them was carrying a blue banner with a white snowflake on it, and both were wearing armor engraved with the same mark. I wasn't familiar with the snowflake mark but guessed it was the flag of the kingdom the town was belonged to.

''We are adventurers coming back to the guild, frozen drop,'' Casey said. They didn't let us in until one of the soldiers went to the guild and got written permission from the leader.

We saw a lot of soldiers in similar armor on the streets until we got to the guild. Since I did not know whether it was an unusual situation or an ordinary inspection, I could not say anything, and the others were walking in silence.

I paid the silver I had promised and got honey, pollen, and saffron. Finally, it was time for the sharing of other materials. ''Since I killed the queens, I will get two antennas,'' Casey said.

I gritted my teeth but said nothing. What would I say? No! I used my fancy succubus skill and enchanted the red queen? I sighed. I could later buy the antennas from the guild.

''Ian sealed the door and Xander had damaged the queens so they'll get other two antennas,'' Casey looked at my eyes, ''Any objections?''

''I think you should give one to Sora,'' Xander said. Casey turned him immediately and gave a terrible glance. Xander smiled, ''She saved my life after all.''

After a moment of awkward silence, Casey gave up, ''Whatever.''

After sharing all the other spoils, I found Hermes to make a deal with. Finally, we decided to try a few different recipes for potions and talk again later. Everything was going well.

The guild's door opened with a bang, I saw an old man in torn clothes. His hair was white and weird as if someone tore his hair off. His eyes were sunk and had purple under-eye bags. He was looking around like searching for something. Our eyes met.

''Demon!'' He cried out loud. Then, he saw Ian. ''Demons! Demons! Demons! Demons! They're everywhere! They're everywhere! They're everywhere!'' He was delirious.

He burst into laughter. His laughter continued until they turned into coughs. My brain seemed stopped to work. What should I do? Run? Hide? Deny? Kill? I turned to the door with another bang.

Cleric Roen entered the guild breathlessly and he gave a hand to the old man who had fallen to the ground from violent coughs. As he stood beside Roen, I realized that the old man's worn clothes were once a cleric robe. He looked at me.

''Demon!''

Hermes came down to the first floor to check the noise, and two soldiers entered the guild at the same time.