New to game, have some concerns.

[Vigilark]

Does this game require you to grind boars etc. for hours in order to level? I've done a lot of that, but still feel underleveled during some of what I guess is the plot quests. As an example, I am level 6 and at the part where I meet the 13 yr old girl Telle (think thats her name) and a bunch of enemies spawn in on me that are like lvl 8. I just have one other party member, the girl I got from fighting the Ravens at the wolf camp.