Chapter 10: Kin of Twilight – Part 15
After being jostled by the excited crowd, I stumbled into the Adventurers’ Guild, utterly exhausted.
To be honest, I didn’t think Zaikal had caused that much of a ruckus in the city, nor did I believe he would be treated as a “hero who saved the town”…
“That’s not true at all. He openly declared himself a member of the ‘Kin of Twilight,’ and everyone felt he had the strength to back it up,” Larni said, her expression one of disbelief as she overheard my grumbling while I took a breather in the back room.
“But I don’t think he was that strong. It was just that I wasn’t strong enough, which made it a decent fight. An A-Rank adventurer would have won easily.”
“Souji, you really should realize that your own strength is abnormal by now.”
“Even if you say that…”
It was true that without the Skill of Excitement, I would have been overwhelmed. Zaikal was undoubtedly powerful, but I still felt it was a stretch to call myself a “hero” just for defeating him.
“Lord Souji fought valiantly to save the town, putting himself in harm’s way to overcome a formidable foe. If that doesn’t make him a hero, then there would be no such thing as heroes at all.”
Perhaps my lack of conviction showed on my face, as even Freinir chimed in with such words.
“Alright, alright. I’ll accept being called the ‘Hero of the Town’ at least. But what about the adventurers like ‘Supreme Radiance’? Were they alright?”
“Those who received treatment are fine. However, there were already some who had perished at the scene, and it seems other adventurers were also claimed by the ‘Kin of Twilight,'” Mariane replied, her gaze downcast.
I recalled that multiple parties had taken on a request to defeat an unidentified monster, so it was likely that there were more casualties among them.
“I see… then it’s not something to celebrate too simply.”
“Indeed. But that’s the life of an adventurer. It’s a harsh reality.”
Mariane’s words reminded me once more of the grim truths of being an adventurer.
Still, it wouldn’t do to dwell on the gloom. I decided to change the subject.
“By the way, is there anything special that comes from defeating the ‘Kin of Twilight’? That Magic Stone seems ominous, but it might hold some value.”
“Of course. While the Northern Empire is a different story, the ‘Kin of Twilight’ rarely shows itself in this country. Having defeated one means you will undoubtedly be summoned by Count Lautrec, the lord of this land.”
“Is it that significant? I was hoping to return to Euron as soon as I conquer the other C-Class Dungeon.”
“Count Lautrec has close ties with Viscount Barius, so I don’t think returning to Euron would be a problem. However, you will be summoned regardless.”
“Looks like I’ll just be walking again… If summoned, it would mean heading to the capital of this territory, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. The treatment at the Adventurers’ Guild will also change. With your recent feat alongside the Dragon Slayer, I believe you will be promoted to B-Rank.”
“No way, I haven’t met the conditions for promotion yet! I haven’t taken on any requests at all.”
As I said this, Mariane sighed and shook her head.
“Defeating the ‘Kin of Twilight,’ especially as a solo achievement, is considered A-Rank strength at the very least. Even without a record of requests, you should still be recognized as a minimum of B-Rank.”
“I don’t feel it, but if that’s the rule, then I guess there’s no helping it. I’m grateful for the promotion itself.”
“Exactly, Souji. If your rank goes up, you won’t get tangled up with unsavory types, which is a relief for us too. You could even act a bit more imposing.”
When Larni said this, Freinir and Sfenia nodded in agreement. They were right, and the promotion was indeed a stroke of luck. However, what concerned me was…
“Becoming B-Rank won’t lead to more trouble, will it?”
At my question, Mariane averted her gaze conspicuously.
“…Adventurers above B-Rank are required to have their information reported to the royal family upon promotion. Normally, it should just be a routine report, but given your recent exploits, there’s a very high chance it will catch their attention.”
“Wait… what?”
That could be problematic, especially since we were a party with a few secrets… Well, there seemed to be a fair number of B-Rank adventurers, so I hoped I wouldn’t be summoned by the royal family out of the blue. But with my overly enthusiastic Bad Luck Skill, I might need to brace myself for that possibility.
That night, I was invited to a tavern near the Adventurers’ Guild, where I received a warm welcome from numerous adventurers and townsfolk.
It felt like a victory celebration, but essentially, with little entertainment around, the “appearance of a hero” was just the perfect excuse for a ruckus.
Of course, my party members were resting at the inn. It was clear that this would turn into a wild drinking party, and if they came along and faced any harassment, that would be a whole different problem.
As I downed drink after drink, engaging with the grateful townsfolk, I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. It was likely because I held no real feelings toward the ‘Kin of Twilight.’ To me, they were just a slightly stronger enemy, a random thug I had defeated.
“Hey, I thought you were just some annoying old man with cute girls around when you first came to the guild! But after seeing that strength, I get it! Any girl would fall for you, damn it!”
A burly adventurer with a beard slapped my back heartily while holding a drink. “Annoying old man,” huh? So that’s how I was perceived.
“Seriously! And that finishing line was way too cool!”
A young man in front of me laughed, striking a pose as he shouted, “You don’t have a name for your finishing move!”
“Wait, did I actually say something like that?”
“You did! It was super cool! Any guy would fall for that!”
What is going on with this Excitement Skill? Please tell me it’s not some kind of ‘black history’ skill.
The tavern erupted with cheers as the young man shouted his catchphrase, pushing my discomfort to its limits.
As I covered my face with my hands, a heavily exposed female adventurer sat down next to me. That alone would have been fine, but her unnecessary closeness was troubling.
“Hey, Souji! If you’re that strong, you must have defeated a lot of monsters, right? What kind of ones have you taken down?”
“I want to know that too! And I’m curious about how you defeated those cute girls as well!”
Another female adventurer plopped down on my other side. They both smelled strongly of alcohol, so they were probably just drunk… but I hoped I wouldn’t get scolded by Larni for smelling like this when I returned.
“I’m still C-Rank, so I haven’t fought any significant monsters. My party members are just friends, nothing more.”
“Wait, you’re still C-Rank? But coming to this town makes sense for that. And with that strength… I might just fall for you, you know?”
“Really? That elf girl seemed completely smitten with you. But that blonde girl looked more like a daughter worried about her father.”
I wished they would stop touching my chest and saying, “What impressive muscles!” This kind of teasing was tough for someone who used to live in Japan. Though I suppose some of my colleagues might have enjoyed it.
As I was being teased mercilessly, four adventurers, both men and women, stepped in front of me and lined up. I wondered what was going on when they all bowed their heads in unison. The leader, a young man, spoke up.
“We are from ‘Antenora,’ the party you saved. I’m Dolg, the leader. Thanks to you, we escaped with our lives. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude.”
“I’m Souji of ‘Soul’s Guidance.’ To me, it was just a battle against an enemy, but if it resulted in saving you, then that’s all that matters. It was unfortunate for you this time.”
“I thought it was strange, but I never expected it to be the ‘Kin of Twilight.’ We fought with four parties and couldn’t even scratch it.”
Dolg was a well-built young man who looked every bit the warrior, but his face twitched slightly when he mentioned the ‘Kin of Twilight.’ It seemed he had felt considerable fear during the encounter.
“However, to think there’s someone who can take that down alone is astonishing. How strong are you, Souji?”
“I’m not really sure how strong I am myself. I’m still C-Rank, after all.”
“C-Rank? Is that really true…?”
“I’ll probably be promoted after this incident. But regardless, I appreciate your gratitude. I wish you all the best in your future adventuring.”
“Likewise.”
And so it went, with several more adventurers expressing their thanks. However, the members of ‘Supreme Radiance’ did not show their faces. Well, it was probably for the best; nothing good would come from that.
“Speaking of which, what happened to those ‘Supreme Radiance’ folks? They were saved too, right?”
It seemed one of the adventurers had read my thoughts.
“They took off toward the royal capital right after recovering. They said their weapons were weak, but with that, how could they call themselves ‘Saviors of Adventurers’?”
“Right? They seem decent enough, but they’re not as good as they claim. Is the church really okay with promoting them like that?”
It appeared that the other adventurers didn’t hold them in high regard either. Well, they were still just kids, so they might have the potential to grow… but it seemed like a long road ahead.
“Haha! With that, Souji, you’re way more qualified to be a ‘Savior of Adventurers.’ Hey, Souji, if the ‘Kin of Twilight’ shows up again, just take care of it quickly, will you?”
“Seriously, leave the weaklings to us and take care of the big bosses.”
“Yeah, a delicate-looking pretty boy like that is nothing compared to a mature man’s charm.”
“Those muscles are incredible. So, you’re hugging those girls with this, huh?”
Ugh, my discomfort was reaching its peak. How long would this torture continue? Oh, could you please stop groping my chest, ladies…?