kscans

Chapter 121 - The Noble Adventurer

A trio of adventurers approached us.

The first was a blond man, about 180 centimeters tall. He wore a suit of blue full-plate armor with a small shield and a blue cape on his back. A longsword with a yellow gemstone set in its pommel hung at his hip. Though lean, his physique was clearly well-toned.

The second was a woman with blue hair in twin tails, around 160 centimeters tall. She wore white leather armor, leather boots, and black gloves—all of which were far from cheap, their luster marking them as fine pieces of craftsmanship. A staff with no blade was slung across her back. Her flexible build reminded me of a gymnast. Her attire was clearly geared for agility over defense.

The third was a woman with short purple hair, standing at only 140 centimeters. She wore a large black silk top hat, a black cape, and clothes that resembled a researcher's garb. In her hands, she held a large staff tipped with a red gemstone. Her face and height gave her a somewhat childish appearance. She was, without a doubt, a magician.

A trio decked out in what was obviously high-end equipment.

Are they some nobles' kids? I wondered. Just then, the man who seemed to be their leader spoke.

"Ah, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Molzi, leader of the A-rank adventurer party, ‘Lightning Flash.’ The staff wielder to my right is Loose, and the magician to my left is Dord."

He introduced them, and the two women behind him gave slight bows.

Since I wasn't addressed, Tina stepped forward.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Tina. I recently became an A-rank adventurer. The man beside me is Shinsuke, the leader of our party, ‘Red Lightning.’"

Tina gave a quick introduction. I just nodded and said, "Nice to meet you."

Molzi wore a bored expression. "‘Red Lightning,’ is it? Well, whatever. I’d love to chat, but it's getting late, so I'll be brief. The beautiful Tina-san, would you care to join my party?"

He extended his right hand.

We glanced at each other.

With a look of sheer exasperation, Tina replied, "If I recall correctly, poaching other adventurers is strictly forbidden. It's an ironclad rule established by the guilds of every nation."

Her tone was severe. Poaching is prohibited because it breeds distrust and jealousy within parties. Selling yourself to another party, however, is permitted.

Molzi responded to Tina’s point with a dismissive wave.

"Such rules don't apply to me. I'm the son of a nobleman. A small infraction like this will be easily overlooked. Don't you think?"

He glanced around the guild hall. Every adventurer and staff member who met his gaze quickly looked away. They clearly wanted nothing to do with him. He must be from a rather high-ranking noble family.

Molzi's eyes returned to us. "So, as you can see, there's no problem with you joining my party. Understood?"

His last word was a command.

At that, Tina didn't hesitate. "I refuse."

It was the only logical response.

Molzi's eyes went wide. "A-ha-ha-ha! Goodness me! My ears must be playing tricks on me. Could you please repeat that?"

He clearly thought he'd heard the impossible.

Tina sighed. "I refuse."

She said the exact same thing.

The onlookers were no longer just surprised; a palpable sense of fear now filled the air.

Molzi began to tremble. "Wh-Why? How could you refuse an invitation from someone as noble and powerful as myself?"

He was seething with rage.

Tina replied coolly, "First of all, you and I met for the first time today. I cannot possibly trust someone like that."

Her answer was perfectly rational.

Molzi trembled even more, but Loose, the woman beside him, stepped in. "Lord Molzi, let's just go. A woman who can't even appreciate your charm isn't worth keeping alive. Besides, that scar on her face is proof of her lack of refinement."

She finished with a faint, mocking smile.

I felt a surge of anger. Rodel had given Tina that scar in our last battle. When I asked why she hadn't healed it with a potion, she had told me proudly, "Getting scarred is part of being an adventurer. I have no intention of erasing my scars unless it's absolutely necessary."

I felt a deep respect for her way of life. I was truly fortunate to be by the side of someone like her. Sensing my anger, Tina shot me a look, telling me to stand down. She's right. Causing a scene would be a bad idea.

Indeed, talking to these people was a waste of time. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

Molzi responded to Loose's comment. "What are you talking about? A woman with a scar is even more arousing. If I mark her up with my own hands, it'll feel like she's my pet for life, wouldn't it? Even more so if she's beautiful."

He answered with a lecherous gaze.

The absolute scum of the earth. I felt sick.

But before I could say anything, Tina spoke. "Let's go, Shinsuke. Wasting our time talking to this trash is pointless." With eyes devoid of any emotion, she turned and walked toward the quest board.

I followed her lead.

Being ignored, Molzi called out, "Hey, hey, are you sure about this? Ignoring me means you won't be able to stay in the Empire, you know. You just scraped your way to A-rank by some fluke. Are you really going to throw that away?"

His words were a clear provocation. So he knew about us.

This time, I was the one who answered. "We don't really care about ranks. And we don't care if making an enemy of you means we can't stay here. We'll just go to the Kingdom or the Republic."

I didn't even bother to look at him. Tina did the same, her eyes fixed on the board.

Our attitude clearly infuriated Molzi. "Huh? Who the hell asked you? Shut your mouth, you idiot in the weird getup."

He spat the words out with a sigh.

Weird getup? My Japanese-style armor?

I could tolerate insults directed at me, but I wouldn't stand for him bad-mouthing Tina or my armor.

I spun around. "That's enough, you damn brat. I don't know what noble family you're from, but if you say one more word, I'll consider it a challenge."

My face was contorted with anger.

My attitude only made Molzi angrier. "You… You said it, didn't you? Fine, then. It's a duel. Be at the arena at nine tonight. Team battle. Any objections?"

He said it with the face of a common thug.

My expression was just as furious. "Bring it on. And don't you dare run."

I taunted him, my voice thick with rage.

His face still a mask of fury, Molzi stormed out of the guild. The other two followed him.

Silence reigned in the guild hall.

Tina looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry. It was because of my skill…"

Before she could finish, I cut her off. "Don't worry about it. I can't stand guys like that."

He had been captivated by Tina's ‘All-Round Perfection,’ but his vile personality had shone through far more brightly.

Something was still bothering me, though. His two companions. They had spoken up to their leader, but not with any real conviction. At the same time, I didn't sense any sympathy or apology toward us either.

Which means those two…

No, stop. Anything beyond this is just speculation. Jumping to conclusions could get me hurt.

I checked the time. "Six o'clock. We have three hours. Shall we head over to this arena?"

Tina agreed with my proposal, and we left the guild together.

After an hour's walk through the capital, we arrived. The scale and detail were twice that of the Kingdom's arena. The surrounding area was lined with simple stalls—a weaponsmith, an armorer, an item shop… and even food vendors.

It was clear a lot of money had been poured into this place.

I couldn't help but mutter, "I think I understand how Bardos feels now…" A sigh escaped my lips.

Tina nodded silently and placed a hand on my shoulder.

Two hours later.

The arena was roaring with cheers. Do people really come out this late for entertainment? Is this a fight to the death? As I pondered this, I finished my preparations in the waiting room, pouring my blood into a scapegoat doll.

We entered the sandy dueling grounds. It should have been nighttime, but it was incredibly bright. Spotlights, like those used for stages, were installed beneath the spectator seats.

Imperial technology. A leak from Earth? Haven't there been a lot of those lately?

As I was thinking, the trio emerged from the opposite side.

The cheers were moderate at best, with no real shouts of support. That alone told me everything I needed to know about his popularity.

"I'll give you credit for having the guts to show up," Molzi sneered. "And beautiful Tina-san, I won't be letting you sleep tonight!"

What an idiot, acting like he's already won.

I activated ‘Discernment’ just in case.

Individual: Human.
Nature: None.
Ability: Super Hearing.
Magic: Fire, Thunder, Water, Wind, Earth.
Weakness: Overconfidence, Recklessness.

I was actually impressed. Even a guy like him had mastered all five elements and possessed a skill. It seemed he hadn't climbed the ranks on connections alone.

I turned to Tina. "Tina, you might be in trouble if you let your guard down."

I had to be careful what I said. With Molzi's ‘Super Hearing’ skill, I had no idea how far his range was.

"If you say so, Shinsuke, then he must be more than just an idiot," Tina replied. "I'll handle the other two. You focus everything you have on him."

She declared this with a rising battle aura.

That was a huge help, honestly. I might have trouble with that moron on his own; if even one of the others had joined in, I could have lost.

Just then, a voice from above the arena called out. "The match between ‘Lightning Flash’ and ‘Red Lightning’ will now begin! The winning party will be granted any wish, except for those related to political power! Are both sides ready?"

We both nodded in unison.

"Then, begin!"

Clang! The gong signaling the start of the battle rang out.

Both parties charged forward simultaneously. I went for Molzi, while Tina engaged Loose and Dord.

My sword clashed with Molzi's. Tina's blade met Loose's staff. Dord maintained a careful distance from Loose.

My contest of strength with Molzi was even at first, but gradually, I began to push him back. It seemed I had the upper hand in raw power.

Molzi gritted his teeth. "You… Wind Pressure!"

The moment he shouted, a blast of wind erupted from his sword, sending me flying backward. I quickly righted myself in midair and landed smoothly.

Several meters now separated us.

"Ha! You're not half bad, but you're just a commoner in the end," Molzi sneered. "A cheap sword like that is no match for my blade, Durandal!"

He brandished his sword. Its blade was a mix of yellow and white. A truly beautiful and magnificent weapon.

If it weren't held by such a piece of trash, I might have found myself admiring it. I activated ‘Analysis.’

Composition: 70% Orichalcum, 20% Adamantite, 10% Thunder Stone. A Thunder Stone, huh? I remember hearing those were extremely rare and hard to come by.

What a complete waste…

I muttered, "It's a pity for the sword to be owned by trash like you."

Molzi's eyes widened. "What did you say? A commoner like you called me trash? I'm going to kill you."

His killing intent flared.

So his ‘Super Hearing’ can pick up whispers from this distance. Good to know.