This Raid also serves as a networking opportunity for important people.
Therefore, it wouldn’t do to just gather everyone and immediately start the Dungeon clear.
The day after the party.
Only then were the Adventurers, including Keiichiro, gathered and briefed on the upcoming Raid Battle.
“In thirty minutes, we will begin the Raid Member Selection Exam!”
Kiryuin Jessica’s voice echoed through the room.
It carried surprisingly well for someone with such a slender build.
Even in this large room capable of holding over fifty people, her voice reached every corner.
“Thirty Adventurers have gathered here today. From this group, we will ultimately narrow it down to twenty members!”
Many Adventurers participate in Raids.
However, the participants’ skills vary widely.
Frankly, there were likely some members who didn’t quite measure up.
That’s why Raids sometimes recruit more people than planned.
After gathering a larger pool, they select the most talented members to fill the required number of slots.
“The exam will be straightforward interpersonal combat. Only those selected will proceed to the Dungeon.”
A selection process involving Adventurers fighting each other.
It seemed they had opted for a conventional and time-efficient method this time.
“Ooh… This feeling of being roughly gathered and just as roughly dismissed. How nostalgic.”
Keiichiro chuckled as he listened to the explanation.
Some Adventurers seemed bewildered, but for him, it was a familiar sight.
This kind of flow wasn’t unusual for Raid Battles.
The organizers didn’t want the clear to fail.
Therefore, they wanted to choose talented Adventurers.
So, they gathered extras beforehand as spares.
Even when it came to selection, interviewing each person individually was too much hassle.
Hence, a simple test of strength.
Such roughness was a characteristic feature of Raids.
“…Hey.”
“?”
A voice came from beside him.
It was a girl’s voice.
When he looked sideways, he saw a girl about middle school age sitting there.
“…If we get sent home, do we not get paid?”
She stared at Keiichiro expressionlessly.
When she tilted her head, her short silver hair swayed.
“You probably can’t expect a participation prize.”
“…I see.”
The girl murmured in response to Keiichiro’s words.
Her expression didn’t change, but she seemed slightly downcast.
“What’s your name?”
Keiichiro asked.
If things went smoothly, she would be someone he’d challenge the Dungeon Boss with.
There was no harm in asking for her name.
“Mm… Usui Tooru.”
After a slight pause, the girl—Usui Tooru—answered.
“Huh. I’m Kageura Keiichiro. Nice to meet you.”
“Mm… Nice to meet you, too.”
When Keiichiro extended his hand, Tōru took it.
Although, she let go after only about two seconds.
“…Aren’t people angry about being sent home right away?”
Tōru asked in a low voice.
Judging by her age, she likely lacked experience in these kinds of situations.
While her face remained impassive, a faint curiosity peeked through her eyes.
“Some people might be angry… but the Adventurer world is fundamentally based on merit. It’ll probably be seen as their own fault for not convincing the organizers that they were ‘needed’.”
Meritocracy.
That could be called common sense in the world of Adventurers.
The weak are eliminated.
It was that kind of harsh world.
“Mm……… I have to do my best… for the money.”
Tōru straightened her posture in the chair.
Judging from her muttered words, her goal seemed to be monetary.
It was a standard reason for Adventurers to delve into Dungeons.
Raids like this one offered particularly good rewards, so it was almost inevitable that she would be here.
“Since we’ll find out later anyway, I’ll ask now. What’s your Rank?”
“Mm… B-Rank [Wizard].”
(…She’s pretty strong.)
Keiichiro was impressed.
Like Tsukasa, being B-Rank at this age showed great future potential.
“Then you should be fine. From what I can see, there are only about ten B-Rankers here. B-Rank and above will probably pass unconditionally.”
“Is… that so?”
“Yeah.”
From the moment he entered the room, Keiichiro had been gauging the skill levels of the assembled Adventurers.
There was no one with A-Rank equivalent strength.
There were a scattering of B-Rank equivalent individuals.
Even accounting for some margin of error, the twenty slots likely wouldn’t be filled by B-Rankers alone.
In that case, it was safe to assume the B-Rank Adventurers were already practically guaranteed a spot.
The organizers would surely want to avoid eliminating precious B-Rankers due to chance or unfavorable matchups.
Therefore, the selection would likely only involve those below B-Rank—the C-Rankers.
“…That’s a relief.”
Hearing Keiichiro’s assessment, Tōru stroked her chest in relief.
A [Wizard]’s true potential is unlocked only with a tank.
In interpersonal combat, they could easily lose to a Speed Attacker.
That must have been the source of her anxiety.
(There’s something about this girl…)
However, Keiichiro was thinking about something else entirely.
Expressionless. Silver hair.
And… though she’d definitely get mad if he said it to her face—petite.
These characteristics strongly resembled someone he knew well.
“…She looks like Yukko.”
“!?”
For some reason, Tōru’s shoulders jumped.
She then turned her gaze towards Keiichiro.
For some reason, her eyes held a faint darkness.
“Yukko… Who’s that?”
The question was delivered in a slightly lower tone for some reason.
Still, it wasn’t important enough information to evade.
“? Oh… You know, Oshindari Yukiko. From 【Holy Sword】.”
“…In that case, there’s something I have to say.”
When Keiichiro answered honestly, Tōru frowned.
Her face drew closer.
She was clearly displeased now.
“?”
“Mm… You shouldn’t call Oshindari-san ‘Yukko’.”
“O-Oh…?”
Keiichiro recoiled slightly from the unexpected pressure.
Tōru’s atmosphere had changed that drastically.
“Oshidari-san said in a magazine that ‘Yukko’ is a special nickname, and she absolutely won’t let people she isn’t close to use it.”
【Holy Sword】 was a party composed entirely of beautiful women.
Thus, they had been interviewed for magazines several times.
—Incidentally, Keiichiro had stubbornly refused interviews, so the public didn’t recognize him as part of 【Holy Sword】.
Only Adventurers based in the Magic City knew he was a member.
The narrative of Keiichiro not appearing in the media aligned perfectly with the reporters’ intention to market them as a ‘party of beauties’.
Through such circumstances, his exposure to the world as a member of 【Holy Sword】 was somehow avoided.
…Though the other members seemed unhappy about it.
“Even if you say that… it’s a nickname I came up with…”
However, it was also true that Yukiko disliked being called ‘Yukko’ by anyone outside of 【Holy Sword】.
Enough that, if said to her face, she might lash out depending on the person.
It was a nickname he started using casually back in elementary school.
It spread when Kurenai and Kukuri started using it too.
For Keiichiro, it was nothing more than that casual thing.
“………! Not just acting like some veteran fan, but pretending to be her friend…! As a fellow Oshindari fan, that’s unpleasant.”
Tōru’s expression finally twisted in displeasure.
Her earlier expressionless face was nowhere to be seen.
The look in Tōru’s eyes now was what you’d call ‘looking at something disgusting’.
“No… I mean, I know her, so there’s no ‘pretending’ about it.”
“…You know her?”
“Yeah. Since elementary school.”
…Tōru’s momentum faltered slightly.
The flames that had been welling up in the depths of her eyes weakened just a bit.
“Then the nickname—”
“I decided on it back in elementary school. …Look.”
Keiichiro operated his smartphone and showed the screen to Tōru.
It was a photo from their elementary school days.
Kageura Keiichiro.
Hagane Kurenai.
Itomi Kukuri.
Oshidari Yukiko.
It was a photo taken to commemorate the moment the four of them vowed to form 【Holy Sword】.
“Fwaaaaaaaah…!?
Tōru’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Then, a few seconds later, her eyes were sparkling.
(A beaming smile…)
Where had the initial expressionless character gone?
Keiichiro was more intrigued by her sudden transformation.
“H-Hey! Pay attention to the briefing!”
“Ah… S-Sorry.”
Her commotion had apparently gone too far, earning a warning from Jessica.
Tōru seemed to have completely forgotten the situation, shrinking back dejectedly.
The sight was just like a child being scolded by a teacher.
“…Can I… see it one more time?”
However, just like a student forgetting a lecture once it was over, Tōru seemed to put the scolding behind her quickly.
Keeping herself low, Tōru pleaded with Keiichiro.
It was a photo he had already shown her.
Besides, showing it again wouldn’t cause him any harm.
“Here.”
Keiichiro held out his smartphone to Tōru.
She peered at the device, humming with interest.
“Wow… Amazing… Oshindari-san in elementary school… Her height… hasn’t changed. Wait… Huh? Are the other two Hagane-san and Itomi-san? So it was true that the three members of 【Holy Sword】 went to the same elementary school… But… huh? This boy is Kageura-san, right…? Why is he with these three…? And in the middle—”
Tōru stared intently at the screen.
Her expression changed rapidly.
(That smile just now… after being so expressionless just moments ago.)
Keiichiro observed Tōru.
One moment she seemed expressionless, the next she’d suddenly flash a beaming smile.
Now, there wasn’t a trace of that expressionlessness left.
She looked exactly like a young girl her age, unable to hide her excitement.
(Could it be—is she trying to imitate Yukko…?)
He knew from their earlier conversation that Tōru was deeply interested in Yukiko.
A person she admired.
Wanting to be closer to such a person, imitating their behavior wasn’t uncommon.
And when one tried to imitate Yukiko, the image people generally pictured was ‘expressionless’.
However, from Keiichiro’s point of view, having spent time together with her, Yukiko, despite how she seemed, was actually the most short-tempered and talkative member of 【Holy Sword】—quite different from the public’s perception.
Regardless—it appeared Usui Tooru was quite the devoted follower of Yukiko.
The third heroine is ‘an ordinary middle school girl playing the part of being expressionless by imitating the person she admires’.