Volume 2 Chapter 6 Lower-Rank Adventurer Promotion Exam II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”My weapons are 2 clubs and one wooden sword. The material of the club handles is oak, and the tips are made of stone and iron scraps. The ghost-type monsters that appear in this Catacombs are lower species of Night Wraith and Rain Wraith──just plain ‘Wraiths.’ If I coat them with pine resin and strike, I can easily blast apart the magic power that constitutes their bodies.”
In front of the two women who formed a party, Kian explained this while showing them a container filled with pine resin.
The little girl dressed in a hood and white mask──who introduced herself as Manon──was simply expressing her surprise with comments like “Is that so?” and “Well, it’s handmade! Sir Kian is quite skilled, isn’t he?”
There was a lack of tension, making it questionable whether she was truly motivated.
Even now, she was holding the club she received from Kian with both hands, swaying and saying, “It’s surprisingly heavy…!” while being supported by Christy beside her.
On the other hand, Christy seemed to be utterly exasperated.
”You know, while it’s true that the promotion exam for lower-rank adventurers only features enemies like Wraiths, isn’t your equipment a bit too weak? Clubs and a wooden sword… How did you manage to defeat a Griffin with that?”
”Well… it was just by chance.”
Kian placed a hand on his head.
”The windmill collapsed just right, and that allowed me to take down the Griffin.”
”Ah, I see. So, it was just luck. That makes sense. Well, I thought it was strange. There’s no way someone as weak as you could defeat a Griffin. Hey, Manon, now you understand, right? We’ve confirmed it, so let’s go home.”
”Huh? Go home? You’re saying you two will go home?”
Kian’s eyes widened.
Christy shrugged her shoulders.
”That’s exactly what I mean. Since we have no intention of taking the exam, we’re leaving. Good luck with the rest.”
”That’s ridiculous.”
’Is this person an idiot? There’s no way such a disrespectful act would be allowed.’
”Christy. Regardless of the situation, it’s not good to give up here. If we leave, Sir Kian will have to tackle the Catacombs alone.”
Manon directed her dark blue eyes, hidden beneath her mask, at the black-haired magician.
Christy sighed.
”I want to go home already… There’s no special allowance for this, so why do I have to babysit the lowest-ranked adventurer in such a gloomy place?”
”Don’t say that, let’s do our best, okay?”
”Ugh…”
The black-haired girl looked annoyed while the masked girl tried to soothe her.
From their behavior, Kian was starting to see them less as adventurers.
(Or rather, these girls…)
Kian gazed at Manon’s luxurious white mask and Christy’s well-groomed, glossy black hair.
(There’s a hint of nobility about them. If they were nobles, there’s no way they would seriously be adventurers, so are they participating in the adventurer exam incognito? If that’s the case, it makes sense that Friedrich is here as well.)
Kian thought this and looked towards the skeletal Guild Master, who was still giving instructions from the corner of the large plaza.
He had been glancing over here repeatedly.
It was clear that he was concerned about Kian and the others.
(Is he being forced to entertain some high-ranking official living in the fortress?)
Kian sighed inwardly.
After all… even at this age, he still couldn’t understand what the high-ranking officials were thinking.
Starting with the Franz Kingdom, the nobles of the western countries all seemed to have this kind of image.
Playful and indulgent.
They suddenly want to engage in annoying pranks like this ‘disguise’ or whatever.
Considering the dedicated Azrael executives who faithfully carry out their duties, piercing through the stance of frugality, it was unimaginable.
’Hmph, is she some foolish daughter of a Viscount or Baron? Did she get bored of practicing her etiquette before marriage and come out here?’
(Could she be the daughter of a Baron or Viscount under the rule of Margrave Izerland? Why would she come all the way to the Margrave’s territory to sneak into a qualification exam for lower-rank adventurers?)
Kian furrowed his brow.
Honestly, he thought it would be better not to know anything about them──though, Christy aside, he felt like he had heard the voice of the masked Manon somewhere before.
(Maribel Danofen)
Kian looked down at the small masked girl.
She was the young lord who ruled over the Margrave Izerland territory, including this East End.
Young, or rather, too young to be a princess.
That’s why he had heard that the house steward and female magicians were handling the politics in her place.
(No, surely not. There’s no way the lord or rather the princess would come to a place like this Catacombs.)
’In reality, things that are more unlikely than stories often happen. It is foolish to deny possibilities from the start.’
”Indeed. If they are the daughters of nobles, they would want to showcase their abilities here to secure their future.”
’Hasn’t she already failed to make an impression?’
As he was about to respond to the voice of ‘glasses’, the stairs leading down from the ground to the plaza suddenly became noisy.
He could hear loud voices, presumably from Guild staff, saying things like “Please stop!” and “This is a problem!” and “No entry for unauthorized personnel!”
The 30 or so adventurers on edge in front of the entrance to the Catacombs Dungeon all turned towards the noisy stairs leading up to the ground.
”Hey, knight! This is a problem!”
”I’m sorry, but it’s urgent. Move aside. You too, I’m sorry. Clear the way. Don’t get in the way!”
The voices grew louder, and soon a man dressed in what appeared to be expensive clothing hurriedly descended the stairs at the back of the plaza.
He was a handsome young man with a 2-block hairstyle, slicked back, and shaved on the sides.
He pushed aside the Guild staff trying to stop him and quickly glanced at Kian and the other lowest-rank adventurers loitering in front of the dungeon entrance.
”Hey, knight!”
”I’m sorry. Please forgive me for this.”
The handsome young man with the funky hairstyle said this and pressed a gold coin he took from his pocket into the hands of the Guild staff.
”…!”
”I need to speak with Mr. Friedrich, the Guild Master.”
Saying this, the young man slipped past the staff.
He flipped his leather coat and walked towards Friedrich.
On the shaved sides of his head, a number of decorative earrings were visible.
In particular, a golden earring shaped like the sun swayed gently from his earlobe.
”Well, well… Sir Oswald,”
Friedrich greeted the sharply dressed young man with a weary expression.
The intruder, known as Oswald, with his blonde hair, leaned in close to the skeletal Guild Master, almost as if he were about to bite.
He then began to speak in a low voice about something.
While Friedrich remained calm, Oswald appeared to be quite agitated.
He gestured emphatically with both hands, causing the sun-shaped earrings to swing wildly.
Friedrich merely shook his head slowly.
”Alright, everyone, take your positions!”
As the adventurers cast irritated glances at the Guild Masters, the head receptionist, Irina, raised her voice to regain their attention.
”The exam will begin shortly! Please gather in front of your assigned Dungeon entrances and prepare! It will start on the mark!”
The adventurers buzzed with excitement.
The masked girl, Manon, who had been close to Kian, spoke in a small voice.
”Sir Kian, Christy. It seems like it’s about to start. Let’s move to the front.”
She said this while pulling her hood forward and hunching her body as she moved ahead.
Just as Christy was about to follow her, the blonde young man with the shaved hairstyle, who had been arguing with the Guild Master, turned his gaze toward them.
”Christina!”
His voice was clear and crisp.
Swinging his sun-shaped earrings, the young man with slicked-back hair stepped away from Friedrich as if he had no further business there.
He approached them quickly, his expression twisted in a way that suggested impatience.
”Christina, what are you doing in a place like this!? I can’t believe it, but──”
”Oswald…”
The black-haired magician frowned in annoyance.
She let out a sigh.
”Please don’t make too much noise. I don’t want any trouble.”
”You’re the one causing trouble!”
The blonde youth bared his white teeth as he approached Christy.
Behind him, Friedrich followed with a sullen expression.
Oswald noticed Christy and then spotted Manon, who was trying to discreetly hide in Kian’s shadow, and clicked his tongue softly.
”You two, we’re leaving.”
”That’s a generous suggestion. I wanted to get out of this gloomy place as soon as possible.”
Christy said this while raising her hand holding the examination ticket and shrugging her shoulders slightly.
Oswald frowned at the orange-glowing examination ticket in her hand.
He then quickly spotted the examination ticket in Manon’s hand as well.
”You actually registered?”
”I was forced to get approval. Sir Oswald.”
Friedrich added from behind in a disgruntled tone.
The Guild Master looked at Kian and tightened his lips.
”You’re out of luck, Kian. It seems those 2 will be retiring here.”
”…What do you mean?”
”It’s something a commoner like you doesn’t need to know.”
Christy said this dismissively.
Next to her, Manon raised her voice, admonishing “Christy,” but before she could say more, the blonde youth stepped forward and slapped the black-haired magician’s cheek.
”What…?”
Christy pressed her cheek, stunned.
With a dazed expression, she returned her gaze to Oswald, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
”You look like you want to say it’s not my fault.”
Oswald said quietly.
However, contrary to his tone, each of his words was tinged with anger.
”Because of your reckless actions, this man will suffer significant harm. He worked hard to break through the first exam, and now, due to your nonsensical whims, he will fail the second exam. Do you understand? Right now, you are ruining an important moment in his life.”
”It’s just one commoner. What harm could it possibly do…”
Ignoring her mumbling, Oswald turned to Kian.
His yellow eyes flickered strangely.
Kian was also staring directly at Oswald.
(He’s incredibly handsome…)
He was about the same height as Kian.
His build was similar to Kian’s, who had recently gained muscle.
He had a smoothly shaved jaw and red lips.
Kian felt a kind of bewitching charm emanating from him.
”Um, Oswald. Christy isn’t at fault.”
As Kian was locking eyes with Oswald, Manon timidly spoke up from the side.
”It was my selfishness that caused this… She was just following my lead. Please, don’t scold her.”
”Isn’t it Christy’s role to stop you? Friedrich, what will happen to this adventurer?”
”It’s just before the start, so he will have to dive in alone.”
Friedrich said this calmly, but Manon shook her head.
”No, we will accompany him until the end. We won’t irresponsibly stop and pull out halfway.”
”Do you understand what you’re saying?”
At Oswald’s words, Manon blinked her dark blue eyes once.
”Yes. Oswald, if you’re anxious, you can come along. It’s fine as long as you just follow behind and keep an eye on us, right? We’ll handle the monsters, so there shouldn’t be any problem with that.”
”You can’t fight!”
”Oh, but I’m good at magic.”
”It would be a problem if you fought!”
”Then, if something happens, you step forward. In that case, we can just consider ourselves disqualified.”
”Friedrich?”
Oswald turned to look at the Guild Master.
Friedrich furrowed his brow.
All the adventurers, tense before the start, directed their gazes toward the skeletal Guild Master.
”…Understood. Then… for the orange team, if Oswald makes a move, it will be considered disqualified. …Staff, follow behind them closely. Keep a sharp watch to ensure nothing goes wrong.”
”Um, Guild Master? What about the signal to start…?”
Over there, the receptionist Irina was holding a whistle, looking troubled.
Friedrich raised his hand.
”We’re running behind schedule. Give the signal to start immediately. Staff, where are you? Three of you stay behind the orange team.”
”Thank you for your patience. It’s time to start!”
Irina called out loudly and blew the whistle.
The adventurers glanced at Kian, but at the signal to start, they all dove into the labyrinth at once.
Kian looked at Friedrich.
”Um, is it alright for us to leave now?”
”It’s fine. Hurry up and go.”
”Christy, you protect her from the front. I’ll secure the side. Staff, I apologize, but please be vigilant for any ambushes from behind.”
It was like a procession of nobles or something.
In reality, although they were likely a high-ranking noble, Kian, who had come merely to take the Lower-rank Adventurer Exam, found himself completely out of the loop as the situation progressed.
’Hehe, didn’t I say that being with this one would grant you the opportunity for a great adventure? It is only natural to get a bit caught up in it.’
(Regardless, what I need to do remains unchanged. Seriously, without letting my guard down, I just need to clear the exam’s tasks.)
Kian replied like that and turned to face Manon and Christy.
”I’ll lead the way. You two just follow behind me.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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