Combat Cat Maid !! Nicole

Chapter 12: Deal for a quest

The next day, I hurried over to the guild early in the morning, to receive a new request.

I wanted to find a good job, so it was earlier than usual.

If possible, a subjugation quest would be good, so I can practice magic.

It would be even better if it was wolves.

I was hurrying to the guild early in the morning to get that kind of request.

As I was walking, while relaxing and viewing the city, a voice called out from behind.

"Big Sis Nicole, good morning."

"Good morning, Marie. Are you going to the guild?"

"Yes, that’s right. Are you going too, Big Sis Nicole?"

"Well, yeah, I wanted to get a good job."

"I see, please be careful to not get injured."

"You do well at your job too."

"Yes."

Marie grabbed my Cat gloves hand while smiling.

I clenched her hand back without hesitation

Marie’s smile bloomed even more.

If I had a younger sister, I would want one like her. The guild came into view as I walked and smiled with Marie.

"Well then, I am going now."

"Have a nice day!"

I sent Marie off and entered the guild.

There was a crowd before the board… I was too late.

People began to notice me, but no one called out to me.

Just as I thought this, a voice called out to me.

"You are the woman who defeated Kurt?"

A male adventurer asked me. He looked maybe three or four years older than me.

"…Kurt?"

I tilted my head.

I don’t remember that name.

"Who?"

I asked because I couldn’t remember.

"That would be you. The one wearing weird Maid clothes, Cat designed gloves on her hands and tail. The woman who dresses like a joke."

Indeed, if you looked around the world, I was probably the only person wearing an outfit like this. But in the fantasy world maid does exist.

"Kurt, huh. I don’t know that person, but I think that the woman in Maid clothes maybe me."

"Because of you, Kurt is…he is hurt and unable to work."

"Oh, is he one of the adventurers I fought before?"

That was the only thing that I could think of.

"That’s right."

Ah, I remember. The man who wanted to mess with me had a name like that. However, there is no reason to complain to me. I should call the Guild Master. He promised me that he would take care of stuff like this.

"That fellow, Kurt, wanted a fight. I won and thus he got injured. I’m not in the wrong. Also, that goblin didn’t get injured to the extent that he should be making so much noise."

"You, don’t treat Kurt as a goblin!"

"He has no courtesy, acts with bravado in front of a weak opponent, say big words, but can’t do anything without a crowd behind his back. No matter how you look at it, he is a goblin."

"Don’t joke around!"

So noisy.

I can hear you even if you don’t shout so loudly.

"Are you a goblin that doesn’t understand speech? This matter should already be settled, with it being his fault."

"There’s no way Kurt would lose to someone like you!"

"Stop sulking. I heard Guild Master’s explanation. She’s not at fault."

A blond woman in her twenties walked up to me and the man.

She was quite a beautiful and slender woman.

"But, we can’t complete the request because of this fellow!"

"Even so, you must understand that she’s not at fault. Gill, why don’t you say something?"

The woman talked to the huge man that was next to her.

He was a muscleman on the same level as the Guild Master.

"Kurt is in the wrong."

"What? You are also taking this weird woman’s side?"

"After I heard the story, it was clear that Kurt was at fault."

"Do we have to give up just because of that?"

I wonder if he’s that badly injured?

Certainly, I used a high number of Mega punches on his face.

"Kurt is at fault, so there’s no helping it."

"That’s right. His Guild Card was nearly taken away from him, after all."

"That was because of this fellow!"

"Umm, you are talking amongst yourselves. Can I also say something?"

"Ah, I’m sorry. Lanz is just angry because Kurt can’t take any requests, due to his injury."

"Even so, there’s no need to complain to me about it."

"I know that, but…"

"Isn’t it alright to take the request without Kurt?"

"Well, we already received it."

"If we cancel the request, it will count as a failure!"

A failure was recorded forever on the Guild Card. They wanted to avoid failures as much as possible.

Even so, it’s troubling when you come to me just because of that. Goblin started the fight, so I’m not at fault.

"Should we just give up?"

"But completing that quest will push our rank up even further!"

"I heard some adventurers are quarreling with Nicole, and it turns out that it’s you guys."

"Guild Master!"

The Kurt guy came over.

It seems like the receptionist called him.

"I already told you that Kurt’s case isn’t Nicole’s fault."

"But, because of this fellow, we can’t complete the request anymore."

"That’s your responsibility. Kurt challenged this fellow and lost. You guys left Kurt alone without supervision, so you are at fault. You guys know that Kurt is quick to get into fights."

"I know that but…"

"Then, there is a good method."

"What? Canceling the request without marking it as a failure?"

"That is impossible. Once a request is taken, it can’t be canceled without paying a penalty. Canceling is treated as a failure."

"Then, what is this good method?"

"Just take Nicole with you. I know for a fact that she is way stronger than Kurt."

"Hey, what are you doing, deciding by yourself."

"It’s simple. You should take Nicole, instead of Kurt."

"No way. Why do I have to take on such an unreasonable request."

"It’s the easiest solution."

"Miss Nicole, was it? Could you hear me out for a second please?"

The woman dressed as a mage asked me.

What happened?

I have very little experience partying, and that’s in-game rather than real life.

Of course, I do have some experience, since I’m not a loner. Though, it’s just a little bit. I couldn’t refuse the mage’s gaze, so I decided to hear her out.

We borrowed a room in the guild. Now I’m alone with three of Kurt’s party members.

By the way, the Guild Master ran away.

I have to deal with something this troublesome. This is all because of Kurt.

"Then, first, I will introduce myself. I’m Rurina. The one who complained to you is Lanz and the silent one is Gill."

"I’m Nicole."

For now, I introduced myself as well.

"Then, the request we have received is goblin subjugation."

Goblin subjugation?

Goblins were less intelligent, humanoid demons.

Wasn’t that a monster for beginners?

Do they need a party for this? Is this party weak?

"It isn’t just one goblin. It’s the subjugation of a group of fifty of them. It will be hard without Kurt acting as a vanguard."

In the game era, a group of fifty goblins counted as small fry. I wonder how the present me would do. The subjugation of a pack of wolves was easy.

In the game, the level of wolves and goblins was about the same.

If this was still the case, they should be no challenge for me

"Just to confirm, which is stronger, the wolves or the goblin?"

"In the rank system, they are about the same. It depends on the setup of the party. Our party is more comfortable with goblins."

"Why?

"Wolves movements are fast. It’s hard for a wizard-like me to support the party. Goblins, on the other hand, can be overpowered in close combat."

Still, goblins are humanoid creatures. I will have to fight them eventually anyways.

If this was a game, there would be no problem, but…

"It’s your fault. Lend us your power!"

"Lanz, be silent!"

It’s fine to lend them a hand, but I don’t want to be Kurt’s replacement. Also, that Lanz guy’s attitude is horrible. That Gill guy just stays quiet, so the only decent one is Rurina.

I’m an honest-to-goodness shut-in, so it’s troublesome for me to help others.

Still, it’s certainly my fault that he got injured.

The fight wasn’t my fault though.

What should I do?

"Is it alright to set some conditions?"

"If it’s something we can do."

"You want to reap the rewards? What a dirty woman."

I ignored him.

"Let me do the request by myself. You can have the achievement for succeeding and all the rewards. In return, I don’t want Kurt to come near me ever again."

"Miss Nicole, to leave it to you alone…"

"You want us to just stay silent and watch?"

"Why not? The completion of the request and the rewards will be yours, so there is no demerit for you."

"If you fail, it will count as our fail. There is no way we can accept such conditions."

"Also, we can’t do something as shameful as letting another person complete the request and taking credit for it."

Ah, yeah.

If I fail, it will count as their failure. I also understand Miss Rurina point. As an adventurer, it would be a shameful thing to do.

"Then, I want only Rurina to help me."

"Why only Rurina?"

"It’s because she is the most decent one out of all of you, has the most common sense, interacts the most with me, and is also the only woman. The main reason is, that I don’t want to work with you?"

"You!"

"Lanz, stop it."

Rurina stops him.

"Nicole, can you defeat a horde of goblins alone?"

"I can? The pack of wolves was easy. I’ll be able to practice magic more against goblins."

"You can use magic, Nicole? According to the story, you didn’t use magic when you fought with Kurt."

"I didn’t use it."

To be more precise, I still didn’t know how to use magic at the time.

"I mean, I don’t need to use magic on the weak enemy. Rurina, you wouldn’t use magic to kill a small bug, would you?"

When I treated Kurt like an insect, their mouths opened in shock.

"Is it possible?"

"It’s just fifty Kurt’s (goblins)."

"It’s goblins."

"I understand. I will go with you."

"Rurina?"

"Are you okay with that, Gill?"

"I don’t mind."

"Well then, Miss Nicole, please take care of me."

"So, when are we going?"

"If it’s alright with you, we can go immediately."

"I’m fine with that, but I didn’t prepare anything."

"That’s okay. We were planning to go today, so we already prepared enough things for four people."

I ignored Lanz’s silent stares.

Gill didn’t say anything.

I left the guild with Rurina. We have a goblin subjugation to do.