Chapter 3: Promotion and the Great Subjugation Mission
Adventurer Level: 7
Weapon Skills
– Mace: Level 9
– Dagger: Level 4
– Martial Arts: Level 5
Armor Skills
– Buckler: Level 8
Physical Abilities
– Stamina: Level 9
– Strength: Level 11
– Speed: Level 9
– Explosive Power: Level 10
– Reflexes: Level 9
Sensory Skills
– Vision: Level 7
– Hearing: Level 5
– Smell: Level 4
– Touch: Level 4
– Dynamic Vision: Level 9
– Presence Detection: Level 7
Mental Skills
– Composure: Level 6
– Thought Acceleration: Level 5
– Excitement: Level 2
Special Skills
– Regeneration: Level 1
– Stability: Level 1 (new)
– Steel Body: Level 1 (new)
“Um, Okuno-san, congratulations on your promotion to E-Rank! You are the fastest to achieve this in our guild.”
“Wait? It’s only been two weeks since I became F-Rank.”
The day after I reported the defeat of two bosses in the Great Tree Dungeon and underwent an inquiry due to it being a first-time occurrence, I finished my daily dungeon exploration and training when the receptionist, Kisara, delivered the promotion notice.
“The number of materials you collected in the dungeon, the Boar Wolf subjugation outside the dungeon, the defeat of higher-ranking Goblins during subjugation requests, the Rare Boss defeat, and the two boss defeats have earned you more than enough points. Please hand over your Adventurer Card.”
“Oh, right.”
As Kisara listed my accomplishments, I realized just how densely packed they were.
I handed over my Adventurer Card as instructed, and Kisara took it to the back for a moment before returning.
“Here you go, your E-Rank card.”
“Thank you.”
The metallic card I received bore the letter “E” engraved on it. This card is quite a mysterious item, as it seems to record various achievements.
“With this, you are now qualified to enter E-Class Dungeons, but could you please wait a bit before leaving town? We are still awaiting the results of the horn inquiry.”
“Understood. How long will it take?”
“Usually, it takes about a week, so it should be another 3 to 4 days.”
In this world, a week consists of seven days, but it seems there’s no custom of having a weekend. Thankfully, the world doesn’t feel overly hectic, which is a relief.
“I also have some items I’ve requested from the weapon shop, so I plan to stay here until then.”
“That would be helpful. Even after becoming E-Rank, collecting materials in F-Class Dungeons will still earn you points, so I would appreciate your continued assistance.”
“Right. If I’m going to another town, I’ll need money, so I’ll make sure to earn as much as I can.”
As I reassured Kisara, the sound of a carriage stopping in front of the guild caught my attention.
Two individuals entered the guild.
One was a slightly younger man than me, dressed impeccably in high-quality Western attire, exuding an aura typical of a sharp-witted elite.
The other was a young woman with long silver hair cascading down to her waist, clad in crimson light armor, with an intricately decorated longsword at her side.
Both of them radiated an unmistakable presence that suggested they were not ordinary individuals, but particularly the woman had the distinct aura of an Awakened One.
As the woman spoke to a nearby guild staff member, the two were promptly escorted to a room in the back.
“Who were they?”
“The man is a steward from the Viscount Barius family, who governs this area. I’ve seen him once before. The woman is much more famous; she’s Anatoria, a former A-Rank adventurer who is now a knight in the viscount’s service.”
Kisara’s expression tightened a bit. Having a noble’s associate here, especially one as close as a steward, was understandably intimidating.
However, it seems there is a path for adventurers to be summoned as knights. I might need to consider my own career path in the future.
“Since someone of that caliber is here, it must mean something significant is happening.”
“Yes, I believe the lord has made a decision regarding the Goblin settlement we discussed earlier.”
“Could it be that adventurers are being called upon?”
“It seems so. By the way, participation is mandatory for those of E-Rank and above.”
“Wait… what?!”
Seriously? At this timing? There’s no way the guild would set me up like this… that would be an overestimation of my self-importance.
Even if I ranked up the fastest, I’m just one of many E-Rank adventurers.
“Bwahahaha! Tough luck, old man!”
That night, as I celebrated my promotion with Kaim and the others, the topic of the lord’s envoy came up.
Naturally, all the adventurers were aware of the impending large-scale Goblin subjugation.
Upon learning that I would be forced to participate just after my promotion, Kaim found it hilarious.
“From what I hear, your promotion makes sense, but isn’t it a bit too quick?”
“Yeah, it seems I was solo, so the subjugation points were increased.”
I answered the young boy, Labelt’s, question, and the beautiful spear-wielder, Ranan, chimed in.
“I see, that’s only fair. Entering a dungeon solo should be recognized.”
“Old man, it’s just that no one wants to team up with you. Hehehe.”
“Kaim, that’s rude!”
Kaim received a light punch from the mage, Meribe. It made a decent sound, but seeing him still laughing, it seemed he was fine.
After a good laugh, Kaim nudged me with his elbow.
“By the way, old man, you saw ‘Anatoria the Crimson,’ right? They say she’s quite the beauty; what did you think?”
“Sorry, I was too busy looking at her equipment to really notice her face. I figured if I stared too long, I’d get scolded.”
“Boring! I should have leveled up a bit faster… ouch!”
It seemed Meribe pinched him again.
Labelt, watching this, grinned and said, “Anatoria the Crimson might show up during the Goblin subjugation. It’s a chance to impress her!”
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll have to make a mark to catch her attention… ow, that hurts!”
“Is it true that an A-Rank will be involved, like the Goblin King?”
Even as an E-Rank, I possess strength that ordinary humans cannot match. An A-Rank must have incredible power…
“To be honest, I think a C-Rank would handle it easily. But we need to gather enough adventurers, so we’ll need bait.”
“Bait…? Ah, I see, they’re trying to attract people with a famous name.”
“Exactly. People love that sort of thing. It’s almost like a festival.”
“That’s quite cunning; adventurers are strong indeed.”
Honestly, this world seems to lack entertainment. I can understand why adventurers would treat a large subjugation mission like a festival.
As I sipped my drink, Meribe, still pinching Kaim, turned to me.
“By the way, Soushi-san, after the Goblin subjugation, are you planning to go to another town?”
“Yeah. I want to travel around as much as possible to gather skills and try out E-Rank dungeons. I plan to leave once I’m ready.”
“I see… Since you’re from another country, you don’t really need to stay in this town.”
Meribe looked a bit envious. Seeing that, I had a sudden realization.
“Could it be that everyone from ‘Ginrin’ is here because they’re from this town?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Everyone has family here. They want to earn a decent living while staying in this town.”
Finally freed from the pinching, Kaim spoke up.
“I see. Hometowns and family are important.”
“Yeah. There’s talk of going out to become D-Rank and then returning, but it’s hard to make that decision for various reasons.”
“Going out takes money and time. Families would worry too, so it’s not something you can just do.”
“Exactly. In a way, I envy you, old man. I sometimes think about wanting to be stronger too.”
Kaim said, gazing off into the distance. Meribe looked at him with a complicated expression. It seems they have their own struggles.
Still, while they’re young, they’ll surely find a way to do what they want.
Perhaps it would be good for me to rank up first and then guide them when the time comes.