"...Ha? What's this? Some kids and a masked freak... How interesting," said one of the adventurers, apparently the leader of the four-man group.
Raiz, reasonably riled by the man's words, already had a retort ready. I, however, stopped him, answering calmly in his stead.
"We are... Candidates. As well. I can't say... I appreciate. Your tone of... Voice."
"...Kuh. You sure sound like a freak, all right. Candidates, too, you say? Here's the difference, skull face: we'll be the ones passing this trial, not you. Don't think for a second that we're the same... Hoh? One of those kids behind you is pretty cute if you look closely. How about it, girl? You come with us, and you'll pass the test for sure—eh?"
The man approached Laura, prompting her to quickly hide behind me, not bothering to answer the man's questions. Visibly offended by her reaction, the man moved to draw his blade. Mine, however, was already at his throat, its edge gleaming in the dim light of the labyrinth's halls.
"H-Hey now...?! You stop that. Was justa joke! Yeah, a joke..."
"Is... That so. I do... Apologize. I have a poor sense... Of humor."
"Y-Yeah... My bad. I won't pull anything else. So come on, put that thing away..."
"...Hmph."
Keeping my eyes trained on the man, I slowly lowered my blade, taking a single step back. The man, for his part, sighed with relief, his shoulders visibly drooping. It seemed that he was more cowardly than I had thought him to be.
"Well...? Up ahead's the boss room, isn't it? Aren't candidate groups going in as individual teams...?" the man asked, in a calmer voice.
"...No. Please go... Ahead. We are going... To rest for a... Bit. Then we will... Follow."
"Haah? Didja not get the note about the first team reaching the end winning? You just gonna let us have it?"
"...Sure. As you... Say."
"Is that right...? Well, we'll be going ahead, yeah? You guys! Let's move!" the man shouted, leading his band of adventurers into and beyond the boss room's doors.
Raiz, having kept quiet all this time, finally raised a query as the four-man group passed beyond the now-open boss room doors.
"...Was that really okay, Rentt?"
"What... Do you mean?"
"I mean, letting them go ahead first... Didn't we get here faster than they did?"
Although this was congruent with the description of the task that the guild had issued, there was, once again, something off with the way it was phrased. For the purposes of ensuring this test's integrity, however, I decided to keep this fact to myself. As far as I could see, neither Raiz nor Laura had noticed this.
And so I said: "...Think about it... For a while. Try to remember... What the guild... Staff member. Said."
It was Laura who reacted first as realization seemed to dawn across her features. It would seem like she already understood, turning to Raiz with the intent of explaining. But I shook my head, signaling to Laura to keep her thoughts to herself.
Knowing Raiz's overly honest and straight character, having him think too much over an issue would prove to be an untimely distraction. This was for his own good, and Laura, seemingly understanding this, smiled as she held her silence.
With that, we walked toward the doors. They were, of course, still open. Them being open was by no means strange since this specific sort of boss room wasn't the inescapable, self-sealing type that I had found myself trapped in before. In fact, we found ourselves in a good position to spectate the battle within from just outside the entrance.
Seeing this, Raiz nodded, apparently convinced that our course of action was correct.
"...So, Rentt, you're telling me that if I see this, I'll not be so worried anymore?"
I offered Raiz a simple nod. "Just... Some reconnaissance. Raiz."
As soon as I said those words, a large monster appeared before the group of adventurers, and before long, their battle with the boss room's oversized denizen began.
◆◇◆◇◆
"Well... Then. Let us... Go." Affirming that the battle within the room had ended, I turned around, addressing my companions.
"Wait, wait, wait! Wait a minute Rentt! Oi! Look... Look at this! That didn't help at all!" Raiz said as he frantically chased after me.
Turning around, I tilted my head somewhat dramatically, offering a simple response.
"...Hmm. Is... That, really so...?" I questioned, ignoring what we had just bore witness to.
Laura, on the other hand, looked on calmly, sighing as she offered her own assessment.
"...Those guys were weaker than I thought... Not only were they wiped out instantly, they got retrieved, too... Those people just now, the ones in black, they were guild staff members, yes?"
Laura's assessment was by and large correct. The four-man group that had passed ahead of us did not do very well for themselves in the slightest. Although we had positioned ourselves to observe their strategies and formulate some of our own as we spectated, the four of them had lost before we could even begin our discussion.
Just as we thought we were about to witness a death following a particularly vicious attack from the monster within, two figures, wrapped head to toe in black, jumped in to intervene. Not only did they cleanly dodge the monster's attacks, but they also made it a point to grab each and every one of the fallen adventurers on the way out. I suppose this was a given, due to the fact that deaths were explicitly not supposed to occur during the course of the test. Actually witnessing guild staff in action, however, was very much a surreal thing.
While many points came to mind if one were to consider the reasons for their failure, the main factor was that of strength, or, to be precise, the lack thereof. One would have to overcome many traps and the like to reach this point. The adventurers in question probably specialized in scouting or information warfare, which meant that they just so happened to be somewhat lacking in combat ability. With that being said, this was something that could be easily remedied with training. It was unfortunate, but at the very least, they did not lose their lives in the encounter.
I could not help but have my doubts about showing this train of events to Raiz, however. Perhaps it did nothing but add on to his worries. Just to be sure, I shifted my glance toward him.
"...You know, Rentt, I feel stupid for worrying. Even if I'm not that strong... I don't go down that easy, right?"
He held an unexpectedly optimistic outlook. While one could say that Raiz's declaration was brash behavior, this was not exactly the case. Raiz and Laura were both considerably skilled for their age, even among the many adventurers present in this trial. In fact, they had more than enough in terms of capability and power to pass the test on their own, and I could safely assume they were already in the upper ranges of their adventurer class. This was why I had kept quiet about the relative strength of the boss in this room, since it would serve the two better to have them notice for themselves.
With their spirits now adequately lifted, I supposed there was no longer a danger of them freezing before the monster in question.
"...Well, then. Should we... Get going? It is... Up. To you."
Looking at them now, one could hardly tell that the two were worried mere minutes ago.
"Yeah! I won't lose, not like those guys!" "Yes! Why don't we tell them about how we passed later!" Raiz and Laura exclaimed, raising their weapons into the air.
◆◇◆◇◆
I must say, though, that things certainly did not go according to plan. Stepping into the boss room, I could not help but feel a little disappointed as I set my eyes upon the monster that awaited us.
If the monster in question had been defeated already, it would take some time for it to reappear. We would, then, be able to pass through this point unhindered. The conditions of the test, after all, were to merely "reach a certain point."
Although there was indeed a monster in this boss room, and it was true that one could not pass through here without first defeating it, the guild did not prohibit individuals from passing through this room without having personally defeating said monster. Instead, they had kept silent on this point; a loophole that could be utilized by those in the know.
Personally, I would have preferred such an outcome, hence me allowing the group before us to pass. To the starry-eyed likes of Raiz and Laura, I suppose this sort of unscrupulous behavior would shake their adventuring spirit to the core. In light of that, I held my peace, not wanting to shatter their ideals.
If the group before us did defeat the monster, I would have simply passed it off as a happy coincidence. In reality, however, nothing went according to plan. I suppose someone somewhere would have an opinion about all this, something along the lines of how one must put in a fair amount of work in one's life. Maybe there was some merit to it, but for now I shelved my thoughts.
The monster in the middle of the room was a familiar one; familiar, yet rare in rather specific ways.
"...A Slime? No, a...Big Slime...?" Raiz whispered, apparently moved by its majestic girth.
Despite Raiz's words, his blade was drawn, his stance steady. He was ready for any sudden movements and attacks; Laura was the same.
This particular Slime was perhaps several times bigger than a normal Slime. Adventurers, in turn, simply referred to it as a Grand Slime, an upper-class monster of considerable threat.
Although Big Slimes were often seen milling about casually on the deeper floors of a labyrinth, they sometimes appeared on shallower floors as boss monsters. It was, for its part, adequately intimidating, with its large size striking fear into the hearts of adventurers. A monster of its nature was resistant to physical attacks and even more vulnerable to magic. In addition, its sheer volume was not simply for show; if an adventurer ended up in a disadvantageous position, they could easily be crushed in a second.
Taking into account all these factors, it wasn't difficult to see why the guild's attitude toward progression tests was often seen as mean-spirited.
Would the guild take their own test? ...No, I suppose not.
We slowly crept up on the Slime, all the while observing the quiet vibrations in its large body. The Slime, being what it was, looked lovable enough, but this was without the half-digested remains of prey usually found in Slimes this size. Laura, apparently having similar thoughts as we advanced, began muttering to herself.
"I would...like a plush toy that big... Makes you feel that way...looking at it..." A few other words were lost under her breath.
I gave Laura's mumblings some consideration. Even if one really owned such a toy, finding the adequate space to store it would prove to be quite the challenge. Was she thinking of stuffing the entire toy inside her rented room at the inn?
Finally taking notice as we reached the center of the room as a group, the Grand Slime quivered violently, launching an impossibly huge ball of acid at us in response. A Slime's signature attack, its Acid Blitz, served to signal the beginning of our trial.
The ball of acid was, by visual approximation, at least ten times bigger than that of a normal Slime's. If an adventurer were hit by that, burns would be the least of their worries. Unbeknownst to the Slime, we had already witnessed this attack when the four-man group engaged it in combat; it seemed to be a reflex action the Slime performed whenever something got close to it. It didn't take us long to come up with a countermeasure in our limited discussions, for as long as we dodged away from the acid ball's trajectory, it would be a relatively harmless attack.
The sheer size of the ball, however, meant that it had to be dodged decisively; hesitation alone could lead to partial impact. On this point, I had to express my thanks to the group that came before us, as it seemed that we did get some degree of useful information from them after all.
Having rolled to the side, Raiz ran forward, bringing his blade down on the Slime unreservedly. Although Slimes were greatly resistant to physical attacks, they were by no means invulnerable. If the core spinning in the middle of their gelatinous bodies was damaged, they would still die. Due to this, Raiz's attack at least had a healthy dose of intimidation built into it.
In reality, Raiz aimed for the Grand Slime's core, but a single blow was not quite enough to reach it. Such an attack would have worked in the case of a normal Slime, for as long as one's blade pierced its body and impaled its core, the job would be done. It would be an easy job, at that.
A Slime of this size, however, possessed a higher than usual viscosity than its normal cousins, and was much more resistant to piercing attacks. The Grand Slime's sheer volume also granted it a solid defense against piercing attacks; a blow that didn't have enough force behind it would never pierce its core.
Raiz, having failed in his attempt, was promptly sent flying by a hand-like protrusion that stretched out from the Slime's giant body.
◆◇◆◇◆
And so it came to be that Raiz was repeatedly sent flying by the Grand Slime's makeshift arm. We all had our roles; if one were to question mine, it was that of being Laura's shield. More accurately, I was tasked with distracting the Slime as Laura weaved her spells. Magic was a Slime's one true weakness, after all. During such an encounter, a frontline warrior like myself would keep the Slime occupied while the party's mage worked their magic.
While I had intended to perform such a role in the first place, Raiz himself insisted on the role of Slime-harrier during our pre-encounter discussion, volunteering to attack the Slime in order to draw its attention.
I suppose there were many reasons for Raiz's sudden change of heart. It certainly wasn't an easy task to do alone. If I had to speculate, Raiz, who was now ashamed of how he behaved when he first set eyes on a larger version of a regular monster, was seeking to redeem himself. Specifically, he was disappointed in his inability to accurately gauge the monster's strength in relation to his own. In response, he had made up his mind to fight said Slime, with the sole aim of amassing as much combat experience as he could so as to not react the same way the next time he would come across such a monster. If anything did go wrong, the guild's staff would surely step in. This was a much better arrangement than potentially risking his life in an unsupervised encounter.
A sound decision.
Though, expecting the guild to step in and assist should anything go wrong would be unbecoming of any adventurer, but one could see that such was not the case for Raiz.
He was stabbing and striking at the Slime desperately. The Slime was, comparatively, much larger and stronger than he was. Raiz, for his part, did what he could to distract the Slime, attempting to strike at its core with every move. He made the most of the situation and chose to do what he was able to do at this point in time.
I could not fault Raiz for the developments that followed, namely the Grand Slime rolling after him in a counterattack after launching him away with its hand-like appendage once more. Raiz just didn't have enough experience, and the Grand Slime was much stronger than he was—that was all there was to it.
I could not sit by and watch Raiz get swallowed up by the Slime, so I turned around, glancing at Laura. Her eyes told me all I needed to know; I suppose she had the confidence to dodge even if the Slime came her way.
Slamming my foot down onto the ground, I rushed toward Raiz and the Slime, the latter of which was getting dangerously close to my companion.
Slimes looked like a viscous blob from all angles, but I personally considered its "back" to be the direction opposite to the one a Slime was advancing. Catching up to the pair, I promptly drew my blade, carving a horizontal gash in its back. With a wet splotch that was neither liquid nor solid in its quality, a section of the Slime was dislodged in the general direction of my blade, raining down upon the chamber's floors.
Although I was much stronger than I was in life, I could not feel much of a difference in terms of resistance, Grand Slime or not. Even so, I could not realistically reach the Slime's core with only a few strikes.
A Grand Slime's core itself was different from that of its smaller cousins: it possessed a greater torque, spinning at a much faster rate to build up its internal resistance against bladed instruments and other melee attacks. But if one had the adequate precision or force, one would easily be able to pierce said core regardless of its defenses. Both of those options were, however, unavailable to me as I was right now. All I could do at this point in time was wrest the Grand Slime's attention away from Raiz and Laura, and it would appear that my attack had done exactly that.
As if responding to the blow, the Slime's core spun in another direction, causing its entire body to roll toward me instead. As I thought, the concept of direction was relatively fluid when it came to Slimes. Perhaps the core itself was responsible for its general orientation?
I made a mental note to ask this of Lorraine, the resident Great Scholar, after I had returned from this test, all the while retreating from the Slime as it chased after me. I made sure to make off in a direction opposite to that of Raiz and Laura.
With breathtaking speed that one would not have thought possible for a Slime, the gelatinous monster made a beeline for me. More than anyone else, I was aware of the limited space in this room; one would not be able to escape indefinitely. But I had no intention of escaping, as there was no such need.
Having recovered from his previous exertions, Raiz readied his blade once more, rushing toward the now-distracted Slime. Positioning himself directly opposite of me, Raiz infused his blade with his spirit aura, slicing into the Grand Slime's wobbling mass.
Now being attacked from its front and back simultaneously, the Grand Slime, as if exasperated, quivered intensely once again. Before long, we were both staring at familiar, hand-like appendages, the Slime having seen fit to generate two at once in response to our blows. They were the very same type of arm that had sent Raiz flying earlier, but the speed of the appendages now was markedly slower, probably from the strain of keeping two such projections up at once.
Raiz, for his part, was now able to dodge the Slime's arm attacks.
On the other side of the Slime, I hardly had any issues keeping up with the Slime's flailing arm. Maybe I could even fight this Slime toe-to-toe on my own. I would be unable to land a decisive blow, however, and it would end up being a battle of attrition that would quickly grow tiresome.
I suppose there was merit in honing a particular set of skills, specifically, my ability with attack-type magic. Yet another topic to discuss with Lorraine upon my return.
"I'm ready!"
The exclamation echoed through the room. Laura seemed to be done with her incantation, the very same incantation for a spell she had been weaving from the beginning of this encounter.
Simple spells and the like could often be executed with short chants. To deal with a strong opponent, such as this particular Grand Slime, it went without saying that a more powerful spell was needed. This was why Raiz and I had been buying Laura the time she needed. While I was supposed to have been protecting Laura from the Slime's attacks, I ended up joining the fray, as well; such was the unpredictable nature of boss battles.
All's well that ends well; a little too soon to say, I suppose, but as far as I was concerned, the fight was over.
At Laura's signal, Raiz and I jumped backward, disengaging from the Slime. I wasn't quite sure if Laura had the luxury of ensuring we were no longer in the blast radius, but before I knew it, she was already standing before the Slime, staff raised. With a deep breath, Laura belted out the final words of her spell.
"GRAND! PROX!!"
With those words, great tongues of fire several times larger than her leapt forth from the tip of Laura's staff. The spell's flaming tendrils hurtled toward the Slime at breakneck speeds.
While a Grand Slime would usually constrict and wring itself up to avoid such an attack, this particular one, having been distracted by Raiz and me all this time, did not manage such a maneuver. In the next moment, the Grand Slime found itself engulfed in a sea of flames, having taken the brunt of Laura's attack head-on.
Although the Slime was hardly wounded by the edges of our blades, it didn't have a defense mechanism against magic. The impact caused a vast part of its body to melt away, momentarily exposing its core. If left alone in this state, the Slime would soon regenerate, erasing all traces of damage done to itself. Perhaps this was what made Slimes monstrous and intimidating; but then again, it was hardly a threat to us in this state.
Nodding in approval at Raiz, I looked in the direction of the Slime's exposed core. We both understood what had to be done.
Finishing off a boss monster was seen as a heroic achievement among adventurers. Looking somewhat reluctant to do so, Raiz hesitated, as if doubting his own contributions to the battle. Eventually relenting, he readied his blade, rushing toward the Slime as he thrust the instrument cleanly through its exposed core. In the very next instant, the tension that held the Grand Slime's body together vanished, causing it to lose its form. The Grand Slime, falling apart, was now nothing more than a puddle of liquid and some gelatinous fragments.
The labyrinth would reclaim its fallen denizen in time. I, however, had other ideas, withdrawing some familiar conical flasks from the depths of my enchanted pouch. Handing one each to both Laura and Raiz, I turned to them, offering an explanation.
"The fluids... Of a clear Slime... Like this one. Are worth... Quite a bit of coin. You two should... Collect some, too."
They were probably expecting a celebration of sorts, as both Raiz and Laura stared at me with blank expressions, taken aback by my words.
"... Even if we were to... Split it. There would still be a lot... For each of us. We will split... The rewards. And buy ourselves... A good meal."
The two, now adequately convinced that the lifeless mass before them was worth its weight in gold, quickly got down on their knees, gathering up the Slime's fluids with my provided flasks in hand. I suppose their naïveté made them lovable in their own way.
◆◇◆◇◆
While we were busy collecting the remains of the fallen Grand Slime, a group of adventurers passed us by. I suppose they had been waiting in the shadows this whole time, intending to pass through the boss room without much effort on their own after another party had defeated the monster within.
A wise choice. They would one day become good adventurers, for there was a certain kind of cunning that adventurers had to possess.
Raiz, however, shot the adventurers a most disagreeable gaze. Perhaps he wanted to lecture them on the perceived unfairness of this situation and other slights; Laura, on the other hand, simply smiled, tapping Raiz a few times on the shoulder.
Laura, who was much faster on the uptake, had already realized a few of the many unsaid rules of adventuring, and she did not seem all too bothered by a group progressing on the back of our effort. I wasn't just letting them go ahead of us for no good reason, nor was I doing so out of charity. The test's rules specified that the first group to reach the designated point would win, but it was still in my interests to allow them to pass ahead.
The reason was simple, and if my approximations were accurate, would soon be demonstrated. The leader of the party who waited, for his part, led his companions out of the room with a smile on his face. It was a smile of satisfaction, of having reached one's goal after hard work. The others in his party were the same.
As soon as they had taken a step out of the boss room's doors, however...
Pssht!
With the sound of escaping air, a steady stream of smoke engulfed their party, fogging up the doorway in the distance.
A trap—yet another one of the guild's machinations.
"...As I... Thought," I said, standing up. Laura turned to me for answers.
"Did you know this would happen, Rentt?"
"...Yes. Being in front... Of the goal. Is the second most... Dangerous thing. When it comes to... Labyrinth exploration. The first is... Letting your guard... Down."
"...I suppose that's right..." Laura nodded at my words.
Raiz, however, stared at the smoke-engulfed adventurers with a puzzled look on his face. That very same smoke was now creeping toward the center of the room, and by extension, us.
"Oh... Laura. Could you... Blow that away... With some wind... Magic?"
"Yes, of course. That would be the best course of action... Breeze!"
With a single word, a warm, but steady stream of wind flowed forth from the tip of Laura's staff, dispersing the creeping smoke. Although the spell was not strong enough to attack monsters with, it was an easy spell to control and master. Soon, the gas in question had been ushered into a far corner of the boss room.
While we had safely sidestepped the trap with this gesture, the adventurers in the doorway, who had been caught unawares, were the ones who took the brunt of the smoke. Under normal circumstances, we would have dispelled the smoke immediately, but Laura wasn't exactly in the best shape. Maybe it was due to our intense battle, or the effects of what small amounts of gas had managed to come our way, but she had trouble even maintaining the light in the staff, regardless of her innate talents with magic.
After a short while, the smoke cleared.
"I... See. It was that kind... Of trap."
"Sleeping gas...or something similar. How frightening... If they were attacked now, it would be over," Laura said, looking at the fallen adventurers. Each of them was now sound asleep on the floor of the labyrinth's halls, a view that greeted us in the dissipating smoke.
Laura, for her part, still had not let her guard down. Despite her fatigue, she already had some spells primed to deal with any more potential smoke traps. I, on the other hand, enchanted my body with the Shield spell, keeping an eye out with my blade drawn for any monsters or impending threats.
Raiz, looking at the sleeping adventurers, mumbled to himself. "...If we went ahead, would we have ended up like that, as well...?"
The incident seemed to have instilled some capacity for thought in Raiz. I nodded in response to his query.
"I am... Afraid. So. These... People. Simply came by... At the right time."
One could argue that this was inhumane; unfair, even. These very same adventurers, however, had no qualms about using us to defeat the boss before progressing. By that virtue, the action of us using them to spring a trap should be forgiven, if not permitted in the first place.
"Ugh, then tell me beforehand..." Raiz grumbled.
"... If you are able... To think. To come to... Conclusions, yourself... Then you have grown into... A better adventurer. Well... In your case, Raiz... You have... Laura. So perhaps that is... Fine."
Although I did not want Raiz to suddenly lose all his innocence and become a cynic, it was clear that Raiz's simple nature would one day become an obstacle to their development. Luckily for him, Laura seemed to understand my lessons relatively well. She had already grasped the concept of being suspicious of other individuals, adventurers or no.
I suppose there was always the option of leaving all the thinking to Laura, with Raiz simply fighting on the front lines. At the very least, however, I hoped that Raiz would one day have the capacity to understand the many thoughts that undoubtedly passed through Laura's mind.
Expressing my views to Raiz, he agreed, somewhat sheepishly.
"I guess... Hey, Laura, I'm not all that great with this thinking business... But if you think I should know about something, tell me, and I'll do what I can to think about it myself."
"Of course. But Raiz...you don't have to push yourself into thinking too hard. I'll work hard on your behalf, too."
Watching over the two, who both had smiles on their faces, I could not help but reminisce about my youth, as well. But I didn't have a girl my age accompany me on my adventures back then.
Lorraine...?
Possibly... Yes, she did accompany me, but something about that comparison was not quite right. Lorraine and I were both relatively... Maybe pure was the wrong word here. In any case, we were problematic and strange individuals ourselves.
In any case, we still had to complete the rest of our journey.
"...Well. We should... Get going soon. I assume that... There are no more traps. We should still... Advance carefully. Nonetheless."
The two nodded at my words. Their determination was written across their faces. Laura and Raiz were not keen on failing the trial just steps away from the finish line. Although they looked like any other simple-minded adventurer when we had first set foot into the halls of the New Moon, they now looked more hardened, although not yet seasoned.
A respectable amount of growth in such a short time, if I had to say.
◆◇◆◇◆
"Glad you could make it! You're all here for the Bronze-class trial, yes? Congratulations! You're the first party to arrive here," said the man, apparently a member of the adventurer's guild.
I observed him, but failed to find any odd points; his expression didn't seem unnatural, either. Just to be sure, I asked for his guild-issued identification. Verifying it to be the real thing, I sighed, thinking that this was the end of the test. With this, there would be no more traps, and we could finally heave a collective sigh of relief.
Upon seeing my reaction, the staff member laughed. "Haha! Got you good, huh? I guess you're tired of all this... But yes, this is the designated point."
"So... Are we done? We pass the test?" Raiz asked.
"Well...technically. I won't say we don't have anything else up our sleeves, though... Either way, here are the badges that prove you have reached this location. Here's one for you...you...and you. Three total for the three of you. Hand this to the guild receptionist back in Maalt, and the three of you will be officially promoted to Bronze-class."
Counting out the badges in question, the staff member handed them out. They were little metal things, no bigger than one's little finger. This, too, was probably intentional, seeing as it was an easy object to lose, and we would have to guard it with our lives...or just handle it with great care.
Although the guild had casually mentioned that the first party to reach this point "wins," it didn't say anything about passing the test; yet more troublesome wording on their part. The correct interpretation of this was for the safe return of the badges in question to the guild back in Maalt.
Laura, as if remembering Sheila's words, thought out loud to herself. "...Come to think of it, it was a competition of sorts, so we had to get here before everyone else to win..."
"Ah, yes. Since you are the first ones here, the guild has decided to award you with some promotional items, to recognize your victory over your peers. There's enough for all of you—here you go."
Saying so, the staff member offered each of us a healing potion, in addition to a convenient tool pouch made of leather with a sewn-in strap so that it might be attached to one's waist or thigh. As it happened, the holder was the perfect size for the potion we were just awarded. Potions and tool holders like these were important items for adventurers to have. They were expensive, though, costing several silver coins a piece. Adventurers who were just starting out undoubtedly had to save up for such purchases.
Laura and Raiz were adequately happy, having received such valuable items as prizes. Laura, however, received the items with a somewhat complicated smile on her face.
"As I thought... We do not pass just because we won, right...?" Her voice was barely audible.
"Eh?!" Raiz's eyes opened wide in realization. He quickly recovered, placing a hand on his chin as he thought about the situation at hand.
"...Ah... The lady at the guild said we win...if we get here...not 'we pass'... Ugh, what a mean trick..."
It would seem like Raiz had come to terms with his thoughts.
Personally, I did not think that the trick in question was too mean-spirited or difficult. This much was to be expected for a progression test of this caliber; Bronze-class adventurers were expected to know their way around adventuring. It was with this aim in mind that this test was designed, so that the adequate lessons would be imparted into the participating adventurers.
Many of the traps that had been set could easily be avoided as long as one had given it some thought. I could deduce that more severe and debilitating traps were laid in higher-ranked tests. Those tests were set up to ensure that their participants would fail, and the measures taken were dramatic enough in their own right. Compared to that, the Bronze-class progression test was easy.
In any case, the test in question was an important point in any adventurer's life. At the end of the day, they were to walk away with a deeper understanding of what would be required in their adventuring careers from here on out.
"I see you have it all figured out! It's as you say. But, you have all been through a lot to get to this point. Strictly speaking, all of you have done enough to pass. The order in which the parties arrived to this point hardly matters more than turning in a completed request before its due date. That is one of the absolute basics of adventuring. Barring that, everything is permitted. Well... almost everything."
Basically, if we arrived here at the last second, we still would have qualified. The test had many annoying points, that much I could say, but at its core, it was a simple affair.
Upon hearing those words, Raiz and Laura both sighed, evidently relieved. Having experienced a similar feeling during my time, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
With that, the staff member smiled, bidding his goodbyes. "Well, then! Good job so far. You've all worked hard. All you have to do now is report your results to the guild back at Maalt. Be careful on your way back."
None of us present took the staff member's words at face value. Of course there were traps and the like waiting for us on the return leg of our journey. Having come this far, it would be strange if we didn't expect that. This was the meaning that we grasped from beyond the staff member's friendly smile.
◆◇◆◇◆
"URRAAAAHH!"
Furrowing his brow as a loud voice rang out to his side, Raiz reacted, almost instantaneously.
"...I was WAITING for you! TAKE THIS!" With a furious retort of his own, Raiz swung his blade, perfectly knocking out his attacker.
"As expected, there was a trap here as well..." Laura said, an exasperated look on her face.
I couldn't blame her since we were standing at the entrance of the Labyrinth of the New Moon. Overcoming various other trials and tribulations, we finally made it back to this point.
But immediately after we had stepped out into the daylight, yet another one of the guild's hired goons were on us, and Raiz reacted accordingly. One more of the guild's traps, of course.
"It doesn't end until we report our results to the guild, right?"
The entire experience proved to be extremely educational to Raiz: he no longer hesitated, nor bemoaned the realities of his situation. He was quite tired of the guild's tricks, though; that much was written plainly across his face.
As expected, we encountered many other similar events on our way back to Maalt. Having seen countless traps and survived multiple ambushes up until this point, the smile of the guild's staff member sealed the deal for Raiz. More than ever, he understood what had to be done, as well as how it would not benefit him to be too trusting of others from here on out.
"...But...have we not reached the end? This is everything...right...?" Laura asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty as we stood at the stagecoach pickup.
If they let their guard down and did not monitored the coachman closely, there was a possibility that they could be ferried elsewhere.
"No way... I have to think about carriages, too...?"
"That means we can't relax until we get back to Maalt... No, back to the guild's reception counter..."
They were, as expected, reasonably exasperated. While I understood how they felt, this was precisely what the test was designed to do. To accurately assess the potential of an individual, they would have to overcome many, many trials.
With that being said, I didn't think the guild had any more traps and ambushes lying in wait. Having come this far, the chances of us failing were close to zero.
But of course...that would be what the guild wanted one to think. I resolved to not let my guard down.
"...If... You remained alert. And careful... The two of you now... Would probably be... All right. Let's... Go."
The two responded to my words with surprised expressions; apparently, they didn't expect praise from one such as myself.
"Hey, Rentt praised us!" "...It's a little embarrassing," said Raiz and Laura, laughing.
Their embarrassment, seemingly contagious, caused me to quicken my step.
◆◇◆◇◆
After that interaction, our party advanced cautiously but steadily. In the end, our return to Maalt was uneventful. The coachman, being the same individual who had ferried us here, smiled as he reassured us of a relatively uneventful journey after taking a short glimpse at my mask. As promised, he took us back to Maalt safely. While there were people who acted suspiciously around us in Maalt, our actions and movements indicated that we were sufficiently alert. Understanding that, the individuals in question soon scattered, leaving the path back to the guild clear.
Said individuals were hired by the guild, as well. They were tasked with stealing the badges of adventurers foolish enough to let their guard down as soon as they had returned to Maalt. Unlike their colleagues in the labyrinth, they were merely tasked with stealing, not all-out attacking; even the guild had a heart, at least for candidates that had made it this far.
After a short while, we finally reached our goal: we now stood in front of the adventurer's guild.
"...It was only a short while, but it felt like an eternity..." Raiz said, with an expression and tone of voice that hardly suited his age.
"It is strange, no? To look upon this building once again... It feels like it's been a long time." Laura, apparently in a similar mood, had the exact same expression as Raiz.
I, however, did not have time for their emotional reunion with the guild hall.
"...Let's go," I said, immediately stepping into the guild's halls.
The two quickly followed after me in a hurry, apparently used to my habits already. Their behavior made me feel like adventuring in a party once in a while wasn't all that bad.
"...I wanna check. Is this where we drop off the badges?" Raiz asked, an abundance of caution in his voice and mannerisms. Sheila, suitably amused by this, looked at Raiz with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face.
"Haha. I see you've grown! Yes, this is the place."
Without further ado, the three of us handed over our badges to Sheila, who proceeded to check every single one, holding the small metallic objects up to her eye.
"...Yes. Congratulations! From this point on, the Bronze-class rank progression test is truly over!" Sheila said, as she started clapping.
The sound caused all the adventurers in the guild's halls to join in, laughing and cheering at our success. It was a warm and peaceful atmosphere, for they, too, understood the significance of such a test. Their claps and cheers signaled acceptance and a well-deserved congratulations for their juniors.
Those who did not pass the test were also present, but their expressions were somewhat conflicted. After this, they now understood what to expect when they took their next test, and perhaps one day it would be their turns on the podium.
While the overall population of Maalt's guild was somewhat peaceful and accepting, not all the adventurers present were of the same character. Some stood in corners, looking at us as if we were not deserving of our rewards. Their numbers were few, however; Maalt's guild was known for raising well-mannered and just adventurers. The black sheep were few and far between.
"So...are we Bronze-class adventurers now?"
"Well..."
Just as Sheila was about to finish her sentence, a man stepped out from behind her, handing her a piece of paper. Looking at us, the man smiled, nodding as he did so.
"These three are all right. Here you go—their party report."
"Ah... Yes. Right... Hmm. No problems here," Sheila said, skimming through the document.
Raiz, not understanding the sight before him, asked for an explanation.
"What's going on?"
"Umm..." Sheila, seemingly unable to explain, held her silence.
"...That man... Has been. Following us... From the start."
"Eh?"
"R-Really? I didn't notice him at all..." the two said, shocked.
The smiling man approached us as he offered an explanation.
"I've been observing you this whole time. The test isn't only about adventurer skill; we have to be sure of your character, as well. There's no way to judge you for how you really are, only your performance during this trial. Well...there are cases where we withhold promotions should the candidates do something really unacceptable... Which is why I was following you and watching over you all the while."
I recalled the group of adventurers that had rushed into the boss room before us. Yes, it would be most distasteful if they had advanced in rank, as well. They were only a little rough around the edges, so they didn't seem like adventurers who would commit crimes. Me letting them pass ahead of us may have reflected poorly upon our party. It could even be construed as us willingly observing the suffering of others.
In any case, those four were not too much to worry about. They may have provoked us, but they didn't actually act upon their threats.
As for me drawing my sword... I suppose him placing his hand on his blade was merely another threat; he would have lowered it immediately if I showed any signs of resistance. He was calm, almost incredibly so, as I held the sharp edge of my blade close to his neck, the one who came across as the leader of the group. If one observed closely, one could discern the finer points of their acting; his mannerisms gave him away.
That was all good and well, I suppose.
The man continued: "And so, with the report that I handed to Sheila just now... Well, many things are written about your party, but mostly that you three have no problems whatsoever. The test is centered around the safe return of a badge either way, so the three of you, not having committed any particularly damning actions, all qualify. So, basically...you three pass! All of you made it!"
◆◇◆◇◆
"We...made it...? We made it! WE MADE IT! Hey, Laura! We made it!!
Raiz's voice, at first one of disbelief, slowly increased in volume as the reality of the situation hit him. Laura, too, was soon caught up in the celebrations.
"Yes! We did it Raiz! It wasn't a mistake to go against what my parents said and leave the village after all...!" Laura said, joy evident in her voice.
The contents of her exclamation, however, left me feeling somewhat uneasy, but that was a concern for another time.
Come to think of it, many adventurers came to towns like Maalt to get away from rural villages. I, too, was one of them, and was hardly in a position to lecture Laura for her life choices. The fact that they were here right now spoke for itself that they had enough skill to survive, and that was that.
Even if one were to attribute part of their success to luck, it was undeniable they had successfully risen to the rank of Bronze-class largely due to their virtue and hard work. As Bronze-class adventurers, their earning power was significantly increased, markedly over that of the average, run-of-the-mill adventurer. Even a farmer who owned his own land, crops, and tools in a village couldn't hope to make more than an adventurer of this caliber.
If they chose to return to their villages in the future, they would be able to do so while dressed in all sorts of finery and riches, which was more than enough of a reason to be happy, I suppose.
As expected, I was pleased at the outcome, as well. I had spent most of my life as a Bronze-class adventurer, unable to progress any further. In many ways, I was greatly familiar with this particular adventurer rank. With this, I would once again be able to accept requests that I did in the past, as well as work toward becoming a Silver-class adventurer, the next step in my career.
My current life as an adventurer was satisfactory—no, more than satisfactory. This could very well be the peak of my career, and I would continue on, not stopping for a moment until I finally reached my lifelong goal of Mithril-class. It was a great milestone in my second life as an adventurer.
There were still a myriad of problems present, namely my suspicious-looking robes, my apparently immovable mask, and the fact that I currently had the body of an undead Thrall. Well, minor hindrances in the grand scheme of things; I had to view them that way.
Is it really all that bad to have a single, sentient Undead walk the streets of Maalt?
Deciding to entertain my own question, I stood still, thinking about the implications of such an event...
Suppose a shambling Thrall walks into the market square of Maalt, his body full of holes. He then stops at a stall, engaging the shopkeeper in casual conversation.
"I... W... Would. Like one... Apple. Please..."
"A'right, here you go! That'll be one bronze piece... Yep, one bronze piece. ...Say Rentt, you're full of holes again today, aren't you?"
"Yes... I am... Undead... After all... Ha... Haha...."
"Haha! You're killing me Rentt!"
That would probably be how the conversation would play out.
...Is that such a bad thing?
Probably not the best of images...but not exactly one that was wrong in any way. Unlike most other types of undead, I did not rampage about terrorizing townsfolk. Take that old lady over there—would she care if I were a Thrall full of holes, or a walking sack of bones? No. No one would care at all.
Realistically speaking, however, all of that would end the moment someone screamed and called for the guards. I would then bid a sorrowful goodbye to this cruel word.
Hahaha...
I found it difficult to laugh at the imaginary scenes of carnage in my mind.
I decided to shelve those thoughts for now since I wouldn't have much to worry about if I continued down my path of Existential Evolution. If Lorraine's studies were to be believed, I would one day be able to walk in the light once more. All I had to do was work at my labyrinth exploration. As long as I did what I was supposed to do, I would be able to evolve, collect monster ingredients to fund my adventures, and complete many requests from clients and eventually go up in adventurer rank.
Indeed, I would truly be hitting two, perhaps three, birds with one stone... That is, if everything went according to plan.
More importantly, I should finish the Bronze-class rank progression process. Although we had all already qualified, there were still minor details to work out. While I was familiar with these details and processes, Raiz and Laura were not.
As if on cue, Sheila turned to face us.
"For the three of you who have successfully made it to Bronze-class, a replacement of guild-issued identification is required. To be precise, your current iron-colored cards will be replaced with bronze-colored ones, much like this one right here."
Saying so, Sheila held out what appeared to be a Bronze-class adventurer card in her hands. The name written on said card, however, was interesting to say the least. This card belonged to a certain "Guild Guildar" who apparently belonged to the Maalt adventurer's guild.
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Sheila quickly offered an addendum to her explanation: "...Of course, this is a sample for illustrative purposes, and the card belongs to a fictional person. But 'Guild Guildar' is the official fictitious person that all adventurer guilds use to annotate their sample cards with."
Although I wasn't interested in the least in what Sheila had to say, her tales of Guild Guildar apparently captured the attention of Raiz and Laura. I suppose it was a rarity in their eyes, but did they not see this very same name when they were presented with their Iron-class cards?
"Yeah, well, I really thought that somewhere out there someone was called this when I got my first card..." Raiz said, scratching his head.
I suppose the staff member who had tended to him back then was not as descriptive as Sheila, or they simply took pleasure in tricking young adventurers. It wasn't necessarily a harmful trick, or something that would hinder their careers.
Sheila continued her speech.
"Bronze-class and above adventurer identification cards are usually enchanted with certain magics to prevent forgery, so it will take about one to two days for you to receive your updated documents. It should be ready the day after next, but for now, you may continue using your current identification cards. And do not worry, you will regardless be able to accept Bronze-class requests in the meantime."
The anti-forgery magics in question didn't make it easier to identify said card's owner so much as they were intended to be a deterrent against fraudsters claiming to be adventurers, stealing cards and writing their own names on them. But of course, these magics were not impregnable. If a skilled magician or the like set their mind to it, it was very possible to forge and illegally edit guild-issued identification. This was part of the reason why so many suspicious individuals of questionable background were part of the guild's roster. This resulted in the guild being seen as an organization of questionable morals.
Now, these anti-forgery enchantments became more complicated with each adventurer rank. For example, Lorraine's Silver-class identification card, having been closely examined by the owner herself, was deemed forgeable, provided that one had the time and money to do so. One also had to have adequate knowledge of the techniques involved. That was what Lorraine had to say regarding this topic. The same applied to Gold- and Platinum-class cards.
Mithril-class cards, on the other hand, were enchanted with extremely powerful wards and spells to the point they were almost impossible to forge, let alone edit. Mithril-class adventurers were living treasures of the guild, after all. The guild would do everything it could to prevent illegal forgeries of such cards.
But Lorraine declared it wasn't entirely impossible, and that she herself could probably do something about it if she put in the adequate amount of time and research. I reminded Lorraine to never actually set about such a task, especially since I had no idea what would happen if Lorraine just decided to make such a card one day due to a flight of fancy.
It seemed Sheila was mostly done with her explanations now. Although she had quite a few things to say, the jobscope of a Bronze-class adventurer didn't exactly deviate too far from their Iron-class counterparts. The main difference was in the nature of the requests taken. Bronze-class adventurers were expected to engage more with their clients, particularly on assignments that required active escorts. Said adventurers would then need to learn the appropriate etiquette and business laws that governed the land.
All this was written in the thick handbook that sat on the receptionist's counter. Lectures and other means of sharing information were available at the guild to those who needed them, and at a low, affordable price, too.
But I suppose that was neither here nor there. More importantly...
"...Raiz. Laura," I called out to my two companions. Sure enough, they soon turned to face me.
Although the two of them had gotten used to me in a relatively short time, their joyous faces didn't display a hint of understanding for what I was about to say. The corners of my lips curled downward, but little could be done. We were nothing more than a last-minute party arrangement to begin with: two parties grouped together by the guild for the express purposes of taking the Bronze-class progression test.
I wasn't about to complain about this arrangement now of all times, but at the heart of it, my tendencies to adventure alone still remained. It was time for us to part, now that the test was finally over.
"What's up, Rentt?"
"What is it?"
"...We have all worked... Hard. It was... Fun. We have had... Our ups and downs. While I do not... Know. What kind of... Adventurers, you two would become... I will never. Forget about... What we achieved. Today. Thank... You."
The two of them didn't seem taken aback in the slightest. More than surprise, it was a calm sense of acceptance. Maybe they both understood that we would have to go our separate ways eventually, and responded to me with expressions that were a mix of relief and satisfaction.
"...No, that's for us to say, isn't it? I feel like we've just become proper adventurers today, and you're the one who helped us achieve that, Rentt... I thought that adventuring was all up to skill and power, but now I know it isn't like that. You taught us that. Thanks, Rentt... I'll be the one who never forgets. I'll remember the things you taught me today and build my skills on that foundation. If we ever work together on another assignment...I'd be happy to party up again."
"Mister Vivie... If possible, I would have wanted you to stay with us forever...but that's not something we should be saying, right? I think I understand, somehow. I understand that you are...different, Mister Vivie. I don't mean that you look different, but your goals, your purpose, is different... Like you are headed to a faraway place, unknown to us... I am sure you would not reach that point with us, as that it is for you alone to reach.
"You have taught us many things, Mister Vivie... Not only did you watch over us in battle, but you gave us opportunities to grow and gain valuable experience, all the while supporting us. We could see that. In turn... We also knew that we would be going our separate ways once the test was over. Even so, although this party is now over, and only lasted for a day, you are always one of our party members, Mister Vivie. So if anything ever happens, if there ever is a chance...please do group up with us again, Mister Vivie. Thank you for everything."
I was surprised by their words. To think they saw through my intentions within such a short amount of time. I thought of them as young adventurers that I should guide, but that wasn't entirely right. I remembered various instances where we looked out for each other, encouraging each other along as we progressed on our journey. At the very least, I now felt Raiz and Laura's encouraging words giving me a reassuring pat on the back.
One day, I would definitely become human again. I could not lose that hope, of all things.
"...I apologize... For being unable to... Party up with... you. It is not a question... Of me disliking you two... Or a matter... Of strength. I have... Circumstances. Of my... Own. If, one day... My problems are... Resolved, then... I will definitely... Tell you more about... Myself. Until that time... We should all aspire... To be great adventurers."
With that, we shared a handshake, the two of them smiling as they held my gloved hands in theirs. Despite wearing gloves, it wasn't too far-fetched to think my hands felt strange under the leather. Even so, they said nothing, grasping my hands firmly.
I didn't think they had somehow deduced my condition, that I was an Undead. But they now understood that I had circumstances and problems of my own.
Raiz and Laura, having finally finished up with everything else they needed to do, made their way out of the guild hall, heading back to their rented rooms for a well-deserved rest. Walking with them to the front of the building, I waved before turning to head off in the direction of Lorraine's home. As I did so, however...
"...Mister Rentt!"
A familiar voice rang out from behind me. The voice belonged to none other than Sheila—and I could not help but feel surprised at what I heard.
The way she called out to me, the way she said my name—it was almost as if she was addressing someone she had known for a long time...