The Reincarnated Corporate Slave Will Not Rest

Until He Becames the Strongest in the Other World

Chapter 92
I thought I would meet other classmates from Etoile village, but basically it seems that the area where we stay is
different for each school, so I could only meet Lara in the end.
The schools will be competing with each other from now on, and it may have been done so to prevent any
disputes.

I was looking forward to seeing everyone again, listening to His Majesty’s long story at the opening ceremony at
the Domineus Arena I was starting to feel sleepy.
The greetings of great people in every world are long.
There is no one who collapses or staggers because it is an adventurer school, but everyone can not hide their
distressed expressions. Is this also a kind of training?

“Thank you, His Majesty the King. Now the representatives of each school will decide on the combination. Serene
Frances, Representative of Isten Adventurer School, Luke Seridias, Representative of Sud Adventurer School, Din
Marvel, Representative of Nord Army Training School, Central Adventurer School Representative, Sirius Astel,
come Forward “

…… I didn’t hear about itt?

When I saw Senior Zion next to me, he looked away awkwardly.
When I grabbed Zion’s shoulder, he bowed apologetically.

“Sorry! Sirius, I completely forgot that this was the first time for a school match … Every year, the representative
draws lots to decide the match combination. I’m sorry!”

Senior Zion whispered and pushed my back.

I had no choice but to go up to the stage … and there was a boy who was familiar to me.

“Luke !?”

Luke, a classmate in the village of Etoile, stood on the stage in white armor.
Luke also opened his eyes wide as if he was surprised for a moment when he saw me, but soon he turned away
and left without saying anything.

Eh? What’s up with him?

Various questions come to my mind.

It seems that Luke’s magical power had changed. I thought that the feeling he gave off was familiar.
This magical power is very similar to [Saint]. Luke, no way …

When I was thinking of Luke, representatives of other schools had finished drawing lots before I knew it.

“Then the final Central Adventurer School will have a match against the Nord Army Training School.”
 Maybe I didn’t have to go up on the stage …
With that in mind, I received the number plate of the lottery.

I caught a glimpse of Din Marvel*, a representative student of the Nord Army Training School.
She wears a gray hooded cloak that is familiar to the arena, and although I cannot see her face and body well, I
can feel that she has a well-trained body even through the cloak.
She was looking straight ahead and seemed completely unaware of this.

The hooded cloak shuts down the visual information, but I’ve heard about her from senior Zion.
She is in the third grade and of the same age as Zion, and is said to be a versatile type that can perform both
close quarters combat and magical combat.
Since she was the only second grader at the Nord Army Training School last year, Senior Zion’s prediction
was that she would have been selected as a representative.

I say hello to everyone in the class and head to the waiting room with seniors Zion and Christel.
The competition will be the first round on the first day, and the final will be held later tomorrow.
I thought I could play about two games in a day, but it seems to be for the sake of the players.
Also, it seems to be popular as an easy excursion from the students who usually take strict lessons and training.
As a participant, I don’t feel like sightseeing around…

After the opening ceremony, as I walked along the corridor to the waiting room with my seniors, Luke, who was
about to enter another room with his friends, came into view.

“Luke !!”

As I ran to Luke, a woman stood in front of Luke with a stern look.

The other woman is glaring at me while hugging Luke’s arm.

“Stop! Who are you!”

“I’m Sirius. I’m Luke’s friend.”

When I said that, the woman looked suspicious and asked Luke.

“… Luke, is that true?”

“… No, I’m just an acquaintance. Sirius, I’m not as free as I’m dealing with you, go back home.”

What …?

“Luke, let’s go to the room soon”

“……Ahh”
 Luke entered the waiting room without ever looking at me.

“Yes, that’s right. Go home, Sirius.”

The door was tightly closed and the corridor was filled with silence.

“Ah … what. Sirius, your friends are pretty exciting.”

“……I agree”

The frivolous follow-up of senior Zion comforted me a bit.

*(I think that one is a girl. I think)

We arrived on the bench in the arena, while I was worried about Luke.
Although there is a low wall, it is almost completely visible from the audience seats, so the line of sight pierces
tremendously.
I’m not good at doing something in front of a large number of people, so my stomach started to ache.

By the way, a small number of assistants can be put on the bench.

The three of us were talking that we wouldn’t need an assistant in particular, but Bob was also coming to the
bench as an assistant because he would not stop until I agreed to put him in because he was absolutely useful in
detail about magic tools.

As I talked to my seniors and relaxed, I heard nostalgic words from somewhere.

“Hey, do you see that black-haired, black-eyed child? Maybe– “

“-He seems to be the son of a famous adventurer. It’s true that black hair and black eyes are rare, but they must be
different from us. “
“I see. I see.”
“You … You have forgotten the information about each player, haven’t you? “
“No! I remember exactly the data about the battle! ……may be”

Japanese, nostalgic …

……Japanese! ??

Looking in the direction I heard the conversation, it was from the bench of the Nord Army Training School.
It’s a duo sitting in front of me, though I can’t see it well because they’re wearing a hood.

Was there a reincarnated person other than me …? Should I check them out?
I activated “Insight” and checked the status.

《
【given names】Ihama Eimu
[Gender] Female
[Age] 17 years old
[Race] Human race
【status】
Physical strength: 530
Ki: 50
Mental strength: 1000
Magical power: 50
【skill】
“FPS Lv.3”
》

They’re completely Japanese …

Moreover, even the name is in Japanese, and it may be a metastasis rather than a reincarnation.

And a skill that I have never heard of with extremely low status.
Who the hell are you …?
First of all, should I analyze their skills?

As soon as I thought so, another person turned around and my eyes met.

<< the effect of the target by skill “Analysis” -Failure in “Analysis” due to interference >>

Kuu, I got caught …! ??

I hurriedly looked away, but it might have been too late.
I couldn’t hear the voice that I had heard in a loud voice until now, probably because they became quiet.

As previously pointed out by Beatrice-san, “insight” and “analysis” are activated through magical power, so
there is a risk that they will be detected by high-ranking magicians.
In addition, it may seem suspicious because you have to stare at the subject to activate it, so you need to be
careful when exercising it.

I should have known it, but I was thinking that it was okay because the magical power felt by those two
people was weak.
Perhaps the person who noticed it is just suppressing the magical power.

I’m feeling anxious because I was thinking about it … I have to cool my head a little.

“What’s wrong Sirius? Are you nervous?”

 Senior Zion looked into my face with anxiety.

“No … no, maybe.”

“Sirius, it’s okay. We are also the same.”

Senior Christel gently wiped the sweat that was running down my cheeks with a handkerchief.

“Thank you……”

Actually, I got a cold sweat because it had nothing to do with the game, I’m sorry …
However, when I saw their gentle smiles, my heart calmed down.

“Now, it’s about time. Let’s go!”

“Eh”
“Okay!”

As the arena is filled with cheers, three of us and three of Nord go up to the stage.
All opponents were wearing cloaks which blocked their faces, physiques and weapons.

It’s painful that I couldn’t analyze the information before the match because of the cloak.
Moreover, no prior information came in.
As expected from a military training school, information control is thorough.

On the other hand, we have this president with muscle for brains who wants to be lazy at each turn.
Not only Zion, who was the winning member last time, but also my information about enrolling this year is
leaked to all the schools. There was no personal information protection law.

“Then we’re about to start the match between Central Adventurer School and Nord Army Training School.”

“””Uooo oh oh!!!”””

The announcement of the start of the game was broadcasted, and a big cheer came from the audience.
When I stand on the stage, I feel tremendous pressure, probably because all the cheers are directed toward us.
The central martial arts festival also had a moderate number of guests, but this time the numbers are different.
Not only students and teachers from the four schools and their relatives, but also people from various positions
such as the general public, adventurers, and aristocrats are coming to watch the game.
According to the story I heard from senior Zion earlier, it is one of the three martial arts competitions held in the
Kingdom of Altria.

I thought that if I stood in such a place, I would vomit due to stress, but unexpectedly, when I came here, it was
blown away.
 I was overwhelmed by the two people in front of me, and my heart was throbbing.
……I feel a strong force from Ihama Eimu.

Oh, I’m looking forward to it.

Now I just want to enjoy the fight with the strong people.

“Then, the game starts!”

The battle with the mysterious powerhouse Nord Army Training School began.
Chapter 77: Beef!!!
While walking in the right path, Marco-san suddenly shouted.

“…! Be careful everyone! I’m getting some bad feeling.”

In response, we all stood ready.

Unlike normal premonitions, the ones that Marco-san receives from his Gift were reliable.
That said, while we knew something posed a danger, we didn’t know exactly what form that would be in.

This time, I initially assumed that a monster was coming, but there didn’t seem to be any near us.

“T-that…that ground, 5 meters ahead…”

“Kamuru-san?”
“…don’t step on it, I think…”

I looked at the ground Kamuru-san pointed to, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me.

“Hmm, we probably should play it safe.”

“Yeah, let’s avoid it completely and take the other path.”

Philia-san and Selen said so while preparing to turn back.

“We don’t have to though…”

I said so and then made the golem run straight ahead.

And when it reached the ground that Kamuru-san pointed at, the ground suddenly crumbled. That formed a hole, to
which the golem fell down.

“So, it was a pitfall trap, huh.”

The hole was apparently so deep, even the 5-meter-tall golem could barely stick out its head.

“Wow, Kamuru-san. I couldn’t see anything, but you saw through the trap so clearly.”
“It, it was just a lucky guess, surely…”

Kamuru-san tried to play it down out of shyness, but there was no doubt that this was the power of the [Dungeon
Exploration] Gift.
Thanks to Marco-san’s Gift, we could more or less tell that there was a trap, but now that we had Kamuru-san’s
Gift as well, we could know more details about it.

And so, we proceeded to go deeper into the dungeon.

I could say with confidence that it would have been so much harder if Kamuru-san wasn’t with us. Traps were
everywhere, after all.
Just like before, whenever Kamuru-san discovers a trap, I would send a golem to “disarm” it.
Thanks to that cooperation between us, our exploration was going well.

By the way, for the pitfall traps, there were either spikes at the bottom or a pool of poison. It was a golem that fell,
so it was safe, but if an ordinary human fell, they would be done for.
We also encountered other traps: there were some that dropped sharp stalactites and some that released monsters.
All were quite troublesome.

“Unlike the monster forest, it seems like the danger to this dungeon is its traps. If we somehow activated one while
fighting monsters, it’s likely over for us. Activating the traps beforehand is really helpful.”
“Even so, this has been quite the dangerous path from the start. Wouldn’t it have been better to take the left one?”
“…!”
“Hey, it’s not your fault, Kamuru-san! I’m the one that chose to go this way, remember?”

I hurriedly followed up with that when I saw Kamuru-san flinch from Selen’s words.

Not long after that, another fork in the road appeared. This time, the way branched off to three paths.

“The one in the middle…I’m feeling something from it…”

“The middle path it is then.”

Trusting in the Kamuru-san who never seemed to have self-confidence, we took the middle path.
After a while of walking…

“Bumoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!”
“…that’s, that’s a…”

What lied ahead was something that was easily bigger than an orc.
It had the head and the horns of a bull, yet had a humanoid body and walked on two legs.
Yes, it was that fearsome monster that was said to appear only in dungeons, and brought the demise of many
adventurers through its monstrous charge.
I had heard of this bullheaded monster’s name before and it was…

“Minotaur…”
“““Beef!!!”””

Eh!?

◇ ◇ ◇
<<Emergency, emergency, emergency—>>
“Mhm, mhm…”

In the depths of the dungeon, an alarm rung repeatedly.

Despite that, the creature in the bed continued to sleep.

This creature looked like a human girl, but not only did it have wings on its back, it was also so small that it could
fit in the hands of an actual human girl.

<<Emergency, emergency, emergency—intruders have entered and are absorbing the dungeon. It’s recommended
to respond right away.>>
“Uhehehe…so many…so many hunks…”

As though having some kind of pleasant dream, the winged creature showed no signs of waking up.

<<Emergency, emergency, emergency—>>

The alarm repeated and repeated in vain.

Chaptet 62 - Immediate Contact

"Hey, Barca guys. What the hell are you coming here to do?"

A man yelled from the village while both sides were facing each other, prepared for battle.

While holding a weapon in one hand, the man jabs it forward and comes out to the front of the group.

He has a big sword.

Can it be considered a great-sword?

Despite having a wide and thick (TLN:ヽ(｡◕o◕｡)ﾉ) sword in his hand, he is moving without showing any
particular pretense that makes it seem like the sword feels heavy.

His weapon is quite different and unique even in this group.

Like the guys in our village, they basically don't have very good weapons.

There are many people who just grabbed their farm equipment and came out if their weapons were rusting or
the like.

It is a spear that is often used as a weapon for war, not farm tools.

The reason why there are many spears instead of swords is related to the economic aspect.

A sword that requires a certain length of metal from the handle to the tip of the blade versus a spear that only
has a cutting edge attached to the tip of a wooden stick.

By comparison, the amount of metal used is overwhelmingly less for spears, and the price is cheaper.
 Therefore, it can be said that owning a sword shows that one has economic power.

In other words, what I want to say is that having a great-sword that is larger than a person's height in a group
with only trashy weapons is a unique presence by itself.

"Hmm, maybe he is Vargas?"

"Vargas? Dad, do you know him?"

"Oh, I know him. He's like a hero around here, because he used to have great successes on many battlefields."

"Then he's pretty strong, isn't he?"

"But it is a story from a long time ago. We heard he had gone somewhere ... did he come back?"

Apparently, the man seems to be a celebrity next door.

It seems that people of the same age or older as my father are familiar with Vargas.

After Vargas appeared, voices rose here and there and people started getting upset on our side.

On the other hand, the people in the neighboring village seem to have regained a great deal of calm with
Vargas coming forward.

It is said that he once left this place, but is he still a reliable man for the people in this village?

"Listen! The Fontanas committed an outrageous act against the inhabitants of the village of Barca. We got
angry with that and decided to rebel, so cooperate with us!"

It was when I was observing the man named Vargas who spoke out just then.

Baito-nii, went out in front of our group and started talking to the other side.

The appearance of Vargas's holding a great-sword gave a feeling of intimidation to us, but Baito-nii
should've also given the other party the same feeling.

My brother is by far the most well-clad in terms of equipment.

That would be natural.

After all, the equipment was prepared by me.

First, Baito-nii is riding a hornless Valkyrie.

Usually, few farmers have riding skills.

In the first place, few humans even have a Familiar that can be mounted.

Baito-nii was riding a majestic Familiar which had a pure white coat.

His body is wrapped in brand new leather armor.

This is an armor created from the wild boar fur tanned with Mana Recovery Medicine as a catalyst.

Most of the farmers only use farm tools as weapons, and there is almost no armor.

At best, one might use a wooden board as a shield.

 The leather armor is made to fit perfectly on the body of my brother, who is still a child and is clearly going
to continue to grow.

But even more amazing was the weapon he had.

It is not as big as Vargas's great sword, but it is a hard fang sword made from the fangs of large wild boars.

It was given to him by me, who created it with Gran-san's help.

It is not metal, but it is a sword that shines a fascinating light.

What kind of existence does such a Nii-san look like from the other side's point of view?

They would never dream of him being the second son of an ordinary farmer.

"That equipment, maybe it's you? The one who is called Barca's Hunter ..."

"Hmm? Oh, that's not the case. The one who is 'Barca's Hunter' is my brother. Ars, come forward."

My brother and Vargas speak a few words and niisan calls me.

I don't understand who they are talking about for the time being, but let's still go forward.

"Hey, don't joke with me. You don't seriously believe such a small kid can kill a wild boar alone!"

Ah I see.

Is the 'Barca's Hunter' the name given to me because I defeated the wild boars?

By the way, Gran told me that he came here because he heard about the extermination of the wild boars.

I wonder if rumors are spreading far and wide.

"Oi, I'll forgive you and I'll just laugh at your kid's joke. Just go home with the guys behind you, already."

"Don't be silly, as I said earlier. We citizens of Barca will fight the Fontana family. You guys will cooperate
with us, okay?"

"I won't play along with your stupid games. You can't convince me that such a far-fetched joke is true."

"Oh, really?"

"What, gonna challenge me?"

Dangerous.

Baito-nii and Vargas began to turn the conversation into something like a quarrel.

However, it can be dangerous if a quarrel starts.

Behind each other, humans with weapons are leaning forward and getting closer to each other.

It cannot be helped.

I gave up the peaceful solution I spent time to think of and fired magic as a warning towards Vargas.

『Shotgun』
My brother and Vargas are arguing.
Next to them, I cast a spell.
 Riding Valkyrie, I cast a spell with my right palm pointing towards Vargas.
At that moment, a hard stone, sharp like an arrowhead, flew from my hand toward Vargas.
Dadan.
A shot pierces the ground near my target with such a sound.
The magic that was cast at Vargas hit the ground not because the aim was not so good.
It was fully intended to be a little off-target, because it was supposed to be a warning shot.
A shot flew to the ground at Vargas's feet.
"... So magic, eh?"
"That's right. Put down your weapon. I want to talk. If you move, I'll actually hit you this time."
"Okay, let's fight."
I called out for discussion, but apparently Vargas received it as a provocation.
He was a little surprised to see the shotgun, but I don't think he's scared.
Vargas, like a bird of prey, began to run towards us with his eyes focusing on us.
Is it because he quarrels often, or does his experience of being active on the battlefield let him know that
opponents who are capable of long-range attacks need to be swiftly approached?
"Hey, stop. Shotgun!"
I activate magic to intercept his frontal charge in a hurry.
But the next moment, Vargas flew to the side.
Shotguns using many stones have the side affect of losing accuracy.
This is because it is a magic created with the intention of just having at least one stone hit and damage the
opponent.
However, Vargas successfully prevented that.
Vargas, who should have been running towards us, read the trajectory of the stones and jumped sideways the
moment I shot 『Shotgun』.
However, that alone cannot help him to avoid all the stones.
However, in anticipation of that, he used his great sword as a shield and threw off the stones that were about to
hit him.
There was no hesitation in his movements.
Perhaps he was surprised at the flying stones and swung his sword out of reflex, but that would be too 'lucky'.
Perhaps this guy spotted 『Shotgun』's characteristics when I first fired intimidatingly towards him.
This magic is convenient, but it is also easily readable.
First, I point my palm at the target.
In other words, it means that the other party can read where you are going to release the magic.
Furthermore, the characteristic of multiple stones scattered and flying can help you escape out of their range as
long as you understand how they spread.
Even if you can't escape out of range, there is no problem if you prevent them with a shield.
Even though they are sharp stones, they do not have the power to penetrate metal.
But is this something that can be understood and dealt with just by looking at how the magic is cast once?
Even I may not be able to.
No, even if someone could, they wouldn't want to put it into practice.
If you fail to avoid it, you will suffer a lot of damage.
It was well understood that people of other villages feared a man named Vargas.
 In addition to being accustomed to fighting, he has the power to make instant decisions and even the courage to
jump in without fear of the opponent's attack.
I see, so he is like the definition of a 'hero'.
"『Shotgun』, 『Shotgun』, 『Shotgun』, 『Shotgun』"
Vargas is gradually shortening the distance.
I keep intercepting him by shooting stones in his direction.
There must be a limit to how much he can predict the accuracy of the stones and can avoid them.
With that in mind, I kept chanting shotguns.
The sharp stones that are produced one after another are shot at Vargas, where they are blocked by him.
Vargas tries to avoid them.
However, the limit of how much he can avoid had finally came.
I'm not panicking and firing magic without thinking about anything.
I predicted the direction Vargas would avoid and fired a shot at a position that I though he would go to.
Shotguns fly on the direct hit course toward Vargas who jumped sideways.
No matter how big his sword is, this stone thrown towards his side cannot be prevented.
Thinking so, I was surprised again by Vargas's actions.
I'll finally hit you.
It was when I thought so.
"Woooooooooooooo!"
Vargas roared.
Vargas shouts out loud, which could definitely tear a person's eardrums if heard up close.
And at the same time as the roar, Vargas rushed towards the shotgun of the direct hit course that I shot.
Vargas has a leather breastplate, but everything else is just his flesh.
If you think normally, getting hit by the shot directly would make Vargas damaged.
However, I can't find any big scars on Vargas's body, which is very close to me.
Perhaps 【Heal】?
The figure of a wild boar that didn't frighten even when it was hit with a Shotgun came to my mind, seeing that
scene.
It is said that arrows do not pass through wild boars, but it was not only because of their hard skin and fur that
caused it, but it was also possible because they could use the magic 【Hardening】.
Actually, I can do something close to this 【Hardening】 .
I often use 【Physical Strengthening】 to fill my whole body with mana to increase my strength.
However, at this time, if the mana is concentrated on the skin, which is the surface of one's body, instead of their
whole body, the power to prevent external impacts will increase.
Maybe Vargas is doing the same.
It's not a spell, but it may be that he self-taught it to himself on the battlefield on how to improve his body's
defenses by making the loud roaring voice, such as previously.
"I'm sorry, but tsk."
I never thought that there was a person in this village who used magic to increase his defense.
It was also found that if I battle someone accostumed to fighting, I may not be able to deal with them with just
【Shotgun】.
This may have been good in a way, as I noticed this fact before fighting the Fontanas.
However, it is a bad move to rush in with the preparedness to be hit just because your defense power increases.
 It wasn't decided that my attacks wouldn't work, yet.
There was a rustling sound.
Smoke has risen around the area, impairing the visibility of the people near the surroundings.
Perhaps they didn't know what had happened.
It was quiet.
After a while, the wind blows and the dirt smoke disappears.
Vargas had fallen there.
Next to him is his proud great sword, which is broken from the handle.
Seeing that, I think the people around me finally understood.
That I defeated Vargas.
The villagers, who were watching with tense expressions, were staring at me riding on Valkyrie, as if they had
seen something terrifying.

Episode 110 The end of the prince

Cruz has escaped, but Mushym’s main force has been wiped out by me and Linnecarlo. All that
was left was the ride carrier that he was riding.
“Give up, Mushym! Falsifying the results of the succession vote and attempting to eliminate the
crown prince, Yudin, will not be tolerated!”
Linnecarlo, who was standing in front of Mushym’s ride carrier, holding her staff, said this over
the external output sound.
“I’m the one who won the throne vote! What evidence do you have against me? You’re the
ones who were not satisfied with the result of the throne succession vote and went on a
rampage!”
A liar is a liar no matter what, and no matter what happens to him, he will never be able to
change his attitude.
“Let’s publish the details of the vote here. Tell me! Who voted for whom? There were nine
voters. Name the people who voted for you!”
Linnecarlo was very swift with her words.
“…..Bildello and Lindyl……Brom and Duke Holomel………….”
Mushym says this in a slightly weak tone of voice…….His mouth stops when he says the 4th
name, because only 4 people voted for him.
“There are nine voters, there must be at least one more, but who is it?” “Ugghhh………”
“It’s impossible that the Dukes of Caron, Reydemarte and Barelma, who are on Yudin’s side,
voted for you, of course I did not vote for you, then who voted for you? I don’t know!”
“Ugh……annoying! It’s Rhydiria! Rhydiria voted for me!”
In anguish, he shouts out the name of the last voter, whose name was not mentioned, but…
“Don’t lie, Mushym! I did not vote for you.”
The ride carrier with Princess Rhydiria and the Duke of Caron approached, and she corrected
Mushym’s statement.
“Geez……shut up, shut up! There’s no point in voting for the throne in the first place! I’m the
first prince, I’m supposed to be the king! We don’t need a weak king like Yudin in this
country!”
“You admit that you falsified the results of the throne vote?”
“I’m……! What the hell is wrong with you people? What are you doing? I’m the king! Don’t
you dare touch me like that! Oh……………”
Mushym’s external output sound was disturbed, and after a while, another person began to
speak.
“Princess Linnecarlo, I am General Libra of the national army. I’m sorry, it seems we’ve been
deceived as well. We now have the renegade Mushym in custody. We will hand him over to you
immediately. I have also ordered a ceasefire for all troops, so the fighting will stop immediately.”
It seems that the soldiers who learned the truth have turned against the Mushym – this will
finally end the mess in this country.
“Oh, Yuta, looks like it’s over.”
The battle was over, and the ride carrier that Jean and the others were riding was approaching,
protected by a large number of magicrafts.
“Jean, are you all right?”
“Yeah, the Iron Warriors did a great job protecting Yudin.”
I was relieved to see that everyone seemed to be safe.
Mushym was captured and taken to the royal palace. He will be given a proper trial there.
“I wonder where Cruz ran off to.”
“She’s a vicious woman who misbehaves everywhere she goes, so I’m not going to let her go. I’ll
send out a message to the whole country to get her.”
“I’m sure she realized that and will flee the country soon.”
“……You’re right, I should have put a stop to that.”
If Viktor’s ether hadn’t been leaked at that time, I could have definitely captured her…….
Linnecarlo’s father, the current King of Meltaria, had died – just after the battle with Mushym
was over.
Although Linnecarlo has always been a stout, high-flying girl, the death of her father seemed to
have been enough to turn her into a normal, quiet girl. She was listless and depressed for a
while.
Immediately after the king’s funeral, the formal succession ceremony for Yudin was held in a
hurry. When Yudin became king and the current situation in the country was investigated, the
misdeeds of the Mushym faction came out one after another.
First, the Duke of Holomel, who was stripped of his title, had his property confiscated, and was
banished from the country for persecuting his subjects, misappropriating state funds, and
participating in Mushym’s rampage. It is doubtful that the duke could survive being thrown out
of the country penniless.
The second prince, Bildero, and the second princess, Lindyl, were stripped of their royal status
and imprisoned in a remote area for the merciless killing of their people and misappropriation
of state funds.
Prime Minister Brom has atoned for his crimes by losing his own life, and his family was
granted a pardon with only a downgrade in rank.
Also, a man named General Orlea was stripped of his status and sentenced to thirty years of
labor.
And the ringleader, Mushym…
“Even though he is a member of the royal family, he is the ringleader of this mess, and
considering the viciousness of his countless crimes in the past, we have no choice but to execute
him, and therefore, we sentence First Prince Mushym to beheading.”
When the verdict came, I didn’t miss the slight clouding of Linnecarlo’s expression. After all,
even she would not feel very good since her brother was about to be beheaded.
Now that the turmoil in the Kingdom of Meltaria is over, our role in this country has come to an
end. According to Jean, due to the civil war and the misdeeds of Mushym’s faction, the
country’s finances are stretched thin, and staying here is not profitable. So, he said, that we
should move to a more profitable country.
“I’m sorry, the Iron Knights have done us a great favor, and I wish I could thank them more,
but with the current financial state of our country……”
Yudin, who is now the king, says so apologetically.
“I got paid for my services as a mercenary, no problem.”
We had received the promised fee and wanted nothing more, but Yudin still had two rewards
for us.
“You want me to have Viktor? No, that’s the national treasure of the country. I can’t take it.”
“It’s a shame to leave it on display as an antique in the royal palace, and having a connection
like this will give you a reason to come running in the event of a national emergency.”
Yudin is also a surprisingly shrewd guy. The bottom line is that he’s going to leave Viktor in my
care, and if the country is in danger, I’m going to help him.
“All right, I’ll take it.”
“Thank you, and one more thing, the other day I received from the Ladle Company a state-of-
the-art ride carrier that Mushym had purchased in secret, and I was having trouble returning it
because it was already paid for, so I was wondering if you could accept it.”
“A state-of-the-art ride carrier! What is that?”
Jean snapped.
“I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard that it’s a battleship-type ride carrier with six auto-
loading ballistae, and it can carry up to fifteen magicrafts.”
“Oh…that’s awesome! Okay, we’ll take it!”
“No, Jean, we can’t take something that expensive. Considering the financial situation of this
country, I think it’s better to sell it for money.”
“No, if we sell it after it was used, it will be bought at a discount, and since this ride carrier is
quite fast, we consider it an upfront investment to have you rush to us quickly in the event of a
national emergency.”
Yudin emphasizes the need for help when something happens to the country……That was
something that stuck out to me, but the subsequent conversation with Linnecarlo made it all
make sense.
Raidorl Seiken Senki
A few days later, Raidorl stepped into the royal capital for the first time in five years, rocked by a horse-drawn
carriage.
The streets of the capital were not much different from those he had known. However, the number of people
walking along the main street and the number of stalls lining both sides of the street had obviously decreased, and
the whole city seemed to be depressing as if shadows had engulfed the whole capital.
“I suppose it’s understandable that the atmosphere would be depressing due to the current war but……. is the war
situation worse than I had expected?”
If the war were going well, the people’s faces would not be so depressing. The reason why their faces are so
downcast must be because they sense, in their own way, that the Kingdom of Zain is being hunted down.
Raidorl peered out of the carriage window and predicted the outcome of the war.
If the kingdom of Zain is so cornered, they may call back the ‘one’ they never want to see again.
“I will take you back to your mansion. Your audience with His Majesty the King will be tomorrow, so take your
time and recover from your journey.”
“Mansion? I thought we’re going to the palace?”
Raidorl raised his eyebrows at Darren’s explanation.
“I thought they were going to take me to the palace, but why are they taking me to a mansion?”
“As there is a lot going on at the Royal Palace, we have prepared a mansion in the Noble Quarter for His Highness.
You may use it for the duration of your stay in the Royal Capital.”
“…… I see. So they don’t trust me at all.”
Raidorl twisted his lips in loathing.
Although Raidorl was exiled from the capital and sent to the frontier, he was not deprived of his royal status. It’s
not that he’s not a member of the royal family.
However, it seems that his brother does not like Raidorl enough to allow him to stay in the palace.
He is afraid that Raidorl will rebel against him and turn on him, or maybe he just doesn’t want to see his brother’s
face. The reason for this is unclear, but he doesn’t even want to have him under the same roof as him.
“No, it’s not like that…….”
“You don’t have to lie. I’ve known him for five years to know that my brother hates me.”
“…………”
Raidorl turned his head out of the window and Darren said softly, “I’m sorry.” Darren’s eyes were downcasted, his
face was somber, and he fell silent apologetically. There was a long silence in the carriage and the only sound was
the rattling of the wheels on the ground.
For a while the carriage drove on until it came to a section lined with the residences of noblemen and wealthy
merchants. The streets were much less crowded, and instead a quiet atmosphere enveloped the area.
The carriage drove deeper and deeper into the aristocratic quarter until it stopped in front of a large building.
“We’ve arrived. This is the mansion.”
Darren, unable to bear the silence, speaks up. One of the knights surrounding the carriage dismounted and opened
the carriage door for them.
Darren was the first to get out, followed by Raidorl and Neimilia.
“Wow, …… it is quite something, isn’t it?”
He looked up at the large house in front of him and sighed in admiration.
The house has the appearance of a great nobleman’s residence, with a vast garden full of well-tended plants and
seasonal flowers. The chalk walls and blue roof had been painstakingly maintained and there was not a stain to be
seen.
To purchase a house of this magnitude of money would have cost the pioneer town a year’s tax revenue.
“I see. …… I can see right through your intention, my dear brother.”
As he gazes up at the grand and luxurious mansion, Raidorl wonders what his brother, King Granard, thinks of
him.
He is afraid of Raidorl and does not want him in the palace. However, he still wants to help him, so he gives him
some sweet candy.
He wants Raidorl to disappear, but he also wants to win over the Keeper of the Holy Sword. He must be struggling
to balance two conflicting emotions.
“I suppose I can do as much as I like with the house.”
“Of course. Your Majesty has given you permission to do with it as you please.”
“Oh, well then, I shall do so.”
Raidorl stepped unceremoniously into the gate that the knight had opened for him. Behind him, like a shadow,
Neimilia followed him.
As they disappeared into the house, Darren’s eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and hope
“Welcome home, Your Royal Highness, the King’s brother Raidorl Zain.”
As soon as Raidorl and Neimilia entered the house, twenty stewards and maids greeted them in unison.
“Hurm??”
The sight of well-bred men and women bowing to each other in unison is something of a spectacle.
Even if Raidorl was once a prince living in the royal palace, since he had spent so much time in the remote
countryside, Raidorl could not help but feel pressured.
“Master-”
“Hm, aa..”
Neimilia, standing behind him, tugged at the hem of Raidorl’s jacket. Raidorl nodded, regained his composure and
cleared his throat.
“Now, who is the master of this house, and who represents all of you?”
“It is I, Your Royal Highness.”
Stepping forward is a man in a butler’s uniform with a moustache.
His carefully groomed hair and beard are tinged with romance grey, and the way he greets you, his hips carefully
folded, exudes a sincere personality.
“You look familiar. You used to work at the Royal Court, didn’t you?”
“Yes, it’s been a long time. My name is Salawin and I used to work for His Majesty Granard.”
The butler, Salawin, smiles at Raidorl with a relaxed smile.
His calm and serene mood is the same as it was five years ago. Raidorl remembers the time when he was a child
and Salawin gave him sweets at a tea party held by his brother.
“Ahh, I see. It’s you Salawin, it’s been a long time.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir. Good to see you back.”
“Thank you. By the way, ……, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, or rather, with everyone here.
“Hurm? What is it?”
When Salawin looks at him suspiciously, Raidorl smiles, his mouth forming a crescent.
“You’re all fired. You need to leave now.”
“Ha……?”

Salawin’s face freezes at the unexpected words. The other servants in the room behind him begin to stir.
“Wa, is there something wrong with us? If so, please tell us……”
“Oh, there’s nothing wrong. I just don’t need you all. I just want all of you to leave”.
Raidorl declares in a sarcastic tone.
Salawin’s gaze wanders from side to side in bewilderment, but he persists.
“The house is huge, as you can see. It’s not as if one of your maids is going to be able to clean up after herself…”
“It is not for you to worry about….. Let me set this straight, there is only one person I trust here, and that is
Neimilia. I’m not going to have anyone else around.”
“But……”
You can’t be trusted.
So, get out.
Salawin’s face twists in humiliation as he is told by this.
The old butler stared at Raidorl and Neimilia for a while with a grudge, but then he gave up and sighed.
“……I understand. I will inform His Majesty Granard of this.”
“Please do so, and thank you for your trouble.”
Raidorl waved his hand and watched the servants go out of the door. The servants leave the house with Salawin in
the lead. Their faces were all puzzled.
Eventually, he saw that everyone had left and looked back at Neimilia.
“Check the …… house. Every inch of it.”
“Understood, Master.”
Neimilia pinched the hem of her apron dress and reverently replied with an understanding.
“Shadow Servant.”
Shadow version of Neimilia changes its shape and forms a human figure.
It’s slowly shaping from the shadows into women in maid’s uniforms. They have black hair and dark skin. The
faces of these maids look as if they have been kneaded out of darkness, with no eyes or noses, and are as smooth as
eggs.
They are not human, of course. They are the messengers of Neimilia, who live in the shadows and are born from
the shadows.
“Search the house. Please make sure there are no dangerous objects or people lurking around. Those who are free
should check the supplies in the house. Especially clothing and foodstuffs.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
The ten or so shadow maids scattered around the house with a gliding gait.
They are able to enter every corner and explore every detail of the house. Neimilia nodded in satisfaction as the
ants explored every nook and cranny.
“Well……, you may now rest in peace, my Lord. I will take care of the house and all its affairs.”
“Hum, I’m counting on you.”
With her strong loyalty, Neimilia would be able to take care of the whole large house by herself.
The witch who had once almost destroyed the world was now an accomplished maid.
The next day, Raidorl went to the palace with a civil servant who had come to meet him. This was to have an
audience with his brother Granard, who had become king.
As it was an audience with the king, he could not take his maid, Neimilia, with him, so he had to leave her at the
mansion.
However, in case of emergency, a shadow messenger, created by Neimilia, lurks in the shadow and its purpose was
to help him escape from the castle in the event of an emergency.
“Thank you for your patience. Now, please make your way to the audience chamber.”
Raidorl waited in the parlour until Granard was ready, but after a while he was ushered into the audience hall.
“His Royal Highness, the King’s brother of Raidorl Zain, is here.”
When Raidorl entered the audience chamber, he found a man seated on a throne at the far end of the room.
On each side of him were his subjects, who were expressing a variety of emotions: anxiety, hope, hostility,
confusion.
“………”
Raidorl walked silently up to the throne, dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
“Lift up your face, Raidorl.”
“….”
Granard says in a grave tone, and Raidorl follows his brother’s advice and raises his head.
Looking up, a man sitting a step higher than Raidorl is Granard Zain.
He is Raidorl’s half-brother, and the one who banished him from the capital after he became the wielder of the
holy sword, Dáinsleif.
“……have you lost some weight?”
As Granard sat on his throne looking down at him, Raidorl’s mind wandered.
His older brother, who is ten years older than Raidorl remembers, looks a little scrawnier than he used to, and his
hair is beginning to show some white.
“Being a king is a hard job, isn’t it? This brother of mine has young white hair.”
Raidorl waited for the king to speak, holding back a smile that threatened to creep into his mouth.
Granard looked down at him in silence for a few moments, then opened his mouth solemnly.
“I am glad you have come, Raidorl. My brother.”
“Well, it’s been a long time, Your Majesty the King.”
“Hmm ……, don’t talk to me like I’m a stranger. I may be a king, but we are still brothers. You can call me as you
used to.”
“Well, I’ll take your word for it, …… brother.”
He breathed in and suppressed his anger.
“You think you’re a stranger? brothers? You’ve banished me without question, and now you’re talking
nonsense!”
“I am very sorry that I could not attend our father’s funeral. Please forgive me, a helpless brother for not being able
to support you as king.”
“It’s all right. You have done an excellent job of keeping the demons at bay in the southern frontier cities. Your
success has reached the Royal Capital. That’s my little brother.”
“What a waste of words.”
Raidorl and Granard. The two brothers continued their conversation in a cheerful manner, with smiles on their
faces.
The vassals around them were expecting the reunion between the exiled brother prince and his king brother to be
quite a bleak affair, but they were relieved to see them conversing in a more relaxed manner than they had
expected.
However, only the Prime Minister, Lockwood Marcell, had a sullen expression on his face, as if he had bitten
something bitter.
“What a surprise! I had no idea that their relationship had become so strained.”
Most of the vassals watching the audience did not notice, but for some time now both Granard, sitting on his
throne, and Raidorl, kneeling in front of him, have not smiled at all.
No matter how softly Granard speaks, his eyes are hostile, glaring at Raidorl as if to cut him down.
“It is to be expected that His Highness Prince Raidorl has a grudge against His Majesty the King. But I never
imagined that His Majesty would have such inflexible feelings toward him…….”
Granard was born as the first prince of the previous king, Bernard, but from an early age he had a deep respect for
the first king, who was the holder of the Holy Sword.
He has been educated as a crown prince with the ambition that he would eventually be chosen as the Holy Sword
and lead the country to further prosperity as the founder of the Zain Kingdom.
Lockwood, who was supporting Granard, noticed that Granard was jealous of Raidorl, who had become the
wielder of the holy sword Dáinsleif.
Raidorl’s banishment to the frontier was not only to prevent a split in the country between the first prince, who is
running the affairs of state in place of the sick king, and the second prince, who has become the holder of the Holy
Sword.
It was also due to the dark flame of obsession that burned in Granard’s heart.
“Even so,……, the death of His Majesty the First King and the accession to the throne of His Majesty the Granard
have already made His Majesty’s position so secure that there can be no succession dispute. I thought that the
resentment against His Royal Highness Raidorl was somewhat cleared up……”
Apparently, Granard’s hatred and jealousy are far deeper than Lockwood had imagined.
And – no doubt – Raidorl is also aware of this black emotion.
His brother, who had banished him, still hated him. He must have sensed this clearly and is returning the hostile
look.
“Will ……this be enough to win the heart of His Highness Raidorl and make him fight against the Empire? So,
after winning the war against the empire and saving the country, will the brothers be able to reconcile?”
There is no way they can do that. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lockwood gulped down a nervous spit.
“Well, ……, it seems that the daughter of Prime Minister Marcell, whom you sent as a messenger, has been rude to
you?”
After the reunion, Granard opened a conversation regarding the Vizier’s daughter, Mertina Marcell.
Mertina was sent to the frontier city as an emissary to bring Raidorl to Royal Capital, but she is now in custody for
attempting to curse and restrain Raidorl. Her body is still in the city and has been thrown into the prison of the
adventurer’s guild managed by Zafis.
“Yes, I did not wish to detain the daughter of the Prime Minister, Lord Marcell, but as things stand, I have taken
her into my custody. I will release her and return her to you if that is what you wish?”
“….. No, there is no need for that.”
Lockwood replied to Raidorl’s question with a stern look on his face.
“She has committed an unforgivable act in the service of the House of Zain. I am not in a position to ask for help
because of my desire to save my country. Please judge her as you see fit.”
“Well, if that’s what you want, Prime Minister, I shall do so…… Are you sure? She’s your precious daughter, isn’t
she?”
Raidorl raises his lips in a mean way to confirm this. Lockwood, on the other hand, is unconcerned, his offer still
firm.
“Of course, Your Highness. She is no longer a member of the house of Marcell. You can boil her or burn her as
you like.”
“……….. Yeah, okay. I’ll do what I want then”
Raidorl sniffed boringly.
If Lockwood were to stand up for Mertina here, it would be the perfect opportunity to pursue the vizier for
disrespecting the royal family and get rid of him.
If Lockwood had been disposed of, it would have reduced the power of his brother, Granard, but it appears that
this will not be the case.
“Well, I knew this man was capable of cutting down his own people for the sake of his country. It’s not so
surprising.”
Raidorl sigh in resignation and quickly changes his mind.
“And now, brother, what is your business in calling me back to the Royal Capital?”
Mertina and Darren had already explained it to him, but Raidorl still wanted to hear it from his brother’s mouth.
Granard raises one of his eyebrows and cuts to the main topic.
“As you may have already heard ……, the Eastern Alsatian Empire has invaded the borders of the Kingdom of
Zain.”
“……..”
“The Empire has more troops than our country, and even the Holy Sword Keepers are following the invasion. The
fortress of Balmes, a key border point, has already fallen, and a third of the kingdom has been overrun. General
Garst is holding the enemy forces at bay, but if this continues, it is only a matter of time before the kingdom is
destroyed.”
“And what do you want me to do, brother……?”
Raidorl clenched his fists tightly as he asked the question. The tips of his nails dug into his palms, causing a sharp
pain. But he does not relax his hand.
“Now, what do we do? This is the last turning point for us, right?”
If Raidorl and Granard are ever to be reconciled and join hands, this will be the last time they do so.
If Granard bows his head honestly and apologises, then the deep rift between them will be bridged.
If Granard had said what Raidorl expected him to say, the brotherly bond would have been completely severed at
that moment. There would no longer be any chance of restoration.
That is why Raidorl waited with bated breath for his brother’s words.
But what came out of Granard’s mouth were heartless words that extinguished all hope.
“Raidorl Zain, Keeper of the Holy Sword. To save the Kingdom of Zain, you must take up Dáinsleif and fight the
Empire!”
“……!”
Raidorl bit his back teeth and closed his eyes tightly.
In that moment, what little was left of his heart for his brother was destroyed in pieces.
In order to reign as king, and out of jealousy over the loss of his holy sword, Granard drove Raidorl to the frontier.
He has never apologised for this, but instead has used his authority as king to force him to fight for his country.
Their relationship is no longer that of brothers.
It’s more of the one who uses, one who is used. It has become a relationship between a ruler and a slave.
“Well…… my brother, Granard, you don’t really think of me as your brother anymore, do you? You think of me only
as a useful pawn, don’t you?”
Raidorl’s heart went cold, as if a block of ice had been thrown into it.
His mind wanders back to the days when he and his brother were close friends as children. But they soon faded
into the background and disappeared from his memory.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll show you no mercy. I will take back what was taken from me, and I will crush the one
who took it from me! I won’t let you take my place again!”
Raidorl looked up, his will for revenge burning like a furnace.
You’re going to rule me?
What a joke!
How could a king who had not even been chosen for the Holy Sword, a king of such small stature, who chose to
give up the title of Keeper of the Holy Sword out of jealousy for his brother, rule over him?
In Raidorl’s eyes, the throne in front of him was now a place for him to seize.
“I’m sorry, my dear brother but I’m afraid I have to decline.”
“What did you just say?”
Granard’s eyebrows shot up at the cold rejection.
Raidorl was sure Granard didn’t expect his words to be rejected. There is a hint of doubt in his eyes.
“I can’t fight the Empire, brother.”
“….. Do you understand what you are saying? This is a royal decree, you know.”
No matter how much Raidorl is a brother to the king, he is not allowed to refuse the king’s orders. The royal
family is only related to the king by blood, but they are still his subjects.
Granard’s eyes grew darker and darker at the rejection of his orders, and his fingertips trembled with anger.
The king was about to shout at him, but Lockwood spoke up instead.
“Your Highness, Raidorl! You are disrespecting His Majesty the King!”
“Well, Your Highness. As Lord of the frontier city of Raid, I have the duty of preventing the invasion of the
demons of the jungle. Is it not a little unreasonable to ask me to abandon that duty and go to the border, which is
the exact opposite of the territory that I govern, and fight without being given enough time to prepare? Is there not
a reason for this, instead of the royal order?”
“How can there be any reason when the country is about to be destroyed! Do you not understand that this order
takes precedence?”
Lockwood shouts with all his usual calmness, and Raidorl replies with a cold sneer.
“I believe that the importance of the task of border protection remains the same, regardless of whether the
opponent is an empire or a demon. Or are there other lords besides me who are rushing to the south and north of
the kingdom for reinforcements? My memory tells me that it is the army, the knights, and the lords of the northern
territories that are facing the empire.”
“…..it’s….”
Lockwood is slightly at a loss for words. Seeing an opening, Raidorl slashes at it with more mockery words.
“I see there are many noblemen with estates here, but how many troops have you sent out? I don’t suppose you’ve
sent me to fight with no other forces than adventurers, and they haven’t sent any troops?”
“Ku.!!”
The noblemen around him began to whisper at Raidorl’s words.
Many of the noblemen in the service of Granard were gathered here, but many of them had not sent out their
troops under the pretext of ‘maintaining the peace’.
It is surely unreasonable for Raidorl to act on the order if the other nobles also refuse to act.
A whisper of agitation and bewilderment fills the audience room.
Some of the noblemen present nodded their heads in agreement with Raidorl’s words, while others cried out in
disrespect to the king.
In the first place, it is impossible for the king to suddenly call back a prince who had been exiled to the frontier and
treated poorly, and unilaterally order him to go to war.
Raidorl’s argument was undoubtedly correct, except that it ignored the national danger of ‘enemy invasion’.
The other noblemen were divided in their opinions, and Lockwood, with a sullen look on his face, opened his
mouth again in an attempt to persuade Raidorl.
But before the Prime Minister could say a word, Granard spoke up.
“So? How do you propose to fight the Empire?”
The nobleman who had been making a lot of noise quieted down at the sound of Granard’s resentful questioning,
his shoulders shaking with anger.
Granard’s words cut through the silence of the audience room.
“If you really don’t want to go to war, better don’t come to the Royal Capital in the first place. There must be some
kind of condition……, is it money or position? If you want something, tell me.”
The smile on Granard’s face that he used to wear when he said that is no longer there. Instead, what dominates his
face is the disdain with which he treats his sullen brother.
Raidorl’s lips lifted in irony as he stared at him with a look that he would never have given to his own flesh and
blood.
“That’s His Majesty the King. It’s good that you’re quick with your words. I suppose a king has to be able to read
people, doesn’t he?”
“…… Tell me what you want. I’m not going to listen to your flattery.”
“Yes, sir. Then let’s hear what I want.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment from the inside pocket of his jacket.
“I will gladly fight against the empire if my brother will accept the terms of my oath. If my brother, who is now
king, is willing to listen to the request of this poor brother, who has been forced to leave his native land, then I will
……”
“…….”
When Raidorl said this with a clownish goofiness, Granard gave him a silent, reproachful look and urged him to
“read it quickly”.
Raidorl shrugs his shoulders and unfolds the rolled-up parchment, as his brother glares at him.
Chapter 52 : Finally, I Resigned
===A Certain Undead With Communication Disorder===
The place where the siblings led me to was the slum district.
Here was their safe haven along with the other children, the place that protected them from the frightening
monsters outside.

「White Onii-chan, thank you very much for saving us before!」

「…Don’t mind it.」
「I was really surprised back then… Can you forgive me for being afraid of you at that time?」
「…Not, big deal.」
「Thanks goodness! I thought you’d hate us due to that incident!」
「…I… will not.」

The little sister was having such a conversation with me.

Although she seemed to take a liking to me, my shy nature was truly unforgiving.

But then, I found out that even if the other party was female, as long as they were a kid below a certain age, I could
have a proper conversation with them.
…Objection wasn’t an option.

「Big bro, can you tell me where you came from?」

「…There.」
「That direction, are you referring to Tana Kingdom?」

I replied to the youth with a nod.

「WOOOW. Does that mean the other kingdom has a lot of strong guys like you?」
「…Maybe.」

Yahoo, our communication was going very well.

The place they guided me to was a tattered house.

Nevertheless, it was still one of the better houses in a slum district, and the sibling said it was their home.

The inside of the house was quite small and filled with furniture which looked like they were picked up from
somewhere.

「White Onii-chan, you’re the one who kept defeating the monsters in the city after that, right? Thanks to that it
has become much easier for us to look for food.」
「…」

It seemed they realized what I was doing in secret.

My eyes were swimming due to embarrassment.

The siblings then told me more about what was happening in this city.

The citizens of this city had already taken refuge from this city more than half a month ago due to this strange
monster outbreak.
At that time, the only ones who got left behind were the extremely young children in the slum district and the
siblings couldn’t bear to leave them behind.

「But it has become harder and harder to find food. If this incident isn’t resolved soon, we’ll eventually run out of
food…」

…As expected, it seemed I really had to find the reason behind this monster outbreak and resolve it.

「D-Don’t wo―」

As I was about to say “-rry, I’ll do something about it”

…A rather familiar woman entered the house.
AD

「What the? So you can talk after all.」

「??!!」

It was that female holy knight.

Don’t tell me… she chased me all the way to this place?

I couldn’t help but shudder in front of her terrifying tenacity.

「~!!!」

I was about to escape, but then, I realized that this house had no windows and there was no way out from this
house except the entrance.
And that very same entrance was occupied by the female holy knight.

「Now you can’t escape from me anymore.」

The female holy knight said this with a triumphant look on her face.

Crap… w-what should I do now?!

「In the first place, why are you always running away…? No, it might be strange for me to ask this since we’ve
always been the ones who attacked you… But you also know that we can’t actually purify you, right?」
The reason I escaped was that I was weak against women.
Like hell I could say such an embarrassing secret.

「Onee-chan, I don’t know what happened between you two, but you shouldn’t vent your anger toward White
Onii-chan, you know!」
「Yeah. Calm yourself first.」

Thus, the siblings mediated between us.

「Eh, n-no, I’m not actually angry at him…」

「Anyway, please calm down first! You can’t have a proper conversation unless you calm yourself first after all! I
mean, White Onii-chan is a super-duper terrifyingly shy person after all!」

Hick…
I staggered back due to extreme mental damage.
I… never expected to hear that from a child.

「I-I see… my bad.」

The female holy knight was taken aback for a moment and then apologized to me.

Nooo!!
Please stop apologizing already. You’ll make me even more embarrassed!

And as if thinking about something, the female knight sat right there, preventing me from escaping.

「Then, let’s take our time to have a proper talk.」

She looked at me right in the eyes with her own resolute eyes as if to say “And don’t even think about leaving until
you tell me everything”.
Seeing that my retreat path had been cut off… I had no choice but to give up.

「I see, in short, you’re a former adventurer who should’ve already died in a certain dungeon and yet… by the
time you regained your ego, you’d already turned into an undead.」
「Y-yeah… As for how much the time has passed since my death… honestly, even I have no idea…」

I told her everything without hiding anything.

Although it took a lot of time and pauses in between my words at first, it gradually became easier for me to speak
to her.
In addition, it might also be thanks to the fact that the female holy knight had remained sitting without moving
since I began my story, thus allowing me to have an easier time since I knew that she wouldn’t suddenly pounce at
me like a hungry tigress.

By the way, the siblings were keeping watch outside until we were done with our talk.
Things might get complicated again if they knew that I was undead.

「In short, you’re not a bad undead?」

「O-Of… course.」
「Everyone has been talking about how you’re the most atrocious undead who will turn this world into a kingdom
of the undead.」

W-Wait a minute, what was this woman talking about?!

Kingdom of the undead? Why would I make something like that?

For a moment, I thought that she must be lying, but the face of the female holy knight was dead(est) serious.
In short, she was telling me the truth.

But then, I hadn’t done a single bad thing until now?

And yet, what the hell with those rumors…

「The one who said those words was the necromancer that you defeated. And due to the situation at that time, his
words spread like wildfire.」
「!!!」

…THAT BASTA*AAAAAAARD!

「I-I… had no intention… to create something like that.」

「Then, what about those dragons?」

The answer to that question was… rather unbelievable.

I didn’t know whether she’d choose to trust me or not after hearing that, but still, this was my best shot to explain
the situation.
Yes, this was my only chance.

「They just… became my familiar on their own accord… but… I’ve no intention to turn them into my
familiars…」
「…I see. Then, why did you move from one city to another, and one with residents on top of that? Do you know
that your actions have caused an unprecedented international panic?」
「I-I’d no intention to scare them… I just… I just want a way to die…」
「A way to die?」
「Yes… I’ve no lingering attachment to this world… Rather, I want to enter eternal sleep as soon as possible…
and yet, I don’t know how to do that… Until this point, I’ve… confirmed that my body is too tough, and
purification doesn’t work either…」
「…」
The female holy knight in front of me should have already known about this since she also tried to use purification
on me with her holy lance.
And yet, I came out unscathed.

「Just, what should I do…」

「Then… how about you come to my country?」
「Eh?」

I couldn’t speak anything for a moment upon hearing that unexpected proposal.

「Melt Ram Holy Country, the sacred place and the capital of the Saint Melt religion. My country might have a
way to purify you.」
「R-Really?」
「…O-Of course, I’m just talking about possibilities. But it’s still better than wandering around without any
lead… It creates a lot of trouble and mass panic when you come to one place after another after all.」

The female holy knight replied with a meek tone and continued on.

「For us, the undead are abominable existences who violate the teaching of our god. That’s why it’s our job to
purify them. On the other hand, you also want to be purified too. In a certain meaning, this can work for both of
us.」
「…Sure enough.」
「To be honest, taking an undead to our country is akin to a blemish to our faith, but there’s really no choice in this
case… That’s only if you’re telling me the truth.」
「W-Why should I lie to you…?! Really just want to pass on…」

…Even though I was being honest with her, it might have seemed like a lie due to my stuttering words.
Well, nothing I could do about this abysmal communication power of mine.

「Fine, I’ll place my trust in you for the time being.」

The female holy knight nodded upon hearing my reply.

「A… Are you sure?」

「After following you for so long, I at least know that you’re not a bad undead. In addition, there’s no need for
you to lie when you have that much power.」

T-Thank god.
With this, I might be able to take a giant leap closer to my goal.

「But there’s still something I have to do before that.」

「…?」
「I want to know the cause of this monster parade and crush it. Will you help me?」
WM – Chapter 298: Takatsuki Makoto participates in
the strategy meeting
“Now then, we will begin our discussion about the 3rd Northern Expedition.”
The voice of the 5th Division Captain of the Sun Knights resonates.
This is the conference room of the Highland Castle.
A gigantic room that can accomodate more than 100 people in it.
The important people of each country were lined up tightly packed here.
A lot of familiar faces and a lot of unfamiliar faces.
There’s also Momo within those.
It seems like she has her head on the armrest of the biggest chair and is sleeping.
Is no one going to reprimand her?
There’s several magic projections floating in the air.
They are broadcasting devices from magic tools called the satellite system that are connected to all the military
bases in the whole continent.
Thanks to that, the number of participants here has gone up to several hundreds.
I am sitting at a seat in the corner of this meeting.
Princess Sofia is sitting by my side.
“In the first place, the reason why we failed to slay the Ancient Dragon King was because of the blunder of
Highland. Then, they would wash away that dishonour.”
“That’s right. That’s why I am saying the 7 countries should join arms.”
“We have just been founded. We have no leeway to provide the help.”
“A great deal of devilkin have gathered there, and I have heard that they have been training their army day and
night.”
“Oh? Where did you hear such rumors? Could it be that you have sent spies into our country -an ally country?
That’s problematic.”
“Prime Minister-dono of Laphroaig, don’t antagonize Highland too much…”
“General Tariska of the Fire Country has become gutless.”
“That statement is a grave insult to the General of our country. Take it back.”
“My apologies, Fire Oracle, Dalia-sama.”
The atmosphere in the meeting isn’t that good.
The reason is clear.
That’s because the Moon Country people go against all the opinions of the Sun Country.
“The representatives of Spring Log and Kaliran, do you have anything you want to say?” (Esther)
The one who said that in order to change the topic was the Destiny Oracle, Esther-san.
“Nothing from us.”
“Nothing really from us either…”
But it ended up as a blank shot.
They probably don’t want to speak in this atmosphere.
{It is so thorny…} (Makoto)
I whispered to Princess Sofia at my side.
{That’s how it has been the whole time lately…} (Sofia)
Princess Sofia’s voice was gloomy.
The composition of the meeting is like this.
The ones leading this meeting are Highland.
Laphroaig is opposing them.
The Sun Country is a hierarchical country that believes in human supremacy.
The devilkin were oppressed for a great many years within that.
The Moon Country is a country of gathered devilkin.
Of course they have years of grudges.
Great Keith and Camelon are trying to arbitrate the confrontation of these two countries.
The representatives of Spring Log, the Earth Country, and Rozes that have low military strength are barely
speaking.
If it had been 1 year ago, the Sun Country would be above them all.
However, because of the defeat against the Ancient Dragon King, their standing has weakened greatly.
On top of that, the factions of the young Queen Noel and her brother -the first prince- are making the internal
affairs of the country into a mess.
I think Queen Noel should drive out the opposing faction as the ruler, but it looks like she can’t.
Princess Sofia said: ‘Queen Noel is kind after all…’, but the reality is that other countries are looking down on her
and calling her ‘Naive’.
I am a bit surprised that the number one strongest country in the continent would change this much in the short
time I was away.
Compared to that, the Moon Country is united under the same banner and rule of the new Queen Furiae-san.
Furiae-san is a Holy Maiden as well, and she is being worshipped like a goddess by the people of the Moon
Country.
From children to the elderly; every single one obeys the words of the Queen.
“If you are going to go against everything said, then make proposals yourselves!”
“Just observe the situation for a while.”
“How irresponsible and negligent!”
The crevice between the Sun Country and the Moon Country is deep.
Queen Noel was listening to this and wasn’t speaking.
But I could see fatigue behind that serious expression of hers.
I look at Furiae-san.
She doesn’t seem to be interested in the meeting, she has been brushing the back of the black cat the whole time.
She yawned lightly.
By the way, Momo is fast asleep.
I am impressed that she can sleep in such a noisy place.
Looks like both of them don’t notice that I am in the meeting.
The discussion was not progressing at all.
There probably wasn’t much meaning in me participating.
{Even so, why are the people of the Moon Country acting so high and mighty?} (Makoto)
I had nothing to do, so I spoke to Princess Sofia.
Is this really a country that came back from ruin just recently?
{It can’t be helped. The ones who contributed the most in the recent subjugation of a Demon Lord -the Sea
Monster King Forneus- were the mages of the Moon Country.} (Sofia)
Princess Sofia answered my question.
{But the one who defeated Forneus was the Light Hero Sakurai-kun, right?} (Makoto)
That’s what I heard.
It is not like it was solely the achievement of the Moon Country.
{Forneus is normally hidden deep in the ocean. The ones who stopped the retreat of Forneus were the mages of the
Moon Country. On top of that, the ones who cleared up the Pitch Black Clouds were the mages of the Moon
Country too.} (Sofia)
{I see.} (Makoto)
Sakurai-kun’s Light Hero Skill is an invincible power, but he weakens drastically without the light of the sun.
The Pitch Black Clouds are a powerful spell the demon lord army possesses.
Apparently the only ones who can break through that are the mages of the Moon Country.
I do understand the importance of the Moon Country with that.
The heated discussion continued even now.
“If all the Heroes aside from the Light Hero fight the Ancient Dragon King, they should be able to buy time at the
very least. We of the Moon Country and the Light Hero-dono will subjugate the Great Demon Lord.”
“What nonsense are you speaking!”
“But the only ones who can clear the Pitch Black Clouds are the mages of the Moon Country. Also, our Holy
Maiden Furiae-sama can see the future. With the Light Hero and the Holy Maiden Furiae-sama, the Great Demon
Lord should be nothing to fear.”
“Noel-sama also holds the title of Holy Maiden. Don’t forget that…”
“There’s whispers from the people that Furiae-sama is the true Holy Maiden.”
“Rumors with no substance.”
“I wonder about that. If the world is saved by the clairvoyance of Furiae-sama, the Holy Maiden who will mark
their name in the annals of history will be Furiae-sama.”
“So foolish! Such a future won’t come!”
“Can you say the same thing once the Great Demon Lord is defeated? The Light Hero-sama will be creating a
history of glory for 1,000 years with the Holy Maiden Furiae-sama!”
“Nonsense!”
The topic is derailing.
{What are we talking about here now…?} (Makoto)
Where did the Northern Expedition go?
I poked the shoulder of Princess Sofia and asked for an explanation.
{Since defeating the Sea Monster King, there have been more people who want the Light Hero and the Queen to
be together. Of course, the Light Hero-sama is the fiance of Noel-sama, so that’s not possible though…} (Sofia)
The pairing of the reincarnation of the Savior and the Holy Maiden is apparently a story that normally pops up.
However, isn’t this way too rude to bring up in the presence of Queen Noel?
I glanced at Queen Noel, and her face was stiff.
I feel like it is fine for her to say something, but is there a reason why she can’t?
At that moment, Sakurai-kun -who is the very topic of the moment- walked up to Queen Noel and whispered to her
in the ear.
Looks like he followed up on her.
Nice, Sakurai-kun.
Now then, as Furiae-san who is the other topic target, I direct my gaze thinking she was still brushing the back of
the black cat, but…
…Uwaah…
She is staring hard here.
Looks like she has just now noticed that I am participating in this meeting.
Her eyes were wide open and she glared at me.
(Why are you here?!) (Furiae)
I can’t hear her, but I could read that from the movements of her mouth.
(Spectator.) (Makoto)
I said straight.
(…Really?) (Furiae)
Furiae-san glared at me with doubtful eyes.
Looks like she thinks I will be saying something weird.
In the first place, I don’t have any speaking power here.
I am a former Hero after all.
I am simply listening.
I have been warned that if I want to give my opinion, I should pass it through a Sun Knight Captain first
beforehand.
“What did you say?!! Watch what you are saying! Lowly devilkin!”
“So you have shown your true colors, you hierarchical leech!”
They are finally heating up.
This has already devolved into a fight.
(This is…no good anymore…) (Makoto)
This isn’t a conversation between allied countries.
If they didn’t have a common enemy that is the Great Demon Lord, I feel like the Sun Country and the Moon
Country would have begun a war.
Why did it end up like this…?
What is Ira-sama doing?
Could it be that Ira-sama is listening?
The national relations in the West Continent are a mess, you know?
I asked Ira-sama who should be in the Divine Realm, but there was no answer.
I haven’t been able to speak to her for the past few days.
Is she busy?
That Goddess always seems to be busy after all.
(Hey, why are you speaking to Ira instead of me? Have you forgotten whose Apostle you are?) (Noah)
Noah-sama answered instead.
She seems to be sulking a bit.
(Of course, I am the Apostle of Noah-sama. But if it is talk about history, wouldn’t it be faster to ask Ira-sama?)
(Makoto)
(You don’t need to ask Ira if it is just that much. I can tell you. Listen here, you know that it is prohibited by the
Divine Realm Regulations to directly interfere with history, right? You are a resident of the Mortal Realm, so it is
allowed, but it is unforgivable for the Destiny Goddess to bend history in a convenient direction for them. That’s
why, even if they know things will end up like this, they can’t do anything to stop it.) (Noah)
(…I see. But what about Naia-sama? Can’t she help?) (Makoto)
I haven’t met her, but she is the 7th Goddess of the Goddess Church.
If it is now that the Moon Country is back, can’t she help out?
(Naia, huh… I wonder.) (Noah)
I could feel from the words of Noah-sama that we can’t rely on her.
In the end, the conflict between humans has to be resolved by humans.
“How long are you going to continue this pointless discussion?”
“The Sun Country just has to defeat the Ancient Dragon King. That was the plan to begin with.”
“It is because they can’t that we are gathered here! Why can’t you understand that?!”
“That goes the same for us. Don’t coerce other countries when you yourself can’t do it.”
“This isn’t coercion! It is a request for reinforcements!”
“Then we refuse.”
“If the Great Demon Lord gets their strength back, the world is going to end, you know?!”
“It is different from 1,000 years ago. There’s only 1 Demon Lord remaining. They won’t be attacking.”
The meeting was running on parallels here.
The Sun Country wants to defeat the Ancient Dragon King and the Great Demon Lord fast.
On top of that, they want to regain their standing that has weakened in the West Continent.
That’s why they are hurrying to the conclusion.
The Moon Country hates the Sun Country.
That’s why they don’t want them to become the leaders of the continent.
But they don’t have the national power to become the top of the West Continent.
That’s why they want to buy time and increase their military strength.
On top of that, the only ones who can go against the Pitch Black Clouds of the demon lord army are the mages of
the Moon Country.
In other words, the words of the Moon Country carry heavy weight here.
They want to maintain the status quo.
That’s why this discussion has no end.
There’s none, but…what comes every now and then and is the center of the topic was bothering me.
—Ancient Dragon King, Astaroth.
The biggest reason here is this Demon Lord.
As long as the Ancient Dragon King stays in the North Continent, they can’t put a hand on the Great Demon Lord.
My memories of 1,000 years ago are brought back.
The Demon Lord that even the God Rank Spell, Cocytus, couldn’t defeat.
The strongest Ancient Dragon that has inherited the blood of a Dragon God, and the last Demon Lord.
And also the father of the White Dragon-san.
I have gone to the castle of the Ancient Dragon King with Mel-san.
I was really nervous then.
What he told me then…
— “Have a match with me. If you win, I will grant you the emblem of the Dragon King.”
If I remember correctly, he told me that.
What did I answer to that?
— “Got it. I promise. Let’s have a match one day.”
Right.
At that time, RPG Player activated, and it was shown [Will you promise to fight the Ancient Dragon King?].
I chose Yes.
Wonder if the Ancient Dragon King remembers our promise.
It was 1,000 years ago.
There’s a high chance he has forgotten.
In the end, I couldn’t meet the Ancient Dragon King 1,000 years ago.
There wasn’t a chance for us who were going around the South and West Continent to meet the Ancient Dragon
King again since he stayed the whole time in the North Continent.
Anna-san and I didn’t get too deeply involved with the North Continent of the demons after all.
And so, I fell into a sleep of 1,000 years.
I haven’t kept my promise.
But there’s no need to force myself to.
It might be okay to ignore it.
However…
(A match with the strongest Demon Lord… The emblem of the Dragon King…) (Makoto)
…Shall I try?
If I were a Country Designated Hero, I wouldn’t be able to fight freely.
The Heroes are the core of the Northern Expedition.
They definitely will be added to the plan.
But I am currently a former Hero.
There’s no need to hold back for anyone.
As an adventurer, I can go to the North Continent straight away.
(Oh my, Makoto. Are you going to pick a fight with Astaroth?) (Noah)
The voice of Noah-sama, who sounded as if she didn’t expect this, resonated in my head.
(I can’t, Noah-sama?) (Makoto)
I ask my Goddess.
Is she against it?
If it were Ira-sama, she definitely would be against it.
‘Are you stupid?! Cooperate with everyone!’, is what she definitely would say.
But…
(Hmm~, not really. Take care.) (Noah)
Noah-sama wasn’t against it.
This Goddess lets me do as I please.
With this, I have gotten the agreement of my Goddess.
I will of course explain this to Lucy, Sa-san, and Princess Sofia.
I feel like it would be better to tell someone from the Sun Country.
The one I am the closest with in the Sun Country is Momo.
But she is unfortunately fast asleep.
The next one would be Sakurai-kun, but he is currently by the side of Queen Noel.
In other words, practically at the center of the conference room.
It stands out too much, so that’s a no.
The next one that’s easy to talk to would be…that person, huh.
“Where are you going?” (Sofia)
Princess Sofia stopped me when I was trying to stealthily leave my seat.
“I am going to talk to Captain Ortho for a bit.” (Makoto)
The Captain of the 1st Division who was together with me in the Moon Country expedition before.
An understanding person.
Most of all, he was in the Great Church at the time when I travelled to the past, so he knows about the
circumstances to a certain degree.
“…I will ask in detail later.” (Sofia)
Princess Sofia must have perceived something, she didn’t ask for the details.
“…Looks like the objective wasn’t decided today either, huh.”
“It is time. Let’s wrap this up for today.”
Looks like the strategy meeting is about to end.
I approach the seat of Captain Ortho.
And then, I whisper into his ear.
“…Captain Ortho, there’s something I want to talk with you about.” (Makoto)
“Makoto-dono…? Understood. The meeting will be over soon, so I will make some time later and—” (Ortho)
“No, I will just tell you what I have come to say. Actually, I am thinking about heading to the North Continent.”
(Makoto)
“…Hm?” (Ortho)
Captain Ortho furrows his brows at my words.
“Makoto-dono, such whimsical actions from a Hero is…no…” (Ortho)
Looks like Captain Ortho noticed in the middle of his words.
“I am currently not a Hero. And so, I am thinking about heading there as an adventurer.” (Makoto)
“Right. But if that’s the case, us Sun Knights can’t cooperate, you know?” (Ortho)
“It is okay. No need to worry.” (Makoto)
“No, even if you tell me not to worry…” (Ortho)
The Captain seems to want to say something.
At that moment, Momo, who was sleeping on the big seat, approached me all of a sudden.
She heard me?
“The Spirit User-kun is saying something interesting!” (Momo)
Momo shouts in a loud voice.
The gazes of everyone in the meeting were directed at me in an instant.
Wait, stop.
“Oi, Momo…” (Makoto)
“You weren’t coming to see me at all, so this is payback.” (Momo)
She stuck her tongue out on me.
“Oh? Isn’t that the former Hero-dono of the Water Country?”
“I heard that he retired because of an injury though.”
“The Water Country is lacking in talents as always. To think they would even drag a retired Hero here.”
“It is not your place to be speaking here!”
For some reason, the Sun Country and the Moon Country directed ill intended words at me.
Looks like the people from the faction of Queen Noel, and the people that are worshipping Furiae-san like a
Goddess hate me.
“I would like you to stop the insults towards Takatsuki-dono!” (Tariska)
“I won’t allow such words to be uttered towards the benefactor of our country!” (Flona)
The ones who took my side were General Tariska and the Wood Oracle Flona-san.
I am grateful for that, but the atmosphere in the conference room is even thornier now.
What are we gonna do with this atmosphere?
But the Great Sage-sama isn’t bothered by this.
She has gotten really stout.
“Here, say it in a way that everyone can hear.” (Momo)
“Haah…” (Makoto)
I hesitantly said it.
“I am going to go see the Ancient Dragon King.” (Makoto)
“Are you saying the Water Country will be serving as the vanguard and challenging the Ancient Dragon King?”
Someone asked.
“No, me alone…” (Makoto)
“““““HUUUUH?!”””””
Those words turned the room into a ruckus.
“That’s suicidal!”
“Is this guy an idiot?!”
“The Water Country’s Hero really is crazy!”
“In the first place, he isn’t a Hero!”
I heard those shouts.
That’s why I was thinking of going there secretly.
“Takatsuki-dono, is that true?!” (Tariska)
“Makoto-kun! You should go to the hospital at once!” (Flona)
General Tariska and Flona-san, who covered for me, were now doubting my sanity.
The one who put the place in order was the one who caused this, Momo.
“Spirit User-kun has fought with the Ancient Dragon King before in a mission of absolute secrecy. At that
moment, if I remember correctly…it was a draw.” (Momo)
The place went silent at the words of the Great Sage-sama.
“I-I have heard of no such thing…”
I heard the mutter of someone.
That’s because it was 1,000 years ago after all.
The only one there was the Great Sage-sama.
“It is true. I have heard it from Ira-sama. In the name of the Destiny Goddess, I vow that this is the truth.” (Esther)
The Destiny Oracle-san immediately followed, and no one could refute it anymore.
That was thanks to the Divinity of Ira-sama though.
Can we call that a draw?
Even so, it has completely turned into a serious deal.
“I won’t let you go stealthily.” (Momo)
Momo whispers into my ear.
“Shouldn’t it be fine?” (Makoto)
“No! You always act in secret in the blink of an eye, Makoto-sama!” (Momo)
She has completely read me.
“T-Takatsuki-kun…” (Sakurai)
“A-Are you serious…?” (Noel)
Sakurai-kun and Queen Noel who refrained from speaking until now had unknowingly stood up.
I nodded with a smile.
I glanced at Furiae-san, and she was glaring here with an angered face.
(What part of this is spectating?!) (Furiae)
Is what she was saying with her mouth.
It really might be a bit different from spectating.
I responded with a smile here too, and her glare grew sharper.
“Takatsuki-dono, in that case, the Sun Country will make an official request…”
The top of the Sun Knights, General Yuwein, said this seriously.
I intended to head there as an adventurer, but it looks like there’s the need to go through that procedure.
Anyways, it has been decided that I will be heading to the North Continent in the present.
Reincarnated as the Son of a Vicious Lord! ~When I
Was Having Fun Learning Magic, I Had to Get Rid of
My Stigma~!
Chapter 62
After I dropped Natalie off at the girls’ dormitory, I headed to the school.

I entered the school and went to the training grounds.

By the way, the elementary, middle, and high schools are all located on the same campus.

As expected, there was no one in the training hall at night.

I placed my luggage near the entrance and sat down on the spot.

I crossed my legs and closed my eyes.

I tried to breathe deeply as if I were meditating.

Concentrating on exhaling rather than inhaling, I turned my attention to the magical power within me.

The magic power had a slight warmth to it.

I slowly circulated it through my body so that the magical power would spread to the tips of my fingers.

Then, I gradually speed up the movement of the magic power.

As the speed of the magic power circulation increases, my body temperature also rises, and sweat starts to seep out
from my forehead.

I moved it as fast as I could and kept the speed at the point where the circulation speed could not go any higher.

Sweat trickled from my forehead and fell to the ground.

In this state, I continued to move the magic power for about ten minutes.

“Fuhaaaaaa”

I opened my eyes and stretched out my crossed legs.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my hand.

There’s still a lot of waste.

The reason why your body temperature rises and you get tired from circulating magic power is because you are not
good at controlling magic power.

I heard that if you become a master, you can circulate magic power as fast as you can breathe.

Perhaps Berg would not show any fatigue at all even if he did the same thing.

After a short rest, I moved on to the magic control training.

That’s when you let your magic out.

First, I concentrated the magic power in my body into my right hand.

Next, I released the magic power out of my body and moved it about 10 meters in the air.

“Fireball ……!”

A fireball with a diameter of 30 centimeters appeared.

This is useless in battle.

It would only startle my opponent a little.

Hmmm, it’s not that easy.

The distance is steadily increasing, so let’s keep up the effort.

Katherina-sensei said that it’s important to accumulate every day.

Let’s move on to the next magic control.

“Fireball.”

The same level of the fireball as before is created.

And…

“Start moving.”

Try to move the fireball close to your body.

This is also difficult to control.

It requires precise control to use magic while maintaining an intermediate state between the magic power and the
fireball.

The fireball disappeared after a while.

I’m not as good as Chris-sensei.

After that, I practiced controlling magic power for a while.

“Fuu, I’m tired.”

I took a break.

I lay down on my back and looked at the starry sky.

I don’t know much about astronomy, but the stars seemed to be arranged differently from when I was on earth.

After all this time, I realize that this is a different world from my previous life.

The civilization is different, the language is different.

I knew from the start that this was a different world because of the magic.

I can see a lot of stars here.

When I was working as an office worker, I lived in the city and could hardly see the stars.

In the first place, I never had a chance to look at the stars.

For a while, I stared blankly at the sky.

Since the day after I killed Dominic, I’ve been practicing magic without fail.

By the way, Chris-sensei has permitted me to use this training center.

To become the best at anything, you have to work hard.

It’s a matter of course, isn’t it?

Well, I don’t think it’s hard to master magic.

In fact, I’m looking forward to getting better and better at it.

“Good.”

After taking a break, I started to control the magic power again.

Riot Grasper V3C15
Aaahhhhh!!!
I wish someone would tell me what to do when I gallantly go to save a princess in a desperate criss and the words
of encouragement are, “You’re disgusting.”
Can I consider them an enemy?
Nope. Calm down, me.
You knew they hated you. You shouldn’t swing down your sword on the person you saved just because they didn’t
say thank you.
…All joking aside, why did I act like this? I’m not sure why I acted the way I did. It’s a bit of a contradiction to
think that I’ going to help someone that I captured myself. I’m not sure what to do, but I’m sure I’m not the only
one.
「Fine. I’m not interested in stupid games. Let’s see how long you last until your life is burned away!」
Oh, this guy is so ready to kill.
Talking about ignoring rules and beating each other up. Well, maybe I deserved it, considering what I did.
However, I was expecting the organizer to stop me for interrupting… but the place was boiling.
『Get it done!』
『Keep it going!』
『Please beat him to a pulp!』
… and so on from the audience.
–Soon after, the bell rang to announce the start of the match between me and Belga. Apparently, it was decided that
it would be more interesting to let the match continue, so I carried Rei to the edge of the arena and gently set
herdown.
She was unconscious and her face was flatteringly pretty. It would be hard to find a woman who is more deserving
of the term, “cute if she keeps her mouth shut,” but it would be a terrible idea to tell her that.
I’m tingling.
…By the way, I’m not a pervert.
The reason I’m shaking is because I’m feeling a little uplifted.
The reason for that — Belga.
No, I repeat, I am not a pervert.
I turned around and brought the person I was about to fight into view.
His purple eyes look at me and he stands on his knees as if telling me to hurry up. It’s gentlemanly of him to wait
for me, but I think he’s simply confident that he can beat me without any cowardly tricks.
Belga is dressed lightly, with only a breastplate made of some kind of scale as armor. He doesn’t seem to be
carrying any weapons, so his impression is that of a martial artist.
His well-trained body was supply enough to be blie his age, and it wasn’t that I was excited by the fact that he was
an old man.

Name: Belga Rembrandt

Race: Dragonewt
Age: 40
Occupation: Guard
Skills:
・Elder Dragon’s ScalesＬｖ３（７２／１５０）
・Body ArtＬｖ３（１１０／１５０）
・Fire MagicＬｖ２（４５／５０）
・Life Force EnhancmentＬｖ３（８７／１５０）

–Dragonewt
When I was reincarnated to this world, this was the race I wanted to be reincarnated as if it were possible. A rare
race blessed with a strong body and aptitude for magic. This is the first time I’ve seen one in person, but they don’t
look much different from humans.
I can’t help but get more or less excited in front of the species I admire.
Moreover, some of the skills they possess are even apparently rare skills.
《Dragon’s Scales》– A skill exclusive to the Dragonewt. The hard outer scales grant the bearer the blessings of a
dragon. It has excellent offensive and defensive capabilities, and when mastered, it can become a weapon of
destruction against humans.
Destructive weapons are… kind of scary to explain. I guess it means that the body becomes hardened and is
effective for both attack and defense.
What’s that? I’m super jealous.
I want to say that my body is the strongest armor I have.
「…What are you looking at?」
I wondered if he was disturbed by the way I was looking at him as if I was licking his body, but Belga was on
guard and spat a questioning word at me.
「Nothing, it’s just the first time I’ve met a dragonewt」
「… How did you know?」
Ah….
I can figure it out with the Thief’s God Eyes, but I can’t really say that.
「It’s okay. I’m not going ot hide it. What’s more, even though you know that there is an absolute race difference
between you and me, are you still going to compete.」
「Well, it’s my job too.」
「Oh…」
Belga didn’t hide his annoyance, but he smiled a little at my response.
Also, I’m not a fan of roughhousing, but I have a bit of a desire to have a pure contest with a Dragonewt
How far will I be able to go with the skills I have developed so far.
Lately, I’ve been so absorbed in strengthening Luke, my cavalry beast, that I haven’t been taking my share from
the demons, but I have been training my sword myself every night.
I know full well that such things do not contribute to skill proficiency.
It’s like a way for me to sort out my feelings.
Seeing Lim lamenting her helplessness, I felt a pang of guilt.
Taking skills from demons is not without its risks. It’s not that I haven’t tried, it’s just that I won’t hesitate tot take
skills from others if I have to.
Still, I thought I’d try to hone my skills myself, just a little.
Let me show you my swordsmanship, which may have grown just a little bit.
「Besides, if I told you I was withdrawing, would you really let me off the hook quietly?」
I slipped my beloved sword, Noir Melt Rogue, out of it’s scabbard.
The answer is obvious. With an amused contortion of his face, Belga sank his hips and leaned forward, minimizing
the blurring of his body by lowering his center of gravity.
「I’m sorry. My answer earlier was–no!」
His dark green hair drew a bright trail in a straight line and ate up the distance between us in an instant.
is it…?
Maybe he wasn’t serious in his battle with Rei, but he was moving even faster than when I was watching him
earlier. With just one more breath, he was already in my face.
I don’t even think I need to go easy on him. I cleaved my sword with all my might to block his step as he rushed
forward.
Even though the purpose was to block, Belga pushed his forearm forward to meet the sword head on. The sword
blow, which would have cleanly severed the arm of an ordinary person was killed by the heavy impact.
So that’s the strength of the Elder Dragon’s Scales. It’s hard.
A sensation ran through my palms, as if I had slashed against an iron pillar.
Belga is smiling wryly. But by the way, my sword is not that strong either. It’s a gem of product that Jig(TL: Who?
IDK. Someone tell me) created with some very precious materials. It’s a great sword that I wish could cut through
a dragons scales, which are stronger than steel, like butter.
The sword is digging into Belga’s arm, but only slightly. If I push in like this–
「–Kick!」
The front kick that was delivered with a voice that forced my auditory nerves to work harder was on a trajectory
that mercilessly pushed up my chin. Although I avoided it my twisting my body, it was sharp enough to break my
neck if it had hit properly. The skin on my cheeks was burned just by the air from it.
… What a joke of a power.
If it’s just a scratch it’ll heal quickly with the life force enhancement, but–
「It’s broken!」
A series of fists came close to my stomach. I immediately pulled out the sword that was embedded in my
opponents arm, and thrust the tip of the blade out in front of me. It was a vicious blow that would’ve destroyed all
of the organs in my abdomen, and even though it was with his bare hands, it was more terrifying to me than a
blade.
Sword and fist clashed against each other for a few moments.
The wounds on his other arm began to heal.
–His life force has been strengthened as well. In addition, his level is higher.
For the time being, I could see that my opponent possessed skills other than fire magic. It would be awkward to
take them away in the middle of a match, but when your life is in danger, you can’t say that.
— I’ll do it.
In order to slow things down, I took a step back, and pulled Belga toward me. I’m not sure if he wasn’t
expecting me to have any knowledge of bodywork, or if he was caught off guard a bit. I let my unprotected body
eat a whole knee kick. The force is applied to my left leg, which is my pivot foot, and the recoil generated by the
kick is passed to the ground.
（Hardly…）
In addition to hardening my fists and arms, my whole body seems to benefit from the skill. My knees are protected
by mithril parts, but without them, my bones might have been broken by the kick.
Still, I succeeded in making him retreat a little. As soon as I returned my kick up leg to the ground I took a deep
breath and immediately formulated a magic image in my brain.
Wind that circulates the atmosphere. Show my enemy a glimpse of your great power — Rampaging Wind Slash.
The wind whirlpool around Belga is a magic that cuts the target trapped inside with a wind blade, but it doesn’t
seem to have much effect. I’m not sure if the dragon’s scales are effective against magic as well.
But now the magic is just for blinding. In that sense, it was useful.
「This stuff won’t even slow me down!」
From the center of the whirlpool, a dragon man – Dragonewt – leaned forward.
Then show me you can withstand this too.
You are a block of ice that will not melt even if the fires of hell. Dwell in my weapon and be the bullet that strikes
down my enemies.
Ice grains began to float on the surface of my jet-black sword, and I could feel the cool air of the blade on my palm
as I held it. It seems that the image of how I wish my entire body’s blood would freeze in an instant if I were to be
slashed by this sword has been well realized.
With my cold sword at the bottom, I shifted my weight to my toes. As my body bounced forward, I used wind
magic to assist my body and further increase my speed.
— Let’s just say, this is an all out thrust.
The ice blade shot out at a high speed and pierced my enemy.
This is the Icicle Calibur
I screamed my throat out in my mind alone, and rushed towards Belga.
The other party is not afraid to look at my technique and maintain a standing position. Both fists are beginning to
flicker with red, raging flames. Are you thinking of intercepting them with fire magic?
But this one is faster.
Just as the tip of the sword, which had been thrust out with energy, was about to reach Belga, a large amount of
steam was scattered around her with a sound like air being released from a giant balloon.
It took only a moment for my vision to be blocked, and I quickly realized what had happened.
No matter how hard I push or pull the sword, it doesn’t move. It’s no wonder. I’m not sure what to make of this.
The flames also prevented it from freezing.
It’s….
The thought of freezing my opponent sent a chill down my spine.
「Nuh-uh…. Guh.」
However, it seems that he was not completely blinded. If you look closely you can see the slight tip of the cut
sticking into Belga’s abdomen.
A fine sound like cracking thin ice echoed and the wound froze.
For the first time, my opponent showed some frustration and immediately pulled out the sword that was stuck in
him by force and leaped backwards.
「Mmm-hmm. Interesting. I knew you weren’t weak, but I didn’t expect some human child to be able to fight this
well.」
He makes a statement that seems to have a lot of room to maneuver. If I think back to the attack and defense up to
this point, it seems that I have the advantage.
The fire magic of my opponent was also visible, which meant that I could finally active that Thief’s God Eye’s
against my enemies skills. I clenched my fist lightly to check the sensation in my hands and tried to remain calm
so as to not be rushed by greed.
「It’s been a long time since I’ve been seen in this form.」
Huh?
Wait a minute. What form?
I don’t think so.
「I didn’t really mean to kill him, but as expected, I don’t know… when this happens…」
Belga spat out a few noisy words and raised his voice with such force that even my eardrums vibrated at such a
distance.
「Ohhhhhhhh!」
At the same time, something like scales appeared on the surface of Belga’s body and covered his entire body. The
scales, which resembled green jade emeralds, were the same color as Belga’s hair. Including the horns that
appeared on his head, the sharp claws at his finger tips, and even his tail. He’s definitely a Dragonewt. His bluish-
purple eyes are still directed toward me with a very strong will.
It is still barely humanoid, probably because he’s bipedal.
So those are the real Elder Dragon’s Scales.
Oh man.
This is not good.
……………
It’s so cool!
I mean, it’s tricky.
Maybe it’s improved in terms of ability, and my Riot Grasper, the divine art of thievery, needs to touch the
opponent directly. If that dragon form is the outer shell, is it like a pseudo-armor? Whether or not I want to defeat
him normally or take away his skills, I’ll have to peel off his outer shell first.
It looks really hard…
Unlike before, when I tried to make a slightly stronger fist, the joints of my fingers made a pleasant sound that
stimulated my desire to fight.
Round two — let’s begin.
Shadow Court Magician Chapter 35: A Piece of
Bread
We were taken to an underground trench in a tavern.

There were many women and children there.

They were tending to their armor, doing needlework, and repairing the dugouts.

They seemed to be preparing for an armed uprising.

“If there is an armed uprising, women and children will be harmed. We want to protect our families at
least.” (Orgas)

It seems that they are preparing in advance so that they can live in the trench for a long time.

It was a noble gesture, but I hoped that the incident would end in such a way that nobody would have
to worry about it.

“I’m counting on you.” (Orgas)

He left the place, we then waited for the watchman.

Instead, it was a lady and a small child who became our watchman.
 An energetic child calling himself “Alf”.

“I wasn’t able to join the volunteer army because I’m still small, so instead I’ll protect Mama instead of
Dad.” (Alf)

He has a very determined face.

I thought he was a pretty reliable-looking kid, so I talked to him.

“You look pretty reliable.”

“Obviously. My dad is the strongest warrior in the volunteer army. There is no reason why his son would
not be brave.” (Alf)

“It would be more convincing if you didn’t have a pot on your head.”

“It can’t be helped. Real helmets are for adults only.” (Alf)

“If you untie me, I’ll smelt that pot into a nice helmet.”

“Really!?” (Alf)

The boy’s eyes lit up. He was a child, but the woman beside him was quietly said.
“Alf, don’t be fooled. He seems to be a very capable wizard. Orgas said you shouldn’t take your eyes off
him for even a moment.” (Alf’s Mother)

“Oh, that’s right. Brother is a magician.” (Alf)

Alf protested that he was almost fooled, but I ignored it and asked the lady instead.

“Will Orgas continue with the uprising?”

“…………” (Alf’s Mother)

A lady who nods after a brief silence.

“… We will. We can’t stand the Viscount oppressing us anymore.” (Alf’s Mother)

“Can you put up with it for a while? I—no, all Her Highness here will make it all right.”

The lady looked slightly at the princess but shook her head instead.

“… I had my husband read the newspaper. The third princess of Ernia is a good person. He said that
she should be the queen. But this child will only be the queen. Years away from now, right? We can’t
stand it anymore.” (Alf’s Mother)
 The lady speaks with sad eyes.

Perhaps her husband is no longer walking on the earth since she is using “said.”

She looks like a kind woman, but it seems impossible to persuade her.

We waited for the situation to change.

We figured we would get a chance to escape sooner or later.

Time goes by and it’s night.

The people who call themselves the Volunteer Army seem to know how to treat prisoners.

We were not mistreated, and we were well fed.

However, the food they serve is like cat food.

Unseasoned oatmeal. And a piece of hard-baked bread. The only drink available is well water.
“Better things are offered in prisons in the Royal Capital.” (Chloe)

Was Chloe’s complaint, but the princess was eating without complaining.

If you look at it, the people around us were eating the same thing.

“It seems that the Viscount is really strict with his collections. It’s almost abusive to think that the miners
are eating the same food like this.”

It was nothing short of suicidal to break the bedrock and haul away the rocks with nothing but a bowl
of boiled oats and hard-baked bread.

The Viscount who compels it is certainly a demon.

As I was thinking again about how to punish the devil, I noticed that the children were looking at me
hungrily.

It is not enough.

That’s right, there’s no way these kids can fill up on this much food.

However, even if you look at my food hungrily, I cannot give you hard-baked bread. Because I’m the
type to eat whenever I can.
 “Survive even if you drink muddy water”, that’s my belief.

There is no way such a person would share food in this situation.

As I was thinking, the children were eating hard-baked bread.

—It seems that the princess has given hers.

I send a reproaching glare to the princess. Not only me but also Chloe.

However, when I see the scene, I remember just after I was exiled in this country.

My older sister took care of me while my father goes to work. My sister prepares food, and naturally,
the amount of food is small.

Isay, “I’m hungry”, my sister gives me food from her share.

“Your sister is already full. Leon, I’m sorry it’s just leftovers, but do you want to eat it?”

With that said, my sister always leaves more than half of her small meals and gives them to me.

When I was young, I believed in my sister’s words and did not hesitate to ask from her. My sister was
thin, but she said she was on a diet.
 But that’s not the case. My sister just put up with it and cared for me, her little brother. She just said
that so I, who was an aristocratic “bonbon”, wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

Later, when I learned about it, I thanked my sister, and at the same time, I became deeply dismayed
at my stupidity. I thought that one day I would repay my sister.

――In the end, I still haven’t been able to repay my sister, but I’m sure she’ll be happy if I share this
bread with her now.

“As expected, he is the son of the Almarsh family. His spirit is like that of a hero.” (Leon’s Sister)

I could imagine her smiling like that, so I tore the bread in half and gave it to the children.

Sicily, who was watching me, smiled like a Saint,

“… as expected of Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

She said.

The rebels —or rather, the Volunteer Army captured us.

The food was rationed and we were not mistreated, so we were comfortable, but we couldn’t stay like
this forever.

We had to get out of here somehow, but I had a magic rope that sealed my magic power.
 I’m sure that Chloe is also considered a person to watch out for. She was bound very tightly.

In the meantime, the princess was bound quite loosely, perhaps because she was treated as a royal
of this country.

I wondered if it would be best to have her escape and release us from our captors.

However, the princess was not good at this kind of work. She is not very good at pretending to be
someone else.

I pretended to be standing on the toilet, drew the attention of the guards, asked them to untie the
rope, and then asked them to capture the guards in reverse, but they came back with tears in their
eyes.

“… I’m sorry, the lookout lady was too nice for me to do anything.” (Sicily)

She said.

Chloe and I were mildly disappointed, but not discouraged.

We looked at each other and said, “Well, that’s just the way it is,” and tried to think of another way, but
we couldn’t come up with one.

Before we could think of anything else, the situation changed.

 —In the middle of the night, a black shadow appeared in the small room where we were confined.

A man, small in stature and wearing a wide hat, whispered quietly.

“… Leon von Almarsh, and Princess Sicily, I’m here to help.” (Unknown)

The voice was strangely clear and high-pitched. I wondered if it might be a woman. I thought, and I
was right.

He, no, she takes off her hat and greets us.

“My name is Winifred. I’m a reporter for Sun Elfism.” (Unknown => Winifred)

“Oh, you asked me a question at a press conference the other day.” (Sicily)

“You remembered me.” (Winifred)

“Why is a reporter here? And why are you helping us?

“I sympathize with your aspirations–that’s too hypocritical. I’m working on the Scoop of the Future.”
(Winifred)

“Scoop of the Future?” (Sicily)

“Yes. I can’t denounce His Highness Prince Kerich’s misdeeds under the current circumstances, but
even if I can’t tomorrow, the day after tomorrow the wind may change.” (Winifred)

“I hope so. I will not let that man have his way forever.”

Winifred smiles when I replied this.

“This is an investment in the future. If the wind changes in the future, the Princess should cooperate
with me.” (Winifred)

“ Of course, I would be happy to give information to a newspaper reporter like you.” (Winifred)

Sicily said and had her rope untied. She then untied me, but it was Chloe who had the most difficulty.
In the case of Chloe, it was difficult to untie her because the volunteer army, fearing her strength, had
tied her up with heavy ropes.

Winifred and Sicily were struggling to untie the ropes, saying, “Hmmm…”, but it seemed to be taking a
long time, so I asked them to step back.

And then I lightly chanted a spell and created a vacuum blast. I succeeded in cutting through Chloe’s
rough rope with my [Wind Blade] spell.

Chloe, whose rope was cut off, raised both hands and muttered, “That’s wonderful.”

“It was a brilliant move, like an illusionist stabbing a beautiful woman with a sword.” (Sicily)
“I’m flattered by the compliment. Now that we have secured our freedom, let’s get out of here.”

“Yes”, the three of them followed me.

We are moving cautiously to avoid encountering the guards of the Volunteer Army on the way.

If we do, we’ll have to hurt them. That was something we were unwilling to do.

It was a little strange to escape while worrying about the people who had tied us up, but we made it
out of the tavern bunker safely.

Since it was midnight, there were few people on the floor of the tavern.

After escaping, we went straight into an empty house outside the mine.

There we introduced ourselves again.

The intelligent and cool beauty changed into a feminine outfit and said while untying her hair.

“Again, my name is Winifred. I’m a reporter for Sun Elfism.” (Winifred)

Hair flutters in the air. The appearance was very beautiful, but what was more worrisome was that her
ears were a little sharp.
“Are you an elf?”

“That’s right. I’m a half-elf though.” (Winifred)

“Is that why you have dark hair?”

“Well, elves are usually blonde. — Well, it doesn’t really matter at this point if I’m a half-elf.” (Winifred)

That’s true, so I ask for the information I want to know more, other than her origins.

“Well, Winifred, since you’re a reporter, I’m sure you’re familiar with the city.”

“Yes, of course, I know everything from three-star restaurants to the location of the most exclusive
brothels.” (Winifred)

“Thank you.”

“Do you want to know a store where you can buy pretty elf girls?” (Winifred)

“No thanks.”

If I was a playboy would have said, “Unless there’s a beautiful girl like you,” but I’m not a playboy.
“What I want to know is the whereabouts of the person who goes to the three-star restaurant and the
luxury brothels.”

The perceptive Winifred noticed immediately and frowned her slender eyebrows.

“You want to know where Viscount Wagnall lives, by any chance?” (Winifred)

“That’s it.”

“Why? Isn’t it more important to get out of here than that? If the residents catch us now, they’ll take us
prisoner again. No, next time you might be hanged.” (Winifred)

Looking at the princess,

“There is no reason to keep you alive except for Princess Sicily.” (Winifred)

To what she said.

Chloe also insists.

“ It’s not safe to go to the Viscount’s house right now. There’s a good chance that he’ll round us up and
take advantage of the opportunity to pin his crimes on the inhabitants.” (Chloe)

“Well, the Viscount is in Kerich’s pocket.”

“Then you don’t have to jump into the tiger’s mouth.” (Winifred)

“Don’t worry, a tiger-like the Viscount has a foul breath and poor teeth. That gives us an opening.”

“You mean you’re going to pull some kind of a stunt?” (Sicily)

Sicily asks with a serious expression.

“That’s right. Please, look forward to it.”

“Yes, I will watch as if I am sitting on the seats of the opera. Leon-sama will captivate the audience with
his wit.” (Sicily)

“I hope so, but anyway, I’m going to prepare the best possible ending for this whole farce.”

As an author, screenwriter, and director, I am particular about the ending of the story.

“Even if it’s a bad one, as long as the ending is tight.”

 I said this to Winifred and gave her an earful.

I confide my secret to her big ears.

She says, “Hmmm…” and begins to listen to me earnestly.

After about three minutes of talking about the details, she looks at me with a dumbfounded
expression.

“I heard that the Libra Division has a sharp military strategist, is that you?” (Winifred)

Winifred indirectly praises my work. She continues.

“I can see it clearly now. It’s your skill that made recapture Macaulay Fortress successful.” (Winifred)

“It’s all to the credit of the princess.”

“Liar. I’ve seen you in person today and I can tell you that she has the charismatic personality, but she’s
not the kind to be a General.” (Winifred)

“Well, let’s just leave it at that. I’m sure you’re smart enough to know that?”

“You’re right. a beautiful princess general is indeed a better news source than to write an article about a
common-looking magician like you conquering Macaulay Fortress.” (Winifred)
“So there you have it. I would appreciate it if you would keep quiet and know that I will be providing you
with news sources on a regular basis.”

“Good. I’ll take care of it. —However, assisting with this operation is a separate category.” (Winifred)

“How about we treat you to a meal when you get back to King’s Landing?”

“If you’ll take me to the Cherasco’s on Topaz Street.” [T/N: I don’t know what this Cherasco is but I
asked Google-sensei and it could be a municipality in Italy. Another one is that it could mean
¯
‘Churrasco’, Argentinean grilled meat. But I’m not sure so. \_(ツ)_/ ] ¯

“The salary of a military man and a court magician is tight.”

“It’s not that expensive, but–” (Winifred)

“But?”

Winifred looks over my shoulder.

“I want you to take the princess and the maid too.” (Winifred)

When I turned around lightly, she was right.

“… Well, I’m getting paid for two jobs, so it’s not a bad idea to buy them a drink once in a while.”
 Then I promised to take them to a meal and headed to the Viscount Wagner’s mansion.

Viscount Descent von Wagner, lord of the Wagner region.

His mansion in the center of this coal-mining district, which bears the same surname as him.

At a glance, it’s a huge estate, but what’s more surprising is the towering walls that surround it.

“… Are they taking measures against giants?” (Sicily)

Murmured Princess Sicily.

“I don’t know if the goal is to get rid of giants, but the Viscount seems to have a very paranoid
personality.” (Winifred)

Winifred replied.

I added sarcastically.

“He’s probably aware that he’s a scoundrel. That’s why he’s built fortified walls around his compound
and has an army stationed there at all times.”

“You never know when they’re going to rebel.” (Winifred)

“Actually, they’re starting to.”

Unironically, Chloe in her maid outfit asks.

“We’re going to talk to him in person, but can you tell us what to do?” (Chloe)

“I’d tell you, but I don’t want to spoil it for the audience.”

“This is not a play. The future of the princess, the lives of the people, no, the fate of the country is at
stake.” (Chloe)

“That’s why. Isn’t the princess a good person?”

“She is a very good person. She is a saint. She’s a child of God.” (Chloe)

“If such a good girl knew in advance what the trick was, it would show on her face, wouldn’t it?”

“Certainly.” (Chloe)

“I’m going to deceive the Viscount. These tricks are my specialty.”

I knock on the gate of the Viscount’s mansion.

 Of course, in this situation on the eve of the rebellion, the soldiers were angry. Their voices are
rough.

Some soldiers tried to capture us immediately, but I yelled out.

“We have been sent to this land by order of His Majesty the King. Do you understand that disrespecting
us is the same as disrespecting the King?”

I wonder if they heard my bold threat. The soldiers are agitated and consulting with each other.

In a whisper, Chloe whispers to me.

“… It is wonderful. You talk like a loyal vassal, even though you don’t respect the king.” (Chloe)

“I do respect him. He’s the princess’s father.”

“He may be your father-in-law in the future, I suppose, and you have no choice but to do just that.”
(Chloe)

Then came the most important general of all. He seems to be the commander of the Viscount’s
private army.

“Well, well, thank you, members, of the Libra Division, for coming to support us.” (Wagner Army
Commander)
“I don’t know if it’s in support of you or not, but in the name of His Majesty the King, I’m hoping to
eliminate the disease that’s plaguing this country.” (Sicily)

“Then please see my Lord. Justice is with my Lord. This land was given to the Viscount by His Majesty
the King, and yet they plot a rebellion and abandon their duty to pay taxes.” (Wagner Army
Commander)

“So it seems. Well, I’ll let the Viscount himself tell me the details.”

He let us through the parlor of the Viscount’s mansion.

The only problem was that Winifred, the reporter, was not allowed. So she had to stay behind.

“That’s a shame.” (Sicily)

Sicily said, but Winifred wasn’t looking disappointed at all.

In fact, it would be better to separate from her here in order to carry out my secret plan.

Knowing this, Winifred and I smiled at each other the whole time.

The parlor of the viscount’s mansion was more luxurious than I had imagined. There are furnishings
everywhere, including works of art from renowned artists.

It seemed more splendid than the mansion of Sicily, a member of the royal family.
 However, Chloe argued against that.

“Her Highness’ mansion is a simple one. They live a modest life compared to the other nobles. It’s just
that this place is too opulent and grand.” (Chloe)

“I guess so. I mean, there’s a religious painting by Yuesir, the King of Paintings. That’s not something a
viscount should have.”

“That’s right. It should be in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.” (Chloe)

“It’s better for the people.”

As we were exchanging ideas, a middle-aged man with a thin mustache walked in.

“Ha-ha-ha!” (Wagner)

While yelling.

“Well, well, well, Princess, it’s good to see you.” (Thin Moustache)

“Have you met?”

 I asked whispering, Sicily shakes her head.

“… maybe at a party or something.” (Sicily)

However, the princess continues.

“… I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t remember your face.” (Sicily)

The Princess says apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it, he’s insignificant. He’ll be out in no time, even with the plot I’ve written.”

After finishing such an exchange, the princess shook hands with him and said, “It’s been a long time.”

“No, no, it’s been a really long time. Maybe it’s been since you were a child. For the past few years, I’ve
been holed up in my estate, spending all my time managing it.” (Wagner)

The Viscount said in a good mood, and I said without hesitation.

“Isn’t it better to say ‘seizure of territory’ instead of ‘management of territory’?”

The Viscount seems to have clicked his tongue on my words, but the Viscount asks Sicily quietly
without being phased.

“He is my confidant. He’s a magician who works for the court library and also as a military advisor.”
(Sicily)

“… a court magician?” (Wagner)

He stares at me with a baleful gaze.

“I will forgive it because he’s the princess’s confidant, but be careful about how you speak.” (Wagner)

“So be you careful, Viscount, is it not your own doing that caused the rebellion?”

“Do you think there is justice on the side of the people?” (Wagner)

“I thought so when I sneaked into this city.”

“Did you approach the rebels?” (Wagner)

“They call themselves Volunteer Army.”

“They are rebelling against me. They are thieves opposing His Majesty the King.” (Wagner)

“I hope that argument holds up in a military tribunal.”

“… are you going to take this to court?” (Wagner)

“That’s right.”

“Stop it. It’s useless.” (Wagner)

“How so.”

“If you are part of the nobility, you know how stupid and pointless the people are. They exist to serve the
nobility.” (Wagner)

“The aristocracy lives off the fruits of the people’s labor.”

“That’s the privilege of being born into nobility, isn’t it?” (Wagner)

When the Viscount says this, he stares at the princess.

“… Princess Sicily seems to think the same as this guy.” (Wagner)

Sicily does not hide her feelings of disgust.

“I’d rather side with the people than the Viscount, but my mother told me not to take any chances after
hearing the news. If the Viscount has a point, he should prove it in a military court. The courts in this
country know what justice is.” (Sicily)

“… I see. I thought I’d persuade you since you’re a little girl, but it was useless.” (Wagner)

“……eh?”

At the same time that Sicily gasped, the door was opened and soldiers rushed in.

“I’m sorry, princess, please die here…. Well, the cause of your death was being stabbed. How about a
scenario that you were killed by a bloody rebel?” (Wagner)

“It’s just like the scenario Leon-sama said.” (Chloe)

“Villains don’t have the will to surprise the audience, so they don’t twist to the story.”

When I say this, the enemy soldiers attack.

Chloe swung against the first group.

When she puts magical power into her pocket watch, its chain moves like a snake and knocks away
the enemies.

Multiple enemies are blown away with a single swing.

 The Viscount watching us looks like he bit a bug.

“Well, isn’t that woman just a maid?” (Wagner)

Chloe smiles with a smile.

“I am from the Doll Tribe.” (Chloe)

“A filthy demi-human?” (Wagner)

“I’m afraid so.” (Chloe)

She aimed her pocket watch at the Viscount, but it was blocked by his soldiers. It seems that some of
the Viscount’s soldiers are quite skilled.

I look into the window.

“Are we withdrawing? Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

“Yes, there are some very strong soldiers, and there are so many of them. Chloe and I can’t do anything
about it.”
“That’s not the case. —I wish I could say that, but I think you might be right.” (Chloe)

Chloe is letting out a chuckle as she engages in a vicious exchange of blows with the soldiers.

If he catches us now, we will be killed by the Viscount, and I calmly analyzed the area and let a flame
dwell in my right hand.

I cast a [Fireball] spell and hit the enemy soldiers with it as a greeting.

In an instant, the soldiers burst into flames. Then a magician tries to extinguish it.

It seems that some of the enemy soldiers are magicians. Besides, enemy soldiers come out of the
depths of the house in an inexhaustible supply. It was obvious to everyone that the battle situation was
not favorable.

Thinking so, I raise my left hand and cast a spell.

It’s a simple spell. I can cast forbidden spells as well, but in fact, it is the simple spells that I find most
useful.

The magic of [Ignition] that ignites firewood during journeys.

The magic of [Purification] that turns muddy water into drinking water.

-And the magic of [Flash] that bathes the area in light.

The enemy soldiers’ eyes were blinded by the dazzling light I released.
 Sicily and I decided on the signal in advance,

“As expected, Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

Praised me.

I pull the hand of Sicily who is still admiring the play and I just open the window. Then I put my foot on
the edge. She does the same but is a little confused.

It is scary to simply jump off the second floor, not because she’s wearing a skirt.

I told her to hold my right hand.

“–Trust me.”

“—I do.” (Sicily)

When I heard her words, I cast the magic of [Float] and slowly fell down the garden.

We are falling down the garden like a puffy jellyfish. Sicily then said.

“As expected, the best court magician in Ernia.” (Sicily)

“My main occupation is a librarian.”

As I said this, I looked up at where I had just been. I can see the moment when Chloe leaps into the
sky.

I can’t see inside the skirt because of the backlight, but I catch her on the ground as she falls.

Chloe landed in a princess carry, has her cheeks dyed pink.

“This is a princess carry. —I’m not a princess.” (Chloe)

Said.

When I was at a loss for a response, Sicily smiled and said,

“All the girls are princesses.” (Sicily)

She said.

In a way, it was the truth, so I didn’t argue with her, and we ran through the garden of the Viscount’s
house.

Viscount Descent von Wagner, lord of the Wagner region.

 His mansion in the center of this coal-mining district, which bears the same surname as him.

At a glance, it’s a huge estate, but what’s more surprising is the towering walls that surround it.

“… Are they taking measures against giants?” (Sicily)

Murmured Princess Sicily.

“I don’t know if the goal is to get rid of giants, but the Viscount seems to have a very paranoid
personality.” (Winifred)

Winifred replied.

I added sarcastically.

“He’s probably aware that he’s a scoundrel. That’s why he’s built fortified walls around his compound
and has an army stationed there at all times.”

“You never know when they’re going to rebel.” (Winifred)

“Actually, they’re starting to.”

 Unironically, Chloe in her maid outfit asks.

“We’re going to talk to him in person, but can you tell us what to do?” (Chloe)

“I’d tell you, but I don’t want to spoil it for the audience.”

“This is not a play. The future of the princess, the lives of the people, no, the fate of the country is at
stake.” (Chloe)

“That’s why. Isn’t the princess a good person?”

“She is a very good person. She is a saint. She’s a child of God.” (Chloe)

“If such a good girl knew in advance what the trick was, it would show on her face, wouldn’t it?”

“Certainly.” (Chloe)

“I’m going to deceive the Viscount. These tricks are my specialty.”

I knock on the gate of the Viscount’s mansion.

Of course, in this situation on the eve of the rebellion, the soldiers were angry. Their voices are
rough.

Some soldiers tried to capture us immediately, but I yelled out.

“We have been sent to this land by order of His Majesty the King. Do you understand that disrespecting
us is the same as disrespecting the King?”

I wonder if they heard my bold threat. The soldiers are agitated and consulting with each other.

In a whisper, Chloe whispers to me.

“… It is wonderful. You talk like a loyal vassal, even though you don’t respect the king.” (Chloe)

“I do respect him. He’s the princess’s father.”

“He may be your father-in-law in the future, I suppose, and you have no choice but to do just that.”
(Chloe)

Then came the most important general of all. He seems to be the commander of the Viscount’s
private army.

“Well, well, thank you, members, of the Libra Division, for coming to support us.” (Wagner Army
Commander)

“I don’t know if it’s in support of you or not, but in the name of His Majesty the King, I’m hoping to
eliminate the disease that’s plaguing this country.” (Sicily)

“Then please see my Lord. Justice is with my Lord. This land was given to the Viscount by His Majesty
the King, and yet they plot a rebellion and abandon their duty to pay taxes.” (Wagner Army
Commander)
“So it seems. Well, I’ll let the Viscount himself tell me the details.”

He let us through the parlor of the Viscount’s mansion.

The only problem was that Winifred, the reporter, was not allowed. So she had to stay behind.

“That’s a shame.” (Sicily)

Sicily said, but Winifred wasn’t looking disappointed at all.

In fact, it would be better to separate from her here in order to carry out my secret plan.

Knowing this, Winifred and I smiled at each other the whole time.

The parlor of the viscount’s mansion was more luxurious than I had imagined. There are furnishings
everywhere, including works of art from renowned artists.

It seemed more splendid than the mansion of Sicily, a member of the royal family.

However, Chloe argued against that.

“Her Highness’ mansion is a simple one. They live a modest life compared to the other nobles. It’s just
that this place is too opulent and grand.” (Chloe)

“I guess so. I mean, there’s a religious painting by Yuesir, the King of Paintings. That’s not something a
viscount should have.”

“That’s right. It should be in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.” (Chloe)

“It’s better for the people.”

As we were exchanging ideas, a middle-aged man with a thin mustache walked in.

“Ha-ha-ha!” (Wagner)

While yelling.

“Well, well, well, Princess, it’s good to see you.” (Thin Moustache)

“Have you met?”

I asked whispering, Sicily shakes her head.

“… maybe at a party or something.” (Sicily)

 However, the princess continues.

“… I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t remember your face.” (Sicily)

The Princess says apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it, he’s insignificant. He’ll be out in no time, even with the plot I’ve written.”

After finishing such an exchange, the princess shook hands with him and said, “It’s been a long time.”

“No, no, it’s been a really long time. Maybe it’s been since you were a child. For the past few years, I’ve
been holed up in my estate, spending all my time managing it.” (Wagner)

The Viscount said in a good mood, and I said without hesitation.

“Isn’t it better to say ‘seizure of territory’ instead of ‘management of territory’?”

The Viscount seems to have clicked his tongue on my words, but the Viscount asks Sicily quietly
without being phased.
“He is my confidant. He’s a magician who works for the court library and also as a military advisor.”
(Sicily)

“… a court magician?” (Wagner)

He stares at me with a baleful gaze.

“I will forgive it because he’s the princess’s confidant, but be careful about how you speak.” (Wagner)

“So be you careful, Viscount, is it not your own doing that caused the rebellion?”

“Do you think there is justice on the side of the people?” (Wagner)

“I thought so when I sneaked into this city.”

“Did you approach the rebels?” (Wagner)

“They call themselves Volunteer Army.”

“They are rebelling against me. They are thieves opposing His Majesty the King.” (Wagner)

“I hope that argument holds up in a military tribunal.”

“… are you going to take this to court?” (Wagner)

“That’s right.”

“Stop it. It’s useless.” (Wagner)

“How so.”

“If you are part of the nobility, you know how stupid and pointless the people are. They exist to serve the
nobility.” (Wagner)

“The aristocracy lives off the fruits of the people’s labor.”

“That’s the privilege of being born into nobility, isn’t it?” (Wagner)

When the Viscount says this, he stares at the princess.

“… Princess Sicily seems to think the same as this guy.” (Wagner)

Sicily does not hide her feelings of disgust.

“I’d rather side with the people than the Viscount, but my mother told me not to take any chances after
hearing the news. If the Viscount has a point, he should prove it in a military court. The courts in this
country know what justice is.” (Sicily)
“… I see. I thought I’d persuade you since you’re a little girl, but it was useless.” (Wagner)

“……eh?”

At the same time that Sicily gasped, the door was opened and soldiers rushed in.

“I’m sorry, princess, please die here…. Well, the cause of your death was being stabbed. How about a
scenario that you were killed by a bloody rebel?” (Wagner)

“It’s just like the scenario Leon-sama said.” (Chloe)

“Villains don’t have the will to surprise the audience, so they don’t twist to the story.”

When I say this, the enemy soldiers attack.

Chloe swung against the first group.

When she puts magical power into her pocket watch, its chain moves like a snake and knocks away
the enemies.

Multiple enemies are blown away with a single swing.

The Viscount watching us looks like he bit a bug.

“Well, isn’t that woman just a maid?” (Wagner)

 Chloe smiles with a smile.

“I am from the Doll Tribe.” (Chloe)

“A filthy demi-human?” (Wagner)

“I’m afraid so.” (Chloe)

She aimed her pocket watch at the Viscount, but it was blocked by his soldiers. It seems that some of
the Viscount’s soldiers are quite skilled.

I look into the window.

“Are we withdrawing? Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

“Yes, there are some very strong soldiers, and there are so many of them. Chloe and I can’t do anything
about it.”

“That’s not the case. —I wish I could say that, but I think you might be right.” (Chloe)

Chloe is letting out a chuckle as she engages in a vicious exchange of blows with the soldiers.
 If he catches us now, we will be killed by the Viscount, and I calmly analyzed the area and let a flame
dwell in my right hand.

I cast a [Fireball] spell and hit the enemy soldiers with it as a greeting.

In an instant, the soldiers burst into flames. Then a magician tries to extinguish it.

It seems that some of the enemy soldiers are magicians. Besides, enemy soldiers come out of the
depths of the house in an inexhaustible supply. It was obvious to everyone that the battle situation was
not favorable.

Thinking so, I raise my left hand and cast a spell.

It’s a simple spell. I can cast forbidden spells as well, but in fact, it is the simple spells that I find most
useful.

The magic of [Ignition] that ignites firewood during journeys.

The magic of [Purification] that turns muddy water into drinking water.

-And the magic of [Flash] that bathes the area in light.

The enemy soldiers’ eyes were blinded by the dazzling light I released.

Sicily and I decided on the signal in advance,

“As expected, Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

 Praised me.

I pull the hand of Sicily who is still admiring the play and I just open the window. Then I put my foot on
the edge. She does the same but is a little confused.

It is scary to simply jump off the second floor, not because she’s wearing a skirt.

I told her to hold my right hand.

“–Trust me.”

“—I do.” (Sicily)

When I heard her words, I cast the magic of [Float] and slowly fell down the garden.

We are falling down the garden like a puffy jellyfish. Sicily then said.

“As expected, the best court magician in Ernia.” (Sicily)

“My main occupation is a librarian.”

As I said this, I looked up at where I had just been. I can see the moment when Chloe leaps into the
sky.
 I can’t see inside the skirt because of the backlight, but I catch her on the ground as she falls.

Chloe landed in a princess carry, has her cheeks dyed pink.

“This is a princess carry. —I’m not a princess.” (Chloe)

Said.

When I was at a loss for a response, Sicily smiled and said,

“All the girls are princesses.” (Sicily)

She said.

In a way, it was the truth, so I didn’t argue with her, and we ran through the garden of the Viscount’s
house.

“Well, you shit, are you saying that all the conversations we’ve had so far have been recorded…”
(Wagner)

Viscount Wagner had his knees and voice shaking, but his men were surprisingly calm.
“Viscount, it’s too early to give up. I mean, you shouldn’t be afraid of Sun Elfism. If you ask Kerich-
sama, he can choke every article, no, every reporter.” (Soldier)

“Well, that’s right. His reach can do that.” (Wagner)

“And it’s just a recorder, so we can just take it and destroy it.” (Soldier)

“It’s a recorder, if we destroy it, there’s no evidence.” (Wagner)

The viscount regains a smile on his face.

When I heard their conversations, I started laughing, “Puhahahaha.”

“That’s right Viscount. You’re really stupid.”

“What the!” (Wagner)

“No, of course, the current conversation was also recorded. You now also added the crime of tampering
with the evidence.”

“So what. If we destroy the recorder, it’s done, no evidence.” (Wagner)

“Is that so? This might be a recorder, but the latest recorders are amazing?”

Then I lift the cable attached to the end of the recorder.

“… What is that?” (Wagner)

“This is connected to the antenna over there.”

“What is that antenna?” (Wagner)

The Viscount looked at the antenna in the shade of a tree.

“It’s pointing in the direction of the Royal Capital, and now all our conversations are being broadcast live
in the Royal Capital Square.”

“What are you saying!?” (Wagner)

All the enemy soldiers, including the Viscount, are astonished.

“Uh, it’s a lie!” For the Viscount who claims this to be, the scene on the square is magically shown.

“Look, the inhabitants of the Royal Capital, they are disgusted by you and your boss’s actions.”

An image projected by magic appears.

Citizens who stop and watch over the situation are now are being reflected there.
 There was a huge crowd of people.

The Viscount sees the scene and his beard started quivering.

“… Let’s go, you guys!” (Wagner)

“What a nice expression on your face. You have the expression of a dying man”

“Of course. I will never forgive you for what you’ve done!” (Wagner)

“Well, well, you still look like you can afford to.”

“It’s natural. I’m Kerich-sama’s confidant. I’ll manage to survive with Kerich-sama’s power. I may be put
on a military trial, but I’ll still be acquitted.” (Wagner)

“Well, I’m impressed with your villainous habit of never giving up, but your top boss, Kerich, doesn’t care
about you.”

“What are you saying?” (Wagner)

In order to enlighten the Viscount who is quite stubborn, I will create a defensive line in front of the
Viscount.

When the Viscount sees it, he screamed, but at the next moment, the soldiers fall down one after
another.

“What is that!?” (Wagner)

 At first, the Viscount seems to have mistakenly thought that the soldiers were defeated by my magic.
But then he realizes that’s not the case. I also heard what sounded like gunpowder bursting.

“Hey, is it a gunshot?” (Wagner)

“Yes, it is.”

I turned around and saw that it was a regular Ernian soldier.

“That’s Kerich’s Guards.”

“So, His Highness’s personal army!? That’s stupid!? They’re our ally.” (Wagner)

“You seem to be the only one who thinks so. It seems you’re the only one who thinks so. —I mean, that
whole charade you just pulled, it seems to have gotten through to Kerich.”

“What do you mean?” (Wagner)

“You’re an idiot, Viscount. You’ve been cut off. They’re going to kill you and kill us all and make it all go
away.”

“What the hell!?” (Wagner)

The Viscount’s incredulous expression was dispelled by the actions of the enemy forces.
 Kerich’s guards shot a second volley when as soon as they raised their guns again.

When I saw it, I called Princess Sicily to move behind me.

For the time being, the Viscount too.

After confirming that they have gathered behind me, I create a spherical defense wall in front of me.

The enemy troops fired their guns, but the spherical wall of defense deflected the enemy’s bullets
without difficulty.

“What is this magic? It’s amazing.” (Sicily)

“By making the defensive wall spherical, it diffuses the power, so that a little bit of magic power can
block even the strongest bullets.”

That also prevents the third volley.

Sicily, who was watching it said,

“Wow…” (Sicily)

But the maid, Chloe, wasn’t just praising it.

“The live broadcast strategy and this ability to prevent enemy attacks are all wonderful, but is there a
way to get out of this predicament?” (Chloe)

Chloe seems to be more worried about the princess than her own self.

I replied to reassure her,

“Of course. The Court Magician Leon von Almarsh has no blind spots.”

When I said that, Chloe smiled at me with a relieved expression.

I prevented the shots from the enemy army under Sicily’s second brother, Kerich.

Kerich’s Private Army, thinking that they had been caught off guard, grew restless and began to
retreat.

They seem to be planning to join up with the other divisions in the rear and try to overpower us once
again.

It was the right thing to do in accordance with the laws of war, but we were glad to have bought some
time.

“Once you pull the Viscount’s private army and keep it in the city.”
 The Viscount is surprised to hear the plan.

“You mean you’re going to save us? You mean you’re going to have mercy on us for trying to murder
you?” (Wagner)

“Mercy? It’s not that absurd. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Viscount, I’d like to borrow your men
and your mansion for the siege.”

“My mansion…” (Wagner)

“Oh, I think they have the capacity for a prolonged siege.”

“… I don’t mind, but I’m resented by the people in the city. No one wants to fight with me now.”
(Wagner)

“Well, so crush your skull to the ground and serve the people of the city. Do the original role of the lord.”

“The original role of the lord?” (Wagner)

“The role of the lord will be to protect the people instead of collecting taxes from them. Right now, Kerich
is trying to erase you and your people from this city. If you don’t stand up now, what will you do?”

“… I understand. I don’t know if you believe me, but I will work with the people and confront Kerich.”
(Wagner)

“Have you finally had a change of heart?”

“… Oh, I’ve lost my fucking mind. I believed that His Highness Kerich would change this country,
establish a firm position in the League of Kings, and raise me up, but it seems that I was only delusional.
But it seems I was only delusional. I no longer owe him anything.” (Wagner)
 When the Viscount says so, he leads his private army back to his mansion.

When I go to the tavern in the city, I talk to the leader of the volunteer army, Orgas.

Actually, all the interactions with the Viscount I mentioned earlier were also played in the square of
this city, so the story was easy.

I never dreamed that the Viscount would change his mind, and I can’t forgive him for all the evil he’s
done to the people of this city, but he told me that he would temporarily fight with me to protect this city.

“As expected, he is the leader of the volunteer army. Their decision is quick.”

“I can’t trust my back to him. But when all is said and done, the Viscount will be arrested, won’t he?”
(Orgas)

“That’s no doubt. The Viscount was cut off by Kerich. When all was done, he would be taken to the royal
capital and hanged.”

“Is that why you are so angry with Kerich?” (Orgas)

“Yes. You can trust me on that and fight with me this time.”

Affirming, Orgas was convinced. The topic then turned to more pressing matters than the Viscount.
“I’m happy to have the Viscount’s mansion and his armory open to us, but this city is small. We can only
gather about three hundred men.”

“That plus a hundred from the Viscount’s private soldiers?” (Sicily)

“If we mobilize the old men and children, we can get another 200.” (Orgas)

“Let’s stop it. Our strategist Leon values quality over quantity.”

“But with about 400 soldiers, we wouldn’t be able to compete with the Kerich Guards. I heard that there
are nearly 10,000 soldiers.” (Orgas)

“It seems that he is leading the maximum number of people who can move Kerich.”

“It’s impossible. Defeating 25 times more regular soldiers with just militia.” (Orgas)

“Well, it’s not that difficult.”

I say it carefree, but Orgas can’t hide his concern.

But there are two women who have total confidence in me.

Their names are Sicily and Chloe. They are my master and her maid.

They say with an expression of complete confidence.

“Leon-sama has overcome many difficulties in his life. I’m sure he’ll succeed in this ordeal as well.”
(Sicily)

Yesterday’s achievements do not guarantee tomorrow’s success, but the miracles we have performed
so far seemed to have instilled in them a firm sense of trust.

He says he will accept any difficult orders.

The women and children who had been hiding in the basement of the tavern stood up, though they
were probably not inspired by the sight of him.

“We can’t go into battle, but instead we’ll do everything, clean, wash, and cook. We’ll support you so
that you can do your best.” (Women)

“I will do my best as a messenger!” (Alf)

It was a boy wearing a pot lid who smile as he replied.

The people who took care of us when we were trapped underground before.

She doesn’t blame us for running away but encouraged us.

“Why?” I asked, and they said.

“To begin with, we knew right away that you were good people. That’s what the article about you in the
newspaper says.” (Alf’s Mother)

The one who smiles is Winifred, who wrote the article.

“I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been talking to you, that you’re people who are trying to make
this world a better place.” (Random Village Woman)

The child, who Sicily shared the food with, nods behind her parent’s skirt.

“These people are working hard to help us. We’ll be punished if we don’t work too. That’s why we’re
going to kick the men out of the house and send them to the Viscount’s mansion.” (Random Village
Woman)

The women chuckled.

They put their words into practice and persuades those who didn’t want to follow the orders from the
Village Representative Orgas.

After all, men can’t resist any woman.

After reaffirming this, I send the volunteer army to the Viscount’s house.

But I’m not going there myself.

“Leon-sama, where can I go? To face tens of thousands with four hundred men, Leon-sama’s
intelligence and command abilities are essential.” (Sicily)

“That’s an overestimation of my abilities. No matter how well I command, 400 troops cannot defeat
10,000 troops.”

“How can you be so flippant?” (Sicily)

“I’m just thinking about things rationally, that’s why I contribute with my wits, not with my command.”

“What do you mean, Leon-sama?” (Sicily)

“From now on, I will take another action. I will leave the command to you and call for help toward the
royal capital.”

“You’re calling the Libra Division, right?” (Sicily)

“That’s right.”

“They are strong, but the But the Libra Division has only just been established and there are only about
1,000 people strong.” (Sicily)

“I’ll call on other generals who might be in agreement with the princess, and move the division
commanders who share the princess’s ambitions.”

“Will it go that smoothly?” (Sicily)

“Until you what has to be done.”

 When I say that, I entrust the aftermath to the princess.

“The heart of this operation is to have four hundred soldiers defend against ten thousand soldiers until I
return to the Royal Capital and bring in reinforcements.”

“… It’s a serious responsibility.” (Sicily)

“But if it’s you, princess, you can do it. The commanding ability of the princess was very powerful last
time. The princess has the charisma that charms people.”

“If there really is such a thing, now would be the time to show it.” (Sicily)

As soon as the princess said this, she made up her mind.

It seemed as if she was going to head straight for the viscount’s mansion, but on the way, she spun
around and hugged me.

“—Whoa, hey! The Kingdoms Princess shouldn’t be doing this.”

“—Sorry, Leon-sama. But I don’t have enough courage.” (Sicily)

“Courage?”

“That’s right. I need to have the courage to fight alone, the courage to fight without Leon-sama.” (Sicily)
“Can you get it if you hug me?”

“… I don’t know, but I have a different concern.” (Sicily)

“What concern?”

“Yes, I don’t know why, there’s a stirring in my heart.” (Sicily)

“A stirring?”

“Yes, yes. I’m afraid to say it, but I have a bad feeling. I feel as if I will never be able to be held in Master
Leon’s “arms” again. I feel like I’ll never be able to feel this warmth again.” (Sicily) [T/N: She uses this
kanji 腕 “ude” which can mean “arm” and/or “skill”.]

“… I see.”

With a bitter smile. I thought her worry might be true.

It is not a sane plan to hold off 10,000 soldiers with just 400 soldiers. If it was done normally, they
would surely lose. (Of course, there are measures to prevent this from happening.)

I’m trying to save the princess no matter what the situation, but if I make a mistake, she’ll die in battle.

If that happened, there was no doubt that Chloe would kill me, but even if that didn’t happen, I was in
danger.
 Returning to the Royal Capital was a risk in itself.

The fact that Kerich was determined to kill us, along with the Viscount, meant that he was also plotting
in the Royal Capital.

All the members of the Libra Division might be under house arrest.

If I went there, there was a possibility that I would be captured and conspired to death.

If that happened, not only would I die, but the princess would also be in trouble.

I wanted to avoid that, but I couldn’t keep worrying about it.

In any case, I had no choice but to return to the royal capital and call for help.

I was going to choose the best option among the remaining paths.

I would save the people of this city and save the princess.

Maybe I would have to make some sacrifices, but I knew that it would not be for the princess’ smile.
 I became her military strategist in order to see her smile.

Sicily von Ernia, who broke up with Leon von Almarsh and took command alone.

She said with a tense look.

“My name is Major General Sicily von Ernia. I am the Commander of the Libra Division.” (Sicily)

Those who heard her words. The inhabitants of the city of Wagner and the private army of the
Viscount of Wagner once again acknowledged Sicily.

“I have come to subdue the infested thieves in this city at the behest of His Majesty the King.” (Sicily)

Hearing these words, the residents of the city made noise. Sicily deals with it before the noise turns
into turmoil.

“Of course, the bandits do not mean you residents. I consider you to be a volunteer army against
oppression.” (Sicily)

“Thank you”, “I understand”, “I’m glad”, various voices said.

 When Sicily confirmed this, she then turned to the Viscount.

“And the Viscounts and his private army, who are the target of the villagers’ wrath.” (Sicily)

They sweated cold bullets, but Sicily did not pursue them at this moment.

“I’m sure the residents and the Viscount have their differences, but for now, let’s settle our differences.”
(Sicily)

Hearing the words, the Viscount seems to be relieved.

“…… I understand.” (Wagner)

“Thank you. By the way, I think the thief mentioned by the Royal Decree is Kerich.” (Sicily)

Sicily no longer called Kerich his brother at that moment.

“I’m sure Viscount Wagner wanted to bribe his way up the ladder, but I’m sure the bribe was small at
first.” (Wagner)

“…………” The Viscount nods. Residents also agree.

“At first it was just a small increase in taxes, which we put up with for a while, but then the taxes rose to
the point where we couldn’t pay them no matter how hard we tried.” (Villager)

“I’m sure. Even if we were to remove the Viscount, the next one that comes along will also have Kerich’s
support. You will suffer even heavier taxes.” (Sicily)

“Do you mean there is no end?” (Villager)

Sicily slowly shakes her head.

“No, not at all. This negative cycle will be broken now. We will defeat the ‘Bandit’ Kerich, here and save
everyone from being raked across the coals.” (Sicily)

The moment she calls her brother a bandit, the faces of the inhabitants brighten, and smiles bloomed
from their faces.

A whisper of joy grew from those smiles.

“As expected, she is the Princess General of Salvation.” (Villagers)

“The Virtuous Princess.” (Villagers)

“Glory to the next Queen!” (Villagers)

 Everyone can hear it.

Sicily seems to have won the hearts of the residents and the Viscount’s private army with her stellar
speech.

“For the sake of the princess, we can fight against the strongest enemy forces.” (Inhabitants of Wagner)

“What are 10,000 soldiers! We are the princess’s personal army!” (Inhabitants of Wagner)

“By all means, please add us to the Libra Division.” (Inhabitants of Wagner)

In this way, Sicily united her consciousness with the inhabitants and prepared for their mightiest
enemy, at this moment.

The Viscount’s mansion, which Sicily and the others were holed up, was already surrounded by
enemy forces.

Sicily sees it from outside the window.

~Sicily’s Perspective~

The number of enemy troops was 10,000, but I was accustomed to being surrounded by a large army.
However, 10,000 soldiers were truly terrifying.
 I almost sighed, but I suppress it, my ever-faithful maid spoke to me.

“… The speech was wonderful.” (Chloe)

“It’s not a speech. I just told the truth.” (Sicily)

“If so, the words of Your Highness is probably a magical language that touches the hearts of all.”
(Chloe)

“You are exaggerating. I mean, I don’t think I’m able to beat even 10,000 soldiers.” (Sicily)

“Well, but I wonder if there is a chance of winning.” (Chloe)

“Of course, Leon von Almarsh doesn’t fight without a chance of winning, and neither does his master,
Sicily von Ernia.” (Sicily)

“I see, you believe in Leon-sama.” (Chloe)

“Yes, Leon-sama will definitely come back. To save us.” (Sicily)

“It’s the same with Chloe, but for the time being, 400 people here have to defend against a large army of
10,000.” (Chloe)

As soon as she said that, there was a report from the Viscount.
“Princess! Princess Sicily! There’s an incoming force at the north gate.” (Soldier)

“OK, then send 100 soldiers.” (Sicily)

“100? Is that all right?” (Soldier)

“Yes. The enemy army will be watching and will not send their main force. Besides, the enemy troops
should appear at the south gate in time.” (Sicily)

A few moments later, my prediction came true.

Chloe’s eyes blinked as she watched the scene.

“Does Your Highness have talent as a military strategist?” (Chloe)

I shook my head to her question.

“No way, I’m just a run of the mill commander.” (Sicily)

“Can a run of the mill commander accurately predict the movement of a huge enemy army?” (Chloe)

“There is a trick to that.” (Sicily)

 I took out a letter from the neckline of my dress.

“That is?” (Chloe)

“This is a ‘Game Plan’ that Leon-sama entrusted to me.” (Sicily)

“Game Plan?” (Chloe)

“No, not just any Game Plan, but also a prediction. This letter details how the enemy army would move
and what I should do.” (Sicily)

“What!” (Chloe)

“Leon-sama is amazing. So far, the enemy army is moving without deviating from his prediction.”
(Sicily)

“That’s great! With it, you can destroy the enemy army without Leon-sama.” (Chloe)

“That’s not possible, because what’s written on this letter is for only a week.” (Sicily)

“…………” (Chloe)

“In other words, if Master Leon does not bring reinforcements from the capital within a week, or if there
is no dramatic change in the battlefield, we are finished.” (Sicily)

“… Let’s fight hard so that it doesn’t happen, Your Highness.” (Chloe)

 That said, I saw Chloe clasp her pocket watch.

~3rd Person Perspective~

Sicily and her companions are struggling in Viscount Wagner’s territory.

“If you endure for a week, just for a week, things will change!” (Sicily)

Sicily continued to say so to the city’s villagers and the Viscount’s private army as she took
command.

On the way, Orgas, the representative of the villagers, asks.

“Princess, it’s perfect so far. With the help of the princess, our army suffered little damage, and on the
contrary, it was a big blow to Kerich’s army.” (Orgas)

――“But”, he said.

“Even with your leadership, such a miracle will not last forever. In fact, day by day, the enemy army is
learning our actions and becoming stronger.” (Orgas)

Injured soldiers pass by Sicily.

 A person who lost his right hand and was carried on a stretcher as he moans in agony.

Staring at the scene painfully, Sicily says,

“Orgas-san, you’re right. We only have a few days with this Game Plan left by Leon-sama.” (Sicily)

“It’s dangerous… Will we only be sieged and annihilated at the end?” (Orgas)

“I won’t let it happen. Is something I’d like to say, but I can’t promise it.” (Sicily)

Sicily takes out a letter different from the Game Plan.

“That is?” (Orgas)

“This is the second part of the letter, which states that I should open it when there is nothing to read
from the first part of the letter.” (Sicily)

“I see. Maybe we’re in that state now?” (Orgas)

Sicily shakes her head.

“Not yet. It is not the time yet. Let’s do everything we can for now. Then we should read this letter.”
(Sicily)
“I see, I understand. Then, we can only do our best?” (Orgas)

Orgas then lead his subordinates to the Southern Gate.

On the way, though, he turned around.

“…Princess, you said there was something that would happen if we endure for a week, but will Leon
really come back?” (Orgas)

“It’s three days to get to the Royal Capital by horse. Leon-sama should be back in a week.” (Sicily)

“That’s reassuring. It’s just a thousand, no, just ten thousand.” (Orgas)

After saying that, Orgas headed for the battlefield with a battle-ax in his hand.

Sicily watches his back with her heart filled with despair.

Sicily was lying to him.

(… It’s true that it takes three days to reach the Royal Capital on horseback, but the army does not
move that fast.) (Sicily)

It takes days to gather reinforcements, days to get permission to move the army, and a few more days
to move the army.
 Calculating it, at the earliest, will take more than two weeks before the reinforcements arrive.

In the meantime, they have to challenge a large army with an overwhelming number of soldiers.

Moreover, the enemy army is steadily learning and gaining strength.

It seems that artillery has just arrived. They were equipped with cannons and were bombarding us
without pause.

At this rate, they will break through the gates and infiltrate the castle in the near future.

–If that happens.

“It’s just a matter of time before they do,” she whispered, but she didn’t continue.

(… a commander should not be timid)

The timidity of the commander is transmitted to her officers. The timidity of the officer is transmitted to
his soldiers.

It was common sense in warfare that if that happened, no matter how huge your chance of winning,
you wouldn’t be able to win.

That’s why a commander must be resolute at all times.

 Sicily then continued to command sleeplessly for three days, defending the base just for a day longer
than what was promised to Leon.

Her skills were so impressive that even Orgas and the Viscount were in awe of her, and by the eighth
day, they had become followers of the princess.

There is no doubt if they follow this person. Eventually, this princess will change this country. They
seemed to believe that.

She was grateful for that, but Kerich’s attacks grew stronger day by day, and that day came.

Finally, the Southern Gate of the Viscount’s mansion was destroyed.

Kerich concentrated his artillery on the south gate, and just as they were running out of ammunition,
he destroyed the gate after the final shot.

Sicily who saw the scene said,

“… This small army was no threat. Only my ambition.” (Sicily)

She whispered. It’s like her final words, a death poem, and in fact, it was about to be.

If the enemy army was allowed to invade with the difference in strength, there was no chance of
turning the tides.
 The only thing left to do was to be overrun and killed by the enemy army.

Sicily gazed at Chloe, who looks eager to escape with Sicily.

“Princess, please pull back and wait for an opportunity to fight for revenge.” (Chloe)

But she replied.

“I can’t do that. If the army is torn apart but only the commander chose to run away. I won’t be able to
apologize on behalf of all the volunteers and private soldiers who followed a young woman like me.”
(Sicily)

Sicily is prepared to accept death through such an exchange, but she was stopped by an unexpected
person.

No, an unexpected “group” of people.

Something like a scream can be heard from behind Kerich’s army, which had just smashed the gates
and finally gained their momentum.

“What is it?”
 Asked I asked the scout, and the scout said.

“That is an enemy army! They seem to be soldiers from the Astoria Empire!” (Scout)

“What do you mean!?” (Sicily)

At the same time, Sicily remembers the letter from her bosom.

This is the second part of the Game Plan entrusted to her by Leon.

Sicily takes it out and begins reading.

The letter is only one page and the content is very concise.

“Dear Princess. If you are reading this, you must be in desperate times.

I have prepared a gift for you.

It is the army of the Astoria Empire.

I’m sure they are attacking Kerich’s backside right now, and I hope you like it.”

Leon, the Court Magician, sold information about Kerich to the enemy, the Astoria Empire, in order to
stop him.
“There is a civil war going on in the Wagner region of Ernia. If you want to attack, now is the time.”

This information was passed on to the Astoria Empire to encourage them to join the war.

“What a devil, how cunning.” Sicily clicked her tongue, but she couldn’t help but admire him.

“Soldiers! Now! Kerich’s army is clanked by Astoria’s army and is in chaos! Keep pace with Astoria’s
forces, pin them down, and drive Kerich out of this castle!” (Sicily)

“Yes!” (Soldiers)

With that, the soldiers start to move and execute her orders.

After that, they beat Kerich’s army to a pulp and immediately repaired the destroyed gate.

They use their magicians to temporarily reinforce the gates.

“This should keep Kerich’s army from attacking for a while.” (Sicily)

Sicily literally takes a sigh of relief and she once again appreciates Leon’s wisdom.
“—Hmm, I was saved. As expected of Leon-sama. I never thought that you would prepare such a gift for
me.” (Sicily)

This bought them some time.

On the contrary, if Kerich’s and Astoria’s forces meet, Sicily may be able to escape this predicament
without doing anything.

However, Sicily was a follower of Leon, who is the strongest strategist.

She didn’t surrender to such wishful thinking and steadfastly fortified her defenses.
The princess is preventing the invasion of Kerich’s army with the Game Plan and the gift I left behind.

Meanwhile, I was in the Royal Capital at the same time.

I arrived in two days from the city of Wagner by horseback. By changing horses and forcefully running
through night and day, it shortened the usual three days to two days.

By the time I entered the Royal Capital, I had exhausted three horses.

I was straddling a horse for so long I felt my crotch cramping and my ass hurting.

But without caring about it, I headed to the Libra Division’s barracks and tried to convene with them,
but the military police stopped me.
“The Libra Division’s command is now being taken away from Princess Sicily at the behest of Crown
Prince Maxis.” (Sicily)

That’s what I’m told. All the officers of the Libra Division appear to be under house arrest, they can’t
be called back and are just waiting at their homes.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue, but I didn’t scream or panic.

Right now, I’m not the only life I carry with myself.

Both Princess Sicily and the inhabitants of the city of Wagner hang on top of my shoulders.

With that in mind, I didn’t have time to “despair.” I didn’t have the luxury to waste time.

So I decided to choose the best method with the shortest time needed.

In order to take back the command, I went to Sicily’s eldest brother, Maxis, for a direct confrontation.

I headed to the military office where Maxis would be and knocked on the office door.

To be exact, I asked the receptionist in front of me to act as an intermediary, but the visit was
surprisingly easily accepted.
 Perhaps Maxis was expecting this to happen.

It seems that he is expecting the second in command and tactician of the Libra Division to come in to
make a complaint.

Perhaps that’s why, when I was sent to the office, I was met with a grin.

“Originally there is no reason to meet a low-ranking person like you, but I took some time off my
schedule.” (Maxis)

“Thank you.”, I say and Maxis continued.

He was obnoxious and haughty, but I wasn’t angry. I thought he was very similar to his brother
Kerich.

However, the eldest brother Maxis and his brother Kerich should have been irreconcilable enemies.
So, I ask him why he is acting in favor of Kerich.

Maxis answered,

“Of course, I hate my younger brother Kerich, he is a snake. I’m fighting for the throne against him, and
it’s the same with Sicily. No, I think she’s more troublesome than my brother when we’re talking about
popularity among the masses, right?” (Maxis)

“But she’s still your cute little sister.”

“I never thought of her as my sister. In the first place, our mothers are different.” (Maxis)
“But you both have the same father.”

“Well, how about that? That girl doesn’t look like my father. And she’s just someone’s little girl. Because
she’s also some bitch’s child. It’s more likely that she was from someone other than my father.” (Maxis)

“…………”

For a moment, 12 different torture methods came to my mind as to how I could kill him while he
suffers in the worst of ways, but I shake off the thoughts.

The current purpose is not to kill the eldest brother Maxis, but to have the Libra Division move.

It was a foolish idea to let the emotions move.

“I’m not saying that you should let me bring in reinforcements. Could you at least return to me the
command of the Libra Division?”

“I should have said it’s no good.” (Maxis)

“It’s not free. I’ll give you something in return.”

“In return? What can you give me in return?” (Maxis)

“How about Kerich’s neck.”

“… How.” (Maxis)
 Maxis’s eyes are now alight with interest.

“Your Highness says that the princess is in the way, but no matter how much she gets in the way, the
princess is the head of only a single division, and you don’t have to keep her reach from stretching. She
has no influence on the military or the government.”

“Certainly.” (Maxis)

“But His Highness Kerich is different. If he continues to expand his power, he will be the one who will
hinder your rise to the throne, Your Highness Maxis. It is already self-evident which one you should
remove first.”

“…I see. There is that reason.” (Maxis)

“Hmmm”, he puts his hand on his chin and starts thinking.

It seems that his thoughts were settled in about a minute. He then spoke after writing something on a
piece of paper.

“Fine.” (Maxis)

But his words didn’t stop.

“I’ll temporarily side with that b*tch. I’ll even lend you, two divisions, under my control, not just the Libra
Division. Well, it’s still considered attempted murder for the crime of trying to murder your real sister.
That’s a plausible charge.” (Maxis)

After saying that, Maxis decides Kerich’s destiny with his mouth. He made a decisive decision with me
in front of him.

“But you’re quite tenacious, is that how good my sister is?”

The moment Maxis says that she is a daughter of a bitch, the alliance that is about to come together
breaks down.

I silently extend my right hand.

Maxis, who took it as me accepting the alliance, snorts and tries to hold his right hand out in an
obnoxious manner, but I use it to pull his right arm.

“What are you planning?” (Maxis)

“I just feel like punching your face.”

“Well, that’s stupid. You do know that? I’m a royal family. Anyone who hits a member of the royal family
is going to have their arms cut off.” (Maxis)

“Then I’ll give you this hand, so don’t let that foul mouth of yours flap anymore.”
 When I say this, I hit Maxis. With all my strength.

Maxis was blown away a few meters and crashes against a wall.

His nose is broken and blood started to dribble.

“Take that.”

I said, then I addressed the secretary who was completely speechless.

“Well, I don’t like hitting women, so I’m going to cast a spell to put you to sleep, but when you get up you
will call for help, and say I’ve threatened you when a guard comes.”

Then I cast the spell [Sleep] on the secretary who nods, After doing that, I took the letter in the study
before leaving.

I read the letter stating the return of command of the Libra Division. It was the one that Maxis had
written before I hit him.

“Now the command is back to the princess. I can move them from the Royal Capital.”

When I returned to the lobby of the military office, I found a muscular man loitering there.
 Lieutenant Victor. The staff officer of the princess and the lower commanding officers of the division
were gathered.

Victor says with a grin.

“The fact that Your Excellency is back in the Royal Capital means that we will be doing something
entertaining.” (Victor)

“Oh, it’s a war. This time we’re’s against 10,000 troops.”

“I know. Kerich is trying to erase the city of Wagner along with the princess.” (Victor)

“Yes. These are documents to move the division, but if we do not win, we’ll be punished as rebels, do
you understand?”

No one flinched when they heard the words.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to serve a country that treats the princess as a rebel. At worst, let’s put the
princess on a carriage and go into exile in the Altria Empire.” (Victor)

“That does not sound bad either. For the time being, the cause here is that the scheming Kerich struck
from behind and attacked her. Here is the evidence.”

“Then, will that be enough?” (Victor)

“Well, the country has an institution that can easily squeeze evidence if needed.”

“Of course. I can still vividly remember.” (Victor)

Victor laughs disdainfully and agrees, and he seems willing to move. The same is true for the other
officers.

“Now, it’s okay to entrust everything to you. Officers, you have your duties.” (Victor)

Victor and the other officers quickly left the military office when he said this.

Chapter 1: The Most Weakest Adventurer’s Restart

Inside the dungeon’s hall, Yuto sat shivering at the edge.

Yuto: *out of breath “haaaa… haaa…”

He was not in combat, but he could not catch his breath.

He could not breathe well.

It was due to the extreme amount of stress and pressure that made his breath shorter and more labored.

Before him, his one and only companion faced off with the Hall’s master.

(?): “Mr. Yuto, you have to run…”

Yuto: “...I can’t.”

Yuto shakes his head.

Running into this creature meant his group’s death was certain.

It’s body was made of boulders - a creature defying the laws of life.

The master of the room was a B-ranked combat difficulty - a Mythril Golem.

If Yuto had strength, he would have fought with his friends.

But Yuto had no strength.

10 years passed since becoming an Adventurer, Yuto never leveled up.

No matter how much effort he gave it, it was useless.

For 10 years, he remained an E-rank Adventurer.

It was that kind of person who ran into a B-rank *monster.

Even if he joined the battle, he could easily see himself die in the next moment.

Yuto: “If it was going to be like this, I wish I never stepped into the dungeon.”

As he trembled in fear, Yuto mumbled words of regret.

It was at that moment.

(?): “Mr. Yuto!”

Yuto: …?

As he sat there trembling, he heard his friend call out to him and looked up.

Before his very eyes stood the Mythril Golem.

The Mythril Golem raised his fist and was about to smash it down towards him.

Yuto… was going to die.

Yuto: -----!!!

Yuto could not even use his voice.

----I’m going to die.

At that moment, that’s all he could think.

“I wish I was stronger.”

----the next moment.

Yuto was killed at the hands of the Mythril Golem.

・・・

Yuto: “NOOOOOOO!!!”

Inside a crummy, one bedroom apartment, Yuto sprang out of his bed still screaming.

A warm light crept through his window.

It was another great day in the Labyrinth City of Kronos.

Yuto: “Huh?”

Standing on his bed, Yuto’s eyes widened.

He stared at himself, and felt his face with his hands.

Yuto: “Wh...what?”

He feels his body, but there are no injuries.

It’s his body - familiar and whole.

Yuto: “...wait!! Did I arrive in heaven?!”

He looks around.

The walls are falling apart, and the wind is blowing through the cracks in his window.

The bed was warped so much that it could fall apart any minute now.

There’s no mistaking it.

This is Yuto’s dirt cheap bottom of the barrel apartment room that he rented.

Yuto: “Wait! Why am I not dead?!”

Yuto remembers being crushed by the Mythril Golem.

The unforgettable sensation of having his body crushed to pieces still lingers in his body and limbs.

His bones cracked, flesh splattered, and he remembered every detail up to the point his consciousness was lost.

The thought of his own death made him weak in the knees.

---Was it really just a dream?

He pinches and twists his cheeks hard.

Yuto: “Ow…”

It hurt. It REALLY hurt, and tears welled up in his eyes as he confirmed.

Yes, there’s no doubt about it. He was still alive.

Yuto: “THEN WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT-----!!”

The more he thinks about it, the more it feels too real for all of it just to be a dream.

The Labyrinth City of Kronos, there are roughly two broad categories of dungeons.

One is a dungeon that allows you to enter and leave at will.

The other requires a key that creates a temporary space for an instant dungeon.

The only difference is if the dungeon will perpetually remain or disappear afterwards.

In the base dungeons, you will encounter various kinds of monsters.

The first underground levels will contain weaker monsters. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters become.
In an instant dungeon, specific ranks of monsters will appear.

If you use a C-Rank dungeon key, you will only encounter C-rank monsters inside.

At least, that’s how it was supposed to be.

Yuto: “What in the world happened?!”

Yuto tries to recall each event in his memory slowly, but the event of his death was too strong, and it pushed the
rest of the memories away.

Yuto: “Did I enter an instant dungeon as a luggage carrier?”

There is no way Yuto would willingly challenge a C-Rank Dungeon.

The reason is simple. In the 10 years he had spent as an Adventurer, he never leveled up once. He is known as the
weakest adventurer in history.

A person like that would need to have a death wish walking into a higher level dungeon.

The only possibility he could think of was being someone’s luggage carrier.

It would make the most sense if he joined a dungeon party as a luggage boy.

Maybe a C-Rank party recruited him, and he joined them just to haul their belongings around.

The pay is cheap, but Yuto is a veteran adventurer. He knows the inner workings of a dungeon as much as anyone
else.

Yuto: (Because I’ve practically been living inside dungeons for 10 years now.

You can hire a knowledgeable dungeon expert for the price of a busboy.

For all other adventurers other than Yuto, it was a bargain.

But that’s if you completely ignore the fact that he’s completely useless in combat.

Yuto has been an adventurer since he was 8.

For 10 years, he has trained non-stop.

At the shallowest dungeon levels, he has slain the weakest of monsters countless times.

But even so, even though your level should rise with the experience, Yuto’s level never changed.

And on top of it all, his training did not help him gain one measly skill.

Not even one!!

“You’re just not cut out for this.”

“You should retire before you end up dying.”

His fellow adventurers kept nagging him to quit and retire.

But Yuto couldn’t.

Effort is never in vain.

Yuto is now 18. He knows full well that he has no potential to become a hero.

But he believed from the bottom of his heart that if he keeps trying, he will one day level up.

He got this far, so as long as his body still moved, he will keep pushing forward.

Half of it was just pure stubbornness.

Adventurers have many goals.

Some want fame. Some want the thrill of defeating strong foes. Some want the rare equipment, and some want the
loot and become millionaires.

But Yuto was different.

“I only want to become stronger.”

That was it.

Just once, he wanted to level up.

Just once, he wanted to acquire a skill.

Just for that, he worked tirelessly for 10 years. He gritted his teeth, and did not give up until now.

Yuto: “But maybe it is time…”

His shoulders sag, as he let the words fall to the floor.

He could not erase the scene from his head of his own death and demise.

He couldn’t even remember the C-Rank Adventurer’s name in his party.

He could not even remember the name of the girl who drew the golem’s attention from Yuto until the very end.

—-it must have been a dream.

As long as he is alive right now, that must have been a dream, and that was that.

It must have been a warning about where he is heading if he doesn’t stop.

Yuto: “Maybe God is telling me to stop being so stubborn, and gave me a friendly warning through a dream.”

No matter how much he wanted to get stronger, Yuto did not want to die.

There are crazy lunatics who dream of dying in battle, but Yuto is not like that.

Dying for the sake of getting stronger is ridiculous.

It’s at that moment when Yuto gave up, it happened.

[EX Extra Quest had been completed]

[Skill Board is now accessible]

All of a sudden, a semi-transparent square appeared before his eyes.

Chapter 2: The First Training

Yuto: “Wha… what is this?”

Yuto froze as he gazed at the board.

[EX Quest has been completed]

[Skill Board is now accessible]

On the board, he saw the letters clearly spell out those messages.

Yuto has never seen anything like this before.

It is said that you can obtain anything in the Labyrinth City of Kronos, and there are indeed various items you can
find here.

But there are no items like this.

Yuto carefully reached out to touch the board.

And then...

[Status has been initiated]

[Daily Quest will be displayed]

Yuto: ----?!?!

The screen changed.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 1

Skill Point: 0

Skill

<<<<>>>>

First, he noticed his own status.

This is the same format as the status he can confirm at the temple.

The only difference is that there is no “Skill Point” section in the temple’s status information.

Yuto: “Well, yeah, that is definitely my status.”

Dungeon crawling for 10 years, there is no one else who stayed a Level 1 like Yuto. There is no doubt that this
status board reflected Yuto indeed.

Yuto: “But what is this “Skill Point”?”

Yuto touches the screen again.

Now, he realized that the screen changed as he moved his fingers.

Yuto: “Like this maybe? ---WHOA!”

When he slid his fingers to the side, it shifted from his status to another screen.

<<<<>>>>

[DAILY QUEST]

Push-ups x 100 (0/100)

Sit-ups x 100 (0/100)

*Back Muscles x 120 (0/120)

Squat x 100 (0/100)

Running x 10km (0/10km)

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “What’s this?”

It says daily quest, but the contents are completely an exercise regimen.

I can see that this paper-thin board, skill board, is trying to get me to work out.

Yuto: “But what happens even if I do this?”

Yuto has been doing all sorts of training up until now.

And of course, he has completed all of these exercises too.

But even if he did these exercises, he never started getting exponentially stronger.

Of course, doing these exercises made his body tougher, but leveling up once matches 1 year’s worth of exercise
and training.

In order to be able to become an adventurer that can clear dungeons, you have to level up.

Yuto: “Well, I guess there’s nothing to lose, so why not?”

He can still see the image of his death inside his mind. In order to shake it off, Yuto committed to completing the
exercises leisurely.

5 minutes into the training.

Yuto: “98...99...100!”
Yuto completed 100 push-ups.

Yuto: “Alright, how’s that?”

Yuto wipes off the sweat on his forehead and checks the skill board.

He then saw...

>>You have completed the push-ups quest.

>>A skill point and experience has been added.

>>You have leveled up.

Yuto: “...what?”

Looking at the sentence displayed on the board, Yuto’s heart stopped.

He frantically reached for the board and moved to a different screen.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 1 → 2

Skill Point: 0 → 1

Skill

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “It…”

It went up.

Yuto’s level went up.

Reading the words “Level 2,” made his eyes water. Hot tears streaked across his face.

No matter how much he tried, his level never rose.

Even if he trained until he coughed up blood, it was no use.

If it was just training, he would never lose to any other adventurer.

But even so, Yuto’s level never once went up.

Leveling up - this was the moment he was waiting for all his life.

Yuto: “Hic… hic…”

Even if this was an illusion, Yuto didn’t care. On the contrary, he thanked God for even letting him see something
like this.
After letting out all his tears, Yuto quickly laid his back on the floor.

Yuto: “Alright! Next is 100 sit-ups!!”

A certain Adventurers group walking through the Labyrinth City of Kronos, saw something stampede by.

“Was that Yuto?”

“Oh yeah, that was.”

“The heck is he doing…?”

All the adventurers know the man named Yuto.

He’s a perpetual E-Rank, and never grows or improves.

He’s been an adventurer forever, but he can only work as a luggage carrier, and for those with less tact call him
this:

Trash Picker or Weak Sauce.

Even so, most of the adventurers respected Yuto, and that’s because Yuto managed to survive until now.

All adventurers are short lived. The number of adventurers dying within their first year continues to grow.

And in such a brutal climate, Yuto managed to survive for 10 years.

And that’s in light of being the weakest in the group.

For any adventurer who got a taste of a dungeon, everyone will admit that this is an amazing fact.

“Hey, Trash Picker!”

“Weak Sauce, you’re energetic today!”

Yuto: “Oh, hello everyone.”

Yuto ran in place as he politely bowed to the adventurers he passed by.

Although he was turning 18, Yuto’s body was still small in comparison.

At a glance, he just looks like a kid.

Even so, Yuto held his chin high and walked with confidence.

Yes, people call him “Trash Picker” and “Weak Sauce,” but he did not let that twist his mood one bit.

That’s because in the world of rough adventurers, they called Yuto these things out of comradery.

In fact, many adventurers have explored the dungeons with Yuto multiple times.

Taking away from that experience, none of them could truly despise him.

That’s because Yuto was a competent adventurer.

“Hey! When we open up that instant dungeon, could you carry our luggage for us?”

“We’ll pay you good!”

Yuto: “Thank you! Then, I will see you then!”

“Alright”

“See ya. Good luck with your training, Weak Sauce”

The adventurers parted ways with Yuto, but then noticed something.

Yuto’s running pace seemed to be faster than usual.

Strange, they thought as they watched him with their head tilted to one side.

Well, maybe he’s putting in extra effort today.

They don’t know why he’s so pumped, but there was no reason to think about this any further.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto was staring intently at the Skill Board as he completed all his Daily Quests.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 2 → 4

Skill Point: 1 → 5

Skill

<<<<>>>>

In one day, he leveled up 3 times. He almost wants to reflect on the 10 years of wasted effort, but he pushes the
thought away. He shifted his perspective and thought maybe it’s because he worked so hard these 10 years, that it
led up to this.

Yuto: “Yessssss… I’m so… so happy.”

Just looking at his improved status was enough to make Yuto feel complete.

It felt like spring arrived.

It felt too long before the ice melted.

Yuto found out 2 things about the Skill Board.

1. Completing quests gave him experience and skill points.

2. Once you earn enough experience, your level will move up one.

The total amount of experience is not displayed on the Skill Board.

So in this case, it’s only Yuto’s conjecture that it takes a certain amount for each level up.
And even more, you weren’t guaranteed a level-up with each quest. In this way, he started theorizing that quest
completions were similar to monster hunting.

You don’t automatically level up after defeating a monster. Once you defeat enough, the amount of experience
you accumulate in the process helps you move up a level.

But no matter how many monsters he defeated in the past, Yuto’s level never rose.

So for Yuto, clearing quests was the only source and sole method of raising his level.

Is the reason why Yuto couldn’t level up these past 10 years from defeating monsters due to this system prohibiting
his progress and growth?

But even if that were true, Yuto had no intention of resenting the board.

His level did go up. He could only feel gratitude at this point.

If he could say something… he only wished that he could have unlocked this skill board much sooner.

Yuto: “But anyways, I wonder what this Skill Point is?”

As far as Skill Points go, for every quest he completed, he received 1 Skill Point. Currently, he has a total of 5
Skill Points.

But there is nowhere he can see where he could use these Skill Points.

Yuto: “Wait. Huh?”

Messing around with the board more, he returned once again to the Quest screen.

He suddenly saw something that wasn’t there a moment ago.

<<<<>>>>

[STANDARD QUEST]

Wooden Sword Swing x 1000 (0/1000) NEW

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “WHOA--!!”

A new quest appeared.

The reps required are 10 times the exercise regimen and is a high bar to clear.

But if it’s only 1000 times, Yuto has done this before numerous times.

Yuto: “YES! I can level up again with this!”

Yuto grabbed the old wooden sword laying against the wall and headed for his usual training ground.
The sun was setting.

Mari was a store worker for a weapons shop and was in the process of closing the store.
Since she was 8, she had started working at the store, first as a mere grunt worker who helped with whatever dirty
work needed to be done. For 10 years, she worked tirelessly doing various jobs that made her feel like death would
be a welcome relief, but even while complaining, she stuck with it.

Because of that, her boss gave her full authority over the store and was the head manager.

She may still be working for him, but among all the rest of the workers, she stood at the top.

The only person above her is the store owner himself.

From her humble origins, she climbed her way to the top over the last 10 years.

As she was cleaning up the store, from the rear entrance, she heard a familiar sound.

A whoosh! Slide and then whoosh! Repeated endlessly.

It is the sound of a wooden sword swing and feet dragging against the ground.

She has heard the sound for 10 years and knew who exactly it was.

As she headed to the rear entrance, just she expected, he was there.

A boy with black hair and dark eyes - the only human being to have those traits in the Labyrinth City of Kronos -
Yuto was at the backyard of the store swinging his sword again.

Being the lowest-ranked adventurer, his income is very unstable.

Being the weakest adventurer did not help either.

Because he had such poor nutrition, and just held himself barely above starvation, Yuto was several times smaller
than his peers.

With that small body, he swung the sword with all his might.

Mari: “Yuto—, I gotta close shop—“

Yuto: “...”

She calls on him, but he’s so focused on his swings that he’s left in his own world.

She was ignored, but instead of getting upset, she relented and just drew a long, slow breath.

He’s always been like this.

Once he sets his mind on something, no matter how many times she tries to grab his attention, it’s no use.

Working at the weapons shop means doing tough manual labor. There were days when she would be so sore after
work that she would cry herself to sleep.

“My whole body hurts”

“I don’t want to go to work”

“It’s too hard”

“I don’t want to do this anymore”

“I just want to quit”

Mari was sent away to dwindle the number of mouths to feed, and she managed to land a job here at Plutos. She
was 8 then.

She had to carry armor twice her size, and the labor was too much for an 8 year d girl.

But the reason why she made it thus far was because she always saw Yuto in the back, practicing his swings.

He would keep swinging his sword with dead set focus. She would wonder how he never got bored. He seemed
pathologically obsessed about swinging that sword around.

He would swing so much that the skin on his hands would blister and peel, but he continued.

Blood would be trickling from the grip of his hands, but he did not stop.

Mari only heard about his weak status from a customer.

“What was that kid’s name? Yuto? Anyways, I heard he’s still stuck at level 1.”

“What? Hasn’t it been 3 years since he’s become an adventurer?”

“Wait, really? There’s someone like that?”

“Dang dude, he must be cursed or something.”

He worked that hard and was still just Level 1. That fact was unbelievable to Mari.

Even Mari who worked as a grunt worker leveled up to Level 3.

“My whole body hurts”

“I don’t want to go to work”

“I don’t want to do this anymore”

“I just want to quit”

Yuto can’t even level up and yet he continues to train even harder.

So can it be okay for me who leveled up to give up sooner than he does?

—-Of course not!!

From that day on, Mari stopped complaining altogether. Whenever she felt down, she would remind herself about
Yuto.

If Yuto is not giving up, she could not possibly give up.

By the time the store was closed up, Yuto continued to swing his sword.

Mari: “Hello Mr. Yuto—. The store already closed—. Are you even listening—?”
No matter how much she tries to get his attention, there is no response.

This time, she got a little annoyed and threw a small rock his way.

Yuto deflected the rock with his wooden sword.

Mari: “Wow! Look at you!”

He did not respond to Mari’s voice, but he did respond to an attack.

Even though his level does not go up, he has gained a tremendous amount of experience as an adventurer, and the
way he just responded is so like Yuto.

The store has already completed all of its business.

Any other day, she would have headed to her dormitory, but Yuto is here today.

Mari sits down on a wooden box, and watches Yuto swing his sword.

Yuto: “...999….1000!”

Yuto seems to have completed his sword swinging regiment. He lowers his wooden sword and looks up at the
empty sky.

Mari: “Great work, Yuto.”

Yuto: “WHAAA----! Oh, it’s you, Mari.”

Mari: “What do you mean, ‘Oh it’s you.’ Like I shouldn’t be here or something?!”’

Yuto: “Oh no, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t think you would still be here.”

Mari: “Yuto, this is the backyard of my workplace. No one would be surprised to find me here.”

Yuto: “But it’s already so dark.”

Yuto was wondering why Mari decided to stay out so late, but she couldn’t look him in the eye.

Mari: “Okay okay. C’mon Mr. Suspicious Figure. Please return home immediately.”

Yuro: “Who’re you calling suspicious!”

Mari: “I’m kidding. C’mon, let’s go.”

Mari pushes Yuto’s back. Yuto’s body is extremely small. He’s about the same height as Mari who is quite frail as
well.

But even that small body was surrounded in lean muscle.

Typically, Adventurers will allow their level up to increase their physical prowess, but for Yuto, his daily training
built up his body to this point.

Just seeing that gave Mari more courage and encouragement.

Mari: (Even if his level isn’t going up, he’s still trying and working so hard. I can’t lose to him!)
Mari: “Hey Yuto, aren’t you almost 18 years old?”

Yuto: “Yeah, I am. So what?”

Mari: “Well… uh, you know… I thought, maybe it’s a good time to retire from being an adventurer…?”

When you’re young, you can push your body beyond your limits and still keep going, but as age catches up with
you, it won’t be that easy anymore.

Eventually, your body will give in.

When morning comes, the fatigue from the training will remain. Even if you train hard, it will be difficult to retain
your original strength.

If you’re level went up, you can combat the aging to some degree, but for Yuto, without any levels, it’s easy to
predict what would happen to him in the near future.

Mari: “There’s a lot of job opportunities in Kronos. Like… like this, you know, one weapons shop who is looking
for a male helper…”

Yuto: “Thanks for the concern, but I’m still okay.”

Mari: “Oh yeah…?”

Mari: (He still hasn’t given up his dream.)

Mari secretly let out a big disappointing sigh when Yuto wasn’t looking.

She looks up at Yuto.

When Yuto walked, his sight was always looking slightly upwards.

Just recently, he would only look at the ground.

Mari: (Did something good happen?)

His face was that of someone who just had a huge weight lifted off their shoulder.

Just like Yuto back in the end, his eyes were bright and filled with hope.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “ALRIGHT!!”

Returning to his room, Yuto celebrated at the news.

He completed the sword swinging quest, and his level rose to Level 5.

<<<<>>>>

Level 4 → 5

Skill Point: 5 → 6

<<<<>>>>
It’s true that leveling up lower levels is much easier and faster, but even for normal adventurers, it would take at
least one month to move from Level 1 to Level 5.

Yuto was able to accomplish this in one day.

And this is the same man who couldn’t get one level up after 10 years of work!

Yuto: “I’m so glad to be alive...”

Yuto let the tears well up, and shook in joy.

He was not only happy for completing the quest, but something else occurred.

Once he completed the sword swinging quest, another quest opened up as a result.

<<<<>>>>

[CHAIN QUEST]

Slay 500 Goblins (0/500)

<<<<>>>>

Yes! Yuto felt the rush of excitement. 500 goblins is a lot. A standard solo Adventurer could probably slay 50 in a
day. So a normal solo adventurer may take about 10 days to complete this.

But Yuto was more excited about the prospect of what was waiting for him beyond this enormous amount of
monsters he had to kill. What if he got some incredible power as a reward?

He wanted to leave immediately and start slaying goblins, but night has already fallen.

Entering a dungeon at night is very dangerous.

That’s because the monsters in the dungeon, similar to their brethren above ground, become more ferocious during
the night.

Nobody really knows why the monsters underneath the ground where sunlight doesn’t even touch them grow more
violent and vicious.

Maybe it’s because similar to humans having a biological clock, monsters too have a rhythm they follow, but this
is just speculation.

Setting that aside, safely hunting monsters must be done at the start of each morning.

This morning, Yuto dreamt that he had died when he woke up.

It was an incredibly vivid and surreal dream.

Yuto cannot shake the feeling that it was more than just a dream.

In a mental state like that, his body may not move as usual even if he goes to the dungeon right now. If his body
does not listen to him, he could easily lose his life from one fatal blow.

He finally got to level up. Running into death right now would make it all a waste.
Yuto: “I really want to clear this quest, but ...safety first.”

With a decision made, he begins preparing.

He takes out a single sword from the cupboard.

The handle has worn away long ago, and you can see rust on certain places on this longsword.

This is the only real sword that Yuto bought from Mari’s shop.

As a E-Rank adventurer and remaining as a perpetual Level 1, Yuto could not make any money.

At that time, he scraped what little he could together, and what he lacked, he made up for it with tears and cries of
mercy asking Mari for a deeper discount. He obtained this sword at that time.

Although it was quite old, it had not lost its shine.

This is no doubt the work of the famous store owner and resident black smith, Douglar.

Douglar is a dwarf artisan. Dwarves as a race are renowned for their metalsmithing and weapon-making.

And even amongst the dwarves, Douglar’s skills are one step ahead of the game.

Yuto’s sword was one of the cheapest weapons available in that shop. Even so, after 8 years of use, there is still
not a single bend in the sword’s metal.

But no matter how well he took care of it, rust eventually got to the outer parts. This is just the fate of any metal
weapons.

Yuto carefully removed the rust and sharpened his blade in preparation for tomorrow.
The next morning, Yuto woke up at sunrise, and swiftly gathered his belongings.

It has been a while since he headed to a dungeon alone and not as a luggage carrier.

He made sure his sword was properly equipped and sprinted out of his room.

He ran the main road up north, and arrived at the main square in front of the temple.

It is still in the early morning hours but already there is intense recruiting done by various parties.

He weaved through the recruiting scouts, and Yuto headed for the Labyrinth Temple.

“Hey, Yuto! We’re going to a Insta-E. Wanna join as a luggage carrier?”

“Yuto! We’re doing an Insta-D. How about it? We’ll give you more than your usual fare.”

As the crowd thins in the square, Yuto receives multiple invites to join their parties.

These are his regulars that let Yuto be their party’s luggage carrier.

A luggage carrier does two things. One is the obvious - you carry all the luggage of the adventurers.
There are some dungeons where you will be done in a day, and others which takes days before you can return back
to above ground. Just in case, you usually take a few days supply of emergency rations before entering any
dungeon.

The second job is collecting the drop items.

Once you defeat a monster, the bodies of the creature disappear into the dungeon, and they leave behind their
*magic crystals and various other monster parts. They called these things “drops.”

Collecting these drops is also the job of the luggage carrier.

From a 3rd party perspective, people call you a scavenger because you are just picking off the remains of monsters
you did not defeat.

That is why a luggage carrier role is not classified as an adventurer.

But setting aside his pride, Yuto gladly accepted the luggage carrier position.

He thought maybe he could understand how to level up by watching other strong adventurers at work, and he had
to make a living some way, some how.

Yuto apologetically smiled and shook his head to decline.

Yuto: “I’m so sorry. I’m heading to the base today.”

“Dangit, that’s unfortunate.”

“Hey, be careful out there Weak Sauce.”

He parted with the familiar adventurers, and Yuto arrived at the temple.

The temple is a safeguard that was constructed to seal away the base dungeon.

It was said that the building was created directly by God’s hands, but being an E-Rank, Yuto does not know any
more than that.

Inside the temple is the Adventurer’s Guild.

All adventurers heading down to the dungeon will receive resource collecting quests, and those returning from the
dungeon will sell their drop items back to the guild.

Once the guild approves of your strength, your level as an adventurer goes up.

Once your rank rises, you can receive more quests from the guild.

Some say that some quests have rewards so large that completing one would give you enough money to not have
to work for a full year.

The Adventurer’s rank range from the bottom E to the very top S.

Currently, the number of adventurers in Kronos is said to range from 100 to 200 thousand. Within that group,
there are only 5 S-Class Adventurers.

That is how much stronger and a cut above they are compared to everyone else.

Yuto is the lowest E-Rank Adventurer.

You can’t blame the guild for giving him this rank since he genuinely does not have any strength as an adventurer.

The guild counter is dealing with crowds of adventurers this morning, and glancing at them as he walks by, Yuto
heads to the entrance of the dungeon.

The entrance of the dungeon is in the middle of a large room and was sitting there wide-open.

At the center of the stone flooring is a magical inscription. This is the magical barrier said to prevent monsters
from coming into the temple.

Yuto is careful to not trip on any of the deep engravings of the inscription and heads to the entrance.

Past the entrance, a long stone stairway is leading downwards.

From this point on is the first base floor of the dungeon.

Inside the dungeon is a faint light.

The entire dungeon is lighted with the same light.

Yuto keeps his hand on his longsword as he carefully moves forward.

At times, he sees some goop stuck on the walls. These are slimes.

In rare cases, they would grow large enough to attack humans, but overall, they are harmless monsters.

And even if you defeat them, they rarely drop anything.

Slimes are bottom feeders that eat away the waste and filth that collects within the dungeon.

Because of that, Slimes are taken outside the dungeon and used for their ability.

They are good at eating leftovers and cleaning out sewers.

Slimes are one of the few monsters that can coexist with humans.

Ignoring the Slimes, Yuto continues to walk, and 2 monsters appeared before him. Standing on two legs with an
overall green skin - it’s a goblin.

Yuto: “Alright!”

Yuto needs to defeat 500 goblins.

Getting himself pumped up, he charges at the Goblins.

Goblin A: “GeGya!”

Goblin B: “GyaGyaGya!!”

The Goblins try to intimidate Yuto.

A novice adventurer may have flinched at their sound.

But Yuto has already faced many Goblins, and this does not work on him.
Yuto moves smoothly with light footwork, and comes out in front and swings his longsword. He cuts the air.

The first swing decapitates the first Goblin, and the next swing cuts the Goblin standing to the right across the
body.

Goblin B: “GAHH!”

The Goblins fall to the floor.

The one who lost his head instantly died.

The one cut across his body slowly stopped moving and died.

The dungeon coming to life, swallows up the Goblins.

Their bodies sink into the ground as if they were sitting on a thick swamp. The Goblins disappear beneath the
floors.

As the Goblins disappear, two small rocks appear. These are the magic crystals.

Yuto: “Fwew...”

Yuto takes a deep breath and collects the Magic Crystals.

Yuto: “Wow, being a Level-5 really makes a world of difference. My body feels completely different.”

Yuto himself was surprised at how easily he dispatched both Goblins.

If you’re a Level-1 Novice Adventurer, you would have some trouble facing Goblins.

But Yuto had stacked up enormous amounts of experience facing Goblins, and at Level-1, he learned how to fight
them with relative ease.

This wasn’t because Yuto had any special skills.

The Goblins’ attack method was too simple with overexaggerated body movements and had easily identifiable and
predictable traits. Yuto memorized each fact vigorously and never forgot them.

So in a sense, this was the product of Yuto’s efforts.

In this battle, Yuto was able to defeat the Goblins as he had done in the past, but unlike before, he sensed
improvements in his speed of approach and swing of his blade.

Yuto was surprised at how he felt little to no resistance cutting down the Goblins.

Yuto: “This is the power of leveling up…”

Yuto reflected upon how amazing this ability was.

If you level up, it gets THIS easy to hunt down monsters.

Before, it felt as though Yuto was fighting with heavy weights strapped, chained, and wrapped around his body.

Now, it felt like those restrictions and limitations all fell off, and his movements became lighter and sharper.
Yuto: “Great!”

At this rate, Yuto will be able to take down 500 Goblins in no time.

Yuto got his blood pumping again, and starts seeking out more Goblins.

Looking at the Quest Screen of his Skill Board, Yuto continues to fell Goblins one by one.

Up until now, Yuto fought desperately against monsters.

Of course, even now, he is fighting for his life.

But this was the first time he experienced hope as he swung his blade.

He knew how many times he had to swing, and where his goal was.

Compared to when he was swinging his sword without any context or knowledge, he was raggedly tired, but his
sword felt light.

He did not know how much time had passed.

Yuto: “...500!!”

He finally defeats the 500th Goblin.

Yuto: “Haaa…. Haaaa…. Aaaaaaaahhhhhh I’m so tired-----...”

Repeating the scouting and battles over and over, Yuto’s body was already at its limit.

Yuto crumples to the floor to sit down.

He takes out the waterskin from his bag and drinks it all down in one swig.

When he crossed the 400 count, Yuto rushed to get to the end, and didn’t take any breaks since then.

His throat absorbs the liquid and it flows into his dried out body.

Yuto: “Alright, let’s see what happend to the Quest.”

Yuto takes out the Skill Board.

Yuto: “Okay then, I wonder how the quest looks now?”

Yuto brings out the Skill board.

Then he saw…

Yuto: “WHOOOAA!!”

Yuto (18)

Level: 5 → 7

Skill Point: 6 → 8

Skill
 Basics

Physical Strength Lv 0 NEW

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 0 NEW

He leveled up twice, and on top of that, the skill section had additions made.

Yuto: “SKILLS ARE *HERE------------!!!”

Even though he’s still inside the dungeon, Yuto could not hold back his excitement and let out a shout.

You can’t blame him.

Up until now, Yuto has never once obtained or achieved a skill even through grueling and blood-stained efforts.

It took a while for Yuto to calm down and regain his composure, and then he was able to start analyzing what was
written before him.

Yuto: “This quest… I wonder if there are different rewards for different types of quests?”

One type is receiving experience and skill points on completion of the quest.

Another is receiving experience and skill points, but you also receive a skill on top of it.

Yuto: “The rewards you get from clearing the quests also seems to depend on the difficulty level of the quest…”

This time around, he had to take down a lot of monsters, and it took a lot of time to clear the quest.

Maybe because of that, he got more experience and skill points more than the Daily Quest.

On top of that, he received 2 new skills.

Yuto: “Okay, now I understand that meaning of these skill points.”

Next to the Skills he received, there are upgrade icons next to them.

If he presses here, the level of the skills will increase.

Of course, he can’t just upgrade any of it for free.

The upgrading of Skills requires Skill Points.

Yuto: “Alright! Let’s start distributing these points!”

With unfettered excitement, Yuto begins to spend his Skill Points.

Yuto (18)

Level: 7

Skill Points: 8 → 2
 Skill

Basics

Physical Strength Lv 0 → Lv 2

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 0 → Lv 2

The amount of Skill Points required to level up Skills are 1 point for Level 1 and 2 points for Level 2.

In this way, Yuto suspects that the amount of Skill Points required to upgrade a Skill is reflected in its current level.

Yuto: “I hoped that I could raise the level with 1 point at a time, but I guess that would be too good to be true.”

The Skill Level for any technique depends on your proficiency with that Skill.

There are generalized strengths of each Skill Level that mirror the Adventurer’s Rank.

Level 1 = E

Level 2 = D

Level 3 = C

Level 5 = B

Level 6 = A

Level 7 = S

Of course, just because you have a higher level skill does not automatically qualify you to be promoted as an
Adventurer. This Skill strength is just one factor among many to determine your Adventurer rank.

So this round, Yuto upgraded his Physical Strength and Swordsmanship to Level 2, and this would be equivalent to
a D-Rank Adventurer’s skill.

Yuto: “Is this okay?”

This was so easy that Yuto started doubting if any of this is real.

But up until now for 10 years, Yuto has been diligently building up his fundamentals.

Without solidly building his foundation for so long, it would have been impossible for Yuto to continuously slay
500 Goblins in 1 day without even receiving a scratch.

Because he never gave up, because he continued to walk down this path with resolve, he is who he is today.

Yuto: “Great! Then, let’s start heading home. --- OH! Before that…”

2 new Goblins appeared from the hallway.

Seeing those two Goblins, Yuto could not suppress his smile.
It’s an opportunity.

He can confirm if his Skill Level actually improved with these Goblins.

Yuto places his hand on the handle of his sword.

With that sensation in his hands, Yuto opens his eyes wide.

Yuto: (Th-this feels completely different… This is amazing! It’s as if the sword is being sucked into my hands!)

As if the sword was made for Yuto, the grip of the sword felt familiar and comfortable as he held it.

He released the safety from the sheath with his thumb, and drew out the sword.

The sword is made of steel, and it is about 2 kg (4.4 lbs).

But it felt lighter as if it was made of wood.

----This must be due to his Level 2 Physical Strength.

Goblins: “Ge-Gya-Gya!!”

The Goblins try to intimidate Yuto, but they only meet one sword swing slicing them horizontally.

Yuto: “---------!!!”

Yuto’s body feels lighter than he could imagine.

With strength he never knew he had, the sword cut down both Goblins in half.

He resumed his sword stance, removed the blood from the sword, and put it back in its sheath.

He turns around only to see…

Yuto: “Oh that’s…”

He knows that he was responsible for the bloody scene behind him, but he still cringed at the sight.

The sword Yuto is holding is dwarven-made, but it was also the cheapest sword available.

After cutting down 500 Goblins, even the blade which he carefully sharpened was dulled.

Even so, the Goblins were cut in half as though he used a higher-grade blade.

And he cut two down with just a single swing.

Yuto: “(gulp) Skills...are amazing…”

Yuto experienced for the first time the efficacy of Skills.

Climbing back to the surface, the sun was long gone.

The temple’s had magical torches lit up all around.

Yuto heads from the dungeon entrance to the Guild’s sell counter.
Yuto: “Excuse me. I’d like to sell off my drop items.”

“Yes, in that case, please submit your guild card, and place the items over here.”

The girl at the counter took out and placed a large bowl for determining item costs and gave it to Yuto.

Yuto took the guild tag around his neck and placed the Goblin magic stones inside the bowl.

500 Goblins worth of Magic Stones was a lot, but he was able to keep it all inside the bowl without spilling.

“Th---thank you… Please excuse us while we assess your items.”

The girl at the counter could not hide her confusion and disbelief, but managed to barely keep her business smile
intact. She took the magic stones inside the bowl and disappeared to a backroom.

-----after a certain period of time passed.

“Thank you for waiting. This is the amount that was determined from the items submitted.”

The girl at the counter was struggling to hold and carry a large cloth sack with both hands.

The wait was about a good 10 minutes.

Typically, especially for Yuto, the amount of time it would take to assess his drop items would be about 1 to 2
minutes. That’s how much more he hunted this time.

Yuto: (Yeah, I can’t blame her. It’s the first time I hunted 500 Goblins in one day…)

No matter if they are the weakest of the monsters, no one goes around wasting their time hunting hundreds of them
at a time.

Even in the Labyrinth City of Kronos, very few Adventurers have defeated that many monsters in a single day.

“At this time, we have confirmed that all the magic stones originated from Goblins. For one magic stone, the
current market value is 10 gards. There were a total of 502 crystals which comes to 5020 gards that will be paid
out to you.”

Yuto: “WHOOOAAA!”

Yuto was overflowing with joy.

It was the most he ever made as an Adventurer.

This is at least 5 times the greatest amount he has ever received in the past.

In Kronos, a meal costs around 100 gards.

Yuto had discovered cheaper restaurants and has suppressed his meal cost to 50 gards.

Yuto: (Just calculating it as meals is 100 days worth! Amazing!!)

With this, he would not have to worry about starving for a while.

Yuto lets out a huge sigh of relief.

Yuto takes his reward and guild tag back and with unsuppressed joy written all over his face, leaves the temple.

When Yuto returned to his room, he resists the temptation to dive face first into his bed.

Yes, his body was more than tired.

Yes, he can’t imagine how good it would feel to sleep right now.

But he has not completed his Daily Quests for the day.

Daily Quest:

Push-ups x 100 (0/100)

Sit-ups x 100 (0/100)

Back Lifts x 120 (0/120)

Squats x 100 (0/100)

Yuto finished the running portion after he left the house and when he came back.

You do not have to complete all the quests at once, and it will calculate and retain the ones you accomplished thus
far.

He was glad that he could complete these at his own leisure.

Putting all of that aside, Yuto pushed himself to complete all the Daily Quest items.

Once he was finished, this time, he tumbled into his bed and passed out subsequently.

Level: 7 → 8

Skill Point: 2 → 3
The next morning, Yuto woke up and glazed over his [STATUS] and tilted his head to one side.

Yuto: “Weird, my Skill Point isn’t going up as much.”

When he previously cleared the Daily Quest, he received 1 point for clearing each task.

And yesterday, he cleared 5 tasks, but his points only went up by 2.

Yuto: “I wonder if Skill Points are similar to levels where as you level up, it becomes more difficult to increase?
Or maybe there was a first time clearing bonus before?”

Both are possible.

He could check again periodically to confirm going forward, so for now, Yuto checks his quests.

Standard Quest

Acquire a Magic Scroll (0/100)

Walk with Eyes Closed (0/100m)

 Increase Level to 10 (8/10)

Chain Quest

Acquire a new weapon

Yuto: “Whoa! There’s a lot!”

Yuto’s eyes brightened at the sight of the quests.

And these quests did not appear until Yuto cleared the Daily Quest yesterday.

Yuto: “Does that mean that depending on the number of quests I clear in the past, it can trigger new quests to
appear?”

It’s highly likely that these quests appeared right after Yuto cleared the Daily Quest.

That meant that he shouldn’t just pick and choose the quests he only wanted to clear.

Yuto: “But… 100 magical scrolls? Really?”

Magical scrolls are a one-time use item.

If you open the scroll, you will unleash the spell sealed inside.

The price is 100 gard per scroll.

To someone as poor as Yuto, that is a pricey artifact to purchase.

And worst of all, Yuto loses TWO MEALS worth of money with every scroll use.

He couldn’t possibly imagine wanting to invest in scrolls any time soon.

Yuto: “It’s not that I can’t afford it with some effort, but…. I really don’t want to.”

With the reward from the Goblin Slaying Quest and dipping into Yuto’s savings, he could purchase 100 of the
cheapest scrolls.

But clearing such a quest will not return the money invested.

Yuto: “Hmmm… maybe I’ll hold off on this one for just a bit. The Chain Quest looks like a continuation of the
Swordsmanship Quest. Purchase a sword, huh? I definitely don’t have enough for that.”

Yuto’s adored longsword cost 100,000 gards.

Purchasing another sword will take at least the same amount.

And even if he manages to save up 100,000 gards, Yuto will only be purchasing the same exact weapon as he has
now.

Yuto cannot find a single fault with the weapon he has today.

The core of the blade is not bent, and the edge is not significantly chipped anywhere.
It would be another story purchasing a higher-grade weapon, but there’s no reason why he should waste a fortune
for the same rank.

Yuto: “Man… this has to be put on hold too…”

He could reach level 10 by clearing the quests.

Just to see, Yuto began clearing the Daily Quest tasks this morning.

He completed the sit-ups, back-lifts, push-ups, squats, and running, and Yuto checked his Status Screen.

>>Level: ８→９

>>Skill Point：３→４

Yuto: “Ugh, just shy of Level 10. And the Skill Point rewards have really diminished. I guess it’s true that the
more points you gain, the harder it is to gain further points.

Possibly being the same as levels, Yuto guesses that there is some Quest Clear Point threshold that Yuto has to
meet in order to receive 1 Skill Point.

And the amount of Clear Points Yuto has to accumulate per Skill Point probably gradually rises.

Yuto: “Okay. Then we’ll start clearing the easiest quests first.”

As he muttered to himself, Yuto decided to tackle the “walk 100 meters blind” challenge.

Yuto walks onto the main, central street and closes his eyes.

As soon as his eyes are closed, the noise of the streets rush to him, and the people walking this way and that start
messing with his senses.

Yuto: “This… is actually pretty hard!”

Ever since becoming an adventurer, Yuto had some confidence that he trained and refined all 5 of his senses.

But in the middle of a crowded, noisy street, his senses that never reached a skill level had no use here.

Even so, Yuto walks slowly forward.

And gradually, very gradually, he starts sensing the presence of the people around him.

—-thump.

His toe bump into something.

“Hey man, watch where you’re going!!”

Yuto: “Oh! I—I’m really sorry! Excuse me, sir!”

Opening his eyes, he realizes that he ran into a food stand, and the owner was not happy.

He meant to walk straight but he somehow strayed to the side.

Yuto ran away from the stand as fast as possible.

Getting to a place that was some distance away, he closes his eyes again and begins walking again.

Though he did run into more food stands and got scolded each time, he managed to complete the 100m.

Yuto: “Alright, how’s that!”

Yuto returns to him room and immediately starts checking the Skill Board.

Then he saw...

Yuto (18)

Level: 9 →10

Skill Point：4 → 6

Skill

Fundamentals

Physical Strength Lv 2

Agility Lv 0 NEW

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 2

Presence Detection Lv 0 NEW

Yuto: “GOT A LEVEL UP AND SKILL———!!!!”

Yuto strikes a pose in excitement.

He immediately distributes points into the new skills.

>>Skill Point：6 → 0

>>Agility: Lv 0→ Lv 2

>>Presence Detection: Lv 0 → Lv 2

As soon as he finished, he immediately felt the difference.

Yuto: “Amazing... I can feel the world around me so clearly…”

This didn’t feel like the same world he was in a second ago.

He felt at least one, no at least two shades of clarity and experienced the world through a new lens.

If he focused, he could almost sense the fluttering of a bird’s wings from outside the window.

And moving around his body, he felt his nerves respond so much faster.
With only muscle training, there is a limit to how fast you can move, but with this, Yuto felt like he could easily
exceed those limitations.

Yuto: “Man, Skills are so amazing…”

Moved by this realization, Yuto trembled with joy.

He realized this when he acquired his first skill, but the amount of potential a Skill adds to your abilities is
exponential.

Yuto: “Oh yeah, wasn’t there a Reaching Level 10 Quest reward? I wonder what it is?”

Yuto confirms.

The original quest disappeared from his screen. It looks like he cleared it properly.

Yuto: “Wait, so I only got the Level 10 status and a skill point? But wait, this is a Quest I clear by reaching level
10, so I guess my level won’t rise by clearing this quest?”

Yuto tilts his head and wonders.

Or… one of the new skills is a result of Yuto clearing the Level 10 Quest?

Yuto: “The closing my eyes and walking quest would most likely tie to the Presence Detection skill, so was it
Agility?”

He was about to conclude so when he, without thinking, played around with the screen, and a never before seen
screen appeared.

Yuto: “Huh?”

On the display, he saw squares fill the entire screen. The squares seem to follow a pattern continuing downwards
and went pretty far down.

It was 5 squares across.

And… countless squares going down.

Yuto: “What is this? It’s the first time I’m seeing this but…”

He tries to move the squares with his fingers, but there are no instructions.

At the very top left corner, he seeks a sack icon displayed on top of one of the squares.

Yuto: “There’s no instruction or hints but… am I supposed to touch that icon?”

Yuto carefully presses on the icon.

A small window popped up.

[Level 10 Achievement Bonus Bag]

Would you like to withdraw from your inventory?

Yes
 No
[Level 10 Achievement Bonus Bag]

Take out from inventory?

Yes

No

Yuto: “WHOA!!”

So this screen was called the [Inventory] and from this inventory, Yuto understood that he could take out the
“Level 10 Achievement Bonus Bag.”

But what he didn’t know was what would happen to him here and now if he does.

Yuto: “So let’s take it out!”

Yuto presses yes.

At that moment…

Yuto: “Wh----....?”

Before Yuto’s eyes appeared a bag.

At the sudden appearance, Yuto was speechless.

The bag began sagging and dropping to the floor, and Yuto hurriedly caught it.

The bag… was heavy.

Yuto: “Ummm… I wonder what’s inside?”

Though confused, Yuto slowly examines the contents inside.

Opening the bag, he immediately saw a mountain of gards.

Yuto: “--------------!!!”

Yuto instinctively closed the bag and looked all around him.

But this is Yuto’s room. Of course, there is no one else around him.

As he confirms this, he releases a sigh of relief.

Having a large amount of cash appear out of nowhere is not good for your heart.

Yuto: “So a bonus meant money?”

Counting the contents inside, he found exactly 10,000 gard.

But Yuto did not feel the same amount of excitement as when he received 5,000 gards for slaying the Goblins.

That is because he felt like he just found stolen goods.

Yuto: “Uhhh…. What am I supposed to do with this?”

Can he really use this money normally? He had several doubts cross his mind.

But it is the reward for reaching Level 10, so some part of him felt justified to be able to use it.

After thinking and worrying endlessly, Yuto decided that it would be best to go ahead and spend this money as
soon as possible.

He needed to purchase 100 magic scrolls, and this was the exact amount he needed. Using this money to complete
that shopping quest would be the most efficient choice.

Before going to purchase the magic scrolls, Yuto carefully studied the inventory feature.

This inventory is very similar to the rare skill [DIMENSION] and had very similar, if not identical, properties.

[DIMENSION] is a skill where you can store things in a different dimension.

Depending on your Skill Level, the amount of things you can store will change.

If you store an item in the [DIMENSION], you can walk around the dungeon without having to carry that item
around.

Because of that, having the skill [DIMENSION] will have every party welcome you with open arms.

In order to store things in the inventory, you must touch the object you are putting away and think [STORAGE]
and the object will go into your inventory.

The stored item will be displayed and represented by an icon.

If you put money into a bag and store it into the inventory, no matter how much you’re storing, it takes up one slot.
But if you store it separately, 1 gard can take up one slot.

You have quite the capacity to store a number of items, but if you don’t group some things together, sorting
through your inventory later on will become cumbersome and difficult.

After he finished studying the inventory features, Yuto took the 10,000 gard and arrived at a Magic Scroll shop.

The Magic Scroll shop is a very claustrophobic, very tiny store.

Yuto has visited the store before but has never bought a scroll.

Yuto: (I mean, it’s such a waste to just throw away 100 gard after one use…)

Entering the scroll shop, Yuto immediately starts gathering every scroll he can obtain for 100 gard.

[FIREBALL], [ICE NEEDLE], [ROCK NEEDLE], [AIR CUTTER]

All of these are the most basic spells, and Yuto continued to gather them in his arms.

“Mr. Customer, are you planning on purchasing all of them?”

Yuto: “Yes, I believe there should be 100 scrolls. Could you please confirm?”
At the counter, Yuto carries and dumps his load, and judging from the look on the store clerk’s face, he realizes
that not many people purchase so many scrolls at once.

Clerk: “That’s 100 scrolls. A total of 10,000 gards.”

Yuto pays the amount to the clerk, and stuffs the scrolls into his bag and leaves the store behind.

Yuto: (I’m so glad that went well…)

While the clerk was counting out the money, Yuto’s heart was racing.

That’s because the money he used came from his inventory.

The clerk didn’t say anything, so Yuto had to assume that the money was real.

Yuto: (I really hope instead of money, next time it’ll be an item I can just use normally…)

Yuto really didn’t want to go through another experience like that again.

Yuto desperately wanted to avoid it in the future.

Returning to his room, Yuto checks his Quest Screen.

>>Level 10 → 11

>>Skill Point: 0 → 1

Yuto: “Y---- YESSS!! I GOT IT!!!”

Yuto raised his fist to the ceiling as he gazed at his own level.

Yuto was overjoyed because his level now reflected that of a D-Rank Adventurer.

The rank of an Adventurer is not determined by levels alone, but there are some assumptions you can make.

E-Rank: Level 1 - 10

D-Rank: Level 11 - 25

C-Rank: Level 26 - 40

B-Rank: Level 41 - 55

A-Rank Level 56 - 70

S-Rank Level 71+

In this way, Adventurer Ranks have some set of standards measuring your strength with levels.

For a perpetual E-Ranker like Yuto, reaching D-Rank was like a dream.‘

Yuto: “Aahhhhhhh… I’m so glad I’m alive…”

After he savored the moment thoroughly, Yuto looks at his Quest Screen again.

Chain Quest
 Obtain a new weapon (0/1)

Slay 100 Killer Rabbits with Magic Scrolls (0/100) NEW

Yuto: “Oh, I knew something would follow.”

From his previous experience, Yuto speculated that the quest would not be over after purchasing the scrolls.

Just as he guessed, the Killer Rabbit Slaying Quest appeared.

This time, he will only need to slay 100 which is much less than the 500 before.

But unlike Goblins, this time his target is Killer Rabbits.

Goblins and Killer Rabbits are on the same difficulty.

The difference is that Goblins have more physical strength, but Killer Rabbits have more speed.

Right now, it’s only a little after noontime.

If he leaves now, he will be able to get back by nightfall.

Yuto made his preparations, and headed for the dungeon.

With his new agility skill, Yuto headed full speed inside the dungeon.

Killer Rabbits start appearing on Floor 2 underground.

He will have to cut through Floor 1 as fast as possible.

Yuto has the routes up to Floor 5 burned into his memory.

That’s because as a luggage carrier, one of your roles was to confirm the routes.

Yuto is a perpetual E-Rank Adventurer.

So he was never invited to any dungeon excursions past Floor 6.

After Floor 6, the Monsters’ rank will start rising.

There is a high possibility that Yuto, who’s only a E-Rank, will get hurt from an unexpected tragedy.

In the Instang Dungeons, once you defeat the monsters, they do not respawn.

As long as Yuto was careful, he was able to participate in dungeons that were higher ranks than he was.

But the Base Dungeon monsters respawn.

There are numerous cases reported where after cutting through a group of monsters, new monsters respawn behind
you, and you get attacked from the rear.

------This was the tragedy that was waiting to happen.

Just once. If Yuto just once gets caught in this accident, he would be dead.
That is why NO MATTER WHAT, Yuto never went beyond Floor 5 in the Base Dungeons.

Even if he studied and memorized the Floor 6 routes, there would never be a time when he will use it.

Putting that thought aside, Yuto cut through the shortest route and arrived at Floor 2.

He takes out the scrolls from the inventory, and prepares to use them at any moment.

Yuto: “Ummm… Okay. I think you open the scroll and chant the spell name…”

1 scroll cost 100 gards. Each scroll is a one-time use item.

Scrolls will disappear after use.

There is no room for errors.

Yuto picks up a monster’s presence near him.

----It’s a Killer Rabbit.

The opponent is still 100 meters up ahead.

Yuto: “[PRESENCE DETECTION] is no joke…”

Yuto feels the effectiveness of his Skill, and slowly and carefully, approaches the Killer Rabbit.

Once he came to a certain distance, the Killer Rabbit noticed Yuto.

The Killer Rabbit cautiously studies Yuto as it comes nearer.

Once they were at a certain distance apart…

The Killer Rabbits horn is directed straight at Yuto, and it charges in full speed.

Yuto immediately opens the scroll.

Yuto: “[---FIREBALL]!!”

As soon as he screams the spell name…

A red fire appears and engulfs Yuto’s vision.

Yuto: “[FIREBALL]!!”

As soon as he yelled the name of the spell, crimson fire appeared before Yuto.

As if following Yuto’s wishes, the fireball zoomed straight towards the Killer Rabbit with amazing speed.

“......!!”

The fireball connected with the Killer Rabbit, and it turned it into ash before it could even scream.

Yuto: “Oh….....uh...sorry…”

Yuto has seen other adventurers cast spells, and he could tell that what he just did was complete overkill.
But that’s a given.

No one in their right mind would waste a spell on a weaker creature.

In order to use a spell, you need to awaken the magical power inside of you to initiate the spell.

Using too many spells will cause magic exhaustion, and you’ll have a hard time standing.

If this happens to you inside a dungeon, you’re done for.

That’s why most spellcasters will prefer to save their magic power and avoid using spells whenever possible.

They would never purposely waste spells.

Yuto: “Even so… I can’t believe how effective this spell was against Killer Rabbits…”

The power of the magic scroll also depends on who created it. The creator of this particular scroll must have been
a highly powerful and high level spellcaster.

Yuto refocused his attention on the mission, and continued on his quest.

All of his fights ended in a moment.

He’s not using any of strength, so this was much easier than slaying the Goblins.

Using up the last scroll, Yuto checks his Skill Board.

Yuto: “Okay, let’s see what’s here now…. WHOA?!?!”

Yuto (18)

Level: 11 → 12

Skill Point: 1 → 3

Skill

Fundamentals

Physical Strength Lv 2

Magic Lv 0

Agility Lv 2

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 2

Spellcasting Lv 0 NEW

Presence Detection Lv 2

Yuto: “I GOT MAGIC———!!!!!”

Yuto jumps into the air with a fist raised high and screams for joy.

Being able to use a spell is one of the dreams of being an adventurer.

Being able to use awesome sword skills is great and all, but it lacks the fireworks and explosions you see with
spells.

That is why all adventurers look into their compatibility with magic.

Yuto: (Most people are deemed as magically incompatible and walk away with shattered dreams…)

Putting that aside, Yuto achieved Magic and the ability to cast a spell.

Without further delay, he distributes the points to his new skills.

>>Skill Point : 3 → 1

>>Magic Lv 0 → Lv 1

>>Spellscasting Lv 0 → Lv 1

Yuto: “I don’t have that many points…”

If he could, Yuto would keep bumping up all his Skill Levels, but even he may be getting too greedy.

Just until recently, Yuto had ZERO skills.

Even having one skill is enough for him.

Putting the thought aside, Yuto put away the Skill Board and placed his hand in front of him.

Yuto: “Oh… um… hmmmm… how do I even cast a spell?”

Yuto grinds the gears in his head for a solution and tilts his head sideways.

Up until now, Yuto was relying solely on the Magic Scrolls to initiate the spells.

So he had little clue on how to create and cast the spell by himself.

Yuto: “Oh man, I should have done more research about spellcasters…”

Yuto was inspected and deemed as completely and utterly incompatible with magic, and because of that, Yuto had
given up on all things magic-related.

And as a result, he had very little knowledge in that area.

Yuto: “Can you naturally do incantations as you level up? Or do you have to be an apprentice of a spellcaster to
learn? …...oh no. Please tell me that it’s not because I have absolutely no talent so even with magic powers, I have
no way of using it?!?!”

Yuto trembles at the thought of such a future.

If that was really true, he just wasted 2 Skill Points for nothing.

Dejected, Yuto sags his shoulders and to distract him, messes around with the Skill Board.
He flips to the inventory page.

In the inventory, there was an item he had never seen before on the screen.

Yuto: “Huh…? What’s this?”

When he touched the icon with his finger, he saw the text “Spell Scroll [LIGHTNING].”

Yuto: “Whoa! Wait. Is this the Quest Clear reward?“

Yuto takes out the scroll to confirm.

The spell scroll was similar to the magic scrolls he bought.

Yuto: “Wait, I hope this isn’t just another magic scroll..”

Yuto slowly and anxiously opens up the scroll.

Inside the scroll was a circular magic inscription.

In the center of the inscription was letters he did not recognize.

Yuto had never seen letters like this.

Yet, on closer inspection, he understood the meaning of the words written.

Yuto: “Lightning— Ahh!!”

As soon as he said the words, the inscription inside the spell scroll started shining brightly.

It grew so bright that he had to close his eyes.

When the light resided, Yuto opened his eyes.

The spell scroll that was in his hands was gone.

Yuto: “Wai—, what?”

Thinking that he may have dropped it, he quickly looks around him but does not see anything.

Yuto: (Oh no. Was it just a one-time use magic scroll….?)

But before his fears and worries grew, Yuto noticed a slight change in his senses… as if something new was
growing inside him.

Yuto: (Maybe... just maybe...)

Yuto stretched out one hand in front of him.

Yuto: “LIGHTNING! “

Light flashed before his eyes.

———-TAAAAAAAHN!! (sfx)

The sound of air splitting in half echoed in the dungeon, as a single streak of light appeared for an instant.
Yuto: “Whoa…...WHOAAAAA!!!!!”

Yuto used a spell!

He used a spell on his own!!

Yuto could not hold back his excitement as joy overwhelmed him.

He never dreamed after being told that he had zero potential for magic that he would then be able to one day cast a
spell.

It’s the same with his level too. 10 years of fruitless labor and never gaining a single level.

Skills too. Up until recently, he acquired ZERO skills.

But now, Yuto’s level is rising. He obtained skills.

And now he can use spells.

Yuto: “........”

Yuto stared at his hand as words failed him and his heart beat and pounded in his chest excitedly.

For 10 years, the power he longed and wished for was finally in his hands.

With that thought, he could no longer stand still.

Until now, he diligently performed every task cautiously and carefully, but now he reached his limit.

—-Everything all other adventurers could do, he wanted to try it all.

Yuto: “YEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!”

Yuto ran straight into the depths of the dungeon.

Adventurers will on average, only spend half a day inside a dungeon and then start heading back.

Even Adventurers with levels are human at the end of the day, and they will eventually reach their limit with their
physical bodies and stamina.

Those that go deep into the base dungeons will prepare thoroughly for a few days to spending a few weeks for
Their expeditions.

But these groups all follow a similar routine.

They explore in the morning, and set up camp by the evening.

When resting inside the dungeon, they’ll use a barrier stone.

It’s an expensive tool, but without it, you will not be able to properly rest and recover, and eventually get overrun.

Even the adventurers who go to the forefront of the deepest dungeons take proper rest. Actually, it’s even more
critical for higher level adventurers to rest, and they all know that.

Yuto returned from the dungeon with a ghastly, exhausted expression and saw the sun angled well beyond past the
noon hour.
He spent the entire day hunting monsters nonstop.

He tested his sword skill, and he tested his magic on his opponents.

Yuto’s body kept moving forward, and none of the E-Rank monsters were a match for him.

Even the monsters on the 4th floor that gave him trouble before were now unable to even graze his armor.

So Yuto was ecstatic. So ecstatic that he could not help himself and went in longer than he should have.

This is not the first time Yuto pushed himself so hard for a full day.

When he thought that he just needed to train harder to level up, Yuto pushed himself until he fainted from
exhaustion in the middle of his training.

But this was the first time he almost fainted inside a dungeon.

Yuto: “......I’m…..so…..tired……”

Moving one foot before the other was a painful exercise.

Why didn’t he go back before things ended up like this? He wondered this same question several hundred times on
his journey back to the surface. He started wondering this as soon as fatigue turned him back to his normal self.

When focused, Yuto will lose track of himself and time and singularly seek out his goal.

This was one of Yuti’s shortcomings.

With a life-drained expression, he finally made it to the sale counter in the guild lobby.

“Welcome! Please place your goods here.”

Yuto: “......here…”

Yuto took out his bag filled with magic stones and placed it directly onto the counter.

“Umm… please hold for a moment.”

With a forced smile, the receptionist prepared a large box in place of the bowl.

Holding his bag upside down, Yuto pours out the magic stones inside the box carelessly.

Stones pour out making clunking sounds as they go into the box.

“Please submit your guild card, and we will begin inspecting your submitted items. Please wait while we complete
the process.”

Yuto: “.........uh…….yeah…….sure….”

Yuto couldn’t help it anymore and starts dozing off right where he stood.

He doesn’t know how much time passed.

He heard his name being called, and he suddenly woke.

“Thank you for your patience, Mr. Yuto. This time, we calculated your items to be 23,050 gards.”

Yuto: “....whoa…”

Another new record overwriting his previous record high.

Although the news made him happy, Yuto could only think about his bed.

They brought the money to him, and without thinking, he stored it in his inventory.

“Um… excuse me, Mr. Yuto. May I ask you a question?”

Yuto: “......yes?”

“You have been defeating a large quantity of monsters as of late. Could you please tell me how you accomplished
this?”

Yuto: “.....I defeated them normally.”

“.....uh, normally?”

The receptionist scrunched her face as though processing an incredibly difficult problem.

“What does he mean by ‘normal’ I wonder…”

Without noticing her talking to herself, Yuto hurried back to his apartment.

・・・

When he woke, Yuto was confused on the previous day’s events. It took him some time to recall pieces of what
perspired and where he was right now.

Just the other day, Yuto spent the entire day inside the dungeon.

He hunted so many monsters that by the time he got back to the surface, most of his brain cells were asleep.

Every joint in his body ached. It’s definitely muscle soreness. He also had nothing to eat except one 50 gard
bread.

Guuuuuuuuuu…. (Sfax)

His stomach growled loudly in protest.

Even in that situation, Yuto's body still functioned and moved on its own to his surprise.

Before he fell asleep, he managed to complete all the Daily Quest tasks.

By the time he got to the 10km run, all he had left was his stubbornness and pride.

If it’s just about being stubborn, Yuto wouldn’t lose to anyone.

He held out for 10 years being an adventurer just by being stubborn alone.

Finishing his marathon, Yuto completed the rest of his workout and passed out on his bed.
—-He remembers this much.

Yuto: “I really have to be more careful next time…”

Even Yuto thought that he took things way too far this time.

If he fainted from exhaustion inside the dungeon, Yuto would have been dead by now.

At the very least, he should always save enough stamina to return back to the surface in full condition.

Setting that aside, Yuto dragged his stiff body out of bed. It’s already way past noon.

Since his body is in this condition, Yuto decides against going to the dungeon today.

He washes his face, brushes his teeth, and puts on fresh clothes. Once he was done, he pulls out the Skill Board.

Yuto (18)

Level 12 → 13

Skill Point 1 → 5

Skills

Fundamentals

Physical Strength Lv 2

Endurance Lv 0 NEW

Magic Lv 1

Agility Lv 2

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 2

Spellcasting Lv 1

Presence Detection Lv 2

Spells

[LIGHTNING Lv 1]

Yuto: “Hm? What? My level and Skill Point went up. I have a new skill as well.”

No matter how much he tried, he could not remember anything related to why his Skill Board looked like this.

Yuto: “Did I maybe complete some sort of quest yesterday?”

He checks the Quest screen, but most quests disappear after completion, but there is one exception that he knows
about.
This has so far only happened once, but when he received the Skill Board, he also cleared an Extra Quest.

Yuto: “I guess this has to do with clearing some sort of quest… oh! There is something in my inventory!”

In his inventory, there was 2 new items sitting at the top.

One was a E-Rank Instant Dungeon Key from defeating all the monsters the other day.

Very rarely, the monsters will drop a key like this.

If you clear an Instant Dungeon, you will usually receive the following items in most cases.

An item that if you sell, you’ll receive 10,000 gards. In D-Rank, the item will be worth 50,000, and C-Rank is
100,000 gards.

Of course, this is on the assumption that you clear the dungeon.

At the very end of an Instant Dungeon, you will face a boss.

And very rarely, you will recieve a rare item if you defeat it.

You acquire a rare item in the Instant dungeon and then proceed deeper into the base dungeon.

That is the standard pattern for any adventurer residing in the Labyrinth City of Kronos.

But not all people have the strength to clear Instant dungeons. Some will sell the key, and the adventurers aiming
for the rare item will buy those keys.

The price of the key will be 80-90% of the estimated reward value.

Yuto: “Hmm… what should I do with this? Should I sell it?”

That is a possibility, but Yuto also felt pushed to clear an E-Rank Instant Dungeon by himself.

Yuto: “Well, I can decide later about this.”

Leaving that item alone, he moves to the 2nd item.

Yuto: “Oh, ‘Survived 24 Hours of Monster Slaying Reward,’ huh… I can’t believe I went for that long...”

Even though it was himself who did it, he still felt that only lunatics would try to do something like that.

This reward seems to be from clearing a quest and appeared after Yuto leveled up.

From the name, Yuto assumed that the condition to clear the quest was to fight non-stop for 24 hours.

He completed this quest without ever knowing about it….

Yuto: “But would I have even done a 24 hour challenge” even if I knew about it?”

Yuto wants to believe that he’s not THAT much of a fool.

——But he might be more of a fool than he wants to admit.

The Skill he gained is endurance - stamina related.

An apt skill for someone who just spent 24 hours fighting non-stop.

Yuto immediately spent his Skill Points on the skill

>>Skill Point: 5 → 2

>>Endurance Lv 0 → Lv 2

As soon as he finished, the fatigue, stiffness, and soreness left his body, and he felt much better.

Yuto: “Oh wow. Okay, that really is an endurance skill. I still feel a little tired, but I can move now.”

But just because he can move now, Yuto is determined to take the day off.

His body is itching to go back, but he doubles his resolve.

Yuto: “I guess it’s time to find out my reward. I wonder what it is… I hope it’s not money again.”

He presses on the reward item, and takes it out of his inventory.

The reward appeared in the air, and Yuto caught it with his hands.

Yuto: “Oh, this bag is light.”

From the feeling of the object inside, Yuto could tell that it wasn’t money this time.

Yuto opened the bag and looked inside.

Yuto: “Huh? Is this a bracelet?”

Inside was a plain, simple silver bracelet.

He looks carefully, but sees no inscriptions.

There was not a single design or decoration on it either.

Yuto: “Ummm… what is this? -----OH, That’s right!”

Yuto got an idea, and put the bracelet inside the inventory.

The bracelet icon appears in his inventory.

Yuto touches it with his finger

[Bracelet of Stamina]

From the name, Yuto could tell that it was a status enhancing item.

Yuto: “Considering what the quest was, it does make sense.”

Withdrawing it from the inventory, Yuto places it on his wrist to test it out.

The bracelet fit perfectly.

It looks like there was some sort of spell within the bracelet that helped resize it to fit his wrist.
Yuto: “It said ‘Bracelet of Stamina’ so I thought my stamina would go up… but… huh….”

Yuto tries moving his body.

He sensed a subtle increase and his body felt lighter.

It didn’t have as much of an effect as the Level 2 Endurance upgrade, but it still had some improving effect
regardless.

No matter how small the benefit, any item that raises your potential abilities are traded at very high costs.

It’s because that small difference may determine your life or death in a critical moment inside the dungeon.

If he were to sell this bracelet, Yuto would make a considerable amount of wealth.

Yuto was certain that he would be able to live at least 10 years without working with the money he would earn.

But of course, that’s assuming he continued to live with the same standards as he does today for another 10 years.

Yuto: “But it’s a little disappointing to get this getting the Endurance Skill. I mean, I’m thankful and all but…”

If it was a quest that forces you to fight 24 hours, then this reward would have been better to have before he
started.

・・・

Mari: “Oh, Yuto, what a rare sight.”

Yuto: “Oh, Mari, you were here too.”

It’s dinner time.

Mari finished her work and was dining at the Gold Rock Cafeteria.

Gold Rock is a famous cafeteria known to be “Cheap, Fast, and Good Enough.”

Mari is one of the regulars here and almost eats here everyday.

Part of the reason why is because the dorm she stays at has no cafeteria.

Mari has never been good at cooking, and her dorm did not have a kitchen either.

For that reason, she almost always ate out.

Mari: “Wait, Yuto, you actually have the money to afford this?”

Yuto: “Of course!”

Looking at Yuto’s expression, Mari realized that something was different.

Yuto has always been struggling with money. He was a perpetual E-Rank and had very little income.

Everything he did earn was spent on his cheap apartment with very little left after rent.
He only eats twice a day, and spends around 50 gards per meal. This is a tenth of what Mari spends.

At times, Mari would invite him to eat with her at Gold Rock.

That’s because Yuto only eats the cheap 50 gard bread, and still looks like a young child because of malnutrition.

Without proper nutrition, Yuto’s height never had a chance to grow.

Mari couldn’t bear the thought of Yuto passing out from hunger inside the dungeon.

No matter what you order, each plate at Gold Rock is 300 gard. For Mari who’s the head manager, this is nothing.

That’s why Mari would invite Yuto and have him get his fill.

This was the most Mari could do to encourage Yuto.

Mari: “Yuto, are you okay? Wait, did you get this money from doing something wrong?!”

Yuto: “No no. I didn’t do anything of the sort.”

Yuto shakes his head in denial like a child.

Mari knows very well that Yuto is not the type that could go around committing crimes.

No matter how rotten things got, he did not blame anyone for not being able to level up.

No matter how much he suffered, he never once crossed the line and broke the law.

All he had to do was just once, just ONCE, ask Mari to borrow some money, but he never asked for any help and
carried his burdens alone.

Mari: (I wish he would be more honest about his own situation...)

Mari eats her salad that was brought to her with a little annoyance.

She was fully prepared to help him if he would just say the word.

But not once has he ever said it.

She did like that part about him, but it was also equally frustrating to deal with...

Mari: “Here, since we haven’t eaten together in a while, it’s on me tonight.”

Yuto: “Oh no, that’s okay. I want to pay with my own money today.”

Mari: “But Yuto, you haven’t eaten anything but salad tonight.”

Yuto: “But they put so much on the salad here! That’s why…”

Yuto was only thinking about the amount on a plate more than its nutritional value.

It’s true that at Gold Rock, they put enough salad on one plate to fill you up.
But regardless, a salad is just a salad.

You won’t get strength from a stomach full of just salad.

Mari: “Eat meat, Yuto! Meat!!”

Yuto: “But Mari! I know everything is the same price, but they only put one slice of meat per plate! It’s a luxury
item! I can’t order anything that expensive!”

Whenever she asks him to eat meat, it’s always this response.

Mari lets out a deep sigh and raises her hand.

Mari: “Excu--se me! Could I get 5 steak plates!”

Yuto: “Y---You’re going to eat 5 plates of steak?!”

Mari: “No, this is for you, Yuto.”

Yuto: “Wh--?! But…!!”

Mari: “I already ordered it, so you better finish it all.”

Yuto shrieks quietly in terror.

This is the only way to force feed Yuto.

It’s not like Yuto hates meat.

But he’s been avoiding it for so long, he has abnormally high reservations when asked to order it.

Once Mari’s order comes, Yuto sags like a dog learning his lesson and eats the meat with a grateful but apologetic
smile.

As she watched him eat, Mari definitely noticed that Yuto has changed.

Mari: “.....huh? Hey, Yuto, did your face change a little?”

Yuto: “Fuwah? Moi, faysh?”

With a mouthful of steak, Yuto tilts his head in confusion.

But for sure, there was something different about Yuto’s face. Mari could see it.

She has been watching Yuto for 10 years.

Something inside him changed drastically.

But what that was, Mari couldn’t tell.

But maybe… just maybe Mari thought.

Did Yuto finally break out of his shell?

Mari: “Hey, don’t worry about paying tonight. I got whatever you already ordered too.”
Yuto: “What? No! That’s okay!”

Mari: “Don’t worry. You know that I make enough!”

Yuto groans in frustration.

Whenever the difference of pay is mentioned, there is nothing Yuto can do.

This is expected.

Mari doesn’t brag, but her monthly income is more than 10 times what Yuto makes.

That’s why she is able to comfortably pay for his food.

This was the one thing Mari was able to help Yuto.

Mari: (Compared to what he’s given me, this really isn’t much…”

Once they were done eating, Yuto insisted on walking her to her dormitory. He was always concerned about how
dangerous the streets were at night, and as they walked, Mari walked behind him and looked at his back and
sighed.

She wanted to do something for him.

But right now, all she can do is feed him when he’s hungry.

If there was something she could do to support him more directly, she would do it in a heartbeat.

But there was nothing more Mari could do under these circumstances.

Mari: “....then if that’s the case.”

Mari looked up into the night sky with determination in her eyes.

There WAS one idea Mari could do.

But she could not carry out her plan out right now.

---- She didn’t have the funds saved up quite yet.

But Yuto’s face and expression changed.

He must have finally broken through his shell and started to change.

Then Mari will just have to work hard.

She almost has enough money saved up.

Just a little bit further now. Her goal is in sight.

Mari: “I just have to be brave…”

She places her hand to her chest.

She looks on the back of the person who has given her so much and closes her eyes to picture the worn down, beat
up companion who has supported him for so long - his longsword.

The next morning, Yuto woke up in his best condition.

Maybe it was because he acquired an Endurance skill, but he felt that his recovery from fatigue was much faster
than usual.

He stretches lightly, but does not feel any muscle soreness or stiffness anywhere.

Yuto: “......Alright. My condition is perfect.”

Yuto double checks his equipment before leaving his room.

He is heading for the temple.

Today, he is not going to the base dungeon, but he will attempt to clear an instant dungeon using his key.

Just the other day, he acquired a E-Rank Dungeon key during his 24 hour hunting escapade.

A new quest appeared after he received this key as well.

[Clear the Instant Dungeon E]

From this, Yuto learned that the quests are not only given out by level alone, but new quests can be released
according to his status and items he acquires.

The E-Rank Instant Dungeon is said to be the easiest dungeon to clear.

Even for novice adventurers, they could clear it with a party of 4 or 5.

There are some experienced E-Rank adventurers who can clear it on their own.

That is how easy this dungeon is.

The dungeon is just 1 floor with less than 10 rooms.

But there is no map for Instant Dungeons.

When you enter, the rooms are laid out randomly.

In order to clear the dungeon, you must either slay all the monsters within or defeat the boss.

Up until now, Yuto has never challenged a Key Dungeon alone.

That is because he was only Level 1 and had no Skills.

But now, that has changed.

He is Level 13 and has many Skills in his repertoire.

An E-Rank adventurer is generally around Level 1 through 10.

Being Level 13 means he has one foot set into the D-Rank realm.

And all of his skills are Level 2 which is standard for D-Rank.
Looking at status alone, you could argue that Yuto is now a D-Rank adventurer.

So he speculated that as long as he was careful, he could clear the E-Rank dungeon on his own.

Just in case, Yuto goes ahead and clears out the Daily Quest tasks.

If something unexpected happens, Yuto wanted some Skill Points on hand for emergencies.

>>Skill Point 2 → 3

At the store, he purchases one healing potion.

A low-grade healing potion costs 1000 gards for one.

From Yuto’s living standards, this would be a huge hit to his budget.

But in the last few days, Yuto’s savings went from zero to 20,000 gards and was substantially much more.

Yuto: (Because of that, I need to make sure to never put myself in a situation where I’m about to faint inside a
dungeon ever again.)

If he was to stay stingy and not prepare for the worst of situations, he would be committing a grave error as an
adventurer.

Yuto is still a perpetual E-Rank adventurer. No matter how much his status has improved, it does not mean that
mentally, he feels just as confident and calm.

Mentally, he is still an E-Rank.

He may be playing it too safe, but what’s on the line is his life.

Being overly cautious will turn out to be just right.

Yuto: “.....hmmmm. Where should I carry this?”

Yuto looks between his tool pouch and the inventory and had to think about which one he would store it in.

If it’s in his tool pouch, he’ll be able to pull it out immediately. But there is a chance that it will break during
combat.

If he puts it into his inventory, he would not have to worry about it breaking, but it will take more time to access it
and get it out.

At the frontlines, there are adventurers who have the same [DIMENSION STORAGE] skill similar to the
inventory.

Because of that, Yuto is not the only one who has had to think and wonder about this decision.

Usually, this is why you would have a luggage carrier.

The luggage carrier will not be participating in combat.

That’s why you can hand him the healing potions, and it’s less likely for him to break it. Depending on the
situation, he could pull out the potions to distribute it when the time comes.
If the luggage carrier has good decision-making skills, then he will be appreciated even more.

-----This was exactly what Yuto did for the parties he joined.

Putting that aside, Yuto didn’t have money.

And he would reject any suggestions of hiring a luggage carrier unconditionally.

Yuto thought for quite a while, but in the end, his extreme-poverty driven frugalness beat out his instincts as an
adventurer.

Yuto: “I’d be wasting 1000 gards if it breaks before I use it!”

He puts the healing potion into his inventory to keep it from breaking during battle.

He was ready now.

Yuto was fully prepared in every way possible as he headed to the Generation Room inside the Temple.

Yuto: “It’s been a while since I was last here.”

The Generation Room is right next to the base dungeon.

Just a while back, Yuto was visiting this Generation Room pretty much daily.

-----but that was as a luggage carrier and not an adventurer.

In the Generation Room, there are 5 doors.

The entrance is made of stone, and the rooms change to different metals accordingly. The farthest room inside is a
very decorative and fancy white gold door.

In the Generation Room, there were already a few parties waiting.

Unlike Yuto, these parties were prepared to enter rooms that were D-Rank or higher and were doing last minute
preparations and meetings.

Yuto heads to the door closest to the entrance.

This is the E-Rank Instant Dungeon Room Creation Door.

Yuto takes out the key.

He inhales and exhales deeply.

He has entered an E-Rank dungeon many times in the past.

As far as experience goes, he has more than any other adventurer.

But he was never a combatant in those runs.

And now, Yuto is going in to fight for the first time in this dungeon.

His heart is beating fast.

He feels tense and nervous.

Even so, he doesn’t feel afraid.

Yuto: “.....haha.”

Yuto laughed.

For the first time, he is going to step into an E-Rank dungeon as a combatant.

The day he dreamed of finally came true.

The same excitement he felt when he first stepped into the dungeon for the first time overtakes Yuto, and he can
feel something hot burn inside of him.

Yuto, with determination and resolve, inserts the key into the key hole on the door.

As he turns the key, the door opens.

The key disappears at the same time.

The key can only be used once.

Yuto pushes the door that cracked open and pushes it all the way inwards slowly.

Beyond the door was a stone hallway.

Most dungeons begin from a hallway.

Yuto swallows hard.

If he steps inside, he will not be able to leave until the dungeon is cleared.

Yuto: “.......Okay! Here we go!”

Yuto felt a brief moment of hesitation, but he pushed past his feelings and stepped foot into the dungeon.

・・・

Inside the dungeon is not hot or cold.

It is the perfect temperature to be moving around.

Yuto places a hand on his sword as he progresses slowly.

The hallway connects to the first large room.

Inside were 5 Kobolds.

As far as strength and speed, they were right in between Goblins and Killer Rabbits.

Looking at the Kobolds, Yuto confirms one thing.

Yuto: “I can do this!”

True to his word, Yuto pulls out his sword and enters the room.
At that moment, the Kobolds, notice Yuto.

The normal E-Rank monsters will become active after you step into the room.

Because of this, if you have an archer or mage in your party, you can take out all the enemies from the hallway.

This tactic will not work against a boss, but this does help you conserve energy up until the boss.

Yuto could, in theory, cast lightning into the room and clear out the monsters.

But that would use his magic power.

If it’s just Kobolds, as long as he’s careful, he sees no issues.

Yuto quickly cuts down each Kobolds, that heads his way.

He swings downwards, upwards, and turns around to cut in a circle around him.

He stabs the neck and slices the monster in half with the next swing.

Yuto lets out a breath.

He breaks his stance and takes a break.

He swings off the blood on his blade and returns the sword to its sheath.

Yuto spent less than a minute taking out 5 kobalts.

This is not the first time Yuto faced Kobolds.

But before, it took at least 1 minute to take down one.

In order to catch them off guard, Level 1 Yuto needed to buy some time.

He confirmed yet again how much Level Ups and Skills have pushed up his ability.

Yuto: “*sigh… good. My body still moves just fine.”

Yuto was worried.

He feared that once he entered the Instant Dungeon, that all his levels and skills would be returned back to where
he started.

It’s been 1 week since he received the Skill Board.

But even now, Yuto still couldn’t believe that the strength he gained was his.

He was afraid that all of this would disappear instantly like it never happened.

He felt anxious and worried about this intensely time and time again.

If his power disappeared as he entered the dungeon, Yuto would not have anywhere to run.

He would be face to face with death.

But his strength remained.

Yuto lets out a deep sigh of relief as he places a hand over his chest.

He picks up the dropped magic stones, and Yuto grips his fist tightly.

Yuto: “Alright! Let’s do this! Next!”

Yuto then cleared the next 3 rooms.

In those rooms, there were 3 to 5 Kobalts each.

He was able to take them all down without receiving a single scratch. It was Yuto’s complete victory.

Yuto: “If it’s like this, the boss must be a Kobold King.”

Yes, the Instant Dungeons randomly generate room, but the contents of the rooms have a specific pattern.

If you see Goblins appear in the rooms, then what’s waiting for you in the farthest room is a Goblin King.

If you see Killer Rabbits, than it’s a Killer Rabbit Queen.

Depending upon the monsters that appear, the higher-tier of that same monster will be the boss.

This dungeon is full of Kobolds.

Then from his experience, Yuto is certain that a Kobold King will appear.

As Yuto thought about this, he approached the last room.

Yuto: “.....huh? What is that?”

Yuto is detecting a presence that is completely different from Kobolds.

He was sure that this is the boss’ room.

But why is he feeling 5 presences from the room?

Yuto fearfully peaks inside the room to confirm.

Then...

Yuto: “W---wait, are you kidding me?!”

Yuto couldn’t hold back his surprise.

Inside the room, there were at least 5 Kobold Kings waiting.

Normally, there should only be 1 boss monster.

If the Kobold King is the boss, there should only be one.

Yuto: “Why….why is there 5 of them…?”

Yuto felt the blood drain from his face.

But even so, he tries to ascertain the situation.

Yuto: “...can I .... do this?”

Yuto asked himself this.

His heart wailed and screamed that this was impossible.

But his body told him that this was do-able.

Yuto cannot tell which is right.

If he wants to know, then he will just have to bet his life that he can.

Yuto takes a long, slow breath.

He wondered if there was any other way, but then made up his mind.

He could just shake and cry and ball up into a fetal position, but he couldn’t leave the dungeon.

Yuto already entered the dungeon.

His only way out is to clear it. That is what an Instant Dungeon is….

Then his answer has already been decided for him.

All that remained was for his resolve to follow.

Now, Yuto hardened his resolve.

Yuto pulls out the Skill Board and distributes his last bit of Skill Points.
Chapter 13: In Order to be Stronger

Yuto (18)

Level 13

Skill Point: 3 → 0

Skills

Fundamentals

Physical Strength Lv 2

Endurance Lv 2

Magic Lv 1

Agility

Technique
 Swordsmanship Lv 2 → 3

Spellcrafting Lv 1

Presence Detection Lv 2

Spells

[LIGHTNING] Lv 1

No matter what skills he chooses, he can only raise one.

Yuto: (In that case…)

Yuto chose what he has relied on the most up until this point - Swordsmanship.

It was only the other day that he acquired the skill, but he has a long history with this longsword.

They say that adventurers lend their lives to their weapons.

Yuto has followed this tradition, and decided to place his life in the hands of his sword who he could call his
partner now.

Yuto: “Here I go!”

Yuto feels the adrenaline rush as he pulls out his sword.

He enters the room from the hallway, but before that------.

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]”

His spell is released.

His lightning strikes the nearest Kobold King without fail.

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]!”

He fires one more continuous shot.

He fires directly at the other Kobold Kings who have become active.

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]!”

And adds one more shot to the mix.

He notices that his breath becomes very short.

He expended too much magic energy too quickly, and his body is quickly warning him of his limit.

But it’s not so much that he can’t fight.

Through his 24 hour dungeon escapade, Yuto had a rough idea of where his limit stood.

He found that 3 continuous spell casting was still in the manageable range.
If he fires 4, he would not be able to move for a while.

Understanding where his limit stood and stopping right at the line, he was able to stun 3 Kobold Kings.

They are not dead yet.

They’ve received damage and are currently stunned and immobile.

The remaining 2 Kobold Kings charge towards Yuto.

Yuto: “UOOOOOOOOOOOOOGH!!”

The room echoes with Yuto’s battle cry, and Yuto swings the longsword with everything he has.

He cuts, stabs, parries, and kicks.

He dodges attacks and counters.

He manages to dodge the Kings’ attack at the last minute and strikes back as he avoids their swords.

His sword moves better than he hoped.

Yuto knew that this was because he raised his swordsmanship to Level 3.

-----This is the sword skills of a C-Rank Adventurer.

Even if it was an attack that barely hit the King, the sword cut off the King’s arm.

Another King attacks Yuto from his blindspot.

But Yuto’s [PRESENCE DETECTION] had grasped the King’s movements.

Yuto was able to easily dodge and swing his sword at the King’s legs.

ZUSHA!! (sfx)

The King loses his legs behind him and falls to the floor.

Blood is pouring out from his wounds.

Yuto finishes off the King on the ground and faces the one-armed King.

The King roars and moves faster towards Yuto than before.

Yuto’s concentration reaches its pinnacle.

1 second stretches into an eternity.

Yuto with light footwork dodges the King’s charge.

As the King goes by, Yuto swings his sword downwards.

------ZASHU!! (sfx)

The King’s head soars through the air.

With his concentration unbroken, Yuto moves quickly and finishes off a King who was still stunned.

Yuto: “.........FWEW!!”

Yuto confirms the death of all 5 Kings and lets out a huge sigh of relief. His breath was hot from his blood
pumping and adrenaline rushing.

Today, Yuto fought a formidable enemy.

And he fought 5 at once.

He did not think that he would finish the battle without receiving a scratch.

But as he calmly analyzes the battle, he sees why.

Yuto’s status reached D-Rank.

His sword skill reached C-Rank.

And although they are a strong enemy, a Kobold King is still classified as an E-Rank monster.

A perfect victory was lucky, but it wasn’t against an enemy that he couldn’t win against.

Yuto: “Thank goodness……”

Yuto feels the tension leave him and almost sits on the floor, but he resists.

If he sits now, it may take some time to get back up again.

Yuto pushes himself and collects the Kobold Kings’ drops.

He places the magic stones in his inventory, and Yuto notices that something is wrong.

Yuto: “.....Hey, what?! Why isn’t the door open?!?!”

At the far end of the room, there is a door that will open when the dungeon is cleared.

If he goes through the door, he will end up back in the temple.

But that door remained shut.

Yuto: “...huh? Was there something I missed?”

If you defeat the boss, the door will open.

If the door doesn’t open, then that means————

It was at this moment of Yuto’s realization that it happened.

[EMERGENCY QUEST : DEFEAT THE UNIQUE BOSS (0/1)]

Before his eyes, the Skill Board appeared.

Yuto: “Unique...boss?”

As soon as he finished reading the message…

At the very end of the room…

Right before the door that leads to the temple…

A boss appeared.

Yuto: “What...?...No…..why….?”

Yuto couldn’t stop trembling at the sight.

Yuto: “Why…..why is there a D-Rank Kobold Lord in an E-Rank dungeon…..?!”

What appeared was a Kobold Lord.

Yuto could think of only one reason a D-Rank Kobold Lord would appear in an E-Rank dungeon.

On a very rare occasion, Instant Dungeons drop rare items.

And that monster who drops the rare item is a Unique Boss.

During D-Rank instant dungeon raids, Yuto has seen this happen a few times.

The one who rules all over the Kings -- the Lord.

This is one of the biggest and most difficult obstacles for adventurers trying to reach C-Rank.

The Lord is at least twice the size of a King.

His offense is much higher in comparison to a King too.

There have been rumors that if you misjudge, an adventurer would go too deep, too far in and have his head
crushed with one blow.

In fact, within D-Rank instant Dungeons, Yuto has seen many adventurers get badly wounded.

These are D-Rank adventurers -- adventurers that are a tier above Yuto!

Yuto: “I….I can’t win….”

Yuto can’t stop shaking in fear.

Yuto: (I need to run….)

He wanted to, but his body refused to move.

Yuto felt his strength leave him and fell helplessly to the floor.

The Kobold Lord before him gave him a nasty smile.

The next moment.

Yuto: “-----huh?”

Yuto only saw the Lord’s foot right before his eyes.
In a flash of a second, the Lord closed in on Yuto and sent a kick flying towards his face.

Yuto: “-----GAHA!!’’

Yuto received the kick, and bounced and bounded backwards like a ball.

Thankfully, he did not receive the kick straight on.

At the last minute, Yuto’s body twisted and took a defensive stance.

He didn’t know whether this was because of his skill or just his instinct to survive.

His body ached from rolling and bouncing on the floor.

Yuto hurriedly reaches to pull out the Healing Potion from his inventory.

The Inventory Screen opens, and he reaches towards the Healing Potion icon.

But his fingers shook too much and he couldn’t reach the icon.

Yuto: “Why….WHY?! HURRY!! ….HURRY UP!!!!”

While Yuto was struggling to retrieve the item, the Lord moved near his side.

With the Lord’s fist raised, Yuto looks upon the scene with despair.

The next moment.

In blazing speed, a fist drives hard into Yuto’s face.

Stars explode and bounce around in Yuto’s sight.

The impact shook his brain.

Everything… turned white.

Like a tv screen turning off, Yuto’s consciousness wandered somewhere distant and far away.

・・・

[Hey Yuto, why do you train so much?]

A red-headed girl was swinging her legs as she sat on a box.

The errand girl Mari’s eyes were swollen from crying.

She was scolded by the shop owner again.

[.....Hey. HEY! I’m talking to you!]

Yuto kept swinging his sword without saying a word, so Mari finally shook his shoulders, and Yuto realized that
she was talking to him.

[...Huh?]
[I SAID… Why are you training so much? Aren’t you weak?]

[It’s because I’m weak]

[Yuto, you can’t get stronger, right?]

[I could get stronger]

[You might get eaten by a scary monster!]

[Yeah, I might]

[Then why train?! You don’t even know if you’ll get stronger, and all you do is hurt yourself training, and in the
end, you’ll just get eaten by a monster! Is that what it means to be an adventurer?]

[No, you’re wrong. I train to defeat those monsters. I train because I don’t want to die, and that’s why I can get
through this tough training.]

------The more I train, the harder the training, the stronger I will be some day.

Yuto looked straight into Mari’s eyes and said these words.

If he only did the easy stuff, he would never become stronger.

Even if it hurts, if he can overcome it, then he’ll become stronger someday.

No matter what, he will become someone who never cries.

No matter what, he will become someone who never gives up.

No matter what, he will overcome any obstacle that stands in his way.

And he will become stronger a little at a time each day.

[I WILL become strong]

So he can never cry.

So he never gives up.

So he becomes someone who will overcome.

Mari looks frustrated at his comment, and Yuto resumes swinging his sword.

・・・

Yuto’s consciousness was only gone for less than a second.

In that second, Yuto remembered something important.

He felt cuts all over the inside of his cheeks from the last blow.

The taste of blood fills his senses.

But his body stopped shaking.

The Lord raised his fist once more.

At an unthinkable speed, he swings his fist through the air.

But Yuto dodged it easily.

The Lord became more cautious after Yuto dodged his attack.

It stepped back and increased the distance between it and Yuto.

Yuto was able to move his body again.

------No, it always moved.

What restricted his movement was his heart.

Because his heart gave up, Yuto made himself think that he couldn’t move anymore.

Yuto remembered.

He remembered all the days he trained.

He remembered why he pushed through and endured so much hurt, pain, and agony through all of his training.

He wanted to become strong.

It was so he can defeat strong enemies.

——Because he wanted to show a certain someone, that people can get stronger.

Right now, there is a strong enemy right before his eyes.

There is no doubt that a Kobold Lord is a formidable opponent.

Right now, he shouldn’t be thinking about whether he’s strong or weak.

All that matters is how he’s going to climb over that thick wall.

Yuto: “UOOOOOOOOOGH!!”

Yuto belched out an instinctive scream like a wild animal.

With it, he squeezed every droplet of fear left inside of him.

He places his sword in front of him into the his main stance.

As soon as he does so, his heart begins to calm down.

His frayed mental state became stable, and his concentration starts to rise.

He feels each second stretch into eternity.

Yuto inhales deeply.

Yuto sucks in a long breath and holds it.

And in the next moment, Yuto kicks the ground with all his might.

His longsword swings down towards the Lord’s head.

The Lord dodges this.

It circles around Yuto and counters.

Yuto puts on the brakes and dodges this.

He forces his momentum to twist and rotates, and cuts back.

The Lord panics and lowers its head.

Yuto matches its movements and right at that timing...

“-----GYA?!”

Yuto’s toes dig into hits face from below as Yuto kicks upwards.

The Lord’s body stretches upwards vertically.

It looked like it would lose its balance, but the Lord recovered.

-------It’s strong.

The Lord was a lot stronger than Yuto imagined.

That kick was timed perfectly, and connected directly.

Even so, it was not enough to put the Lord off balance.

The Lord’s physical endurance and ability is very high.

Yuto swung his sword towards the Lord from all directions.

The Lord dodged and at times, blocked with his claws.

If Yuto goes in too deep, the Lord is waiting for this moment to attack.

Yuto restrains himself and diligently and carefully keeps cutting away at the Lord.

Countless cuts and wounds start spreading over the Lord’s body.

In comparison, Yuto has only received one below at the beginning and has not received another attack since.

But that was not because it was easy to dodge the Lord’s attacks.

One strike from the Lord will put Yuto off balance.

One strike and Yuto will be in a critical condition.

So Yuto could not afford to receive one blow and dodged with everything he got.

The attacks stack to 20, 30 and continue to stack.

Both sides are not withdrawing or retreating.

Yuto’s attack dig deep into the Lord’s ribs.

The Lord very slightly leans to one side.

------YES!!

Finally, an opening!

Yuto jumped at the opportunity.

But…

Yuto: “..........!!”

The Lord’s lips twist into a cruel smile.

--------It’s a trap.

Yuto tries to stop his momentum from going forward…

But it’s too late.

From his blindspot, the Lord’s claws stretch towards Yuto’s face.

Yuto: “------Ku!!”

But Yuto manages to twist and turn his head away to dodge.

But he could not dodge all of it.

The Lord’s claw barely scrapes Yuto’s cheek.

Moving his neck in such a weird angle, Yuto loses his balance.

It’s apparent that Yuto made a critical error.

The Lord will not let this chance go by.

He continues to reach his left claw towards Yuto.

But before the claws reach…

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]”

----------TAAAAAAHHHHHNNN!! (sfx)

From the point of Yuto’s sword, the light from a spell cast flashes brilliantly.

The Lord takes the lightning head on, and its muscles converse as it stumbles forward.

Now the tables have turned.

Yuto regains his composure and swings his sword.

But the Lord had not given up just yet.

It steps back using its off balance momentum.

Yuto’s attack misses.

But Yuto is not done yet.

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]”

-----------TAAAAAAHHHHHNNN!! (sfx)

Another spell strikes the Lord.

The Lord freezes where it stands.

Bringing the longsword to him, Yuto aims the end at the Lord’s chest.

It’s over.

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]”

------TAAAAAAHHHHHNNN!! (sfx)

Yuto’s 3rd and final shot before he reaches his limit.

At the same time, Yuto pushes his longsword into the Lord’s chest.

>>Emergency Quest Cleared.

>>You have received Clear Rewards

>>Bonuses will be added to the Rewards

The fatigue made Yuto dizzy as he made it out of the dungeon. With uncertain steps, he finally made it to the
counter.

This time, he barely won the fight.

If he had made a single wrong decision at any given point, his opponent would have overwhelmed and defeated
him.

Now that he thinks about it, Yuto realized how close he danced with death, and shivers ran down his spine.

But Yuto won.

In this fight, Yuto definitely grew as an adventurer.

It was something he achieved that would not be reflected in his status, but even though there was nothing to show
for it, Yuto was certain that something had changed inside him.

Arriving at the Guild Sales Counter, Yuto starts bringing out all the items from his dungeon quest.

The higher the monster rank, the more you obtain a resource other than magic stones.

This time, Yuto did not just defeat E-Ranks, but there were also D-Rank monsters.
Hence, he had not only monster stones, but materials from the monsters as well.

He received 5 hides of the Kobalt Kings, and the Kobalt Lord’s fangs.

Even though it was just an E-Rank Instant Dungeon, he will make a handsome profit from these materials. Yuto
was excited as he waited for the item review and processing to complete.

“Thank you so much for waiting. Before the assessment, I would like to ask 2 or 3 questions if it is okay with
you.”

Yuto: “Ummmm… yes?”

What are they going to ask him about?

Yuto is confused and tilts his head to the side as he agrees.

“We have confirmed from your Guild Card that you entered an E-Rank Instant Dungeon - this was according to the
records. Did you challenge this dungeon alone?”

Yuto: “Yes.”

“In an E-Rank Dungeon, typically, only 1 boss appears. But in this dungeon conquest, you were able to achieve 5
or 6 times the normal amount. Furthermore, you brought back a Kobalt Lord’s fangs which does not usually
appear in E-Rank Dungeons. Could you tell us where you picked up this item?”

Does she think Yuto stole this from another adventurer?

Yuto is weary and careful when he answers.

Yuto: “The dungeon I entered was supposed to be an E-Rank Dungeon, but it appears that it was actually a Unique
Dungeon. There were 5 Kobalt Kings, and 1 Kobalt Lord that appeared afterwards.”

“........!!”

The receptionist at the counter’s eyes opened wide at Yuto’s response, and then immediately regained her
composure.

“I’m terribly sorry, and excuse me for the question, but did Mr. Yuto defeat them alone?”

Yuto: “Yes, I cleared the dungeon by myself.”

Yuto couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at the receptionist’s question.

Yuto: (I’m sure she knows all about me.)

Yuto has been unable to Level Up for 10 years and was struggling at the bottom of the lowest bucket of
adventurers.

The receptionist knows this.

Yuto could easily picture that in her mind, there was a solid, irreversible fact that the “Weakest of All Adventurers”
could never have cleared an Instant Dungeon on his own.

The receptionist swallowed so hard that it looked like she swallowed a rock -- she probably fought back the words
that were about to spill out of her mouth.
“.........I understand. Then I will proceed with the paperwork.”

Yuto: “Uh...paperwork?”

The assessment is done.

The receptionist already brought the money to be paid out to Yuto.

What else is left?

As Yuto wondered this, the receptionist came back from the backroom.

“Thank you for your patience. This time, to acknowledge your deeds and accomplishments---”

As she said this, the receptionist brought back a Guild Card of a different color.

Up until now, Yuto carried a bronze card.

Because he had this card for so long, there was rusts on different parts of the card.

And that card turned into a silver color.

Yuto: (.....this card….this color….)

“As of today, you have been promoted to a D-Rank Adventurer. Mr. Yuto, congratulations.”

Yuto: “.....I…..uh….th-----th-----THANK YOU!!”

Yuto bowed his head deeply with gratitude.

He did not expect his rank to suddenly go up.

The words of the receptionist were solemn and heart-felt.

She too felt something from Yuto’s promotion.

Her words carried weight - it was the weight of 10 years worth of continuous effort.

Yuto felt heat build up around his eyes.

But he does his best to hold back the tears that are welling up.

Seeing Yuto’s reaction, the receptionist also quickly wiped underneath her eyes.

・・・

The Weapons and Armor Shop business ended, and Mari was closing up shop.

From an alleyway, she hears a familiar voice approaching from far away.

Yuto: “Mari----!! MARI---------!!!!”

Mari: “......what is it Yuto? What are you up to at this hour?”

And of course, the person yelling her name was Yuto.

It was rare for him to come through the front of the shop at this hour.

Mari: (I wonder if he came to buy something?)

Mari looks at him curiously with her head tilted.

But as Yuto approached her, looking at his expression, it doesn’t look like he’s here to buy anything.

Yuto: “Mari! LOOK!! LOOK AT THIS!!!”

Mari: “H---HEY! CALM DOWN! What happen-------”

Yuto was hopping around like a small child, and showed Mari his Guild Plate.

She knew that it was what every adventurer carried - the Guild Card.

The Guild certifies through this card that it properly represents an adventurer’s strength and ability.

But this is also the dog tag that identifies adventurers when they die.

When an adventurer dies in a dungeon, their body will be consumed into the dungeon. Nothing will remain.

But this Guild Card is different.

Made from a special material, once the Guild Card is sucked into the dungeon, it is then transferred and spit out on
a podium within the temple.

The Guild Card is the one thing the adventurer can leave behind in this world.

Seeing the Guild Card gave Mari no sense of pleasure.

But this time it was different.

Yuto’s Guild Card was now a different color.

Yuto: “D-RANK!! I’m a D-Rank Adventurer starting today!!”

Mari: “.......!!”

When she heard the words, an overwhelming emotion filled Mari immediately.

Large tears begin rolling down her cheeks.

Mari: “....Yuto, I’m so happy for you.”

Yuto: “Thanks.”

Mari: “Congratulations.”

Yuto: “......Thank you.”

A long time ago, she sat on a wooden box and gazed admiringly at a boy who kept swinging his sword.

Watching him pursue his dream relentlessly made him seem to shine so brightly in her eyes.
And that boy, after 10 years, finally made one step forward.

Yes, he’s still a D-Rank.

If you count from the bottom, he’s only one step above the lowest rank.

But Mari could only feel joy and congratulates him from the bottom of her heart.

Because he fought a losing battle. In endless despair, he kept pushing and pushing forward. And finally, he won
the fight. He achieved victory.

・・・

After reporting to Mari about his D-Rank promotion, they decided to celebrate at Gold Rock.

After the celebration, Yuto, with a swelled up stomach more full of food than he ever ate in the past, walked back
to his room.

When he fell onto his bed, he felt that it was the best day of his life.

Of course it was. He finally got something to prove that he has improved, that he has grown stronger. He could
now hold that proof in his hands.

He wanted to fall asleep with this feeling, but…

Yuto brought out the Skill Board.

Yuto: “I almost forgot. I completed a quest, right? Did my status go way up….?”

Yuto (18)

Level 13 → 16

Skill Point: 0 → 10

Skills

Fundamentals

Physical Strength Lv 2

Endurance Lv 2

Magic Lv 1

Agility Lv 2

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 3

Spellcrafting Lv 1

Presence Detection Lv 2

Spells
 [LIGHTNING] Lv 1

Yuto gained 3 Levels, and he also acquired 10 Skill Points.

Yuto: “YES!! THIS IS AWESOME!!”

This time, his status increased from clearing the E-Rank Instant Dungeon, and he cleared all the quests that
suddenly appeared.

Even from Yuto’s perspective, the difficulty of the Emergency Quest was abnormally high.

Because of that, Yuto suspect that the reward compared to other quests must have been set pretty high as well.

Yuto: “Oh man….what skill should I level up now…..”

There are 10 Skill Points.

If he puts it all into Swordsmanship, he can go straight up to Level 5.

A Skill Level 5 is a first rate Adventurer’s proficiency.

But even if he was first rate in Swordsmanship, his other statuses would be too low.

Even if he has the skills, if he doesn’t have the strength or speed, his attack would not mean that much.

Raising your ability all-around is the way to become an adventurer that can complete high-level dungeons.

Yuto: “I really want to raise the level of my [LIGHTNING] too.”

But right now, Yuto’s magic abilities and skills are both Level 1.

Even if he raises the [LIGHTNING] level, he may not have enough magic power to cast it.

Yuto: “GAH! What should I do?!?!”

As he wondered about how to distribute his Skill Points, Yuto realized that there was something he forgot about in
his inventory.

He quickly pulls up the Inventory screen.

He was hopeful that from this quest, there would be some reward prepared and ready for him.

Yuto: “Sweet! There it is!”

As he hoped, there was one item in his inventory labeled “Emergency Quest Completion Reward” bag inside.

Yuto took out the bag with lots of anticipation and excitement.

The bag was ….heavy.

Yuto: “I...don’t think it’s money…”

From how it felt, it felt heavier than gards.

Yuto: “Uh….huh? What is this?”

There was a hard stone-like object that was colored silver.

It looked like someone just cut it out from a boulder and had a weird shape to it.

If there was anyone here who spent their life mining, the sight would have made their eyes sparkle with stars.

This looked like a really important rock.

But Yuto had no interest and no knowledge of stones and minerals.

If this was gold colored, if this was solid gold, he would have made a fortune.

But it was silver. And no matter how much he looked at it, it didn’t look like any sort of jewel.

Yuto feels a little disappointment creep in.

Yuto: “Well, I guess I should at least know what it is.”

Yuto placed the rock in the inventory.

He tapped on the icon of the rock and...

Yuto: “WH---------------!!!”

He could not believe the name he saw above the icon.

Yuto: “M-----M--M-MITHRIL?!?!”

Yuto: (*YAWN) “.....so sleepy…”

Even though his body was worn out, Yuto could barely sleep last night.

He washed his face with the cold water of the well, and washed away the sleepy sensations from his
consciousness.

There is only one reason why Yuto couldn’t sleep. It was all because of the material he earned last night.

The Quest Reward that was given to him was a solid chunk of Mithril.

Mithril is a desirable, admirable, and THE most famous source material for making weapons, and this applied to
ALL adventurers.

It is extremely light, harder than steel, and endures punishment like nothing else.

If he makes this into a weapon, the sharpness of his blade will be second to none.

And because Mithril has the property to allow magic to flow through better than any other material, it is also
prized as the best material to make a mage’s staff or wand.

As armor, it cannot be matched by any other material, and your defenses will exponentially grow.

No matter what you make it into, it will become the best item of its class.

That is what Mithril is.

Anyone who is an adventurer will do anything to obtain mithril, but the price of Mithril is beyond any normal
adventurer.

That is because Mithril can only be obtained from dungeons.

And the chance of obtaining some is extremely low.

The Mithril sold in the market are generally from someone who has spent long days inside Instant Dungeons, and
finally hit a winner - it was like winning a lottery in most cases.

Other than that, for those with more skills and abilities, they would join a clan which is composed of many groups
of Adventurer Parties, and in the base dungeons where Mithril is known to be dropped, rumors are that they have
completely monopolized all of those spots.

Adventurers from the top clans will almost always be carrying items made of Mithril.

Hence, the rumors continue and spread like wildfire.

Because of the scarcity, the market price of Mithril is severely inflated.

A single Mithril sword would cost no less than 10 million gards.

And Yuto accidentally acquired that unobtainable material!

No, he couldn’t sleep.

He pondered what he would make it into. Is making a weapon the right choice?

How would a Mithril weapon feel in his hands?

Can you carry material into Mari’s store?

Wait! If he gets a Mithril Sword, it will only be a matter of time before someone takes it from him!

Is there anything he can do to prevent it from being stolen?

As his imagination ran rampant, before he knew it, morning fell upon him.

Yes, his lack of sleep and rest was his own responsibility. It was self-inflicted.

But there was no way Yuto could hold back the overflowing excitement that kept pouring out of him each second.

This was because Yuto WAS an adventurer by heart.

To be set down before every adventurers’ dream, he was now a creature that could not disregard or ignore this.

Putting that aside, Yuto completed his Daily Quest tasks, and headed to Mari’s store.

Mari: “Welcom—...oh, it’s just you, Yuto.”

Yuto: “Today, I came here as a customer, so you can greet me like one too, you know?”

Mari: “Sure sure, welcome—. So, what’s up?”

Of course, Mari only responds like this to Yuto.

If that wasn’t the case, there would be no way that she would be managing the store right now as the head
manager.

But Yuto is a customer so he did feel a little indignant that she would treat him this way.

But this is partly Yuto’s fault.

Ever since becoming an adventurer, Yuto has stepped into this store penniless only to look upon all the weapons
and armor.

Because of that, Mari stopped treating him like a customer long ago.

Yuto: “Uh, so, yeah, I wanted to put in an order.”

Mari: “....I’m sorry. The Stand Up comedy tavern is right down the road. They open at night.”

Yuto: “Hey, I’m serious.”

Yuto knew that Mari wouldn’t believe him. Still, he couldn’t help but feel offended at her reaction.

Mari: “But Yuto, you don’t have money right? Orders are REALLY expensive. I don’t think you could afford
one.”

Yuto: “What if I brought in the material?”

Mari: “Well, sure. We could give you a discount if you bring in the materials yourself, but at most, I can only
make it half-off. Our skill fees are not cheap.”

The Plutos Weapon and Armor Shop Owner Duglar was one of the most famous weapon smiths in all of the
Labyrinth City of Kronos.

Even if you use the same material and same size sword, his swords would cost double that of other shops.

Duglar’s Smithing Skills are extremely high.

If he even touches a weapon, it’s price and value will skyrocket.

Mari: “So I’m going to ask this, but what’s your budget?”

Yuto: “...could you do it with 50,000 gards?”

Mari: “....Okay, fess up. What did you do, Yuto? Let’s go to the city guards and maybe they’ll lessen your
sentence if you confess first. Don’t worry. I’ll go with you.”

Yuto: “Hey! I earned this money!”

Yuto couldn’t believe that Mari, his childhood friend, would look at him like he’s some sort of criminal.

Yuto: “Look, I worked and earned this money fair and square. Did you forget that I’m a D-Rank adventurer?!”

Mari: “Fine fine. So what material did this oh so great D-Rank Adventurer bring to us to make his mighty and
powerful weapon?”

Yuto: “....it’s this…”

A heavy sound echoes onto the store counter. Yuto places the Mithril in front of Mari.

Mari inspects the material carefully.

Mari: “.....Yeah, nope. Nope nope nope. That’s impossible. There’s no way Yuto would bring this to me.”

Mari has large beads of sweat dripping from her forehead as she shook her head in denial.

Mari: “WOW, I wonder what this is—? Silver....no, not silver. Aluminum?.... Not quite. OH! It must be a mixture
of different metals!”

Yuto: “It’s Mithril.”

Mari: “.............................Yuto.”

As Yuto let’s her know what she already knew, a tragic weight falls over Mari’s expression.

Mari: “Yuto, let’s go now before it’s too late. I’ll be waiting for you here until you get out. I promise. So let’s
make sure to make amends for all your crimes and maybe they won’t execute you….!!”

Yuto: “LOOK! STOP THAT! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!”

Mari could not stop the tears flow out from her eyes, and starts to hiccup and shake.

Look, it’s true that anyone in their right mind can only assume that Yuto MUST have stolen this.

It is an immovable fact that Yuto WAS an E-Rank adventurer until just the other day.

There is no way a bottom-tier, last-place WEAKEST adventurer like Yuto could even MISTAKENLY get a hold of
real Mithril.

Even a D-Rank Adventurer would have an impossbily hard time obtaining it. Of course he would be suspiciously
accused.

Mari: “Well if you got it fair and square, what is this? A Mithril-like rock?”

Yuto: “I think...it’s regular Mithril. Look, last time, I went to an E-Rank Instant Dungeon, and it turned out to be a
Unique Dungeon. When I defeated the boss, I got this from it.”

Just in case, Yuto mixed in one tenth of a lie into a myriad of facts.

He honestly thought that he could tell Mari about the Skill Board. But if word got out that the Skill Board gives
out Mithril… there’s no telling what would happen to Yuto.

So Yuto.... begrudgingly had to avoid telling her the truth.

Mari: “Huh… really? I’ve never heard of Unique Dungeons until now.”

Yuto: “It’s a rare dungeon, so there’s barely any information on it.”

Mari: “And you want to make a longsword with this Mithril?”

Yuto: “Yeah, if possible, I’d like it to be as close to this sword as possible.”

Mari: “Understood. I’ll ask the owner, so wait here.”

Mari left Yuto and disappeared into the back of the store.

In the back of the store is the Shop Owner Duglar’s personal workshop.

Duglar rarely pokes his head into his own shop.

That’s how much he trusts Mari.

As Yuto waits... time passes.

From the back of the store, Mari re-appears with some confusion and concern on her expression.

And another appeared with her.

Yuto: “............!!”

As soon as Yuto caught sight of him, he stood upright as straight as he humanly possible could do.

The Weapon and Armor Shop Owner, Duglar appeared.

He is shorter than Yuto in height, but his arms are 3 times thicker than Yuto’s.

He had a magnificent beard, and the Dwarf among all Dwarves glared intently and pierced Yuto with his eyes.

Mari: “Owner… so… this is Yuto, the man who wants to order a custom Mithril weapon…..”

Duglar: “.........”

No matter what Mari says, Duglar stood there silent.

He continued his gaze that seemed to unravel Yuto from the inside out.

Yuto felt helplessly transparent before Duglar as cold sweat dribbled down his spine.

Yuto couldn’t tell how much time passed.

At that moment, Duglar loosened his stare.

Duglar: “Give me your sword.”

Yuto: “.....what?”

Duglar: “Your sword. What you got on your waist.”

Yuto: “Uh...YESSIR! HERE IT IS!”

Yuto scrambled to take off his sword and gave it to Duglar.

Duglar took the sword and unsheathed it. He let the light gleam off the whole of the blade.

Duglar: “.....This... is from our shop. How long have you had it?”

Yuto: “Ummm… maybe around 9 years now?”

Duglar: “I see…. It’s amazing that you haven’t broken it.”

Yuto: “Of course. It’s a work of Master Duglar.”

Duglar: “You’re wrong.”

Duglar glared once more at Yuto.

Yuto: (YIKES!!)

Yuto flinched and became smaller.

Duglar: “There are first-rate swordsmen who will break their own blade.”

Yuto: “Umm… r--really?”

Duglar: “A swordsman will pour his soul into his blade. Those who’s blades break is because they don’t put
enough soul into it.”

Saying what he came to say, Duglar put the sword back in its sheath.

Duglar: “Mari--, I’ll leave the business side to you.”

Mari: “Y--YESSIR!!”

Duglar left with those words and disappeared into the back of the store.

When he was gone, Yuto exhaled loudly as if he forgot to breath during the entire conversation.

Up until now, Yuto only met Duglar MAYBE twice or at most three times. But this was the first time he spoke to
him.

This was his first conversation with one of the greatest weapon smiths in all of Kronos.

Yuto couldn’t help but be nervous.

Yuto: “So….does that mean he’ll take the job?”

Mari: “Yeah, when I asked him that there’s a man wanting to make a custom Mithril order, he told me, ‘let me see
him’ and came storming out of his workshop. I panicked when that happened.”

Yuto: “Does that happen every time a custom order is made?”

Mari: “No, I think it’s because the material was Mithril, so he wanted to be sure of the wielder. A Mithril Weapon
would be the highest honor to make for any weapon smith.”

If he’s going to make a world-class weapon, the weapon smith also deserves to confirm the personality and
character of the wielder to see if he or she is worthy of holding it -- something like that?

But Duglar took a look at Yuto and didn’t say no.

Yuto: (Does that mean that he approved of me as the weapon holder?)

To be acknowledged by the greatest weapon smith is the greatest honor.

Yuto: “Oh crap! Mr. Duglar took my longsword!”

Mari: “You wanted a weapon close to that sword right? The Owner will use it as a sample as he makes a new
one.”

Yuto: “W--wait...what? So that means….”

If he doesn’t have a weapon, Yuto can’t go hunting in dungeons!

Yuto’s shoulders shrug to the floor.

Mari: “Look, it will take about a week no matter what, so treat it like a vacation, okay?”

Yuto: (*sigh) “ ….okay.”

Since he did make the request to have a custom weapon made, it will be impossible to ask for his original weapon
back.

It can’t be helped.

Yuto gave up on getting his sword back.

After that, Yuto and Mari discussed the price of the order.

As they previously discussed, they settled for 50,000 gards.

Yuto: “Wait, so it’s this cheap if I bring in the material…?”

Mari: “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m giving you an extra, EXTRA special discount. Don’t tell anyone
about this.”

Yuto: “Oh, right… Thank you very much.”

Just like when he first purchased a sword, Yuto had Mari work really hard to lower the price.

Yuto: (I wonder if there will ever come a day when I can buy the store items at regular price…)

He briefly peeked at a nearby price tag and it read 5,000,000G—.

Yuto: (OOF! NOPE. That’s impossible.)

And with that, Yuto gave up on that idea at once.

He’ll still be indebted to Mari for quite some time going forward.

・・・

In the very back of the store, sitting in his workshop, Duglar stares intensely at the longsword.

Undoubtedly, this was a sword Duglar forged.

He did pour his best efforts into it, but the materials used were of the cheapest quality.

And of course, the price was so so.

Duglar: (Granted, compared to other stores, the price was rather high.)

And though the material was cheap, for 10 years, this sword did not break or bend, and it still fully functioned as it
was designed.
Duglar: “......fwew.”

This is the first time Duglar met anyone who would treat a sword this well.

A weapon from any other craftsman would never last this long.

The reason why this sword lasted for 10 years was because Duglar made this sword.

The weapon and armor craftsman also have Skills just the same as adventurers.

The higher the Skill Level, the resulting weapon or armor’s quality will greatly change.

An armor made of iron could last 5, 10 years if you take care of it well enough….

The body of an adventurer is extremely strong.

A regular weapon would easily be destroyed in their hands.

But the weapons Duglar makes can handle the power of an adventurer.

This is what it means to have a Level 7 Smithing Skill. His skill cannot be underestimated.

Even so, there are still those who will still destroy his weapons.

That’s because they only look at the sword as a tool.

They don’t care if it breaks or bends as long as their life is safe.

For them, that’s the whole reason for having a weapon in the first place.

Duglar doesn’t believe they are wrong.

If an adventurer breaks their weapon, they’ll have to buy a new one.

And they’ll be dropping their savings into the weapon and armor shop periodically.

An adventurer who keeps destroying their weapon is a regular shopper at his store.

But to Duglar, a weapon getting destroyed is no laughing matter.

Duglar puts his soul into every weapon and armor he makes.

He wanted the wielders of his weapons to treat them as lifelong partners.

This was something Duglar’s pride as a smith held onto.

But because he knows that it’s his own ego desiring this, he will not impose it on his shoppers.

Regardless, Duglar wanted to see this adventurer who brought in Mythril.

He wanted to know what kind of guy would ask him to make a custom order.

If it was some lame adventurer, Duglar had the full intention of refusing the offer no matter what.

But the order came from Mari’s childhood friend, Yuto.

Duglar knows him very well.

He has watched Yuto at times diligently work on his sword skills through the backyard window of the workshop.

Compared to those days, Duglar could tell that he has grown two or three-fold and has improved quite a bit.

That was something Duglar could just feel.

Duglar: (He’s gotten stronger…)

The man that Mari acknowledged finally started stepping up.

It was rare that he would be so happy about something so trivial.

But part of the reason why Duglar wanted to take the job was because Yuto finally showed some growth.

He also took one look at his sword and felt something - a deep desire.

“I want to make him a good weapon” - that was his genuine feeling.

Duglar does not feel this way often.

But this shows how much Duglar appreciated a man who took such good care of his sword.

Mari: “Owner.”

He was looking at the long sword and was wondering how to shape the Mythril when Mari walked in.

Mari appeared in the workshop.

Mari: “Thank you so much for accepting Yuto’s order.”

Duglar: “Don’t worry about it.”

Mari: “I will make sure that the money will get paid.”

Duglar: “I know you’re going to pay most of it.”

Mari: “Wh---!!”

Her wide eyes screamed, “How did he know?!”

But there’s no way that Duglar wouldn’t know.

He’s paid good money to keep Mari as the Head Manager of his store.

But she stays at a cheap dormitory and eats at the cheap Gold Rock.

Unlike girls of her own age, she doesn’t spend any money on makeup or beauty products.

If she’s living that frugally, the majority of her salary would still be left.

And she could potentially save up enough to pay Duglar for a custom order - he could easily expect that much
savings.
No matter how you look at it, Yuto doesn’t have money.

He was at the bottom of all E-Ranks up until recently.

There is no way he made any money during that time.

That kind of adventurer finally stepped up a few days ago, and came to Duglar for a custom order, but there is no
way he could have any savings to pay for it.

So it’s obvious who would be footing the bill.

Duglar: (I’m giving her enough to live more than comfortably…, but I guess this is what it means to fall for a guy.)

Mari has turned red and is trying this and that to make up some excuse, but Duglar just watches her with kindness
and warmth in his eyes.

・・・

Yuto: “Okay… what should I do…”

Yuto was in his room coming up with ideas.

This is because in order to get a new weapon made, he had to leave his long sword at the Pluto’s Weapons Shop.

He can’t go into a dungeon bare-handed.

Yuto: “I even had a new quest appear…”

Maybe it’s because Yuto reached a certain level, but there were new quests on his Quest screen.

Repeat Quest

E-Rank Monster Slaying (0/1000) NEW

D-Rank Monster Slaying (0/1000) NEW

C-Rank Monster Slaying (0/1000) NEW

Standard Quest

Arrive at the 5th floor of the base dungeon without slaying a single monster NEW

Join a party NEW

Chain Quest

Obtain a new weapon

Because he was able to obtain Mythril, Yuto is now able to complete the New Weapon quest.

But even more, he’s curious about the Repeat Quest.

Yuto: “Couldn’t they have given me this quest earlier....”

If he received this quest prior to the 24 hour dungeon marathon, he’s sure that he would have completed this at
least twice by now.
When he clears quests, he receives experience and Quest Points, so not being able to maximize his profits from the
previous efforts is a huge loss.

Yuto: “Well, I guess there’s no point whining about it. Maybe I was supposed to originally get the 24 hour
dungeon quest after getting these Repeat Quests.”

Yuto quickly switches his mindset.

Right now, the quests that Yuto can clear are the two Standard Quests.

The first one is asking him to purposefully avoid fights with monsters. Although he’s worried to be without his
long sword, in case of emergencies, he still has his magic spells. It’s not an impossible request.

The second is asking him to join a party. It’s not clear what the criteria is, but he can easily join a part as a luggage
carrier. It may be possible to clear the quest doing so.

Yuto: “Which one should I do…?”

They both have pros and cons, so Yuto remains indecisive.

But without making a decision, Yuto decided to head to the dungeon.

Yuto came to the square in front of the temple.

This is where you will ordinarily see scouts for parties recruit temporary members.

But it was already after lunch, and there were no adventurers recruiting members.

Yuto: “I thought about going with anyone who invited me but… yeah, I guess there would be no one recruiting to
go into a dungeon in the afternoon.”

Yuto gave up on the party quest, and decided to do the “Get down to the 5th floor without defeating a single
monster” quest.

Before he enters the base dungeon, he confirms his gear.

He brought a wooden sword just in case.

He doesn’t plan to attack any monsters with this, but this will be handy in blocking the monsters’ attacks.

Other than that, he’s going with minimal armor.

His regular dungeon exploring equipment is all in his inventory.

Yuto: “I’ll go as far as I can, and if I get in trouble, I won’t hesitate to use a spell. Okay, LET’S DO THIS!”

He confirmed his routes in the dungeon, and Yuto descends below.

There was no way for Yuto to know that this decision would alter the course of his life.
In the first floor of the base dungeon, really slow Goblins appear.

Yuto was able to outrun them easily without having to us his wooden sword once.

Yuto: “HAHAHA!!”
It felt like playing tag with really slow kids, and although it’s a dungeon, Yuto couldn’t help but have a little fun.

“GeGyaGyaGya!!”

But the Goblins must have felt mocked because their faces looked like they wanted to rip Yuto to shreds if they
could catch up.

If this was Yuto before he leveled up, it’ll be Yuto who would be crying as he runs.

Now that Yuto is Level 16, his body has been strengthened beyond anything he could have done with simple
exercise.

Just by stepping lightly, he can dash so fast and leave the Goblins behind.

He never had to worry about them catching up.

But on the 2nd floor are the quicker Killer Rabbits.

Yuto has to be careful running away from these guys or they will catch up to him.

But the Killer Rabbits are short distance sprinters, and Yuto realized that they do not have a lot of stamina.

Yuto: “Wow, I learned something new today.”

Once Yuto gains some good distance, they give up faster than Goblins.

On the 3rd floor was the Kobalts. These creatures are in between Goblins and Killer Rabbits when it comes to
running.

Yuto had no problems escaping from them.

The 4th floor is the Horse Bat.

They are pretty big bats with faces that look like Horses.

Because these guys fly around, it’s much harder to dodge them.

But they cannot see well, and only respond to things that makes sounds, so as long as you know how to deal with
them, it’s easy to get through the dungeon.

Yuto picks up a small rock and throws it at the Horse Bats.

The rock lands near the pack of Horse Bats.

And all the Horse Bats flock to where the rock landed.

While they are distracted, Yuto creeps by without making a sound and gets by.

Although they almost noticed him a few times, each time he would pick up a new stone and throw it in the
opposite direction, so Yuto made it out safely.

Yuto: “....Fwew…”

It’s been one hour cutting through the shortest route.

Yuto successfully arrived at the 5th floor without defeating any monsters.

Yuto: “Yes yes yes! So what kind of Quest Rewards do I get now?!”

Yuto confirmed that they were no monsters in his vicinity, and pulled out the Skill Board.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 16

Skill Point: 10 → 15

Skill

Fundamental

Physical Strength Lv 2

Endurance Lv 2

Magic Lv 1

Agility Lv 2

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 3

Spellcrating Lv 1

Presence Detection Lv 2

Spell

[LIGHTNING] Lv 1

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “WHOA! Thank you for the extra serving of the Skill Points!!”

Yuto sees the 5 Skill Points and is ecstatic.

He does, however, feel a pang of disappointment for not receiving a [SNEAK] skill.

But he didn’t fight any monsters this round.

And he didn’t arrive on the 5th floor without being noticed.

Yuto: “Well, I hope to get some Covert-related skills some time…”

Approaching enemies without them noticing you, and defeating enemies before they see you.

Yuto lets his imagination run wild picturing himself with Skills that may or may not exist as he distributes the
points.
<<<<>>>>

Skill Point: 15 → 2

Skill

Fundamental

Physical Strength Lv 2 → 3

Endurance Lv 2 → 3

Magic Lv 1 → 2

Agility Lv 2 → 3

Technique

Swordsmanship Lv 3

Spellcrafting Lv 1 → 2

Presence Detection Lv 2

Spell

[Lightning] Lv 1

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “Okay, that’s looking really good.”

Yuto gazes at his raised Skill Level and smiles with satisfaction.

Now that he has enough Magic and Spellcrafting levels, he is ready to level up his [LIGHTNING]. Yuto touches
the screen but…

<<Not Enough Skill Points>>

<<To Level Up [LIGHTNING LV 1] will require 5 points>>

Yuto: “WHAT?! I need that much?!?!”

Yuto was shocked when he saw the message.

Up until now, he was able to raise Skill Levels with the equal amount of points to the existing Level.

But [LIGHTNING] was different.

Yuto: “I wonder if the Magic and Spellcrafting directly increase the potency of the spells…?”

Yuto needs 5 Skill Points.

Yuto: (But that also means the spell will be powered up that much more!)
Yuto: (I wonder how powerful [LIGHTNING] is going to be after I level it up…)

Yuto’s imagination starts cranking and churning when he heard…

“KYAAAAAAA!!” (sfx scream)

Yuto: “....?!”

From far away, Yuto heard someone scream.

The scream came from the 4th floor.

Yuto immediately turns around and returns to the 4th floor.

He runs up the stairs to the 4th floor, and focuses on his [Presence Detection].

His [Presence Detection] captures sounds of battle somewhere in front of him.

Yuto runs at full speed.

Ahead, he sees a pack of Horse Bats flying about.

He also sees an adventurer trapped underneath the pack.

Yuto: “UOOOOOOHH!!” (sfx yell)

Yuto shouts as loud as he could.

The Horse Bats turn and now begin to target Yuto.

Yuto waits with his wooden sword at the ready.

Yuto looks at the adventurer on the ground.

Fortunately, all the Horse Bats are coming this way.

He lets out a small sigh of release and raises his hand before him.

He waits till the Horse Bats are close enough and…

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]”

———TAAAAAN! (sfx lightning)

Lightning strikes the Horse Bats hovering in the air.

Some fell, and others were confused by the huge sound.

With one [LIGHTNING], Yuto successfully defeated 2 out of the 5 Horse Bats.

Yuto smacked down the remaining Horse Bats with his wooden sword.

Yuto: “Oh… wow. I can barely defeat them even if with this wooden sword.”

This is probably because his strength, endurance, agility, and swordsmanship are now all Level 3.
With Skill Levels mirroring that of a C-Rank Adventurers, Yuto realizes that he can beat to death the monsters on
the 4th floor.

But a thought crosses his mind. This doesn’t just apply to monsters.

This would be the same if he goes against other humans.

Yuto: (Well that was a dark thought…)

Overwhelming strength must be checked or it leads to destruction.

Yuto could not imagine using this power against another human being.

Yuto solidifies his resolve to not turn this strength towards people.

He puts the wooden sword on the belt of his waist and approaches the person still crouching on the ground.

Yuto: “Hey, are you alright?”

“Uh...ugh…”

The person crouching on the floor lifts their head up.

Yuto inhales deeply when he sees the face.

Yuto: (Wait! This person…. wait… huh? Who was it again?)

Though Yuto was surprised, he could not recall why he was so surprised.

There was something familiar about this girl, but he could not recall what that was.

At a glance, the girl was probably in her early teens.

Even for an adventurer, that is still too young.

But Yuto started when he was 8 so…

It’s not an uncommon occurrence.

Yuto: (Hmmm… what was it…?)

Yuto looks and looks again at her face, but realizing something, he quickly takes out a health potion.

Yuto: “Hey, you can have this if you need it.”

“Oh… uh, thank you.”

She takes it and drinks down the potion with large gulps.
After she drinks it all down, she realizes something and raises her voice.

“OH NO!”

The Health Potion begins taking effect.

The wounds on her body begin to heal.

Yuto: “What’s wrong?”

“This...um, is this a…health potion, *yes?”

{{Chonky Notes: Eliz has a habit of ending sentences with “desu” (です). This is not a real dialect, and the word
“desu” does not have a direct translation and is a formal way to end a sentence in Japanese in most cases (but not
all)..}}

Yuto: “Yeah, it is.”

“Oh, oh no… why? For someone like me… I’m… really, terribly sorry, yes.”

She bows her head deeply.

Yuto: (She’s a really courteous and well-mannered child.)

Yuto: (Is she from a wealthy family?)

In Kronos, it is rare to find children who understand the basics of “thanking someone when they give you
something.”

Typically, you’re not taught to say “thank you” unless someone demands it from you.

But even those kids will be molded by society and begin to learn how to say thank you.

That was exactly how Yuto grew up.

Growing up in an orphanage, Yuto had to learn basic manners as an adventurer.

At the time, he was taught very roughly, but it was necessary to learn basic manners in order for Yuto to make it
through alive.

“I’m… My name is Eliz, yes.”

Yuto: “I’m Yuto. So Eliz, why are you here alone? Did you get separated from your party?”

Eliz: “Um… well, I… uh… I was exploring the dungeon… alone, yes. But I ran out of strength and…”

Eliz bows her head in shame.

In her hands is a staff.

She must be a magic-type Adventurer.

Yuto: (Maybe she ran out of magic?)

Mages and Healers are not catered to solo exploring.

Mages have firepower, but they easily run out of magic with consecutive blasts.

Healers have the ability to heal their party members, but they almost always have no attack power.

That’s why these roles rarely try to solo a dungeon.

Yuto: (Maybe she wanted to test her ability?)

Sometimes, being in a party will make it difficult for you to gauge your own strengths and abilities.

In order to better serve your party, sometimes, you will have to take measures to know your own strength.

But coming into a dungeon alone just for that is nothing less than suicide.

Yuto: “Eliz, I understand that you want to confirm how strong you are, but even so, it’s better to do this in a group.
You can have them watch and support you from a distance and save you if you get in trouble.”

Eliz: “.....Yes, you’re right…”

Maybe she took Yuto’s warning as a harsh criticism, and Eliz curls up further in shame.

Yuto immediately tries to act cheerfully to distract her.

Yuto: “Hey, why don’t we return to the surface, huh?”

Eliz: “Y--yes, yes.”

The girl takes her staff and stands up quickly.

At this time, there was no way for Yuto to know…

How incredibly skilled this girl was…

>>A new quest has been added.

>>Special Quest: Save the Girl

After taking Eliz to the surface, Yuto went straight to his room.

He had to use the 1000 gard Healing Potion which hurt his budget, but it was fortunate that he made it in time to
save Eliz.

Yuto nibbled on the 50 gard bread as he checked his Skill Board.

He did not clear any more quests, but recently, he started checking it out of habit.

Yuto: “Wait, huh? I have more Skill Points…”

When looking at his Status, Yuto noticed that his Skill Points increased.

Skill Point: 2 → 5

He doesn’t remember clearing any other additional quests.

Yuto: “Oh wait, did I clear the ‘Join a Party’ Quest when I invited Eliz to go back to the surface?”

He flicks his finger across the screen to change to the Quest Screen.
And sure enough, “Join a Party” was gone from the list.

In its place, a new Quest appeared.

Chain Quest

.Obtain a New Weapon (0/1)

.Go to the Dungeon with your Party

.Defeat the Boss on the 5th Floor of the Base Dungeon (0/1)

Special Quest

.Save the girl

Yuto: “So I guess this was in response to joining Eliz, and now we need to go to the Dungeon again? But wait, we
were already in the Dungeon together, so doesn’t that mean we already completed this quest? Or do we have to go
deeper into the dungeon to clear this?”

Yuto and Eliz retreated back up to the surface together.

This quest may be determined by which direction you are going within the dungeon.

Yuto: “So after getting to the 5th floor, the following Quest is defeat the boss, huh…”

This is Quest related to the 5th floor, and if Yuto had his long sword, he would have been able to clear it on his
first go-around.

Yuto: “Wait...the 5th Floor boss is a Goblin King, so I could have just defeated him with [LIGHTNING] maybe…”
*sigh...

Yuto lets out a disappointed sigh as he regrets not checking his Quest Board for Chain Quests after completing
quests.

Yuto: “But because of that, I was able to save Eliz, so I think it turned out better this way.”

Putting that aside, Yuto takes a look at the “special” quest.

Yuto: “Save the girl…. Wait, who are we talking about here?”

In the Labyrinth City of Kornos, there are at least a few hundred thousand girls.

Yuto knows at least a few dozen personally.

Is it someone he knows directly?

Yuto tilts his head in thought.

For a second, he thought of Eliz.

But he quickly went away from that conclusion. That’s because technically, Yuto already saved Eliz once inside
the dungeon.

Yuto: “This is such a vague Quest title…”

This is probably the most vague Quest out of everything that he has encountered so far.

Yuto is curious to know what kind of reward awaits him if he clears this quest, but he doesn’t know who the girl is
or how to save her.

Yuto: “I’m going to have to leave this Quest alone for now…”

Yuto figures that it’ll be more efficient to complete the quests he understands rather than running around town
saving any girl who needs saving.

Yuto: “So that leaves me with the Boss Slaying Quest and going to the Dungeon with the party.”

Yuto was wondering which he should complete when he fell asleep.

<<<<>>>>

When he awoke, Yuto completed his Daily Quest tasks.

It was when Yuto was finishing his 10 km run when it happened.

Yuto: “---OH!”

Yuto remembered.

When he first met her, he realized something, and that was Eliz’ reputation.

Yuto: “She’s the rumored Saint of the Downtown, the C-Rank Adventurer Eliz. Yeah, there’s no doubt about it.
Those rumors were about her…”

At one point, rumors of a genius Heal Caster spread throughout the Labyrinth City of Kronos like wildfire.

Rumos say that she was just a child.

But even so, her skills as a Healer were amazing.

She joined a certain party, and they began clearing Instant Dungeons one after another.

She jumped immediately to C-Rank.

There are those who spat that she was just leeching off her party’s success and didn’t have any real skills. And it’s
true that it IS always a possibility.

But Yuto himself didn’t believe it.

And that’s because Yuto himself joined C-Rank instant Dungeon raids as a luggage carrier.

And even doing so, he remained an E-Rank up until very recently.

No matter how much you try to leech off your parties success, if you really didn’t have skills, then your
Adventurer rank will not go up.
If Eliz’ Adventurer Rank went up, that means she made an equal or higher amount of contribution to her party.

When he first heard the rumor, Yuto just thought, “So there are real geniuses in this word” and was simply
impressed.

He never would have thought that that girl was Eliz.

Yuto: “But then, why would a Healer be doing a Solo dungeon raid on the 4th floor?”

Eliz was indeed surrounded by Horse Bats, and the situation was dangerous.

Fundamentally, a Healer will join a party, and make sure to cast healing on his/her party members.

There are very, VERY few healers with attack capabilities and join in on the fights.

“Oh! Mr. Yuto!”

While he was running, he heard a familiar voice call to him.

He stopped and looked around.

Yuto: “....Eliz?”

Eliz: “Yes, it’s Eliz, yes.”

Eliz waddled and ran up to him as a small animal does.

In her arms was a small package.

Eliz: “Um, Mr. Yuto. Thank you so much for everything yesterday, yes!”

Yuto: “Oh, please don’t worry about it.”

Eliz: “But, weren’t you in the middle of exploring the dungeon yourself…?”

Yuto: “No, I was actually about to head back to the surface.”

Eliz: “Is that so…”

Eliz looks a little relieved.

And gathering her courage, she hands the package to Yuto.

Eliz: “Um, I got you this.”

Yuto: “....Huh?”

Eliz: “This...this is just a little something for the Healing Potion you provided to me.”

Yuto: “Um….”

Yuto thought he should probably refuse it.

But Healing Potions are 1000 gards each. From Yuto’s very personal perspective, it’s not a cheap item.

And Eliz is trying her best to return the favor.

It would be rude to turn her feelings of gratitude down.

Yuto: “Um...thank you.”

Eliz: “Yes, yes.”

Yuto took the package.

And Eliz had a very warm smile spread over her face - a smile that would warm anyone’s heart.

Yuto placed the package in his inventory, and raised a hand to Eliz.

Yuto: “Okay Eliz, I’ll see you around.”

Eliz: “Oh, uh…. Yes, yes.”

Yuto didn’t wait for Eliz’ reply, and began working on completing his Daily Quest tasks.

When he returned to his room, he got the package out of his inventory.

Yuto: “Wait, was Eliz waiting for me at the Temple Square just so she could thank me for the Healing Potion?”

The Square in front of the Temple is an excellent place to look for adventurers.

But it doesn’t mean you’ll find the adventurer you’re looking for.

But if she was waiting there, that means she took a lot of time out of her day looking for Yuto.

Looks like Eliz was one to always fulfill her duties and return the favors.

Yuto opens the package and looks inside.

Yuto: “WH--!!”

Yuto almost screamed after seeing what was inside.

Yuto expected there to be a Healing Potion inside.

But what Yuto saw was a “mid-grade” Healing Potion.

The standard low-grade Healing Potion will heal scrapes and small cuts.

But the mid-grade Healing Potion could heal deeper cuts and larger wounds.

Because of that, the price of one of these is 10,000 gards.

Yuto: “Wait….did she think I gave her a mid-grade Healing Potion?!?!”

Blood drains from Yuto’s face.

If there is a misunderstanding, this is bad.

Instead of 1000 gards he made her spend 10,000.

To Yuto, 10,000 gards is 100 days of food.

It is a fortune among fortunes.

Yuto: (OH CRAP! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!”

Yuto panics inside his room, and roams and paces left and right as he holds the mid-grade Healing Potion.

Yuto: “...I should give this back, right?”

If there was a mistake, Yuto can’t accept this as compensation.

But this is also a reflection of Eliz’ gratitude.

If he simply returns this to her, it would be a slap to her face and reputation.

Should he take it? Or should he return it?

Yuto was at his wits end, and decided to consult with someone who deals with money every day.

<<<<>>>>

Mari: “And why is that person me?”

Yuto: “Well… since you’re the head manager, I thought the smart and intelligent Ms. Mari would be more
knowledgeable about these kinds of situations…”

Yuto rubbed his hands together like a salesman trying to get on the good side of his potential customer.

Yuto went to the Weapon and Armor Shop, Plutos.

He’s discussing his situation with his childhood friend, Mari.

She’s the head manager of the store.

From her extensive experience in dealing with business situations, Yuto thought Mari would be more experienced
in dealing with gifts.

Mari: “I’m not that knowledgeable about gifts…”

Yuto: “But don’t you take gifts to other stores to keep good relations?”

{{Chonky Notes: Japan culture is full of gift giving for sucking up to your boss, to your neighbors, to your
teachers, and to other businesses. Also lots of gift giving for apologies and making amends}}

Mari: “Do you really think we’re the kind of store that does that kind of sucking up to our competitors….?”

If you’re taking bribes to other stores, it’s usually after your store caused some sort of problem.

Plutos is a cleanly run business.

There was not a single time that Mari had to resort to getting gifts for other businesses.

Mari: “Well, as far as I heard, I think it’s okay to keep that Healing Potion.”
Yuto: “But this is 10,000 gards! What I gave her was a regular 1000 gard Healing Potion!”

Mari: “If you buy something of equal value, then I think it’s harder to sense the gratitude inside the gift. In order
to get her feelings through, she got something of greater value to show for it.”

Yuto: “Hmmmmmm… really? You really think so?”

Yuto is thinking hard and tilting his head.

Mari: “You’re too sensitive about money. You’re a D-Rank Adventurer now, so start acting like it.”

Yuto: “But it’s 100 days worth of meals…”

Mari: “And you need to stop calculating everything by your cheap meals. Don’t you know that that’s weird on so
many levels?”

Mari is holding her head on the counter.

Then realizing that he’s at the store anyway, Yuto decided to ask Mari.

Yuto: “Hey, about my long sword from last time. Is it done yet? I want to go back to the Dungeons as soon as
possible, so if you can return it…”

Mari: “Yuto...I told you to take a break, right?”

Yuto: “......uh oh.”

Yuto poked a hornets’ nest.

Mari: “I’ve told you once, and I will tell you again, you train way too hard! You need to learn to rest and
recuperate from your fatigue. Otherwise, you’re going to get hurt one day. Resting is also part of being ad
adventurer--- HEY! I’M STILL TALKING TO YOU, YUTO! I’M NOT DONE!! COME BACK HERE!!”

Mari seemed to have a lot she wanted to say, but Yuto quickly ran out of the store in full retreat.
After running away from Mari’s lecture, Yuto returned to the base dungeon.

Yuto: “It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

Just waiting silently and patiently doesn’t suit Yuto’s style.

But he also didn’t feel like doing basic training and swinging his wooden sword around.

Yuto: (I guess it’s because now I know that the training won’t help me get stronger…)

Up until now, Yuto spent the majority of his times training on his fundamentals.

But even after doing so, his Level or Skill never rose once.

Rather than waste time doing training that won’t help him Level Up or raise his Skill levels, Yuto was itching more
to complete more quests.

But the Repeat Quest was perfect while Yuto waited for his long sword to be completed.
Fortunately for him, he learned that he could defeat E-Rank Monsters with the wooden sword.

Yuto: “I guess I will try to see how many I can defeat without breaking the wooden sword...”

Yuto took hold of his wooden sword which he used for many years and descended into the dungeon.

Yuto: “Hmmmm….”

As soon as he began the Repeat Quest, Yuto realized how difficult it will be to make progress.

A wooden sword is just that - a wooden weapon. Compared to a metal weapon, it is too brittle.

Every time Yuto attacks, he could hear the wood inside creak and crack at the pressure.

Yes, he can defeat monsters with it, but if he uses it the same way he would a metal sword, it would only last for a
few fights.

Yuto: “I can’t just beat them with it either…”

If his wooden sword breaks, that’s the end of his questing for today.

He would be forced to retreat in that case.

Yuto thinks hard.

Yuto: “.....oh… maybe that will work?”

If the wooden sword will break if he hits something, maybe if he hits a softer spot, it would not undergo so much
pressure or strain?

And the more critical the spot is for the monster, the better.

He’ll have to aim between the joints or the eyes.

In other words, their critical weak points on their bodies.

Yuto will only attack their weak points intentionally and purposefully.

Yuto: “Oh…”

The wooden sword did not suffer any strain when he did so.

Yuto: (This will work…)

Yuto is convinced and encouraged with the results.

Going forward, Yuto limited himself to only attacking the critical weak points.

If this was the Yuto before, there would be no way he could accomplish such a feat.

But he has now Leveled Up and earned many Skills.

Fortunately for Yuto, aiming for the weak points of E-Rank monsters did not prove to be very difficult.

Yuto took care to not break his wooden sword and continued to defeat his enemies.
Once he got used to attacking the Goblins’ weak points, he moved onto Killer Rabbits. After Killer Rabbits came
the Kobalts. As his attack precision becomes more accurate, he continues to move up in the monster ranks.

When he first arrived at the base dungeon, Yuto did not imagine that aiming just for the weak points would turn
into such a valuable training experience.

Skill is essentially technique. The higher he sharpens his technique, the more proficient he will be with that Skill.

But Yuto is adjusting how he attacks and not using a new attack or technique.

This kind of fine-tuned manipulation is refining his existing techniques with an existing Skill.

So Yuto’s stab and thrust at his enemies is in essence, a technique.

And Yuto could feel this technique become more and more refined as he progressed.

Yuto: “.....this is fun…”

Yuto was enjoying this.

Because of his Skills, he is now able to continually pierce the thread through the eye of the needle.

Feeling his improvement with each motion, he began enjoying it more and more until he completely lost himself in
it.

Before long, Yuto realized that he was on the 5th floor.

His opponent was a Goblin Soldier.

It is an opponent carrying a weapon.

But Yuto manages to dodge by a hair the Goblin Soldier’s attacks.

Because it is an armed monster, the difficulty of completing his attack rose again.

But it only rose a little.

At first, Yuto had a difficult time adjusting to the difference of reach and attack zones compared to other monsters.

But he soon acclimated quickly, and thrust his sword into his opponent’s weak point.

The Goblin Soldier is equipped with a wavy sword, but his weapon will be consumed by the dungeon with him.

Yuto would not be able to use the Goblin’s weapon instead of his wooden sword.

He continued to defeat Goblin Soldiers until he arrived at the 5th Floor Boss Room.

Yuto: “....huh?”

He did not mean to go this far.

But there is a sparkle of excitement in Yuto’s eyes.

Yuto: “....wait. Let’s check my Quest status first.”

He didn’t mind challenging the 5th floor boss.

There was a Quest out there to slay it.

But from the 6th floor on, he would start fighting D-Rank monsters.

Yuto was trying to complete the E-Rank monster slaying quest, so he thought that it would be best to remain on the
5th floor until the Quest was completed.

When he opened up his Quest Log, Yuto’s eyes widened.

It was because he finished the E-Rank Monster Slayer Quest.

Yuto: “WHOA?! I’m already done with the Slaying Quest?! But I’m not tired… oh, is it because of the
Endurance Skill?”

Before when Yuto spent all night slaying monsters, and he was so tired, he was barely able to walk home.

But he now has an Endurance Skill, and he’s also wearing the Endurance bracelet.

It’s probably due to these two factors that he hasn’t felt even a bit fatigued.

Yuto: “Okay, okay. How many Skill Points did I receive?”

Yuto’s eyes glittered with anticipation as he confirms his Status.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 16 → 18

Skill Point 5 → 7

Skills

Fundamentals

. Physical Strength Lv 3

. Endurance Lv 3

. Magic Lv 2

. Agility Lv 3

Techniques

. Swordsmanship Lv 3

. Spellcrafting Lv 2
. Presence Detection Lv 2

Spells

[LIGHTNING] Lv 1

Specialty

[*Critical Thrust] NEW

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: “[Critical Thrust]?!”

Yuto could not believe that something he practiced would be added to his Status.

Yuto: “This...can’t be the reward for the E-Rank Monster Slaying, right? If it’s not that, then I might have
accidentally cleared another Quest without knowing it.

Yuto will not gain a Skill no matter how much he trains. So he was confident that he obtained this Specialty by
clearing a Quest and received it as a reward.”

And also from the name [Critical Thrust], Yuto could assume that it was related to his most recent actions.

Yuto: “I wonder if it was something like ‘Defeat Monsters only attacking their Critical Weak Points’ or some
Quest like that…”

On the Skill Board, unless he checks prior to clearing a Quest, the name of the Quest he cleared will no longer
appear.

This Skill Board is something only Yuto has.

If it is not a Repeat Quest, there is no chance that the same Quest will appear again, but Yuto still wanted to see the
previous Quests he cleared.

Regardless, Yuto grips his fist tight and shakes slightly.

Yuto: “I’m glad the effort was worth it….”

A Specialty is the 4th Section of his Ability and Status that follows Fundamentals, Technique, and Spells.

And among the four, only Specialty does not have a level.

Similar to Fundamentals and Techniques, it gives the holder a static amount of advantages when using the move.

There are Specialties that can be obtained through training, and others that cannot.

The [Critical Thrust] falls in the first category.

The latter category contains more natural abilities that you are born with.

From what Yuto has heard, the existing 5 S-Rank Adventurers all had a Specialty they were born with.

There is one who can release a wind that cuts with the swing of their blade.
There is one who can conserve the cost of using spells.

Another who can parry attacks.

And another who can combine swordsmanship and spellcrafting.

But these are just rumors that Yuto overheard. He has actually never seen a S-Rank Adventurer use their Specialty.

The Weakest of E-Rank and the strongest S-Rank adventurer lives in completely separate worlds.

There was no way Yuto would have ever witnessed the fight of an S-Rank adventurer.

Yuto: (I’ve seen their faces a few times in the Instant Dungeon Generation Room, but it’s not like I can just walk
up and talk to them…)

All the S-Rank Adventurers, either because of their skills or another reason, emit an intense aura around
themselves.

At the time, Yuto was dragging his feet at the bottom of the E-Rank, and the aura was so strong that he could go
nowhere near them.

But let’s get back to Specialties.

Yuto: “If I have this in my status, that means that when I try to use my [Critical Thrust], there will be additional
damage added or support to make the move successful…”

The Specialty will essentially become a part of your body, and hence, why it appears in your Status.

If it is in your Status, regardless of whether you mean to or not, you will be prone to using that move more often.

Because of that, Yuto’s [Critical Thrust] will carry a certain attribute.

But it is unclear to Yuto whether this will be limited to Swordsmanship.

Yuto: “Could this attribute apply to spells?”

Chapter 20: Enhancing and Strengthening Spells

Yuto: “I wonder if this Specialty also applies to spells?”

Yuto was curious.

There was an opportunity right before him to confirm.

——The 5th Floor Boss.

The standard monster would die with one [Critical Thrust].

But a Boss Monster would be much tougher to kill.

If his opponent is a boss, Yuto would have a chance to determine if his spells also had the [Critical Thrust]
Specialty support applied to it or not.

Yuto: “Okay! In that case, we’ll just have to attack the boss with my spells!”

Yuto begins preparing to enter the boss room.

He will not use his wooden sword if he can help it.

The Goblin King sits at the top of all E-Rank monsters.

Even if Yuto strikes him with the [Critical Thrust] with the wooden sword, the weapon will most likely shatter.

For that reason, Yuto will focus on attacking with mainly spells.

Yuto: “But without Magic Restore Potions, going in to fight with just spells will be really risky…”

If he enters the bosses room, similar to the Instant Dungeon, he wouldn’t be able to leave unless the Boss is
defeated.

At Yuto’s current level, he wouldn’t be defeated easily by a Goblin King.

But that’s if Yuto was properly equipped with an iron or steel-made main weapon.

Right now, he holds a wooden sword.

His only effective attack is one spell.

And he can only use the spell a limited number of times.

Before, Yuto faced off with a Kobold King at the E-Rank Instant Dungeon.

The Kobold King also stands shoulder to shoulder with the Goblin King as one of the E-Rank’s strongest monsters.

Yuto remembered that the Kobold King could not be taken down with one [LIGHTNING] strike.

There is a good chance that he would not be able to take down the Goblin King with one shot either.

Yuto: “Hmmm…. It would be over if I can’t defeat him with spells alone…”

Yuto thought about this for a while and decided to distribute his Skill Points.

>>Skill Point: 7 → 2

>>[LIGHTNING] Lv 1 → Lv 2

It was the first time he raised his Spell Level.

5 points is enough to raise his Swordsmanship to Level 5.

This is a huge investment.

But this will be better than realizing that he couldn’t defeat the Goblin King with his current Spell Level.

Yuto was ready.

He turns off the Skill Board and puts a hand on the Bosses room door handle.

The Boss Room is square room that is fairly large, stretching to 10 meters (32 feet) on each side.

Yuto calms himself, and slowly moves forward.

In the back of the room, a Goblin King awaited him.

Before the Goblin King took a step…

Yuto: “[LIGHTNING]!!”

Yuto makes the first move.

Yuto unleashes his spell towards the Goblin King.

Bright light blinds everyone in the room.

-- DAAAAAAAAAAANNN!!! (*sfx larger lightning sound)

Yuto’s [LIGHTNING] was not like any of his previous spells.

It was about 2 to 3 times larger, and the bolt struck the Goblin King head on.

As the bolt reached the Goblin King…

-- PAAAAAANNN!! (*sfx loud popping sound)

The Goblin King’s body was pulverized and explodes to smithereens.

Yuto: “Uh….what….?”

The door behind the Goblin King slowly creaked open.

This was the door that would open when the Boss was defeated.

The Goblin King’s scattered, burnt flesh disappeared, and an item appeared.

Yuto continued to stand there frozen in place.

Yuto: “Uh…..really….?”

He could not wrap his mind around what just happened.

Yes, Yuto raised his [LIGHTNING] Skill Level.

This was just in case he was not able to defeat the Goblin King with one strike.

But even so, Yuto could not imagine that this would happen.

Yuto: “......well, I guess...this is good?”

Yuto decided to postpone thinking further about the situation.

Yuto cleared the 5th floor.

He defeated the Goblin King with his spell.

Other than that, Yuto ignored everything else that happened in that room.

——Yes, nothing else happened here!

Yuto: “Oh wow. I’m so glad I was able to defeat the Dungeon Boss for the first time~”
Yuto said the words as if reading off a script awkwardly as he picked up the dropped items.

After he picked up the items, he headed to the room outside where there would be a Teleport Room.

The Teleport Room is one of the device that connects the Dungeon to the Temple.

He can use this Teleport Room to immediately transport himself to the surface.

In the Dungeon, the Teleport Rooms are beyond every Boss Room.

They are on the 6th, 11th,16th, and so on so forth and exist after every 5 floors.

{{Chonky Notes: The next set of 5 floors begins on the same level as the Teleport Room to make the math work.}}

If you are able to visit the room, you can use the Teleport device.

But it’s not like just about anyone can use the Temple-side Teleport device.

In order to use it, you must fulfill 2 conditions.

One condition is that the room you are visiting is a floor you have visited in the dungeon before.

The next is if you are an adventurer with enough rank to explore that floor.

When going from the surface back to the dungeon and using the Temple’s Teleport Room, the device will read off
your Guild Card to confirm your rank and status.

If the Guild Card rank is insufficient, you will not be transported to your destination.

For instance, from the 6th Floor on, this is the realm of D-Rank monsters and adventurers.

If you are not a D-Rank Adventurer, the Transport Device will not take you to the 6th Floor.

Before, Yuto has defeated the 5th Floor boss a number of times and used the Transport Device to return to the
surface.

But because he was E-Rank, he was not able to transport back to the 6th Floor.

But those days are over.

Yuto uses the Transport Device on his own for the first time.

In a blink of an eye, Yuto is returned to the surface and arrives at the Transport Room of the Temple.

Now, his return to the room has been recorded into his D-Rank Guild Card.

From here on out, he can use the Transport Device and start form the 6th Floor.

Yuto: “YAWN...

As soon as he returned to the surface, the tension in his body leaves him, and Yuto lets out a long yawn.

The sun has already set outside, and the Temple lights have been lighted.

There are no other adventurers left in the temple.

It doesn’t look like it just turned into night…

Yuto sells off his drop items at the Guild counter, and leaves the temple.

As he looks upon the city, almost all the lights of the city have been extinguished.

Yuto: “Wait… did it…?”

Yuto had a bad feeling.

He takes out the Skill Board and looks at his Quest Menu.

Then…

Yuto: “All the Daily Quest Tasks are back…”

Apparently, Yuto accidentally spent another whole day inside the Dungeon without even knowing it.

Yuto: “...I guess I’ll run home.”

Yuto decided to complete his running task before returning home.

He completed his 10 km run before arriving at his room.

<<<<>>>>

When Yuto woke, he noticed that the sun was not in its usual position.

Yuto: “....it’s past noon.”

Yuto tends to sleep early and wake early, but Yuto went to sleep right before sunrise this morning.

He spent the entire day and night fighting monsters and defeated the boss at the end.

No matter how much he was enhanced with his Endurance Skill, his body still required sleep and rest.

He rubbed at his eyes, and begins to clean himself up before leaving the room.

He heads towards Plutos.

Mari: “Welco~...oh, it’s just you, Yuto.”

Yuto: “Good morning, Mari.”

Mari: “...........”

Yuto forgot that it was the afternoon and greeted her as if his day just begin.

At his words, Mari’s eyes sharpen.

Mari: “Good morning?”

Yuto: “Uh, no, my mistake. Good AFTERNOON…”

Mari: “I wonder if you just woke up~. I wonder what you were doing all night~...?”

Yuto: “...............”

Yuto could not answer. There was no way.

Mari explicitly told him to take a break from Dungeon activities.

If he were to let slip that he defeated countless monsters and defeated the boss too, he would receive a lecture that
would not even compare to the one he almost received the day before.

Yuto was backed into the corner but…

Yuto: “Uh, so, when do you think the sword will be done?”

He diverted the conversation forcefully.

With eyes still sharpened and raised, Mari answers.

Mari: “It’ll be done by tomorrow morning.”

Yuto: “Wow...that was...really fast…”

Mari: “Of course. The Owner’s Smithing Skill is No. 1 in all of Kronos.”

Yuto heard from rumors that the Store Owner Duglar’s smithing skill was Level 7.

Apparently, if you’re Level 7, something that would take 1 week to make would only take 3 days.

Yuto again learns the significance and difference Skills make.

This store has been owned by Duglar and Duglar only.

He’s always managed this store on his own.

In order to make enough sellable products, he’ll need the skills to produce weapons and armor quickly and
efficiently.

Yuto: (I wonder if it’s not just Skill Level, but if he also has a Speciality as well…)

Now that Yuto knows when his sword will be ready, he leaves quickly.

It is already approaching evening.

If Yuto begins to do anything now, it will definitely go deep into the late hours of the night.

Even Yuto knew that that would be an unhealthy habit to begin.

Tomorrow, his sword will be ready.

If his sword is ready, he would be able to head straight into the dungeon.

And if he’s going to do that, then he needs to follow Mari’s advice and focus on resting tonight.

Yuto: “Besides, I got something good from the Boss fight!”

Yuto returns to his room, and takes a look at his inventory items.

The other day, after he defeated the 5th Floor Boss, he got the standard magic stones, materials, and a key.

The key was for an E-Rank Instant Dungeon.

Yuto did experience something horrific in his last Instant Dungeon raid, but that was a super rare event. The
chances of that happening a 2nd time in a row is impossibly low.

After he gets his sword, Yuto plans to go straight into the Instant Dungeon to get used to his sword.

Yuto: “Besides, if I clear the Dungeon, I’ll get at least 10,000 gards!”

Tomorrow, Yuto will pay for the custom ordered long sword.

In total, he will pay 50,000 gards.

Once he pays 50,000 gards, he will be almost penniless.

Clearing this Instant Dungeon would be critical as Yuto’s source of income.

Tomorrow, finally… finally, he will obtain his new weapon.

Yuto: (Ohhhh….I wonder what the new weapon will look like…!!)

With much excitement on his mind, Yuto dives into his bed and throws the blanket over his head.

Although he was excited, his body must have still felt the fatigue from the previous battle, and even though his
heart beat quickly, Yuto quickly found himself falling asleep.
The next day.

As soon as Yuto woke up, he immediately got ready even before the sun was fully up and headed to Plutos.

Mari: “...Yuto, you’re here way too early.”

Yuto: “Sorry… I just couldn’t stay still knowing that my sword would be ready today."

Mari just arrived at the storefront from her dormitory, and gave a strained smile at her longtime friend.

Today, Yuto will obtain a Mithril sword.

And not only that, this sword was made by Kronos’ most famous smith, Duglar.

Every adventurer dreams of having a Mithril-made weapon and works hard to one day have one in their hands.

That weapon will finally be available to Yuto.

Under the circumstances, no adventurer would be able to restrain the excitement they would feel.

Mari: “I guess it can’t be helped.”

Mari chuckles as she unlocks and opens the door to the store.

Yuto walks in and immediately notices the white package on the counter.
It was a weapon wrapped in white cloth.

Yuto slowly approaches the counter, never taking his eyes off the package.

“So you came.”

Yuto: “AHH!!”

A sudden, deep voice breaks the silence and makes Yuto jump into the air.

The voice came from Duglar.

Duglar peeks in through the back of the store with his workshop outfit and gear on.

Yuto: “Good morning, sir.”

Duglar: “I thought you’d be popping in first thing this morning. I got it ready for you.”

Yuto: “Then… is this…?”

Duglar: “It’s your new weapon. Try it out.”

Yuto audibly swallowed, and took hold of the sword with the cloth.

—it’s light.

The sword was extremely light.

But not only that, Yuto could sense that it’s lack of weight did not detract from its durability.

The weight distributed across the sword was perfect.

Yes, the sword itself was light, but it was the appropriate weight when he swung the sword by its handle,

Yuto finally unravels the cloth and looks within.

Yuto: “..........wow…”

Taking off the cloth revealed a breathtaking white and silver blade.

The size of the blade and handle was exactly the same as his previous sword.

But the blade was made differently.

Yuto: “The blade curved slightly, and it’s a single-edged sword.”

Duglar: “I took the habits I saw from your previous sword and forged it accordingly.”

The sword Yuto has been using for 9 years had one particular edge that was much more worn out than the other.
Because of that, you could not see it with the naked eye, but the sword itself began to curve naturally.

The standard sword in Kronos is a double-edged sword.

Even if one side of the sword got damaged, you can flip the sword and use the other side.

But Yuto never once crushed any side of his blades.

Then for him, a single-edged sword is enough.

By making it a single edge, you can add curvature to the sword.

By adding curvature, you are increasing its ability to cut through objects.

And by only making the blade only on one side, you can essentially make the sword lighter.

The weight you conserve can be applied to make the sword sturdier, and it still will be lighter than a double-edged
sword.

This Mithril Sword was the most efficient use of Yuto’s sword style.

Duglar: “Well, more of a katana than a sword now.”

Yuto: “A katana?”

Yuto hasn’t heard of a sword like that and tilts his head to the side.

Duglar: “There’s a lot of different shapes for swords in the world. One shape is the katana.”

Yuto: “Huh….”

The new sword was called a katana.

Yuto engraves this name into his heart.

Yuto: “THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR!!!!”

Duglar: “You better pay up what you owe.”

Yuto: “Yes sir!!”

Yuto bowed his head deeply in gratitude to Duglar for the katana.

Saying everything he came to say, Duglar headed back into his workshop.

Yuto immediately paid the 50,000 gards he owed, and gazed at his katana, but then realized something.

Yuto: “.....oh, wait. Does this not have a sheath?”

Mari: “Of course not. This isn’t a standard equipment we sell, but a custom order. If you custom order a sword,
you typically have to custom order the sheath too.”

Yuto: “.....oh no…”

Yuto’s face becomes ghostly pale.

Without a sheath, he will not be able to carry around his katana.

He could stick it in his inventory, but it will be a lot of trouble taking it in and out inside a dungeon.

There are places that sell sheaths, but his katana has a unique shape.
Yuto couldn’t imagine that they would sell sheaths that would fit his katana anywhere.

Yuto: “What should I do……”

Mari: “Why not just ask us to make one. I’ll give you a discount.”

Even with a discount, this is Duglar-made product.

To Yuto, the price would be nothing less than eye-popping.

No matter how much Yuto thought, he couldn’t figure out a way to come up with the money.

If he doesn’t have the money, then he just has to be creative and work around it.

Yuto: “I’ll leave the sheath for now. I just became a D-Rank adventurer, so once I make more money, I’ll come by
again.”

Mari: “Are you sure? I can help you through the Mari's Private Loan service?”

Yuto: “Yeah, I can’t imagine what interest rates you’ll charge….”

Mari: “Hehehe…”

Mari’s smile seems weirdly suspicious and conniving.

Yuto knew for sure.

If he got on this train, it’ll head straight to endlessly ballooning, and life-crushing debts.

Escaping from the clutches of Mari’s Private Loan offers, Yuto headed to the Temple.

Yuto: “Oh! Didn’t I complete the ‘Obtain a new weapon’ Quest?”

Remembering the Chain Quest, Yuto looked at his Skill Board.

>>Level 17 → 18

>>Skill Point: 2 → 5

Gaining a Level and some Skill Points, he also found a new item in his inventory.

Yuto: “....wait, is this….a sheath? Judging from the timing, this must be a Quest Clear Bonus.”

Sure enough, touching the sheath icon, the words “New Weapon Quest Clear Bonus” appeared above it.

Yuto withdrew the sheath and his katana.

The sheath was black colored, and had beautiful inscriptions written over it.

But the sheath was large.

And also for straight swords.

Yuto: “There is no way this will fit…”

Just in case, Yuto placed the katana inside the sheath.

The sheath was big enough to hold a broadsword so the entire katana went in.

But of course, it was not a snug fit and moved around a lot.

Yuto: “Hmmmm….yeah, I don’t think I can…..WHAT?!”

Just when Yuto was about to take the katana out, the sheath began to change shape.

Yuto: “......it fits…..”

The sheath that was too large was not snuggly fit in a sheath that was perfect for it.

What was formerly the sheath for straight swords now had a slight curvature that matches the shape of the katana.

Yuto: “Oh, it must have had some sort of shape adjusting spell just like the endurance bracelet…”

And Yuto was really thankful that this was the reward for the “New Weapon” Quest.

He wanted to try taking out his weapon, but this was in the middle of the main street.

Many people are walking by here.

If he were to unsheathe his katana here, the local militia would come right away to arrest him.

Feeling the weight of the katana on his belt, Yuto feels a renewed vigor flow through him.

Yuto: “Alright! I’m going to dungeon hunt to my heart’s content today!”

With his problem being completely resolved, Yuto bounced up and down as he ran excitedly towards the Temple.
Eliz is from the slums of the Labyrinth City of Kronos.

She has no recollection of her parents.

By the time she could remember anything, she was already living in the slums.

Banding together with the other children, they made every desperate effort to live one more day.

One day, one of her friends came back with severe injuries.

He failed at pickpocketing and got a severe beating.

That friend would die without medical attention.

—You can’t die!!

Eliz prayed earnestly.

A light began emitting from her body, and her friend’s wounds began to heal.

This was the day Eliz’ healing abilities awakened.

Using her new found healing powers, she made as much money as she could.

In the downtown area, there were many who were injured.

There were those who sprained their ankles on the uneven stone pathways.

There were those who hurt their backs carrying heavy objects.

There were others who lost their finger from a kitchen knife.

Eliz healed as many of them as she could for gards and began making a living.

This is how Eliz received the nickname, “The Saint of Downtown.”

Then, one day…

“Do you want to be an adventurer? Let’s go to the dungeon together.”

An adventurer party scouted and invited Eliz.

Up until then, the thought never crossed Eliz’ mind.

But Eliz became an adventurer.

She knew that adventurers can strike rich and make a fortune with one dungeon raid.

Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about food any more.

Eliz’ party specialized in Instant Dungeon raids. The party members were skilled adventurers.

And among them, Eliz joined as the party’s healer.

The adventurers began to clear dungeons left and right at an amazing rate.

Before she knew what was going on, Eliz rose to a C-Rank adventurer status.

She also made a fortune.

She no longer has to worry about crying out of hunger or shivering in the cold without a place to warm her body.

Everything seemed to be going exceedingly well.

She hoped everything would remain unchanged. That was her prayer.

But one of her party members received a critical wound.

“Eliz, please! You have to save him!!”

“Ugh…….”

The person injured had a wound so large that his insides were spilling out.

Eliz furiously casted [HEAL] but life continued to drain from him.

Eliz’ [Heal] spell was Level 2.

At Level 2, it would be impossible to heal an injury this bad.

“Why…...WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE HIM?!”

“YOU KILLED HIM! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!”

The loss of their party member caused the remaining members to grow cold and bitter towards Eliz.

If she spoke to them informally, they yelled at her.

If they didn’t like her attitude, they beat her.

Anything and everything Eliz did got on their nerves.

“You’re just a ‘Healing Potion’ and you can’t even properly heal wounds?!”

“Ah……..”

If she’s even a second late, they beat her.

Fearing their wrath, Eliz used her spells for even minor scratches.

But because of that, she would easily run out of magic and be on the brink of feinting from magic exhaustion while
inside the dungeon.

But suffering from magic exhaustion would be better than the beatings.

Even if she felt like her feet were about to give out, she continued to cast [Heal].

“Hey, we’re going to start from Floor 11, so make sure you can transport there the next time we see you.”

Eliz: “But I’m just a healer…”

“Huh? Aren’t you a C-Rank Adventurer? You can’t get through a D-Rank dungeon on your own?!”

Eliz: “....!!”

Fearing another beating, she began heading towards the 11th Floor.

Eliz was not able to refuse.

Even as a C-Rank Adventurer, Eliz is 12 years old.

There was no way she could stand up to full-grown adults who were constantly beating her down. Fear would
always grip her and take control.

And Eliz also held onto a guilty conscience.

Eliz: (It was my fault that the party member died. If only I was stronger…)

Because of that guilt, she accepted the beatings and abuse without resistance.

But just because she accepted the abuse didn’t give her combat abilities.

Eliz was acknowledged for her healing, not her fighting.

She never defeated monsters so her level remained low, and she also lacked any physical enhancements from
Skills.

She barely made it to the 4th Floor, but that was her limit.

She was surrounded by Horse Bats and was on the brink of death.

An adventurer named Yuto saved her.

“Are you okay?”

It was the first time Eliz learned the taste of a Healing Potion.

Eliz is a [Heal] Caster. She is capable of healing her own wounds.

So it was a waste to use a healing potion on her.

Up until that day, her party would tell her to heal her own wounds.

“Healing Potions are expensive. Why do you need one if you can heal yourself?”

Even though she can heal herself, he gave her a healing potion.

And he helped her go back to the surface the entire way.

Something warm filled Eliz’ chest.

Eliz: (My body...feels warm…, yes)

Eliz is from the slums.

She had no experience of anyone caring orlooking out for her.

Eliz: “I need to...repay him back!”

Eliz went straight to the medicine store.

Healing Potions are expensive. But even so, Eliz did not look once at the 1,000 gard potions and went straight to
the 10,000 gard potions and purchased it.

She picked out a cute bag to place the potion in and looked for Yuto in the Temple Square.

Yuto is an adventurer. Surely, he would pass by here.

—no matter how long it will take, Eliz was determined to find Yuto.

As a result, she easily spotted Yuto in the crowd.

When she saw his face, something hot burned inside her chest.

Eliz: (Something is really hot inside me, yes…)

Eliz did not know what this feeling was. She tilts her head as she wonders.

Was she sick? Did she have a fever?

But the burning feeling only came up when she saw Yuto’s face.

She was able to return the favor, and Yuto departed. The warm feelings inside left with him, and felt as cold as
standing in the rain.

Eliz: (I want to talk to him...more…)

Eliz wanted to stay with Yuto more,

This was the first time she felt this towards anyone.

She didn’t understand why she felt this way.

But talking with him eased her mind. Being with him gave her peace.

No glares.

No harsh words.

No violence.

He spoke kindly, and he always carried around a warm smile.

She would walk up to him and look up. She liked where his face was.

Eliz: (Will I… see him again?)

Eliz began to wait for Yuto everyday at the Temple Square, but since that day, she hasn’t seen him around.

“Hey, are you able to transport to the 11th Floor?”

“....I’m sorry, yes. I haven’t reached it yet, yes.”

“Geesh! You’re so worthless!”

Her party members she hasn’t seen in a while spat and yelled at her.

Eliz: (They're gonna beat me again.)

Eliz braced for the attack, but against all expectations, no violence headed her way.

“Whatever. We’re going to an Insta-C. C’mon.”

Eliz: “.....huh? Oh, okay, yes….”

Eliz follows them to the Dungeon Generation Room.

Today, they are heading to a C-Rank — the same Instant Dungeon rank as when they lost their party member.

Eliz’ body trembles in fear.

But her party members have leveled up since then.

They’ll be more cautious this round.

The biggest reason why the party member got injured was because of overconfidence.

Their adventures were going too smoothly, and they became overconfident.

And that led to that huge accident.

A key is inserted into the door, and the Instant Dungeon is generated.

When the door is opened, her party members turned to her.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

Eliz: “Yes! Yes, yes”

Eliz walked through the Dungeon door as usual.

She takes a deep breath and waits for her party to come through.

—but no one is coming through the door.

Thinking how strange that is, Eliz turns around to see what’s going on.

Eliz: “——what…?”

From the Generation Room, her party members did not take a step forward.

They sat on the bench and just looked towards Eliz.

“Y-you need to hurry and come this way, ….yes.”

“Why do we have to go?”

“You’re the almighty C-Rank Saint, right? Go ahead and clear it by yourself.”

Eliz: “Huh? Wha…? Wa-wait… wh-why…”

Eliz began to panic.

She already stepped into the Instant Dungeon.

Unless she clears the Dungeon, she will not be able to get out.

Trying to escape through the doorway, she is blocked by an invisible wall.

The door is still open, but she cannot get back to the Generation Room.

Eliz: “N….no, please! Don’t abandon me!!”

“You’re one to talk!! You’re the one that abandoned him!”

The person who died was an important member of the party.

The party consisted of childhood friends.

The 15 years they spent made them more of a family than just a party.
“And you let him die!!”

“Do you even know what it’s been like after he was gone…”

Eliz: “Just...for that…?”

“For that? It was more than just that!!”

Eliz: “But that was an accide…!!”

“SHUT UP! Just shut up you ****ty healing potion. You would never understand!!”

“You don’t know what he meant to us!!”

“You don’t know how much we hated you since!!”

“He would feel the same way as us!!”

“He would never forgive you…”

——Why didn’t you save me?

“So we’re sending you to the same place as him.”

Eliz: “No….”

Despair and panic fill Eliz’ mind.

Eliz hits the invisible wall as hard as she could.

But the wall does not budge.

Eliz: “P-plea-please! Please! Please help me!!”

Tears flowed down Eliz’ face.

She screams at the top of her lungs calling for help.

“It’s a 100,000 gard coffin at least. You should be happy to die in such luxury.”

“If you don’t wanna die, just clear the dungeon by yourself.”

——well, probably impossible for you.

With those words, the doors of the Instant Dungeon closed.

Very early in the morning, Yuto came to the Dungeon Generation room.

Today, he was planning on completing an E-Rank Instant Dungeon.

Yuto took out his key from his inventory, and headed to the bronze door.

At that moment, he realized that there was tension in the air within the Generation Room.

It was a tension created from life and death struggles that you would feel inside a dungeon.
Yuto: (Is someone fighting with their party? Ugh…)

If they are fighting without drawing their weapons, that is better, but Yuto did not want to get dragged into this.

Yuto huddles lower and erases his presence.

Then he saw it.

“Please! Please save me!”

He heard a familiar voice.

Yuto: (Huh? Was that Eliz?”

He looks around but doesn’t see Eliz anywhere.

But he did see the adventurer who’s letting off all the murderous aura.

Yuto: (Wow, he is spilling murderous rage everywhere… is he in the middle of a fight?)

Yuto was about to leave, but he was also worried about Eliz.

The adventurer letting off the dangerous aura was staring at a Dungeon Door that was left open, but he didn’t
move.

He carefully looked around past the adventurer, and looked through the door.

She was there...

Yuto: “——Eliz.”

Eliz was there.

She was crying and had her fists in the air.

She was hitting the wall that prevented people from leaving the dungeon.

There were no other adventurers with Eliz.

Two adventurers were in front of the door.

They both looked through the door but did not move.

Only Eliz was inside the dungeon door.

Yuto came to one awful possibility.

The time of the Dungeon Door expired and began to close.

Yuto saw the door closing and moved without thinking.

He jumped over the two adventurers, and leaped towards the door that was just about to close. Yuto threw and
twisted his body at the last moment.

Yuto: “....AAAGH?!”
Forcing his body through in a really weird position and angle, Yuto smashed into the ground as he fell.

Yuto: “Owwwww….oh, hey! I made it!!”

A great relief swept over him. He threw his body through the doorway, but if anything got stuck or did not make it
in time, it would have been completely detached from the rest of his body.

The Dungeon Door is powerful. Even a Mithril sword would easily be sliced in half.

He wedged himself through the door in a weird position, but there were no visible injuries. Yuto let’s out another
sigh of relief.

But at the same time, he slowly started to realize the danger he may be in.

Yuto: (What rank is this Insta…?)

When he saw that Eliz was about to be trapped inside here, Yuto’s body moved automatically.

He did not even think about what he was going to do after entering the dungeon until just now.

Yuto: (Oh no! Wh-wh-what should I do?! Are we in deep trouble?!)

Yuto began panicking and sweating inside his mind.

Eliz: “Wh—wh—wh—wh—wh—….”

Yuto: “.....wh—?”

Next to Yuto, Eliz shook as she tried to find her voice.

Yuto: (What’s wrong with her?)

Yuto tilted his head as he wondered. Then, realizing something, he clapped his fist in his hand.

Yuto: “Oh! Right. Sorry I haven’t greeted you yet. Good morning, Eliz.”

Eliz: “Oh, good morning, yes — WAIT! THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANTED TO SA——Y, YES!!”

Anger erupted from Eliz as she stomped the ground.

Eliz: “Why did you come here, Mr. Yuto, yes?! Th-Th-This is a Insta-C! We can’t leave here unless we clear it,
yes?!”

Yuto: “Yeah, you’re right.”

Eliz: “Then... why….?”

Yuto: “Sorry, my body just moved in its own.”

Yuto smiled awkwardly and apologetically.

Even though he was the one that came through the door, Yuto himself couldn’t explain why he was there.

He wasn’t thinking about saving Eliz or clearing the dungeon.

He was just there before he realized what just happened.

Eliz: “But…”

Eliz crumples weakly to the floor.

Her tear streaked face was now being colored with despair.

Eliz: “We are inside a C-Rank Instant Dungeon, yes. Clearing the dungeon with just the two of us will be very
difficult, yes. And I’m just a Healer. I have no combat skills, yes.”

Yuto: “Hmmm… well, I think we’ll be able to get through it. Don’t worry.”

Yuto was not as worried.

One reason was that one of Yuto’s main skill is Level 3 which is equal to a C-Rank adventurer.

To him, it was not an absolutely hopeless situation.

Yuto: (And one more thing…)

Yuto thought to himself.

Yuto: (From the brown color of the hallways, this isn’t the absolute worst case scenario. We won’t be killed
without being able to do anything. We have a fighting chance.)

Unlike E-Rank Dungeons, when you enter any Dungeons that are D-Rank or higher, the Dungeons begin to have
traits.

There are 4 types of Dungeons - [FIRE] • [ICE] • [EARTH] • [WIND].

Those 4 traits will randomly be applied when Dungeons are generated.

If the [FIRE] type Dungeons will contain monsters with [FIRE] traits. [ICE] Dungeons will have [ICE] type
monsters.

And you can determine the trait of a dungeon by the color of its hallways.

This dungeon is brown - an [EARTH] type Dungeon.

If this was [FIRE], [ICE], or [WIND], monsters who can use spells will emerge. In that case, Yuto, who is a close-
combat specialist, could be surrounded, contained, and killed.

And if there were long-range monsters, it would be very dangerous for Eliz as they could aim for her without
having to get past Yuto.

An [EARTH] type simply means “physically hard” monsters.

Compared to the other 3 traits, Yuto would have a higher possibility of clearing this dungeon.

But even so, it didn’t change the fact that Yuto and Eliz were in a tight spot.

They only avoided the worst of the worst case scenarios.

Yuto: (Well, let’s just make sure we do everything we can.)

Yuto took out his Skill Board.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto (18)

Level 18 → 19

Skill Point: 5 → 8

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: (Oh, my Level and Skill has gone up… it must be because I completed the Chain Quest.)

There was a Quest that appeared earlier that said “Challenge an Instant Dungeon with your Party,” and Yuto was
able to clear that entering this dungeon.

For Yuto who needed all the points he can get, this was a very lucky coincidence.

>>Skill Point: 8 → 0

>>Physical Strength Lv 3 → 4

>>Swordsmanship Lv 3 → 4

Yuto: “Okay, this looks much better than before.”

The Skill Level reached Level 4 - the top tier for C-Rank Adventurers.

If he could, Yuto would liked to have raised his Skill Level to Level 5 - on par with B-Rank Adventurers, but he
lacked the points unfortunately.

Yuto: (Maybe I shouldn’t have invested 5 points into [LIGHTNING].....)

If he had those 5 points, he could have at least leveled up his Swordsmanship to Level 5.

Yuto regrets his decision a little.

Just in case, Yuto confirms his available Quests.

<<<<>>>>

Chain Quest

.Clear a Dungeon with Your Party NEW

Urgent Quest

.Save the Girl

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: (There’s no Quests I can complete right now.)

In his Quest list, the Repeat Quests are still available.

There are going to be C-Rank monsters appearing here, so he could give this Quest a try.

But in order to complete the Repeat Quest, he will need to slay 1000 monsters.

Within an Instant Dungeon, there will not be 1000 monsters spawning.

The will not respawn either, so it would be impossible for Yuto to clear.

Yuto: (If only I could clear at least one, no two more Quests…)

There were no Base Quests either, so Yuto could not hope to Level Up any further.

Yuto closes his eyes, and begins to concentrate.

Today, he received a new weapon.

It is a weapon that only the highest tier adventurers use - a weapon of the highest grade.

And right now, Yuto has a Level 4 Skill.

He also has a Speciality [Critical Thrust].

He is facing [EARTH] Type C-Rank Instant Dungeon. There is nothing to fear.

The worry that was filling Yuto’s heart slowly melts away.

Yuto: (If I’ve gotten this far, then I just have to force my way through.)

As he was concentrating, Yuto feels a warmth touch his shoulder, and he opens his eyes.

Yuto: “——Oh, it’s [HEAL] magic.”

Eliz: “Y-you tripped before, yes. D-does it hurt, yes?”

Looking at the Heal Caster Eliz, Yuto realizes that he had one thing wrong.

He is not challenging this Dungeon alone.

——He’s challenging it with his party!

Just realizing this, the rest of his fears and worries in the back of his mind dissipate and disappear completely.

Yuto: “Thank you.”

Eliz: “N-no, yes. It’s my job, yes.”

Yuto: “But thank you anyways.”

Yuto repeats his words of thankfulness and gratitude in his heart.

Because he has someone with him...knowing someone is standing by his side… just from this, he felt so much
more strengthened and assured…..

Yuto: “Okay! Let’s do this! We will definitely clear this Dungeon and get out of here!”
Eliz: “Y-yes, yes!”

And thus, Yuto began his conquest into a higher C-Rank Instant Dungeon and took one step forward.
Watching the door to the C-Rank Dungeon fully close, the two adventurers groaned with pleasure.

They kept replaying Eliz’ very last expression on her face - it was priceless.

Finally...finally, they were able to avenge their companion!

Now their friend can finally rest in peace.

As they laughed, a heavy hand came to rest on their shoulder.

---Who is it?!

Being interrupted during their triumphant moment, they both turn around furiously.

But their anger quickly dissolves.

“Hey you two. You look like you’re having some fun.”

“M—Mr. Kratos?!”

There, the one known as the “Thousand Blades” Kratos, stood before them.

He was one of the most famous A-Rank Adventurers.

Currently, there are only 5 Adventurers designated as S-Rank.

He is clearing so many dungeons at such a high rate that there are rumors that he is the prime candidate to be
chosen as the 6th S-Rank Adventurer.

Having the higher-rank Kratos grab onto their shoulder, the two couldn’t help but flinch and cower.

“G--good morning.”

Kratos: “Hey, do you two have time?”

“Huh?”

Kratos: “I was looking for Party Members just now.”

“Wha--?!”

Kratos was inviting them to his party.

A-Rank Adventurers typically only form parties with members equal to their rank.

They rarely invite outsiders into their groups.

It is because the newcomers would have to immediately adapt to the parties tactics and strategies flawlessly.

Interrupting such flows would lead to the party’s demise.

Hence, this is why A-Rankers would rarely invite outsiders to their party.

But that does not mean that they will not scout out for new members.

They will scout for new Clan members, and sometimes, they will scout to fill in vacant spots in their party.

But being lucky enough to be around when they are scouting is also equally rare.

That’s because the recruiting would end as soon as it started. New members flock to fill in those vacancies as soon
as the opportunity opens.

All Adventurers want to join a strong Adventuring Party.

So this offer from Kratos was rarer than the rarest opportunities.

(We finally got our chance!)

The men were ecstatic.

“Of course, we have time right now!”

“Please let us join your party, Mr. Kratos!”

“Great! Then let’s head to a dungeon right now.”

“ “ YES!! “ “

The men follow right behind Kratos.

Kratos is a A-Rank Adventurer.

Thus, he’ll head to the 2nd farthest door in the Dungeon Generation room - to the A-Rank Dungeon Door.

For the men, it was the first time to enter a A-Rank Instant Dungeon or even join an A-Rank party.

In front of the door were the other members of Krato’s party.

They were all renown A-Rank veterans.

Nervously, the men thought, “This is incredible! We’re actually joining THIS party?!” and their excitement
continued to increase.

Kratos: “Are you guys ready?”

“ “ Yes! Thank you for this opportunity! “ “

Kratos: “Alright, I’m opening the door.”

Then Kratos takes out a key that costs half a million gards and inserts it into the key hole.

With just one key like this, the men could play around and not have to work for a whole month.

The expensive key is used up and vanished, and they swallow hard watching the door.
Kratos: “Okay. Ready guys? Here’s the A-Rank Dungeon. Now get going.”

“ “ YES! …...huh? “ “

The way Kratos phrased that was strange.

As soon as they realized this…

They were thrown into the Dungeon Door through a massive strength that they could not resist.

“Wh—what?!”

“What’s going on?!”

Inside the Instant Dungeon, the men were confused.

The men thought that they were about to watch an A-Rank Party clear an Instant Dungeon.

They pictured what that scene might even look like and were looking forward to it.

But inside the Dungeon were just them.

In front of the door, Kratos and his party members remained, and not one tried to come through the door.

“......th—this is a joke, right? Mr. Kratos?”

“Y—you wouldn’t abandon us like this, would you?”

Kratos: “You think I’m just joking or playing around?”

Kratos sits down on a waiting bench and crosses his arms.

In his eyes was enough murderous fury to paralyze the men with a single glance.

Kratos: “Looking at trash adventurers like you makes me sick. You bastards, do you even undestand what you just
did right now?”

“Th—that’s because one of our members was killed by her—”

Kratos: “—Quiet.”

A single, quiet word completely crushed the man’s excuses that were about to pour out.

Kratos: “If you don’t like a party member, take them out of your group. If they commit a crime, hand them over to
the guards. If it’s just a typical fight, resolve it with your fists. But listen here, you little **** heads. You never,
NEVER use the Dungeon for your own vengeance. That is the iron clad rule of all adventurers.”

You can commit various crimes using the Dungeon.

For example, murder. If you kill someone while inside the Dungeon, it will be difficult to know if they lost their
life because of monsters or because of other causes.

For instance, using Instant Dungeons.

Yes, you can use how Instant Dungeons work to fake going into a Dungeon together and then abandon those
members.

Of course, other crimes are also possible where the Oracle’s Laws of the Labyrinth City cannot reach.

But just because you can does not mean that you should because all actions will eventually come back to ALL of
the adventurers.

People who entered the Instant Dungeon first were abandoned by their party.

If word got out, who in their right mind would think it would be safe to enter an Instant Dungeon with their party?

Everyone will fear being abandoned by everyone around them, and none would enter Instant Dungeons ever again.

What the two just did right now would eventually suffocate the entire way of life for all adventurers.

And of course, Kratos would not be immune to the consequences.

Kratos uses various equipment made from many types of materials.

For example, a Mithril equipment is not just made from pure Mithril. Other materials are used as well.

These materials are not only collected by Kratos but can be collected by Adventurers going into E and D-Rank
Dungeons.

If those Adventurers feared betrayal and no longer challenged these Instant Dungeons, what would happen?

If the flow of materials gets interrupted, Kratos will not be able to obtain new weapons and equipment any more.

Because of these two adventurers, even the A-Rank Adventurers will fall victim to their careless folly.

Kratos: “—Do you understand now what you have done?!”

The work of Adventurers are founded on the silent rule of trust.

It takes many years to slowly build that foundation up, but it can easily disassemble in a flash.

That’s why as fellow adventurers, they could not sit back and do nothing.

If someone tries to wreck this foundation of trust, then what should you do?

By letting them experience their own folly, you can protect this rule of trust. It was necessary.

This is to also prevent others from even thinking about doing the same thing.

Around the A-Rank Dungeon door, it was not only Kratos’ party any more, but other adventurers gathered around
as well.

All had icy cold eyes staring at the men standing inside the door.

The men cowered at the attention they got.

“P—please! I’ll do anything! Please save me!”

“I don’t want to die yet!”

Kratos: “Then why didn’t you save someone who said the exact same thing to you?”

“...........”

“..........”

Kratos: “Looks like you found your answer.”

At this moment, a smile crept up across Kratos’ face.

(Maybe he’ll rescue us now?)

The men were hopeful that maybe their punishment was over but were soon kicked deeper into the pits of despair.

Kratos: “Be happy you guys. You get to sleep in a 500,000 gard coffin.”

The words they said now came back to haunt them through Kratos.

The men turn blueish white while they scream and beg for help.

But there was not one who would step forward to help the men.

Kratos: “If you don’t want to die, then just do your best and get out of there alive.”

——Well, it’s probably impossible for your guys anyway.

With those words, the Instant Dungeon Door closed shut.

C-Rank Instant Dungeons are actually composed of 3 floors.

Yuto and Ellis cleared 2 floors and were taking a break on the stairway.

Yuto: “Fwew...I’m glad we were able to progress in this dungeon rather easily…”

Ellis: “Mr. Yuto is...incredibly strong, yes….”

Ellis’ eyes were wide open as she stared at Yuto who was drinking from his water sack.

She has yet to use her [HEAL] magic for any real injuries.

On the 1st and 2nd floor, they fought Orcs.

They are appropriate for a [EARTH] type dungeon - a monster with high toughness and defense.

An Orc is a boar-like creature standing on two legs.

They are protected by a thick layer of fat, and it requires a considerable amount of skill just to penetrate its hide
and wound it.

But Yuto had a brand new weapon.

A katana made from a material that all adventurers dream of - a Mithril blade.

No matter how high the Orc’s defense was, against a Mithril blade, it cut through them like paper.

But Yuto is not blindly cutting the Orcs into pieces.

He is utilizing his [Critical Thrust] specialty, and attacking their vital weak points.

His battles have been brief and short-lived.

If an Orc approached Yuto, the next moment, its head was separated from its shoulders.

Yuto: (But it won’t just activate with any random swing of the sword though…”

Yuto has been experimenting with his [Critical Thrust] to a certain degree.

He wanted to know if he was able to strike an opponent’s vital weak point even if he did not intend to.

The conclusion? A random swing will not automatically strike an opponent’s vital weakness.

That was expected.

If that were true, every strike would automatically transform into a vital weak point. He would be practically
invincible with an extremely dangerous specialty.

He could poke at his stiff muscles and accidentally execute himself.

Yuto: (From the feel of it, it looks like my attacks meant for vital weak points now have a higher chance of
succeeding.)

For instance, the spine is composed of many bones.

If you try to decapitate a creature, there is a high chance that you will hit the bone in the neck.

With the [Critical Thrust] specialty applied, the chance of the blade coincidentally meeting exactly where the joints
connect has been increased. But to Yuto, the chances were now something close to 100% accuracy.

He was lucky to have such a specialty within his Skill Tree.

Because of that, Yuto has been able to easily dispatch the C-Rank monsters.

Without a doubt, raising his Physical Strength and Swordsmanship have contributed equally to how effective he
has been in battle today.

Ellis: “Um….Mr. Yuto….are you….hurt at all….yes?”

Yuto: “I’m doing well, thank you.”

Ellis: “Any problems with stamina?”

Yuto: “Nope. No problems there either. ….wait, can Heal Casters help recover stamina too?”

Ellis: “Yes, yes. I can use [HEAL] and [STAMINA CHARGE], yes.”

Yuto: “Wow…”

Yuto was surprised to hear Ellis’ list of spells.

He assumed that she could only use [HEAL].

Ellis: “S-so, if I cast [STAMINA CHARGE] during battle, yes. Then your battle will go smoother, yes!”

Yuto: “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that just yet. Please save your magic for now.”

In their first battles, every time Yuto would get into battle with an Orc, Ellis would target Yuto with a [HEAL]
spell.

Yuto has been in several parties with a Heal Caster.

But this was the first time he saw a Heal Caster use [HEAL] magic with such bold methods.

Typically, Heal Casters would cast [HEAL] directly on party members after the battle is finished.

That’s because casting [HEAL] at longer distances will incur additional magic costs.

Throwing [HEAL] at Yuto from afar when Yuto hasn’t even been wounded is nothing but a waste of magic.

Hence, Yuto forbid Ellis to use [HEAL] this way.

If she continued to use [HEAL] like this, she would easily faint from magic exhaustion and would not be able to
cast [HEAL] when that critical moment arrives.

Yuto: “Okay! Let’s go down to the 3rd floor. It’s the last floor so let’s give it our all!”

Ellis: “Y-yes, yes!”

They carefully descend down the steps.

Watching Yuto’s back while walking down the stairs, Ellis spoke to Yuto.

Ellis: “Why did Mr. Yuto, a D-Rank adventurer, come into a C-Rank Dungeon, yes?”

Up until this point, Yuto explained to Ellis briefly his rank and background.

When he first spoke of saying how he recently climbed up from E-Rank to D-Rank, she cried for him out of
sympathy and pity.

Ellis: “Y-you’re going to die because of me now…..WAAAAAH!!”

But watching Yuto actually fight, after understanding his combat skills, Ellis no longer cried.

But even so, Ellis just could not understand Yuto’s actions and stared at him with wonder.

Yuto: “Hmmmm…. I don’t know if I can explain this well but…”

Yuto has been thinking about this since she first asked him the same question.

Why did his body suddenly move like it did?

Yuto: “Because it was something I would hate to have happen to me, maybe? And also--”

You walk into an Instant Dungeon, but none of your party members follow.

It’s not like Yuto hasn’t ever thought of the situation happening to him.

But up until now, Yuto has managed to survive without getting abandoned like that.
Once you enter, you can’t leave unless you clear it.

And the teammates you trusted suddenly betray you and leave you to die.

That was something Yuto would never want to experience.

And on top of that, he also felt this.

--if I was Ellis...

Yuto: “I thought, ‘If I was Ellis,’ then having someone come help me would definitely make me happy.”

That’s all. That’s the only reason Yuto needed for his body to move at that moment.

At those words, Ellis was lost in thought and words as she stared into Yuto’s face.

Because of that, she misstepped a step on the stairs.

Ellis: “Ahh!”

Yuto: “Whoa, got you.”

Yuto caught her body in the air.

Ellis’ ears visibly turned bright red.

Ellis: “Ack!! I-I-I-I’m so sorry, yes!!”

Yuto: “Are you okay?”

Ellis: “Y-y-y-YESH! I’M ODAY!!”

Ellis tripped over her words, and Yuto, concerned, looked into her eyes.

But Ellis quickly turned her eyes away.

Yuto: (Did I do something to make her mad….?)

Yuto scratched his head as they continued to descend down the stairs.

Now Ellis kept a distance that was not too close but also not too far.

In a way, she walked behind him like an adopted kitten.

Yuto: (I hope she didn’t sprain her ankle…)

Yuto was worried for a moment, but Ellis was walking normally.

She’s also a Heal Caster so she would be able to heal her own injuries.

Yuto switched his mindset and began focusing on the next battle.
On the 3rd floor, they fought Orc Soldiers and Orc Chiefs which were one rank above the previous monsters they
fought.

2 Soldiers and 1 Chief attack Yuto.

It’s probably because of the Chief that their movements were more coordinated than usual.

“BUOOOOGHH!!”

Yuto: “Whoa….!!”

Yuto dodges an attack from a Soldier, and changes his position by sliding his feet.

He gradually circles around and attacks the Chief directly.

Yuto: “---HAAAA!!”

With a shout, Yuto beheads the Chief.

With the Chief out of the picture, the two soldiers cannot coordinate their attacks as well.

Seeing his chance, Yuto beheads the other two quickly.

Yuto: “Fwew.”

Yuto relaxes his stance and swings the blood off his blade and puts the katana back in its sheath.

Maybe it’s because the monsters are higher rank, but it took more time to take down these 3.

Even so, Yuto still had more than enough strength left.

Ellis: “Mr. Yuto, do you have any injuries?”

Ellis skips to where Yuto is standing.

Her movements reminded him of a small animal, and it made Yuto smile.

Yuto: “I’m okay. Thank you.”

Ellis: “But Mr. Yuto! You are incredibly strong, yes! You’re amazing, yes! Even my party members…”

Not being able to finish her sentence, Ellis shakes her head to forget them.

She remembered the ones responsible for putting her in this position.

To get Ellis’ mind off the topic, Yuto quickly changes the subject.

Yuto: “....we’re getting close to the boss room. I’m assuming the boss will be an Orc King.”

Ellis: “P-probably. I believe so, yes.”

Ellis nods in agreement.

An Orc King is a C-Rank monster.

Yuto expects the Orc King to be about the same strength as him or maybe even higher.
If it was just him, he would be at a disadvantage.

But this time, Ellis is with him.

She is a Heal Caster that can cast [HEAL] type spells.

Even in the worst case scenario, Yuto could get injured and quickly recover because of her.

She can even help him recover his stamina.

If the battle prolongs, Yuto’s advantage would only continue to grow.

Yuto: “Okay, let’s go!”

Ellis: “Yes, yes!”

They pick up the drops from the Orcs they defeated, and they head further into the room.

There were 5 rooms total on the 3rd floor.

In each room, Yuto defeats them completely leaving just the last room.

The only remaining room now is the boss room.

Standing in front of the boss room, Yuto gasps as he sees what is waiting for him inside.

Ellis: “.....no……….”

Next to him, despair also creeps over Ellis’ face.

Inside the boss room, there was only one monster.

And that monster was not the Orc King.

The monster was made from the same material as Yuto’s katana - it was a Mithril Golem.
Yuto: “...........why…...why is he here…..?”

The second Yuto caught sight of the Golem, he had a sudden flashback of all his memories.

This was the day when the eternally E-Rank Yuto Leveled Up.

When he opened the Skill Board for the first time, he saw these words written on the board.

[EXTRA QUEST has been Completed]

Yuto: (It can’t be…..)

An unbelievable possibility crosses his mind.

Yuto: (Was that….was that dream where I died…..real? Did I really die….?)

The more he remembered his dream, the more identical it was to his current circumstances.

He was with another C-Rank adventurer.

His opponent was a Mithril Golem.

And Yuto, who had nothing he could do at the time, was crushed by it.

If that dream was something that happened in reality…

If that C-Rank Adventurer who was in the dream with him was Eliz…

----it means Yuto died and returned back to his past.

----it means Yuto redid his past and came back to this exact moment of his life.

No matter how he thinks about it, it’s impossible.

But what if the condition to clear the Extra Quest was to die?

The more he thinks about it, the more it all makes sense.

But right now, it’s all speculation to help Yuto forcefully glue the pieces of his past together.

Whether it all actually happened or not, there is nothing Yuto can do to confirm or deny it.

And unfortunately, Yuto was in the exact same circumstance as his dream.

It was the exact same circumstance that led to his death.

But there is something that is definitively different.

Unlike before, Yuto was now an Adventurer capable of combat.

Even so, Yuto knew this better than anyone that he was not strong.

Even among the Adventurers, he would still be classified as below average.

But-------

Yuto: “I am DEFINITELY stronger than what I was before.”

With that confidence, Yuto steps forward.

Yuto: (I will NOT let it end here just like it did in the dream!!)

Yuto: “Eliz!!”

Eliz: “Y---Yes, yes?!”

Yuto: “I am going to fight the Mithril Golem now.”

Eliz: “But that’s a B-Rank monster, yes?!”

A Mithril Golem was indeed a B-Rank monster.

In a standard C-Rank Instant Dungeon, B-Rank Boss monsters will not appear.

But there is a small, rare chance that they can appear.

-----that’s if they are a Rare Boss that drops Rare Items.

This Dungeon would be considered a “Winner” for that reason.

For other Adventurers, this might be a lucky lottery win, but for Yuto, it is nothing less than a cruel twist of fate.

Eliz: “If you fight...Mr. Yuto…! You will…!”

Large tears begin to form under Eliz’ eyes, and her gaze is BEGGING Yuto to not fight.

Yuto also knows how dangerous that monster is.

But not fighting is not an option.

Yuto shakes his head.

Yuto: “This time, there is no way I can get through this unharmed. Eliz, I’m going to need your help.”

Eliz: “My….help…..?”

Eliz who was tearing up suddenly becomes quiet.

She wipes her tears with her eyes, and nods with fierce determination.

There is only one plan.

An extremely simple and straightforward solution.

Beat the Golem until it stops moving.

That’s it. That’s all.

Yuto focuses, concentrates, and centers himself.

A second stretches to eternity.

He takes one deep breath.

A deep, deep level of concentration overtakes him as he dives into his consciousness.

He arrives at the pinnacle and the far depths of his concentration.

The world...begins to move slowly…

He holds his breath.

The next moment…

Yuto: “----fu!!” (*sfx quick exhale)

Yuto jumps with all his might.

He instantly crosses 20 meters with just 3 quick steps.

The Golem begins moving the second he steps through the door.
It raises its arms in response to Yuto.

But before it swings its arms down…

Yuto: “-----[LIGHTNING]!!”

Yuto initiates his spell.

A large streak of light directly hits the Golem.

The Golem is placed slightly off balance.

And in that moment…

Yuto: “Sh!!”

Yuto swings his sword at the Golem’s joint.

The sword gets sucked in to the joint just as he aimed.

But…

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN!! (*sfx sharp metal sound)

A sharp ringing pierces the air.

His hands become numb from the impact.

Yuto: (It’s really hard!!)

Because its entire body was made of Mithril, even his [Critical Thrust] could not cut through his joints.

But Yuto did not give up after the first strike. He repeated struck at the Golem’s joints.

Yuto: (Is there some place where he’s weaker?!)

But as the name suggests, the Mithril Golem is made from pure Mithril.

There was not a critical weak point that Yuto could exploit anywhere.

Yuto caught a dark shadow in his peripheral vision.

Realizing the danger, he steps back quickly.

But…

Yuto: “AAAGGHH!!”

He evaded a moment too late.

Yuto received the Mithril Golems hit and rolled onto the floor.

He was overly concentrated on attacking, and allowed himself to get hit.

Yuto quickly learns his lesson and stands up.

Fortunately, Yuto was not seriously wounded.

He still had all four limbs, and their bones were intact.

As long as Yuto does not get critically injured, he will be able to continue the fight.

That’s because Yuto is not alone. There is someone covering his back.

He felt the warmth spread on his back, and he once again steps towards the Mithril Golem with another attack.

<<<<>>>>

As Eliz watched Yuto fight the Mithril Golem, she casts another [HEAL] towards Yuto. She already lost count on
how many times she has done this.

The Mithril Golem’s attack was hair raising.

But even more, the fact that Yuto is taking it head on is even more amazing.

Eliz: (If it was me, I would have died from it’s first attack.)

Yuto has received several blows from the Mithril Golem.

Fortunately, he has not received a direct hit.

He seems to be holding a very high-grade weapon, but his defense is that of a common villager.

If Yuto received one solid blow with that kind of defense, there will be very little Eliz can do.

At times, Yuto will be rolling on the floor with blood scattering everywhere.

And every time, Eliz will quickly cast [HEAL].

Eliz: (Please! PLEASE! Heal his wounds, heal his wounds, HEAL HIS WOUNDS!!)

Eliz continued to cast [HEAL] with all her might, and Yuto managed to stand back up with his wounds gone.

They continued this over and over and over again.

[HEAL] regenerates the body and heals wounds. She knows this.

But as Yuto hits the ground yet again with blood spreading everywhere, she begins to dread the moment when her
[HEAL] will no longer do anything.

She dreads that on the next attack, Yuto may die.

The worries start filling up to the brim inside Eliz.

But Yuto has successfully hit the Mithril Golem several times with his attacks.

But there was nothing to show for it.

----The Mithril Golem’s body was just too hard.

Yuto’s attack failed again, and he received another blow and rolled onto the floor.
Watching him do this over and over, Eliz wanted to cry out and stop him.

She wanted to cry out and tell him that it’s okay. To stop fighting.

She just wanted him to not be hurt anymore.

But if he gives up on the fight, both Eliz and Yuto will die inside this Instant Dungeon.

Eliz still wanted to live. She had more reason to live now than ever before.

That’s why she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t stop him from the bottom of her heart.

She knew she was sacrificing Yuto in order for herself to live.

The shallowness of her heart was too much and tears flowed down her eyes.

And as she cried, she cast [HEAL] with everything she got again.

All she could do was continue to cast [HEAL] - nothing more, nothing else.

Eliz: “H---[HEAL]....!! *gasp *gasp……”

Eliz already had signs of Magic Exhaustion appear.

Her face was a pale blue and her lips were purple.

But Eliz still had more left in her. She was sure of it.

This is nothing compared to what she had to endure before.

No matter how many times she fell into Magic Exhaustion, Eliz was forced to continue casting [HEAL].

Because of that experience, Eliz knew that she could keep going.

And there was NO WAY IN HELL that she was going to be the one to go down first while Yuto was fighting at the
front.

The Magic Exhaustion, the pains and sufferings that stemmed from it, was the only sensation that helped Eliz feel
that she was fighting with Yuto against the monster together.

Eliz: “[HEAL]!! *gasp……*gasp….!!”

Since the Magic Exhaustion symptoms surfaced, she has cast a vast amount of [HEAL]s.

Her head feels dizzy.

She’s starting to lose her balance.

The corners of her vision are turning white, and stars are flying everywhere.

Eliz: “I…..I CAN KEEP GOING, YES!!”

It was when Eliz was about to cast the next [HEAL] that it happened.

--------CRACK!!
Yuto’s attack cut down the Mithril Golem’s right arm.Eliz: “This Appraisal, is wrong, yes!!”

Yuto: “......huh?”

Eliz: “There’s no way Mr. Yuto is a Level 1. If you were Level 1, you could not have become a C-Rank
Adventurer, yes. This Appraisal is completely wrong!!”

Yuto: “HーHey, Eliz. Calm down…..”

Yuto tries to desperately calm Eliz down as tears begin to well up in her eyes, and her voice rises in volume.

Yuto was happy that Eliz believed the Status Appraisal to be wrong.

Yuto has fought many times in front of Eliz.

She was affirming Yuto’s own suspicions along with confirming his current strength and abilities.

But Yuto did not expect Eliz to get this upset and angry.

And you should never say that a “Status Appraisal is wrong” - especially in the Prayer Room of the Temple.

There was a Priest looking very unhappily at Yuto and Eliz as if to emphasize Yuto’s point.

His eyes spoke very clearly, “Do you have a problem with our Appraisal, hmm?!”

This is bad.

And just when Yuto was going to try and leave with Eliz…

“If they say you’re a Level 1, then you’re most definitely a Level 1.”

An adventurer said this out loud as if to challenge and provoke them.

The adventurer stood in the doorway with their back leaned against the entrance doorway and glared at Yuto and
Eliz.

Yuto: (hm? ……….I recognize that person…)

Yuto searches through his memory.

Immediately, he recalls the name.

Yuto: “Hello, *Thames, I’m sorry for causing a ruckus in the Prayer Room.”

The person glaring down at them was the D-Rank Adventurer, Thames, from the *Werewolf Tribe.

Some adventurers have dubbed Thames, “The Lone Wolf,” as Thames prefers to concentrate as a Solo-Adventurer.

There are rumors that Thames will soon reach C-Rank.

Thames is able to clear D-Rank Instant Dungeons alone without trouble.

Thames is currently solo, but it has not always been that way.

When Thames was working as part of a party, Yuto had once joined the same party.
Of course, this was when Yuto was a luggage carrier.

It was many years ago when that happened.

Even from then, Thames has been a D-Rank Adventurer.

Thames: “The Appraisal is performed by God. There are no lies in the Status Appraisals. It’s always humans who
make the errors. If the Status Appraisal says he’s a Level 1, then it’s the Guild that made the error in assessing his
strength.”

Eliz: “Yーyou’re wrong, yes! Mr. Yuto has properly cleared all hurdles to become a C-Rank Adventurer, yes! We
even cleared the Guild Request without fail, yes!”

Eliz is getting heated up, but Thames brushes her words off with a laugh.

Thames’ long tail is sweeping left and right provocatively.

Thames: “I’m sure he must have bribed the Guild Officials. Didn’t he just clear the Guild Request by purchasing
the required Monster Stones?”

Eliz: “YーYou’re wrong, yes!!”

Yuto: “Hey, Eliz. It’s okay.”

Yuto tries to hold back Eliz who is only getting more agitated, and Yuto tries to break up the argument.

Yuto: “Thames, I apologize to have to correct you, but I don’t have the ability to bribe the Guild Officials.”

Thames: “Ha! Like I would believe that.”

Yuto: “I don’t have that kind of money in the first place.”

Thames: “..............................”

Yuto plainly and clearly stated a fact that even Thames knew was true, and from a pang of guilt, Thames’ eyes
looked elsewhere for a moment.

Thames knows Yuto well.

And Yuto’s poverty is a well known fact among any who have crossed paths with him.

And that’s because Yuto has always worked as a luggage carrier.

A luggage carrier receives 1 to 5% of the party’s acquired gains.

But only on the rarest occasions did Yuto ever receive 5% of the cut.

In most cases, it was 1%.

If that is all you make as a luggage carrier, and that is all Yuto could do, then there is no way for Yuto to
accumulate enough wealth to bribe a Guild Official.

Yuto: “Excuse us, Thames. We’ll be going now.”

It was when Yuto and Eliz tried to walk by Thames.

Thames: “.................hey, Mr. Weakest. If what you say is true, then have a duel with me.”

Yuto: “...................excuse me?”

Thames just challenged Yuto to a duel.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto: (How did things end up this way………?)

Yuto glanced at the wooden sword in his hands as he let out a deep sigh.

It all began with Thames’ challenge.

<<<<>>>>

[Have a duel with me.]

Of course, Yuto would have refused normally.

First and foremost, an Adventurer’s strength is directed against Dungeon Monsters.

Yuto had no intention of directing that strength towards people. That thought never crossed his mind.

He refused at first, and Thames did not back off.

[You gonna run?]

[I guess you’re scared if you’re running.]

[You don’t want anyone to find out that you’re still the weakest Adventurer]

[I knew that you moving up to C-Rank was a gimmick.]

It didn’t matter what anyone said. The facts wouldn’t change.

Yuto was smiling and was about to brush off the comments.

But Eliz was not going to have any of that.

[Mr. Yuto is strong! He did not do anything wrong!!]

And without getting further input from Yuto, the duel was decided.

<<<<>>>>

Right now, Yuto is in the grassy plains next to the Temple.

Because these plains are right next to the Temple, it is well taken care of.

But up until this point, there has never been anyone willing to set up a shop here.
If they do any kind of business, you would be able to gather the attention of many adventurers.

But no one would do so because of the large lake next to it.

This lake is well known to flood every time it rains, so no one is able to build their shop on this piece of land.

But it is still a very visible, well-noticeable piece of property, and many adventurers who were on their way to the
Dungeon caught sight of Yuto.

Among them, they wanted to see what was happening and a crowd of adventurers was beginning to gather up.

As they were preparing for the duel, a large group of adventurers encircled them before anyone knew what was
happening.

And there was one concern that Yuto had.

Yuto: (Would it be okay if I attack a person with this wooden sword……..?)

Yuto gave up on thinking about how to escape from this duel.

It’s a duel with wooden swords, so Yuto treated it as he would with training.

But even so, the wooden sword bothered him.

Yuto has the Specialty [Critical Thrust] and [Armor Break].

If he hits a person, would these specialties trigger and do more damage than he anticipates? Not knowing this
made Yuto’s uneasiness grow further.

His opponent is a D-Rank Adventurer.

You would hope that hitting a D-Rank with a wooden sword would not hurt them.

But there is always a what-if worst case scenario that pops into Yuto’s mind and keeps Yuto on the fence.

Yuto would not be able to fight in his current mind state.

But if he doesn’t fight appropriately, Yuto himself may get injured.

Eliz’ tantrum was a problem, but it only made Yuto chuckle to himself. Eliz was only trying to protect Yuto’s
reputation as an Adventurer.

Even though she’s still a child, she stood up to adults for Yuto's sake.

So Yuto wanted to return the favor by winning this match.

Thames: “..........can we begin?”

Yuto: “Oh, yes.”

Thames calls for Yuto, and Yuto steps forward.

Both stop after coming to a certain distance.

Yuto: “.....so who will give the signal for the Duel to start?”
Thames: “What? Just grab whoever from the crowd. HEY! Can someone give the signal?!”

Thames calls out and many Adventurers raise their hands to volunteer.

But one pushes all of them away and steps forward swiftly.

“I’ll do it.”

Yuto: “WHー?!”

Thames: “MーMr. Kratos…..?”

The one who arrived was an A-Rank Adventurer.

It was the “Thousand Blades” Kratos.

<<<<>>>>

Now with Kratos refereeing the match, Thames was pumped with excitement.

If a D-Rank Adventurer is able to crush a C-Rank Adventurer, Kratos may throw in a good word at the Guild.

Of course, it’s unlikely that he’ll do it.

But the probability of it happening isn’t zero.

Thames has been an Adventurer for 5 years now.

The promotion to a D-Rank Adventurer happened within a year.

But since then, Thames’ Adventurer Rank did not rise at all.

Many Instant Dungeons were cleared.

Many strong enemies were defeated.

Thames’ Level is Level 26.

As an Adventurer, the C-Rank Standards should have all been cleared.

But the Guild continued to refuse Thames the promotion.

It did not matter what Level or how many monsters or how many Instant Dungeons were cleared, or how many
Dungeons were cleared Solo.

At this point, Thames was out of ideas.

Part of the reason why this duel with “The Weakest Adventurer” Yuto began was because of that.

[How can a Level 1 like him be promoted and a Level 26 like myself not?!]

[There has to be some fraud that Yuto committed!!]

From there, Thames asked for the Duel.

A Guild-Approved C-Rank Adventurer will be defeated by a Guild-Rejected D-Rank Adventurer.

This is the only way to open the Guild’s eyes.

Kratos: “Alright. Let’s begin.”

Kratos raises his hand.

Suddenly the atmosphere changed, and tenseness filled the air.

Thames felt prickling on the skin.

But this change in atmosphere was caused by…..Yuto.

Thames: (........HA! So at least you got a strong aura, but it’s ONLY your aura nonetheless!)

Thames spats insults inside and gets ready for the fight.

Slowly, Thames breathes.

Strength is consolidated in the wooden sword and concentration rises.

Kratos opens his mouth.

Kratos: “ーーーーGO!”

As soon as his hand was down…

Thames swung at Yuto’s shoulder.

Thames: (It’s over!)

Thames was certain of victory.

But…

Thames: “ーーーhuh?!”

Yuto dodged Thames’ attack by a hair.

This was shocking for Thames.

The attack should have hit. It could not have been dodged.

From experience, the timing of that attack was perfect and should have connected.

But even so, it was dodged by a hair width.

Thames: “.......you’re one lucky ******”

Thames repositions and attacks again.

Thames: “TEEAAAAHHHHH!”

But the next attack is easily dodged.

Thames: (Is he just good at dodging?)

Thames knew that Yuto’s Level did not go up for over 10 years.

It’s possible that Yuto then just got really good at dodging.

Thames: (Then I just have to make an attack that can’t be dodged!!)

Thames refrained from big swings, and began to start with small strikes to get Yuto off-balance.

After 10, 20 strikes, Thames notices something strange.

Thames: (Why? WHY ISN’T HE ATTACKING?!)

Thames has already attacked several dozen times.

But Yuto has yet to attack once.

Thames: (Maybe he just doesn’t have the time to attack?)

Thames tries to analyze Yuto’s movements.

From there, Thames dishes out continuous attacks back to back.

Thames swings, stabs, jumps in, swipes sideways…

And repeats this over and over.

But……

Thames: (gasp………...gasp…………..)

None of the attacks hit.

Not one.

Thames: (WHY?! WHY ISN’T MY ATTACKS LANDING?!)

Thames’ anger begins to boil over, and the swings of the attacks become larger.

But Yuto continues to dodge all of Thames’ attacks by the breadth of a hair.

All the attacks were too rushed. Thames was getting too stiff with each attack.

Thames lost balance and froze.

Thames: (NO!!)

It was a huge opening. A critical mistake.

The attack will come now.

Thames waited for Yuto’s attack.

But nothing came.

Yuto stood still.

Thames: (gasp………………..gasp…………………)

Now, Thames knew something was wrong.

There was no way any Adventurer would miss an opportunity like that.

If Thames was in Yuto’s shoes, the fight would have been over.

Thames: (Why…...why isn’t he attacking……?)

At this point, Thames was able to calm down.

Up to this point, Thames assumed that Yuto was getting “lucky” and dodging all the attacks.

And “conveniently,” he was not attacking at all.

But would such luck and coincidence continue occurring indefinitely?

ーーno.

Thames: (gasp…………..gasp………..URGH!!)

Yuto: “................”

Thames was able to see the situation more clearly than ever now.

Only one person was breathing raggedly, and it was not Yuto.

Yuto remained calm and cool.

And what’s even more apparent is where they both are standing.

Thames attacked from all different sides and angles to corner Yuto.

But Yuto did not move “one step” from where the duel started.

Thames: (No….impossible……!!)

Pure instinct overtook Thames as the next words spilled out.

Thames: “You, why are you not attacking me?”

Yuto: “That’s…….”

Thames: “Are you looking down on me because I’m a girl?!”

Thames: “Are you looking down on me because I’m a girl?!”

Yuto: “Whー, no, I’mー”

Thames: “Then come at me with everything you got!!”

Thames grips her sword even harder and rushes out towards Yuto with even more aggressive attacks.

But Thames already knew…

She already saw through Yuto’s strength.

But this was not something she could readily admit.

No...she could never admit it.

She could never admit…that there is this much of a gap between a D-Rank and a C-Rank Adventurer.

But even more than that, having your opponent “go easy on you because your weak” crippled Thames’ pride even
more.

Thames: (I didn’t work this hard just to be brushed away like that!!)

Thames continued her attack with everything she had.

But her attacks just refused to connect with Yuto.

Thames: (I’m not going to allow you to deny everything I’ve built up until this point!!)

While Thames was continuing her attack….

Kratos: “Give it your all!”

Kratos himself who was refereeing the duel shouted.

ーーmy all.

With those words, Thames’ adrenaline shot through the roof.

She concentrated all of the remaining strength left within her into her wooden sword.

Thames: “AHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Thames put her soul and might into the next strike.

Yuto: (Whーwhat should I do……?)

Even after the duel began, Yuto still couldn’t decide on what to do.

He could not shake the fear that any attacks from him would destroy his opponent.

And part of this worry stemmed from Yuto’s complete lack of experience fighting another person.

Yuto has never taught anyone else.

Yuto has always trained alone.

Always, alone.

Yuto learned the movements of a swordsman by being a luggage carrier, and in the backyards of the Weapons and
Armor Shop, Plutos, he would copy the movements there.
So that is why he had no way of knowing if there was a way to win without hurting his opponent. Yuto just could
not find a solution.

Yuto dodges a wild swing from Thames.

And right then, Thames was taken off-balance.

It’s an obvious opportunity.

But Yuto still could not attack.

Yuto: (........I’m scared.)

Yuto was scared.

An Adventurer’s strength is not for hurting people.

It is a strength to be able to explore a dungeon.

It is a strength to protect people.

But Yuto wasn’t hesitant about attacking during a match.

He was more afraid of injuring someone as a result of his attack.

Yuto: (What should I do….?!)

While he was thinking…

Kratos: “Give it your all!”

Suddenly, Kratos shouted.

Yuto instinctively looked at Kratos with just his eyes.

And Kratos subtly moved his eyes so only Yuto will see.

Yuto: (ーーI see!!)

Yuto understood what Kratos was trying to say, and for the first time, strength returned to his sword grip.

In a flash, he is conscious of the {Physical Boost}.

And the grip on his sword grew even stronger.

Strength surged through the hands holding the sword.

Thames: “AHHHHHHHH!!”

Thames brings up her sword, and brings it down hard on Yuto.

And against Thames’ wooden sword, Yuto also “gave it his all,” and their swords crossed.
Yuto: “ーーsh!!”

Yuto’s sword met Thames’ sword.

The next moment…

ーーPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!! (*sfx something exploding with a pop-like sound)

Yuto’s [Critical Thrust] and [Armor Break] activated, and Yuto’s attack pulverized Thames’ wooden sword.

Thames, watching the remaining pieces of her sword fly through the eye, fell to her knees in shock.

Yuto swung his sword, and placed it back on his waist as if to put it back in its sheath.

Yuto: “Thank you so much for the match.”

Yuto bows his head deeply towards Thames.

And at the same time, the crowd goes wild around Yuto.

The Adventurers who were watching exploded in applause.

Yuto: (AHH!! THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING…….?!)

Yuto, trying to shy away from the crowd, bent over as-if to try to make himself smaller.

And Kratos approached Yuto.

Kratos: “Yuto, Thames, good work.”

Yuto: “Oh, Mr. Kratos, thank you for being willing to referee the duel.”

Thames: “.............”

Thames was unable to answer Kratos.

And not knowing what to say to Thames, Yuto opens and closes his mouth several times.

Kratos: “Hey, Yuto. I’ll deal with you later.”

Yuto: “Huh?”

Yuto didn’t understand what Kratos meant and tilts his head.

But ignoring Yuto, Kratos approaches Thames.

Kratos: “Thames, I think you understand now that you’re still not enough to reach C-Rank.”

Thames: “...........bーbut I, I’ve worked so hard for this! I’ve done everything I can to become a C-Rank!!”

Kratos: “To become a C-Rank……..? Hey, Thames, you got it all wrong.”

With Kratos’ objection, Thames looks up to face him.

Thames: “What do you……..”

Kratos: “We are all Adventurers. What’s most important to an Adventurer is to become stronger. And as a result
of becoming stronger, as a bonus, we get a rank-up. We don’t fight just to rank-up.”

Thames: “Butーー”

Kratos: “No but’s. Strength is everything to an Adventurer. If you have a problem with that, then get stronger.
Get stronger than this guy right here. Aren’t you an Adventurer as well?”

Kratos points his thumb towards Yuto.

But Yuto didn’t know how to respond to being pointed out.

Yuto: (Huh? Why me?!)

The strongest person around is Kratos here, so why did Kratos point at Yuto instead of himself?

Yuto tilts his head even more in confusion.

But Thames caught sight of Yuto and glared at him.

Yuto: “Eeeek?!”

Thames stood up and starts running away.

But immediately stops and looks at Yuto.

Thames: “Yuto.”

Yuto: “Yーyes!”

Thames: “I’m…..I’m sorry I doubted you. You are certainly a C-Rank Adventurer.”

And with that, Thames left the field.

By the time Yuto couldn’t see Thames anymore, Kratos walks over to Yuto.

Kratos: “Now it’s your turn.”

Yuto: “Yーyessir!!”

An A-Rank Adventurer is right before his eyes.

And Yuto stiffens with just that fact alone.

Kratos: “What kind of fighting was that, just now? That was too pitiful to watch.”

Yuto: “IーI’m sorry…”

Being called pitiful by a 1st Rate Adventurer, Yuto’s confidence dents.

Kratos: “Have you never fought against a person before?”

Yuto: “.........no, I haven’t....”

Kratos: “Thought so…”

So Kratos did see through Yuto’s lack of experience.

When Yuto was lost on what to do, Kratos showed him via his eye contact.

Kratos: “Okay then, then should we start?”

Yuto: “.....start?”

Yuto is confused, but Kratos excitedly pulls out his blade from his waist.

The entirety of the giant blade was the color of fire.

Seeing that sword, Yuto murmurs…

Yuto: “The Great Sword of Dryas….”

What Kratos held was an A-Rank Instant Dungeon Drop - the strongest ranked magic sword.

The material of the blade is unknown and is said to be a weapon of God that has higher strength and durability
than Mithril.

It will never break, and its edge stays razor sharp.

With that alone, it is an incredible weapon, but it it said to have another hidden trait.

The Great Sword of Dryas is one of the most admired Dungeon-made weapons there is.

Having such a sword pointed at him, Yuto’s sucked in his breath.

Just with the sword pointing at him, he felt an immense pressure upon him.

And feeling the pressure, the Adventurers around them….

“Oh, look at the time. I better get going～”

“I need to get to the Dungeon～!”

.....many begin walking away one by one.

Yuto wanted to join those Adventurers.

He wanted to join and run away with them.

But there is no way Kratos would let him leave right now.

Kratos: “Draw your sword too, Yuto.”

Yuto: “What?!”
Kratos: “Draw your sword, Yuto.”

Yuto: “But………”
Kratos: “Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? There’s no way a C-Ranker would be able to lay a finger on me,
idiot.”

Yuto: “...........”

Kratos: “Besidesーー”

Kratos signals with his eyes towards a certain direction.

In the line of his sight, Yuto sees Eliz watching Yuto intently and swallowing hard.

Kratos: “See? There’s nothing to worry about.”

What Kratos wanted to say was, “Even if someone gets hurt, Eliz is here to heal us, right?” as he met Yuto’s eyes.

This was Kratos’ way of asking Yuto if he trusted Eliz and her Healing abilities.

And there’s no way Yuto would back down after that.

With determination, Yuto puts a hand on his katana’s handle.

Kratos: “Are you ready? If you are, then draw your sword. That will be the signal.”

Hearing Kratos’ words, Yuto takes one breath - slowly inhaling and then exhaling.

Yuto: (Am I…..ready…..?)

The slow breathing helped clear his head.

And one idea suddenly came to mind.

Yuto: (...........wait, maybe………)

Yuto took out his Skill Board.

No one else can see the Skill Board besides Yuto.

So he can use it without risking exposure about its existence.

Yuto tries to move minimally while moving through the Skill Board.

And…..

Yuto: (.....yes! I knew it!)

Yuto has been dodging quite a few of Thames’ attacks.

And Yuto thought maybe he was able to clear the [Receive or Dodge 100 Attacks] Quest.

As he confirmed, it was just as he expected.

The [Receive or Dodge 100 Attacks] was gone from his Quest list.

Yuto: (I should raise at least something before I start fighting Mr. Kratos…..)

Kratos is an A-Rank Adventurer.

The average Levels for A-Rank is 56 to 70. The average Skill Level is 6.

This is not an opponent that Yuto can win against.

Just so he’s not beaten to a literal pulp, Yuto wanted to upgrade one of his Skills.

Yuto: (I wish I had more Skill Points to use…….)

Yuto prayed as he peered at his Status Display.

>>Skill Point: 0 → 3

>>Dodge Lv 0 NEW

Yuto: (Skill [Dodge]....it must be from clearing the Quest!)

Yuto dodged 100 attacks. As a reward, he received the [Dodge] Skill.

Yuto: (Oh wait, if I received 100 attacks, would I have received a different skill?)

The Quest was [Receive 100 Attacks OR Dodge 100 Attacks.]

Yuto decided to dodge the attacks, but if he was to receive it instead, there’s a good chance that he would have
seen a different Skill appear.

Yuto: (ーーbut I have no time thinking about that!!)

Yuto shakes his head, and distributes all his Skill Points into [Dodge].

>>Skill Point: 3 → 0

>>Dodge Lv 2

Yuto: (I hope this will help me with this fight.)

Yuto had to wipe away his fears and worries along with the Skill Board display.

Before him, Kratos silently waited for Yuto with his Great Sword in the ready position.

He has waited patiently for Yuto to finish his preparations.

Looking at his stance, there is not one ripple or flutter of movement. He is as still as the surface of a lake when the
wind dies down.

You could easily expect him to hold this position indefinitely. That’s how solid he is holding it.

Yuto: (Yeah…...there’s no way……)

Yuto did not see one opening from Kratos' stance, and he could only chuckle in exasperation to himself quietly.

No matter how he attacks, in Yuto’s mind, he sees all of his attacks getting blocked.

Yuto closes his eyes and relaxes every muscle in his body.

He takes out all the noise and thoughts running through his mind.
Soon, his ears began rejecting all sounds, and he fell into deep silence.

In the silence, Yuto inhaled deeply and held his breath.

His concentration begins to rise slowly.

And a second…...is stretched into eternity….

Yuto places a hand on the handle of his katana and opens his eyes.

The next momentーー.

Yuto: “SH!!”

Yuto moves right before Kratos’ eyes, and draws his blade.

Kratos said...

[Are you ready? If you are, draw your sword. That will be the signal.]

Which means...the match won’t start until Yuto draws his blade.

No matter how fast Yuto approaches him, Kratos would easily react and respond to all of his attacks.

But what if he approached with his blade still in the sheath?

Yuto instantly approaches Kratos with his blade still sheathed.

Once he was in striking distance, he drew his sword with everything he had.

But….

ーーiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnn!! (*sfx ringing)

Kratos easily blocked Yuto’s attack.

Kratos: “You *******......I thought you had trouble attacking people!”

Yuto: “I thought it wouldn’t matter to you, Mr. Kratos.”

Thames and Kratos are totally different.

In Thames case, Yuto could easily imagine injuring her.

But standing before Kratos, Yuto could not see one single attack landing on him.

It was impossible to injure Kratos.

Yuto was certain that the wall of his defense was too thick and too strong.

Because of that, Yuto went all out.

Yuto felt that one of the reasons why Kratos stood before him was to allow him to use his full strength.
Kratos: “You really got guts, I’ll give you….that!!”

Yuto: “...........!!”

Kratos pushes Yuto back with his Great Sword.

He just used brute force, and Yuto went flying backwards.

There’s just too much difference in their strengths.

If he went head on with his katana, he would be crushed.

Yuto takes a few steps to reorient himself, and looks for another timing to attack Kratos.

Yuto: (I can’t see any openings or weaknesses……?! What should I do…..?!”

Kratos takes one step towards Yuto in the midst of Yuto’s dilemma.

Just with that one step, Yuto felt that he was suddenly in Kratos’ range.

Yuto: “Ugh………”

The pressure emitted from Kratos was immense and caused Yuto to strain.

The next moment…

Kratos swung his sword down towards Yuto.

Yuto: “ーー!!”

Yuto hurriedly dodges the attack.

By the skin of his neck, Yuto manages to avoid Kratos’ Great Sword.

Kratos immediately takes his sword and swings again.

Yuto manages to deflect the sword by angling his katana.

But….

Yuto: “What?!”

Although he deflected the sword, another sword came from a completely different direction at him.

Yuto’s [Presence Detection] caught wind of the new threat.

Yuto immediately dashes away from the spot.

Kratos: “Impressive…you responded well just then.”

Yuto: “......what was that just now?”

A single, large bead of sweat runs down his face.

That attack just now...it would have been impossible to do if there wasn’t a second Kratos.

But there is only one.

Yuto wanted to think that maybe he was mistaken.

But he trusted his [Presence Detection] and jumped backwards immediately.

His instant judgement proved correct.

2 meters ahead of Yuto, the ground was lightly grazed by something.

Whatever Yuto dodged just now dug and left a mark in the dirt.

Kratos: “It means the [Thousand Blades] is not just some fancy title.”

Kratos readies his sword before him.

It looks like he wasn’t going to explain the phenomenon any further.

Kratos begins his attack again.

Yuto manages to dodge the blade he can see.

Yuto: (ーーagain?!)

Yuto subsequently dodges the mystery attack coming directly at his side.

Because he was prepared this time, he was able to dodge both attacks more smoothly than before.

But even so, he still barely dodged both attacks.

Yuto was not able to counter and attack Kratos at all.

Kratos’ movements flowed smoothly into his next attacks and his sword continued to follow Yuto.

Yuto continues to avoid his blade and the attacks from weird angles that he cannot see.

Yuto: (Thousand Blades…...Thousand Blades…..wait, is it a Specialty?!)

As Yuto avoids the attacks, a lightbulb goes off in his head.

The [Thousand Blades] is not just a nickname, but maybe referring to one of Kratos’ Specialty Skill?

As he continued to dodge the mysterious attacks, Yuto came to one chilling conclusion.

Yuto: (Mr. Kratos can consciously produce multiple bladesーー?!)

A Specialty that allows him to create numerous blades to attack from all different angles.

If put into that context, it matches the phenomenon that Yuto is currently experiencing.

Because of this ability, Kratos was able to earn the title of the [Thousand Blades].

Yuto: (This….this is an A-Rank…….!!)

As Yuto dodged Kratos’ attacks, a shiver ran through his body.

In Yuto’s eyes, Kratos himself looked like a monster himself - an extremely dangerous one at that.

Yuto struggled but was able to defeat the B-Rank Mithril Golem.

Compared to Kratos, the Mithril Golem’s strength was much more reasonable and easier to understand.

It was a strength he could measure.

But A-Rank was still a completely different world to Yuto.

It’s not as simple as people who are slightly faster and stronger than B-Ranks.

In Yuto’s mind right now, he could not come up with one solution of how he could win. Kratos’ strength felt like it
was from a different dimension altogether.

Yuto continues to look desperately for an opening, a chance, anything that would get him out of this situation.

Kratos: “Hey hey, are you getting tired already?”

Yuto: “Nーno….of…..course not…..(gasp………..gasp………)!!”

As Yuto tries to cool and calm his mind, Kratos, with impeccable timing, taunts and throws terse jeers at him.

The course of the blade changes. The timing of the swings changes deceptively faster and slower. Attacks
continue to morph and come from unexpected timings and methods.

Yuto is unable to put any thought to offense.

If he even just a little takes his mind off dodging, in that exact moment, he would receive a blow.

Yuto: “(gasp……………..gasp………….)”

Yuto feels his shoulders move up and down as he tries to catch his breath.

Before him, Kratos stands there coolly just as he did before the battle started.

Yuto: (There…...there must be something I can do……..)

Yuto continues to analyze Kratos’ attack methods and patterns.

Yuto is utilizing his [Physical Boost].

But that is not enough to reach Kratos’ level.

If it wasn’t for [Physical Boost], the match would have ended with Kratos’ first [Thousand Blades] attack.

But because he has continually used [Physical Boost] until now, fatigue is slowly starting to make its way into his
body.

That is why Yuto is unable to catch his breath.

At this rate, in the very near future, his [Physical Boost]’s effects will disappear.

At that point, he will not be able to dodge the [Thousand Blades].

Yuto felt a sharp chill run down his spine at the realization.

Yuto: (Is there anything….anything else I can use……?!)

As Yuto delved into his thoughts, a flashback suddenly came to mind.

It was a memory of when Yuto was still working as a luggage carrier.

Yuto was picking up the Monster Stones, and he was getting the potions ready for the party.

At that point, Yuto was still the weakest Adventurer.

He always faced the possibility that just from one attack, he would meet his fatal end.

But Yuto survived even in that environment.

And even though he was the weakest Adventurer, different parties would scout him as their luggage carrier.

Why?

Yuto remembered the reason.

Yuto: (I need to……..broaden my vision!!)

Yuto’s world began to expand with the realization.

With Yuto at the center, he saw Kratos before him.

In the distance, Eliz is watching him with hands together as if praying.

And there are other Adventurers (probably Kratos’ party members) who are watching.

All these things, Yuto began to be very conscious of.

At this moment, Yuto was able to see the entire grassy plains next to the Temple from a bird’s eye point of view.

The ability to be able to perceive all things around you.

This is not a Skill or Specialty.

This was one of Yuto’s natural born talents - his ability to observe and perceive his surroundings.

It was because of this innate ability that Yuto was able to survive even as the weakest.

Even as the weakest, he was still valued as a luggage carrier.

Yuto: (Alright….!)

As his perception of the world expanded, the clarity helped cool Yuto’s panic-stricken mind to a certain degree.

Now he was able to more accurately perceive the invisible blades that were moving around him.

Yuto began to time his counter strike as he dodged Kratos’ blades.

But as if to notice the change in Yuto's state of mind, Kratos opened his lips.
Kratos: “Let’s end it here.”

The next moment…

Yuto: “ーーWHー?!”

An overwhelming swarm of blades was detected by Yuto’s [Presence Detection].

For an instant, Yuto froze, petrified from the sight.

Yuto: (Oh no!!)

Yuto closed his eyes and braced for the strike.

Gritting his teeth hard, he prepares to be struck, but no matter how long he waited, he didn’t feel a thing.

He cautiously opened his eyes only to see Kratos’ blade in front of his face.

Kratos: “It’s over.”

Yuto: “...........yes, it’s my loss.”

Kratos stopped his blade before it reached Yuto.

Yuto appreciated this and breathed a sigh of relief.

Eliz: “MーMr. Yuto! Are you okay, yes?!”

Eliz scrambles over to Yuto’s side quickly.

When she touches Yuto’s arm, the weight of fatigue that was bearing down on Yuto disappears.

Eliz used her [Stamina Charge] just now.

Yuto: “Thank you, Eliz.”

Eliz: “Of course, yes. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Yuto: “I’m good.”

As Yuto answers Eliz, inside he was still wrestling with the fact that he was “defeated.”

It was an extremely one-sided defeat too.

Kratos used his [Thousand Blades].

But Yuto could feel that Kratos still had many tricks up his sleeves.

Yuto was unable to draw out all of Kratos’ strength.

Yuto: “(sigh……………….)”

Only a heavy sigh left his lips.

There is no way he could win against an A-Rank Adventurer.

Yuto knew this in his head, but even so, he could not still reject the bitter sense of defeat that was left when he lost.

It has been a while since Yuto felt this sensation.

It brought back deep memories and feelings from the days when he was still an Adventurer whose Level could not
go up.

Yuto: (Now that I think about it, I felt this almost every day during that time…..)

Yuto felt this same feeling when he was watching the other Adventurers fight with monsters. He felt this sense of
defeat the entire time.

This was not because he felt that he “lost” to other Adventurers.

It was purely because he felt that he was too weak.

As he lost to Kratos, while he fought with Kratos, Yuto could directly feel his weakness again - more than he ever
wanted to.

It was the same feeling as when he was the Weakest Adventurer…..

Kratos: “Hey, boy, I bet you thought you could sneak a win by pure Level and Skill, didn’t you?”

Yuto: “................”

At Kratos’ words, Yuto sucked in a breath.

He was right. It was just as he said.

Yuto gained access to his Skill Board.

The power of the Skill Board raised the Weakest Adventurer who was Yuto to C-Rank in almost no time.

And Yuto was purely dependent on the power of the Skill Board.

ーーno.

Yuto shook his head inside his mind.

It wasn’t just today.

Since he received this power, Yuto stopped using his experience that he built up as an Adventurer.

It was because he thought those things would pale in comparison to his new Levels and Skills…..

Kratos: “An Adventurer’s strength is not just Levels and Skills. There is experience, knowledge, perspective, and
many things that will not be reflected in a Status - all of that is part of your combat strength. Just because it’s not
something that pops up on your Status doesn’t mean that you can just discard it as nothing anymore.”

Yuto: “.........yes.”

Yuto felt as though Kratos read him like a book and pointed out the glaring flaws hiding inside of him.

An Adventurer’s experience and knowledge will never be reflected in the Status.

And there are natural born traits and personalities that would also be unrelated to your Status.

But these things that are outside of your Status are equally important to an Adventurer.

By ignoring these things, it would be like trying to become a Spellcaster even though you may be blessed with
great physical abilities.

In a Dungeon, if you fight ignoring your unique physique, experience, and knowledge, you will eventually hit a
dead-end.

This was something that Yuto, someone who has survived inside a Dungeon for 10 years, should have already
known.

In order to become stronger, he has utilized every piece of strength and talent he could find inside himself.

But Yuto forgot all of that.

He became blinded by the bright light emitted by his improvements and progress of his Status and nothing else
mattered to him…..

And reaching a C-Rank Adventurer, he also became overconfident.

He thought, “I’m strong now!”

Yuto: (But in reality, I’m still weak………)

Realizing this, Yuto’s shoulders sagged.

But as he looked down, Kratos laid a hand on his head.

Kratos: “I understand how you want to deny that you were ever weak. How you want to disprove everyone around
you that they were wrong to think of you that way. But don’t forget, it’s because of your past that you have a
foundation to build yourself upon today. So don’t be so harsh with your past.”

Yuto: “.........yes. Thank you very much.”

Relaying his gratitude to Kratos, Yuto leaves the field.

In this fight, Yuto was now able to experience what it was like to face another human being.

He also now understood how strong an A-Rank Adventurer was.

He also learned to draw out his unique strengths and abilities that he had discarded as useless up until now.

He gained a lot from this encounter.

Yuto: (I need to become even more…..even more stronger……….!)

Yuto’s determination and resolve hardens once again.

But this “stronger” was slightly different from before.

It was not a vague, blurry image of “strength,” but now it began to take shape. It was still not crystal clear but
outlines were now forming inside Yuto on what this “strength” looked like for him.
<<<<>>>>

As he watched the two Adventurers leave the field, Kratos sat down in the grassy plain, and closed his eyes to
reflect on what just occurred.

The “Lone Wolf” Thames and the “Dumpster Diver” Yuto.

Thames only obsessed over “Becoming a C-Rank” and saw nothing else.

An Adventurer’s rank will naturally rise as a result of becoming stronger.

But until you realize this, you will never reach C-Rank.

That’s because a promotion is not simply about passing a “test” or “entrance exam”.

The people in the Guild are not idiots.

As long as the person does not understand core concepts and values, they will not allow that person to be promoted
under any circumstances.

[For all the C-Rank Adventurers, there was a clear set of reasons of why they were able to reach that promotion]

For Thames, she should have realized this with her Duel with Yuto.

Although she may not be able to just yet, in the near future, Thames will rise up into the C-Rank realm of
Adventurers. This was Kratos’ personal speculation.

In this way, when Kratos has time, he would go out of his way to take care of the newer Adventurers.

But this isn’t everyone he runs across. Just the select few that catches his eye.

These are usually those who are not able to take off remnants of their old shells completely or those who are
unable to fully utilize the strength they have.

Watching those Adventurers makes him uneasy, restless, and eventually pushes him to do something about it.

Yes, in reality, it’s none of his business. There are those who tell him off, and they are right to do so. But even so,
this wasn’t for him, but for the person he was trying to help. Kratos was certain of this.

And to prove his point, everyone Kratos helped so far became a famous and renowned Adventurer in Kronos.

Kratos had an unusually keen instinct to sniff out these problems.

Thames is a good example of an Adventurer who would go farther up and higher if she would be more diligent in
training herself and not just prove her current strength. She had high, untapped potential.

Kratos felt this and when seeing Thames, smelled trouble.

But the problem was Yuto.

[Hey, don’t get on your high horse because you were able to beat Thames!]

[There’s always someone stronger than you as an Adventurer!]

This was originally what Kratos meant to teach Yuto as he demanded a practice match with him.

When you overwhelm other adventurers with your strength, most would become overconfident.

And it’s that overconfidence that robs the Adventurers of their lives.

So for Kratos, he planned on splashing the cold water of defeat on Yuto’s face to help him realize that he still has a
long way to go.

But as soon as the match began, Kratos realized that he was mistaken.

Kratos: (This guy……..he’s not overconfident at all……….?!)

Yuto’s movements had no signs of overconfidence, and he saw no swelling of pride or arrogance.

And not only that, an A-Rank Adventurer like Kratos is facing him with his A-Rank weapons, but Yuto kept
fearlessly coming after him.

Kratos: (Oh.....this is bad……….)

Kratos: (Oh, this is bad…..)

Kratos was originally planning to end this with a single sweep of his sword.

[Don’t get so cocky!]

[You still have a long way to go before you reach the top!]

[Work harder!]

His plans to shove those words down Yuto’s throat by showing him the enormous difference in strength was
quickly evaporating!

Kratos: (Dang it! I had some really cool lines prepared too!)

Kratos hurriedly uses his Specialty Skill - the [Thousand Blades].

His Specialty will create a blade in the air, and it can attack his target from all angles.

It’s true that he could technically produce 1000 blades at once, but he has yet to try that in actual battle.

1,000 blades appearing like that on the battle field would honestly just get in his way.

But it was this [Thousand Blades] that pushed Kratos all the way up to A-Rank.

And that Skill was...

Kratos: (ーーWHAT?!)

...dodged by Yuto.

Kratos has never revealed his Skill to Yuto before.

It was Yuto’s first time to experience and see this attack.

Kratos: (A C-Rank dodged my Skill at first glance?!?!)

The [Thousand Blades] attacked Yuto from behind.

It was not at an angle that Yuto could have saw coming.

Kratos did not imagine for a second that Yuto would actually dodge this attack.

Kratos: (What is up with this kid…..?!)

As they fought, Kratos recalled the incident that happened the other day.

A girl who was a Healer was abandoned by her party and was trapped in an Instant Dungeon.

And Yuto jumped into that Instant Dungeon to rescue her.

He jumped into a higher-rank Dungeon and brilliantly came back alive.

From this, Kratos assumed that Yuto was no ordinary Adventurer.

But he never imagined this……..

Kratos: (.....this guy….his movements are too awkward….)

Kratos is certain that his overall Status is higher than Yuto’s.

But Yuto would be at least in the mid-tier or upper-tier of C-Ranks.

But the Status he earned from defeating Dungeon Monsters was not meshing well with Yuto’s body.

It was like looking at a Low-Level Adventurer who was wielding a legendary weapon - something way above his
class.

He was obviously being pulled this way and that by his weapon and strength and was not in full control of himself.

But as Kratos continued his attacks, Yuto’s disparate strengths began to come together - the awkward movements
began to fade and smooth into one motion.

Now, he was dodging Kratos’ attacks with smooth fluidity!!

Kratos: (THIS IS BAD!!)

Continuing this fight any further would mean that his chances of an overwhelming A-Rank victory would
disappear.

Kratos put his brain into high-gear to try and finish this fight right now.

Kratos: “Let’s end it here.”

Even though Kratos had no confidence in his plan, he still voiced it with full confidence.

Of course, all of this is an act, a complete bluff ーー but a bluff that Kratos has pulled off time and time again.

Before his opponent can prepare for an attack…

Kratos increased his [Thousand Blades] by 20.

Even Yuto could not help but flinch and freeze at the realization.

Luckily, at the attack of the blades, Yuto closes his eyes.

Seizing the opportunity, Kratos erases his [Thousand Blades] and places his sword before Yuto’s face.

From there, Kratos could not recall what he said to Yuto.

Part of the reason was because Yuto was completely unique compared to any other Adventurer he came across thus
far.

As a veteran and Yuto’s superior, he tried to think of some advice for him, but he was not confident in anything
that came to mind.

But…….Kratos just remembers saying something that may have sounded okay, but he kept it more vague than
usual.

Kratos: (That was close...I think I said the first thing that came to mind, so I’m glad he agreed……)

He kept his expression strictly under control, but deep down, Kratos was relieved.

He was certain that Yuto would continue to grow stronger.

This, he knew for sure.

But how far Yuto would go was beyond Kratos.

Kratos: “It might be guys like that, that actually reach S-Rank…..”

It was when Kratos was mumbling to himself…

“So you were just here the whole time...”

A female Adventurer who would make all faces turn towards her as she smiled walked towards Kratos.

Seeing her, all the hair on Kratos stood on its end.

Kratos: (CRAP!!)

This Adventurer was Tia. She is part of Kratos’ party, the [Crimson Flame of Destruction] “Rift Flower.”

Tia: “You said we were going to an Insta-A so we’ve been waiting for you this entire time. So what were you
doing…..?”

Her absolute zero tone of voice caused Kratos’ smile to strain.

To Kratos, it was similar to a Dragon appearing out of nowhere before him.

Kratos has known Tia for quite a while now.

And because of that, she knows Kratos’ physical limitations as if it was an exact science.

ーーto be precise, she knew exactly how many of her spells it would take before Kratos would die. To Kratos’
misfortune, she discovered this secret.

[Kratos, because you wasted my time, I think my Spellcasting senses dulled quite a bit.”
[Here, I know. You can take responsibility by helping me with my Spellcasting practice.]

[Don’t worry. Even if you get injured, I can Heal you right away.]

These were Tia's favorite phrases in these kinds of situations.

Being unable to escape, Kratos had to yet again put his brain into high-gear to find a way to save his own life.
Post Kratos Battle

After the match with Kratos…

Yuto, still disappointed by the outcome, headed to the Guild within the Temple.

If he wants to continue getting stronger, then he cannot ignore completing Quests.

But equally important, he will need to also purchase new armor soon.

Yuto: “I need to make money fast…”

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto. IーIf you need money, I can lend it to you, yes.”

Yuto: “No, really, Eliz. You really don’t have to do that. Please use the money you earned for yourself, okay?”

Yuto quickly turns down Eliz’ offer.

No matter how much Eliz wants to do this for him, he would have a 12 year old girl pay for his equipment. He
couldn’t possibly go through with that no matter what.

Then there’s no other choice but to make the money himself.

Yuto searches through the Requests posted on the Guild board.

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto, if you need to make money, then it’s better to do Insta-Dungeons or collect Monster Stones than
performing Requests, yes.”

Yuto: “Yes, I think so too, but I was hoping that maybe there’s a Request I can take care of while I collect Monster
Stones.”

Even Yuto doesn’t know what exactly he’s looking for.

But if there is such a Request that he can complete by just collecting Monster Stones, then for Yuto, that would
actually be more efficient.

Looking through all the Requests, one particular one caught his eyes.

Yuto: ”ーーHey, look at this!!”

Eliz: “Hm? Did you find something, yes?”

Eliz stands on her toes to take a closer look at the board.

Yuto was looking at the [Water Source Investigation] Request.

Kronos has a number of water sources that it pulls its drinking water from.
The Request is to investigate one of these water sources.

But what caught Yuto’s eyes was not the investigation itself.

It was the person who requested the investigation.

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto. What about this Request?”

Yuto: “Yeah, this one. This Request was made from the owner of my favorite bread shop.”

Eliz: “Oh…..ohhhhh….that bread, yes.”

Eliz makes a slightly soured, bitter face as the memory causes her to chew on a unsavory flavor in her mouth at the
mention of it.

Yuto has also gifted her the 50 gard bread in the Dungeon.

Yuto’s plan was to have another fan of the 50 gard bread.

But Eliz’ response was less than favorable.

ーーit's too bad.

But putting that aside, let’s get back to the Request.

Yuto felt that it was destiny that he came across this Request and took hold of the Request form.

Eliz: “MーMr. Yuto...please, hold on, yes.”

Yuto: “Hm? What is it?”

Eliz: “Did you look at the reward, yes?”

Yuto: “No I haven’t.”

Yuto was perplexed by her question and tried to head to the counter before Eliz grabbed a hold of him again.

Eliz: “Wait! WAIT, yes! Mr. Yuto, you were trying to find a Request to make money, yes?! Then choosing this
Request should not be your first choice, yes?!”

The reward for the Water Source Investigation totaled 1000 gards.

Compared to other Requests, this one is particularly cheap.

But for Yuto, money wasn’t an issue.

Yuto: “This is a request from one of my most favorite bread shops in all of Kronos!”

If Yuto didn’t take on this Request and the bread shop closes….

Yuto: (I may die from starvation……..)

Just knowing that, Yuto could not help but to take on this Request immediately.
Yuto: “Besides, there’s a reward aside from the 1,000 gard reward, so don’t worry.”

Eliz: “.................”

At Yuto’s words, light faded from Eliz’ eyes.

This Request indeed had a reward aside from the gards.

On a very rare occasion, Requests like this pop up.

For instance, a Request posted by a fisherman would receive fresh fish as a reward aside from the gards.

If you help a farmer, you’ll get fresh vegetables.

On this particular Request, you will receive 100, yes ONE HUNDRED of those 50 gard bread as a bonus.

Yuto: “That’s 5,000 gards worth! 5,000 gards!! That’s 100 pieces of bread which is 100 meals worth! You can’t
pass up opportunities like this!”

Eliz: “Iーis that so…….”

As Yuto passionately makes his speech, Eliz loses all hope to stop him.

<<<<>>>>

Yuto accepted the Request and headed to the Water Source with Eliz.

Fortunately, it was one of the closer Water Sources and was located within Kronos.

Yuto: “The Guild receptionist said something about, ‘The water taste changed and the quality of the bread
dropped.’ Right?”

Eliz: “Ohhhhhh, that’s why it taste so baーー”

Yuto: “Hm?”

Eliz: “Nーno, it’s nothing. The bread is delicious, y-E-s.”

Eliz’ shoulders spasmed for a brief moment.

Yuto smiles as he agrees full-heartedly with Eliz’ compliment.

Yuto: (It sure is, Eliz. And today’s lunch is going to be the 50 gard bread!)

The Request asked for an investigation of the Water Source and if possible, eliminate the cause.

Yuto couldn’t imagine what the source of the problem could be, but he was going to do everything he can to make
his mission a success.

In the corner of Kronos, there is a pond that is encircled by walls.

This is the Water Source referred by the Request.

It is protected by iron bars with heavy locks, so no one can approach it.
Yuto takes the key he received from the Guild worker and releases the lock on the bars.

Yuto: “This Water Source was actually used since the creation of the Kronos city itself.”

Eliz: “Oh, that’s amazing.”

Because the walls were constructed such a long time ago, the brick walls are now covered in moss.

At the center was the Water Source itself.

Gently, water flows out from the ground.

And the water from the Water Source gently pours down the waterways and goes out to Kronos.

But it does not go out to all of Kronos.

Depending on the region and district, each waterway goes to different parts of the city.

The water here dominantly delivers water to the district where the bread store resides.

Yuto: “Hmmmmm…..from the looks of it, it doesn’t look polluted or cloudy from here.”

Eliz: “Yes, you’re right, yes.”

Yuto: “Is there another cause?”

Yuto looks up from the water and looks around.

The pond itself may have a very high humidity because the green moss is not only growing close to the Water
Source, but it is growing all over the brick walls.

Within the moss, Yuto saw something strange within it.

Yuto: “........hey, that's…?”

On the wall, something mysterious and black was swarming against the walls.

Yuto carefully and cautiously approached the objects.

But as soon as Yuto got a good look, he recognized the creatures.

Yuto: “Oh, they’re Slimes.”

The creatures were a black-colored Slimes.

But a Slime is typically transparent and clear.

Eliz: “A Black Slime, hmm….this is very rare.”

Yuto: “You’re right. The most famous colorful Slimes are the ones that appear in the deeper part of the Dungeons
- the Chaos Slimes…”

Yuto’s muscles tighten at the thought.

A Chaos Slime is a B-Rank Monster.

With just Yuto and Eliz, they would not walk away unscathed from that encounter.
But the Slime in front of Yuto did not give off a B-Rank Monster aura or atmosphere.

For comparison, Yuto takes Pino out of his bag.

Being suddenly exposed to light, Pino frantically shakes his jelly body.

Yuto: (..........he’s cute.)

Yuto warmly regards Pino’s actions and brings up Pino to compare him to the other Slimes.

The only difference that Yuto can see is just the color.

Besides the color, there is really no difference between the two.

Yuto: “Hmmmmm…..?”

Yuto moves Pino to his shoulder, and takes his finger to rub against the Black Slime’s outer surface.

Rubbing his finger against its surface, the color of the Slime did not rub off on Yuto’s finger.

It doesn’t look like the Black outer coloring is something that is just on the surface.

Yuto sniffs the finger where he touched the Black Slime.

Yuto: (ーーyuck!)

An intense sewage odor stained the tip of his finger.

There’s no doubt about it. The pollution of the Water Source was caused by this Slime.

Yuto: “Eliz, can you help me look for any Black Slimes just like this one?”

Eliz: “Understood, yes!”

From there, Yuto quickly searched through the Water Source for the Black Slimes.

He and Eliz found 20 Black Slimes total in the area.

Yuto: “So there were this many…….”

Eliz: “It’s a lot, yes.”

As they look at the Slimes they collected, Yuto furrows his brows.

Slimes by nature cleanse water. So even if they lived next to a water spot, they wouldn’t cause any issues.

He couldn’t think of any reason why they transformed this way.

The only thing they could have eaten here would have been moss and water, so there’s no other source that could
have caused this transformation.

At the very least, there was nothing in the area that Yuto could see that could have caused the Slimes to transform
this way.

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto, what should we do with this, yes?”

Yuto: “Let’s go ahead and stuff them in this bag.”

Yuto thought about taking care of them right here, but only Spells work on Slimes.

You can’t really harm Slimes with physical attacks, and it would be a nightmare if one of their damaged bodies
falls into the water.

And right now, the only Spell Yuto can use is {Lightning}.

If he’s not careful, he’ll damage or destroy the Water Source here.

In short, it would be impossible for him to take care of these Slimes here.

So Yuto starts placing the Slimes inside his sack.

He will go to the Dungeon later and take care of these creatures later.

Once they collected all the Slimes, they leave the Water Resource Area, and head to the Bread Store.

“OHH!! Thank you～! Now we can continue breaking bread here.”

As they explain the cause of the problem, the woman running the bread store thanks Yuto and Eliz with tears in her
eyes.

“If the water goes bad, I would have had to close the shop permanently….I’m so glad that it didn’t come to that.”

Yuto: “I love this Bread Store, so I’m glad the Request went well.”

Yuto is also relieved at the Bread Store Owner’s words.

If this store disappeared, Yuto wouldn’t have known what he would be able to eat to live going forward.

He received the 1000 gards reward and 100 pieces of bread.

Yuto carried the bread with both hands and whistled a tune as he left the store.

Yuto: “There’s at least 50 days worth of food right here! …...OH! I can’t forget, I need to give Eliz her share.”

Dividing up the spoils is very important in a party.

Ignoring this ironclad law, your party would dissolve before you know it.

As Yuto realizes this, he opens his mouth to speak.

Yuto: “Okay, let’s divide this up like usual.”

Eliz: “Nーno. I don’t...really want the bread, yes….”

Yuto: “Hm? Really? But even if we divide this up into 2, that’s 25 days of food for each of us.”

Eliz: “I’m….good, yes.”

Eliz shakes her head to decline.

If she’s this insistent, Yuto cannot force it on her.

Yuto took the bread and gave Eliz the 1000 gards instead.

They return to the Guild to report that the Request was fully completed.

After that, Yuto took the sack of Black Slimes and within the Dungeon, cast his {Lightning} spell and took care of
them.

The Slimes showed no hint of resistance and melted away when the spell struck.

Yuto: “So they really were no different than regular Slimes….”

After all the work was done, Yuto parted with Eliz and headed back to his rundown apartment room.

Yuto: “～～♪”

Holding bags of bread in each hand, Yuto’s steps are very light.

Of course it is.

He’s carrying 100 meals worth of food supplies at the moment.

Yuto hummed as he walked down the street. It was right then...

ーー<BUMP!>

Something hit Yuto’s body.

Yuto: “Hm?”

Yuto looks down to where his body was hit.

There was a young boy who was probably younger than Eliz there.

The boy ran away into a nearby alley right after bumping into Yuto.

Yuto tilted his head to wonder what that was all about when he realized that some of the bread he was carrying was
gone.

Yuto: “ーーoh no! He took the bread!!”

Realizing this, Yuto chases after the boy.

The residential area where Yuto’s apartment lies also houses those who rarely have enough to eat.

Pickpockets and robbery are all too common there.

But it is thanks to that fact that Yuto’s rent is so cheap too…

So walking in that kind of neighborhood without any alertness or awareness carrying an arm full of food, Yuto
became a prime target.

Yuto: “Ugh! I should have put the bread in my inventory!)

Yuto was being too careless.

As he runs after the pickpocket, Yuto places the rest of the bread into his inventory.

He begins to use his [Presence Detection] to feel out where the thief might have gone to.

Yuto: (ーーfound you!)

Using all of the physical enhancements from his Level Ups, Yuto ran at full-speed towards the thief.

Rounding a third corner, Yuto came into sight with the thief.

He kicks the ground and reaches out his hand.

Yuto: “Got you!”

“AHH!!”

Yuto grabs the boy by the shoulder, and the boy almost trips to the ground.

But Yuto picks him up gently.

The boy realizes his predicament and waves his arms and legs wildly but it’s too late.

Yuto had no intention of letting the boy go.

Yuto: “Give back the bread you stole.”

“Nーno! This is mine!”

Yuto: “Yeah, yeah.”

Yuto forcefully takes the bread back from the boy.

Yuto has no intention of scolding the boy to tell him not to take things.

There are too many people in Kronos who has to do this to keep living.

Asking someone like this to not steal is equivalent to telling them to “starve and die.”

Yuto did not want to say anything that irresponsible.

Yuto was also in the same boat as this boy.

On the contrary, he had no experience stealing like this but…

It was 10 years ago…

After leaving the Orphanage, Yuto never had enough to eat every coming day.

There were days he drank water to dull the hunger for several days.

Every day, he struggled to survive.

There were times when he was sure that once he closed his eyes, they would never open again.
Remembering those experiences, Yuto could not come to scolding the boy at all.

All he wanted was for the things the boy stole to be returned.

“Hーhey, stop that!”

Yuto: “Yeah, yeah. This is the last one you took from me.”

It was right then after Yuto took back the final piece of bread…

“YOU BASTARD!! GET YOUR HANDS OFF TOKMU!!”

Sensing murderous intentions, Yuto immediately steps away.

The next moment…

A long thin needle pierced the air where Yuto was standing a moment ago.
Yuto: (ーーhe’s fast?!)

Yuto instinctively let go of the boy as he dodged.

Fortunately, he did not lose his balance and quickly recovered and readied his stance.

But the boy held the last piece of bread and disappeared into the alleyway.

Yuto: “Ahh...my bread…”

Yuto’s shoulders sagged a little.

If he chases down the boy now, he could potentially get his bread back.

But the young man who just appeared probably won’t let him.

“Picking on Tokmu like that. You prepared to die?!”

Yuto: “Picking on him? No, I was just getting my breadーー”

"Enough with your excuses!”

Yuto: “ーー!!”

The young man dashed forward at Yuto with his fist before Yuto could finish his sentence.

Yuto dodges the fist by a hair.

Yuto: (This person…….he’s an Adventurer!)

From the quick, sharp movements, Yuto immediately deduced that this man was no common layman.

The man was fast even in Yuto’s eyes.

But he's not so fast that the young man escaped his sight.

Yuto carefully dodged each attack as he spoke.

Yuto: “That boy stole bread from me.”

“Stop lying!”

Yuto: “I’m not lying. I was walking around carrying bread, and he took some from me….”

As Yuto dodged, he desperately did everything he could to clearly explain the situation.

The young man’s attacks were intense and not to be underestimated.

Yuto: (He’s definitely above an E-Rank.)

Yuto calmly analyzed the man’s combat capabilities as around D or C.

The only reason why he’s able to make such calm judgements is because he just fought a monster of an Adventurer
just this morning.

Thanks to that experience Kratos, Yuto was able to deal with this sudden person-to-person combat without losing
his calm.

“Hey, wait….is that….true?”

Yuto: “Yes, it’s true.”

Yuto was hoping that his explanations finally reached the man’s ears.

The young man lowered his fists.

And from there, his actions were just as fast.

He immediately lowered his head deeply before Yuto.

“IーI’m so sorry! Please forgive me! I’ll go retrieve the bread from Tokmu right now!”

Yuto: “Oh no. That’s fine.”

In the end, all Yuto lost was one 50 gard bread.

If it’s just that, then it’s no issue.

The reason why Yuto had the bread taken from him was because he had his guard down.

It’s the price for the lesson he learned that afternoon.

“But….then….”

Yuto: “In return, could you tell me a little about yourself?”

“Me? I’m Dannan - a D-Rank Adventurer.”

Yuto: “Are you perhaps a scout?”

Dannan: “Oh, yーyeah, that’s right. How’d you know?”

Yuto: (I knew it.)

So this young man was named Dannan, and he was an Adventurer too.

And just as Yuto guessed, he played a Scout-Role.

A scout is exactly what it sounds like. Your main job is to detect Monsters before they attack you.

And from the 11th Floor of the Base Dungeon, you’ll start encountering traps.

Disarming these traps is also the job for the scouts.

The reason why Yuto thought Dannan was a Scout was because of how thin Dannan’s presence was overall.

Right after the boy took Yuto’s bread, Yuto has been making sure his [Presence Detection] was active.

It would be stupid to get the bread back only to have it stolen again.

And Dannan was able to sneak past his [Presence Detection] undetected.

Right up until Dannan tried to attack him, Yuto did not know that he was there.

Yuto thought that this was largely due to the Stealth Skills that many Scouts carried.

And on top of that, Dannan attacked him using a needle.

A Scout’s typical choice of arms is a knife or sling-shot.

They avoid close-combat and stick to mid-range combat.

Although a needle is extremely rare, this is very much a Scout-like weapon choice.

Yuto: “I’m Yuto. I’m an Adventurer, the same as you, Mr. Dannan.”

Dannan: “Are you a C-Rank?”

Yuto: “Oh, yes, how could you tell?”

Dannan: “Well, it’s pretty easy to tell when all of my attacks were dodged so easily.”

Dannan strained a smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Yuto: “So Dannan.”

Dannan: “Yーyeah?”

As Yuto was about to speak, Dannan tensed up.

In return for letting the thievery go, he presumed the worst and expected a far harsher condition in return.

Yuto: “So this is up to you whether you want to accept it or not but…”

<<<<>>>>

After parting ways with Yuto, Dannan began walking towards the abandoned house he currently resided in.

When he heard that his much younger brother Tokmu stole from the Adventurer, Yuto, he felt his blood run cold.
But Yuto let the slight pass too easily without any consequences.

There are other Adventurers who wouldn’t hesitate to take off a head or two for lesser offenses.

From that perspective, the results were too good to be true.

But he also felt immense suspicion because of it.

Dannan: (What’s Yuto up to?)

No matter how you look at it, thieving is against the law.

If the perpetrator was known and the victim wanted to press charges, there is very little Dannan could do to save
his brother.

But none of that happened, and it all felt too unnatural.

Dannan: “I hope I’m not being sucked into a really awful party…..”

Yuto wanted to discuss with Dannan about joining a party.

Specifically, Yuto wanted Dannan to join his party.

Of course, this is just a temporary trial membership and not a permanent one.

Dannan: (But is there something behind all this?)

Dannan could not help feel the fears and worries loom behind the offer.

Dannan: “But even if that’s the case…….”

If it’s for Tokmu, Dannan can endure anything.

They are not related by blood.

Tokmu was discarded on the side of the road in the slums, and Dannan by chance ran across him.

Tokmu was a baby who hadn’t even opened his eyes.

At first, Dannan thought that he would never be able to raise a child by himself.

The thought of having the boy die before his eyes was enough for him to think about abandoning the baby himself.

But as he reached out to take Tokmu back to the slum's back roads, Tokmu’s hand gripped Dannan’s finger.

Tokmu’s hand barely grasped Dannan’s pinky finger. It was that small.

But although the hand was small, the hand gripped his finger tight and would not let go.

That was the moment that Dannan embraced his life with Tokmu.

And from that point on, Dannan did everything he could to raise Tokmu.
When Tokmu was hungry, he would go around different shops to ask if they could prepare a meal for babies.

If Tokmu was crying, Dannan would pace in circles not knowing what to do.

The nights when Tokmu had a fever, Dannan spent a sleepless night caring for him.

In order to raise Tokmu, Dannan earned as much money as he could.

He joined many different parties and worked as their scout.

But Scouts are only second above the luggage carrier in the party hierarchy.

Even as a D-Rank Adventurer, it was next to impossible to earn enough for himself and his baby brother.

But Dannan did not give up.

He budgeted his little earnings tightly and managed to continue raising Tokmu.

Tokmu was the apple of his eye - the centerpiece of his heart. Dannan understood why parents tended to spoil
their kids.

But Dannan was only 14 at the time. He was far too young to carry the responsibilities of a father.

He raised Tokmu more as a brother than a father, but even though they had very little, he raised him with the
utmost care.

By the time Tokmu turned 5, he was able to devote a solid amount of time to Dungeon Hunting.

He was able to increase his earnings.

Now, they should be able to eat as much as they want.

It was at that time when it happened…

Tokmu was diagnosed with an illness.

At first, Dannan thought it was a cold.

Tokmu would burn with a fever at night.

And he would get better after a good night's sleep.

But the fever kept coming back night after night.

And because of the fever, Tokmu’s health was slowly deteriorating.

He lost weight day after day, and Dannan spent the last gard he had to get a doctor to see him.

[I believe this is a Magic Power Syndrome, but…...we do not have the means to treat him here.]

ーーMagic Power Syndrome.

When the Magic Power inside a body overwhelms the physical body, or when you receive too much exposure to
Magic from the environment, symptoms begin to arise. It is a disease that is very difficult to cure.
Dannan’s heart stopped when he heard the news.

But he immediately pushed himself to ask the doctor if there were any cures.

[Doctor, please, what would it take for Tokmu to get better?]

[......there is…..one possibility, but I can’t guarantee that it will work.]

[That’s fine! Please, Doctor! I’ll do anything! Tokmu is….he’s my only brother!]

It’s been 5 years since Tokmu was diagnosed with Magic Power Syndrome.

This year, he’ll be turning 10.

But Tokmu is still suffering from the Magic Power Syndrome even today.

Dannan was just unable to get the medicine needed for Tokmu’s treatment.

[1,000,000 gards…..]

That was the price for the medicine.

An ordinary Adventurer could maybe save up that much in a few years.

But Dannan had Tokmu to raise. And Scouts’ earnings were much less in general than most Adventurers. Under
the circumstances, it was impossible to save up that much money.

As Dannan entered the abandoned house, Tokmu came up to him excitedly.

Tokmu: “Bro! Welcome back! Look, look at this!!”

And he took out the infamous 50 gard bread.

Seeing the bread made a dull pain throb in Dannan’s heart.

Dannan: (........so he did steal bread from Yuto…..)

Dannan wanted to think that Tokmu would never do something like that.

He even wanted to believe that the boy he saw with Yuto wasn’t Tokmu.

That maybe he mistook another kid from the slums for Tokmu….

But the wisps of hope vanished at that moment.

Dannan: “Tokmu…….why…..why did you steal this bread?”

Tokmu: “IーI didn’t steal it! I……..I found this on the ground!”

Dannan: “Don’t lie to me. I….I saw you when you got caught by the person you took this from.”

Tokmu: “BーBut you saved me………..”

Dannan: “Why did you steal this bread? I give you enough to eat, don’t I?”
Tokmu: “That’s……..”

Tokmu stared at the ground as he surrendered.

But a flash of anger sprang as he looked up at his brother.

Tokmu: “Because….you haven’t eaten anything at all! I already know! Even though you’re letting me eat as
much as I want, you haven’t eaten anything!”

Dannan: “Oh, um...no…..I’m eating my meals elsewhere so….”

Tokmu: “You just told me to not lie. So why are you lying to me now?!”

Dannan: “...............”

Dannan was pushed into a corner.

He was the one asking questions, and now, it was Tokmu who flipped the table and had questions he wanted
answered.

Tokmu: “Bro…...we don’t have money, right? You’re spending all the money just for me so…..”

Dannan: “No, that’s not true.”

Tokmu: “Then why aren’t you eating?! If you don’t eat….you’ll……..”

Large tears welled up in Tokmu’s eyes and began streaming down his face.

Not knowing why his brother was crying, Dannan began to panic.

Tokmu: “You’ll…….you’ll…...you’ll die from starvation!!”

And with that Tokmu lets out a loud wail.

Dannan: “Hey, no….I won’t, Tokmu. I won’t die just like that. I’ll be fine.”

Dannan tries to comfort Tokmu.

Why did Tokmu steal?

Dannan finally understood why.

Tokmu wanted his brother who was starving to eat as much as he liked.

Dannan felt his eyes mist as he clearly felt how much his brother was worried for him.

But Dannan also noticed the change overcoming Tokmu.

His body temperature was rising.

Dannan: (No…..did his fever come back from getting too excited?!)

Tokmu’s crying voice shriveled and grew smaller.

Dannan grabbed him and immediately headed to the bed.

Tokmu tried to resist, but he had very little strength left in him.

His eyes lost focus and no longer looked back at Dannan.

Dannan: “Tokmu, thanks for worrying about me. But you don’t have to worry about me anymore. Don’t you
know how strong your brother is?”

Tokmu: “Really….?”

Dannan: “Of course. Aren’t you thirsty? Here, drink this.”

Dannan gets a Healing Potion for Tokmu.

He takes the cap off the bottle, and Tokmu takes a swig of Healing Potion and drinks it down.

Tokmu immediately loses consciousness and falls asleep.

Dannan: “........his fever is now coming on faster than before…”

Dannan grits his teeth as he looks upon his brother’s face.

The Magic Power Syndrome will usually provoke a fever in Tokmu after sundown.

Once the fever hits, Dannan would give his brother a Healing Potion.

It costs 1,000 gards per bottle.

This would lessen the damage the Magic Power Syndrome was causing to Tokmu’s body.

But it would only lessen the damage.

The root of the cause was left untouched.

The reason why Dannan struggled so much in building up his savings was because he required at least one healing
potion per day.

But in order to completely cure Tokmu, he will need to save up money.

But without the Healing Potions, Tokmu’s body would weaken to the point of death.

In order to accomplish both goals, Dannan sacrificed his meals.

But even then Tokmu realized what his brother was doing.

It will be difficult to continue being frugal about his meals around Tokmu.

Dannan: (If he was that worried, then I can’t just not eat around him anymore….)

Dannan took his thumb to wipe away Tokmu’s tears.

Leaving the room, he recalled his dialogue with Yuto.

Yuto did say this.

If Dannan joined his party, the rewards from Dungeons would be split evenly.
There was no way for Dannan to know if Yuto was being sincere or not.

But if that was trueーー.

Dannan: “I might be able to save enough money……”

Tokmu didn’t have much time left.

Yuto’s offer would be the final chance Dannan would get to save his brother.

Dannan was going to make this work no matter what.

He was going to reach his 1,000,000 gard goal.

For Tokmu who would cry himself to sleep worrying over his elder brother - Dannan wasn’t going to let his
brother’s life end here, not now, not ever….

Dannan: “Hang on just a bit longer, Tokmu….I’ll definitely save you!”