I Became a 6★ Gacha Character -
Chapter 55: Character Quest - Grace's Hometown 5
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Here
There were no major twists in the quest.
All I found were roaming orcs, so thin they looked starved.
Following their footprints and the broken branches from their campfire, I discovered a small burrow.
Perhaps they had taken it over from another creature.
Given their state, I didn't need to do anything.
These orcs were unlike any I'd seen before, horribly underfed.
That might explain why they had been hanging around the village.
Even the most savage monsters can sense danger.
They didn't dare attack the village for food or risk going after the herb gatherers.
The cunning nature of these wanderers made them anticipate the consequences if their hunting attempts failed.
Of course, their intelligence only went so far.
While they cautiously refrained from attacking humans, they carelessly devoured live rabbits and left behind traces of their presence, lighting bonfires in the wild.
'It's somewhat awkward... Is this it?'
I wasn't expecting to come across such weak creatures.
At this point, the lack of a twist is more than disappointing; it's practically going to ruin the stream.
I traveled for three days, only to encounter malnourished orcs, a mere four of them.
All I can gain from this is Grace's favor and the completion of a quest.
From a party member's perspective, it's not bad: nothing horrible is happening in Grace's village.
But it's a letdown when I think about Han Se-ah's stream.
Still holding out hope for something more, I left the frightened orcs alone and continued.
There must be a reason why the quest window instructed me to help Han-Se-Ah with her quest.
'I didn't expect the problem to be this easy.'
I rushed out, concerned about Grace's feelings, and now I'm running around, worried about Han Se-ah's live stream.
It would have been better if there were dozens of orcs, and I could thin their numbers beforehand.
But there are only four malnourished orcs barely clinging to life.
If they're that starved, they're weak enough to be killed by moss wolves or helmeted deer.
In terms of the hierarchy, they're roughly on par with weak goblins, weaker than horned wolves.
I scoured the entire mountain range in case there was something else, but besides the four orcs, the area remains peaceful.
I check the mountain peaks and checked other mountains nearby just in case, but the outcome remained the same.
Besides the four wandering orcs, there was only a newly matured bear.
It's a peaceful place.
"Grace? She should be in that building."
"You're back already?"
At this point, I have no choice but to return to the village in disappointment.
If there were an ogre or something similar, I could have incapacitated it and left it near the orc nest.
One of the village guards looks at me, puzzled, then points me in the right direction.
In front of me is a solid stone house, a standout among the mainly modest wooden homes in this charming village.
At first glance, it seems like it belongs to someone important in the village.
It's more impressive than the huts in a country village, but in the city, it would be just another simple craftsman's shop.
As I head for the door, my teammates come out of the house together.
Among them is a man dressed in leather garments.
His disheveled chin-beard and keen eyes hint that he was quite the adventurer back in his day.
"Roland! Did you find anything in the mountains?"
I don't remember an uncle's face from a few years back, but since Grace is by his side, he must be her father.
Looks like he and the village chief have explained their quest, or should I say, their request.
"It was a wandering orc. Didn't find anything else strange."
"Did... you see any children?"
What's that about?
I notice the worried looks on everyone's faces.
I was wondering why we're talking about a kid in a conversation about hunting orcs when a thought crosses my mind.
The story of the blood-stained scarf I'd thought of earlier.
The disappearance of a village child would cause more of an uproar than an adult going missing.
Maybe an adventurous child wandered into the off-limits mountain, which just so happens to have signs of orcs...
It's an overused but possible story.
"I didn't see any signs. I searched the mountains top to bottom, but I didn't find any traces of a child or human footprints."
"Is that so...?"
The follow-up confirmed my guess.
As the orcs got closer, the adults warned the children not to play in the mountains.
But if kids stopped doing things because adults told them to, they wouldn't be kids.
A few daring children from the village went to the mountains to play hide and seek, but one didn't come back.
The only consolation is that what I discovered was the remains of a torn-up rabbit, not a torn-up girl.
My teammates' faces stay solemn, unaware of this fact, but it didn't particularly worry me.
'Since she's not in the mountains, she must be hiding somewhere in the village.'
I trust in my abilities.
With legs faster than a warhorse, I sprinted from the village entrance to the mountain peak, searching even the nearby mountains.
Just in case there was a threat or a chance to make the stream more interesting, I kept going and checked the next mountain as well.
A young girl playing hide and seek and outrunning me in the mountains?
That would only be possible if someone like a 6★ 'Mischievous' Catherine were involved.
The expressions of my kind-hearted party members remain filled with concern.
"Um, Roland? I have an idea."
"Tell me."
With that, Han Se-ah stepped forward, her eyes darting between Grace and me.
Her face reflected not just concern but also a strange desire.
It was highly suspicious.
Nevertheless, I encouraged her to speak up.
The suggestion that came from Han Se-ah, as she shifted her gaze between Grace and me, was utterly nonsensical.
"Why don't you carry Grace and run?"
"...Huh?"
"Have Roland carry you?"
I'd expected her to propose we immediately search for the missing child or reassure the villagers of her safety.
However, her eccentric response could only come from an experienced streamer.
Her unexpected suggestion sent the chat into a frenzy.
-Please, Roland, we're counting on you.
-But can they cover ground like that?
-It was fun watching him sprint around the city.
-If that's the case, why didn't they both go earlier?
-Yup, Han Se-ah is going to be the cameraman lol.
The viewers found Han Se-ah's bold yet absurd solution as amusing as I did.
Unfazed by their reactions, she continued to promote her idea.
She caught hold of Grace's sleeve and gently pulled her towards me, her face wearing a cunning smile.
Just as she had during the night watch, she subtly encouraged physical contact between Grace and me.
"Roland's the fastest among us, so if he carries a skilled explorer like Grace, they can search the mountain together. Irene, Kaiden, and I will look around the village, just in case."
With firm belief that a party of 3456★ couldn't be defeated by mere orcs, Han Se-ah didn't hesitate to split the party.
Or maybe she fully trusted my report of finding orc traces only on the mountains.
Grace didn't object much; her cheeks tinted slightly pink as she let Han Se-ah lead her.
It seemed fitting to match their pace, so I stepped closer to Grace.
Viewers would prefer watching NPCs flirting with each other rather than a beatdown of malnourished orcs.
"Not a bad idea."
"Not bad, right?!"
When it's time to show off, do it with a bang.
Without a moment's hesitation, I reached out and gently wrapped one arm around Grace's waist and the other across her shoulders.
She gave a startled flutter as I lifted her, but to me, she felt lighter than a feather.
I hoisted her up, and naturally, we fell into a princess carry position.
Her outstretched arm shyly wrapped around my neck before bashfully tucking in, resting in front of my chest.
"You, are...?"
"I'm Roland, a senior adventurer and kind of a guide for the party. It's been a while, but let's focus on finishing the search first."
I feel like a barbarian abducting a maiden in front of her father.
Ignoring the surprised look on the old man's rugged face, I strode forward.
I have enough self-control to avoid wreaking havoc in this delicate village.
As I effortlessly leap over huts and fences, Grace's delighted screams echo in my ears.
"Kyaah!"
"Careful! You could bite your tongue!"
"Then run more smoothly!"
As I accelerated, I notice a hint of anxiety, her neatly folded hands grip my neck like a safety handle.
As a result, I can feel her chest, previously out of reach, slightly trembling beneath her leather armor.
I never realized it could jiggle even when compressed like this.
And I'm not the only one enjoying this.
-Our ranger seems to have some large magic pouches.
-They're on a date, and they even brought a camera.
-Han Se-ah really knows how to put on a show.
-As soon as she discovered the multi-camera feature, she been capturing golden shots, lol.
The semi-transparent camera drone hovering in front of me faithfully tracked my movements.
The problem was that from this angle, as the camera looked down at my face, Grace's bosom took center stage.
The chat begins to fill with comments like 'Wow,' as viewers realize there's a reason this game is rated 18+.
'She really is a streaming monster.'
There's a reason she's a popular streamer with a large fanbase even before this VR game.
***
Bruh.
4/5 Enjoy the chappy!
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