Chapter 14

Among the uniformed figures blocking the gate, a single man in armor stepped forward. His hair, illuminated by the setting sun, was a fiery red, which stood out even more against his skin as dark as ebony. He didn't look to be in his thirties. He wore a breastplate and shoulder guards that covered his neck, and the hilt of an intricately designed sword peeked out from his waist. The silver edging on the plate hanging from his neck indicated that he was a B-rank adventurer.

Keeping his piercing gaze on Thor, the man asked in a low voice, "Is this the man?"

The question didn't seem to be directed at Thor or the uniformed men behind him. After a moment of silence, the elderly gatekeeper nodded slightly. Having received his answer, the man spoke again.

"I've been informed that you are guiding a new adventurer, which is prohibited. I will have to take you with me."

Without waiting for a response, the man turned and started walking. At the same time, the men in black uniforms surrounded Thor and Sora to prevent them from escaping.

"Hey? What's going on? What should we do, Thor-chan?"

"Don't worry, this will be over soon."

Thor, who had been reassuring the anxious Sora, scratched under his chin and began to cross the square with the uniformed men. At the outer gate, where the commotion had subsided, the two men began to argue.

"You must have snitched to the security guys, Rikan!"

"It's Rikan-san, Karls. You may have been a higher rank during your active years, but in this job, I'm the senior. Show some respect."

"Respect a guy who sells out his comrades? Don't make me laugh."

The elderly gatekeeper, who had flinched for a moment, raised his voice as if to negate it.

"He was breaking the rules! What's wrong with a gatekeeper reporting it?"

"Why just the old man? There were plenty of others doing the same thing, right?"

"......You've been telling him to retire for years, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but he's stubborn and won't retire."

Unlike Rikan, who barely made it to E-rank during his active years, Karls, despite being forced to retire due to an injury, was one of the top C-rank adventurers. He shouldn't have to work as a gatekeeper, a third-class job. He took this job purely to earn points. If he could get a little more promotion, he could have subordinates, and then the old man wouldn't have to worry about being out of work. Karls was also one of the adventurers Thor had guided.

"......Please, don't tell everyone that I talked to the security guys."

"I want to know why, Rikan. Why did you specifically go after the old man?"

"He's a scavenger! He should be below us. That's all there is to it."

When his colleague suddenly revealed the reason, Karls opened his eyes wide as if he had been hit by a hammer. The young gatekeeper, who had lost his words for a moment, slowly pulled his left hand out of his pocket. The part that should have been there was missing. Karls' left wrist and below had been torn off by a rock lizard in the Wasteland of Gale three years ago.

"The old man, unlike me, has been working hard as an active adventurer. Are you going to get in his way with your petty jealousy? If anything, you're the one at the bottom."

Rikan, who had been pointed at with the hand that had lost its tip, turned red and looked away. Karls, disappointed by his pitiful colleague, sighed and shifted his gaze to the other side of the square. Then he let out a worried voice.

"But to go so far as to bring out a True Silver-rank Lazzel for something like this, what are the security guys thinking? ...But, being in a party with such a cute girl, the old man probably needs a little lesson, yeah."

Behind the adventurer's office, there was a neatly landscaped area surrounded by a fence, a training ground for guards and adventurers.

Traditionally, combat and magic skills could only be activated against monsters. But that would mean using newly learned skills in actual combat right away.

To solve this problem, the magic stone device that creates a simulated miasma field was created. This device temporarily increases the miasma concentration, making those inside recognize themselves as similar to monsters on a spiritual level.

Thor and the others were brought to a corner of the training ground where the magic stone device was placed. The raised area, about fifteen steps wide, was also called a match field for mock battles.

Although the sun had set, the bright magic stone lamps provided clear visibility. The red-haired adventurer Lazzel, without unsheathing the sword at his waist, picked up a wooden sword leaning against the fence and tested its weight.

Lazzel indicated for Thor to enter the match field with a nod, but Thor remained still and spoke.

"Can you listen to me? This guy is a friend from my hometown, and we plan to continue as a fixed party. It's not a guide."

"That doesn't matter. I was only asked to confirm. If it's not a guide, then prove it by facing off with me."

Lazzel had been assigned to verify the unexpected performance of a new adventurer named Sora. If he seemed useful, he was also to knock down Thor and show his weakness to Sora. Lazzel had no interest in the truth of their violation or what would happen to the new adventurer after the party was disbanded.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Thor, perhaps deciding that it was an unavoidable situation, let out a small sigh.

"Alright. I don't want to damage my sword, so can I borrow one?"

"Do as you please."

Thor approached the fence and carefully tested the weight of the wooden swords and spears, but shook his head, apparently not satisfied. He then deliberately glanced at the wooden sword Lazzel was holding.

"None of them are good. Can I use that one?"

"If you insist, use this one. I don't care."

Lazzel, slightly suspicious of Thor's actions, handed over the wooden sword. There was no way he would have prepared anything in advance for a mere G-rank grunt. Annoyed, Lazzel selected a new sword, while Thor, without even practicing with the wooden sword he had received, returned it to the fence.

"I'll stick with the one I'm used to."

Grinding his teeth at this attitude, Lazzel took his stance on one side of the match field. Any thoughts of holding back had long since vanished. Being dragged out for such a low-level request had deeply wounded Lazzel's pride.

On the opposite side, Thor, holding a wooden sword in one hand, and Sora, looking around, stood side by side. Lazzel could hear Thor's voice, trying to reassure the girl.

"Watch carefully, Sora."

"Y-Yes, I'll watch closely."

Lazzel gripped his sword tightly, determined to end it as soon as the match began, with the intention of overwhelming Thor with his fighting spirit.

In combat, fighting spirit was the equivalent of magic power in magic skills. Fighting spirit increased through combat with monsters and manifested as a skill when it reached a certain level. As one became more proficient with weapons, the rate at which fighting spirit accumulated increased, allowing skills to be used at an earlier stage. However, Lazzel could gather fighting spirit at a speed that was incomparable to this.

This was because he possessed <Fighting Spirit Charge>, a characteristic obtained by completing the middle branch skills <Blazing Blade> and <Raging Fire Slash> in the Flame God Rafarit's combat skill tree.

"Let's start!"

As Lazzel raised his sword with a shout, he finally realized that his body was not filled with fighting spirit. While his anger had distracted him, this was a more fundamental issue. It was impossible for the skill tree granted by the gods to fail to function.

Thor closed the distance smoothly, his sword pointed at the ground, easily stepping into Lazzel's range.

"Damn!"

Before he could understand what was happening, Lazzel swung his wooden sword to create some distance. Thor's sword, which had risen from a low stance in an instant, deflected it and altered its trajectory. Lazzel's sword, lacking power, was deflected, leaving his front unguarded.

Thor's sword, returning with incredible speed, pierced a small gap in Lazzel's shoulder guard, no wider than a finger. The sword, moving with a sharpness that a normal person could not follow, drew a circle and accurately struck the lowest rib above the breastplate. The momentum of the sword continued, striking Lazzel's thigh from the side as he stepped forward.

Lazzel, who had been hit in three places in a single breath, fell to his knees with a groan.

It was an unbelievable situation. The body that had withstood the blow of a giant spider in the swamp was now unable to move, as if paralyzed. When Lazzel tried to take a breath, a burning pain shot through his side, and he gasped. His left shoulder, which seemed to have dislocated, was completely numb with pain. His left leg, which refused to move, prevented him from standing up.

Thor, who had brought a B-rank adventurer to the ground in a single exchange, looked down at Lazzel without changing his expression. Scratching under his chin, the middle-aged adventurer muttered.

"Too fast, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, just talking to myself."

Thor's extended sword tip gently tapped Lazzel's shoulder as if to console him. Then, without a backward glance, he turned and walked away.

Inside Lazzel, a fierce flame began to rise. He found his body filled with fighting spirit. Anger overcame the pain, and his body was energized. Re-gripping his sword, Lazzel raised it again.

—<Raging Fire Slash>!

Lazzel's wooden sword, closing the distance in a single breath, was enveloped in burning flames. The red, boiling blade was brought down in a straight line toward the unguarded back of the man.

"—Sora"

A calm, low voice echoed across the match field. The girl, who had already raised her staff, nodded in response.

Suddenly, a swirling vortex of flames engulfed Lazzel's arm holding the sword. The man, letting out a silent scream, dropped his sword and rolled on the ground.

Striking his flaming right arm against the ground, he struggled to extinguish it. The uniformed men surrounding the match field, realizing the situation, rushed over with buckets of water. Shouts rose, and the smell of burning flesh and white smoke filled the air.

Amid the chaos, Thor and Sora left the training ground without being reprimanded by anyone.