Our First Quest

“A gathering quest?”

“Yeah. The job is to collect a medicinal herb called ‘Terin Grass.’ Apparently, it’s mainly used to reduce fevers. Anyway, it’ll be my first job as an adventurer.”

“I want to come with you!”

Flare spoke up.

“Hmm… Well, I suppose it shouldn’t be dangerous.”

“Actually, I’m going to become an adventurer too! I’ll protect you with my [Fire Arrow], Onii-sama!”

Flare leaned forward enthusiastically.

“After all, it’s a Supreme-Grade skill now. I’m really strong, you know!”

“That’s certainly true…”

I nodded.

“Besides, I’ve received combat training too.”

“Huh? You have?”

“Father hired private tutors to teach me swordsmanship and magic. He said I should at least be able to protect myself.”

“I had no idea…”

He’d never arranged anything like that for me, but apparently Flare—and probably my younger brother Harry as well—had received combat training.

Realizing just how differently we’d been treated in our education made me feel a little lonely.

Of course, I was still grateful that he’d raised me at all.

“You’re a complete beginner when it comes to combat, aren’t you, Onii-sama? Let’s become adventurers together. Please?”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Let’s give it a try.”

After Flare registered as an adventurer, we decided to form a two-person party.

“Apparently, we need to register a party name… What should we call ourselves?”

“Hmm… How about ‘Aerial and His Merry Companions’?”

“That’s a little…”

“Then how about ‘Absolutely Invincible Onii-sama’ or ‘Hot-Blooded, Ultimate Onii-sama’?”

“Uh, those aren’t quite right either.”

“Th-then… how about ‘Forbidden Sibling Love: Lovey-Dovey Couple’!?”

Flare was breathing rather heavily for some reason.

“I-I’d prefer something that sounds a little more like an adventuring party…”

I gave her a wry smile.

After discussing various possibilities, we eventually settled on the name “Silver Orb.”

The name came from a decorative silver orb in the garden of our family estate.

When we were children, Flare and I had often played together there.

For someone who’d suffered abuse throughout his childhood, those moments were among my few happy memories.

I chose the name so that I could always remember them.

“It’s a wonderful name. Just what I’d expect from you, Onii-sama.”

“It’s a name that represents the bond between us.”

I gave Flare a warm smile.

We arrived at a forest on the outskirts of town, where medicinal herbs supposedly grew in abundance.

The harvesting window was generally between seven in the morning and noon.

“Onii-sama, I found some!”

“Hold on. That one’s shaped a little differently. The Terin Grass we’re supposed to collect has three leaves. That one has four, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, you’re right… A four-leaf plant sounds like it would make a lucky charm.”

“Haha, it certainly does.”

We continued gathering herbs together in a cheerful atmosphere.

However, there were several other plants nearby with very similar shapes, making the gathering process more troublesome than I’d expected.

Hmm, I really have to concentrate to tell these plants apart. This is pretty exhausting…

Just as I was thinking that, an idea suddenly struck me.

“Oh, that’s right! Flare, you have the [Concentration] skill, don’t you? Let me learn that one.”

And so, I used my ability to learn Flare’s [Concentration: Lower Grade], permanently acquiring the skill for myself.

Then I spent 1,000 of my remaining 7,000 skill points to evolve [Concentration] to High Grade.

“All right, let’s try this again—[Concentration]!”

I activated the skill.

And then—

“Ohhh! I can see everything…!”

It felt as though my vision had suddenly become unbelievably clear.

With a single glance, I could distinguish the shapes of every plant around me and memorize all their locations.

My concentration was absolutely incredible right now!

“This one… and this one, and this! Then this one, this one… and this one too!”

“Onii-sama, you’re gathering them so quickly!”

“Whoooooa! Let’s keep collecting!”

And just like that, we gathered the required amount in approximately five minutes.

Normally, the task would have taken several hours.

“Onii-sama, you’re truly amazing!”

“It’s all thanks to you letting me use your skill, Flare. Oh, while we’re at it, why don’t I upgrade your [Concentration] too?”

“Hmm… Skill points are limited, so you don’t need to spend them on me.”

“All right.”

And that was when it happened.

A chime rang out from nowhere, and a message appeared before me.

For some reason I didn’t quite understand, I’d received another batch of skill points.

Judging from the wording, perhaps I’d earned them because I’d learned a new skill, or because I’d successfully completed a job using that newly acquired skill—or maybe both.

Whatever the reason, something I’d done had apparently triggered the skill point reward.

In other words, if I continued using my skills to complete adventurer quests, I might earn even more points…?

We returned to the guild and handed over the medicinal herbs we’d gathered at the reception counter.

And then, we received our reward.

For the first time in my life, I’d earned money through my own work.

Flare and I exchanged glances, then smiled at each other.

So this was what it meant to work for a living and earn enough to support ourselves day by day.

I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.