Chapter 98 Adventurer Kanata – Part ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”All right, that completes your registration. Here’s your adventurer card, Kanata-sama.”
The receptionist smiled as she handed over a glossy card rimmed in silver. The words “F Rank” gleamed clearly along its edge.
”…Huh? Not E Rank? I thought that’s what I was told.”
Kanata tilted his head, and the receptionist chuckled softly, nodding.
”Normally, adventurers start at G Rank. You’re correct that the Royal Capital’s recommendation letter stated E Rank—but to avoid stirring resentment among other adventurers, we’ve made a special exception. You’ll begin at F Rank instead. Once you complete a request without issue, your promotion to E Rank is guaranteed.”
She explained it with gentle precision.
”I see… so that’s how it works.”
At that moment, a man at a nearby table twitched. He was a middle-aged adventurer, already a few drinks deep, his brows lifting in irritation.
”…What did you just say?”
The scrape of a chair echoed as he stood, swaying on unsteady legs, a bottle dangling from his hand. He staggered toward Kanata.
”Hey, little lady—did I hear you say special exception?”
The receptionist covered her mouth, startled.
”Ah…”
”An F Rank by special treatment, huh? You’ve got some nerve, brat! Do you know how long it took me to reach E Rank? And you’re skipping straight ahead? Ha! You all hear that? Guess we’ve got ourselves a little hero here!”
The other adventurers turned their heads, some muttering, others rolling their eyes as if thinking, Here we go again.
Kanata took a small step back but kept his composure.
”That’s not really something I decided.”
”What’d you say, punk?! You trying to start a fight!?”
”Stop it, Karim-san!” the receptionist interjected, panicked. “Violence is forbidden inside the guild!”
Karim grinned, baring his teeth. “Relax. I just want to talk—maybe with our fists.”
He was dead serious. One of the guild staff had already run off to fetch security, but Kanata only sighed quietly.
”…Then how about we talk outside? No need to bother everyone here.”
Karim’s eyes narrowed. His face flushed red as his fists tightened.
”Fine. Let’s take this outside. Let’s see what this rookie’s made of—”
”—Enough!”
The shout sliced through the air like a blade.
The guild fell silent at once.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
At a large table near the back sat the leader of the A-Rank party Crimson Idol—Mirei Razel. Her reddish, wavy hair caught the lamplight, her sharp eyes glinting like steel. Though her looks were striking, her presence was sharper still.
”Let me make one thing clear,” she said, her voice cutting cleanly across the room. “I took this job knowing it could cost lives. If anyone here’s getting cold feet, get out of my party now!”
Her teammates stayed silent. Finally, a slim young archer spoke up hesitantly.
”B-but, the target this time… they said it’s remnants of the Black Iron Knight Order! We’re recon and escort specialists, not—”
”Shut up!”
The table rattled as she kicked her chair back, throwing her cloak over her shoulder in fury.
”Forget it! I’ll do it alone!”
A low murmur rippled through the guild. All eyes followed her as she stormed across the hall, each step echoing her anger.
And directly in her path stood Karim and Kanata.
”…”
”…”
Mirei stopped, finally noticing them. Karim, halfway through another retort, froze under her fierce gaze.
Her eyes flicked over Kanata, narrowing slightly.
”Haven’t seen you before. New recruit?”
”Ah—yes. I just registered today. Kanata.”
”I see… You any good?”
The abrupt question caught him off guard, but after a heartbeat’s pause, he nodded firmly.
”I’m confident enough.”
Mirei’s lips curled into a sly smile.
”Good. Then you’re coming with me. I need to blow off some steam—a mock duel should do nicely.”
”Uh…”
”Now. If you’re going to back out, this is your only chance.”
Karim gaped at Kanata, eyes wide.
”H-hey, rookie… you realize she’s A Rank, right? You’re in deep trouble…”
But Kanata only gave a faint smile and replied calmly,
”…I’ll do it.”
The guild buzzed again.
A duel between an A-Rank adventurer and a fresh recruit—and all because their leader needed to vent her anger. Word spread fast, and before long, the observation seats were full.
”Well now… not bad.”
Steel clashed, ringing through the training hall.
Mirei’s longsword met Kanata’s knife, sparks scattering from every strike. His speed, precision, and judgment—none of it matched the image of a rookie.
In fact, his movements were so sharp that even Mirei found herself being pushed back.
”Seriously, where did you learn that!?”
She grinned, slashing again, but Kanata slipped past her blade by a hair’s breadth and lunged forward with a swift counter.
”Tch—!”
Mirei barely managed to block, stumbling back two steps before lowering her weapon.
”—Stop! Any more and it’ll interfere with tomorrow’s job.”
The spectators erupted in chatter.
”Unbelievable… that kid’s incredible.”
”He wasn’t just even with her—he was winning.”
Wiping sweat from her brow, Mirei caught her breath and looked up at Kanata.
”…I like you. You’re interesting.”
Then she flashed a daring grin.
”Dinner’s on me. You’ve got no complaints, right?”
Kanata nodded without hesitation.
”Then I’ll take you up on that.”
For a moment Mirei blinked—then laughed outright.
”Good answer! All right, let’s go. Eat as much as you like!”
”…So yeah,” Mirei said later, her voice rising as she waved her cup. “Those guys—no guts, no grit, but they still want to wear the A-Rank badge!”
Mirei had already drained her fourth mug of ale and was waving for another.
”I’m the one breaking my back to lead us, you know? But they just whine and drag everyone down. Don’t you think people like that are the worst?”
”…Yeah. Sounds rough,” Kanata said, nodding between bites of food. Clearly, what she needed most was someone to listen.
”And that archer! If he can’t follow my orders, what’s even the point of having a leader, right? Right!?”
”I think… you’re absolutely right, Mirei.”
”See? I knew you got it! You’ve got good instincts, you—fufufufu…”
Mirei swayed forward and leaned her head against Kanata’s shoulder.
”I just… I just want teammates I can really trust, you know… people I can fight beside for real…”
”I see,” Kanata murmured softly.
Her words began to trail off. When he glanced sideways, Mirei was already out cold.
”…What am I supposed to do now?”
He muttered to himself as a nearby waitress peeked over, looking only mildly surprised.
”Oh dear… Mirei-san’s the same as always, I see.”
”This… happens often?”
”Sometimes. But tonight’s a bit worse. By the way—who are you?”
”I’m the rookie who sparred with her earlier today.”
”Ah! That explains it. Well, thank you for your patience. But if you leave her here, she’ll catch a cold—and it’ll trouble the shop.”
The waitress’s quick glances made her meaning clear. Take her with you.
Kanata sighed. Leaving her here didn’t sit right anyway. Resigned, he rose to his feet, carefully hoisted the sleeping woman onto his back, and muttered under his breath.
”…Guess I’ll carry her back to my inn.”
”She’s heavy… or maybe it’s all that armor.”
He laid Mirei down on the bed and pulled a blanket over her. The sharpness she’d shown earlier was gone now, replaced by a peaceful, almost childlike expression.
”Being a leader must be tough,” he whispered.
He dragged a chair to the corner of the room and sat, watching her sleep. Maya always scolded him for staring at girls’ sleeping faces—called it indecent—but Kanata couldn’t help it. There was something disarming about seeing someone completely unguarded.
After a while, Mirei stirred, rustling as she unconsciously slipped out of bits of gear and clothing, curling up under the blanket.
”Even asleep, she’s oddly dexterous,” Kanata muttered.
He caught a glimpse of her bare skin in the half-light, heat creeping into his face. Fighting the sudden impulse rising in him, he tugged the blanket up to cover her again.
…Yeah, doing anything now would definitely cause problems.
He had his own reasons to stay in control. Taking a deep breath, Kanata lay down beside her and closed his eyes.
Thus ended the long, bewildering first day of the rookie adventurer, Kanata.
The next morning, in the inn’s room…
”Ugh… my head…”
Mirei pressed a hand to her temple as consciousness slowly returned.
Soft bedding. A wooden ceiling. A room she didn’t recognize.
”…Where am I?”
She tried to sit up—and froze. She wasn’t wearing a thing.
”…Huh?”
Looking down, she saw that the only thing covering her was a thin sheet.
”Wha—WHAT!?”
Every hair on her body stood on end.
In full-blown panic, her eyes darted around—and landed on the young man sleeping peacefully beside her.
”…!!”
She knew that face. The one she’d fought in a mock battle, shared dinner with, and then—
”Why are you sleeping next to me!?”
Smack!
A powerful slap cracked across Kanata’s cheek.
”Gah—what!? What’s happening!?”
He jolted awake, clutching his face in confusion.
”Wha—why’d you hit—wait, what?”
His words died as he took in the sight before him: Mirei, red-faced and shouting, clutching the sheet to her chest.
And then—the sheet slipped.
”—Ah.”
A single heartbeat of silence.
”KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
”WAAAAAA!! I-I’m sorry!!”
Kanata covered his face with both hands and rolled off the bed in panic, while Mirei yanked the sheet back up, her entire body flushed crimson.
”Wh-what the hell is going on!? Why am I naked!? Why are you in bed with me!?”
”W-wait! I didn’t do anything! I swear! I put you on the bed and slept on the floor!”
…A lie.
But right now, pretending to be the innocent newbie was his best option.
”Then why were you next to me, idiot!? And shouldn’t you be the one on the floor!?”
”How should I know!? This is my room!”
Her voice rose again—but then faltered slightly as fragments of memory resurfaced.
She’d been drinking… rambling… then she’d gotten sleepy… and after that…
”…I don’t remember.”
Mirei slumped her shoulders, sighing deeply. Her expression was a mess of shame, anger—and a touch of defeat.
”…Can I believe you didn’t do anything?”
”I swear I didn’t! …Probably.”
”What?”
”Nothing! I didn’t do anything!”
…Touching a little isn’t doing anything, right?
”You’re such a troublesome rookie,” she muttered, gripping the sheet tighter and turning away.
”…Forget what you saw.”
”Y-yes! Of course! I’ll forget! I’ll totally forget the approximate E-cup detail!”
”Shut up!!”
The pillow hit him square in the face.
A few dozen minutes later, in the inn’s first-floor dining hall…
The breakfast chatter of adventurers filled the air of Moon’s Loft, the small inn near the guild.
At a corner table sat Kanata and Mirei—much quieter now than before.
Kanata spread butter on a piece of toast, his expression caught somewhere between amused and awkward.
”So, uh… Mirei. Feeling any better now?”
”…More or less,” she muttered, eyes unfocused, staring into space.
”You really don’t remember anything from last night?”
”…Yeah. Completely blank. The moment I saw your face this morning—that’s where my memory starts.”
”Well, that’s… kind of terrifying, honestly.”
Mirei gave a short, awkward laugh, eyes lowered.
”By the way… why were you sleeping next to me? You really didn’t do anything?”
”I didn’t! Though you did try to kiss me, and you wouldn’t stop clinging and—uh, no, that’s a lie, sorry.”
Her eyes flashed like a demon’s as her hand drifted to her sword hilt.
”…Good. As long as you understand.”
She nodded once, face expressionless, and let go.
”I’ll let it slide this time. Just this time.”
”Thank goodness…”
”But if you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”
”I get it! Loud and clear!”
At last, Mirei looked him in the eye, then shrugged slightly.
”Well… not being attacked in my sleep is… kind of depressing. Maybe I’m losing my charm as a woman.”
”Wait, what?”
”Nothing!!”
She slammed her hands on the table, cheeks faintly flushed, and stood up.
”Anyway! We’re heading to the guild this afternoon. You’re coming too. The staff were talking about yesterday’s duel—your evaluation might go up.”
”Seriously?”
”Well, I do have some influence,” she said, giving him a quick wink before striding out of the dining hall.
”…I can’t tell if she’s angry or in a good mood,” Kanata muttered, biting into the last of his bread with a wry smile.
From his very first day as an adventurer, life had already turned chaotic.
And he had no idea that this loud, unpredictable woman would soon become a turning point in his fate.
”…I’m sorry, what?”
The receptionist, Elna, repeated herself with an apologetic frown.
”All members of Crimson Idol have officially submitted withdrawal forms. As of today, the party’s registration has been dissolved.”
”W—what!? That was fast!”
Mirei slammed her hands on the counter.
”All we did was argue a little yesterday! Don’t people usually think it over before quitting!?”
”They’d apparently been uncertain for a while,” Elna explained gently. “Your latest request just… made their decision final.”
”Ugh…!”
Mirei clenched her teeth. Her voice stayed strong, but her eyes wavered slightly.
So that’s it…
Crimson Idol was now just her. And the dangerous mission she’d accepted still stood.
”…This isn’t good. Not like this—”
She recalled the details of that job:
”Eliminate the remnants of the Black Iron Knight Order.”
A band of former mercenaries so deadly they might as well have been monsters. Treacherous canyon terrain. Traps. Veteran fighters.
No way she could take them on alone.
”…You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m really all by myself now…”
Her shoulders sagged in defeat.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone at another counter—Kanata, quietly submitting paperwork. His calm focus, his steady presence, seemed to glow in the morning light.
Without thinking, words slipped from her mouth.
”…You’ll do nicely.”
She strode over and planted herself behind him.
”You! You’re joining my party. Be grateful!”
Kanata turned, blinking in surprise.
”Um… I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”
”…What?”
The single, flat rejection stunned her into silence.
”Why not!?”
”Well, given yesterday’s duel and the, uh, drinking aftermath, I feel like getting more involved might be hazardous to my health—possibly fatal, even.”
”Hazardous!? What’s that supposed to mean!?”
”I just… want a peaceful adventurer life, you know? And… you really don’t remember this morning, do you?”
”Ugh…!”
Her face flushed red.
Even so, she pressed on.
”Fine! I’ll give you seventy percent of the reward! I’ll only take thirty!”
”Uh, that actually makes me feel worse about it…”
”Then I’ll drop the vice-leader title! I won’t dump any chores on you either!”
”…Hmm.”
Kanata folded his arms, pretending to think. His hesitation only made her more desperate.
”Wh-what’s with that face!? You admitted my skill yesterday, didn’t you!?”
”Of course I did. But that’s different from joining your team.”
”Grr—!”
Her lips trembled. And then, suddenly, her eyes filled with tears.
”…You saw me naked… you took advantage of me… and now you’re rejecting me…”
”Wha—!?”
The entire guild froze.
Every adventurer turned to stare. Elna stopped writing. A guard tilted his head, bewildered.
”What?”
”Wait, seriously?”
”No way…”
”Holy hell, the rookie’s hardcore.”
”That’s… bold.”
”Misunderstanding!! It’s all a misunderstanding! It was an accident!!” Kanata shouted, waving his hands frantically, his face burning bright red.
But Mirei only piled on.
”Sniff… He saw me… pretended it never happened… forced himself on me… and now won’t even join my team… it’s awful…”
”AAAAAAH! Fine! I’ll join! I’ll join your party, just stop talking!!”
”…Really?”
”Really! Just please stop saying weird stuff!”
Instantly, Mirei’s tears vanished. She beamed.
”Good. Then Crimson Idol is officially reformed♪”
”…You totally did that on purpose.”
”Hmm? Did you say something?”
”…No. Nothing at all.”
Behind the counter, Elna tried her best to hold back laughter as she stamped the new party registration form.
Notes:
• Mirei – An energetic adventurer joining Kanata’s party in Chapter 108. Appears in dungeon prep. Brave, impulsive, admires Kanata’s leadership. Female.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
• Maya – Cheerful brown-haired girl, naturally charming and social, Kanata’s classmate and morning conversation neighbor.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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