Chapter 31

The inside of the Adventurer's Guild was as bustling as always, filled with many adventurers. Some were exchanging information, while others were drinking. It seemed they had bought alcohol from the liquor store in front of the shop and were drinking it there. The bar only opened in the evening, and it appeared that adventurers who felt lonely drinking alone had gathered to drink together.

For now, I decided to sell the magic stones I obtained from the Beginner's Dungeon. I had told Jofle and Elise to buy them after we were done.

"Hello, Katusha, I'd like to sell the magic stones and materials I couldn't sell last time."

"Welcome, Ichinoshou-sama, Haruwataro-sama. Please submit your adventurer certificates."

I handed Haru's adventurer certificate to Katusha. Then, I took out the magic stones and items I had obtained from the Beginner's Dungeon from my item bag, including goblin clubs, bat wings, and slime jelly. The only items I didn't sell were the rare medal and the goblin sword.

Katusha moved away from her desk to appraise them, and a familiar voice came from behind.

"Still the Beginner's Dungeon, huh? It must be tough. You can't earn much if you make the Beginner's Dungeon your main source of income. Poor girl, to have such a poor man as her master."

The boxer from yesterday was bothering me again. He had been in the same spot since yesterday, quite a free man.

"Is that all you want to say?"

"Huh?"

"If you're a second-rate adventurer, your provocation is also second-rate. You're just a noble's lackey, aren't you?"

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"Does the one who starts a fight get to back out? You're a third-rate businessman."

I sneered and said,

"If you want to fight, let's do it on that stage."

I pointed behind me with my thumb.

Let's fight on that stage, I said.

"Hey, beginner... no, rookie, the stage is over there?"

"That's the punishment room."

"It's our second home."

...Please don't say anything now. I don't want to hear about the punishment room being our second home.

The boxer laughed at my suggestion.

"I didn't expect you to make such a proposal. I didn't think you'd recognize my profession and still make such a suggestion. This should get me a nice reward from Oregel."

...So the noble trying to buy Haru is Oregel. What a loose-lipped man.

"Ichinoshou-sama, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. The total is 32 cents. Please check."

32 cents... 3200 yen. I can't judge if it's cheap or expensive, but it doesn't matter now.

I received three bundles of 10 copper coins and 2 copper coins, and put them in my item bag.

"Katusha, please prepare the stage! This monk wants to fight me!"

"Wait, Ichinoshou-sama isn't even an adventurer?"

"It's fine, I won't kill him! As long as there's no accident. Besides, if I apply, it's not a problem according to the rules."

The boxer laughed crudely.

With the rules brought up, Katusha couldn't intervene anymore.

The procedures for using the stage were completed, and the applicant, the man, paid the fee. 30 cents, 30 copper coins.

It's expensive.

Not only me and the boxer, but many of the guild's customers followed. The drunkards brought their drinks.

The stage was a circular platform surrounded by grass, with no audience seats. It was enclosed by walls on all sides, making it invisible from the outside.

"Kakke, if the match isn't decided within 10 minutes, it's over," Katusha said.

Kakke, the boxer who had thrown his sword onto the grass and climbed onto the stage, said, "I don't need 10 minutes."

I handed my sword to Haru and jumped onto the stage.

As I stepped forward, three men climbed onto the stage from behind.

"What's the meaning of this? It's supposed to be one-on-one, right?"

"These guys are here to make sure you don't run away."

"Got it—ah, right. 30 cents, I don't want to owe you, so I'll pay you back."

I said this and threw the 30 copper coins up. At the same time, I kicked off the ground.

"What—"

That was the last thing the man said with both feet on the ground. My palm strike hit his stomach as I moved forward.

With that one hit, the man collapsed to his knees, and the copper coins fell on his back.

"Y-You're a boxer too?"

He was still conscious because I held back.

"Heh, it was a good idea to prepare for this. Boxers are indeed strong, but... magic is their weakness. Remember that... if you survive!"

As Kakke said this, the voices of magic spells, "Puchi Fire," were heard, and three spells flew at me from behind. Using magic on the stage was not a violation but taboo.

And—those three spells hit me.

Kakke must have been sure of his victory. But—

It hurt a bit, but I was fine with this level.

I had specialized in magic, and my magic defense was more than twenty times that of a boxer.

I knew they were apprentice mages from the moment they climbed onto the stage.

"Listen, this is how you use magic! Puchi Water! Puchi Stone! Puchi Wind!"

A ball of water, a stone, and a block of air hit each of the three apprentice mages, knocking them all out.

Then, I raised my hand to the sky and cast a fire spell, "Fire."

A huge ball of fire rose into the sky.

[Ichinoshou's level has increased]

It seems using magic increased the level of either an apprentice mage or a mage.

Then, I looked at Kakke.

Kakke, seeing the magic rise into the sky, asked in fear, "W-Who are you...?"

"I have no profession to declare to you!"

I really don't.

Then, I grabbed Kakke's hair and looked into his fear-distorted face.

"More importantly, tell the noble that I'm a coward and will run and hide. But I won't show mercy to anyone who tries to hurt Haru—my precious person. Even if it's a noble. So, I'll let you live as a messenger."

I said this and then,

"Slash!"

I delivered a hand strike.

"Guhhhhhhhh!"

I cut off Kakke's left leg below the knee.

...My right arm was trembling. The man's scream shook my eardrums.

Katusha, who had brought the first aid kit she had prepared for me, climbed onto the stage.

The drunkards had already gone up and poured alcohol on the wound.

This disinfection process further tormented Kakke.

I descended from the stage and stood next to Haru.

"Haru... I'm back."

"Master, please don't overdo it."

"I didn't feel like I was overdoing it."

"Please."

"...Thank you."

Ha, I intended to end it more smoothly.

Actually, a real one-man army is quite tiring.

But if this rumor spreads, fewer adventurers will provoke us.

I don't intend to apologize for unnecessarily injuring Kakke as a warning, but I still feel a bit guilty.

The first chapter ends in the next part.