Chapter 39

So, I had to raise my rank as an adventurer.

And it had to be done as soon as possible.

I had always intended to raise my rank from F to E, and from E to D, as I continued my career as an adventurer.

I do have some ambition for advancement.

I want to be great and gain social recognition.

If I wanted to achieve that in the world of adventurers, the proper way was to raise my adventurer rank.

From D to C, from C to B, and from B to A!

However, it was also true that I hadn't intended to rush it so much.

I had thought that if I could reach A-rank at a leisurely pace over about twenty years, that would be fine. Vaguely.

But it seemed the world was moving much faster than I had anticipated.

I was being pressured to rise to A-rank as quickly as possible.

After all, I couldn't marry Reslaser unless I did.

When she told me, 'I've started making the wedding dress!' I felt like a deadline had been set.

So, it seemed I had to become an A-rank adventurer before the wedding dress was completed!

"What about Noem's dress?"

"We're making it together! We took her measurements with Reslaser the other day!"

This was the adventurer's guild.

I had come to consult with Londait about my future plans.

She, as the guild master, would be the most reliable person to consult about how to become an A-rank adventurer as quickly as possible.

"Ryuya, your rank has been raised to B."

"Already!?"

I hadn't even said a word, and I had already advanced!?

From D to B!

Since I had previously advanced from F to D, this was the second consecutive two-rank promotion!

"The case I submitted to the council has finally come back. You were recognized for completing a special request from the royal palace and defeating a demon, which led to this promotion. ...Oh, Noem has also been promoted to B-rank."

"Yay!"

Good for Noem...

...Not really.

"Is it really okay to get promoted so easily? Isn't it supposed to be a gradual process, overcoming many quests and hardships, advancing three steps and retreating five, and finally building up over time?"

"Normally, that's true. But it's your fault for achieving such extraordinary results!?"

For some reason, I was scolded.

I'm sorry.

"In this case, the B-rank promotion for demon slaying is actually a bit low. You should have been promoted even higher. After all, you defeated a demon!"

"You're not complaining about the promotion, then...?"

"It's strange that you weren't promoted even higher. Most S-rank adventurers can't even defeat a demon one-on-one, so why is Ryuya, who did it, only at B-rank? Those stubborn old men on the council...!"

Londait was in a bad mood.

I'm glad she's angry on my behalf, but please don't make a fuss.

'What's this? Someone is treating my master unfairly? I'll go and destroy them!'

"That's what I'm telling you, don't make a fuss!"

Abinion was as usual, an inhuman being.

"However, the council's stance isn't entirely unreasonable...!"

"What do you mean?"

"B-rank and above is A-rank, right? To become an A-rank adventurer, you have to pass a special exam."

An exam?

According to Londait, A-rank is essentially the pinnacle of adventurers. S-rank, which requires legendary achievements like slaying a wyvern, is a different category, but most adventurers consider reaching A-rank the ultimate goal.

"That's why A-rank is seen as a special rank, distinct from lower ranks. It's not allowed to be achieved so easily. At the very least, it can't be decided by the judgment of a guild master or council member alone. There's a system in place that requires more evaluations and judgments."

That's the exam.

"The A-rank promotion exam. It's held every few years, gathering promising B-rank adventurers. It's a tough exam where deaths can occur, and out of hundreds of B-rank adventurers, fewer than ten pass."

"Wow...!"

The exam seemed much tougher than I thought, and I was intimidated.

"Deaths can occur?"

"Yes, they can."

Why do these exams always seem to involve unnecessary deaths?

"But if you can't pass the exam, you can't become an A-rank adventurer...!"

"You can't get married either."

"That's right."

Since I had been promoted to B-rank for defeating a demon, I had also gained the qualification to take the A-rank promotion exam.

When would the next exam be held?

"Next month."

"Already!?"

"Really, the world seems to revolve around your convenience. Maybe you were born under a very lucky star?"

If I had been blessed with luck, I would have gotten some good skills.

How much time and effort had I spent to gain the level equivalent to a skill?

"If you miss this opportunity, the next one won't come for two or three years. There's no other choice but to take it."

"And I have to pass it for sure."

If I failed, it would be another two or three years.

I couldn't make Reslaser wait that long, so I had to pass it at all costs.

"Will Noem take the exam too? You've also been promoted to B-rank, so you have the qualification."

"Yes, I will!"

Noem's growth is hard to grasp, but I think she has a monstrous growth rate.

This girl became an adventurer around the same time as me, right?

Yet she's keeping up with my promotion pace, which is a miracle!?

"Noem was promoted because of her 'Alchemist King' skill and the recognition of her mass production of potions. It's said that hundreds of soldiers on the battlefield were saved because of it, and the king personally thanked her."

"Promoted because of that...!?"

Anyway, if a big opportunity comes around every few years, I have to seize this big wave.

"Then I'll recommend you. To take the A-rank promotion exam, you need more than just a B-rank; you also need the approval of a master or council member... a guild executive."

"Thank you so much, Londait...!"

"It's fine. Since you came, I've had a lot of fun days. It's like a thank you. Go higher, become great, and show me more interesting things."

No, we're the ones who have been indebted to Londait.

If she hadn't been the guild master here, our journey might not have been so smooth.

"If you feel grateful, you could become my lover as a way to repay me?"

"Blackmail!?"

This kind of thing actually happens, like 'if you want to take the exam, you have to give your body.'

Usually, the genders are reversed, though.

"Well, that was a joke. I'll take care of all the procedures, so you and Noem just make sure to show up on the designated day."

"One day you might take it seriously?"

If you keep making jokes like that...

"So, where is the venue for the A-rank promotion exam?"

"It's held in different places to avoid unfairness. This time, it's in the southern kingdom of Rubrum."

Rubrum Kingdom?

That name sounds familiar... I think I heard it somewhere recently?

◆

So, Noem and I decided to go to the Rubrum Kingdom to take the A-rank promotion exam.

Reslaser couldn't come with us because of her knight duties.

She came to see us off as far as the capital.

If we part here, we won't see each other again until the exam is over.

For some reason, even though we only met a few weeks ago, it feels like we've been together for years.

"I'm sorry, Lord Ryuya, for causing you so much trouble and even making you travel abroad..."

"It's fine. I always intended to aim for A-rank as an adventurer. It was just a matter of timing."

"Please come back safely! I will protect this country with my life while you're away!"

It wasn't supposed to be such a heavy conversation.

With Reslaser's passionate farewell, Noem and I set off.

And Abinion.

"Hmm, a different land? I might see some interesting things again?"

"Are you coming too!?"

The usual group, and we're heading to a new stage.

Unaware of any conspiracies that might be waiting for us...

"Hmm, I feel like I've heard of the Rubrum Kingdom somewhere... I can't remember where..."