“Level cap…?”
Roel seemed just as clueless.
“After finishing a quest, you measure your level with that bizarre machine at the Guild. That moment is just exhilarating, isn’t it? I felt the same way. But what if one day, suddenly, your level stops changing? Day after day, you keep fighting, but your level remains stagnant… Later, I learned about the level cap. Everyone has their own maximum level.”
“Maximum… level.”
I couldn’t help but murmur. The upper limit of levels is determined by each individual. I had never thought about it before. I didn’t know my own level, but I had always believed that anyone could become strong if they just tried hard enough, especially since I had come this far.
“My level has been stuck at 24…”
“B-but don’t give up! Keep fighting! If you measure it again…”
“Metallica.”
Suddenly, Grundom mentioned the name of a country I had heard from Roel before.
“There’s a machine there that reveals the level cap. I couldn’t resist and headed to Metallica. That place is incredible… You can find out your level right there with something that looks like an iron bracelet. There was also a way to measure someone else’s level…”
“With something like that…?”
I wanted to argue, but it felt pointless. It didn’t seem like he was lying, and more importantly, there was still so much I didn’t know.
“Hey, what’s your level?”
“I don’t know. Every time I measure it with the Guild’s iron box, it says ‘overflow’…”
“O-overflow…?”
Grundom made a face like he had bitten into something sour. I had tried measuring it several times since then, but the result was always the same, so I hadn’t bothered recently. It didn’t seem like it was broken, so if that was the case, my level must be…
“Over level 100. I can’t believe it…”
“Over 100? My level?”
“In the rural Guild of Queemil, that’s not surprising… But if you’re over level 100… I thought that was something only ‘S-Rank’ adventurers could achieve…”
So, it seemed that my level was indeed over 100. I had thought it was strange that I was the only one who couldn’t measure my level while Roel and the others could do so properly. If it was over 100, how high could my true level be? I wanted to know…
“My wounds have healed quite a bit… Thank you, young lady.”
“Are you able to move now?”
Roel was knocked back with considerable force. It was clear from her expression that she despised Grundom.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. I…”
I deflected the blade aimed at Grundom’s neck with my sword. The blade spun through the air and embedded itself into the cave’s earthen wall.
“Wha…?”
Grundom, the target, was oblivious to the situation. He didn’t realize that his life was in danger. And the wielder of that blade was standing right behind him.
“Whoa… seriously?”
A tall man with pink, upward-curving glasses, slicked-back hair, and a pink outfit pointed at me with a reverse grip on his weapon. His fashion was painfully bright.
“You, you’re a D, right? Seriously?”
Despite his confusion, the man swayed his hips.
“W-who are you?!”
“Grundom, you went too far. Since I’m here, I might as well take on the subjugation request.”
“You, an A-Rank, are here in such a remote place?!”
An A-Rank? This person was also an adventurer. He had come here to take on the request to subjugate Grundom. But subjugation meant killing, right? I understood that when it came to monsters, but I couldn’t kill a human. The images of my village being slaughtered and burned by monsters flashed in my mind. Pierced, slashed, burned, lives taken away. As long as I couldn’t forget those scenes, I wouldn’t be able to kill a person.
“I just stopped by for another matter. I think Gantetsu was here for the same reason not too long ago.”
Gantetsu was here for the same reason? It was clear that the Poison Salamander subjugation wasn’t the case.
“Well, I was planning to wrap things up quickly, but I didn’t expect to find such a wild girl here.”
Swaying his hips again, the man pointed at me with the same reverse grip.
“Why were you trying to kill this person?”
Finally grasping the situation, Roel spoke up.
“Subjugation request, right? Killing and bringing back the head is standard procedure, isn’t it? You guys are D-Rank, C? You should understand that.”
“But killing a person…”
“Oh, if you have a problem with that, you should avoid human subjugation requests. Capturing alive is also an option, but that’s not always possible with subjugation requests. Well, even if I could, I wouldn’t capture anyone alive.”
Chuckling, the man scratched his head before lunging at Grundom again with a blade that looked like a short knife, different from the one I had deflected earlier. I blocked it once more.
“O-oh? A girl of such a low rank is challenging me?”
“Stop it. You won’t win against him, even if you try.”
Saying that, Grundom pointed at me with his thumb. The man frowned, looking at me with an expression that suggested he found it amusing.
“Are you really going to interfere?”
“I will.”
“Why?”
“There’s no point in killing someone who’s no longer resisting.”
“You can’t kill him, can you?”
The man laughed derisively.
“You’ll die someday if you keep thinking like that.”
With that, the man vanished from in front of me. I didn’t know if he thought he couldn’t win or if he had some other plan, but at least I had avoided a fight with him.
“W-what was that guy?!”
With the tension broken, Roel let out a deep breath.
“That guy is Shinbu, a top-tier A-Rank adventurer. His class is Assassin. As you can see, he’s a real joker. He shot up to A-Rank in no time, surpassing me.”
“Top-tier A-Rank…”
Someone like that casually tried to kill a person. Was that what it took to become A-Rank?
“Anyway, as I said before, I’m turning myself in. Losing to a kid like you without being able to do anything is just pathetic, and I have no desire to continue…”
After mining the requested items, Grundom left the cave with us. To be safe, I had him walk ahead so I could keep an eye on him. However, Grundom remained silent and subdued the entire time. His back was that of a lonely adult, too old to dream.
///
In front of the soldier’s barracks, Grundom confessed his name and crimes in full. The soldiers looked back and forth between us and Grundom, their expressions filled with disbelief.
“I heard Grundom got caught.”
“I saw him being escorted to the royal castle town. It was a C-Rank adventurer… a girl. Oh, she’s over there.”
It had become a topic of gossip within the Guild, and the gazes of the adventurers pierced through us.
“Did you really catch him? That’s amazing.”
“No way, it must be a mistake…”
Some people approached us casually, while others muttered with jealousy and disdain. No one had believed me during the Poison Salamander incident, but it felt good to be gradually recognized like this. If only things had turned out this way a little sooner, that man might not have had to quit being an adventurer. I knew it was pointless to think that way. I couldn’t easily forgive Grundom, who had turned himself in, when I recalled that man’s desperate expression.
After handing the ore to Kouzo, he rejoiced at our safety. The reward was a neat 1000G, and he added the reward for subjugating Grundom as well. Roel danced with joy at the windfall. I hoped my allowance would increase too.
“Right, as promised. I’ll give you the most expensive weapon in my shop. Here, a Mithril Sword.”
It was lighter than an Iron Sword and had a sharp edge. I see, it was like a combination of an Iron Sword and a Wing Sword.
“Thank you, Kouzo-san. This looks really easy to use.”
“Hahaha! Of course, it is! After all, it’s made of Mithril. It’s precious, but considering it’s a celebration for your new journey, it’s a small price to pay.”
“That’s great, Lua-chan.”
“I have a present for you too.”
Kouzo brought out a staff from the back. It had a red flame mark at the tip.
“This is a Fire Rod, a staff that can cast fire magic. It’s quite popular among priests like you who don’t have offensive spells. However, its power depends on the user’s magical strength.”
“Is it really okay for me to receive something this nice?”
“I didn’t expect you to be attacked by Floor Monsters or Grundom, to be honest. This was a bit of a dangerous request for you. The Floor Monster, in particular, rarely shows itself.”
True to his appearance, Kouzo was in high spirits. He had been surprised at us capturing Grundom, but soon after, he believed in us and praised us.
“But please don’t take any unnecessary risks. If you feel it’s dangerous, run away immediately. Life is precious, after all.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Leaving Kouzo’s generous shop, we set out to buy dinner. The sun was about to set. As the day came to an end in the blink of an eye, I couldn’t help but reflect on the merciless flow of time.
I had spent ten years in the Abyss Cave without even realizing it. Each day was just a relentless cycle of fighting. Back then, I didn’t think much of it, but now, looking back, I never want to return to that life. More than anything, I have Roel by my side. I can feel her slowly becoming an irreplaceable presence in my life.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Nothing at all.”
Before I knew it, I was staring at Roel. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed and turned my gaze away.
“Hey, I want to visit the Wizard Kingdom and the Kingdom of Metallica someday. But first, I’d like to check out the town near the Castle of Avangarde.”
“Yeah, I’d love to go together.”
I paused for a moment, contemplating the meaning behind her words. Would things have been different for Grundom if he had had companions like this? An adventurer who couldn’t walk alongside others, burdened by feelings of inferiority, ultimately straying from the path. I wondered what my level cap was. What if my level stopped increasing, and Roel surpassed me, leaving me behind? Would she wait for me? Would she walk alongside me? Could I remain unbroken like that giant man?
“What’s with you, staring like that?”
I realized I was gazing at Roel again.
“Hey, Roel… you’ll stay with me forever, right?”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? Of course, I will.”
“I’m glad to hear that…”
A wave of relief washed over me. I wanted to stay like this for eternity. Just like that sunset, which has burned steadily since the birth of this world, unchanged. It was only then that I finally began to wonder about what was for dinner.
Monster Compendium
Calamity Beast HP: 815
A Floor Monster found on the fourth floor of Avangarde Cave. Its skin is as tough as steel, impervious to ordinary blades, and the charge from its massive body can bring even seasoned adventurers to their demise.