Chapter 73: Adventurers in the Capital City
We were taken to an open area behind the guild building, about 20 meters square. It seemed to be used for practice, with training dummies and archery targets set up. This was not just a simple backyard; it was a place specifically prepared for training and mock battles.
The ground had some weeds but was relatively soft. Perhaps they considered this to prevent serious injuries when someone fell.
Around the perimeter, there was a faint, semi-transparent curtain of light. That must be a barrier. It reminded me of the one Beth used, and it looked similar to the one around the Labyrinth Worm.
Thinking about these things, we entered the open area, accompanied by a crowd of adventurer onlookers.
A guild staff member younger than Balthon asked me and Zogg about our preferred weapons. I asked for a sword, while Zogg requested a two-handed hammer. They brought us wooden replicas of appropriate sizes.
Zogg's hammer was enormous, even though it was wooden. It looked like it could be used for demolishing buildings. If he were to strike someone with that, wouldn't it be lethal? It already felt like an unfair advantage.
Balthon brought another man, an older one in robes.
He's a level 31 mage, much higher level than the inspector Noian from the Patrol Office.
"The vice guildmaster Athnesk will oversee this. Keep in mind that if there's any foul play, we will stop it forcibly, and you'll be subject to punishment."
They can forcibly stop the fight, which is quite impressive.
"The match ends when one side is incapacitated or surrenders. Although these are wooden weapons, do not intend to inflict fatal wounds on your opponent. This is merely a test of skill. Any questions?"
"Nope," Zogg replied promptly. He seemed accustomed to this, but I had little experience outside of monster hunting, so I had plenty of questions.
"Well, for clarification, there's no time limit, right? Essentially, we just need to defeat or surrender this guy without killing him, right?"
"What?! Are you underestimating me?"
"Zogg! Well, yes. There's no time limit, so you can run around if you're at a disadvantage, but that won't be considered a fair fight. Also, if you want to pass, you'll have to win two matches, so don't forget that."
Balthon, the old man, looked intimidating but seemed like a decent guy.
I checked Zogg's stats again, displaying them in full.
Zogg - Human - Male - 33 years old - Warrior (Level 21)
Skills: HP Increase (Large), Melee Attack Increase (Medium), Physical Defense Increase (Medium), Strength Increase (Large), Melee Accuracy Increase (Medium), Physical Evasion Increase (Small), Fighting Spirit, Sword Skills (Level 3), Hammer Skills (Level 4), Riding (Level 2)
He's a typical front-line fighter, specialized in physical combat. As far as I can tell, he doesn't have any special skills. So, the approach should be straightforward.
The mage, referred to as the vice guildmaster, watched me with curiosity.
"...Are you both ready? Begin!"
Zogg may not have identification or character appraisal skills, but based on his experience, he might know about my skills. However, as an adventurer, I don't possess any magic, and I assumed he expected this to be a weapon-based battle.
Suddenly, without leaping in, he closed the gap, steadily approaching. I stepped back in response, gradually being driven closer to the barrier. I would have preferred him to make the first move, but he seemed like an experienced adventurer. It appeared he was trying to gauge my strength.
So, it was time for a little trick.
"Clay," I muttered quietly, producing a hard, spiky ceramic ball in my hand and hurling it at close range.
He was taken aback by something suddenly appearing. He tried to block it with a large hammer, but it wasn't suited to deflecting the small clay balls I threw one after another.
He twisted his body to dodge, but some of them hit their mark.
"Ouch, you bastard!"
Finally, he came charging at me.
Now, it was time for my specialty, the "foot-trip strategy."
Suddenly, Zogg, who had been caught off guard by the clay mass that appeared at his feet, tried to regain his balance despite being tripped up. Impressive, but if I could keep him immobilized, it would be enough. Clay masses rained down from above.
They weighed at most a few hundred kilograms, and since I had made the clay soft, there was no way he'd die from this.
With Zogg pinned under the clay mound, I pushed a wooden sword against his neck and declared, "Surrender."
With the wooden sword pressing against his throat, Zogg reluctantly admitted defeat.
"What the heck is this?"
Not only Zogg but also the onlookers were surprised. It was to be expected.
"Well, I have a special skill. This is one of them. Is it okay to use skills?"
"Of course. This guy definitely has a skill called 'Clay Play.' He was definitely fighting with his own power."
The vice-guild leader, Atnezk, seemed to be able to see people's skills as well. After a brief pause, he announced, "Shiro wins."
The crowd erupted with cheers. Zogg seemed to be a reasonably well-known figure among adventurers. Guild staff tended to his injuries.
"Alright, onto the second match," Barten said, surveying the adventurers who had surrounded him. "Considering Shiro's skills, it might be better for a mage or someone with special abilities to try..."
"Shall I give it a shot?" Unexpectedly, a husky female voice echoed. I had thought they were all rough-looking men.
Pushing through the crowd, a woman in an out-of-place flashy dress appeared.
She was a glamorous and bewitching beauty, with a mole below her left eye adding to her allure.
There was a list of abilities I had never seen before. Her job was "Summoner"? Judging by her skills, did she summon and use beasts or monsters? But she seemed to be able to use magic too, so could it be that she had changed her job from a mage? She seemed quite formidable.
"Oh my, are you ready? If you keep staring at me so intensely, darling, I might get flustered," she teased.
"Oh, um, sorry..."
No need to apologize, really.
"Well, you're cute. But, too bad. I only allow handsome men to join my party, so you need to work on that a bit more..."
She chuckled. Don't take it to heart.
I noticed that five men were standing behind her.
They ranged in age from younger than me to their late twenties, all good-looking guys like out of a fashion magazine. Seriously.
In this world, where fashionable designs like their probably weren't readily available, I wanted to ask how they managed to wear what looked like custom-made leather jackets. Moreover, all of them were Ilia-Nu's slaves, and their job classes varied from warrior to scout, but their levels were all higher than mine.
This was bad; I already felt a sense of defeat before the fight even started. My MP was rapidly decreasing.
"Ilia-Nu, you're close in level, but you're an advanced job..."
Barten seemed to be hesitating, meaning they were significantly stronger than the guy I just fought. However, Atnezk, the vice-guild leader, interrupted him.
"Very well, let's rely on Ilia-Nu."
"Hehe, understood."
Ilia-Nu's eyes narrowed.
Behind her, one of the handsome men with the Scout skill whispered something in her ear, likely informing her of my skills. That was a reasonable move.
Another one immediately offered a drink and a handkerchief, while another started massaging her shoulders. Was this place a host club?
"Isn't this what you've always wanted? Why are you so upset?"
Lina teased me...