kscans

Chapter 12 - Ranks and a Surprising Offer.

The battle ended in my victory... but it came at a cost.

After leaving the training hall, I was bombarded with questions from the other adventurers. But I couldn't answer any of them. The moment I sat down...

"Guaaahhh!!... Kaaahhh!... M-My body... i-it hurts."

The moment I deactivated 'Thunderclap Incarnation,' an intense pain shot through me. I couldn't just collapse, so I gritted my teeth against the pain and made my way to a seat inside the guild. The reason I didn't answer anyone was because it hurt too much to even speak. The other adventurers must have realized, as they soon stopped asking.

Just when I thought I could catch my breath, the Receptionist approached me.

"Shinsuke-san, why didn't you report that you could use magic?"

She asked with a terrifyingly sweet smile.

The look on her face told me she wouldn't accept my inability to speak as an excuse.

I somehow managed to move my mouth.

"M-Magic... I learned it... three days ago... D-Did I... need... to report it?"

My words were choppy, but it was the best I could manage.

The Receptionist sighed. "Haaah... When you learn magic, we have to add it to your adventurer record. When magic-related jobs come in, we have to look at the records to select a suitable candidate."

"Someone who can't use magic can't handle such jobs, so it's mainly B- or A-rank adventurers who learn it. As far as I know, you're the only D-rank adventurer to have ever learned magic."

Only high-rankers, huh? That made sense. It cost a small gold coin just to view a grimoire, and quests that paid that much were only available to B-rankers and up. My master once told me that most magicians must come from wealthy backgrounds. As I was lost in thought, the Guild Master arrived.

"Shinsuke, I need to speak with you. Come to the reception room. Now."

He was asking the impossible of someone who could barely move.

I shook my head, but the Guild Master's face was dead serious.

"This concerns your future. You two, carry him."

The two designated adventurers picked me up, one on each side, and carried me away.

In the reception room, the Guild Master and Bardos were already waiting.

Bardos had no signs of injury from our fight, and even his chainmail was perfectly restored. That substitute doll must be an incredible item, I thought, to restore not just injuries but clothing as well.

Bardos grinned. "Yo, Shinsuke! That was a hell of a fight! I haven't been that fired up since I was a rookie. Let's do it again sometime."

He said with a brilliant smile, giving me a thumbs-up.

For a second, I had a vision of his teeth glinting with a kiran.

The Guild Master cut in. "Cut it out, Bardos. That's not what we're here to talk about. And for the record, your private duels are now forbidden. Don't go having such intense fights between fellow adventurers. It's bad for my heart just watching."

Bardos scoffed. "Tch, what's the big deal? Lighten up a little. You're as stuffy as ever, Guild Master."

"Idiot, I'm just stating the obvious from a normal person's perspective. But that's not what this is about. You two, thank you for your trouble. You can set Shinsuke down there and leave."

The two adventurers, looking relieved, placed me in a chair and quickly exited.

Now there were three of us. What could this be about? The Guild Master sat up straight.

"Alright, Shinsuke, I've called you here for a specific reason. I'm sure you were told about rank promotions when you first joined, but I'll say it again. Normally, you rank up after completing a certain number of guild jobs and passing an interview. You understand that much, right?"

I nodded in response.

What was this all about? As I wondered, a sudden chill ran down my spine.

The Guild Master continued. "However, as a special exception, Shinsuke, I am promoting you to C-rank."

His statement was so shocking that I...

"W-Wait a minute, p-please. I haven't... completed... that many... jobs."

I managed to argue back, my voice breaking, but the Guild Master was unfazed.

"True, the work you've done so far has been gathering medicinal herbs, routine patrols, and a few merchant escort missions between town and a village. It's not enough to warrant a promotion."

"...However, we just have to add in the number of monsters you've hunted outside of guild jobs. You seem to think that it doesn't count toward your evaluation since it's not official guild work, but we recently changed our policy to include it, albeit at a lower evaluation rate. And because of that..."

What? When did that policy change? He must have seen the question on my face.

The Guild Master explained. "The reason we adopted this policy was because a certain adventurer kept hunting monsters without accepting any quests. We started getting reports from adventurers who took on a quest only to find the monsters were already gone. Around the same time, an adventurer claiming to be a hunter would come in to exchange materials from the very monsters on that quest."

"...That's what happened. Ring any bells, Shinsuke?"

I averted my gaze as he stared at me coldly.

The Guild Master continued. "Well, there are other adventurers who do odd jobs for pocket money, so I'm not saying that hunter is the only one at fault, but try to be a little more discreet. Anyway, that's why the policy was changed. But the deciding factor, more than anything else, was you winning your private duel with Bardos."

Hearing that, I looked at Bardos.

Noticing my gaze, he said, "Hey, just so you know, I don't hold a grudge for losing. I was the one who challenged you. It's my creed not to regret my own decisions. So don't worry about it."

He flashed a grin, showing his teeth. What a man of honor, I thought. The Guild Master continued.

"To continue, it would be problematic for you, the one who defeated the B-rank Bardos, to remain a D-rank. We can't afford to wait until you're normally eligible for promotion."

"...Bardos is one of the faces of this guild, after all. If the one who defeated him gets nothing, it could start bad rumors about the guild. As a countermeasure, we've decided to promote you to C-rank. In fact, we're probably announcing your promotion to the other adventurers in the guild right now. You have no right to refuse, Shinsuke."

Things were certainly moving along without my consent. Still, in a way, his reasoning made sense. Bardos was a B-rank adventurer, one of the top-ranking adventurers in this city. And I had defeated him.

On Earth, a company's 'face' would often take credit for other people's successes to make themselves look good, or pin their own failures on others. They did whatever they pleased. In fact, that kind of thing happened all the time at my old company.

I was usually the one forced into the role of scapegoat.

Compared to that, this world was a true meritocracy.

The strong live, and the weak die. It was a world that embodied survival of the fittest.

Perhaps the guild's system was structured this way because people's lives were on the line, or maybe they were concerned about something else. In any case, it seemed they properly evaluated what needed to be evaluated.

I said, "I understand. Under the circumstances, I accept."

My body had recovered enough that I could speak properly now.

Hearing my reply, the Guild Master said, "Good, as long as you understand. Also, Bardos said he has something to talk to you about. I told him to do it here to avoid any trouble."

At these words, Bardos spoke up. "Alright, beating around the bush is a pain, so I'll just say it straight. Shinsuke, you wanna team up with me?"

It was so sudden, so out of the blue. My mind was flooded with thoughts. The Guild Master looked just as stunned, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Why? You just said you wanted to fight me."

Bardos grinned. "Because if we're together, we can fight anytime. If we stay as free agents, there's no telling when I'll see you again. So it's simpler if we just stick together from the start. Well, the Guild Master just banned it, but even without that, I still want to team up with you."

Bardos took a breath. "You go to all sorts of places to hunt monsters, right? I figure if I'm with you, we'll run into strong ones. I didn't come across many when I was on my own."

I had to object. "Hold on. It's not like I'm constantly running into strong monsters. If you team up with me, there's a high chance it'll be nothing but boring fights."

If we teamed up and it was all just tedious work, he'd be disappointed and probably start badmouthing me. I was done with that. I'd come back to the countryside to live a quiet life like a hermit because I didn't want any more grief. I'd learned about this other world and was trying so hard to live here without stress, but then Bardos...

"Hahaha, don't worry about that stuff. What I said before was just an excuse. The truth is, Shinsuke, I've taken a liking to you."

"...I'm curious to see what kind of places you'll go to as a hunter. It'd be creepy for both of us if I just followed you around. So, I figured it's better if we just form a party from the start. Oh, in this case, would it be a combo? Eh, whatever."

He said, laughing.

To be honest, it wasn't a bad offer.

It was the first time in my life someone had so bluntly said, 'I've taken a liking to you,' and it made me happy.

However, being together twenty-four-seven would be a problem because of the other world. Other parties usually worked together and often stayed at the same inn. If Bardos came to my house, he'd find out about the magic circle I use to return to Earth.

With that in mind, I asked, "I live in the forest outside the city. I've heard that B-rank and higher adventurers own their own homes. Do you have one?"

To this question, Bardos replied, "I guess you could say I do. I used to stay at inns, but they said my presence was scaring away customers, so I bought a house on an installment plan or something."

"It's a small place, so it might be a bit tight for two people. I never thought about getting a partner before. We can live separately. Just promise me you'll invite me when you go hunting. Just promise me that."

He said it with an insistent look on his face.

If I refused after he'd gone this far, it might start rumors that I was plotting something. This was probably the point where I had to concede.

"Alright. This is my first time teaming up with someone, but I look forward to working with you."

I held out my right hand, still trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Bardos came over. "Yeah, you too. And you can drop the formal language. You can talk to me like a friend."

He said as we shook hands. It was a welcome feeling.

"Oh, and one more thing," Bardos added.

"Even if it's a combo, it's still a party. You can be the leader, Shinsuke. You're the man who beat me, and it seems like the leader has to handle all the tedious details for the party. I'm no good at that stuff."

He said with a laugh.

I kept the thought that he looked the part to myself. Still, a leader, huh?

It sounded cool, but it meant I'd be doing all the grunt work in this world, too. It would be a pain, but I had to do it. Also, even though I'd just made C-rank, I had to get to B-rank as soon as possible, or it wouldn't be fair to Bardos.

I, the lower-ranked one, was now standing above him.

I'd originally intended to refuse that part, but he'd so frankly admitted he was bad with the details. For some reason, I felt I had to respond to that honesty.

The Guild Master, watching this exchange, commented, "Bardos is joining a party, huh? Live long enough and you see everything. It's not a bad thing if that battle maniac settles down a little."

He nodded with a satisfied look on his face.

Alright then, I thought, and started to leave the room. My body had recovered enough to walk, but I couldn't work today.

With that in mind, I said, "Bardos, sorry, but my body's not moving right today. Can we start working together tomorrow?"

To this question, Bardos replied, "Sure thing. Thanks for going along with my request today. Get some rest. I'll see you at the guild tomorrow."

He agreed with a cheerful face.

I bid farewell to the Guild Master and left the room.

When I got down to the first floor, the adventurers all stared at me.

Were they scared, or just surprised about my promotion? Either way, I had no desire to boast.

I didn't want them to think I was some jerk. Not knowing what expression to make, I left the guild in stony silence.

I'd just shown them my incapacitated body. They probably assumed I'd recovered a little but was heading home because I couldn't work. I hoped so, anyway. Well, Bardos would probably say something. I was almost certain he'd boast about it proudly.

Things were about to get tough. When I was alone, I could eat whatever I wanted at the hunting grounds, but now that I'd be eating with Bardos, I'd have to look up some old field rations again. I also had to cash in on Earth. It looked like I was going to be busy.

I sighed, but deep down, a part of me was excited. I wonder why?