Chapter 19

Shina's Perspective

Rina observed the man Mongrel, who was in her party, to gauge his abilities and character.

Mongrel, a Bronze 3 guild member, was an ordinary man.

This investigation mission was simply to test him.

Usually, it would be a simple task, just a round trip to the work shed, dealing with low-level monsters along the way.

However, it seemed the timing was bad, as poachers had gathered at the work shed. This made things a bit more complicated, but in the end, it allowed us to see Mongrel's combat skills against humans, which might have been a good thing.

"You guys are going to be criminal slaves from now on. It'll take a while to escape, but you're not completely stupid. If you work hard, you might be able to climb your way out before you're used up."

Night fell. After eating around the campfire, Mongrel spoke to the three restrained men.

From their perspective, it was a lecture from the person who had captured them. It must have been annoying, but Mongrel was surely doing it for their own good.

I had heard Mongrel's name often from Rina, and since he frequently visited the guild, we had spoken before.

Mongrel had been Rina's mentor before she joined Artemis.

However, they hadn't been in the same party, and even Rina, who had known him for a long time, couldn't gauge his abilities well.

Recently, Mongrel had gone out of town with Rina and encountered a Cyclops.

I didn't tell Rina not to associate with him. He had certainly helped her, and as a Bronze 3 guild member, he must have been reasonably reliable.

However, if he couldn't protect Rina in a pinch, it would be a problem for me.

I am Shina, the leader of Artemis. Even though Rina is new, I don't want her to get hurt or killed over trivial matters.

So, I decided to test Mongrel.

If he was strong, that would be good. But that alone wasn't enough. If he was with Rina, his character couldn't be ignored.

The guild is full of rough and poor people. If Mongrel had a bad influence on Rina, I would keep him away from her.

... After observing him for a day, I had a pretty good idea.

His abilities were good, better than what you'd expect from a Bronze 3 member.

His eye for traps was good, and his choice of paths and walking style were also satisfactory.

... The arrow he shot when we encountered a goblin was amateurish, but his subsequent close combat with a bow-sword was quick and effective. I think his clownish behavior was a cover for his skills.

His handling of the poachers at the work shed was also good.

His bastard sword was a mediocre weapon, but his quick attacks effectively caught the opponents off guard and neutralized them instantly.

He must have had excellent physical enhancement. When he deflected a large axe with his sword, it was as light as if he were flicking a branch.

Not taking lives unnecessarily was also a good point. Attempting to capture them could be dangerous for the rear guard, but he must have had the skill to turn the situation around if needed. He probably wasn't just a soft-hearted man.

He had strength. He wasn't a freak. ... Yes, he should be fine to be with Rina. I feel relieved.

Well... If he tries anything during tonight's camp, I'll kill him without hesitation.

"Even though he's a bit weird, he seems like a good guy, right? Leader Shina?"

"Yes. But aren't you the one who's most relieved? Ulrika."

"...... Hehe. Well, I was worried about Rina, you know? I couldn't help but worry."

"Your way of probing was a bit obvious, wasn't it? I thought something was up with how you were all over Mongrel."

"Is it? I tried to be subtle..."

Ulrika, being a junior close to Rina's age, cares a lot about her.

Also, since Rina's former mentor was Mongrel, she might have a competitive spirit towards him.

But I think Ulrika's reservations about Mongrel have melted away today. She's not the type to dislike or be wary of people, especially not someone with a good character.

"Mongrel-senpai, I've got some new meat."

"Oh, you brought it over? Thanks, Rina."

"Th... That's the meat we prepared...!"

"Hmm? Do you want to eat it? It might be the last decent wild game we have. The meat will go bad, so I can share it with you. ... If you verbally reflect on today's events, that is!"

"Sh... Shit...! Give me some! I'll reflect!"

"Doesn't seem like you're really reflecting, does it...?"

"I am reflecting!"

... Well, I'm not sure. Is his character really good...?

... I've talked to him a lot at the tavern, but Mongrel is a man who's hard to read.

"I've prepared a bucket of water in the room. It's good to cleanse yourself before sleeping."

"Oh, you're thoughtful, Nastasha."

"I didn't participate in any combat today, so I can use water magic effectively."

She is Nastasha.

A skilled water mage who has been with me since the formation of Artemis.

A reliable partner who has stayed with me for a long time since I fled the capital. She also came on this mission for Rina's sake.

"Shina. Did he meet your standards?"

"Hmm, yeah. He's still a bit weird, but he's good. I'm relieved he's not a bad person. What do you think, Nastasha?"

"He's an interesting man."

"... Interesting?"

Surprising. For the usually cold Nastasha to think so highly of him. Why? What about him?

"Earlier, that man, Mongrel, was helping Gorilliana split wood with his bastard sword."

"Yes, that's true. It's helpful to have someone work, but..."

"I observed his sword and found something interesting. What do you think it is?"

Nastasha narrowed her sharp eyes and smiled, a smile driven by academic interest. ... Is there something about the sword that caught her attention?

"Could that bastard sword be a magic sword?"

"No. The sword itself is just a mass-produced item, probably a flawed longsword. The interesting part is something else."

It was a surprisingly poor weapon. That alone was interesting enough...

"Mongrel deflected a large axe with one strike."

"Yes, that's true."

"I inspected the large axe. The blade had a deep cut, about the width of a finger."

"... That's..."

Impressive sharpness and power. It makes sense that he could easily deflect it.

"By contrast, Mongrel's bastard sword, which should have clashed with the large axe, had no damage at all."

"!"

"Isn't that interesting? A mass-produced steel sword, not a magic sword, could withstand a large axe without any damage... His physical enhancement is impressive, but the transmission of power to his weapon is also remarkable. Shina, what rank is he?"

"Bronze 3... It doesn't seem to match."

"Even in the strict capital guild, those with such abilities are given gold ranks."

I thought he was strong. He handles difficult solo missions and seems to have a lot of ease...

The reason for his ease might be this.

"He might be a holder of a physical enhancement 'Gift.' A different type, but similar to you and me."

"...!"

Gift. A supernatural power obtained as a miracle, similar to or even greater than skills.

Holders of physical enhancement Gifts are mostly taken by the state or, if they remain in the wild, become top-tier guild members with the best combat potential.

... Is he hiding his strength?

To avoid standing out and being known as a Gift holder... That makes sense as a reason to stick to Bronze.

The higher the rank, the more dangerous missions one gets.

"I'm satisfied to have seen something interesting. How you handle Mongrel is up to you, Shina. Do as you please."

"... It's a tough decision. Even though he refused once, it might be worth persistently recruiting him..."

"Personally, I don't think it's bad. We already have a man, and if Rina trusts him, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll follow your lead."

With that, Nastasha walked over to Gorilliana.

She probably went to refill the bucket of water.

... Mongrel. Mongrel, huh.

A holder of a physical enhancement Gift... If he's going to be taken by others, maybe it's better to keep him in our group...

"Hey, look, Rina, Ulrika. If you extract the fat from a crazy boar and pour it into food to solidify, you get a terribly unpalatable and smelly preserved food."

"Ugh, it's so smelly! Haha, it must taste awful!"

"Ugh. You don't need to make preserved food. You can just get fresh meat and eat it..."

"That's a hunter's opinion..."

"Actually, it's better to make candles from boar fat. You can use them and sell them for a good price."

"... That's true..."

"Strange! If you want preserved food, just make jerky!"

... Well, if he joins, it might be fun. It's worth considering positively.

I feel he might refuse, but if I persist, he might change his mind.