Avangarde Castle Town – Alleyway
The two blades aimed at me never found their mark. Instead, the Sonic Spear struck one of their shoulders with incredible speed. The one who had lunged at me with a knife was dealt with, while the other, wielding a sword, grabbed the blade with his bare hands and pulled it toward me as I lay there.
The black-clad figure was yanked forward with unexpected force, losing his balance and collapsing on top of me. I seized the opportunity without hesitation, flipping our positions so that he was pinned beneath me. The one who had been shot in the shoulder was clutching the wound, enduring the pain, but he showed no signs of further resistance.
It was clear he had completely accepted defeat. The man beneath me, now disarmed, had already discarded his knife. Of course, I had no intention of doing anything further either. Seigel and Gantetsu restrained the one who had been shot, tearing off his black mask. I was curious about what his face looked like, but it turned out to be nothing special—just an unfamiliar man. If he had had a striking appearance like Grundom, I might have been surprised.
“Are you an Adventurer?” Seigel asked, but the man, held by both arms, only hung his head in frustration, grinding his teeth. Seeing the blood streaming from his shoulder, I thought about asking Roel to heal him, but she was still too weak and sitting on the ground.
What should I do? Just then, Gantetsu pulled a healing potion from his bag. He managed to stop the bleeding, but the wound remained open. Despite my efforts to hold back, it seemed that even a non-fatal injury could be serious. If it were a high-level Adventurer like Laurel, it might not be a problem, but for an average Adventurer, even the Sonic Spear could be dangerous. Still, there are times when you can’t afford to be picky, and considering my life had been threatened, I hoped he could endure a serious injury. No, perhaps a serious injury was too much to ask.
I then removed the mask from the man beneath me. Another man, younger than the first, with short hair and an unremarkable face.
“Why did you target me?” I asked.
“…I’m sorry.”
The Adventurer apologized in a hoarse voice. But even if he apologized, I would have been dead if it weren’t for me. No, he had intended to kill me, and I wished he hadn’t even started this if he was just going to apologize.
He must have thought he could take me down since I was staggering from alcohol, but with their skills, I doubted they could even cross Kizel Valley.
“Regardless of me, Rua is quite well-known among Adventurers now, and this Dragon Hunter here is someone no one would be unfamiliar with. Yet you approached us, which means you’re new, right? For now, let me verify your identities.”
The two Adventurers silently handed Gantetsu their cards.
Mike Level: 4 Class: Swordfighter Rank: D
Umon Level: 3 Class: Thief Rank: D
“You’re complete rookies. Well, I could tell from your earlier movements. So, what were you thinking? Seigel here is kind, so depending on the circumstances, he might forgive you.”
“Forgive? I was the one targeted…”
“Now, now, let’s not sweat the small stuff.”
“That is…”
I felt a bit irritated at the Adventurer who stubbornly refused to speak. How could I forgive someone who had tried to take my life without reason? Even Lars had used Illusion Magic to deceive us, but in the end, he explained himself and apologized.
If even a child that young could do that, then surely these adults could too.
“If that’s the case, I could just turn you over to the kingdom.”
“W-wait…”
“Speak. Whether or not I forgive you is not for me to decide.”
“I was asked by someone I don’t know. They said if I killed that girl who was drunk, they’d give me 200,000 gold… I even received an advance.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. Their face was hidden by a hood…”
“So you fell for the invitation of some unknown person? Well, for a D-Rank, 200,000 gold is a huge sum.”
“I’ve tried various jobs, but none lasted long. After going through that, I ended up as an Adventurer, but lately, all the requests have been too high-level for us to handle. Even tomorrow’s meal is uncertain. I had no choice…”
“That’s the life of an Adventurer. Some people envy the freedom, but the risks are much greater. If you’re going to do it, you need the appropriate skills and resolve.”
“Shut up! You successful types wouldn’t understand! What more do you want me to do?!”
“Is that a reverse tantrum…?”
I thought of Grundom, who had strayed from the path due to the Level Cap, the people crushed by him, those who had lost comrades in Kizel Valley and felt powerless, and those who retired without ever rising from C-Rank to B-Rank or from B-Rank to A-Rank. Just from what I had seen and heard, there were so many setbacks. Everyone faced some wall, troubled by it, and ultimately had to retreat.
Perhaps the reason I thought being an Adventurer might be good was that I had never encountered such walls. Even Roel, who was now exhausted, had been in a panic at first and couldn’t even fight.
What would have happened if I hadn’t gone to the Abyss Cave and had just left the village? Would I have strayed like these people? Lately, I’ve started to think about what might have been if I hadn’t done this or that.
“Rua, what do you want to do with them?”
“Nothing. If they promise not to do it again, I’ll forgive them.”
“She says so, you two.”
The expressions of the two, who had been pale, softened.
“Ah, thank you! Thank you!”
“You’re lucky. You could have easily been killed in retaliation. If you learned your lesson, stay at Maison tonight. I doubt you can even pay for a room, right? After that, I’ll take care of you starting tomorrow.”
“Huh? Huh?”
I couldn’t help but echo, “Huh?” as Gantetsu suddenly said something I didn’t quite understand.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll give you various lectures. Be grateful, this is from Gantetsu, an A-Rank Adventurer himself.”
“But we don’t have that kind of talent…”
“Don’t give up before you even try. Don’t worry; there are plenty of C-Rank Adventurers who make a living. If you train, handling normal requests won’t be that difficult. I guarantee it.”
“Why go that far…?”
“I was once unable to even defeat a Cave Rabbit.”
“Seriously?!”
“I was told countless times by senior Adventurers that I had no talent and should quit. Because of that, I struggled to find a party to join. I spent every day fighting rabbits. Even though they are considered the weakest monsters, they can still seriously injure an adult if you’re not careful. It was life or death.”
“…Why go that far?”
“Because I was too dumb to find a proper job. I didn’t want to be bossed around in construction work. So, this was my only option. I may say I’m A-Rank, but my actual skills are quite low. It took me six months just to be able to beat a Cave Rabbit. To be honest, I’m not very good at fighting. That’s why I couldn’t take on many subjugation requests. Even at my age, my level is still in the thirties! Hahaha!”
It was surprising. Gantetsu, who looked so robust, had struggled so much at first. I had also struggled against Cave Rabbits at the beginning, nearly in tears and covered in wounds. I felt a sense of kinship with Gantetsu.
“Alright, stay at Maison tonight, and come to the Adventurer’s Guild tomorrow. I’ll teach you gently and thoroughly.”
“Ah, thank you… thank you…”
Gantetsu, with tears in his eyes, grabbed the arms of the two and forcefully led them toward Maison. I had a few things I wanted to ask them, particularly about the hooded figure.
“Mm… Rua-chan, no… I don’t want to…”
And it seemed I was expected to carry the sleeping Roel. It was dirty for her to be rolling around on the ground like this.
Avangarde Castle Town – Back Alley
I waited atop a building in the alley, looking down. Being able to see somewhat in the dark was a significant advantage in times like this. There, I spotted the person who had hired Mike and Umon to kill me, standing quietly in the dead-end of the alley. As they had said, the figure was cloaked in a hood and robe, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female from just their silhouette.
It seemed this was the designated meeting place if the job succeeded, but according to Seigel, it was a terribly careless choice. Even though they were drunk, it was absurd to approach two D-Rank Adventurers with a request to kill me. And they would need proof of the kill. The person who made the request would either have to confirm the kill themselves or instruct the hired party to bring back some form of evidence, but according to Mike and Umon, they hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort.
Seigel had mentioned that the mastermind was likely an amateur who knew nothing about the affairs of Adventurers. But if that were the case, I still couldn’t understand why they would want to kill me.
“I’ll uncover your true identity.”
Since thinking about it was getting me nowhere, I leaped down towards the figure behind me. I quickly pinned them to the ground. The person seemed completely bewildered, not even realizing what had just happened. To prevent them from screaming in panic, I covered their mouth with my hand.
I turned them from a prone position to face up, straddling them to ensure they couldn’t escape. As I did so, their hood slipped back, revealing their face.
“Y-You… please spare my life…”
It was just an ordinary middle-aged man. A few strands of gray mixed in with his hair, and he carried the distinct odor of someone his age. Of course, I had never met him before. I was more than just taken aback; my confusion deepened.
“You asked Mike and Umon to kill me, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I thought you were just a child and underestimated you… I’ll do anything! I’ll even give you the money I was supposed to hand over to those two. Just spare my life…”
“Why did you want to kill me?”
“Th-That is…”
“If you don’t tell me, I might just kill you.”
“It wasn’t me! It was an order from above! I was just following orders! I have no grudge against you at all!”
“Above? Whose orders?”
“I don’t know… I just follow the instructions written on the paper tied to the messenger bird…”
It was all quite unclear. To sum it up, this man was following orders from someone he didn’t even know, and he had tried to kill me, but that left me even more puzzled about the whole situation.
“Why are you so obedient to someone like that?”
“Who knows?”
At that moment, the man let out a cold laugh. The way he had been trembling like a small animal seemed like a lie now. It was as if he was daring me to kill him if I could.
“Wait a minute, aren’t you the Flower Shop Owner? The one with the shop just off Central Street?”
“…You know me?”
Seigel, who had been hiding, stepped forward to get a better look at the man’s face. Since it was enough for me to capture him alone, Seigel had taken a position to observe from the shadows.
“One of the girls I’m dating often visits your shop. She really likes it.”
“I see…”
“Offering 200,000 gold is quite bold. Are you making that much money?”
“If I succeed, I’ll receive even more from above. Selling flowers would seem foolish then.”
“That’s too bad. That girl really loved the flowers from your shop. She would light up when talking about how beautiful they were. She wondered how you managed to make them bloom so beautifully. You must love them too, which is why you get such results, right?”
After that, the man fell silent. Soon after, soldiers arrived and took him away. There were still many things I wanted to know. However, I doubted he would spill any secrets under questioning, and Seigel’s voice grew a little somber as he mentioned that it was no longer our job to pursue it further.
I was the target, and while he had said he would inform me if he learned anything, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could trust him. I wasn’t satisfied, but for now, this was resolved.
When I returned to my room, I immediately jumped into bed. Next to me, Roel was quietly breathing in her sleep. I wondered if the alcohol had worn off. Speaking of which, did that man put something in my drink? No, there was no way the Flower Shop Owner could do something like that. So, maybe it was just a mistake after all.
As I pondered these thoughts, I unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
◆ Avangarde Castle Town, Central Street ◆
“To be summoned by the King so soon!”
“When I opened the door, there was a soldier standing right there! I was so surprised!”
“But it was a request from His Majesty! That makes it exciting, doesn’t it?”
Bathed in the morning sun, we were heading towards Avangarde Castle. Maison was much closer to the castle than the inn we stayed at during the Avangarde Festival. Still, carrying Roel on my back, I could reach it in less than a minute, but I couldn’t do that in front of the soldier.
Perhaps because it was morning, the streets were bustling with people, and we almost bumped into someone every few moments. It wasn’t as crowded as during the festival, but the town was still teeming with life.
“Hey, what kind of request do you think it is?”
“I have no idea. But for you, Rua, any request should be manageable. If even the Flash Strike Girl can handle it, then no matter how fierce the opponent, they would be at a loss.”
“F-Flash Strike Girl?”
“Oh, my apologies…”
I didn’t quite understand, but it seemed I was being referred to by that name among these people. I wasn’t sure if it sounded cool or not. It even crossed my mind that they might be mocking me.
“Flash Strike Girl! That’s so cool!”
“Well, I don’t think it’s something to be envious of…”
It wasn’t something to be so excited about. Speaking of which, I remembered that A-Rank adventurers had strange titles like “Cherubic Angel” and “Battlefield Poet.” According to what Shinbu had heard, there was even one called “Fancy Kill.” Fancy Kill? What even is that?
Gantetsu had called himself a “Mighty Warrior.” That sounded much cooler. I wished I could have a title like that instead.
“Titles are nice, aren’t they? I admire them. But some adventurers end up with strange nicknames, and that’s unfortunate. I believe Greyman is called ‘Golden Armor.’ No matter how you read it, it doesn’t sound very honorable.”
“That actually seems fitting…”
“Hahaha! Among some soldiers, it’s considered quite suitable.”
“Hmm, Flash Strike Girl, huh? I wonder if it’s really cool. What else could there be?”
“How about Phantom?”
Someone whispered that clearly in my ear. I turned around immediately, but there was only a flow of people. Just from the few who had passed by me, there were several. Was it one of them who whispered? Who would do that, and for what reason? For some reason, I recalled the Flower Shop Owner from yesterday. I wondered what had happened to him since then.
“Rua-chan, what’s wrong?”
“Is something the matter?”
“Just now, someone said ‘Phantom’…”
“Huh? I didn’t hear anything…”
Both the soldier and Roel looked puzzled.
“Oh, Rua-chan! Something’s dropped!”
At my feet lay a scrap of paper, roughly torn as if from a book. It could have been something someone discarded. It looked like trash, but for some reason, it piqued my curiosity.
Roel picked up the paper and frowned.
“What is this?”
“Um, well…”
“Phantom has risen. Phantom is always watching you. Phantom will surely kill you.”
The soldier read it in a monotone voice. After muttering, “What is this?” he tossed it back onto the street. Until now, there had been no wind, but suddenly a gust blew, carrying the scrap of paper far away, as if it were being disposed of after fulfilling its purpose.