"The giant toad hunting quest or the goblin hunting one?" Dust asked. A day had passed, and they were all gathered near the quest board, looking over what was available.
"We could just go to a small village ten miles north to purify some undead that are tormenting the place," Aqua frowned, pointing at the quest with her finger.
"Hunting Kobolds would be fine too; after all, they pay 10 grand a pop," Inox added.
"How about that elite goblin quest? Hehehe, just leave me in the front while you guys run away... I mean, kill them all," a particularly seductive voice sounded near them.
"Yeah, that elite goblin quest seems fine, if we let..." Dust stopped mid-sentence. "What the hell?" He quickly turned to see the owner of the voice.
Darkness, dressed entirely in her paladin armor, was standing close to Inox—almost too close—checking the quest board as if she were already part of the group.
"Uhh, hello?!" The paladin scratched her head when the others turned to look at her. "Hehehe, let me introduce myself. I'm Darkness, and from now on, your party's new tank. Is everyone alright?"
"..."
Dust couldn't help but crack a smile after the lady's bold words. He observed her figure, elegant and seductive at the same time, taking in her flawless, somewhat regal face before clenching his fists.
Aqua, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. She looked the girl up and down, her eyes narrowing specifically at those enormous breasts. Then she looked down at her own, comparing them. She stomped her foot lightly and tilted her head.
Kazuma, meanwhile, startled by Darkness's beauty, lowered his head slightly, hiding behind Aqua.
Inox was the least surprised; he raised his hand in greeting.
"Inox, hmph, it's been a while since you gave me... that..." Darkness lowered her head, blushing. She hugged herself slightly while tracing circles on the floor with her right foot.
"You!!" Dust whipped his head around so fast his neck should have snapped. His previously visible smile grew even wider. "That's definitely my boy, holy shit!!" he thought to himself, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
"What the hell?" Aqua spun around quickly, grabbing Inox by his right ear before raising her voice. "Did you pat her on the head too?!!! You womanizing pervert!!!"
There was a moment of silence following Aqua's outburst before everyone, except Darkness and Aqua burst into roaring laughter.
A moment later, it was clarified that Inox had simply sold Darkness the Grade-1 tomatoes he had grown. Some of the blonde's party members who bought the tomatoes had done so entirely with the intention of flirting with her, making things incredibly awkward a few hours later.
Darkness ended up ditching that party after a guy demanded she at least give him a kiss on the cheek, justifying it by saying he'd spent 10,000 Eris on a single tomato.
Inox shook his head upon realizing this, and she quickly joined the group with Dust's stamp of approval, who kept proudly nudging Inox.
"Obviously. Plus, she's exactly what you need to keep that from happening again. She's a paladin, so she can protect you from certain enemies," Dust assured him in a low voice, clearly not buying his friend's explanation that Darkness was just an acquaintance.
Ultimately, they took the Elite Goblin hunting quest Darkness had proposed. After all, with her joining and the spear skills of the Dragon Knight Rein Shaker, now going by Dust, it shouldn't be too complicated.
The party, now five members strong, was walking across a green plain, just about to enter the forest surrounding Axel.
"By the way, Inox, where do those tomatoes come from?" Darkness broke the group's silence, glancing slightly at the man to her right with shining eyes.
Dust perked up his ears. He had eaten a half-ripe tomato that Inox grew, and although he didn't receive any boost to his physical strength or agility, the taste was simply unforgettable.
"Actually, I'm a divine farmer. Everything I harvest is, of course, delicious..." the prince stated with an authoritative tone. Off to the side, Aqua pressed a finger to her lips, remembering how those two potted carrots had caught her eye.
She remembered the soft texture, the feeling of touching that large, thick carrot. Even with a bit of dirt on its surface, she couldn't resist taking a bite; what followed was an absolute party in her mouth.
After that, she had also felt an increase in her strength and agility. However, these details were completely irrelevant to Aqua's mind; she simply remembered the taste and texture of those vegetables as a little drool escaped her red lips.
Before Inox could continue bragging about his vegetable-growing exploits, the roars of beasts echoed in the distance.
They had entered the forest a while ago and had been chatting casually; the scream alerted them to the danger, snapping them back to reality.
"Darkness in the front, I'll be right behind you. Kazuma, Aqua, and Inox, form a triangle formation behind me!" Dust barked concise orders.
"Ggrraaaggg!!!" The roar of a beast sounded a few dozen meters ahead of Darkness. The forest foliage and the trees made it impossible for her to see more than a few feet in front of her, so she held her ground, sword drawn at the ready.
"Just leave me at the front, I can tank all by myself..." Darkness sported a glowing smile across her entirely flushed face.
The ground vibrated beneath them, signaling one or more beasts approaching. A moment later, the trees in front of the paladin crashed down beneath a beast's heavy stomp.
"Three-eyed Woolly Mammoth!!!" Dust yelled. He had heard tales of this beast back in the kingdom, a giant animal species whose fur acted as armor, possessing devastating strength.
Atop the woolly mammoth sat a green-skinned humanoid in warrior garments, gripping ropes wrapped around the mammoth's trunk.
The mammoth reared back on its front legs before letting out a mighty roar.
"Gyaa!!! Outsiders, you have entered the territory of Lord Karmac! Retreat now, or face the consequences!!" the elite goblin atop the mammoth shouted in a deep, authoritative voice.
There was a brief moment of silence among the group. The adventurers' faces reflected complex expressions of astonishment and doubt.
"Aren't goblins supposed to be savage creatures that even eat their own kind?" Darkness took a step back as she wondered aloud.
Dust, however, took a step forward, his eyes gleaming as they caught the sunlight.
Inox, on the other hand, held the sword and shield he had bought and took a battle stance. He could sense more elite goblins surrounding them, hidden in the foliage.
"Who the hell is Lord Karmac?!!" Dust demanded, his tone reflecting his rising emotions.
"Tsk!! Ignorant creatures!! Lord Karmac is the master of the Beast Forest! Retreat now, or we will turn you into slaves!!!" the elite goblin roared.
Aqua turned her head to look at the elite goblin, tightened her grip on her staff, and with a slight smirk, couldn't help but comment, "Look, Kazuma, that green beast looks just like you, hahaha."