The herb gathering site was only a ten minutes beyond Magnolia’s gates, tucked beneath the cool embrace of a small grove where towering trees intertwined their branches overhead.
Their thick canopy softened the afternoon sunlight, scattering countless patches of emerald and gold across the forest floor.
The air was pleasantly cool, carrying the earthy scent of damp soil mixed with the faint sweetness of blooming flowers.
It didn’t take long for me to find my destination.
Nestled among the lush grass was a wide cluster of medicinal herbs, their pale blossoms gently swaying with every passing breeze.
There were far more than I had expected.
The flowers stretched across the shaded clearing in such numbers that it almost looked like someone had carefully planted them there instead of letting nature run its course.
So this is the herb from the request…
Judging by how abundant they were, not many people bothered taking this kind of job.
Most mages probably preferred quests that involved fighting monsters or showing off flashy magic.
Gathering herbs was slow, repetitive, and hardly glamorous.
Fine by me.
Less competition simply meant an easier reward.
I knelt beside the nearest patch and pulled out the small pair of shears I had brought along.
Dalia’s advice echoed clearly in my mind.
“Only cut the blossom. Never pull out the roots. Leave the stem healthy so it’ll bloom again next season.”
Following her instructions carefully, I pinched each flower between my fingers before making a clean, precise cut.
Every blossom landed gently inside my satchel without a single crushed petal.
It was meticulous work, but strangely calming.
The quiet rustling of leaves above and the occasional chirping of birds made the entire grove feel peaceful, almost isolated from the rest of the world.
Time slipped by without me noticing.
Roughly an hour later, I brushed the dirt from my knees and gave my satchel a gentle shake.
The soft weight inside told me everything I needed to know.
“That should be enough.”
I glanced around the clearing once more.
Despite filling my entire satchel, the grove was still overflowing with blossoms.
There were enough herbs left to complete several more requests without making the area look any different.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
There was no reason to be greedy.
Taking everything would only inconvenience the next person who accepted the same quest, and besides, overharvesting medicinal plants was exactly how resources disappeared.
Leaving plenty behind meant the herbs could continue growing—and other guild members would still have work waiting for them.
Satisfied, I packed away my shears before slinging the satchel over my shoulder.
Just as I was about to leave, something caught my eye.
Far deeper within the trees, hidden between the shadows, floated a faint clump of shimmering mist.
It wasn’t large—barely the size of a person—but it glimmered with an unnatural silver glow that seemed oddly out of place against the greenery surrounding it.
The mist drifted lazily in place, neither dispersing with the breeze nor spreading across the forest.
“…What is that?”
I narrowed my eyes, trying to make sense of it, but the distance made it difficult to see clearly.
Curiosity tempted me to investigate.
Still I had no idea what it was.
Charging toward unknown phenomena was exactly the kind of mistake inexperienced adventurers made.
There was no need to satisfy my curiosity today.
“I’ll ask Dalia about it later.”
Memorizing its rough location, I turned away and continued toward the path leading back to Magnolia.
Not long after, another detail caught my attention.
Movement.
Several gray wolves wandered between the trees in the distance, their sharp eyes scanning the underbrush as they prowled through the forest.
Just as Dalia had warned.
Except…
“There are more than I expected.”
Even from this far away, I could count several small packs moving independently of one another.
And it was still relatively early in the day.
Wolves usually became more active closer to dusk, yet these ones were already roaming in unusual numbers.
Whether their population had grown unexpectedly or something deeper within the forest had driven them outward, I couldn’t tell.
Neither possibility was particularly comforting.
For a brief moment, I considered following them to investigate.
Then I shook my head. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Not today.
I wasn’t here to hunt monsters or unravel mysteries.
My quest was already complete, and there was no point creating unnecessary trouble for myself.
If something truly was disturbing the forest, the guild would hear about it soon enough.
With one last glance toward the restless wolves and the mysterious patch of shimmering mist hidden among the trees, I adjusted my satchel and quietly made my way back toward Fairy Tail, the peaceful forest gradually disappearing behind me with every step.
The moment I finished gathering the required Dewbell Flowers, I made my way back to the quest’s client, a modest local pharmacy nestled along one of Magnolia’s quieter streets.
The shop wasn’t particularly large, but the sweet fragrance of dried herbs and medicinal plants greeted me the instant I stepped inside.
Shelves lined every wall, filled with neatly labeled bottles, powders, and bundles of hanging herbs swaying gently in the breeze drifting through the open windows.
It was the kind of place that had served the town for decades.
The Dewbell Flower was one of their most frequently requested ingredients.
While its medicinal properties were rather limited compared to rarer herbs, it was an indispensable component in brewing common healing potions used by mages and ordinary citizens alike.
Because of its abundance, pharmacies constantly needed fresh supplies.
Unfortunately, nature rarely made things convenient.
Where Dewbell Flowers bloomed, Grey Wolves often claimed the surrounding territory as their hunting grounds.
The flowers themselves weren’t difficult to harvest.
The real challenge was returning with them in one piece.
That was why requests like this regularly appeared on Fairy Tail’s quest board despite the herb itself being so common.
The pharmacist carefully inspected every flower I had gathered, checking the freshness of the petals and whether the stems had been damaged during transport.
“…Excellent quality,” the elderly pharmacist murmured with an approving nod.
Following Dalia’s advice, I had stored the flowers carefully instead of stuffing them carelessly into my bag.
Even something as simple as preserving herbs properly could increase their value.
Only now did I realize just how right she had been.
After the inspection, I became familiar with the standard procedure every mage went through.
The client signed the completion form, confirmed that the requested materials had been delivered, and finalized the paperwork before handing over the reward.
The entire process was surprisingly straightforward.
“For the completed request… ten thousand Jewel.”
The old pharmacist counted the bills before pausing for a brief moment.
“…And an additional one thousand for bringing them in such fine condition.”
I blinked in surprise before accepting the extra payment with both hands.
“So quality really does matter…”
A small smile found its way onto my face.
Dalia’s advice hadn’t simply earned me praise.
it had literally earned me money.
“I’ll be sure to remember that.”
After thanking everyone inside the pharmacy, I tucked the signed completion form safely into my satchel before making my way back toward Fairy Tail.
The afternoon streets of Magnolia were as lively as ever, filled with merchants advertising their goods, children chasing each other across the roads, and travelers passing through the city.
Yet, as I approached the familiar guild building, another sound gradually drowned everything else out.
CRASH!
“Oi! That’s cheating!”
“You call that a punch?!”
“Hahaha! Hit him again!”
The uproar echoed through the thick wooden walls so loudly that it spilled onto the street despite the guild’s massive entrance remaining firmly shut.
I stopped a few steps from the front door.
“…Still as rowdy as ever.”
Taking a slow breath, I mentally prepared myself.
“…Here goes.”
The moment I pushed open the doors—A chair flew past my face.
Someone crashed through a nearby table.
Another mage was laughing hysterically while trying to wrestle someone twice his size.
“…”
“…I almost forgot. This place is complete chaos.”
The familiar atmosphere of Fairy Tail welcomed me exactly as expected.
Rather than getting involved, I slipped between arguing mages with practiced footwork, narrowly avoiding an incoming mug that shattered against the floor behind me.
A few guild members noticed me.
“Hey! The rookie’s back!”
“Finished already?”
The longer anyone stayed in one place around here, the greater the chance of accidentally becoming part of whatever fight happened to be nearby.
Honestly…
It was ridiculous.
…But strangely enough, I found myself smiling.
There was something comforting about this madness.
Eventually, I reached the guild’s bar unscathed a feat I considered worthy of its own achievement.
Master Makarov sat comfortably on one of the stools with a mug of beer in hand, chatting with Dalia behind the counter as though the battlefield erupting around them wasn’t happening at all.
I gave Dalia a respectful nod.
“Thanks for the advice earlier.”
She simply shrugged.
“It was nothing,” she replied with an amused smile.
“Though I have to say… it’s refreshing to see someone who actually has enough common sense not to destroy the herbs they’re supposed to gather.”
Master Makarov let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! She’s got a point! Half the idiots in this guild bring back ingredients looking like they fought the forest instead of harvesting it.”
I couldn’t help scratching my cheek awkwardly.
“…That sounds about right.”
The guild master took another sip from his mug before looking at me.
“So then how was your first quest?”
“It was easier than I expected,” I answered honestly.
“Nothing dangerous happened, but I learned quite a bit. It wasn’t just about gathering herbs. There were things I hadn’t considered before how to preserve them, how clients inspect the quality, and even how the completion process works.”
Then my expression grew slightly more serious.
“Though… there was one thing.”
I explained what I had noticed deep within the forest—the unusual signs that hadn’t matched what I’d expected from a simple herb-gathering area.
The traces left behind, the atmosphere, and the subtle feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
The laughter around us faded from my mind as Master Makarov listened without interrupting.
By the time I finished, he rested his mug on the counter and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“…I see.”
His cheerful expression disappeared for only a brief moment.
“I’ll send a few mages to investigate.”
He looked at me and nodded.
“Good work noticing it… and even better that you reported it instead of ignoring it.”
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Knowing the guild would look into it was reassuring.
If there really was something dangerous hiding in that forest, better to deal with it before someone weaker accepted the same request.
With that settled, another thought immediately crossed my mind.
“Master.”
“Hm?”
“…Since I finished early can I take another quest today?”
A grin spread across Makarov’s face.
“Hahaha! Eager, aren’t you?”
He pointed toward the large request board standing near the center of the guild hall.
“You’ve earned that much. This time, go pick one yourself. But before you head out, bring it to me first. I’ll approve it. I want to make sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew.”
I nodded immediately.
“Understood.”
With permission granted, I turned my gaze toward the massive quest board covered with dozens of requests.
.
.
.
.
<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>