Chapter 67: Duel at the Guild
"Well, I must say, that was surprising!"
The guildmaster laughed heartily. He really reminds me of someone...
"My apologies for causing unnecessary commotion with my hasty assumptions. I'm Bertrand, and the guildmaster of Primera is my elder brother."
As I thought, their names and vibes are quite similar.
"No need to apologize. We had intended to disembark well before reaching the town. With the quality of the guards and the guild's activities, it's truly an impressive city."
"Hahaha, you're saying some nice things there! But flattery won't get you anything; however, I'll add to your rewards! Hahaha!"
"Guildmaster! That won't do. We're on a tight budget, so I won't allow it unless it comes from my own salary."
Alisa, the receptionist, glared at Bertrand. Running a guild seems to be quite challenging.
Though momentarily chagrined by Alisa's scolding, the guildmaster quickly recovered and resumed the conversation.
"Now, to the main point. Lately, harpies have taken up residence in the ravine, blocking the road to Barbaros territory. But most of our guild members excel in close combat. We're in quite a bind, so we asked Primera for assistance."
The territories of Count Primera and Marquis Barbaros are divided by mountains, with several ravines serving as established roads. The economic damage would be substantial if these roads become impassable.
"I understand the situation. I'll take care of the harpies right away."
"Oh, I apologize for asking right after your arrival. Allow me to provide you with guidance!"
Leaving the guildmaster's office with Alisa, I thought, "Kakeru-san is quite something! Achieving Rank B in just three days is baffling. And all his party members are stunning beauties. Oh, you can just call me Alisa casually."
Alisa... Is she praising me or being exasperated? And why does she seem a little angry?
But this girl...
***
While Kakeru was talking to the guildmaster—
"Hey, Chloe! It's been a while. Glad to see you're doing well."
"...And you are?"
Internally flinching at Chloe's icy demeanor, Gail thought, "This is it! That aloofness is irresistible. I'll make her mine for sure."
"Guess what, I reached Rank B!"
"Congratulations. Well then..."
Panicking at Chloe's super indifferent response, Gail hurriedly continued, "Wait a second! I've become stronger. What do you say, will you be my woman—"
"I'll pass."
Swiftly rejected, Gail slumped.
"Hey, Gail got turned down in a split second."
"Facing off against the Silver Devil... He's definitely not your average candidate for an ace."
The bystanders' reactions were generally favorable, reflecting the underlying understanding of Chloe's fearsomeness.
"So, that's the rumored chilly Chloe..."
"Considering she didn't cripple him, she might be one of the nicer ones."
"Well, it's pretty much impossible to find any opening to approach that guy Gail."
"Being compared to the Lord is quite pitiable... Lord!!"
The Black Death members seemed to react with a mix of sympathy.
"But seriously, what's up with the Black Death? Rather than reapers, they look more like a group of goddesses..."
"True... They don't really seem like death bringers, more like a congregation of goddesses..."
"I suppose... Crus and Gail are the guides, right? I'm envious."
Just then, Kakeru and Alisa returned.
"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head out for the harpy extermination—"
"Hold on a second!!!"
As everyone turned to look, Gail glared at Kakeru, and Chloe's gaze cooled even further.
"Gail-san, what's going on?"
"You're the leader of the Black Reapers, huh? Let's wager Chloe on this game!!"
"Huh? I don't get it... What's this about?"
"If I win, Chloe leaves the party. If you win, I'll give you the reward of 50 gold coins."
Gail tried to advance the conversation on his own.
"So, this doesn't feel like a conversation at all. Fine, I'll accept the challenge."
"Oh, not bad. I thought you were just a pushover, but you actually get it."
Reluctantly, I decided to accept the challenge. I was annoyed that he had made Chloe the subject of a bet without consulting her.
"Well, this is troublesome. If I don't stop Chloe, that guy Gail is going to get killed... Wait, what?"
"...Chloe is totally lost in maiden mode, huh..."
Looking at Chloe blushing and writhing in embarrassment...
"Oh my, my lord and brother is willing to fight for me with his life at stake... Even though my body and soul belong entirely to my lord and brother... What shall I do? Ehehehe."
Chloe was completely intoxicated by the situation.
Leaving Chloe in her blissful state, preparations for the duel continued.
***
"Seriously, just as I said not to cause any trouble..."
"Guildmaster, this might be a good opportunity to gauge Kakeru-san's strength, you know?"
"Well, if it's satisfactory to both parties, it might not be a bad thing in the end."
In the end, the Guildmaster became the referee, and a mock battle was arranged.
Kakeru and Gail faced each other in the guild's training grounds.
With Kakeru at 175 cm and Gail at 190 cm, there was quite a height difference. Kakeru's slender build made him appear quite fragile compared to Gail's well-built physique.
Most of the adventurers and guild members had gathered at the training grounds. Everyone was interested to see how the rumored strongest adventurer from another world, Primera, would perform.
"Hey, Chloe, is the leader of your group a magic-focused warrior? He looks quite slender."
During the mock battle, Kurus asked Chloe with concern.
"My lord and brother has mastered all forms of combat, including magic. There is nothing he cannot do."
Chloe's unwavering faith or perhaps blind devotion left Kurus speechless. To make Chloe speak like this, what kind of being was her lord and brother?
"Well then, let's begin the mock battle. No magic, no killing. Fight each other fairly."
"Got it, Kakeru!! Don't think you can underestimate me!"
Gail swung a blunted practice sword, radiating an intimidating aura. His presence was so overwhelming that an average man would likely freeze in fear.
"Why aren't you carrying a weapon? Are you perhaps skilled in martial arts?"
"Kakeru-san, I have a proposal. For the next five minutes, I won't lay a finger on you. Feel free to attack as you like, using any skills you wish. After all, there's quite a difference in strength between you and me."
Kakeru's provocative proposal caused a stir in the training grounds.
"No way, this is way too reckless... Gail is undoubtedly the top in close combat. That guy is going to get killed."
Naturally, Gail was the most furious.
"You... You won't kill me, but don't think you'll leave me unscathed!!"
Gail specialized in close combat skills. The combination of enhanced physical abilities, swordsmanship, agility boost, and immense strength resulted in explosive destructive power comparable to Class A.
He used the doubled leg strength to kick off the ground and swiftly closed the gap between him and Kakeru.
"Don't blame me! It's your fault for underestimating me!!"
Even with a blunted sword, if Gail's superhuman strength and speed were brought to bear, it would undoubtedly cause fatal injuries. The training grounds were filled with screams...
"What... What's this... Why aren't there any wounds? And how are you even standing?"
The group was astonished by Kakeru, who took Gail's attack without flinching.
"Are you just going to stand there daydreaming? If you don't attack soon, five minutes will pass."
Kakeru mercilessly taunted Gail.
"Shut up! Then I'll show you my trump card—"
Gail's body emitted a faint glow as his skill activated.
"'Rush' skill learned."
Thanks to the 'Rush' skill, Gail's rapid succession of attacks exploded on Kakeru with an incomprehensible speed. Each blow resulted in dull thuds resonating through the training grounds, yet Kakeru showed no sign of taking damage.
"Pant, pant... Damn it, what's going on?"
Frustrated, Gail tossed aside the broken practice sword and switched to a barrage of punches and kicks—
"And that's too bad. Five minutes have passed."
Heartlessly, Kakeru's verdict of death was delivered.