Problems Begin

A little while after the fight ended, Instructor Draum helped me stand up and sit on one of the benches in the arena.

Although I managed to land a few blows and make him step back at times, I never considered the possibility that he was holding back, and I ended up losing because I ignored that possibility.

“I’m sorry for hitting you like that, kid!” the instructor exclaimed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just a little dizzy, but it’s nothing I haven’t felt before,” I replied.

I was already somewhat used to being defeated in these kinds of fights thanks to my experience as an MMA fighter, although, of course, with some distance. I had never been hit by a sort of glowing arm like the one from before.

“All right! Now, let’s move on to your evaluation!” said the instructor, shouting again.

Mr. Draum really does like to raise his voice…

“You have great strength, young man! Not many adventurers have made me step back, much less with their own hands. Well done!” the instructor evaluated. “Also, it’s clear that you have fighting experience, and that’s very important if you want to survive out there.”

For now, the evaluation was quite positive despite having lost to him.

I think I understand now why the instructor is ranked A. Thanks to that, he can fight most aspiring adventurers without a problem, and if they are equal to or stronger than him, the evaluation is much quicker.

“However…” the instructor continued. “While you have great strength, you lack a technique or power that gives you an advantage.”

“By technique or power, do you mean the one you used earlier that made your arm glow?” I asked.

“Yes. Having techniques like that can save your life in more ways than one on the battlefield. Monsters, or even bandits, can be very unpredictable, which is why having aces up your sleeve like these is so important.”

I see. My strength may be impressive, but as long as I can only rely on that, it’s very likely that there are monsters that could neutralize me somehow, or bandits with lethal techniques. I had never thought about it in such detail.

“So, taking that into account, your rank as an adventurer from today onwards will be B! Congratulations, kid!”

“Huh!? That much!?”

I was expecting them to give me C at most, especially considering how the trial fight ended. Maybe it didn’t go as badly as I first thought.

Rank B isn’t bad at all.

Though, what intrigues me the most now is the technique Mr. Draum used. I wonder if it’s possible for me to learn something at that level.

“That concludes the trial! I’ll go inform the receptionist so they can make your card. You rest for now,” he said, then gave me a pat on the back, which left me even sorer.

I guess I’ll have to wait here a while until I can get up by myself.

***

“Here’s your adventurer card!” the receptionist exclaimed.

The card was quite simple. It contained information such as my name, rank, the guild I enrolled in, and even my age.

“Be sure to show this card at guilds in other cities to accept quests!” the girl explained. “Also, the card must be updated at least once a year, so keep that in mind.”

“At least? So I can update it sooner?” I asked. That seemed like something I might need at some point.

“Yes! You just need to go to a guild, pay the fee again, and the procedure will depend on what you want to update,” she commented.

“Depend on what, huh?” I guess that means updating things like age isn’t the same as rank. It’s even possible that I’ll have to have another fight like the one with Instructor Draum if I want to update my rank.

What a hassle…

Anyway, once I finished my business at the guild, I thanked the receptionist for her work and left the place, still sore. I wonder if Liz had to endure the pain the same way I am right now?

Well, matters for another time.

For now, I have to return to Liz’s house. She must have already prepared everything necessary for the trip, so we should be able to leave pretty soon.

Or at least, that was the plan.

“Hey!” someone shouted in the distance.

It could have been just another shout from one of the many people on the streets, but I was sure it was for me.

How did I know? Because I recognized the voice. It was the same as that young knight who harassed me the other day.

Turning toward the source of the shout, I confirmed my suspicion. It was him, and he was running in my direction again.

I stayed put to wait for him.

He didn’t seem like a bad kid, so I at least wanted to hear what he had to say.

“Th-thank… goodness… I… found you,” the boy said, hyperventilating.

“Did something happen?” I asked, curious. “I don’t look suspicious anymore, do I?”

I was already dressed in the clothes Liz lent me, so there shouldn’t be any problem in that regard.

He might scold me for getting them dirty, but it was inevitable because of the trial.

“It’s… not that…” the boy answered, finally catching his breath. “I just wanted to know if you’ve seen anything suspicious around here.”

“Suspicious, you say?”

Even if I wanted to help him, the truth is I haven’t had the chance to witness anything like that.

All I’ve done today is leave Liz’s house to go to the guild, take the trial, and leave, which is exactly where I am now.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen anything,” I said honestly.

“Come on! No details!? Try to remember, please!” he insisted as he approached me.

This kid is getting a bit annoying.

“I told you no. I’ve only been at the guild, so I haven’t even had the chance to see anything,” I replied, already somewhat irritated.

Upon my refusal, the boy seemed to finally understand and took a step back.

“I see… Even so, if you see anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to tell me!” he exclaimed. “By the way, my name is Clay, Clay Noril! At your service!”

“Call me Naoya. If I find something, I’ll come looking for you,” I replied politely, wanting to get this over with and go find Liz.

Unfortunately, it didn’t end there.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”

Suddenly, a loud scream was heard nearby, and Clay and I looked around, searching for the source.

“I think it came from that alley!” Clay shouted, immediately starting to run in the indicated direction.

It would have been best to leave everything to the guards and go find Liz, but I didn’t like the idea of leaving someone alone just like that. Besides, I’m no longer a civilian; I’m an adventurer.

Once decided, I ran after Clay and caught up with him in no time, entering the alley together.

The scene was something even in my world one could see; a man standing next to a woman lying on the ground, holding her cheek. The most likely reason for the scream was that he had hit her before.

“Stop!” Clay ordered, drawing his sword. “Leave the lady alone and come with me to the barracks!”

The man then turned to look at us, fixing his gaze on me and smiling instantly.

He was tall and somewhat bulky, and although he didn’t reach Mr. Draum’s level, he certainly looked threatening for that reason, and even more so because of the scars on his face.

“Finally, you’ve arrived,” said the man. “Everyone, out!”

At his command, more men emerged from the alley; some from hiding spots, others from the very darkness of the area. It was a trap, and I seemed to be the target.

“I already did what you asked!” shouted the woman from before. “You’ll let me go now, right!?”

“Yes, yes. Go away if you don’t want to end up as collateral damage,” the man replied.

At his response, the woman quickly got up and ran away. She had just been bait to lure us.

Now we were surrounded by these guys.

“All right, kid, how about we make a deal?” said the man from before, who seemed to be the leader. “You give us the money you earned yesterday, and we won’t break your bones,” he said, cracking his knuckles.

I see. The sale of the pendant yesterday drew too much attention, and these guys found out somehow. They were nothing but scum blinded by their own greed.

“I refuse,” I replied coldly.

Given the purchases we made yesterday, we didn’t even have the full money, and even if we did, I would still refuse. That money was for Liz and Lui.

I might still be sore, but these guys are nothing compared to facing an A-rank adventurer.

“I see. I appreciate that,” said the man, slightly bowing with a hand on his chest. “It’s always a delight to see idiots like you squirm!”

“Sir! What do we do with the guard?” one of the bandits who had surrounded us asked.

“Beat him up and take his stuff. He must have something valuable.”

At his command, the men finally charged.

Clay and I got into a defensive stance, and the fight finally began.