(Book 1 Complete!) Side Quest [Isekai / LitRPG]

"Don't mind if I do," said a chipper Logan, plucking the unbudded tuft of a flower.

With the final chicken secure, he was still riding the high of his level increase and had stopped to smell the proverbial roses. Although in this case, they weren't roses, but a plant called Luminthistle.

Name: Luminthistle
Type: Ingredient
Lore: Luminthistle is the primary element in poultices that alleviate inflammation. Once it blooms, its nectar oxidizes and loses its medicinal benefits, although the aroma relieves stress.

The stress relief part was working wonders, but the real reason the plant caught Logan's interest was its name. He remembered seeing a bounty for some of the unbloomed flower heads put out at the apothecary shop. If he could finish one quest, why not another?

So, with his trusty chicken under hand, he sauntered along, stopping to gather as many as he could. His pockets were full, but he had extra space with his prowler-skin ammo pouch. By the time he reached the gate, he was pretty sure he had more than the contract had required. The chicken, though, was getting antsy, so he decided to make the chicken coop his first stop, even though he had to pass the apothecary to get to it.

On his way, he sighed when he saw the purple-eyed fairy. She approached him.

"Ah, Logan. My name is Vellia. I wanted to introduce myself the other day, but everything happened in a rush."

"No worries," Logan said, and tried to go around her. Whether or not she was involved with the monster breach, she was currently acting as Captain Dalia Krett's lackey to nudge him into the guild.

"I tried to say hi earlier, too, but it seemed you were in a rush to leave the palisade wall. May I ask what demanded such a rush?" She glanced down to the chicken, then to the hill where the chicken had been under siege. "If you need help from the guild, I can certainly arrange it."

"Nah, I'm fine. I just wanted to get out and about."

"Well, I'm sure you can handle yourself out there. You have defeated a—" She cut herself off, glancing at passersby. "That is, you have proven yourself at the archery range."

Logan tipped his head in acknowledgment and forced a smile as he sidestepped the fairy to get to the coop.

She followed alongside him, scuttling to keep stride and lifting a timid hand. "The guild here is growing, and the bureau has considered our request for trainers. Some focus in magic, others in combat. Perhaps if you're interested and had a specialized focus you wanted to target, we could accommodate."

"Thanks, I'll think about it. But you'll have to excuse me." Logan lifted the chicken, which had started to peck at the clinking claws hanging from the back of his hands. "Someone seems a little restless here."

Vellia nodded reluctantly as Logan departed, and out of the corner of his eye, Logan noticed Jorek watching them while apparently purchasing produce. Logan wasn't falling for his nonchalant browsing.

At the coop, Liorna greeted Logan with relieved gratitude.

"Oh, Logan, thank you so much! I saw you delivered my little Georgie and Jude last night. That must have been after I left for the evening."

"Yeah, no problem." She moved to the side as Logan set the chicken down and nudged it into the shelter. Somebody hunched over a bin, gathering eggs. "Thanks for leaving the hatch into the yard open for me."

Liorna's smile turned into a puzzled frown. "Oh, no, did I leave it open? I could've sworn I closed it… Ooh, that's right. I meant to bring in the feed bag. Silly me." She laughed lightly. "That doesn't happen very often."

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Her helper laughed in amusement and Liorna shot a playfully reproachful glare at her. Then she grimaced. "Oh, I don't think I even brought the feed bag in." Her smile entered her voice. "Er, Razor? Would you mind?"

The woman chuckled and lifted a hand, accepting the task and ducking out back. Meanwhile, the eighth chicken rejoined its companions, and Logan's quest tracker ticked up. A satisfying sense of accomplishment warmed Logan's chest as Liorna reached into a satchel and retrieved a small coinpouch.

Quest complete!
Retrieve the chickens (8/8)
Reward: 80 copper coins

Error. Contract is allotted for Adventurers' Guild members.
Reward undeliverable.

Liorna's face went blank as she stared into the distance, likely seeing the same error message. When her focus returned, she looked mortified.

"Wait... Are you not an adventurer?"

"No," Logan answered, eyeing the coins in her hand. He needed pants, and yet another new shirt. "Is that a problem?"

Her shoulders slumped, and her partially outstretched hand with the coinpouch wavered. "It's just... these funds are specifically set aside for guild contracts. I'm so sorry—I didn't realize!" She faltered before returning the coin to her satchel. "I'm still learning the rules, and now I've messed it up."

Logan let out a single chuckle, then another and another that quickly multiplied until he was cracking up. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes. "Well, isn't that something?"

Liorna wrung her hands. "I'm so sorry."

Logan's hysterics quelled. He wiped a tear between the dying laughter and slightly sobered upon seeing her distress. "No, no, don't worry. It's not your fault." Well, it kind of was, but she looked genuinely apologetic and Logan pitied her.

"But you deserve this payment. Maybe I can file—"

"Honestly, it's fine." He smiled. Despite the loss of payment, he felt proud. "I'm just happy I finished something. I've never been great at that before." He paused, glancing at her torn expression. "I picked up some Luminthistle buds and I know the apothecary was looking for some. I'll try selling them there. And I'll do it without turning it into a quest contract."

"Well, I still owe you."

Logan shrugged. "I'm not worried about it."

"But I am!" she said, pacing a small circle. "Maybe I could split the payment in... no, no, I can't do that. They audit the books, and it would look bad." She stopped, snapping her fingers. "Oh, wait! How about a free dozen eggs?" She paused, then shook her head. "No, the merchants would be furious. Ugh, I already owe them for that mess little Leila left in their storage bins."

Logan raised a brow, watching her flustered deliberation. Sheesh, she's really taking this hard.

"Maybe..." Her voice trailed off, and she glanced out the hatch to where her helper dragged the feed bag along the ground. "I could offer some feed for your next quest? No, that wouldn't be very useful to you."

She rubbed her temple and sighed, deflating as she looked up at Logan with a sorry smile. "I wish I could do more, but—" She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze snapping toward the back of the coop.

"Well," she intoned, a note of hesitation creeping into her voice, "there is... one thing."

Logan followed her line of sight to a black egg tucked into the hay of a small nesting box. It shimmered with a faint glow.

"I've been trying to get rid of that thing for months," Liorna admitted, folding her arms as she led Logan to it. "It doesn't hatch, it doesn't break, and it just... shows up again whenever I try to toss it." She hesitated, glancing at him. "I don't know if it's really worth anything. And really, you would be doing me another favor by taking it." She shook her head, at a loss. "It's not much of a reward, is it?"

Logan tilted his head, examining the egg with growing curiosity.

Name: Egg
Type: Egg
Lore: Just a regular, unnoteworthy egg.

Yeah right, System, like I'm really gonna believe that description. A strange, indestructible egg that returned to its owner sounded like it was worth plenty. He might not even sell it. Perhaps it could prove useful.

"I'll take it," Logan said, reassuring Liorna with a smile.

Liorna looked like a substantial burden had been lifted off her shoulders as she picked the egg up and placed it Logan's hands.

The egg was cool to the touch and impossibly smooth, like polished marble left outside overnight. Yet beneath its surface, a subtle thrum pulsed against his palm, as if it were breathing.

As soon as the exchange happened, a message appeared.

Quest activated!
By accepting the last dragon egg, you have begun the Champion's task of saving dragonkind! Think it'll ever hatch? Hm. Only one way to find out.
Accept?
YES/YES

Liorna's attendant walked in at that moment, holding the heavy bag of feed in her arms. She dropped it, and it spilled over the entire floor, causing chickens to run over and peck at the surprise buffet.

Logan tore his eyes from the inescapable quest at the distraction.

His heart dropped when he saw the helper's face. It was the Level 19 dragon lady.

And she did not look happy.