ALL NOVEL Chapter 4: There is Always a Catch
I looked around and frowned. There wasn't a clean place to set my printer down.
"You can just put it in your inventory for now!"
I flinched at hearing the annoying old man's voice, I turned around slowly with an annoyed look.
"Where can I plug this in?" I asked with indifference, and Garland laughed at me.
As he did, a screen popped up.
[Welcome to Garlandia!]
[Would you like to activate your new Enchanted Printer?]
[Yes/No?]
Ignoring the grinning god, I selected yes.
[Great! Please complete these five quests!]
[1. Run from 10 monster - 100 exp reward]
[2. Gather 20 enchanted herbs - 150 exp reward]
[3. Help a local blacksmith repair his enchanted forge - 200 exp reward]
[4. Defeat the mini-boss in the Crystal Cavern - 300 exp reward]
[5. Break the Demon's grip in the local town- 500 exp reward]
I closed the stupid screen and focused on the god with an annoyed look.
"What is this bullshit?" I demanded, but Garland just burst out laughing.
"Do you think I was going to just let you laze around?!" Garland laughed, and I narrowed my eyes.
"What about our contract? This is breaking it right off the start? Was that winged girl lying to me?" I asked, feeling overly annoyed.
"No, I will give you my servant to use as your guild. You will still get to do what you want, but you need to do at least this much to activate your special ability. It's not like I make the rules or anything," Garland explained, and then waved, making the purple-haired girl with wings appear out of thin air.
While this god seemed like an idiot, it was hard to deny his power. This was still silly, and it felt like he was meddling again. One positive thing was that this system thing should make working with my printer easier, but what was with these starter missions?
"Alright! See you later!" Garland called and then disappeared.
"Useless God!" I growled, and the winged woman nodded, making me frown. "You think so too?"
Suddenly she got all out of sorts, waving her hands in front of her. " No, No, No! Garland is a great God!" She exclaimed in a panic.
My frown deepened, but I didn't say anything while I put my hand on my chin. I had clearly seen her nod. This panic meant that Grampa Lite Bright probably could hear if anyone talked shit, but he couldn't see it directly. I couldn't confirm it yet, but it was food for thought.
"So," I said, and the woman flinched, and I sighed. "What are you supposed to help me with, and what is your name?"
The winged woman seemed relieved that I didn't press the issue about Garland, and she introduced herself. "I am Shellimiara, a servant of Garland. I am here to assist you in navigating this world and fulfilling your quests."
"Right," I muttered, still not entirely trusting the situation, or that ridiculous name. "Well, I've got a printer to set up. Can you lead me to a place where I can get some work done?"
"But what about your missions? How are you going to make it work?" She asked, and I shrugged, getting tired of holding the printer.
"How do I use my inventory?" I asked, and she blinked at me. "Sorry for switching subjects, but I have been holding this for a while."
Shellimiara hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand, and a small menu popped up in front of her.
[Inventory]
She selected the option, and suddenly, my hands were free. The printer was now stored in my inventory, a space I couldn't see but apparently existed.
"Neat trick. Now, lead the way to a place where I can set this up," I said, gesturing for her to guide me.
Shellimiara nodded, and we began to walk through the vibrant landscape of Garlandia. As we strolled through the floating islands and mystical landscapes, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this world. Despite the absurd circumstances, there was a certain charm to it.
After a short walk, we arrived at a quaint town nestled on one of the floating islands. The buildings were made of enchanted materials, and the townsfolk seemed to go about their daily lives, albeit with an air of caution due to the ongoing threats.
Shellimiara led me to a cozy workshop with a sign that read "Enchanting and Crafting Hub." Inside, a friendly-looking blacksmith was working on various enchanted items.
"This is the place. The blacksmith here is skilled and should have what you need to set up your printer," Shellimiara explained.
"Thanks, Shellimiara. You've been surprisingly helpful," I said, genuinely appreciating her assistance.
She blushed a little and nodded. "It's my duty to assist the chosen hero. If you need anything else, feel free to ask."
With that, I entered the workshop and approached the blacksmith, who looked up with a friendly smile.
"Welcome! What can I do for you, traveler?" The blacksmith asked.
"I need a stable surface to set up my 3D printer. It's a special enchanted one," I explained.
The blacksmith's eyes lit up with curiosity. "An enchanted printer? I don't know what that is, but I can sell you a surface!" The blacksmith laughed, and I turned to Shellimiara, extending my hand.
She just shook her head, and I sighed, grabbing her hand. "We will be back," I said and dragged her out of the shop.
Once outside, I let go of Shellimiara and then turned to her. "How do we get money?"
"You work?" She replied, and I groaned, putting a hand to my face.
I had what I wanted in my hands, but things kept getting in my way. This was becoming as annoying as I imagined it would be.
"Fine, where can I go to get work?" I asked, lowering my hand to see a bright look on Shellimiara's face.
"You can ask the blacksmith and you can complete that mission!" She declared, and my hand went back to my face. I kept getting set up.
"Fine, let's go back inside, but you do the talking. I am not really a people person," I said, but the winged woman shook her purple hair.
"That isn't true! You are good at talking to people!" Shellimiara exclaimed, and I scratched the back of my head.
"Fine. I want you to talk to them so I can get a feeling for conversation in this world. I don't want to have awkward conversations," I explained, and Shellimiara's eyes went big in surprise.
"Oh, I see. I can help with that!" Shellimiara said with a smile, and we headed back into the enchanting and crafting hub.
The blacksmith looked up as we entered, and Shellimiara stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir. My companion here is a skilled fighter, and he's looking for some work. Do you have any tasks that need completing?"
What the hell was wrong with this woman?! I wasn't a fighter! I had never wielded a weapon!
The blacksmith raised an eyebrow, looking me up and down. "A skilled fighter, eh? Well, I do have a task. I have a special order that needs to be finished but I need some special material from a pretty strong monster in the Crystal Cavern."
My eye started to twitch, but Shellimiara continued with a smile, "Perfect! We'll take care of that for you. What's the reward for completing the task?"
The blacksmith thought for a moment before responding, "How about 200 gold coins and a discount on any enchanting services you might need in the future?"
I raised an eyebrow at the mention of gold coins, but I figured that was the currency in this world. "Deal. We'll get that material for you," I said, still somewhat uneasy with the idea of being labeled a fighter.
"Great! The Crystal Cavern is to the east of the town. Be careful, though; the monsters in there can be quite formidable," the blacksmith warned.
I nodded, and with Shellimiara in tow, we left the shop. Once we did, I pulled her into an ally, pushing her against the wall. "What the hell is your problem?! Do I look like a fighter?!" I demanded but then stopped in shock.
The girl's face was incredibly red, and it caught me off guard.
"I am sorry for everything, but I have to do this so I don't get in trouble... you can use my body... as payment for my betrayal..."
I let out a long sigh, and let my arms fall. What kind of messed up world had I been dropped into? The stupid god probably put her up to it like some tool.
"While the offer is tempting, I don't really have any interest in people who just blindly follow someone else's orders," I sighed, but the girl almost looked disappointed.
She was pretty cute, but I had to steel myself. Shellimiara could definitely be potential harem-member material, but she was linked to the idiot god that got me in this mess. She also had to guide me into these missions, but I wasn't sure if she was being forced into it for sure.