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“So, something must be done about those two Gryps, or whatever they are?” I asked.
“It is advised that you do not enter the southern forest until they are dealt with,” the receptionist said.
“Advised… Like last time, then?”

I asked with a slight chuckle, and the receptionist looked at me with an uncomfortable smile.

The Collegium was noisy today as well. It was significantly busier compared to when the dead Crazed Bear was announced. However, this involved Gryps, Upper B Grade monsters after all—and two of them to boot.

If safety was a priority, then at least two B Grade parties would need to be dispatched.

According to additional information, it was currently the period during which the Gryps raised their young. One of the Gryps had already lost its eyes, and given that it was the parenting season, the remaining Gryps was likely to become even more aggressive.

However, the one that had lost its sight would be easier to handle.

“So you did end up asking the two I recommended for help, right? I think it’s fine to call them again. Besides, it’s not like I know the area, and I can only use a bow,” I said.
“We’ve already talked with them. Unfortunately, there is only one B Grade Team at the Collegium right now. As such, we’ve been forced to ask C Grade and below adventurers for help.”
“That being said, I still find it strange that you’d ask an F Grade for help.”

Although I would likely be classified as an E Grade based solely on my skills, I still thought it was better to ask D Grade and C Grade for this.

“I figured…”
“There should be D and C Grade adventurers, no?”

Although it wasn’t enough to make a huge change, there were still a ton of people gathered at the Collegium. It wasn’t like there weren’t any adventurers here.

Despite this, the receptionist had a concerned look on her face.

“There aren’t many people who can fight from a distance. The plan this time is for the Collegium to lead the attack on the Gryps. Our strategy is to first have some ranged attackers strike and defeat one of the Gryps before they catch on to us. After this, the B Grade party will go in and fight the remaining Gryps.”
“And what do you plan to do if they notice us before we can attack?”
“We’ll have Duchesse and the B Grade party hold off one of them.”

In the end, it was clear that they were planning on using the strength of the B Grade party to defeat one of the Gryps.

Although I didn’t have a clear grasp of a Gryps’ strength, I found it unlikely that a group formed from C Grade and below adventurers would be able to take it down with ranged attacks.

I was sure that the only reason my arrow had gone through was that I’d shot it in the wing.

Though given that we’d be fighting from a distance, I figured that if I participated as the E Grade Finis, then I wouldn’t stand out at all.

“What’s the reward? Also, what happens if we fail?”
“First of all, this request will be treated as a Special Request, meaning it won’t require a deposit. Additionally, there won’t be any penalty for adventurers ranked D Grade or lower. The rewards will be based on a set amount for defeating the Gryps plus the purchase price of the materials, which will be allocated based on your status. I am unable to give you a clear estimate, however, I can confidently say that in your case, Finis, you will receive a reward equal to the highest paid E Grade requests.”
“Will the killing blow be taken into account?”
“No. We’d be playing favorites in that case.”

I could get behind this. Given that I only had to hit, it meant that my achievements would be proportional to my status.

When it came to the weapon, the performance of one’s bow was also a big factor, but the type of bow that one could use still depended on one’s status.

If one were to ask me just how powerful my bow was, then I honestly wouldn’t be able to say. Though I was sure that it was strong enough to fight a Gryps.

“Do you have enough people to defeat the Gryps?”
“The Collegium has decided that we have just about enough to defeat them. I believe that you’ve been asked to speak with us, Lady Finis so that we can further remove any uncertainties that might come.”
“I see… I’m not planning to throw my life away.”
“I am aware.”
“You do know that if I accept this, and for some reason we don’t end up killing the Gryps, I’ll be in for a world of trouble, right?”
“I do…”

Given that the B Grade party would only be able to take care of one of the Gryps, this meant that if the ranged group was attacked, I would likely be the first one to be targeted as I only had the status of an E Grade.

Though that was just what I showed.

“I’ll participate if you accept my conditions.”
“Really?!”
“My conditions are…”

And that is how I became part of the Gryps subjugation request.

◇◇◇

The Gryps subjugation request took place the following day to get this matter finished as soon as possible.

The group included the B Grade party and the Collegium Duchesse. Additionally, there were over twenty other people with bows and staves. There were a huge number of people for an adventurer party.

The two members of the Neutral Team were also part of this group and when Fumitsuki saw me, she bowed slightly.

Given that we were about to go and defeat the Gryps, tension was high, and it was difficult to strike up a conversation. As such, I too returned her gesture and proceeded to the edge of the group to not stand out.

Following that, the Collegium Duchesse greeted us and recounted what we had been told by the receptionists yesterday. After which we entered the forest.

From here on out, I could move freely. The condition that I’d put up for accepting the request was that I would follow the group while laying as low as possible. I’d done this so that I would be able to observe my surroundings as much as possible and escape if we weren’t able to defeat the Gryps.

This was also why they wouldn’t be able to tell me anything even if they didn’t see me during the mission. The setting of me having lived and hunted in the forest my whole life finally came into being.

I was Finis, 14 years old. This introduction of mine finally had a meaning. It finally had a purpose!

With that said, I continued my observations on the surroundings. While doing so, I noticed that the ranged group had a lot of women. Though they amounted to about half of the whole group.

The group was mostly composed of Archers and Wizards, and there didn’t seem to be any people holding guns. For the last one, the question would first be if there were even guns to begin with.

The Neutral Team knew where we were headed, so they led the way at the front of the group. They talked normally even with the B Grade adventurers, and I was surprised at how good Fujiwara was at communicating.

Compared to him, Fumitsuki, who sometimes panicked when spoken to, was simply watching quietly.

Because there were so many of us, it took some time for us to arrive at the place where the Crazed Bear had been killed. Luckily, the group took care of any monsters that appeared quite quickly, so none were exhausted.

It was at this point that Fumitsuki and Fujiwara went deeper into the forest to check out how things were going. Meanwhile, the rest of us were taking a break while listening to the Collegium Duchesse’s explanations.

He explained that we would move differently depending on whether there was one or two Gryps. Furthermore, he also warned us to be careful when moving through the forest.

If there was only one Gryps, the B Grades would draw its attention and we’d all attack it when it came close. If there were two, the B Grades would take care of the one with the wounded eyes, while the Collegium Duchesse would lure the other away.

Lastly, it would be the Collegium Duchesse who would signal when to launch our attack.

Just as everyone had taken some time to rest, Fujiwara and Fumitsuki came back.