After returning to the Guild in the village and reporting the completion of our quest, Roel and I received our share of the reward—2,000 gold pieces each. I couldn’t help but feel frustrated that Ord, who had merely followed us, was also getting 2,000 gold. Meanwhile, Gantetsu and Etram, who had taken down the Poison Salamander, received a hefty 3,500 gold each. Since they were a party too, their share was also split evenly.
“Everyone, good job. It seems the rewards have been distributed without a hitch,” Gantetsu said, scanning the faces of the group.
“I wish I could have seen you take down that Poison Salamander, Gantetsu. Truly impressive for an A-Rank,” Keith remarked, comparing his bow to Gantetsu’s axe. However, Gantetsu showed no reaction to the praise.
“Honestly, I don’t think I was needed at all,” Etram added.
“That’s not true, Etram,” I interjected.
“I was the one who defeated it,” I declared, my voice cutting through the cheerful atmosphere like a knife.
Suddenly, the mood shifted, and everyone turned to look at me. I stepped forward and glared at Gantetsu.
“If I hadn’t unleashed the Sonic Ripper, you would have been done for. Why are you hiding that?”
“R-Rua-chan…” Roel stammered, trying to pull me back gently.
Gantetsu remained silent, his expression unreadable as he simply stared at me.
“Well then, I have something to say,” he began.
“Don’t ignore me!” I shouted, my voice rising to the point where I nearly spat on him.
Yet, Gantetsu continued to fix his gaze on me.
“Why are you taking credit for my work? Coward!”
“Stop it, Rua-chan…” Roel pleaded, her grip on my arm tightening as she tried to calm me down.
Tears of frustration welled in my eyes as I continued to glare at Gantetsu. The other adventurers, who had been taken aback by my outburst, began to voice their disapproval.
“What are you talking about? Stop saying such ridiculous things,” Etram said, his voice laced with anger.
“Answer me! Damn it! Damn it!” I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion.
Gantetsu finally spoke up, breaking the silence. “I’m sorry. If you want to talk, I’ll listen later. But right now, let me explain something. If you cause a scene here, your adventurer registration will be revoked, and you’ll lose your reward.”
“You bastard!” I shouted back.
“Stop… please, Rua-chan…” Roel urged, her voice trembling as she tried to pull me away.
I shook her off, my anger boiling over as I lunged at Gantetsu. The other adventurers, still in shock, began to scold me.
“What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?” one of them exclaimed.
Gantetsu raised a hand, silencing the crowd. “Listen, I didn’t say anything earlier for two reasons. First, if I admitted it, you would lose your reward. No matter how many monsters you defeat, the terms of the quest are absolute. If exceptions are made, it leads to all sorts of complications.”
He took a deep breath, then continued, “The second reason is that there’s a purpose behind the ranking system for adventurers.”
“A purpose?” I asked, still not fully grasping what he meant.
“I’m not in a position to lecture anyone, but let me explain. Lower-ranked adventurers have their own set of tasks. Even if they seem trivial to you, the clients are desperate. Solving their problems means saving lives. Whether it’s finding a lost pet or escorting someone to the next town, you need to understand those struggles.”
We listened in silence, the noise of the drunken revelers fading into the background.
“When you rise in rank, you can lose sight of that. No, it’s more accurate to say you stop seeing it. You become insensitive to others, and even if you reach a higher rank, those who do so carelessly end up doing shoddy work. They think, ‘This is good enough,’ and that can lead to serious accidents.”
He paused to take a sip of water before continuing, “Just look at Ord. He thought, ‘This is good enough,’ and that’s not acceptable. That’s why I brought him here to have a serious talk. He was picking his nose while I was lecturing him.”
“I see…” I murmured, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. I had been so focused on leveling up that I hadn’t considered the clients at all.
“It might sound like a dirty job, but I want you to learn this. Even if you can take down a Poison Salamander in one hit, there’s no hierarchy between A-Rank and D-Rank. What matters is that each person does their best within their capabilities.”
“I’m sorry, Gantetsu…” I said sincerely, my heart heavy with regret.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to lecture you, but it does sound like one, doesn’t it?” Gantetsu laughed heartily.
Doing what you can, huh? I was still a D-Rank. I needed to think carefully about what I could do as a fledgling adventurer.
“Now, enough of the serious talk. We haven’t eaten yet, right? Today, it’s on me, so eat up!” Gantetsu said, his demeanor shifting to one of joviality as he ordered a round of beer.
“To receive a reward and then have you treat us is too much,” Roel protested, trying to decline the offer, but Gantetsu seemed solely focused on the drinks, eagerly eyeing the menu adorned with images of beer.
“Of course, you two are underage, so no drinks for you!” he added, throwing in an unnecessary reminder.
He downed the beer that had just arrived in mere seconds. I asked Roel to order some food for us.
“Feel free to visit the town of Avangarde anytime. You’ll always be welcome,” Gantetsu said, his face flushed from the alcohol.
Determined not to be outdone, I gulped down my melon soda. The carbonation, after ten long years, burst in my throat, as if scolding my overconfident self.