Chapter 31 The Resolve to Draw the Sword and Adventurer Registration
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Is this good enough…”
I handed my Ōwakizashi to Kazumi and picked a wooden sword from the training area. I wanted a Bokken sword, but I left it in my room.
When I looked at Geeza, he was holding the longest wooden sword. From the sword at his waist, it seems his real weapon is a longsword, but he looks pretty cocky.
”Alright! Come on, brat!”
Geeza pointed his wooden sword at me, challenging me.
I closed my eyes, focused my mind, and then opened them. It’s my usual routine.
”Physical Boost.”
I lowered my stance and gripped the handle of the wooden sword at my left hip. Of course, I waited for my opponent to make a move.
”Are you too scared to move? I’ll take you out in one hit, so brace yourself!”
He closed the distance and swung his long wooden sword horizontally. It was an attack just at the edge of my range. Was it calculated, or does he not have the guts to step into my range…
An attack that only aims for the tip is easy to dodge. I just took a light step back, and Geeza’s wooden sword sliced through the air.
Next was a thrust. I dodged it by turning my body. Then another horizontal swing.
For a while, his attacks were pretty simple. Maybe frustrated by how easily I dodged him, he finally stepped into my range. Well, I could easily slip into his space in an instant if I wanted to.
And there’s no doubt this guy is not an A-rank adventurer. At best, he might be C-rank, if that.
As he closed the distance, the attack shifted from the tip of the sword to the blade itself, making it much harder to dodge.
(Yeah, that’s it.)
Now that it finally looked like a real Fighter’s sword swing, it was time to finish this.
I dodged another downward slash by turning my body, then slipped into his range and, using the momentum of my draw, slammed the wooden sword into his side.
”Ugh!”
I quickly moved around Geeza, who was frozen in pain, and kicked him, sending him tumbling forward. I sheathed the wooden sword at my left hip.
”Did you see the strength of a brat from Razia Village?”
Geeza slowly got up and turned around, drawing his longsword.
”You… brat…”
I decided to keep my distance from Geeza.
”Hiroya!”
Kazumi handed me the Ōwakizashi.
”Thanks. Stay back for a bit…”
I tucked the Ōwakizashi into my left hip.
”…If I drew it… that means you’re ready for this.”
I unleashed my full sword intent towards Geeza. He looked a bit pressured but readied his longsword again.
”Stop it! Geeza! You’re gonna get cut and die!”
When I looked over, the guild master was standing at the door leading to the guild room.
”No! Let him draw! I need to cut off an arm or something to make this brat behave!”
”…I think so too. I’ll cut off your arm and make sure you can’t be an adventurer again… or maybe a quick slice to the neck would be better?”
As I said that, I glanced at the guild master and saw my master standing there, wearing a huge smile.
(Well, killing him or cutting off an arm would be bad…)
”Damn it!”
Geeza swung his longsword high and charged at me.
(Despite dodging me that much… this lack of learning ability is also a minus.)
My ranking of Geeza dropped to ‘very close to E, but still D.’
I kicked off the ground, entered the range before the longsword came down, and drew my sword. I hit him hard on the side of the head with the pommel of my Ōwakizashi.
”Ugh!”
Geeza rolled over with his eyes wide open.
”…Is this good, Master?”
”…You could have just cut him down.”
”That’s a harsh joke.”
I said to the guild master.
”As you can see, this guy’s skills definitely don’t seem like rank A. If you question the men with him, you’ll understand the situation better.”
In the royal capital’s adventurer guild, it seems that many registered adventurers are involved in cheating. (According to my dad)
Isaac is one example, as some people raise their ranks by ‘taking requests and having other adventurers do them.’
Of course, this kind of cheating can’t happen in other guilds, but in the royal capital’s guild, management can’t keep up, making it easier for such cheating to occur.
Currently, they are rapidly increasing the number of staff in the royal capital’s guild and strengthening the management system. (Also according to my dad)
”You came here to use Isaac and Roana again, didn’t you?”
The men who rushed to Geeza trembled as they listened to my words and glared at the guild master.
”Let’s talk in detail later. Isaac, Liz, help tie these guys up!”
* * *
We wasted extra time on this stupid stuff, but for now, the 3 of us are sitting on the sofa in the guild’s reception room. Martina is standing behind me, gripping my shoulder. My master is sitting across from us.
”Sorry to keep you waiting. For now, I tied them up and threw them into a locked room.”
The guild master enters the room with Liz.
”Liz, you can sit over there.”
He suggests the sofa on our side to Liz and sits next to the master.
”So, about why I called you here…”
The guild master starts, glancing at my master. After confirming my master nods, he continues.
”Hiroya, Kazumi, Rena. Are you guys thinking about registering as adventurers?”
”””Eh?”””
The 3 of us called out at the same time.
”No, of course, school comes first. But how about trying to be weekend adventurers?”
”I heard people can register as an adventurer from 12 years old…”
Rena quickly recovers from her surprise.
”It’s a special case from the lord. What you all lack is experience. As your master, I believe I’ve taught Hiroya everything I can.”
Well, master, it’s only been a little over 4 months…
”Anyway, I want you to gain experience as adventurers.”
Master stops me from saying anything and looks seriously at me, Kazumi, and Rena.
”…Is there a reason for this? Papa?”
”Yeah. Kazumi, let me be clear. Your ultimate goal is to ‘conquer the dungeon.’.”
”Guardian Knight, that’s impossible… I mean, it’s crazy! Kazumi… no, young lady is not even 9 years old yet!”
Liz stands up and confronts Master.
”The deepest part of the dungeon is probably rank S. I want you to conquer it in 3 years.”
”──That’s why it’s impossible!”
”Liz, I want you to guide them as adventurers. As a knight, I can’t teach them ‘what it means to be an adventurer’.”
Master looks at Liz and smiles gently.
”So, what do you think? Hiroya, Rena, and Kazumi. Do you want to give it a try?”
”‘The goal is to suppress the ‘Dungeon Burst,’ right? We need to remove the cause of the rapidly increasing miasma that has likely appeared in the deepest part. It’s probably an S-rank monster…”
Rena asked while watching Master’s expression.
”That’s right. And the only ones who can complete this in the village are you guys.”
Master’s expression became serious again.
”I… will do it.”
”If Hiroya is going, then… I’ll go too.”
”…I guess I have no choice. Rena is the caretaker for the two of them.”
”I’ll go too…”
With a small murmur, the hand gripping my shoulder suddenly tightened, so I turned to look at Martina. For a moment, I felt like I saw Martina with a serious gaze, but she quickly returned to her usual expression and said,
”I’ll go too! My body remembers what to do as a ‘Thief’!”
Master glanced at Martina and nodded with satisfaction.
”Thank you, Martina. I knew you would say that.”
”I can’t leave Ares and Garm behind.”
Liz looked down, troubled.
”Ares will team up with Guido, Marty, and Isaac to help clear out the monsters around the forest as soon as his injuries heal. As for Garm, given the situation in Geeza, I can’t leave him with the guild in the royal capital…”
The guild master muttered bitterly.
”Guild master, let’s leave the young adventurers with the guild in the fortress city of Mundo. I’ll talk to the lord about it.”
Master patted the guild master’s shoulder.
”That sounds good. They seem trustworthy there.”
”──So, Liz. As a guildmaster, I want to entrust these kids to you.”
”…Understood. I, Liz, will protect the young ladies with my life.”
The master and the guild master nodded in satisfaction.
The guild headquarters in the royal capital is currently undergoing major reforms. (According to the lord)
It seems that corruption has spread even to the guild’s core, and it’s possible to buy adventurer ranks with money… (Starting from rank B, there are various benefits too.)
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.